# looking to reload shotgun shells need help!!!!



## lesser (Nov 13, 2008)

What is the best shotgun reloader for 12 guage 3" steel and lead (a primary interest is #4 buckshot). What are your thoughts? Is buckshot hard to load? I heard you have to place each pellet in layers to get them to fit. Is this a pain or is it possible? What would the total setup cost. Money is not the main issue 300-500 dollars hopefully, but the best setup for efficiency and value is what is important. Not scared to spend time relaoading if that helps in your opinion on what to buy. Any help would be great and thanks in advance!!!!!


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

You won't find a reloader I know of to run larger size steel (bigger than 1's) or lead (bigger than 2's). At least that is my experience. Any lead bigger than 5's will bridge in the reloader occasionally, which just take a tap to clear the tube. I actually have less problems with 2 shot lead than 4 shot. Any steel bigger than 1 shot is dicey at best, and when steel bridges it seems like it is tougher to get going again.

That being said, its not that hard. With larger shot, you have to look at pellet count for weight. Say you are loading 32 4-buck in a 3 inch shell. Just use an empty primer tray, cover up all but 32 (if 1 pellet fits per hole) in the tray and dip your shot out of a dish. You can also get an adjustable lead shot dipper. With larger steel, you just use the primer tray process instead of charging the shot through the reloader, the rest remains the same.

I prefer the mec sizemaster or steelmaster, essentially the same loader but the steelmaster is a sizemaster with the steel kit (larger throated shot bottle and larger drop tube) already installed, for field load reloading. It is a single stage reloader, with a collet resizer to bring the metal base back to factory specs and an automatic primer feed. You can buy specific charge bars for the weight load you want, be it lead or steel, and powder bushings to put into the charge bars, or buy a universal charge bar you can set for the shot and powder charges.

You are looking in the $210-275 range for the sizemaster/steelmaster, then add on a universal charge bar cost or the cost of the charge bars and bushing for powder you will want. Just a note, the bushings are close, but can be off, sometimes 1-2 sizes off. I usually go 1 high and 1 low of each bushing to make sure, but now have pretty much the entire set.


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