I bought a used MEC 600 Jr. where the sizing station worked okay for low brass AA and Federal Papers. I bought some Fiocchi hulls and the sizing ring gets hung up on the brass. It turns out that the sizing ring is cross threaded onto the support tube; the threads are wrecked to the point that it won't stay in place. MEC offers replacement parts totaling about $75. The question today is this: Does anyone know of another supplier who has those parts?

Does anyone cast round ball and shoot them? I am interested in casting projectiles to load. I have loaded a lot of steel and bismuth waterfowl loads but no experience loading slugs or round ball. Which one would be easier for a beginner at casting lead? Is there any practical use for a 12 gauge round ball load? Does anyone have any load data for them? Thank you!

So i have the press and a boat load of fiocchi hulls. Where can i buy wads and shot? Also if I can’t find the correct wads for my recipe how dangerous is it to just use a different wad. Thanks.

Nine pellets of #0 weighs one ounce (0.994 ounces to be more precise). I'd like to use Winchester AA hulls, WAA12F114 wads, Winchester 209 primers and Super Handicap propellant. The plan would be to use one ounce lead load data for the propellant charge. Yes, I know that none of the wad choices for one ounce lead using Super Handicap is WAA12F114. However, the nine pellet #00 buckshot load that weighs right at 1-1/4 ounces uses that wad and Super Handicap. And, nine pellets of #0 also fits nicely into that wad and has the correct weight at one ounce.

Does the forum think there is a better option?

I have a press and have considered reloading some 20 gauge skeet loads- 3/4 or 7/8 ounce.

I live next to a Bass Pro to potentially save on Haz Mat.

I have found Longshot and 572 data on Hodgdon website. Both sold at Bass Pro in 1lb jugs. Is there another powder that I should look for??

I have some AA hulls. I have kept some Federal straight walls just in case of Armageddon, but I hope repeated trips to the skeet range will allow me to stockpile AA and trash any Win/Federal straight walls.

It looks like the Claybuster is the only wad being made today. Am I missing other options?

Bass Pro has Cheddite 209 primers. If I found data or pressure tested recipe, I would get 5k of the SyA primers to cut costs.

For those that load 20 gauge is there anything I’m missing?

After reloading, I have a bulged hull. Does this happen often?

Hull = Win AA-HS
Primer = Win 209
Propellant = Win 572
Wad = Claybuster CB6114-12 (Fed 12S4 clone)
Shot = 1-1/4 oz. no. 5

Bulged Hull

I have a 5-gallon bucket of Federal paper hulls that I want to try out. Hodgdon load data for 1-1/4 ounce of shot using Win 209 primers is 30.1 to 30.8 grains of Longshot under Federal 12s4 wads. However, those have been discontinued. Claybuster sells a "replacement" CB6114-12. Load data in the bag is for Cheddite primers and indicates using only 26.1 to 28.0 grains of Longshot. Is this data easily translatable to Win 209 primers?

Finally got my crimps worked out. Almost bought a MEC but I’m glad I got the Lee because it works great and matches all of my other presses.

Just to let everyone know I have good shells.

Fuck that hull/primer in particular

I accidentally spilled some no. 8 and no. 5 shot and was able to corral it all into one container. Unfortunately there are some non-metal contaminants like cobwebs and the kind of crap you find in country garages. I am currently loading 1-1/4 ounces of shot, AA-HS hulls, Win 209 primers, the appropriate wads with Longshot. The question of the day is this: If I weigh it to 1-1/4 ounces, does it matter if the shot is mixed sizes?

Zoom in

He’s my winter setup. Garage is too cold to reload. I keep my primers/powder in side all year long. I have a filling cabinet full of spent cases and un-fired wads. Some of the steel have corrosion or have rusted. So out of 100 cases 8-10 are garbage.

Here is the stages of my Reloading. Left to right. The right ones work great!

Do you think it is better to stick to one brand of hulls to reload or switch around? For example, red or gray Winchester AA hulls are easy for me to get where I live. However, the person who sold me the press included about 400 Federal paper hulls. Is it better to work with one exclusively since everything shotshell appears to be component and press adjustment specific?

According to the Internet, MEC no longer makes this style of wad guide. There isn't any online info that I can find on how to upgrade an older machine to the new MEC style. Some sources say that Lee guides work, other sources say no. What have you done to solve this problem for your setup?

Old MEC Wad Guide

I've adjusted the pre crimp and crimp stations. These are in order from left to right as the machine was adjusted. Sometimes the petals don't want to fold correctly (third from left) and sometimes they look pretty (fourth from left). There is lots more to learn; thanks for helping me out.

https://preview.redd.it/qtym39qlx6be1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2a52b717d72bf33d737a4917b43ae69b6f3b58f

My first 12 gauge reload:

Hull = Winchester AA
Wad = Claybuster CB-1114-12
Shot = 1.25 oz. NO. 8
Propellant = Longshot
Pre Crimper = Plain

https://preview.redd.it/jgh0ww4jbwae1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d710c5cb6b6b61a61c2909e017e254f8a1b94ad

I hunt geese over big water, I don’t take shots at 40-50 yards but have the opportunity often. I could handload TSS for around 4 dollars a shot, would this be worth it to take more geese home? Does anyone have any experience shooting tungsten at waterfowl? Will I notice a huge difference over bismuth? I know it’s 18 G/CC but I am unsure how much of a difference that’ll actually make down range. Some loadings cost upwards of 6 dollars a shot from the local shops.

Have any of you used 3-D printed powder bushings for MEC?

I bought the used pink painted MEC 600 junior featured in another post. You were right to be sure to ask if the seller had other items. I wound up with a 2nd never used charge bar and both roll crimp and star crimp heads.

I was gifted 25lbs each of Lawrance no. 5 and no. 6 chilled shot. The MEC charge bar is 1-1/4 ounces of shot. For 2-3/4 WINCHESTER AA hulls (which I have),I would prefer to use the WIN wads that go with the WIN hulls and Longshot propellant. But, I can't find a retailer with any in stock. Hodgdon data says FED12S4 wads with Longshot. However, those wads are unavailable. The Claybuster substitution at Ballistic Products, which is CB6114-12 is available.

The question is this: Are FED wads only usable in FED hulls? I don't want to screw this up.

Thanks in advance for helping a newbie.

This 12 gauge MEC Jr. is available near me. The seller is asking $100 in the description, and says it has the 1 1/4 bar, but no bushing. Despite it being painted pink, is this a good deal, or no?

https://preview.redd.it/80ujl3tfte9e1.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=b8db1ce5482920637b8e407e953d8958e1af3318

Thank you to everybody who gave me advice over the past month, my dad loved the gift and it actually made him cry! Y’all are awesome!

Thanks in advance for helping a newbie get started.

I've been reloading pistol calibers for several years and like doing it. What leads me here is the idea of reloading shotshells in #4 buck - there's almost none of that available where I live in the US, and they're pricy. Yes, I will buy a shotshell reloading manual. But, for now, I have a few BASIC questions.

1. I don't plan to load high volume, so is a one-at-a-time loader (Ammo Daddy, for example) sufficient to get started?

2. Assume that I have hulls, shot and the correct wad and powder for them. Does it matter if the hulls were originally loaded with bird shot if I plan to load a different shot size?

3. Do I really need to begin with a MEC or Lee Load All, or is a one-at-a-time table top reloading press good enough for a starter?

Thanks again for helping a newbie.