So here’s my dilemma. My 12 year old has really taken to busting clays shooting down the line trap. He’s currently shooting Winchester low velocity, low recoil loads https://www.winchesteraustralia.com.au/products/AA12FL8
The lowest price I can currently get locally is $127 per slab, as only one shop in Adelaide keeps them in stock. Works out to $0.51 per shot. Standard 12 g loads work out to $0.31 to $0.34 per shot. So I want to close the price gap without forcing him to step up and take the recoil.
1 option is to buy a press and make loads for him from scratch, but probably not going to save a huge amount???
Would buying standard rounds, breaking them down by pulling out a bit of powder and shot, and reassembling them, (probably need an overshot card), be a viable option, or am I missing something here?
Loading is actually not too bad, if you can salvage a bucket of hulls. Lee Load All is reasonably cheap. Also when you’re looking at savings, it’s probably best to look at them as percentage rather than an actual value. If your time is free and you are saving 30% or 40% - that’s alright.
Pulling hulls apart is something I have a bit of experience with. You’ll need to cut them, probably using some sort of a jig, to make it go faster. Then seal again. I use wax, but with shot you’d probably need an overshot card.
Pulling powder out is a bit tedious, I’d just do it in bulk. Cut, pull apart, dump components and reload.
Potentially, just reuse the components using Lee Load All.
Reloading 12g is not cost effective due to the high price of individual components vs the low cost of bulk buying ammo. It usually costs more to reload 12g than buying ready made, but for speciality loads it may be an option though you are unlikely to save much. Consider a bulk buy from interstate, even with DG charges you will likely save over the long run, Cheers.
I think you will find most clubs are in that $8 per box range for non members and or mates rates but it would be worth asking around a bit. I know the Gun club that share our range buy in bulk like big bulk.
If you made yourself a shot dripper you could reload low recoil rounds with recycled lead.
But some other options are to upgrade the recoil pad, add some weight to the gun (If that won’t be to much for the young bloke) or even get the barrels ported.