I've been looking online at the 8567 Grabber, and the 9000G. I have never reloaded before, but I don't want to do it manually, or single stage. I have a friend who relaods and I'm going to go and watch him reload, and maybe he can show me how to reload.
I was looking at Reloaders and some say that Die sets are not available. what is a Die?

Are there any good websites that I can read up on reloading?
Are there any books on reloading I should get?

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Scott

Scott,
I have a MEC 9000G, and it'll crank out shells until your arm falls off. The primer drop tube needs a little fiddling around with, but after you get used to it (and spill a bunch of shot all over the place), it'll turn out a very respectable reload.
Decide what gauge shell you're going to reload, then buy the 9000G in THAT gauge.
The dies are the parts of the reloading press that first open up the fired shell, to de-prime & make the case ready to start putting the primer, powder, wad & shot into the case. The crimping dies re-crimp the end of the shell closed in stages, and size it so it fits into the shotgun's chamber. I suppose you can get several sets, for reloading several different gauges of shells, along with different charge bars & bushings. Most folks reload in only one gauge, or use different machines for different gauges (I only do 12-gauge shells, in target loads). It's not nearly as fast and easy to change shotshell dies as it is to change rifle & pistol dies in a press.
A good reloading manual is Lyman's shotshell reloading book. It covers just about every powder, primer, hull & wad out there.
Good luck, George.

[This message has been edited by George Capriola (edited 12-18-2001).]

Hi, Scott:
You can't change gauges on the Grabber & 9000G. You can on the Sizemaster & 600 Jr., but it's a 1/2 hour job to change the Sizemaster over. I quit changing gauges when I got a Grabber. The Grabber was used and minus instructions, but the folks at MEC were quite helpful.

As for books, there's Lyman's Shotshell Reloading Handbook and Gun Digest's Reloading for Shotgunners, both in their 4th editions. The Lyman is a bit better than the Gun Digest book, but not by much.

Check out the shotgun page at Shooter's Talk. Use the search function (binocular icon) and search for 9000G and Grabber separately. You'll find lots.
http://talk.shooters.com/room_49/current_page.cfm

The Hornady 366 is the only other press in the 9000G's price range. I hear it's good, but don't buy a Hornady Apex. The Apex was supposed to replace the 366, but it was discontinued and the 366 is still going.

Bye
Jack

If you are new to shotshell reloading, FORGET the MEC 9000G. I have one also, in 20 gauge. It cranks out shells very nicely. But if you are new, you will spill lead shot and powder all over the place trying to get it set up and understanding the process.

The MEC Grabber is easier to manipulate, even for experienced reloaders. It is easier to clean and to stop the action when a foul-up occurs (bent wad, slightly turned-in hull, failure of primer feed, etc). Such foul-ups WILL occur. You wanna be able to prevent a shot and powder spill disaster, which is MUCH easier to do with the Grabber.

Your rate of production with the Grabber is about one flat (250 shells) per hour once you are cranking. Get the MEC stacking tray for the shells and you will really be humming along !

If you need more speed than that, you really want either a better paying job or a sponsor for your shooting.

bubo2069 -- The MEC Grabber is a manually indexed, upgraded version of the MEC 650. The 9000G is an auto indexing, auto ejecting progressive press, but the auto indexing feature can be disabled if you so desire. (Good while getting used to the press and its operation.)

I have several presses set up -- including a Grabber (12 gauge) and a 9000G (20 gauge). I won't recommend one over the other. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, does the auto ejecting feature mean anything to you? Only you can answer that question. To me, it does not because I like to repack my reloaded shells in their boxes.

Both are the best presses in the $300 to less than $370 price range.

My honest advice to you is to give a serious look at starting out with single stage press like the MEC Sizemaster. This is an excellent, fairly inexpensive press that can turn out 8 to 10 boxes of ammo an hour. It is also quite versatile. I would not call any progressive versatile.

I use a Versamec, which is an older version of the single-stage MEC. You can change the dies on it for different gauges, and I do so. I have 12, 20, 28, and 410 dies sets for it. Changing them is a bit of a chore. It's definitely more complicated than changing dies to reload different rifle calibers, but once you've done it a number of times and know exactly what to do, you can do it in 15 minutes or less. I don't necessarily recommend this, but I'm stating it as a fact that it can be done, and done well.

Beginning loading with one of the progressives may be OK, but it would be very good if you have someone experienced who can guide you through the steps and help you get going. Training yourself may take awhile, numerous hours, but once you get the hang of it you are likely to find reloading shotshells a great achievement -- almost a form of self-therapy.

I've had a 12 and 20 grabber for 25 years. Never had a problem with either of them.
Happy reloading, Russ

I reload about 6,000 rounds a year on 2 MEC's, a 650 and a Grabber. Both work very well. The auto index feature does not speed up the press all that much. As far as I'm concerned it's more of a pain in the ass than it's worth. If you screw up on a manually indexed press, it's a lot easier to get things right again when you don't have to fight the auto index mechanisim. Also with less parts there is less to go wrong. My wife and I both shoot trap and I find these reloaders will do everything that I need and turn out a beautiful shell. Once you get into a rhythm, you won't lose any speed by simply grabbing the last finished shell on the turret and pull it toward you, indexing the press, and removeing the shell at the same time. MEC presses are one of the best buys in shotshell reloading presses today, and have been for several years. I equipped mine with adjustable powder bars and baffles. In over 12 years I've never had a problem with either press. Bill T.

Thanks for the info so far! keep the info coming! I'm going to this a BUMP

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Scott