3" .410 Reloading- Feedback?

[Stonepark]

1 hour ago, HW95J said:

At last had the time to get a small batch made up. Beginning to get the hang of the RTO and knowing when cartridges are sufficiently turned over. Hoping to get out next weekend and give them a try. Very satisfying indeed. Beneficial in that it requires so much concentration and accuracy etc that I can forget about work and get lost in it. 

Glad your enjoying it, let us know how you get on

[Walker570]

On 22/10/2018 at 06:28, Seadog1408 said:

Just make your own trays, bit of wood and a (14mm I think) wood bit .......hey presto a low cost strong cartridge holder.

second that. OK I have a pillar drill which makes it easier. I initially drilled with a standard drill bit but then took a same size old bit and ground the end flat. Finished each hole with this and the shells stand upright and tidy.  I have three made now which take 120 shells , more than enough. 

[HW95J]

Tested these out today. Very pleased and for whatever reason seemed to be getting far more hits than with factory ammo. Punchy load for a .410 and most of the cases have been pretty well toasted at the end! No bulging primers. Will probably reduce the powder down to 11 grains for the next batch. On the tub it recommends 12.9grains which I think would be on the hot side. 

All in all very satisfying to have made them from scratch and to get results 

[Walker570]

Yes, I get burned ends on some of my cases, worried me for a while till I had some RC factory do the same and some Eley.   If we have another 410 shooter on a driven day you will find me dumper diving for the emptiesI occasionally buy a block of factory and keep the empties.  Hull High Pheasant cases reload and crimp very well.  Come back 10% which is 1.3g as near as ....... that puts it at 11..6 and try that. If that gives good results stick with it.   Just 1/10th can make a huge difference in a 410.

[HW95J]

8 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Yes, I get burned ends on some of my cases, worried me for a while till I had some RC factory do the same and some Eley.   If we have another 410 shooter on a driven day you will find me dumper diving for the emptiesI occasionally buy a block of factory and keep the empties.  Hull High Pheasant cases reload and crimp very well.  Come back 10% which is 1.3g as near as ....... that puts it at 11..6 and try that. If that gives good results stick with it.   Just 1/10th can make a huge difference in a 410.

Good advice, thanks. I'll bring back to 11.6 and re-assess. I've had burned ends occasionally on factory loads, just struck me as this was on probably 75%. Working with ready-primed cases, still need a solution for re-priming. 

[Continental Shooter]

On 21/10/2018 at 22:46, sitsinhedges said:

+1 Adding 3extra grams of shot to a 19g recipe is a really bad idea.

+1 3 grams will be about 100-150 bar increase from the recipe and a good reduction in speed if not adjustment for powder is taken into account. This is assuming the powder can take the load. Don't forget the smaller bore generates higher pressures 

[deershooter]

Look for a 10 mm craft punch in your local craft shop ,you can then make your own over shot cards out of 1.6 mm card 

Edited November 15, 2018 by deershooter

[HW95J]

4 hours ago, deershooter said:

Look for a 10 mm craft punch in your local craft shop ,you can then make your own over shot cards out of 1.6 mm card 

Thanks for this. Was wondering what the requisite thickness of card would be 👍

[Captain jack]

I’m looking into .410 reloading too 

my favourite shop bought loads are the Fiocchi 3” magnums. They seem to hit the hardest and give consistent kills.  I’m thinking of experimenting with reloading to see if I can make something that comes close. I have never reloaded before...once you have invested in all the equipment and components is there much saving to be made per cartridge?

The saving is not my sole reason for wanting to reload but I’d be interested to know if it is cheaper or about the same as picking up as slab or two from the shops 

jack.

[Walker570]

Captain jack,  if you have read back you will know I am a devotee of the 410 gauge. I shoot driven game on average about 24days a year and hold my own against the others on my team. Yestrday I was shooting in Lincolnshire and using my own reloads. At the end of one drive my neighbouring gun walked over and said he was dumbfounded that I was using a 410 and killing pheasants and partridge so efficiently, I dud point out that the last cock bird went on with fixed wings but he said it dropped dead a 100yrds behind us.   Without doubt accuracy is important and you must try to put the bird in the centre of the pattern but that applies to all other gauges.  My reloads yesterday where abit of a mixture...same powder load and same felt wadding but as I was running short of #7 shot, I dug out a whole lot of mixed cartridges, 12, 20 and 16 gauge some quite old and removed the lead from them which included 7s, 6s 5s and a few 4s. I mixed these with the remaining 7s I had.  18.6g of these , same as normal and a star crimp.  Hull High Pheasant cases.  Had a great day and killed one or two screamers in a 35 mph wind.

