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Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Posting a new thread so that we don't completely hijack the other thread about Winchester CF hulls for sale.

I really like the Winchester CF hulls. I have taken a lot of birds using those hulls and overall they were the best ever made in my opinion.

But you know, I kinda like the Federal hulls and the Remington hulls and the Winchester hulls (Cheddite) and the Herter hulls(purple Cheddite) and the green Cheddite hulls and the RIO hulls and the Fiocchi hulls.........I have reloaded all of these hulls and it hasn't ever made a difference which hull I use, as I still kill the bird or break the target when I do what I am supposed to do.

IMHO and I am probably more guilty of it than many, the only component that is important is to use the best shot you can find........but I have to admit to liking certain components even though it probably doesn't matter a bit and I have pretty well proven that to myself time and time again.

From left to right:

Fiocchi 67 mm for my Model 12 with 2 9/16" chamber, Federal, Remington RGL (thanks Mike Campbell), Remington green, Cheddite green, Winchester 2 pc. (Cheddite), Winchester 2 pc. (made in Italy), Winchester CF upland, Winchester CF Super X, RIO and Herters (purple Cheddite). Used them all and never had a bit of trouble with any of them.......some just last a little longer than others. The Winchester hulls made in Italy, have easily had more loads through them than any other hull I have ever reloaded.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

I was going to make this a poll, but I think we all know which hull everyone would like the best.

MSM,
I have the same “collection”, plus some Activ’s and some Hevi-Shot olive-drab (which I believe are FIOCCHI, or at least that’s how I’m loading them).
Red are for grouse…different hulls for different charges, everything from 7.5 woodciock/grouse spreaders to #5/#7.5 combos in the Activs.
Purple are targets, even some Boss cheddites.
Green are Non-tox, usually Bismuth but some Tungsten. Though I’m considering some target loads in the new Cheddites.
Blue will be buffered bismuth for goose & late season ducks.
Black will probably be woodcock/quail/dove #8’s.

I don’t own a 16ga repeater, but I still work all my loads through the finish crimp station on my 650. I like them to go “plunk” when I drop them in the chamber without assistance.

Somebody recently gave me a box of Peters paper loads & a box of old REM plastics…they may stay mostly unfired.

Win CF do make a real nice load, and are what I started hunting with, along with REM blacks. Too bad they don’t make them anymore.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Citori16,

I forgot about 2 boxes of 16 gauge Federal papers I have. I use them very sparingly and only in my break action shotguns.

I fired off 2 of the more moldy Peters. Beautiful crimps. Still went BANG with authority. #6 I believe.

Wanted to see what the smell that people talk about was all about. It was neat, but probably lost on me as it wasn’t nostalgic.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

I like straight wall hulls. I hesitate to use tapered wall hulls.

When I first joined our club, other members asked if I reloaded. I said yes, and many expressed surprise with the high reliability of my reloads. I didn’t grasp what they were talking about. When I asked, I was told that many of the reloaders had trouble with their reloads.

Then one day I joined a few others for a round of skeet. What a strange experience. One of the guys had a few bloopers. I’d never seen or heard one before. Another guy had so many he had to quit. They all acted like it was kind of routine. I was shocked.

I attribute their problem to the use of AA or other tapered wall cases. The tapered wall squeezes the lip of the wad powder cup inward at the bottom of the hull. At firing, the lip must expand outward as the wad travels up the hull where the wall is thinner. If the cartridge has been sitting for some time, or is cold, or if the wad is old and inflexible, the lip of the powder cup might not expand sufficiently, allowing gas to escape past the seal, resulting in a blooper.

To this day I have not had a single blooper in over 3000 reloads with straight wall hulls. FTFs yes, bloopers never, not one. Maybe I’m badly mistaken here but I will let my experience be my guide.

V/R
B.

Joined: 21 Mar 2019 Posts: 523 Location: Texas

I’m with you Brewster. Those straight wall hulls are hard to beat. I have loaded just about every plastic, paper and brass tube out there. I’ve never had a problem either. I would think perhaps some of those fellas don’t pay attention to their load process very well. I could care less about CF this or that and getting 10 reloads out of a hull. If I get 2 or 10. When it gets used to that point I let it fly, and replace it with the next free straight wall hull or what ever someone gives me or I find on the field.

I’ve never had a problem with tapered hulls, reload or otherwise, in 12, 16, 20 or 28. I have reloaded 16 & 20.

The only bloopers I have had are in straight wall hulls which I attributed to light powder drops when I had my bottles too tight with a baffle, rubber washer & flat washer to keep the powder from squeezing out on my 650. I just backed off a smidge, no bloopers and no mess.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Tapered walled hulls are just as reliable as a straight walled hull. Wads are not compromised because of the tapered walls. I have reference loads in 16 gauge Winchester CF hulls that were loaded back in 2001 that still give the same velocities over 20 years later.

The problem with any reload is the person doing the reloading not the components. Folks that reload can get pretty sloppy with not weighing charges of powder and shot. Not being sure that wad guides are good. Not adjusting crimps. Using loads that their buddies give them etc.

Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1358 Location: Twin Cities, MN

I’ve loaded over a hundred thousand shells, mostly tapered hulls, in everything from .410 to 12 gauge. I have an incredibly low failure rate with my reloads - seemingly better than the people I shoot with. The right combination of components, a well maintained machine and paying close attention while reloading give excellent results.
In 16 gauge I prefer straight walled hulls only because that’s what I have!

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 756 Location: Mn.

MSM,
Some of my Win PF are like the Italian made ones you show, except they have a silver colored brass. Are these the same except for the color?

Way back when I first got them, I reloaded some not realizing they weren’t CF. Cleaning them out I saw they were different. That’s actually when I dug deeper to learn more about CF, then went through the arduous task of separating everything out. The loads fired off fine, but I buried the handful that were left. With today’s prices I’d be digging them up to reclaim the CP lead if I remembered where I buried them.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2350 Location: West MI

Never met a 16ga (or 10ga) hull I didn't like.....Agree w/Italian Win longevity, for whatever reason those hulls seem to go the distance. I know this might be met with "yeah right" but some of my 2 9/16" trimmed down shorty Win's have at least 12-15 reloads through them and still going strong. Main failure is pin holes in the fold crease corners.

I am guessing over the years to have reloaded at least 75K rounds of shotshells in 12, 16 20 & 28 gauge. Most of them have been in tapered cases and most of them were Win AA's. I have shot my reloads in weather from 10 degrees in Kansas to 110 in Phx at Ben Avery. I have never had a blooper, maybe 3-4 faulty primers. And I have heard dozens of bloopers from reloads of others .

Guess I am just incredibly lucky.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Citori16,

The Italian made Winchester 16 ga. hulls, as far as I know, were made with both brass and silver plated/colored steel heads. All of the ones I have are brass plated.

putz463, mine started life being used for pressure and velocity testing back in 2000 - 2001. I am using them now for buffered lead and bismuth loads. In between they were used for target loads. These are on reload #11 and I haven't lost any yet. I have never reloaded any hull past 8 or 9. I wish I had another 1,000 or so. I have about 250.