reloading

[charlie cleveland]

to me it seems there is no better feeling than bring down game with your own ready rolls....from the mighty 8 down to the 410 hunters have been getting the enjoyment of reloading there own loads...even the target shooters like myself enjoy this hobby....the art of hand loading has been around a long time and it has reached a point that a handloader ammo can even surpass factory loads...but own the shotgunners side most of us just want a good looking crimp and a safe enough bang for our beloved doubles...you fellas out there that reload know the enjoyment they get when dropping that crow or big gobbler with that special load.... so if your not reloading you are missing a whole lot of enjoyment in your shooting...plus you can save a few bucks too........charlie

[Dave Suponski]

Yup, I agree. Reloading for me adds another level of enjoyment.

[Mark Landskov]

I just bought a real nice Lee Loader for the 2-7/8" 10 gauge. Now I can assemble my own cartridges for my 1879 Lifter! I have loaded scores of rifle and handgun cartridges, but this will be my first attempt at shotshells. I loaded ammo for many antique Marlins and a few milsurps, to name a couple. My Marlin loads were usually hardcast bullets with Unique powder. they made wonderful plinking loads that were enjoyable to shoot and easy on the guns. I had five 45-70s that digested different loads. I used them for target shooting. Yes, I have to agree that loading your own adds a whole new dimension to the shooting or hunting experience. Cheers!

[Paul Harm]

Mark, get a roll crimper from Graf or Balistic Products. You may not want to roll crimp if you shoot a lot at clays, but it's lots of fun to roll crimp and they look great, just like the shells of yester year. The 10ga one will work for 12 or 10ga if the 12ga hulls are trimmed to remove the previos crimp. I just cut down 200 10ga 3 1/2" paper shells to 2 5/8. The papers roll crimp nice and return to open. The plastic shells are better star crimped because when rolled they tend to stay deformed and make it hard to reload. It's fun when shooting sporting clays or skeet to show off the roll crimp shells - see the paper wads fly- and even better when a bird breaks. You can't buy that in a store. Paul

[Paul Harm]

For anyones information that doesn't already know, here's a couple of places to get reloading stuff.
www.grafs.com
www.ballisticproducts.com
www.circlefly.com
www.PrecisionReloading.com
Graf has their own black powder that's cheaper than anywhere else and Circle Fly has the paper wads cheaper- think that's where Ballistic and Graf get theirs from. Hope this may help some of you. Paul

[Frank Cronin]

I agree with Charlie. I loaded some pheasant low pressure loads tailored for my LC Smith grade 3 for a hunt a few weeks ago with 1 1/8” of #5 shot, IMR 7625 and WW hulls. A few people commented before the hunt, “So you are going to shoot with Chain Damascus barrels huh?” I just nodded and noticed a few eyebrows as they walked away. Anyhow, I had a great time and at the end of the day I ended up bagging five roosters and I still have all my fingers!

Having been reloading smokeless for a while, I recently just starting reloading black powder. I got all my supplies from Ballistics Products which Paul has for a link in the previous post. Now….if you really want to get a huge reaction on the skeet or trap field, you have to try shooting black powder. Skeet field, station one, high house, open breach and load, pull back the hammers, and yell pull! The look on the faces and the reaction of the unsuspecting that a black powder cartridge is going to touch off is priceless. The big BOOM and SMOKE never gets old… It is a lot of fun!

Time to end this post because now I’m off to the big bore range to dial in and test accuracy the different bullet seating depths of my 30-06 hand loads for a deer hunt in November….

Best,

Frank

[Paul Harm]

I've been shooting BP loads at the skeet, 5-stand and SC's off and on for years - yes it's fun. Frank, you need to get some round balls to load and use your shotgun to deer hunt. Maybe even use some BP loads. I finaly after 2 years of trying got a deer with my self made Match Lock 12ga smooth bore. 715 round ball and 65grs of 3F put it down in its tracks. Paul

[Paul Harm]

I'll have to correct myself - a little of misinformation. The 10ga roll crimper will work on 12ga hulls if they've been trimed short enough to get the old crimp. I was reloading 2 1/2" shells to save on cushion wads [ cheap me ]. This morning I was trying to reload full length 2 3/4" once fired paper and plastic shells and useing the 10ga roll crimper was getting bad crimps. Looking through my reloading catalogs I found a 12ga nylon [ not steel ] roll crimping tool for $11.99 and only $4 shipping. I ordered it and will be trying it out by the end of the week - let you guys know how it works. I'll add this company, Precision Reloading, to my previous post. The part number is RCT12. Paul

[Mark Landskov]

Do all of the available roll crimpers require reverse rotation of the drill? I have a drill press with a 1/2" chuck that does not have a 'reverse' option.

[John Dallas]

Easy. Turn the drill press up side down :rolleyes:

[Frank Cronin]

Mark, I don't think it makes any difference. The roll crimper I have from Ballistics Products has a roll pin when you look inside the crimper. The speed of the drill (fricton of the roll pin) will make the shell end roll over. A variable speed drill I think does help the process. I think your reloading will be much faster because you have a drill press. I don't and have to use my Dewalt. Does the job but can get tiring if reloading a bunch of shells.

