sidelockshooter Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Hello, I'm a newbie to Pigeon Watch! I am getting into stuck into home loading .410 shells with my MEC 600 MK5 setup, am curious to see how many other people out there re-load due the the price of 'shop' bought shells! I'd be interested to see what load data, primers, powders, both in 2.5" & 3" shells people are having success with/or not! . I use Clay & Game Re-Loaders, a helpful & reliable supplier of home loading gear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Fireformed 303 brass makes for cheap shooting...less case wear and tear than plastic, plus cheaper primers than the 209s: plus no press required for loading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidelockshooter Posted October 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Hi Saddler, got any pics or links you could share? I did inquire about CBS brass cases in .410, but there was a suggestion they would not be suitable for what I was doing, maybe just because I'm not using the over shot card etc...Plus whilst out buny bashing on the quad, using a pump...shells everywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 The dedicated website fourten.org has a lot of info on 410 reloading. Fireforming 303 brass is easy; Anneal the case neck, add a primer, use a small qty of pistol powder, then some people use an inert filler on top of the powder. Then a couple of turns of electrical tape just in front of the cartridge rim...to keep the tapered case centred in the chamber ruring fire-forming. Get back to me if you cannot find more data. I make 410 leather ammo carriers too, stops them rolling around or getting lost in pockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidelockshooter Posted October 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Cheers Saddler, I have the book 'North Face Of The Fourten', some good pieces in there. I am tempted to give the .303 a try, what gun(s) have you shot them through?,have you shot converted .303 cases in a Mossberg Hushpower? Today I'm making some 18 grain 12gram 6's in Cheddite 2.5" shells, using Hogsdon powder & Cheddite primers, pics to follow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershooter Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Don't waist your time with the .303 the cases they are so thin no commercial wads will fit them large rifle primers are too fast for most powders ,and new cases are so cheap at siarm who will post them . I will take any one on at a 100 bird sporting or skeet they can use .303 brass cases and I will use 14 gram home loads let's see who wins Deershooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidelockshooter Posted October 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Deershooter, are you using a MEC or Lee Loader? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Don't waist your time with the .303 the cases they are so thin no commercial wads will fit them large rifle primers are too fast for most powders ,and new cases are so cheap at siarm who will post them . I will take any one on at a 100 bird sporting or skeet they can use .303 brass cases and I will use 14 gram home loads let's see who wins Deershooter 303 brass works with dedicated components, in much the same way as the 12-bore Magtech brass needs 11-bore wads, etc. Change the components to suit the job Same with the primers - I use Large PISTOL ones, not large rifle - same as per the Magtech brass SIARM's a good idea for 410 hulls - but I have several hundred 303 cases sitting here so no real need/desire to spend money on plastic hulls & dont really want to play the lottery of seeing what happens when live primed cases are mailed to me in the regular post from a foreign country I have shot clays once in over 30 years of shooting - you could have a 10-bore with blanks in it & you'd still turn in a better score than me... I am tempted to give the .303 a try, what gun(s) have you shot them through?, have you shot converted .303 cases in a Mossberg Hushpower? Have shot mine in a converted Lee Enfield No.4 & also in a single shot Webley Not tried them in a Hushpower...though may add one of their moderators to one of my 410's in the next few weeks With brass cases - no loading press required - and IF you so want to you can use a standard press as the 303 shell-holder works for priming, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidelockshooter Posted October 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 303 brass works with dedicated components, in much the same way as the 12-bore Magtech brass needs 11-bore wads, etc. Change the components to suit the job Same with the primers - I use Large PISTOL ones, not large rifle - same as per the Magtech brass SIARM's a good idea for 410 hulls - but I have several hundred 303 cases sitting here so no real need/desire to spend money on plastic hulls & dont really want to play the lottery of seeing what happens when live primed cases are mailed to me in the regular post from a foreign country I have shot clays once in over 30 years of shooting - you could have a 10-bore with blanks in it & you'd still turn in a better score than me... Have shot mine in a converted Lee Enfield No.4 & also in a single shot Webley Not tried them in a Hushpower...though may add one of their moderators to one of my 410's in the next few weeks With brass cases - no loading press required - and IF you so want to you can use a standard press as the 303 shell-holder works for priming, etc. I quite like the idea of a Lee Enfield .410, my old Webley has been great all these years (got to renew the ejector slide, it's wearing out, and sometimes the bolt comes right of the back of the gun). The Hushpower is great, have had great fun bunny bashing with it, main use is knocking corvids out of the trees near phesant pens, although some 'subsonic' loads I made with Maxam powder did not kill aswell as I had hoped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Don't you need a FAC to buy large pistol primers, and where does the data come from for 410 loads in a 303 case with these components? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 (edited) I just took a deep breath and bought 5000 new Fiocchi 65mm cases. (primed with 614). However, I am still going through the 5000 Cheddite! Edited October 27, 2013 by Floating Chamber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Don't you need a FAC to buy large pistol primers, and where does the data come from for 410 loads in a 303 case with these components? In theory, yes...and no You NEED to be able to prove a NEED for a specific primer. I had the initial argument about this in the shop, but as the Magtech box has printed on it to use "LARGE PISTOL" primers I could prove a need....though I had authority anyway as I load for 45 Colt too... Load data - lots out there - just not in current manuals: brass shells used to be more common 40+ years back Plus a LOT of data on the US forums where there are a few dedicated 410 users Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 In theory, yes...and no You NEED to be able to prove a NEED for a specific primer. I had the initial argument about this in the shop, but as the Magtech box has printed on it to use "LARGE PISTOL" primers I could prove a need....though I had authority anyway as I load for 45 Colt too... Load data - lots out there - just not in current manuals: brass shells used to be more common 40+ years back Plus a LOT of data on the US forums where there are a few dedicated 410 users So you can't buy small pistol primers unless you have an FAC with a firearm on it that also uses them? This alone is going to make it a non starter for most reloaders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 So you can't buy small pistol primers unless you have an FAC with a firearm on it that also uses them? This alone is going to make it a non starter for most reloaders. The stipulation is actually that you posses an FAC not that you have a gun that uses small PISTOL primers. This is a bit of a weird route to loading a .410 I must say and be aware that although small pistol primers have a weaker ignition they also have thin cups (though shotgun are not very thick either) In a break action gun like a shotgun I shouldn't like to be piercing primers that much is for sure, small rifle are the same size but thicker cups to handle higher pressures, the ignition is greater though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershooter Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Deershooter, are you using a MEC or Lee Loader? I use a mec Lee don't do a load all in .410 ,Lee did a hand loader years ago but very slow Deershooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Half an ounce was plenty really but I did some 3/4oz loads and H4227 in Cheddite 2&1/2" cases. Number 7 shot. I miss my .410! U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershooter Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 How do you fit 3/4 ounce with H4227 powder in to a 2.5 inch case it won't fit there is no room for a wad Deershooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted October 30, 2013 Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 How do you fit 3/4 ounce with H4227 powder in to a 2.5 inch case it won't fit there is no room for a wad Deershooter depends on how long the wad is! U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00buck Posted November 4, 2013 Report Share Posted November 4, 2013 I now load 410 with a mec most of the time I used cork wads I used to hand load but it a bit slow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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