reload steel?

With the better steel shot loads available today, I would say that it is not worth the trouble or expense for most people if they buy good ammo in case lots. If you don't already have a single stage loading press and a powder scale, you are looking at an investment of about $150 just to get the tools necessary to start.

There sometimes are benefits of reloading your own steel. You can tweak the loads for a little improvement in performance over factory loads. You can load certain shot sizes that may not be available at your shell supplier. However, it takes me about 1 hour to load a box of shells. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, since I hunt ducks and geese in Ohio, I don't shoot them up very fast either.

The reason I load my own is to get that last little bit of performance and for the personal satisfaction of taking birds with something I made. When I bow hunted, I made my own arrows. When I deer hunted with muzzleloaders, I made my own flintlock and percussion rifles. When I shoot my centerfire rifles and pistols, I load my own shells. I can't make my shotgun, but I can load my own shotshells.

Where you can save some money is if you handload Hevishot shells. The savings there can be up in the $.50 to $1 range per shell, depending on what you load, what you pay for factory shells and whether you get your hulls for free or have to pay for them.

 

i reload hevi also...its just not worth shooting steel in my opinion.you'll cleanly kill more ducks and geese with hevi than you will with any steel load.it takes a little effort to get started but once you get going its pretty simple.



this question is for tony
what load are you currently reloading? ive been loading bpi's quicksilver 12.its an 1 1/4 oz.load but ive been wanting to experiment with some 1 1/8 or even an 1oz. loads.we make annual trips to north dakota and the shots arent that long of range.i think a smaller load would be ideal.any suggestions?also where can this UFO layout boat be seen?im in southcentral oh.id love to take a look at one.
thanks
dd6