[Frank Cronin]

Paul, Congrats on the deer! I'm sure he quickly folded up like a tent after being smashed with that lead Mack truck! What did the exit wound look like??? Roundball with BP is my next endeavor but know little about. How many grains does a 715 round ball weigh? I research as much as I can before touching off any reloads. It won't be for this year since I like to work up all loads and see how they print on paper. If I have questions, I will give you a shout..

Frank

I've been shooting BP loads at the skeet, 5-stand and SC's off and on for years - yes it's fun. Frank, you need to get some round balls to load and use your shotgun to deer hunt. Maybe even use some BP loads. I finaly after 2 years of trying got a deer with my self made Match Lock 12ga smooth bore. 715 round ball and 65grs of 3F put it down in its tracks. Paul

[Mark Landskov]

I just watched a short video on the Ballistic Products website, and it shows the roll crimping procedure. Indeed, the drill is spinning clockwise. I read numerous postings, here and there, that gave me the impression that the crimper must be rotated counter-clockwise for proper operation. Hmmmm...

[Paul Harm]

My cast 715 go 531grs. That would be just under an 1 1/4. I also have some .695's - have to weigh them. My roll crimper works either way. I used a hand drill - it's quicker but I sometimes got uneven rolls. Paul

[Paul Harm]

Frank, you wouldn't have to use BP. If you know the weight of the RB compare it to the same of lead shot for some load data. JMHI - Paul

[Mark Ouellette]

One can buy a table-top drill press from Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply for less that $50. I have one in my reloading room for roll crimping.

[calvin humburg]

paul, tell me about your match lock or how about a picture. thats cool one step farther back in history. ch

[Paul Harm]

I friend had one he made and shot it in Trade Gun matches [ flintlock, smoothbore, no rear sight]. So I traced his on a piece of paper, I had a 12ga barrel, and got on the internet and found some drawings of matchlocks. Had some Cherry in the shop that was 20yrs. old - made the lock, trigger lever, and added a spring loaded metal butt plate to keep extra match under, and put it togeather. Shot it for a couple of years in matches and it took 2yrs. to get a deer. They're fun to shoot but don't always go off - sometimes you have to adjust or blow on the rope. Also, the trigger is a big long lever, and when pulled it lowers the cock holding the burning rope. This is comeing back down in your vision so you're waiting for it to go off - hopefully. In matches there are 4 clays thrown. My proudest day was getting 2 of the 4 with that damn thing. It now rest over the fire place. It looks kind of crude compared to the other muzzle loaders I've made, but most were just military guns, quickly made. Paul

[richard lambert]

I have used this for 12ga plastic hull roll crimping and it works well. Of course it is not very modern.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z97/DLFL/CRIMPERER.jpg

[charlie cleveland]

some of those old crimpersmust roll crimp plastic ok..i bought me some of the old style crimpers for the paper hulls but it would not roll crimp the plastic hulls..so i bought one that you put in a drill or drill press it works fine... charlie

[calvin humburg]

Paul, thats quite an accomplishment. Shooting a matchlock makes a flintlock seem pretty modern. ch

[richard lambert]

I bought two and the one that was worn would not roll plastic.

[charlie cleveland]

calvins quite right .. what a thrill a fellow must have as you watched your deer fall to the ground paul....i have never shot the rope guns but i sure would give it a try....as they used to say keep your rope dry..... charlie

[Paul Harm]

It came yesterday, seems to work just fine. It won't roll worn-out plastic shells - those that look awful with slits that still get star crimped a couple more times. I use a tappered tool like the ones sold to recondition shells to open the mouth a bit and start the wad by hand. Cut shells without any crimp look perfect, whether paper or plastic. So, what I found out was on 12ga shells the 12ga tool works better than the 10ga tool for used shells, more so on paper shells. If shells are cut to remove the old crimp, either one will work- the 10 being easier because it doesn't grab the shell causing it to spin as much. Maybe someone else has had a different experience. Paul

[Paul Harm]

You don't really see the deer fall- tooo much smoke. There's a group that shoots just Matchlocks - don't remember their name - they have a big shoot in Wis. every year. I was told the year I got mine I was the only one in Mi. The year before my friend got a deer, two grouse, and a coyote. Now that's a serious matchlock hunter.

[charlie cleveland]

i did not think about all that smoke been awhile since i have hunted with my black powder guns....last deer i shot at with a bp gun was a 12 ga double barrel. i was shooting slug loads they were shaped more like flat washers than slugs...but any way here comes that large doe she stoped and gave me a broad side shot. after pulling the trigger i was amazed at the smoke that hung in the air. when the smoke cleared i had to laugh that doe was about a hundred yards away looking back at the smoke also....she was amazed at the smoke also....i never touched her thank goodness because it sure was a long way back to the truck.... charlie

[Cal Lego]

Do all of the available roll crimpers require reverse rotation of the drill? I have a drill press with a 1/2" chuck that does not have a 'reverse' option.

The Precision reloading one is for clockwise rotation. The precision reloading one for the 10 gauge is steel. Are some of them nylon? I have one nylon one in 12 gauge but can't remember who I got it from.