The ones that didn't fall was my fault not the cartridge.    To answer your question....Yes, you can load a cartridge which will do the same job. My cartridge preference before was Fiocchi and still is with the Hull High Pheasant being a very close second choice and they now do one with  #7 shot.  Both Fiocchi and Hull cases reload well.

Weigh both powder and shot individually, I found |I could not get a consistent drop from my Mec 600 and the SP3 powder I use was so fine it escaped from any of the tiniest of gaps in the machine.  Takes a bit longer but well worth it.

By now everyone will think I have shares in Folkestone Engineering...I don't...but John there has some excellent recipes for the 410 and sells excellent wads and cards.

[sitsinhedges]

8 hours ago, Captain jack said:

I’m looking into .410 reloading too 

my favourite shop bought loads are the Fiocchi 3” magnums. They seem to hit the hardest and give consistent kills.  I’m thinking of experimenting with reloading to see if I can make something that comes close. I have never reloaded before...once you have invested in all the equipment and components is there much saving to be made per cartridge?

The saving is not my sole reason for wanting to reload but I’d be interested to know if it is cheaper or about the same as picking up as slab or two from the shops 

jack.

I reckon it would be about £200/1000 for the components against £300 for the factory shells.

[Captain jack]

6 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Captain jack,  if you have read back you will know I am a devotee of the 410 gauge. I shoot driven game on average about 24days a year and hold my own against the others on my team. Yestrday I was shooting in Lincolnshire and using my own reloads. At the end of one drive my neighbouring gun walked over and said he was dumbfounded that I was using a 410 and killing pheasants and partridge so efficiently, I dud point out that the last cock bird went on with fixed wings but he said it dropped dead a 100yrds behind us.   Without doubt accuracy is important and you must try to put the bird in the centre of the pattern but that applies to all other gauges.  My reloads yesterday where abit of a mixture...same powder load and same felt wadding but as I was running short of #7 shot, I dug out a whole lot of mixed cartridges, 12, 20 and 16 gauge some quite old and removed the lead from them which included 7s, 6s 5s and a few 4s. I mixed these with the remaining 7s I had.  18.6g of these , same as normal and a star crimp.  Hull High Pheasant cases.  Had a great day and killed one or two screamers in a 35 mph wind.

The ones that didn't fall was my fault not the cartridge.    To answer your question....Yes, you can load a cartridge which will do the same job. My cartridge preference before was Fiocchi and still is with the Hull High Pheasant being a very close second choice and they now do one with  #7 shot.  Both Fiocchi and Hull cases reload well.

Weigh both powder and shot individually, I found |I could not get a consistent drop from my Mec 600 and the SP3 powder I use was so fine it escaped from any of the tiniest of gaps in the machine.  Takes a bit longer but well worth it.

By now everyone will think I have shares in Folkestone Engineering...I don't...but John there has some excellent recipes for the 410 and sells excellent wads and cards.

Thanks for the info - much appreciated!

I too shoot game with my 410 and consistently out perform those wielding a 12 (at sensible ranges) I sometimes struggle to get hold of my favoured Fiocchi loads and quite fancy getting into the whole reloading thing too. How much does a mec reloader set one back? Do they ever come up second hand? Do you think it’s possible to achieve similar results    To those you described with basic hand reloading tools or is a press a must?

Its probably been covered in older threads somewhere so apologies if I’m going back over well trodden ground 

 

[Walker570]

You can often pick up a Mec 600 which is ideal but getting a 410 set of tools for it is sometimes more dificult. You will have to shop around.  The 600 is your best bet.  Personally I would also get a set of powder scales, either electrig or balance as even small diferences in powder weights can change pressures in a 410, so more the more accurate the load the better and safer the load will be.  As said, my load for MY GUN is 19.7gr of SP3 powder and 18.6 gr of #7 shot and this relates closely with that recipe provided by Folkestone Enginneering.

The felt wads are as good as plastic and throw good patterns in my gun.   

To sum up.

I would source a Mec 600 and 410 set of tools.   Don't drop powder or shot but measure each on a scale and use the press for decapping/priming, wad inserting and crimping.

[Seadog1408]

I have just picked up an almost unused mec600 with .410 tooling for 150 notes, very good tools, but as mentioned weigh your powder.

 

mike