Just took the plunge!

[seth30]

Ace has a lot of stuff on the island.  Kesslerings has put a REALLY bad taste in my mouth but they do have a lot of stuff there.

thats the third time I have heard that about kesslerings since I posted about reloading.  Going to ace will sure save some gas money

[C-Money]

I keep thinking about getting the lee shotshell press, but it seems to me you only save money when shooting buckshot and slugs.. I dont have the desire to shoot enough buckshot and slugs for this to be worthwhile. If it was considerably cheaper to load target loads then buying cheap federal shells at walmart then I would get into it.

The cheap Federals are fine target loads. I perfer the "premium" Remington STS target ammo that is $9.00 a box now. My loads are loaded with Remington fig8 wads & Clay Dot Powder, using green or gold STS hulls. I look at the savings compared to the Remington STS ammo vs the less expensive Federals/Winchesters. With the components I have now, according to the Trapshooters.com calculator, I am at $3.96 a box. I expect this number to jump next time I make a componant purchase, as lead continues to climb in price!

[halflife65]

Ace has a lot of stuff on the island.  Kesslerings has put a REALLY bad taste in my mouth but they do have a lot of stuff there.

thats the third time I have heard that about kesslerings since I posted about reloading.  Going to ace will sure save some gas money

Really?  It's been quite awhile since I've purchased a firearm from them (like 8 years or so) but I've bought a couple and they always treated me well.  If something's changed, that's too bad.

[Smokepole]

I gotta chime in about Kesselrings.  My 14 year old son saved up 600 bucks for a lever .22.  I told him to call Kesselrings to see if they had a Marlin 39a & the guy treated him like dirt over the phone.  I think they should give a kid the same treatment a customer deserves.  He's been hunting since he was 3 years old.  He busted his ass chopping wood for a neighbor, and had cash money to spend.  He went to Skagit Arms to buy his gun.  At least there he got a guy that would show him some guns and tell him the pros & cons.

Customer service first.  Kesselrings can keep their guns.

[seth30]

I got the loader in the mail yesterday and it was very easy to assemble.   Went to put in the bushings and the shot bushing is cut and dry.  the powder bushing however   The chart that comes with the loader only has certain veloicty ratios and what bushing to use with them.  Ok that seems easy enough, well until I look at blue dot, hogdon and alliants receipes.  The velocitys dont even come close and I doing google searches I cant seem to find any info about the bushings and what other velcoitys they can produce.  Anybody out there with a lee loader that is willing to share some steel shot reciepies and how too's? 

[Encore 280]

The new Cabela's will be open soon and hopefuly they're gonna have all the reloading stuff anyone would need. They'll most definetly be puttin the hurt on K'rings.

[bowNarrow]

Cabelas more than likely will only have reloading items for lead not steel. i have the same reloader and i dont use the shot or powder bushing. i wieght out all the powder with a scale then put in all the wads, then the shot then crimp them all at the end. i tryed to use the bushing but there not very accurate

[C-Money]

Shot shell powder bushings are gonna throw .5 grains either way, heavy or light, no matter what loader you have. I use mine to load trap loads, and it works great. I have no idea on loading steel.  Here is the powder bushing chart on the second page.  http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/LA1071.pdf
Use your recipes with the powder bushing chart and you should be in business. Be sure to weigh your powder drops on a scale to make sure its throwing the amount you want. Different lots of the same kind of powder vary in weight/density, so just remember to check a charge at random. I weigh a charge every once in a while with mine just to be sure. I think you will need to weigh your steel shot out on a scale and pour it in on a seated wad, then crimp.

[seth30]

Cabelas more than likely will only have reloading items for lead not steel. i have the same reloader and i dont use the shot or powder bushing. i wieght out all the powder with a scale then put in all the wads, then the shot then crimp them all at the end. i tryed to use the bushing but there not very accurate

so you dont even use the hoppers?

[seth30]

Shot shell powder bushings are gonna throw .5 grains either way, heavy or light, no matter what loader you have. I use mine to load trap loads, and it works great. I have no idea on loading steel.  Here is the powder bushing chart on the second page.  http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/LA1071.pdf
Use your recipes with the powder bushing chart and you should be in business. Be sure to weigh your powder drops on a scale to make sure its throwing the amount you want. Different lots of the same kind of powder vary in weight/density, so just remember to check a charge at random. I weigh a charge every once in a while with mine just to be sure. I think you will need to weigh your steel shot out on a scale and pour it in on a seated wad, then crimp.

so steel shot will not measure right?  If so will heavi shot also pour out unevenly as well?  Thanks for the help

[seth30]

I plan on buying blue dot powder.  I have 250 federal champion wads arleady, tons of used hulls left over from waterfowl season, and need to buy some primers and the 209 seems to be what I need for steel shot.

[C-Money]

Cabelas more than likely will only have reloading items for lead not steel. i have the same reloader and i dont use the shot or powder bushing. i wieght out all the powder with a scale then put in all the wads, then the shot then crimp them all at the end. i tryed to use the bushing but there not very accurate

so you dont even use the hoppers?

The powder bushings are fine. Just find the right one for your recipe. You can use the powder hopper, but your gonna need to weigh out your steel shot yourself! Re size and de prime, remove re sizer and place new primer, drop your powder, place a wad, weigh out your steel shot and pour it into the wad, then hit the two crimp stations, DONE! Should be fun and easy!

[C-Money]

I would only use lead in the shot bushings. The recipe will tell you what 209 primer to use. Be it a CCI 209, CCI 209M, Fiocchi 209, Rem 209, Win 209...etc.... 

[seth30]

Ok so the 209 is the right number no matter the brand, that makes things a lot easier.  I will have to buy a scale though since steel doesnt poor out in the right weight set by the bushing.  In all honesty it seems rather diffucult to find steel shot recipes online.  C money thanks again for all the input!

[C-Money]

No problem Seth.... Something els to remember, All 209's are a little different, as far a how "hot" they are and can mess with your pressures. Just use the one the recipe calls for. The biggest difference over all the 209's is the 209M primers. 209M primers a quite a bit hotter than the regular 209's.