Simplified reloading for 4-gun skeet shooters -

Pick one gauge for your practice and just reload for that gauge. 28 gauge would be a good choice for the gauge to reload.

Those that reload to save money, and do the arithmetic, will find that unless they shoot a lot of registered targets, this makes economic sense. Part of the arithmetic would be to determine the break-even point for making the expenditures on additional reloaders. It's very possible you will never achieve break-even with just your registered volume.

This would be the most advantage for those who have not yet bought reloaders.

I don't find reloading "fun". Those that find it fun will disagree with my premise.

Getting back into the game after 10-11 years, this is my plan.

Load 11/16 28ga for 80% of practice.
Buy 20Ga Top Guns when they are on sale, and buy Fiocchi .410 for occasional practice and registered.

Just seems to make sense right now.

Plus I’m not a fan of reloading (I work in the Ammunition industry, and have spent the last 8 years loading 4-5k rounds of pistol ammo a month).

how's about you guy's do this.
stop buying discount ammo and throw some decent hulls on the ground for once.
everyone goes on and on about how it's so much cheaper to buy instead of make, well let's get to buying some 20ga. STS shells and tossing the hulls in a nice little pile.
at least they will get recycled instead of piling up in the landfill.

If you will buy the STS hulls for the difference in Ammo price, I’ll shoot STSs all day long!

x

Whatever you do, don't decide to practice only with the.410. I did that once on the premise that it would be cheaper to reload, and if you get good with the .410 in practice, then the rest of the gauges should be easy. Practice went great. Then I went to my first registered shoot. 12 gauge first. BAM! I had gotten sloppy in my mount due to the non-existent recoil of the.410. The 12 hit like a truck compared to the .410. It was the worst round of registered skeet I ever shot. I had to go back and relearn everything. Practice and reload either the 20 or 28. 3/4 oz 20 gauge would be my choice.

what difference in price?
I thought buying ammo was cheaper?
y'all should pay me to take the empties...LOL

Much simpler.

Live in 410 for most of your practice, then practice your doubles in 20gauge, and shoot your match doubles in 20 gauge as well.

When you can clean rounds/flights in 410, then stepping up to larger gauges becomes a snap isntead. The only downfall, is the larger the gauge, the more the recoil, so as you step into 20 gauge, don't reload goose loads, and stay the hell out of 12 gauge in 12 gauge flights.

If you don't believe me that recoil is the enemy, just look at your averages in 12 and 20, when using those actual gauge shells for the flights. Hence most novice shooters will have a higher average in 20 gauge, then 12 gauge isntead. The reason, shotgun not set up to deal with the extra recoil of the larger gauge, and/or, if they are using 20 gauge in 12 gauge flights, it because they are not shooting a warm up round before they start the first 12 gauge flight instead.

So by practicing in 410 (with 1300~1350fps ammo), you learn to keep glued to the gun since the working pattern is much smaller, and this instilled learning to stay glued to the gun, works all the way up to the point that recoils of the larger gauge starts to cause you to yank your head out of the stock during the shot isntead.

I tend to agree with your thought, but suggest a 3/4 oz load in a 20 ga hull would be even less expensive from a hull cost perspective. I'm using a Green Dot load with the Claybuster CB1075-20 wad in a Remington Gun Club hull. Those hulls are free at my gun club. I don't run into many free 28 ga hulls.

reminder for new skeeters

I like what you guys are saying - and I actually think that this will be my plan this year for practice - 28ga for everything and use the rest once in a while, When I feel the need.

The downside is a hull price difference - but honestly when you're getting 8-10 reloads per hull, and you can pick up Winchester AA's with the rebate for cheap... don't overthink things.

You can 100% do very well by buying factory 12 and 20 - and pick up a used mec 600 in .410 for $100 or less. Get a progressive 28ga loader and be done with it.

I load my 12ga and 20ga shells because I have time, and I can get the shells I want easily. Otherwise it's tough to find 1 1/8oz 9s at my local shops

I would argue that if you do it long enough, most of us end up here, or at least somewhere close.

I don't advocate practicing with .410 until you are a VERY proficient shooter. If you are crushing targets hard with .410 consistently, then by all means, continue to do it. Otherwise, consider throwing a little more lead out there to avoid frustrations. Yes, .410 can dial you in, but it can also drive a newer shooter insane.

I practice a LOT with 28ga like many others. I'll also shoot doubles with 20ga. At present, I'm working with a 3/4oz. 20ga load and a 7/8oz. 20ga load. Both fit nicely into a 20ga Gun Club hull that I usually get for free. I only have one reloader on the bench 90% of the time now. I only have to change the charge bar and grab the CB "greenies" instead of the "whites". Same primers and same powder. Both loads perform well and I don't have to swap tubes - the 20's stay in the carrier barrel most of the time. In theory, I could just buy 28 and .410 shells for registered.

Is it economical to reload 20ga 7/8 oz loads? Probably not saving much or any money, but I get the load I want - it's about break-even cost wise. The hulls are cheap/free and I don't have to hunt down AA-HS once fired like I used to when I want to shoot a 3/4 oz. 28 gauge load.

Disclaimer - I bought my 20ga reloader LAST. I started with 28, then went .410, and found a deal on a 20ga. Mec I couldn't refuse a year or so later. I did not consider a 28ga load in a 20ga hull when I started. I might have done things differently if I had. I don't reload 12ga at all - it's not cost effective and I don't shoot it enough.

And I don't necessarily find reloading "fun" but I do find it to be therapeutic at times

And it can turn a little problem, or a non-problem, into a big problem.

You do what works for you. I still load all 4 gauges.

That's not simplified.

"Simplified" for me is to purchase one mec 3/4oz bar and use it to load 12, 20, 28ga. ammo. It takes care of the bulk of my skeet shooting hobby with minimal recoil and maximum efficiency in cost and enjoyment. If competition and hunting ammo were required and performance was paramount, I would look at simply buying the best available.

I agree that 28 is the gauge to practice with and reload. Plenty of 12 and 20 gauge deals from time to time. For me though reloading used to be a fun way to pass late winter nights.

Bob

For me, it still is. On the cold weather mornings, I usually fix coffee, eat a bowl of cereal, and head downstairs to the basement to get the wood stove running. It has a blower on it and it keeps the basement (machine shop and reloading emporium) toasty, and also heats the floor of the level above so She Who Must Be Obeyed is happy. Since it takes about 30-45 minutes to get the fire stabilized, I sit down and load a few boxes, or fix stuff, or clean guns, or...

Good way to start the day.

geo

It appears those that reload for fun have more fun with four reloaders.

28 gauge is the only one that I don't have a progressive press for. So, when I take the tube set to the range to practice, it is either 410 or 20 gauge, depending on successful I am feeling. I do shoot 3/4 oz 20 gauge, so there is really no need to practice with the 28.