ORIGINAL: cjohnson3006
How do you know when you have too much pressure with a shotgun shell? I have many scales that I use for my metallic reloading, so thats not an issue. I will probably use Blue Dot or Unique as its readily available here. How do you pick the wads? I'd like something with some extra range with trap shooting, yet still needs to have a good pattern for the crossing shots. There are just as many choices for wads as what there are for bullets with my .243 and 30 cals. CJ
Unlike metallic reloading, you don't really have pressure signs. Find a book load that does what you want, and most manuals will list a pressure reading for it. DO NOT switch ANY components of the load, as switching out the primer or wad can have a big effect on the pressure.
Blue Dot is a decent powder, however it's better suited for heavier game loads than for 1-1/8oz trap loads. I use Red Dot for trap, and Blue Dot or Longshot for heavy game loads. I have a progressive MEC and love it, I don't want to use up space with multiple loaders so the 2-3 setup switches per year does not bother me. Typically I save up my hulls, and then that fast progressive lets me load up a ton of boxes in just a couple nights over the winter.