Mec 8567 Grabber - Page 3

HOW TO SELECT COMPONENTS
As we saw on the previous page, a shotshell is made
up of several different components. There are many dif¬
ferent variations of each component.
Packed with every MEC reloader are brochures sup¬
plied by leading component manufacturers. A study of
this literature will show you numerous combinations of
primer, powder charge, wad and shot you should use
with each empty hull, for waterfowl, small game, or trap
and skeet. Each combination of components has been
carefully tested by ballistics experts for maximum ef¬
fectiveness and safety. Experimenting with combina¬
tions not recommended by a component manufac¬
turer is fool-hardy and dangerous!
Choosing the Hull.
Proper choice of empty hulls is one of the most
important choices you must make to keep your
reloading simple.
The problems encountered by trying to use any and all
of the hulls you may find are usually quite discourag¬
ing. Not all hulls have the same capacity. Not all hulls
have the same crimp. Each time that you use a hull with
a different capacity (usually caused by different base
wad height) you must assemble a different set of com¬
ponents to properly fill this case.
We are not recommending that you throw away all the
nonstandard hulls that you have, but are advising you
to keep it simple until you have gained the experience
necessary to assemble the different components.
Selecting the Right Wad.
The wad is that part of the shotshell between the powder
and the shot. A tight seal permits the expanding gas
from the burning powder to push the shot column out
of the gun barrel with maximum velocity.
Modern “wad columns” combine both the shot cup and
the wad in one piece. These one-piece wad columns
are the easiest to use, and therefore are most popular
— especially with beginning reloaders. There are many
different kinds. Use only the specific wad column
recommended for the other components you are using.
The Shot.
There are two kinds of shot — lead and steel. Lead and
steel shot are not interchangeable. Reloading with
steel shot requires special wads. Using wads design¬
ed for lead shot will not only ruin your gun, but could
cause high pressures that could burst the gun causing
injury or death to the shooter or bystander.
When loading with steel shot, it is imperative that steel
shot components be used and the instructions for these
components be followed to the letter. Only select com¬
ponents that are suited for steel shot reloading.
As the size of the shot increases, fewer pellets can be
loaded into the hull. The smaller sizes are used for trap
and skeet, doves, varmints, small game, etc. The larger
shot sizes are for heavier game — ducks, geese,
turkeys, etc.
All Powder Is Not Alike.
Different powders have different burning speeds, which
make them useful for different jobs. The heavier the shot
load, the slower the powder must burn. It takes longer
to accelerate a heavy shot load than it does a light one.
A fast burning powder ignited behind a heavy shot
load could cause excessive “breech pressure”
which might cause damage to the gun and even
injury to the shooter or bystander. (Breech pressure
is the pressure of the gas which is created by the burn¬
ing powder. It is this breech pressure which forces the
shot through the barrel.)
On the other hand, using a slow-burning powder to pro¬
pel a light load of shot will not work effectively. Without
the proper pressure buildup, many powders will not
burn uniformly and impart sufficient velocity to the shot.
Never interchange powders for reloading steel shot. A
powder that generates acceptable pressures on V/ 8 oz.
of lead shot cannot be used to propel V/ 8 oz. of steel
shot. The pressures will raise to dangerous levels.
Which Primer to Use?
The primer ignites the powder. When you pull the trig¬
ger, the hammer falls on the firing pin, denting the
primer cup. This causes the component in the primer
to detonate, igniting the main powder charge.
Different primers have different characteristics depen¬
ding on their purpose. Use only the primer that is
recommended by the component manufacturer for the
hull, powder, wad, and shot load you are using.
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