I love to shoot clays! Its been too many years since I was doing it regularly, but just started again, and am still in love
I love the competition against myself mostly, to try and do better, and learn where I went wrong when I miss a shot.
Now if I get serious about this again, I can see that buying target loads is going to be the biggest expense! $7.50 CND for a box{25} at the club, for 1-1/8oz of 7-1/2 shot size. {lead} 12ga. 2-3/4"
How much do you estimate it would cost you to handload a box of the same?
I know steel may be cheaper, but they wont let us shoot it at this range.
Maybe I should dust off my old Lyman 100SL press, and give it a whirl again.
As an aside does anyone know if you can still buy parts for the 100SL still?

According to the reloading cost calculator at Trapshooters.com, my trap reloads run about $2.80 US. That's with top quality hard shot, a Claybuster wad, and Clays powder.

A used MEC 600 Jr cost me $50, and $30 more got me a manual(Mandatory), scale, and enough components to get started. I figure the equipment paid for itself in about 6 weeks.

HTH....

BC,

FYI

Visited the new Cabellas today in Kansas City. Had a store special of PMC Target 12 g for 31.99 a case. In my book, that's cheap shooting.

Scott

I just bought a case of AA Winchester sporting clays shotshells for $4.50 a box. I am in the same situation as you so I fiqured up what it would cost to reload last week. I came up with $3.20 a box. That is if you already have the hulls. It's just not worth a dollar and a half to reload my own. If I had the time to set down and load I would only use a multistage press, which cost about $370. I figured it would cost me about $450 to get started. It would take me a long time to break even at a savings of just a buck and a half a box, a little over 12 years to be exact because I only shoot 2 boxes a month. Not worth the trouble if you ask me.

I've been sitting on the fence for several years now. Everytime I get close, Walmart puts their promo loads on sale for $29.95 per case, and I just can't see the difference for when I'm just shooting "bird season" warmup about 10 times a season. The promo loads don't kick, and pattern exceptionally well out of my gun (what little lead that's in there, that is ).

I almost went ahead last year after buying a couple of boxes of steel shot for waterfowl (OUCH!), but even then, I don't shoot but a couple of boxes a year. FWIW, Dutch.

Try S.I.R. in Winnipeg, Challengers are $5.00 CDN.
http://www.sirmailorder.ca/search.php

Bye
Jack

BC Hunter,

I�ve been hearing about the Canadian dollar vs, the U.S. for years now. Had the opportunity to visit Ontario this Summer. Absolutely loved the area! I will always remember sitting next to a clear rock edged stream with a small mountain reflecting off it. Not a soul within miles. Cool thing was it wasn�t part of a park, just there. Friendliest people I�ve ever met. Have been to most of the U.S., but I can�t say I�ve seen anything more majestic than that site. Must say though, everything I like to do seemed to be taxed up the Kazooo.

Maybe we can get a trade going. I�ll send cheap shotgun shells, you send me Muskol Insect repellent. Best stuff I�ve ever used. Also, I�ve heard horror stories about bringing in hunting guns from the U.S., but in reading the Ontario hunting guide, the process seems to be rather smooth. Seemed expensive too. On the other hand a good friend from the U.P. mentioned he no longer shoots pistol matches in Canada, and vice versa. The hassle of transporting was too much.

As a citizen of Canada, is it not legal for you to buy ammo in the U.S. and take back home with you?

Scott

Wow, $30 for a case is cheap! That's what they cost when I got started reloading 18 or so years ago. They were Federal game loads, I still have a box from the first shells I ever bought.

If you're happy with those then reloading will cost you money. I like the heavier stuff so it's worth it. Plus you have to enjoy doing it like it's a hobby, because that's really what it is. Just like workin on your car, some folks like doin' it, others have no interest at all. As you can figure, I do all the work on my vehicles.
I checked the price for shells (I was curious too) based on 1000 rounds the components cost about $3.50 a box to make good quality 1-1/8oz shells, $4 if you don�t reload the hulls. They would be better quality than the Feds but that's because I can�t buy the lame wads Fed uses, and I figured using Green Dot powder (good stuff). I�m surprised because the components price has only gone up about 15% since I started.

I've heard guys get down around $2.15 US at the lowest loading trap shells. This is buying everything in bulk; 5k primers, 5k wads, 8 lbs powder, etc.

I like to roll my own, and expiriment a lot so those are pluses to me. Right now I shoot a really really fast 7/8ths ounce load, something that would be hard to find in the shot size I like.

J.

Crazyquik:
Wow, $2.15 is cheap. I love non-standard stuff like the load you described, so how fast is really really fast? Have you experimented with the patterns on fast loads? I still need to check my loads for deformation, I'm sure some of my shot comes out as cubes.

One advantage of reloading hasn't been mentioned much here. When Son got straight As last year, I bought him his first shotgun as a reward. A little NEF 12 gauge single, it's light enough for him to use but too light to soak up much kick.

So, a bit of research had him shooting an ultra mild 3/4 oz at 1150 FPS load, mostly using the same components as my 1 oz trap loads.

Where can someone go out and buy that easily?

