Cost to produce 20gauge subs

[Dazv]

Hi all I'm back seeking advice from you knowable chaps.

i can't quite figure out how much I'd have to fork out the make a batch of 20gauge subs with 5 shot. I'm planning of reusing spent shells to keep the cost down.

my main issue being I don't know how far powder ect goes when reloading shells.

could anyone give me a rough estimate of how money I'd have to spend in order to make x amount of carts

thanks again guys!

darren

[stuartyboy]

I looked into it before. Now my sums may have been wrong as I'm totally new to reloading but I worked out at approx £275 per thousand for 30gram no 5s. For consumables alone, for the load data's that I was kindly given. That was with reusing the cases several times and before I bought presses etc.

I'm sure I could have got the cost down but that was the rough ball park figure by looking at component prices online.

It wasn't cost effective for me.

I am hopefully going to be trying out a 28gram 5s sub load soon though made by someone else which will hopefully work out well, pricewise and effectiveness.

[Dazv]

Thanks a lot for you reply mate, it doesn't seem like there is any cheap way around it. £275 still seems pretty steep considering you've had to load each one yourself. I wonder how much you actually save reloading the subs maybe it doesn't work out cost effective? 

[Guest cookoff013]

Please recheck.180-220 is par for the course. Thats 12gauge 32g.

[snow white]

Its not the price its shooting a nice high bird and saying i made that cartrige same as rifle bullets or making a fly and catching a nice trout on a fly you tied yourself.

[stuartyboy]

Possible that the 20 bore works out more expensive as the components are not widely available as the 12?

Or more likely my calculations are wrong!

I would agree that the cost is not the deciding factor but the satisfaction of reloading itself does appeal.

I think just cartridges sell subsonic 30g 5s for the 20 bore for £330 plus postage if that helps? Also a few different sub clay loads

[Dazv]

Thanks for all the help guys, maybe my hopes of being able to shoot as much as I like is out the window hahah I was hoping there would be a nice cheap option but it's not looking that way, thanks again for all the help chaps 

[Guest cookoff013]

i think you are bang on the button.

primer 3.5p - £35/k

wad £26/k

powdercard £18/k

lead £112

£191 so far, but that is not including powder.

if we add £80 powder we get £271 / k, and that is on the assumption of about 15 grains of powder. (this is not a reloading recipe but about the right cost.) thats 1000g of powder / 1kg.

 

would still be worth it just to up the anti with a 4/5 .

 

[Dazv]

There really doesn't seem to be a good cheap way around, thanks for your help though mate.

[Guest cookoff013]

thats alright.

thats what the forum is here for.

[stuartyboy]

Just cartridges do several different subsonic clay loads that are better priced. I don't know if they would be suitable for live animals/birds? I wouldn't use them for that unless for a specific purpose and very close range.

I'm waiting for some subsonic 5s to be made up. Once I get them I will post to say price/how effective etc

[Dazv]

Cool I'll have a look, ah nice yeah I'd be keen to hear how you get on with them! 

[hawkfanz]

why bother with subsonic loads anyway,,there no quieter in my o/u hushy than standard loads,so i would go for 24/25 gram loads that should be cost effective.incidently i can buy 20g 28gram shell for £64 a slab.

Edited July 9, 2018 by hawkfanz

[kenholland]

there gamebore subs 30 g 5's work well for me in the Mossberg 20 bore full choke , because it's only used for occasional  situation's I bought 5oo that will do for me, but everybody has there own amount to buy.

[maxwell]

20 minutes ago, hawkfanz said:

why bother with subsonic loads anyway,,there no quieter in my o/u hushy than standard loads,so i would go for 24/25 gram loads that should be cost effective.incidently i can buy 20g 28gram shell for £64 a slab.

Surprised to read this as I found them markably quieter at the gun, 50 yards away and again at 100yrds, all through a 20 g O/U Hush and this was verified by a second shooter on the day.

[hawkfanz]

well i,m not the only who thinks this way lot of the people useing investarm hushys find this,and while some carts are quieter than others,i tried eley subs against gamebore shells no different,loudest were fiocchi,also tried out a baikel 410 hushy and a mossy 410 hushy again subs no different than standard shells,also 21/2 410 sound just the same as 3 in ones.so i just use standard carts in my hushy and will home load mostly 25gram carts in winter with my new mec,

 

[Dazv]

Thanks for the replies chaps, I must admit I do notice a difference with the standard shells as they leave a slight ringing in my ears where the subs don't. I can't say how much of a difference it makes at range though might be worth a bit of an experiment.

[Guest cookoff013]

i keep on saying this and i will again.
home made subsonics can be quieter than factory subsonics. 
the subsonic shells can have 2 charicteristics either quiet, or louder, this is due to the residual gas equilibrating, that is not taken care of by the hushpower. both shells would be 1050fps etc !

only homeloads with the right recipe can guarantee this. 

only homeloads are available in shotsizes.

only homeloads are available with 42g -36g-32g-28g-21g  loads that are quiet.

 

take 2 loads, both 1050fp, one powder charge 15-16 grain, low is pressure, the second uses a different faster powder, 13 grain, mediocre pressure, the first is innefficient, the second is cleaner and the 13grain powder equilibrates better because there is less gas. but they both are the same... you get it?

Edited July 10, 2018 by cookoff013
edit in red

[Guest cookoff013]

 

delete

 

Edited July 10, 2018 by cookoff013

[Dazv]

That makes perfect sense, so even with the standard hushpower cartridges there is still a lot of improvement to be made over them. Maybe it's worth biting the bullet and saving up for some components. Do you know any cheaper way around homeloading. I can't see a time where I'll have nearly £300 that I can't throw out on components. Cheers mate

[Guest cookoff013]

you do know you can buy stuff in smaller quantities right? aka components to make 250/500 shells?

you could either find a friend who reloads or buy a lee loadall and components to do 250 shells.

-lee loadall £50

250 shells worth of reloading stuff 67 (at 271/k)

for the outlay of 120, you`ll get a machine and 250 shells. you like you keep and buy more, you hate, you shoot the 250, sell the nearly new reloader for £40,  you loose only £10,

but had the shells to the value of 330/k, but in reality, you broke even.

[Dazv]

I isn't know you could buy smaller quantities, I already own a loadall but need to buy the 20g conversion. Are loading components something you can buy online? Thanks that's made me feel more optimistic about reloading 

[stuartyboy]

If you've not already looked, check out the clay&game website. Its easy to navigate and you can work out the costings to buy components, in whatever quantity required. Only issue is powder and primer availability. You need to have a local supply as to post is cost prohibitive.

Folkestone Engineering also offer great knowledge and help

[Dazv]

2 hours ago, stuartyboy said:

If you've not already looked, check out the clay&game website. Its easy to navigate and you can work out the costings to buy components, in whatever quantity required. Only issue is powder and primer availability. You need to have a local supply as to post is cost prohibitive.

Folkestone Engineering also offer great knowledge and help

Ah that's cool I'll have a closer look! Thanks