neutron619 Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Hello chaps, Some of you will be aware from another thread that I've recently gone and bought myself a 16 gauge. Had it out on Wednesday for the first time and took a jackdaw and a big-******* crow with it in my first four shots. It seems to fit very well, shoot smoothly and has well-exceeded my expectations given the £140 I paid for it. In short, I'm well chuffed with it. So much so that I think my 12 gauge just got forcibly part-retired to wildfowling duties only! The guys at The Country Store, Pampisford (yes that's a name drop - go see them if you can) knew the gun was coming in, so they dug out an old slab of cartridges they'd had sitting around for ages - some Gamebore Traditional Game 28g #6 with felt wads (which should tell you how long they've been there). Still, at over 50% off their proper price, I couldn't argue, so I took the lot. They do the job and I've no reason not to buy them again. I chucked most of the empties in the boot of my car when I'd finished on Wednesday and it occurred to me as I listened to them rattling around this morning on the way to work, that they might be good for reloading. I remembered that after I'd fired a few of them that the cases still seemed to be in very decent condition. Most crimped cartridges I shoot leave that flower-like shape at the top of the cartridge, showing where the crimp was before firing. These cartridges though - in spite of being crimped beforehand - look a lot like a rolled turn-over cartridge would after they're fired. They're just dead straight cylinders with no discernible marks on them. I can't afford a press right now, but as a serial tinkerer with all things shooting-related, it's not going to be that long until I decide I want to play around with shotgun reloading. There are no 16 gauge clay loads (and I didn't buy it to shoot clays) but it might be interesting to try and manufacture one at some point. 21 grams of #8 or something. I could never afford a MEC press, so though I have a 28 gauge which would have benefitted from one, I never started loading for that gun. I think Lee make a Loader 2 in 16 gauge though and I might afford one of those one day, so here's the question(s): If I keep the cases I'm using now, could I reload them? They look to be in pretty good condition but I don't really know how to tell if they're any use. Do I just bag them up and keep them dry, or will they deteriorate if they're left in a loft / garage for (potentially) a year or so? Or should I just bin them and buy new primed cases as and when I can afford a press and all the other bits? More generally, I think I'm getting to the point where I've got the basics of rifle cartridge reloading sussed, but I still know no more about shotgun cartridge reloading than I can get from The ABCs of Reloading, so if anyone would be willing to exchange a few PMs to talk about what I'd like to do with 16 bore reloading and tell me all of the basics that I haven't learned / can't learn from the book, perhaps they could drop me a line? Thanks, Adam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 (edited) You don't need a press mate. You only want a decapper, a rod to tap the primer out with. A rod hollowed to sit inside the case to tap the case on a new primer, shape the hollow so it pinches the plastic base wad on the primer. Get a tube turned to the correct ID to make a head sizer. Tapered a few degrees. A roll crimper. A shot dipper which you can make from a trimmed case. A powder dipper. Get the CC of the net of the powder of choice and make you dipper bigger, size it down with card discs to give you adjustment. Cheap as chips, thought I was the tite wad around here :-) Edited September 11, 2015 by Underdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted September 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Hello Underdog, Thanks for the reply. I'll drop you a PM over the weekend to tell you back what you've just told me to check I've understood it all correctly. Only one question for now - should I keep the cases? Or chuck them? Adam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Keep them, from your gun you may not need to resize! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted September 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 OK - thanks - will do. Will send you a PM when I get a minute free to ask more questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 It doesnt cost anything to keep them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Who's car did you chuck the empties in to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted September 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Who's car did you chuck the empties in to? It was the "small" car. It doesnt cost anything to keep them No indeed - I was more asking from the point of view of whether they'd be suitable, hence the description of them post-firing above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Oh, your car then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted September 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 (edited) Oh, your car then! Hey! I like my little runabout. Just because I can't fit an unbroken shotgun in the boot doesn't mean it isn't freedom! See you in the morning. We'll take the other car. Edited September 11, 2015 by neutron619 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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