[ViperShooter]

Firstly, several of you have helped me out in getting setup to reload for the first time (by directly answering my questions and also from all of the posts I have searched and carefully reviewed)...I truly appreciate and commend the willingness of individuals to share expertise and experience on this forum...it has proven invaluable for me as a beginner.

I am at the point that I am just waiting for my MEC Sizemaster to return from factory refurbishing. I have all of the components I need to reload for the first time. All I currently shoot is singles and handicap trap...plan to try doubles pretty soon hopefully.

Can some of you expert reloaders with a similar passion for trap give me some advice on what recipe(s) I should try out as a beginning reloader. I am thinking to start with 7/8 oz loads for practicing singles.

Here is what I have waiting to be reloaded when the Sizemaster returns:

HULLS
- AA HS once fired hulls (Red and Gray)
- STS and Nitro 27 hulls (Green and Gold)
- Some older Remington black hulls and RXP blue hulls...no idea on number of times reloaded...bought two flats of reloads containing these awhile back and I have been keeping the ones that pass inspection.

POWDER
- Red Dot (1lb)
- Green Dot (1 lb)
- Thinking of going to buy a pound of some Clays or Titewad??

PRIMERS
- CCI 109 - Qty. 500
- Winchester W209 - Qty. 200

WADS
- WAA12L (1 bag of 250)
- Thinking I need to pick up some WAA12SL's also or maybe some Remington wads? The clones are well picked through locally and clone inventory seems to be low or none everywhere I go...I found some that were orange and made by Western?

- 25lb. bag of #8 Remington STS 6% antimony shot

After extensive searching and reading on this forum I have noticed that people sometimes have difficulty with the AA HS hulls combined with the WAA12L wads for 7/8oz. loads? Is this a true concern I should have or not?

I have on hand the Lyman's 5th edition and have read it front to back more than once...I have found a couple recipes for 7/8oz. loads in this manual using the components I currently have but I am asking you folks for any advice on proven recipes you know will work on the trap range and will also be nice to me as a virgin reloader...so I don't run into wad fit problems, crimping problems, etc.

Once again, thank you for the vast knowledge available on this forum and everyone know that there is another addict in the house!

Cheers,
Bob

 

[Junkers88]

Although I don't have years, or even months, of experience I'll chime in here with what I do know/think.

If you're looking to do a 7/8ths load to start with, and considering you already have all the stuff you'll need, then I'd go with the Remington hull (I used the STS's) one W209 primer, one WAA12L wad and 17.5 grs of Red Dot. The Remingtons crimp very very well.

That load is almost exactly what I did for my first few hundred reloads. The only difference was I used 16.9 grs of Red Dot for a 3/4oz load.

Oh and don't forget to verify the powder and shot weights with a scale.

Have fun!

 

[ViperShooter]

Thanks Junkers!

I'll be checking shot and powder drops with the RCBS 505...no worries there.

Any experience with the AA HS hulls yet?

 

[Slick13]

After extensive searching and reading on this forum I have noticed that people sometimes have difficulty with the AA HS hulls combined with the WAA12L wads for 7/8oz. loads? Is this a true concern I should have or not?

I've always used the grey wad meant for 7/8 oz loads and have had zero problems with it in Winchester and Remington hulls.

~Michael

 

[ViperShooter]

Thanks for the info Michael...I was hoping to hear this from someone about the 12L wads in the AA HS hulls.

One would expect them to work fine since they are from the same manufacturer...I think the issues I read about were crimping issues due to different powders they were using and also the powder cup catching on the base wad or something?

 

[Junkers88]

Any experience with the AA HS hulls yet?

No experience with the AA HS hulls but I have reloaded a couple of boxes of the plain AA's with the gray WAA12L's and they work great. The crimps turn out nice and tight with no swirl or hole in the middle.

I think you'll be very pleased with AAHS's and the gray WAA12L wads.

 

[Junkers88]

Oh and one last thing. Be sure and keep an accurate loading log. I build one on an excel sheet and printed out several copies. I then found a three ring binder and put all of my logs, bushing charts and owners manuals for the Mec in there. Everything else that I buy or download will go in that book also so I've got a single place where all of my reference material is located. I'm even going to take a sharp drill bit and punch three holes in the Lyman book so it'll fit in there.

Ricky.

 

[ViperShooter]

Great ideas Ricky...you appear amped up as much as I do about reloading...it is sad that there isn't much $$ to be saved in reloading 12ga these days...the pleasure of using my own reloads will be enough reward for me...it can be compared to tying your own flies for fly-fishing.

But I do hope costs take a turn for the old one of these days?!?!?!

 

[Junkers88]

Great ideas Ricky...you appear amped up as much as I do about reloading...it is sad that there isn't much $$ to be saved in reloading 12ga these days...the pleasure of using my own reloads will be enough reward for me...it can be compared to tying your own flies for fly-fishing.

But I do hope costs take a turn for the old one of these days?!?!?!

Amped? Oh yes indeed!!!

 

[ViperShooter]

Oh and one last thing. Be sure and keep an accurate loading log. I build one on an excel sheet and printed out several copies. I then found a three ring binder and put all of my logs, bushing charts and owners manuals for the Mec in there. Everything else that I buy or download will go in that book also so I've got a single place where all of my reference material is located. I'm even going to take a sharp drill bit and punch three holes in the Lyman book so it'll fit in there.

Ricky.

What loading log did you build as an Excel spreadsheet? Something similar to the one supplied in the Lyman's manual?

 

[Bust'em]

Viper,

try & buy your powders in 4 or 8# containers. kinda hits the wallet hard at first, but it's not gonna go bad. a good idea to try a # here or there to see what you like. Myself, always liked clays-claydot, downrange pink & green dusters, but that's me. I guess that's why they make differnt automobiles too. best of luck.

when your ready to mass buy, check with connies compents.com or recobs, since your in montana , shipping will be cheaper at connies.

