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Just exactly HOW cheaply can you reload buckshot rounds?

Tom396

.30-06
Ever add up the cost of just your components? I am not talking about any high end reloads, just usable 00 (or other) buckshot rounds. Assume no cost for the reloading equipment and no cost for the empty hulls. Just the cost of primers, wads, powder, and buckshot. And the cost of overshot cards, if you use those. A rough estimate is fine. Thanks and take care. Tom Worthington
 
I haven't loaded any 00 or 000 buck, but a 5 pound bag of 000 hornady (.350) is $25 plus shipping.

A 500 count bag of Downrange Versatite (Hornady versatite copies) cost about $13 at midwayusa.

If you can find primers and powder locally, would be a lot better than paying hazardous materials and handling because that's typically about $40 extra on top of about $20 for a pound of powder (which will load about 350 shells) and 209 primers cost about $25/1000.

So, that will get you in the ballpark of about what it costs.

Using longshot powder, you probably won't need an overshot card unless you're roll crimping instead of a star crimp. If you use titegroup powder at lower velocity, you'll probably need an overshot card because it doesn't take as much powder and doesn't fill up the hull as much obviously.

And if you do, I love these the best.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/12ga-Clear-Overshot-Disk-500_bag/productinfo/COS12/

Though the cardboard cards are cheaper and work just as good.
 
I think the powder situation here is going to get expensive because of new handling rules & this is going to run up the cost of everything related to reloading.

Nonetheless I'm saving all my hulls for the day in which I may be forced to reload.

My buddy is setup to reload center-fire stuff and I'm thinking that since he does not load shotgun shells I will probably set up to do that myself.

More than anything I'm interested in making up my own custom shot loads & sabots. Just for fun mind you . . . an excuse to experiment with things that go bang.
 
It looks like it will cost me under 45 cents a round, if I dont have to buy hulls or under 60 cents with new hulls.

30 cents for buck shot
6 cents powder
2.5 cents for primer
2 cents wadding
13 cents hulls
 
Sure. You just have to make certain that you don't go over the 1 ounce or 1-1/8 oz payload that they're charged for already.

And if you use a roll crimp, you'll have to cover them with a shot card, or preferably would crimp the factory star crimp back in place would be "more professional looking". But covering the wad underneath of a roll crimp would also work just fine.

I'm not certain how many buckshot you'd be able to use. You'd just have to weigh them until you come up to or just under 1 ounce as close as you can get.

Just FWIW, my buddy took his 2nd deer using the Federal slug loads last week. Said it too dropped in its' tracks and didn't even try to get back up. Complete pass through at 50 yards. Despite being "low brass" handicap charge ;)
 
I did have a look at that thread, and thanks a million buddy, but it's 27 pages and when I get more time I will go through it completely.

For now I've posted something new about presses etc.

<EDIT....
I had actually read a little bit of that thread previously and went out and bought a bunch of cheap shells, so I have hundreds of rounds right now but not shot. I have maybe 100 empty shells right now so enough to get started.>
 
Well they finally got some Buckshot in at our local Sportsman's Warehouse, but at 5 pounds for $25 + tax ~ $27 !!!

That's 80oz, so 0.34 per load just for the shot.

Anyhow, I'm still trying to round up some lead shot casting equipment.
 
Can you find lead wheelweights there? Or have they all been replaced by steel and zinc already?
 
In Calif new weights are not pure lead . . . about half the weight.
But I have shot-worthy lead ingots. Enough to make 3K+ loads.
I poured them as tractor weights for Dad back about 1978.
He got the lead as ingots of reclaimed wheel weights.
 
I bet you're glad that you've hung onto them now. If you're not, you should be.

There are other methods available so you can make your regular birdshot too.

These little nozzles are available on ebay. Would be pretty easy to make your own container and burner for it.

 
I was thinking about "dropping shot" but I was of the impression that to drop good buckshot you needed to drop it like 20 yards.
 
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I'm still not casting shot, but I did get another 25# of #2 buckshot for $25 and 25# of 000 buck for $20. Local Sportsman's warehouse so no shipping.

I made up some 88 various loads, in recycled hulls, with combinations of buckshot, and some with #4 birdshot.

The most brutal has 8 balls of 000 for a load of approx 1-3/16 oz.. That sucker's gonna kick.

I used AA clone wads and a star crimp with hand packed paper towel top wad. I tried using a stamped overshot card, but hand packed paper makes a more solid shell when the layers only get 2 balls.

Those loads cost 24 cents to load, but all the hulls were muddy and needed real washing in a bucket with a bottle brush.

Imagine getting hit with eight .35 cal balls at once. Brutal!
 
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