The dreaded "Is shotshell reloading worth it" question

[Andy]

Looking at the MEC600 Jr, I don't see a short kit for 12g. Is that able to load 2 1/2" shells? My VHE is 2 5/8" chambers, plus you never know when I might pick up an English gun. Handled a Thomas Wilde a month ago and damn nearly bought it except I didn't have an extra 6 grand laying around. I think i'm just going to order 1 or 2 600's off the MEC website and wait.

[Harold Pickens]

I believe I got my short kit from Precision Reloading for about $30. I ordered one for a 16--and it also works on my 12 and 20 Mec 600 jr.
Now, just my opinion mind you--thru a Parker fluid steel 12 ga, I dont shoot short shells, I have loaded some, then gave all my 2 1/2" hulls away. Most of my 12 ga are 7/8 oz mild pressure about 1150 fps--shoot those also in my Greener sidelever damascus also, I use green Rem Gun Club hulls. I have a few cases of 12 ga game loads with 1 oz shot, I shoot those also in fluid steel guns.
In 20's, I used to load 2 1/2", but now just shhoot a mild 3/4 oz load using 20/28 powder in AA's and Gun Clubs. Makes life simpler. In between guitar playing this morning, I loaded 2 boxes of that 20 ga load--I dont hesitate to hunt grouse with it either.

[edgarspencer]

The principal component of the short kit is the 1/4” spacer plate, so I just move it over to the 12ga. press when I load 12s. If I recall, the kit also has a spacer ring for the primer seating cup, and, there again, I just swap that over. I roll crimp all my 28ga. so, not using the final two stages, I don’t need the short kit on that press. I only load 2 1/2” now.

[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Andrew Sacco

Looking at the MEC600 Jr, I don't see a short kit for 12g. Is that able to load 2 1/2" shells? My VHE is 2 5/8" chambers, plus you never know when I might pick up an English gun. Handled a Thomas Wilde a month ago and damn nearly bought it except I didn't have an extra 6 grand laying around. I think i'm just going to order 1 or 2 600's off the MEC website and wait.

Just a thought, if you're likely to be loading for multiple guns in a given gauge you might consider spending the extra scratch for a Sizemaster that's equipped a sizing collet as on the MEC 9000. Hulls that were fired in different chambers will vary in diameter and should be resized to fit the minimum chamber. Same with good hulls picked from buckets or off the ground at shooting places. The Sizemaster also comes with an auto primer feed.