Shot Shell Reloading

[skipper]

I finally went and did it. I stumbled onto this MEC 8567 Grabber progressive press for a price I just couldn't ignore. Needless to say it followed me home. It is used but has everything I need to get busy reloading right away. It's June and that's when I start skeet shooting to get ready for dove season in September. Now I can shoot more often for less money. Well, at least that's the way it's supposed to go, in theory. Probably more like spend the same to pull the trigger more times. At least I now have the ability to reload those expensive steel shot shells I need for duck hunting.

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I decided to mount this press on a board and clamp it to my bench. The bench is getting pretty crowded.

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[Bill K]

Nice looking set up Skipper. Now you will be cooking shot shells and busy, busy. Bill K

[skipper]

I've been struggling with this shot shell press all day long. Well, at least between naps. I took it apart in stages, inspected. lubricated, and put it back together again. I started with the first station and inserted a once fired Winchester AA 2 3/4" hull. I tried to pull the handle down hoping to deprime the hull but it wouldn't go past half way. I was unwilling to force anything. After looking at a bunch of troubleshooting videos I determined that there must be some shot or dirt lodged behind the fingers of the resizing collet. The case just wouldn't drop down inside the collet far enough to allow it to seat properly in the rim groove. It may have just needed adjusting but I was worried that it might be that the collet needed to be replaced. That's a $65 part. I crossed my fingers and carefully started disassembling it.

I have never seen so much powder residue and grease build up in my life. A little bore scrubber, an old tooth brush, and I had it all cleaned up in no time. I got it right back in the press and adjusted a couple of hours later. That part of the press is pretty deep down in the bowels of the reloader. It required compressing the main spring and removing most of the lower unit. A real pain! I'm very surprised that I didn't lose the little indexing ball and retainer spring in the process. But after getting everything back where it's supposed to go it works like a charm. Now, on to Station 2. Only four more to go after Station 2.

I worked my way around from station to station taking things apart, cleaning, lubricating, reassembling, and adjusting as I went. That process exposed me to most every working part and adjustment this press has to offer. I was actually surprised that everything was where it was supposed to be and in relatively good working order, at least now it is. I guess shotshell reloading isn't a hobby where cleanliness counts for much. This little press is in for a rude awakening cause I like to keep things clean and tidy. After getting things reassembled and adjusted I rewarded myself with a trip to the reloading store to get shells, primers, shot, and wads. I already have plenty of fired hulls and powder on hand but I wanted to load some target quality shells for the skeet range. When I got home I ran one single shell through all the stations watching and adjusting as I went. I'll bet that by tomorrow afternoon I have my first batch of shells ready to take out and pattern. This is fun!!!

[skipper]

Hot off the press, literally! I need to make a couple more adjustments so that the crimp isn't swirled, but that's about it. These are once fired Winchester AA hulls I had that now have 17.5 gr. of TiteGroup, Remington Figure 8 wad, Remington 209P primers, and 1 1/8 ounce No. 8 shot @ ~1184 fps. They ought to work well for skeet and dove hunting.

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For those of you wondering, yes I DID spill shot all over the bench. At lease none of it hit the floor. I was smart enough to put a shell under the powder drop but completely forgot about the separate shot drop tube. Rookie mistake!#!

Now I need to go pattern them at the range.

[Rick in Oregon]

Lookin' good there Skipper. You are now set up for everything that shoots....the way it should be, right?

Talk about a full bench....mine can only accommodate two presses at a time, my single stage Redding stays mounted, but my two progressive Mec 9000 12ga and 20ga presses sit in their covers in a corner. My Dillon RL550B is mounted low on a storage shelf, along with an extra tool head Then there's my old PW Metal-Matic handgun progressive press for .38/.357 and .44 Mag with an extra tool head and powder measure. Sheesh, a lot to store.

I don't have a bench large enough for all five presses set up at the same time. Probably a good thing or I'd need a bigger house. After being at this game since 1968, you can imagine the crap I've accumulated over all that time.

The walls in my room seem to grow into the center....the room is getting smaller every year.



I pity my dear wife when I go to The Great Reward.

[jwsmith1959]

My first post. Been going through the 204 handloading posts while waiting for my account to be activated.

Nice looking for a used 8567. Too bad you had a bunch of grunge built up to worry with before you got to loading. I've been loading with MEC loaders since 1976 or so. Started with a 600 Jr. in 12 and still have one in .410. Went to Sizemasters in 28, 20 and 12 until I got my 8567.

I pretty much stick to 3/4 oz for clays/skeet and will load 1 oz. for dove season.

All the best and good luck.

Joel

[skipper]

Welcome to the forum. When you get a chance introduce yourself in the General Forum. Lots of good information here.

There's an 8567 on eBay right now.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MEC-Grabber-Mo ... SwzOlel1Wd

[skipper]

Forgot to say it already has the Universal Charge Bar.

[jwsmith1959]

Would you mind posting a photo of the chain set up on the auto prime. The movers took mine off and I lost it and got a new one and can't figure out how it is supposed to go on anymore.

[skipper]

Would you mind posting a photo of the chain set up on the auto prime. The movers took mine off and I lost it and got a new one and can't figure out how it is supposed to go on anymore.

Which press do you want to see?

[skipper]

Hope this helps.

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[jwsmith1959]

Thanks...It was the 8567 I needed.

FINALLY getting to go to Texas City (shooting range) tomorrow. I had hoped for 200+, but am happy with 100.

Will shoot rifle and skeet and then spend the night at youngest daughters. Doesn't get any better than that.

[skipper]

That particular adjustment took 30 minutes to get just right. The primer has to be dispensed, fall down the drop tube and land right side up in the receiving hole in the bottom of the shell plate. Too little tension results in no primer being dispensed. Too much tension results in the primer being dropped early and out of time with the the drop tube and the little seating mechanism. Shotgun primers are a pain. I think a lot of people just feed them manually one at a time.

[varmit_master]

Nice looking mec. I added mec 600 jr mark 5 28ga and 20ga this spring to my room. I have mec 600 jr mark 5 410, 28, 20 and 12ga. And a sizemaster 12ga. I squirrel hunt a bunch. The 410 reloader comes in handy. I bought a new tristar G2 viper 28ga. I got it just for squirrel hunting. Here Walmart keeps 28ga ammo in stock. Bought some factory ammo for hulls. Plus one fired hulls. Bought some federal 28ga heavy game loads 1oz 6 shot. But i bought AA ammo mosty.

[jwsmith1959]

I have a 600 Jr. in 410. Sizemaster in the rest, plus the 8567 in 12. I've owned MEC loaders since 1975 and have zero bad things to say about them. Any "O" metalic press is good unless you are going for progressive. I've only done that with pistol, but not since about 1998 or so, but a PW in that is hard to beat.