OMG! This was 12 years ago, so I'm not writing to get a free hat. Great video and I was surprised to discover that the MEC SIZEMASTER was in fact a single-stage reloader. I just recently acquired an MEC Jr. in 20 GA, and I'm in the process of setting this up in my reloading room. At any rate, my guess is that CCI 209, was easier to seat and was designed for progressive reloaders. They had some issues igniting certain powders, and I also think they were used primarily for in-line muzzleloaders.
Thanks very much for this. Just getting into reloading shot shells. I use an autoloader shotgun. Just bought a sizemaster and this video is excellent and more informative than the official MEC video, which is much shorter. Good tips on lubeing the sizing collet, pressure on the collet and diameters of the shotshell base, getting the first primer into battery in station two, wad pressure and crimping tips. I plan to weigh the first powder charge on a balance beam scale. Then every tenth hull.
Seems like you are missing something with your shotshell reloading... that would be the relaxation factor. It's not a race. Who cares if you do 200 per hour or just 100 an hour? Play some music, pull up a cup of coffee, and relax and enjoy reloading. You might only do 100 or 150 loads per hour, but you'll load 600 rounds without thinking about it and you'll feel better when you treat it like a hobby and not a chore. Make time to take your time... life is more enjoyable that way.
Not everyone does this the same way. I do it slowly too. I never use either hopper on my MEC, weighing my powder and shot instead. However, I look at it like food preparation- some people love to cook and others consider it a supreme drudge. I completely understand someone wanting to do this as quickly as possible, but I think they are missing at least part of the satisfaction involved.
If you slow down the decrimp/ sizeing stage you'll save stress and wear on the roller stud which operates the sizing collets to close them. If you keep banging the sizing stage down with force you'll break the roller stud screw which essentially is no more than a # 10/24 Allen head cap screw with a roller overtop of it. This is especially true if you're sizing steel based hulls rather than brass ones. Also this screw tends to loosen, and if it does it'll break even sooner. Check it's not loose every 100 rounds or so and tighten it if necessary. I cut a slot at the end of the screw to allow removal with a screwdriver of the broken end of the screw if it does break off. It's difficult to remove it if you forget to do this. Keep some replacement # 10/24 Allen head cap screws trimmed to the correct length and with the slot cut in their ends in case one breaks off and it'll save you a lot of frustration.
In your shot pour container, drill a 1/2” hole in the cap. That allows you to pour it with the cap still on, and meter the flow with your thumb. Take the cap off when you refill.
RE, Per Lyman’s 5th edition Shotshell Reloading Manual, page 59, card, felt or fiber wads “were used inside a shot cup to correct the height of the shot column. They were also used over the shot on some loads (such as those which used a buffering material in the shot) to help seal the crimp.”
They show current load data that calls for “cards” of specific thicknesses. Federal’s, Rio ’s, even Remington, for example.
Hi Pete. Your secondary limitation (your shoulder being the first) is how low you can go and still get the gun to function. Pumps are going to work with nearly anything, auto loaders will stop cycling at some point and O/U with inertia reset triggers will fail to reset for the second shot. Your going to have to find this point for yourself but these are issues you're going to be facing. You may want to consider 3/4oz loads. I shot some of Johns last weekend on skeet and they worked great.
I agree with Cplski. When you started with your "speed" loading the first thing I thought was thats way too fast, where's the fun or relaxation in that. Your making look like work or something that HAS to be done! I enjoyed my MEC600 Jr until hurricane Katrina took it away from me. I haven't gotten back to reloading yet but I remember those restful evenings loading up some shells to shoot on Saturday morning with friends.
Yup, the Remington STS, Premier, Nitro 27, Gun club, sport loads and dove/quail all use the same load data. Some people have suggested that the Gun Club is better than the STS in that it will reload longer before splits will develop.
Thanks MrARichardC...thats a good point, I was thinking about saying something regarding confirming bushings with a scale when I was talking about them (you'd be amazed at the things that go racing through your head when "on camera"...and then get lost). I sorta hinted at it when I was talking about discovering the MEC bushing chart more closely followed actual data....but I should have mentioned HOW I discovered that via a scale.
I have thought several times about getting a mec 9000 but.... for the amount of shooting I do and how efficient I now am with a single stage it would take a lot of shells to make up the cost of a progressive press.... and also the versatility of a single stage being able to make special loads and you don't have to worry about a stage getting messed up and having to trace back ur steps.
