[DanR]

Here's a question for you reloaders:

In the past, I have only reloaded Winchester AA hulls. When did that, I was very careful to keep track of how many times they were reloaded, because I figured that about 5 times reloading them was the max. However, for the past couple of years, I have been buying Remington Premier STS (green) shells for tournaments and saving the hulls. I just recently started reloading those and shooting them. Do I need to keep track of how many times those have been reloaded like I did with the AA's, or should I just chuck 'em when they start looking ragged?

Thanks,
Dan R.

 

[Mac V]

Like all hulls, Remingtons will lose their strength after repeated loadings. I've found that after 4 or 5 reloads, the crimps lose their strength. This apparently has an effect on the pressure the powder generates because the patterns tighten noticeably from the first to the fifth reload while they also become less uniform. I chuck them after the fifth use.

Mike

 

[DTrykow]

I've found Rem hulls split down the side starting in the middle. Scary!! Winchester's split from the crimp down.

Mac V: Wouldn't a weaker crimp mean less pressure & slower FPS resulting in more open patterns not tighter? Dave T.

 

[halfmile]

i load AA or STS till one of 2 things happens: the crimp is no longer flat across the top, or the ends get frayed.

The new plastics are better. Old style AA hulls used to only be good for 6 or so. New ones go 10 or more.

I have not chrony'd any but see no subjective difference.

HM

 

[ks5shooter]

Like ANY hull keep an eye on them and trash them accordingly,10-12 times for STS in my experience......Don

 

[flybyknight]

I check each hull for burn throughs (pinholes) and splitting in the crimp area prior to reloading. If either of these two items are present, I load them and throw them in a bucket for use in doubles. Bobk

 

[dverna]

I am with Halfmile.

I am getting well over 6 loads out of my hulls. I don't even keep track any more. It is a PITA to do so for practice loads.

I shoot factory or twice fired hulls for ATA.

If you think it matters (scores/performance) - then it matters. This game is 95% mental after all.

I will not shoot a split hull but there are some who do. A "poor" crimp is not a safety issue, but I suspect it will cause change in ballistics - how much - I do not know - so I pitch them when they start to "dome" or crack.

Don

 

[DanR]

Thanks to all for your advice.

Half Mile, you referred to "new plastic" and "old style hulls". Have the AA hulls changed in the past couple years? I knew they changed a few years ago when they went to the design that has a tendency (however great or slight that might be). However, have they changed since then?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[BDodd]

Dan, NO, the change in AAs to a separate base wad was several years ago now. I've been loading STS hulls for at least 10 years and I bring'em home, give them the eyeball test, check for pin holes or any suggestion of splitting, may even tug on the crimp to see if it tears and if no problems exist they get loaded again regardless of any arbitrary number of times loaded. One complicated chronographing test I did with the hulls proved there was "maybe" a loss of 5 to 10 fps average in really rough hulls but they still had excellent standard deviations suggesting good, consistent loads.....breakemall....Bob Dodd

 

[Quack Shot]

I toss any hull that shows signs of deterioration. That's about 4 - 5 loads on the STS or Nitros, 3 or 4 on the Gun Clubs, and sometimes up to six on the new Win AAs. Sometimes more, sometimes less. When the crimp area splits or shows signs of undue weakness they get pitched. Some guys will toss them only after the scotch tape no longer sticks to them, to hold in the shot.

 

[Pocatello]

I'm with Bob Dodd on this one. I inspect the hulls after shooting. If fine, they go again - I don't even bother to count how many times anymore. If they are starting to split at the crimp or pinhole just below it, the two most common occurances, they go in the bucket to be loaded and used one more times for doubles. I almost never see them split in the side as Dave T mentions, although this was the most common way I would lose the old Peters Blue Magic hulls. If they do, they get tossed without reloading.

For easier visual identification I use the green STS to load one oz. of #8, and the Nitro 27 hulls for 1 1/8 of #7.5. My impression is that the Nitro hulls don't last quite as long as the STS, although I haven't decided whether it is because of the heavier payload, or because it is easier to see small splits and pinholes on the gold hulls.

 

[zzt]

I'm also with Bob. I'll add that when I initially purchased STS hulls I got 2500 each green and gold. They were accumulated by a reseller, then sold, so they came from all kinds of guns and locations. I found many burnt hulls in that batch, which I assume game from an autoloader. I got very mixed results, longevity wise. Since I switched to buying only never-hit-the-ground hulls fired from a break-open action, they seem to be more consistent in the number of loads you can get.

Bob Dodd, I've been told by three people now that the most consistent SDs are achieved after the fourth reloading. n Have you noticed anything like that in your chrono testing?

 

[BDodd]

No, zzt, I've never considered that kind of study. What I mentioned above was fairly simple. There were 4 groups of hulls tested, 10 shots each. #1 was once fired hulls with shot and powder hand measured to precise amounts. Group #2 were once fired hulls but cranked through the MEC H loader within a series of 25 loads with the normal routine. #3 was really beat up, well worn hulls hand measured to precise amounts and #4 was the more of the well used hulls cranked through the H loader within a series of 25 loads. Note, the 10 loads cranked through the loader "within a series of 25" was to ensure I was using my normal motions and timing but the specific hulls were ear marked for the test.

As said above, I think one could see the "possibility" that the well used hulls MAY have lost 5 to 10 fps average velocity and that appeared possible in the hand weighed and normally loaded, well used shells. The variance from group to group, however, was well within normal tolerances I'd been used to for years and group #4, the beat up hulls run through the H loader at normal speed, had the lowest standard deviations (single digit). It was after that I stopped worrying about the condition of hulls beyond a quick inspection and no longer worried about loss of consistency or significant velocity.

I'm ready to agree that I might run that test a half dozen times and come up with different results more often than not. But the point is that there simply was not enough variance between samples to warrant more precise measuring than done with the MEC loader nor to concern myself with keeping track of how many times hulls were previously fired. Either they pass muster or not.

Like Pocatello, I use the greenies for my "light" load and Nitro hulls for my boomers (more like his lights) and I, too, believe the golds will show signs of failure sooner than the greens but haven't a clue why that would be.....breakemall....Bob Dodd

 

[DocJim]

There was study done measuring 12 gauge velocity and chamber pressure vs. number of times a case had been reloaded. It was referred to (with tables) in an issue of Skeet Shooting Review within the last few months. Basically it showed NO significant change in velocity or chamber pressure with reloading the case up to 15 times (no tests carried out further than 15 times). It seems that as long as the case isn't splitting you can reload up to that number without any decrease in performance.
Jim G

 

[Kingbang]

I also agree with Bob, Although I don't chronograph my loads nor will I pattern them.I shoot the STS for singles and the Nitro's for handycap. I have no scientific proof but I think the Nitros are a softer plastic,that combined with a heavier charge reduces the numder of times they can be used. I shoot my reloads exclusively for everything, practice and tourneys. I reload until I see a split in the crimp or the crimp dont open after its shot by half way. I have only reloaded prbobly 20,000 rounds and have never split a case in either hull.

JMOA

Dennis