How to Reload 2 3/4 Steel Shot Shells

Reloading your own shotgun cartridges is the alternative to discarding spent shells and purchasing entirely new ammunition. Buying your own parts, powder and shot is usually marginally cheaper than buying new shells, but the labor costs may make up the difference. Shotgun shooters who reload their own steel shot are often less interested in saving money than in the craft of reloading shells, and the practice is as much of a hobby as a money-saving scheme. If you intend to reload your own shells, exercise caution and care.

Things You'll Need

  • Shell reloading press
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare the empty hull. Hulls can easily be damaged in a shot. Check the seating and pay special attention to the rim, where erosion and splitting can easily occur. Only reload shells in pristine condition.

    • 2

      Load the primer. Align the shell with the plunger of the press and pull the handle to load the small quantity of primer that will ignite with the firing pin and detonate the main powder load.

    • 3

      Load the powder charge. The powder charge will deliver the explosion that will expel the steel shot from the barrel. Powder is, of course, highly flammable, and must be treated with caution.

    • 4

      Insert the wad. The wad is the intermediate layer between powder and shot which absorbs the explosion of the powder and delivers it evenly to the shot. Another pull of the press's handle will load the wad.

    • 5

      Load the steel shot. Steel shot offers greater penetration than lead shot and carries greater distance. A proper load is essential to the proper performance of the shot. Align the shot and load it with another cycle of the press.

    • 6

      Crimp and seal the cartridge. Make sure that the layers of the cartridge are in proper order and ready to be fired.