Hi Tim...I had a Lee Load-All in the mid 70's. Maybe they've changed since then (it cost about $29.95 as I remember) but if they haven't, I'd recommend something a bit more robust. If you can swing a bit more, I'd go with a MEC 600jr or if you can swing a bit more than that, a SizeMaster. If you've recently joined a trap team, you're probably going to be doing a lot of shooting. Get something that can keep up and won't break.
I love claybuster wads as well that is all I have been using for over 12years now.... I love the cb-0178-12 they work for 7/8oz as well as 3/4oz depends on weather you are using AAhs or Rem hulls..... I got rid of the last of my AAhs hulls and just use Rem hulls now as they take the 7/8oz wads where as you really need a 1oz wad with most powders for 7/8oz in AAhs hulls.
Steve I purchased a Mec sizemaster after watching your video setting up to load 1 1/8 oz i can't get the shot to drop the 492 gr. shot that is required it drops like 459 or 467. Being new to shotgun reloading but not new to reloading is this normal ? Any suggestions would be helpful.I was using west coast 6 shot.
totaldla yup...technically/factually you are correct. Roll crimps are what you used to find on the old paper hulls with a over shot card to keep the shot in (and in some cases today, you will see it done with plastic hulls). The term is sometimes used (incorrectly) regarding "rolling" over the mouth of the crimp on a "folded" crimp hull....but this is really a taper crimp...you are tapering the mouth of the hull rather than leaving it straight.
What do you think of the Lee Load-All? I am just starting to get into trap shooting, matter of fact just joined a team, and wanted to get into reloading too.
Im looking to get into 20 guage reloading more for hobby then anything else Im not trying to spit out a bunch of shells in a set time Can you recommend a press that is quality but wont break the bank
Hi Kevin...I'm going to stick with my recommendation of the MEC Sizemaster or 600jr. I find the primer system of Sizemaster and base resizer to be a considerable improvement over the 600jr and for that reason, I would strongly encourage you to spend the extra money for the Sizemaster. I used mine for years before upgrading to a progressive (Dillon SL900) and for what it did, it did it very well.
I'm wondering if Hornady will start production again on the 366 presses. You cannot get them now, they claim they are now a "seasonal" item!! It's always shooting season! Ostensibly to shift resources to ammunition production Vs. Manufacturing. When I think of Hornady, I think of reloading...Not ammunition... Nice informative video. I've got a old school Mec 600 Jr. and am trying to tweak it into production again, haven't used it in about 25 years.....
Great video, Steve!! One thing I was wondering about is I've seen references on other sites and forums about "overshot discs". I saw that you didn't use them. What are they for and are they really necessary? Also, would the process you used in the video work the same way if you were reloading slugs with the exception being that you'd place the slug in the wad by hand? Thanks! Richard S - Fort Worth TX
no one here made mention of it here, and I'm aware this is after the fact. I'll take a stab at it Steve. You said in previous videos that you started with a 16ga back in the day. those primers fit old style remington hulls. Guessing that was your first experience reloading back when you shot that 16ga and started wacking clays and or hunting.
Not at my club, 1000's of Gun Club get thrown away but let some STS's hit the ground and people flock on them like crows to corn. People here compare the STS to the old Winchester AA hull in quality.....to each there own I guess.
Now that the cost of lead shot has increased, I can reload a box of 12ga 7/8oz target loads for about $4.00/box and 3/4oz loads for about $3.70. Those numbers are pretty close to what you'd be able to reload 20ga. So the only question at this point is what are you paying for cheap Rio loads?
I wish they would throw away GC's at my club(s)....they seemingly always get scarfed from the recycling bins before I get to them. I'm not picky...I'll load either...and do!
I use single stage presses for the simple fact that I never get a misfire. I know every stage worked correctly because I watched every step. Progressive reloaders don't have that luxury. Every time I hear a missfire at the trap range it always goes back to a Progressive press.
OMG! This was 12 years ago, so I'm not writing to get a free hat. Great video and I was surprised to discover that the MEC SIZEMASTER was in fact a single-stage reloader. I just recently acquired an MEC Jr. in 20 GA, and I'm in the process of setting this up in my reloading room. At any rate, my guess is that CCI 209, was easier to seat and was designed for progressive reloaders. They had some issues igniting certain powders, and I also think they were used primarily for in-line muzzleloaders.
Thanks very much for this. Just getting into reloading shot shells. I use an autoloader shotgun. Just bought a sizemaster and this video is excellent and more informative than the official MEC video, which is much shorter. Good tips on lubeing the sizing collet, pressure on the collet and diameters of the shotshell base, getting the first primer into battery in station two, wad pressure and crimping tips. I plan to weigh the first powder charge on a balance beam scale. Then every tenth hull.
