Shotshell loading question

[dieselrealtor]

I have had components & press for a long time for loading shotshells, never made sense financially to do so......
till now.

Looking at load data at Hodgdon & it lists various primer combinations for wads, powders, etc.

Are the primers (aside from magnums) really that different or are these just the "optimum" combinations?

Mainly going to be for shooting clays but will probably do some buckshot & hunting loads.

Any and all input is appreciated.

 

[t-squared]

The hull/wad combination is the important thing with shotshell reloading.
Primers are primers, so to speak.

 

[Whip_McCord]

Just switching the primer can change the pressure of a load. I have seen articles that show how sometimes the increase can be pretty high. I don't have those articles now, but I suggest you try searching on the topic before going 'off book' with reloading shotshells. In 41 years of loading, I have done a lot of experimentation with metallic cartridges, but never with shotgun shells. Best to stick with published loads.

 

[Brian's Surplus]

If you don't have the correct wads for the hulls you have, we have a huge selection of different Claybuster wads at the store. The last truck that came brought a pallet and a half of wads.
We have 10 different kinds for 12 gauge alone and we also have 16 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge and 410 wads.
People tell me we also have the best prices around on wads. Most of the common ones are $12.15 plus tax per bag of 500. At that price, why take a chance with the wrong wads?

 

[dieselrealtor]

I will probably get with you at a show soon, need some for 20's & might as well pick up some for .410. I have a lot of 12ga Winchester white & red wads

I know it is still going to be a bit before the Brians Surplus Martinsville annex is up & running

 

[Brian's Surplus]

I will probably get with you at a show soon, need some for 20's & might as well pick up some for .410. I have a lot of 12ga Winchester white & red wads

I know it is still going to be a bit before the Brians Surplus Martinsville annex is up & running

Just call a few days before the show and let me know what you need and I'll bring it to a show for you.

 

[Clayshoot07]

Changing primers or wads can change pressures upwards of 1000 psi according to some manuals I have cross-referenced. I have loaded shotshell for 20 plus years. If you start with a low pressure baseline load (8-9000 psi) changing out a primer or a wad while keeping the powder charge the same won't put you into a dangerous category. Most shotshell loads top out at approximately 11,500 psi, with modern barrels and receivers being proofed at 24-27000 psi. You certainly don't get all of the tell tale signs of over pressure like metallic cartridges. I have had some pissing hot handicap trap loads have powder burns past the primer. I would not recommend loading that hot all the time, it's just not needed. I have shot quite a few places and in my experience there hasn't been much that 1 Oz. 7 and half shot at 1200 FPS couldn't do. I have settled in to 1oz at 1200 FPS for practice and 1 1/8 Oz. at 1200 for competition.

 

[Restroyer]

Cheddite, Rio, & Fiocchi primers are larger than Winchester, CCI, Remington, Federal. So you can have loose primers if using a smaller primer in a hull that once used a larger primer - basically the primer can come loose or out and then you got a mess with the primer. So best to stay as directed on the primer types per the listed hulls when loading shotgun shells.

 

[t-squared]

Cheddite, Rio, & Fiocchi primers are larger than Winchester, CCI, Remington, Federal. So you can have loose primers if using a smaller primer in a hull that once used a larger primer - basically the primer can come loose or out and then you got a mess with the primer. So best to stay as directed on the primer types per the listed hulls when loading shotgun shells.

I wasn't aware of the slight size differences....good info to know for sure !!

 

[radar8756]

I wasn't aware of the slight size differences....good info to know for sure !!

 

[Leo]

Some really good advice above. Stay with factory published loads. My main Trap load is a gentle 1145 fps load with an ounce of shot. With that light of load, I have a little buffer room for some reasonable substitutions, but I try to avoid that. The closer you get to a max load, the less safety room you have for substitutions.

I also own a Chronograph, so when I have to make a change, I have one more level of testing. I know that I still have no way to read pressure. Say I am pushing 1 oz of shot in a Remington TGT wad out of a Remington Nitro hull at 1145 fps with my favorite powder and my favorite primers. If I still get 1145 fps with a different primer, I have to be close to the same pressure.

 

[John Trap]

A shooter on another site actually measured some primers that he had on hand:

Win 209 - .242
Federal 209 - .242
CCI M 209 - .242
Cheddite CX2000 Type 209 - .243
Nobel Sport 688 - .244

This is from March of 2021.

I have read that the newer Cheddite primers are much closer in size to the American standard primers now.

 

[dieselrealtor]

I appreciate all the replies, learning a lot.

 

[t-squared]

Reviving this thread since it's about 209 primers...

KYGUNCO

 

[John Trap]

I was reloading some .410 shells, and I had both cheddite and nobel sport primers. I found that the nobel sports went in to the hulls harder than the cheddites. I wound up using the cheddites, as I was getting some bulging of the brass from the insertion of the nobel sports.
I didn't have any problems with 12 gauge shells, and the nobel sport primers however.

 

[DadSmith]

Reviving this thread since it's about 209 primers...

KYGUNCO

That's a really good price considering what they have been going for.

 

[dieselrealtor]

I was reloading some .410 shells, and I had both cheddite and nobel sport primers. I found that the nobel sports went in to the hulls harder than the cheddites. I wound up using the cheddites, as I was getting some bulging of the brass from the insertion of the nobel sports.
I didn't have any problems with 12 gauge shells, and the nobel sport primers however.

I've heard from multiple sources that they're larger than the US primers

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