Cheap Shells

[kyratshooter]

Just a heads up that Walmart has their 100 packs of Federal and Winchester field loads on sale for $21 right now.

Both 12 and 20 gauge.

They are # 7 1/2 and #8 but still good for small stuff and Dove season opens in lots of areas next week.

At $0.21 cents a shot you can not buy the components and reload them that cheap.

[madmax]

I snagged some last year on sale. I'll grab some today. Thanks. I don't frequent Walltworld much anymore.

[hunter63]

Haven been by Wally world for a week or so....and last time I was there DW even commented I walked right by the ammo cases....
Have to check it out.

Thanks

[randyt]

I think that's a sweet deal, has anyone popped the crimp and reloaded to something more desirable? And if so how did it work out and was it worth it?

[crashdive123]

I was in one of the many Wallys that we have. Checked the prices. Both Federal and Winchester were the same price - 21 and change.

[kyratshooter]

I think that's a sweet deal, has anyone popped the crimp and reloaded to something more desirable? And if so how did it work out and was it worth it?

OK you're trying to start something here, I can tell it.

I pop open the crimps and reload them all the time. I use both 7/8oz and 1oz Lee slugs and #4 buck, 00 buck and 000 buck.

I was shooting some last Friday with a friend showing him how a shotgun with some choke could pattern. Freaked him out that I could keep the #4 buck (20 pellets/.24 caliber) in an 18 inch pattern at 35-40 yards out of a modified choke. Really freaked him out that I had an 18" barrel with a jug choke that would pattern almost as good as the modified choke tube.

I can not buy primers, powder, wads and shot for $0.21 cents a shot and the retreads go pop every time I pull the trigger. I pay more than that for AK and AR surplus ammo.

I am ashamed to say that I have not bench tested any of the slugs, though I have shot a lot of them. I must get to the range and remedy that. Get some real accuracy data. I wil try to put them over the chronograph too.

My "brown truck" delivery today was a 12 gauge Lee Load-all I bought just to make filling and crimping these "retreads" easier. I have a Mec, but it is a pain to just use the crimp position. Mine requires that you go in one side, cycle around, and out the other. The Lee you just set the filled shell in the crimp position and close it up.

I guess you could call this a "survival skill". If you were sitting in camp with nothing but #8 shot and needed slugs you could always whittle a stick down till it entered the bore, poke the stick in the ground, melt the lead shot and pour it in the hole, then crimp it back up and kill something of substantial size! I saw that done once down in Central America and it was not in a you-tube video.

[randyt]

that's awesome Krat. I figured the economics of reworking the shells would be a good deal. I've often thought about working them over with slugs and buckshot.

[kyratshooter]

I am not sure how economical it actually is but it makes me think I am getting away with something.

Those hulls are good after you empty them too. I have gotten 3-4 reloads out of some of them but some are a bit weird. I bought a bunch of Suprema shells at Walmart a while back and they will not hold primers for a reload.

I have never had any problem with the Winchester or Federals.

[hunter63]

I don't re-load any shot shells any more....Have a MEC set up for 20ga now....and a Lee Load all ...not set up.

But I do have the Bop a Mole Lee Loader..... for 12, 16, 20, ga....and use these more for slugs and buck shot.
Have the 12 and 20 ga.... Lee molds for slugs....which BW are designed for plastic wad/shot cup.
....and consider these my back up survival tools.
Hole in a board on a stump... can't remember the size (thinking 5/8"?) will mold a slug as well as a hole in the ground.

[kyratshooter]

5/8" is .62 caliber, if it was a little small it would work for 20 gauge.

I have often figured you could take a 3/4" spade type bit and chuck it in a lathe and turn it down to about .69 and drill a row of holes in a one inch board and make some slugs! Just a regular 5/8" bit might work for 20ga.

And Of course I have the round ball molds in 12 and 20 gauge, .600 and .690. I have replaced some of the shot loads with those too. They are quicker and easier to cast than the slugs.

[randyt]

i have round ball molds in 12 ga, 16 ga and 20 ga There is also a brenneke type mold in 12 ga but I have not used it

[DSJohnson]

First day of Dove season here. Got my limit...Not gonna say how many shells it took. Limit here in Oklahoma is 15. My son filled up first but only because I was scaring them over his way...... left the field and went by WalMart and bought two of the 100 round cases. Youu are 100% accurate Kyrats much cheaper than I can load up empty hulls.

[hunter63]

For most people ....using cheap factory loads are a lot cheaper that buying components......Unless you are trap or skeet shooting....and reloading your target loads.
I think I still have a case (dozen box case) of "Duck and Pheasant" loads...#6 lead....for me, bunnies, squirrels, maybe a rare pheasant hunt.....won't be need any for a long time...Old ammo, .....before steel shot for water fowl......

Hunting is way too specialized, with different shot sized and materials that need to be balanced with shot cups, primers...even hulls if you are shooting different lengths.

Keep the MEC and Lee for old time sake....don't use them

[kyratshooter]

I am not "hunting" as much as I once did either, even though I am carrying a gun afield more. My daily walk usually is a stroll through the WMA and I never go in there without a shotgun.

So I am hunting less but shooting more due to all this tuning of rifles and patterning of shotguns and testing of slug and buckshot molds and such. Then there is Friday night trap shooting at the club, and 5 stand on Sundays, not to mention the pistol competitions on Saturday and silhouette matches on Wednesday night.

Happy, Happy, Happy!