Seems like you are missing something with your shotshell reloading... that would be the relaxation factor. It's not a race. Who cares if you do 200 per hour or just 100 an hour? Play some music, pull up a cup of coffee, and relax and enjoy reloading. You might only do 100 or 150 loads per hour, but you'll load 600 rounds without thinking about it and you'll feel better when you treat it like a hobby and not a chore. Make time to take your time... life is more enjoyable that way.
Not everyone does this the same way. I do it slowly too. I never use either hopper on my MEC, weighing my powder and shot instead. However, I look at it like food preparation- some people love to cook and others consider it a supreme drudge. I completely understand someone wanting to do this as quickly as possible, but I think they are missing at least part of the satisfaction involved.
If you slow down the decrimp/ sizeing stage you'll save stress and wear on the roller stud which operates the sizing collets to close them. If you keep banging the sizing stage down with force you'll break the roller stud screw which essentially is no more than a # 10/24 Allen head cap screw with a roller overtop of it. This is especially true if you're sizing steel based hulls rather than brass ones. Also this screw tends to loosen, and if it does it'll break even sooner. Check it's not loose every 100 rounds or so and tighten it if necessary. I cut a slot at the end of the screw to allow removal with a screwdriver of the broken end of the screw if it does break off. It's difficult to remove it if you forget to do this. Keep some replacement # 10/24 Allen head cap screws trimmed to the correct length and with the slot cut in their ends in case one breaks off and it'll save you a lot of frustration.
In your shot pour container, drill a 1/2” hole in the cap. That allows you to pour it with the cap still on, and meter the flow with your thumb. Take the cap off when you refill.
Glad you enjoyed it! The SIzemaster in my opinion is the best Single Stage shotgun press available.
RE, Per Lyman’s 5th edition Shotshell Reloading Manual, page 59, card, felt or fiber wads “were used inside a shot cup to correct the height of the shot column. They were also used over the shot on some loads (such as those which used a buffering material in the shot) to help seal the crimp.”
They show current load data that calls for “cards” of specific thicknesses. Federal’s, Rio ’s, even Remington, for example.
Just bought a MEC single stage reloader. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thanks for this great video. Years ago, I reloaded for handguns for IHMSA. Looks like shotgun shells would be even more fun.
Hi Pete. Your secondary limitation (your shoulder being the first) is how low you can go and still get the gun to function. Pumps are going to work with nearly anything, auto loaders will stop cycling at some point and O/U with inertia reset triggers will fail to reset for the second shot. Your going to have to find this point for yourself but these are issues you're going to be facing. You may want to consider 3/4oz loads. I shot some of Johns last weekend on skeet and they worked great.
mec loaders are by far the most convenient design I like certain things about other presses but always Mec has the most things I like ...pros vs cons
video starts at 14:40
Thank you
I agree with Cplski. When you started with your "speed" loading the first thing I thought was thats way too fast, where's the fun or relaxation in that. Your making look like work or something that HAS to be done! I enjoyed my MEC600 Jr until hurricane Katrina took it away from me. I haven't gotten back to reloading yet but I remember those restful evenings loading up some shells to shoot on Saturday morning with friends.
you can keep the hat ,157"s are /were used for the older Remington/peters hulls ,note there smaller diameter to fit the smaller primer pockets .
Yup, the Remington STS, Premier, Nitro 27, Gun club, sport loads and dove/quail all use the same load data.
Some people have suggested that the Gun Club is better than the STS in that it will reload longer before splits will develop.
Thanks MrARichardC...thats a good point, I was thinking about saying something regarding confirming bushings with a scale when I was talking about them (you'd be amazed at the things that go racing through your head when "on camera"...and then get lost). I sorta hinted at it when I was talking about discovering the MEC bushing chart more closely followed actual data....but I should have mentioned HOW I discovered that via a scale.
Great video. Thanks for the information.
An overshot card would fix that dished crimp right up.
I have thought several times about getting a mec 9000 but.... for the amount of shooting I do and how efficient I now am with a single stage it would take a lot of shells to make up the cost of a progressive press.... and also the versatility of a single stage being able to make special loads and you don't have to worry about a stage getting messed up and having to trace back ur steps.
Hi Tim...I had a Lee Load-All in the mid 70's. Maybe they've changed since then (it cost about $29.95 as I remember) but if they haven't, I'd recommend something a bit more robust. If you can swing a bit more, I'd go with a MEC 600jr or if you can swing a bit more than that, a SizeMaster.
If you've recently joined a trap team, you're probably going to be doing a lot of shooting. Get something that can keep up and won't break.
