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What are those bulk skeet shells good for?

I'm loving this thread! It addresses availability AND affordability! I'm a total Newbie and have recently found a gun club that allows visitors to shoot Trap, Skeet & Clays 3 days a week. Sounds like a great opportunity for me to learn to use my new shotgun. Especially since I can now buy birdshot for about 1/4 the price of 9mm! Oh yea, I can still GET birdshot! (My LGS was on the news saying tonight saying "Your time would be better spent trying to buy a Unicorn instead of 9mm ammo!")
Finally- my question.
How much will it cost me to simply pick up my fired shells, buy some lead to melt and reload those fired shells with the slugs you guys are talking about? I assume I'll need to use the smaller powder charge since some of these shells are "low Brass".
This would avoid needing to cut off the factory crimp & I assume the shells would still be 2-3/4" after they're reloaded with the slugs.

BTW- I had so much fun firing my new Mossberg 500 Persuader 20" the other day (Target rounds, #4 buckshot, 00 buckshot, and slugs) that I picked up a Mossberg 500 Combo with the 24" rifled barrel and the 28" barrel with the chokes! GOOD TIMES!
 
If you plan to reload once fired shells, you can make any kind of shells you want.

At a minimum, you'll need a press, powder scale/throw, powder, shot, primers, wads and some other stuff though. Some of the other members could tell you more about that.
 
I'm looking pretty forward to my next project too. I got in on the project a couple days after it was announced after tech branch approval and am #80 on the waiting list.

hint:
88HCS-1000.jpg
 
It's hard to explain, but kinda.

:lol:
 
You are going to begin forging... maybe barrels? :lol: But starting out in the beginning with Knives and Swords??
 
Yeah, a lead sword would be pretty difficult to sharpen.
 
I was thinking about doing the same thing. Im going to try and get a press the begining of April when I get paid. I was looking at a Lee Load-All 2, has conversion kits for 16 and 20 gauge and its not very expensive, can get the 12 gauge press and the 16 and 20 gauge kits, all for less than $100

Just found this site for lead shot and its available.

http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/LEA ... 4AodF2EAsg
 
John,

Do you have a list of the equipment you used in this process? I have zilch for reloading so I need to start from scratch. Thanks.
 
OhioArcher said:
John,

Do you have a list of the equipment you used in this process? I have zilch for reloading so I need to start from scratch. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'm interested too john.... I'd like to start saveing some money in the long run.
And like ohioarcher I haven't got a clue to what I need to start and what to buy
 
I'm technically not reloading these shells.

All I am doing is emptying out the #8 shot, melting it down and pouring it in a 1 ounce slug mold, and putting it back in the hull and crimping it back in place.

The shell hasn't been fired yet and all the wad and powder and primer and stuff is all factory done. You don't have to touch any of that.

Basically, all I am doing is turning a factory field load into a slug. Oli and nitesite are much better to ask about the reloading aspect.

I got a lee 10 pound production melting pot, a lee 1 ounce slug mold, a ballistics products brand roll crimper, and some clear overshots cards and a good friend of mine gave me some cardboard spacers that I am going to try on the next batch to see if I can get away with not using the overshot cards.

I also got a small roll of beeswax for lube on the mold and use matches or a lighter to "smoke" the mold so the lead doesn't stick to the wall of the mold and pops out easy when you tap the top of it.

You'll also need a tablespoon or something to use as a ladle to remove the impurities out of the factory lead. I expected that it would've been a lot cleaner than it was, but you'll have a mess to clean out of the pot when you're finished if you don't scoop it out manually as you see it start floating on the top.

Also, it goes without saying, melted lead is hot, so don't let water near it because it will explode, and don't get the hot lead on you.
 
Thanks, john. That is what I was looking for. I knew you didn't "reload" them but wasn't sure exactly what you were using. I also would guess that you need to work in a well ventilated area to keep from breathing lead fumes.
 
I melted the lead outside on the porch
 
Midway just shipped my slug mold!!!!

Still waiting for a few other pieces on back order. :D
 
MikeD said:
Midway just shipped my slug mold!!!!

Still waiting for a few other pieces on back order. :D
Click to expand...

you'll be gettin' busy soon. :)
what else you have coming Mike?
 
old mossy said:
MikeD said:
Midway just shipped my slug mold!!!!

Still waiting for a few other pieces on back order. :D
Click to expand...

you'll be gettin' busy soon. :)
what else you have coming Mike?
Click to expand...

I orderred a melting pot as well but that is backorderred til sometime in June if I remember correctly.
 
John, this is an awesome thread indeed. When I saw the title of the thread all I can think of was well jacking up clay pigeons with prejudice lol. My friend and I will buy a few of these value packs, a few cases of pigeons and blast away most of the afternoon. If not pigeons than just at all the random crap he has all over his property. Wait till I show him this thread. Knowing him he will probably jump at the chance to try this. If we went half and half on the supplies it wouldn't cost alot at all considering. Having some homemade slugs like this on the cheap would make our blasting sessions that much more interesting too haha. Too damn much money to buy the commercial loaded buck and slug shells for fun time even if you can find the stuff in stores these days.

Thanks for putting this idea out there.

J
 
You're very welcome sir, glad to be able to help and get people to thinking, but in all honesty, this concept has been around for generations.

I remember hearing stories about my Grandpa dumping birdshot out and replacing it with other stuff to hunt deer with before I was even born.

In all, I barely have $125 including shipping in the whole setup so it isn't too terribly expensive to do this. And realistically, if you had a cast iron skillet and some wood for a fire, at a minimum, you would just need a ladle and a mold and some beeswax to keep the mold lubed.

And as always, be safe and careful because this could void your warranty and punch your timecard for ya at the same time LOL
 
this is hilarious. exactly in line with what I was getting set up to do.

I'm a big youtube vid watcher and I was seeing all these silly vids of guys making possibly dangerous and messy wax slugs n thought.... why not just melt down the lead?

I've already done all my homework, have a list of tools I need to acquire(when both stock and my funds coincide and permit purchase) and have plenty of shot shells stocked up.

Good to see others are on the same page I am...

I just wonder... I'm getting a new rifled barrel for my 930 and wanted to know if these wad covered slugs might function as saboted slugs would without fouling my barrel with lead?
 
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