Page 1 of Shotshell Reloading Tools & Equipment by MidwayUSA, Inc.

shotshell reloading tools and equipment introduction shooters reload shotshells for many different reasons the combined financial benefits and ability to tailor a specific load to a particular application make shotshell reloading a valuable pursuit for any shotgunner this guide is intended to serve as a brief introduction to many of the tools and equipment needed to begin shotshell reloading it is in no way exhaustive nor is it a substitute for a quality reloading manual sponding powder charge will be incorrect for this reason bushings and charge bars calibrated for steel shot are readily available components reloading shotshells requires 5 basic components hull shot wad powder and primer they are offered in a variety of styles and forms to meet the needs of any shooter ing a shotshell reloading recipe will contain a specific ingredient list that should be followed closely this recipe will contain a specific hull powder charge wad and shot charge accessories while most of the reloading operations are conducted by the press there are a few accessories that will offer a great deal of help to the reloader basic equipment needed reloading manuals pages 808-813 hulls while shotshell hulls can be made out of a variety of materials including paper brass and steel the vast majority of shotshells produced and reloaded feature hulls made from plastic with a brass head the brass head holds the primer and is wrapped around the end portion of the plastic hull called the basewad scale even though shot and powder are measured and dropped with calibrated bushings it is still important to check the powder press in general there are two kinds of shotshell reloading presses single stage and progressive single stage presses completely work one shotshell at a time through all of the stations before beginning the next shell progressive presses work multiple shells at a time producing a completed shell with each pull of the handle shotshell presses are purchased already set up to load a specific gauge at a specific length for example a 12 gauge press might be able to load 2-3/4 shells out of the box and with simple adjustments be able to load 3 shells a conversion die set can allow a press to load a different gauge for example it could be possible to purchase a set of 20 gauge dies and install them on your 12 gauge press at significant savings compared to purchasing an additional press manufacturers and models vary so it is important to check if additional die sets are available before purchasing a press shot shot is available in a variety of styles to meet the needs of any hunter or target shooter it can be made from lead nickelplated lead steel alloys composed of tungsten and nickel etc shot sizes can range from tiny particles to large projectiles before loading shotshells for hunting it is imporreloading can make you a better shooter while saving you money tant to check all state and and any shooter can start with just a few basic tools or you can local regulations laws move up to a progressive press pictured with many more features can vary significantly between states or regions so it is always a important to be charges and shot loads for accuracy it is well informed best to use a scale that can measure up to presses pages 144-145 · single stage · progressive charge bar/bushings most shotshell presses use a charge bar equipped with hollow bushings to dispense powder and shot directly into the hull the powder and shot are held in bottles above the press and the charge bar containing the bushings is moved into position underneath the bushings are drilled to hold a set amount of powder or shot and they collect that amount when moved in place below the bottles then the charge bar is moved to the dispense position and the powder or shot is deposited directly into the hull reloading presses typically include a set of bushings sized to throw the most popular charge for a given gauge but additional charge bars and bushings can be purchased for customized loads charge bar/bushings pages 146-149 wads the wad is essential for shotshell reloading and serves several functions in the shell it also serves to fill extra space in the hull to make sure that there is no room for the shot and powder charges to move around it acts as a barrier between the powder and shot charges to ensure proper powder ignition protects the shot from hot gasses and seals gasses behind the shot so that it can be propelled down the barrel the wad also acts as a dual barrier to protect the barrel from becoming damaged by hard shot and to protect soft shot from becoming deformed by contact with hard barrel steel components · hulls page 153 · wads pages 153-154 · shot page 155 · slugs page 155 1000 grains because shot loads are much heavier than bullets used in metallic reloading for example a typical 1-1/8 oz field load weighs 492 grains and a 1-7/8 oz magnum load weighs 820 grains calipers/shell checker calipers are used to check the overall shell length shell diameter and other important measurements a shell checker consists of a series of holes that check the shell for proper size and roundness accessories pages 150-151 remote sizing tool some reloading presses do not resize the brass case head so the use of an additional resizing tool is needed this tool consists of a steel collet that squeezes the brass case head back to its pre-fired size lead shot vs steel shot it is important to note that loading lead shot and steel shot requires slightly different equipment and techniques load data is dependent on the weight of the shot being fired in other words it takes so many grains of powder to propel so many ounces of shot however shot bushings dispense by volume not weight this is not a problem if you are dealing with a material that has a constant weight and volume however steel and lead have radically different weights so equal amounts measured by volume will have very different weights loading steel shot with lead bushings could cause a serious safety issue because the corre recipes when reloading a shotshell it is necessary to have a column of powder wad and shot large enough to completely fill the interior of the hull if that column is too large then the shell cannot be crimped if that column is too small then the shot and powder inside the shell will rattle around and it could become unusable or unsafe for this reason shotshell reloading data is often referred to as a recipe just like cook shotshell boxes/shell stacker shotshell boxes keep reloaded shotshells clean and dry they can be labeled so that load data can be easily referenced a shell stacker is used to hold reloaded shells as they are removed from the press so that they can be easily inserted into a box · scale pages 33-37 · calipers pages 10-11 shell checker page 150 · remote sizing tool page 150 · shell stacker page 152 since 1977 800-243-3220 www.midwayusa.com 143

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