I love claybuster wads as well that is all I have been using for over 12years now.... I love the cb-0178-12 they work for 7/8oz as well as 3/4oz depends on weather you are using AAhs or Rem hulls..... I got rid of the last of my AAhs hulls and just use Rem hulls now as they take the 7/8oz wads where as you really need a 1oz wad with most powders for 7/8oz in AAhs hulls.
Your opening music sounds like a 70s adult movie. Either way nice video.
Question about shot is steel or lead? Which do you use?
Steve I purchased a Mec sizemaster after watching your video setting up to load 1 1/8 oz i can't get the shot to drop the 492 gr. shot that is required it drops like 459 or 467. Being new to shotgun reloading but not new to reloading is this normal ? Any suggestions would be helpful.I was using west coast 6 shot.
I mounted my MECs on cookie sheets. My spills end up on the sheet not the floor.
Aren't you confusing roll and taper crimps @36:47?
totaldla yup...technically/factually you are correct. Roll crimps are what you used to find on the old paper hulls with a over shot card to keep the shot in (and in some cases today, you will see it done with plastic hulls). The term is sometimes used (incorrectly) regarding "rolling" over the mouth of the crimp on a "folded" crimp hull....but this is really a taper crimp...you are tapering the mouth of the hull rather than leaving it straight.
Great tips thanks
What do you think of the Lee Load-All? I am just starting to get into trap shooting, matter of fact just joined a team, and wanted to get into reloading too.
Im looking to get into 20 guage reloading more for hobby then anything else Im not trying to spit out a bunch of shells
in a set time Can you recommend a press that is quality but wont break the bank
Hi Kevin...I'm going to stick with my recommendation of the MEC Sizemaster or 600jr. I find the primer system of Sizemaster and base resizer to be a considerable improvement over the 600jr and for that reason, I would strongly encourage you to spend the extra money for the Sizemaster. I used mine for years before upgrading to a progressive (Dillon SL900) and for what it did, it did it very well.
What's your handle on shotgunworld?
That is true. But Gun Clubs use the same recipes and load the same as STS's.
I'm wondering if Hornady will start production again on the 366 presses. You cannot get them now, they claim they are now a "seasonal" item!! It's always shooting season! Ostensibly to shift resources to ammunition production Vs. Manufacturing. When I think of Hornady, I think of reloading...Not ammunition... Nice informative video. I've got a old school Mec 600 Jr. and am trying to tweak it into production again, haven't used it in about 25 years.....
That was a Ruger 22 rifle
Check out Hodgdon and Alliant’s web sites. They both have ¾ loads listed in their load guides
- JPL
Great video, Steve!! One thing I was wondering about is I've seen references on other sites and forums about "overshot discs". I saw that you didn't use them. What are they for and are they really necessary? Also, would the process you used in the video work the same way if you were reloading slugs with the exception being that you'd place the slug in the wad by hand? Thanks! Richard S - Fort Worth TX
no one here made mention of it here, and I'm aware this is after the fact. I'll take a stab at it Steve. You said in previous videos that you started with a 16ga back in the day. those primers fit old style remington hulls. Guessing that was your first experience reloading back when you shot that 16ga and started wacking clays and or hunting.
Robert Pagel you are correct. Rem 57 primers fit old Remington hulls.
ive been thinking of trying 3/4 ounce loads but none of my books have load data help?? thanks
Not at my club, 1000's of Gun Club get thrown away but let some STS's hit the ground and people flock on them like crows to corn. People here compare the STS to the old Winchester AA hull in quality.....to each there own I guess.
Sorry but the Remington Gun Club hull is not the same as the Remington STS hull.
Sounds like the theme to S W A T...
I fill a small plastic container to refill reservoir .
Now that the cost of lead shot has increased, I can reload a box of 12ga 7/8oz target loads for about $4.00/box and 3/4oz loads for about $3.70. Those numbers are pretty close to what you'd be able to reload 20ga. So the only question at this point is what are you paying for cheap Rio loads?
I wish they would throw away GC's at my club(s)....they seemingly always get scarfed from the recycling bins before I get to them. I'm not picky...I'll load either...and do!
I reload lead. For "target" games, there is no need to shoot steel.....in the US. Don't know if that's true worldwide.
I honestly think the lee load all 2 makes better shells as well as better crimps than your mec by far
Haha
You do sure like to talk
hola, hablas en español. si es así me gustaría saber cuanta esta esa maquina más o menos
English, dick-head!
Are you ever going reload a shell or just talk
I use single stage presses for the simple fact that I never get a misfire. I know every stage worked correctly because I watched every step. Progressive reloaders don't have that luxury. Every time I hear a missfire at the trap range it always goes back to a Progressive press.