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It is worth reloading shotgun ammunition?

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Published on Sunday, 22 January 2012 02:29

The question:  Is it really worth reloading your own shotgun ammunition?

Well, I would like to answer this question using the latest pricing information that I currently have available to me.   We all have to remember that a few years back, shotgun reloading was almost a no-brainer from an economic standpoint; over the past few years, the cost of lead and other constituents of shotgun ammunition has increased so much that many people are beginning to wonder if it isn’t just a better idea to buy factory loaded ammunition instead of spending the time to reload.  Since I am one of the people asking this question, I figured a brief analysis was due.

Alright let’s start with the basics; what do we need to make shotgun ammunition?  Well we need a casing (or hull), we need powder, primers, shot, wads, oh and reloading machine.  All of these components cost money, but some are reusable.  Much like centrefire rifle ammunition reloading, we can reuse the hull.  The conventional wisdom is that you can use a good case until you begin to notice cracks or fractures in the walls.  For my analysis, I have assumed that any case will be reloadable about 6 times; If you are using a polyformed case it is not recommended to reload this case more than 3 times.  The three best hulls for reloading are Remington STS, Winchester AA, and Federal Gold Medel Plastic.

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