Best way to clean shotgun hulls?
What is the best way to clean alot of empty hulls collected at the range? I've been using a nylon 12ga brush to get the dirt out and the give it a wipe a damp cloth. This method works well when someone else does it!
15 March 2010, 07:16
JIm YackleyDeprime, place in a mesh bag and run through a washing machine. Let air dry.
Thank you Jim. I have heard of this method before but I wasnt sure if it was true or not.
15 March 2010, 23:04
cgbachWorks great as long as they are all plastic, the bag is stout (pillow cases fall apart), and your wife is understanding. The dryer can be a bit rough on the ears.
C.G.B.
17 March 2010, 19:44
Charles KalupaWhy do you need to clean them? Just the general dirt from the ground or do they have another issue?
Charles, these hulls usually have anything from sand to grass, even found bugs in them! I have a guy collect once a month for me and usually I save about 40% of these as the rest are usually not good enough for reloading.
24 March 2010, 07:19
icemanls2Never cleaned a hull, Havn't found the need, but i guess if i had some real muddy ones i would. Now i know how to do it if the need arrises.
24 April 2010, 14:17
WestCoasterWhy get em wet?
Find an old tumbler dryer.
Get a old wool blanket, dump a bunch of hulls in the center just enuf so they are a bit loose in it (will tumble around inside).
Tie up the ends so the hulls won't fall out.
Throw the kiboodle into the dryer and let it run for an hour.
They will come out clean, and dry and the brass will prolly look a lot better too.
(I used to trap shoot a lot so I found an old dryer that had a dead heating element.)
This was the method I used then.
31 August 2010, 15:34
billtquote:
Originally posted by JD Miller:
Dish washer works too
+1
I use the mesh bags, (4). 2 on the top rack, and 2 on the bottom. I usually put around a hundred in each bag, and use the "Pot Scrubber" cycle with the DRYING HEAT TURNED OFF. I usually run them through my MEC Case Conditioner first which deprimes and resizes them. By having the primer hole open water drains out easier, and the inside of the shells come out much cleaner. After they dry, (3 hours or so in the afternoon Sun), they're ready to reload, and come out looking factory new. I like nice, clean ammo. I have noticed that wads seat much easier and more consistently in clean cases. It simply makes for better, more dependable reloads. Bill T.