Reloading shotgun shells is a popular pursuit that allows participants to customize their ammunition and achieve significant cost savings over time. This process involves taking a spent shell casing and replacing the consumed internal components with new ones using specialized machinery and precise measurements. While the fundamentals of reloading are straightforward, the practice requires a commitment to meticulous detail and adherence to strict safety protocols to ensure the resulting ammunition is safe and performs as intended.
Safety and Essential Components
Reloading demands an environment free from distractions, as the handling of energetic materials requires complete focus. Secure storage of components, especially smokeless powder and primers, is non-negotiable; they must be kept in cool, dry areas away from heat sources and in their original containers. Approved safety glasses must be worn to protect against potential accidental primer detonation or the ejection of materials during operation.
Proper ventilation is necessary to avoid inhaling dust and lead residue, which can accumulate over time. Never attempt to reload while under the influence of substances that impair judgment, and always maintain a clean, organized workspace to prevent accidental mixing of powders or components. Never substitute a component in a published load recipe, as small variations in primers, wads, or powder type can lead to dangerous pressure spikes within the firearm.
Understanding the five main components of a shotshell is foundational to the reloading process. The hull is the plastic or paper case that holds all the internal parts and features a metal head, often brass or steel, at the base.
A small primer is seated in the metal head, and its sole purpose is to ignite the main propellant charge when struck by the firing pin. The propellant, or powder, must be a specialized smokeless powder designed for shotshells, as substituting other types can result in catastrophic failure due to extreme pressure. A plastic wad acts as both a gas seal to capture the expanding gases and a cushion to protect the shot during acceleration. Finally, the shot refers to the pellets, or sometimes a slug, which is propelled out of the barrel to strike the target.
Necessary Reloading Equipment
The centerpiece of any shotshell reloading setup is the press. Beginners often start with a single-stage press, where the hull is manually moved to a different station for each operation, resulting in lower volume production.
For shooters who consume large quantities of ammunition, a progressive press is typically employed. Progressive presses hold multiple shells simultaneously and complete a finished round with nearly every pull of the handle. While more complex and expensive, these machines consolidate several operations, streamlining the process once the initial setup is complete.
Regardless of the press type chosen, a reliable and accurate powder scale is necessary for ensuring safety and performance. Scales, either digital or mechanical beam models, are used to verify the weight of the powder and shot charges dispensed by the press. Reloaders must also obtain current, official load data manuals published by component manufacturers, as these provide the only tested and safe recipes for combining specific components.
The Step-by-Step Reloading Process
The reloading sequence begins with the selection of a specific load recipe from a published manual. This load data precisely dictates the manufacturer, type, and weight for all five components. Deviation from this exact combination is strongly discouraged because shotshells use very fast-burning powders, meaning minor changes in components can create significant and dangerous pressure variations.
Once a recipe is selected, the first mechanical step involves depriming and resizing the spent hull. The press pushes out the old, spent primer while simultaneously reshaping the metal base and the plastic hull. This resizing is done so the reloaded shell will properly fit back into the firearm’s chamber when fired.
A new primer is then seated into the hull’s pocket, and the shell is advanced to the powder charging station. This requires the precise amount of propellant specified in the load data to be dropped into the hull. Small measurement errors can have an outsized impact on chamber pressure.
The next step involves seating the wad directly over the powder charge. The wad must be pressed firmly onto the propellant to create a tight gas seal, but it should not be seated with excessive force. Crushing the powder can affect its burn rate, leading to unreliable performance or incorrect pressure buildup.
Following the wad seating, the specified weight or volume of shot pellets is dropped into the wad’s cup. Once all internal components are in place, the final operation is crimping, which folds the open end of the plastic hull inward to secure the contents. This crimp must be adjusted correctly so that the shell’s overall length is appropriate and the crimp completely closes the hull mouth.