 

[Junkers88]

What loading log did you build as an Excel spreadsheet? Something similar to the one supplied in the Lyman's manual?

I used the exact same information as the one in Lymans book. I just adjusted the size of the little blocks that the information goes in. It works well.

Ricky.

 

[ViperShooter]

Viper,

try & buy your powders in 4 or 8# containers. kinda hits the wallet hard at first, but it's not gonna go bad. a good idea to try a # here or there to see what you like. Myself, always liked clays-claydot, downrange pink & green dusters, but that's me. I guess that's why they make differnt automobiles too. best of luck.

when your ready to mass buy, check with connies compents.com or recobs, since your in montana , shipping will be cheaper at connies.

Thanks for the info...I just noticed today that Connie's is out of WA State...I was browsing their website along with Recob's also...Thinking I will get with Connie's when I get going and decide to "stock" up on Fio 616's, powder, wads, etc.

 

[Rich53139]

I havn't trien the WA12L wads however the claybuster 4100-12B lightning wad works extremely well in the Win hull with 17.5gr of Solo 1000 or Red Dot which I have used both with acceptable results. The only draw back to the CB wad is the amount of wad build up in the barrel and choke tube. But it is nothin a little bit of naptha can't take care of.

 

[D L Marcum]

ViperShooter,

Let me clear up the WAA12L question, and it pretains to the Claybuster clone also.

This wad works perfectly in Remington cases, (All types), and the older AA Compression Formed cases.

In AA HS cases, the wad is a tad tall, and requires some increase in wad presure to partially collapse the cushion section, to get everything into the cases, and achieve good crimps. This is because the HS cases have a little less capacity than did the older cases.

The problem with this is that after the case mouths weaken a bit, (after 3 or 4 reloads), the wad pressure under the shot will begin pushing the crimp up after the completed loads sit a while and will cause bulged crimps and sometimes enough to leak shot. This I know because I have loaded thousands of AA HS cases and have used the WAA12L wads in many of them.

Therefore, if you are going to use AA HS cases, then use the WAA12SL wad or any of its clones for this case and 7/8 oz. shot loadings. Probably the best of all wads for this is the clone wad, the Green Duster, followed by the Down Range XL-1. In using these wads in the AA HS cases, no wad presssure is necessary, above that which is necessary to insure the wad is seated down on the powder. The 7/8 oz. shot load will fit nicely and good crimps are easily accomplished.

You then have no problem with bulged crimps or shot leakage from popped crimps.

On another subject, 1 oz. shot loads in AA HS cases. Use the Down Range DRA-12 Pink wad for 1 oz. loads in AA HS cases. This is for the same reason as the above 7/8 oz. load, and will eliminate the bulged crimp problem. For loading 1 oz. loads in AA HS cases, the DRA-12 pink wad has no peer.

DLM

 

[ViperShooter]

ViperShooter,

Let me clear up the WAA12L question, and it pretains to the Claybuster clone also.

This wad works perfectly in Remington cases, (All types), and the older AA Compression Formed cases.

In AA HS cases, the wad is a tad tall, and requires some increase in wad presure to partially collapse the cushion section, to get everything into the cases, and achieve good crimps. This is because the HS cases have a little less capacity than did the older cases.

The problem with this is that after the case mouths weaken a bit, (after 3 or 4 reloads), the wad pressure under the shot will begin pushing the crimp up after the completed loads sit a while and will cause bulged crimps and sometimes enough to leak shot. This I know because I have loaded thousands of AA HS cases and have used the WAA12L wads in many of them.

Therefore, if you are going to use AA HS cases, then use the WAA12SL wad or any of its clones for this case and 7/8 oz. shot loadings. Probably the best of all wads for this is the clone wad, the Green Duster, followed by the Down Range XL-1. In using these wads in the AA HS cases, no wad presssure is necessary, above that which is necessary to insure the wad is seated down on the powder. The 7/8 oz. shot load will fit nicely and good crimps are easily accomplished.

You then have no problem with bulged crimps or shot leakage from popped crimps.

On another subject, 1 oz. shot loads in AA HS cases. Use the Down Range DRA-12 Pink wad for 1 oz. loads in AA HS cases. This is for the same reason as the above 7/8 oz. load, and will eliminate the bulged crimp problem. For loading 1 oz. loads in AA HS cases, the DRA-12 pink wad has no peer.

DLM

Thanks so much DLM!...your information is invaluable and will get me on the right track with wad purchases.

 

[4th. down]

Viper, I took DL's recs. also for the 7/8 GD and 1 oz. DRA-12 Pink - very, very, good results with both loads. IMHO, try the Fio 616/209 primers, claydot powder or Solo 1000. For skeet if you want to lower your cost go to 3/4 oz. load, FIO primer, claydot or solo 1000, AA hull, and run the 3/4 oz. load up to about 1300fps. - it will smokem.

 

[ViperShooter]

Viper, I took DL's recs. also for the 7/8 GD and 1 oz. DRA-12 Pink - very, very, good results with both loads. IMHO, try the Fio 616/209 primers, claydot powder or Solo 1000. For skeet if you want to lower your cost go to 3/4 oz. load, FIO primer, claydot or solo 1000, AA hull, and run the 3/4 oz. load up to about 1300fps. - it will smokem.

I plan on stocking up on the green dusters for 7/8oz. loads in the AA HS hulls...also plan to stock up on Fio's as my main primers. After I use up the Red Dot I was given for free I then need to decide on a powder to buy bulk as well...probably Claydot...if I don't like the Titewad after trying it too.

I couldn't find the DRA-12 "pinks" online at Recob's or Connie's?...I only came across yellow ones?