Buying in bulk at shooting club type prices you can use a round number of about US$2.50/box for standard 1 1/8 oz reloads.

Reloading shotshells is like rifle or pistol reloading, unless you are going to shoot volumes of shots it is not worth the money, space, etc. to get set up and the time required for reloading. On a single stage reloader, you will be working fast to load 100 shells an hour. If you add in the value of your time, it is obvious that it is not a big profit center, unless you are reloading steel shot or something similar.

Don't misunderstand, I reload, and have reloaded hundreds of thousands of shotshells, but it is only worthwhile if a) you shoot volumes, and by that I would think I mean a minimum of 100 shells a week or b) like some above, you want different loads than are commercially available and enjoy the hobby aspects of it.

For the average shooter, that is a case or two a year or less, it is hard to beat the promo loads at Walmart. But reloads will be slightly cheaper and better quality. Good target loads are the best buy for serious dove hunters who don't reload and they will run about $5 a box at Walmarts.

The advantage in reloading shotshells differs with what load and gauge you are shooting.

It's next to impossible to justify reloading for 12 or 20 gauge trap and skeet (at modest volumes), or for dove-type hunting with those gauges. The factory loads, even the premium loads like AA's, are just too close in price to reloads (especially if you save the hulls from your factory loads and resell them). And the promo loads are ridiculously cheap (but about the same price as the AA's after the hulls are sold.)

On the other hand, if you shoot 28 or .410 gauge, the factory loads are outrageous in price (from $2 to $3 per box more than the 12's in AA's), so loading these gauges, which are even cheaper to reload than the larger gauges due to the tiny amount of shot and powder they use, makes good sense.

Also, the heavy loads (the ones we used to call "high brass") are much more expensive in factory loads, but negligibly more expensive to reload. For three bucks you can shoot a high velocity 1 1/4 oz load of 5's at pheasants which would cost you around 10 bucks in a factory load. Again, this difference makes it worth the effort -- if you shoot enough to make it practical.

Of course if you shoot a 16, reloading gives you the option to actually shoot your gun (and with an appropriate load), considering how scarce 16 gauge ammo is on most retailers' shelves these days.

There's also one more consideration in shooting reloads: I get a lot more satisfaction seeing a bird fall from the air when I know that I loaded the shell myself rather than a machine in a factory somewhere doing it.

Great points, including the point on loading light for younger shooters. Far too many kids nowadays flench due to bad recoil experiences. The PMC, and Federal promo target loads were very gentle in 12g.

BC Hunter, We use a great deal of repellant. Have a few hayburners around, which means flies, and chiggers are horrible. The Muskol is by far the best I've ever used. The warning lable is in French, which I hope doesn't state overusing will make your balls fall off.

Scott

Crazyquik:
I have a few STS hulls mixed in with regular Rem hulls I bought from Precision Reloading. I heard they're better, but how? They have a shinier color, but otherwise seem the same.
I like the Rem and Federal, but dislike the Winchester because of the nasty red color and that they trash the ends by melting the crimp together.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jayboid:
[QBBC Hunter, We use a great deal of repellant. Have a few hayburners around, which means flies, and chiggers are horrible. The Muskol is by far the best I've ever used. The warning lable is in French, which I hope doesn't state overusing will make your balls fall off.

Oui Monsieur, du Muskol le' formidable pour du mosquitoes, un du chiggar's. Cautione, du testicale's, la grand'e shrinkaghe. Tres vous hydrant du froid, le testicale's a la murde! Sacrablue!

Bonsoir'

The STS hulls are probably the best ever made for longevity.The slick finish also goes through a reloader smoothly and easily.Les Greevy recently wrote about firing and reloading Gold Medals, AAs and STS hulls repeatedly, he got 15 reloads out of each w/o degraded performance or danger.

However,I suggest just using a hull until the crimp starts to tear and rip. Myself, I load them 5 times and pitch them.

As for using Gun Clubs, etc, I'll echo the Lyman manual and recommend using only the top target hulls.

Just picked up some shotgunning supplies. The prices may be interesting, for they seem to be the least expensive around the Midwest U.S. I like seeing the prices from other parts of Earth. All prices U.S. Now in stating this, I've learned it may be wise to begin picking up the hulls, and learn to reload. Not mainly due to price, but more for all round shooting. The PMC Target came in a new style bronze box, and appears to have a slightly different hull than the last batch I got.

All 12 g.

PMC Field Target 2 3/4 #8 Velocity 1230 1 1/8 shot priced per case 10 boxes 29.95

Bismuth No Tox 2 3/4 #2 1 3/8 oz shot 15.99 box of 10

Remington Hevi-Shot Premier 3" #2 1 1/2 0z Velocity 1300 19.99 box 10

Miss with the Hevi-shot a few times, and one could feast with a store bought goose dinner. The thought of having 6 bucks worth of pellets in the air at the same time gives one thought.

Not worth the effort. My friend and I started reloading with his Grandfathers Lee machine. I saved 2 bucks over 100 rounds. It is easier just to go to Walmart and buy a value box of Federal's.