Edited by Steve Gramins
Text and most images courtesy of Mayville Engineering Co., Inc.
Introduction by Steve Gramins
Avid clay target shooters, passionate upland and waterfowl hunters, double-gun aficionados – in fact, all shotgun enthusiasts worldwide – know and appreciate the value of quality ammunition. Using a shotshell that patterns well in your shotgun can mean the difference between a spot on the podium at a local (or national) competition and a view from the gallery; or, alternately, a limit-filled hunting vest versus a handful of near misses (and a vest full of excuses!).
Shotgun shooters can – and, invariably, do – spend untold hours wandering the aisles of the local gun shop, not to mention the virtual aisles of the internet, in search of the best shotshell for their shotgun. There certainly is no shortage of options and configurations in ammunition, at price points from economical to astronomical (in a manner of speaking, of course). Numerous avid and recreational clay shooters, however, choose to reload their own shotshells, favoring the ‘do-it-yourself’ method of selecting shotgun ammunition.
Think reloading is a little too daunting, difficult or time-consuming? Think again…
Our friends at Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. (www.mecreloaders.com) have given us permission to share their easy-to-follow primer on reloading shotshells – from choosing tools and components to the basic, step-by-step process. While not meant as an exhaustive how-to on reloading, we’re confident this multi-part feature will take some of the mystery out of reloading and perhaps provide that gentle nudge toward a rewarding, life-long hobby you can share with family, friends and shooting buddies. (And it just might benefit your pocketbook, too).