Shotshells

Ammunition for shotguns is referred to in the USA as shotgun shells, shotshells, or just shells (when it is not likely to be confused with artillery shells ).

At 1-1/8 oz. per shotshell, a 25 lb. bag of lead shot can only reload approximately 355 shotshells.

Brass shotshells are also reloaded, occasionally, but typically these are reloaded using standard rifle/pistol reloading presses with specialty dies, rather than with modern shotshell presses.

Collectors of obsolete firearms who want to shoot those guns often must handload because appropriate cartridges or shotshells are no longer commercially produced.

For shotshells, plastic or paper cases can be reloaded, though plastic is more durable.

Generally, handgun cartridges and shotshells use faster powders, rifle cartridges use slower powder.

However, reloaders should be aware that older shotshells were sometimes primed with a Type 57 or Type 69 primer (now obsolete), meaning that shotgun shell reloading tends to be done only with modern (or recently produced) components.

Likewise, the price of shot for reloading shotshells over the last several years has also risen by over an order of magnitude, such that lead shot that was readily available for around $0.50/lb.

Reasons for handloading Economy, increased accuracy, performance, commercial ammunition shortages, and hobby interests are all common motivations for handloading both cartridges and shotshells.

Recurring shortages of commercial ammunition are also reasons to reload cartridges and shotshells.

Reloading brass shotshells is not widely practiced.

Reloading shotshells is therefore more along the lines of precisely following a recipe with non-fungible components.

Shotshell reloading for specialty purposes, such as for buckshot or slugs, or other specialty rounds, is often practiced, but varies significantly from the process steps discussed previously for handloading birdshot shotshells.

Shotshells are the most commonly used round, filled with lead or lead substitute pellets.

That this change has also resulted in minimal changes to scores in the shooting sports such as skeet and trap has only expedited the switch among high volume shooters to shooting 24 gm. shotshells with their lesser amounts of shot.

The quantities of both gunpowder and shot are specified by weight when loading shotshells, but almost always measured solely by volume.

These smaller bore and gauge shotshells also require much less lead shot, further lessening the effect of the rapid rises seen in the price of lead shot.

These types of shotshells are rarely handloaded.

The use of safety glasses or goggles while reloading shotshells can provide valuable protection in the rare event that an accidental detonation takes place during priming operations.