shotgun reloading questions

[John A.]

Myself and a friend are considering buying a Lee Load-All 2 shotshell loader.

After watching a few videos of one in use, seems pretty straightforward in principle.

But I am wondering how you change your powder charge and your shot weight.

I know you wouldn't really be changing your powder charge during a loading session, I mean, if you switch to another powder or primer or something, how does one adjust the loader for that?

 

[Pawpaw]

By changing the powder or shot bushing inside the machine.

 

[John A.]

Very informative. Thank you for the link.

I don't suppose you would know a good wad for Federal multi purpose loads (cheap walmart bulk shells). I am planning to use hogdon titewad and #6, though I am not certain of the charge to use with them yet either.

We'll be getting a loading manual, I assume it will have a charge wrote down.

 

[nitesite]

Lee thought it out pretty well, and it's not difficult to change a powder charge or shot weight.

The crazy thing is that these Load-All presses work really well considering the price.........

Still, I would rather have a MEC, but the Load All does work pretty damn well.

 

[John A.]

A mec would be nice. Especially since the Lee doesn't have a kit for the .410.

But I'm leaning toward the Lee due to the other costs we'll be doing with the powders and primers and wads.

Which the wads open up a ton of questions for me as it is.

Only place I know to get them is Ballistics Products and they have so many different styles and sizes my head spins.

Some are long, some are short. Some are slitted, some are solid.

Ugggh.

 

[MikeD]

I've reloaded many many 1000's of rounds on a Lee Load All press over my lifetime.

When I mounted mine I drilled a hole in the bench so the primers can fall through into a jar or bucket. If you let them collect under the press they will get jammed up quickly. I also expedited the loading process slightly by only re-sizing the bases fir first time I reloaded them. (you may or may not be able to get away with this if loading for multiple guns.

I frequently changed the charges midstream, this is what I used to do:

1. I use some tape to hold the top on securely.
2. Grab the bars of the handle on each side and pull out slightly, just enough to disengage from the top portion of the press. The are small plastic nubs that fit into holes in the handle. Let the handle fall forward away from the top.
3. Pull the top portion of the press up and off of the base.
4. Tip it upside down so that the powder and shot are sitting on the top (this is where the tape comes into play.)
5. Remove the charging bar and swap out the appropriate bushings.
6. Reverse the process to reassemble.