I lucked into reloading. I was given a Mec 600 in 12 ga--didnt even use it for 4 yrs. I was also given a Mec 600 in 16 ga, and picked up a well worn but functional Mec 600 in 20 ga for
50 bucks at a gun show. Not rocket science to learn to use them, and if you have a friend who can show you the ropes , you will be comfortable with it quickly. I bought a Mec short kit for 16 ga , to make 2 1/2" shells and found it fits on my other 2 also. I mostly load short shells for my damascus 16's. In my steel barreled 20's I load AA and Gun Clubs, they are a little short anyway, and I load low pressure 3/4 and 7/8 oz. Grouse and clays dont require loads going 1300+ fps. Once you start shooting 3/4 and 7/8 oz loads in a 16, you wont like those 1 oz anymore( 'cept maybe for pheasant).
Now, as in a few years ago, reloading components and ammo are getting hard to come by. Hopefully this will pass. I'm not a hoarder, but I'm set for a couple yrs, plus I've got so much loaded already, I dont think I'll need to reload this year.
If you are going to reload short 16's, I'll even spot you 100 short hulls.

Harold you're a gentleman, thank you. I have a bucket of hulls from RST and others in various gauges so my immediate problems will be press/shot/primers/powder. I shot my VH12 last week for the first time at Rock Mountain with 2 1/2" RST Falcon Lite I think, dang that was fun. Didn't hit anything but sure was fun. It's more fun when you load them yourself so I'm looking forward to it.

About 1971 I started out with a Versa-MEC, sort of a deluxe MEC 600 Jr. and had dies for my four skeet gauges. By the time I was about seven years in, I'd worn the threads out from changing dies, so sent it back to MEC with the 20-gauge dies in. In the meantime I checked out a 12-gauge MEC 600 Jr. loaner from the Potomac River Gun Club, and ordered new 28-gauge & .410-bore 600 Jr Mark Vs from Gander Mountain. Near as I can tell MEC put a new machine on top of my old base plate and sent it back gratis. I still had the clubs 12-gauge press when the commanding officer threw us off the base. The President told me to just keep it when we auctioned off all our assets and divided the money up among the life members. Eventually added a 16-gauge 600 Jr. Mark V to the heard. I have the old dining room table from my folks house in the man cave and have a plywood board with screws set in to attach a loader. I use three C-clamps and secure it to the corner of the table and load while watching my big screen.

There is little money to be saved by loading 1 or 1 1/8 ounce 12-gauge shells or 7/8 ounce 20-gauge shells. The real place reloading pays is for 28-gauge and .410-bore. And of course any "specialty" loads like my favorite 7/8 ounce 12- and 16-gauge loads.

I shoot 7/8 oz in my 12 ga also in Gun Clubs. I use them in my Fox pin gun and a WW Greener 12 ga sidelever damascus. Recoil is about nonexistant.

I dropped down to 3/4oz. in the 12, 16, 20 and of course the 28 when this shortage hit a few years ago. Found out I don't miss the extra pellets but certainly don't miss the recoil.

Some people drink when they get bored. I reload when I get bored or antsy. That, and wait for the Fedex truck with more wads and hulls from BP or Precision.

Are there manuals for shotshell reloading like there are for metallic cartridges? Went to our local Barnes and Noble today but not one book there on reloading. I always find I have X, Y, Z components and recipes call for A, D, F. Specifically where does one find "low pressure" or low recoil loads for shorter shells? A few weeks back I burned up a mixed bin of 20's. You know, Dove loads, pigeon loads, game loads, probably 20 years old. I shot about 50 of them with my Citori and felt like I fought Rocky Marciano. Hurt more than my COVID vaccine shot the next day.

And then some people drink while they are reloading. I know because I shoot with one or two of them.:whistle:

Yes, there are, and can also be accessed on line. I have alot of low pressure 16 and 20 data downloaded on my computer

Lyman 5th edition shotshell reloading manual would be a good place to start. Search Hodgdon's and Alliant's web site for recipes as well as forums such as 24 hour campfire, Shotgunworld and the like. You could post here what you are looking for and I'm sure someone has a proven recipe for it.