I hope it is ok to ask a shotshell question in this forum. I started handloading centerfire ammo last summer and enjoy it so much that I bought a MEC junior last week and started trying to load my own crow loads (it is too cold to spend much time at the bench and I have to load something!).

I'm using Federal Hulls (cheapo stuff bought at Wally World), Federal primers, 22.5 grains of Universal and Winchester wads (can't remember all of the numbers, but they are white and FA112 or something like that)> I got the load from a Hogdon manual.

Some shells come out with a decent crimp. Most have one or more problems: Many are bulged near the brass like I have too much pressure or something, then the next case may load decently without changing a thing???

If I have posted in the wrong place, I do apologize!!

BTH, you may want to try this in the Shotgun Forum, but while I'm here I'm thinking maybe there is a sizing issue. While I've a fair bit of experience with 9000G I have none with the Jr. Does it size cases or does that require a separate operation? What size shot are you using?

It does not size the cases.

1 1/4oz. of Winchester chilled 7 1/2

Well I've loaded truck fulls of shotgun shells over the years and the first problem I see is the hulls themselves.Other than the Gold Medal hull I have never found
any Federal hull worth reloading. The best reloads will come from Win AA or Remington STS hulls.
Secondly,MEC sells a collet sizer for shotgun hulls called a Supersizer,if these are high brass shells,you need one.
Thirdly,if you don't have some pressure on the wad when you seat it on the powder charge you are asking for trouble.That is why the powder/shot tube on the press has all the red lines and numbers on it.Grab the Lyman 47th edition of shotshell reloading and it will explain how to adjust the press to achieve proper pressures.
Howard

What HTDuck said.