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Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 863 Location: NoDak

Hi all, whats an easy and best way to trim hulls for 2 1/2" reloads?

What length should the hull be?

Thanks so much!!!

Greg

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 1545 Location: Michigan

If your loading 16 gauge, they should be 2-9/16"
Take a wood dowel,drill a small hole in it, and pound a exacto blade in the hole, at a slight angle. Put a screw in the end for adjustment, and go to trimming.
I can trim a couple 100 hulls in an hour.

And the finished hull

Hope this helps, Dave

Guest

Dave, do you find you need to skiv them before you load them? I've got a ton of Federal hulls that I'd like to cut down for some lighter loads. Other than the cutter I just need a short kit for my old single stage MEC. I'm glad I hung on to that press.

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 1545 Location: Michigan

Dave,
I don't find the need to skive any hulls, weither new or trimmed down hulls.
However, I do use the solid brass crimp starter. Which is sharp and seems to do a really good job of making the fold creases.
Regards, Dave Miles

Guest

Dave, thanks! Nice to save a step! I do have one of those solid brass crimp starters in my drawer. This would be a good use for it. Last summer at one of our WI SxS shoots, Bill Layman mentioned he had a good 7/8 oz load he used with shortened Federal hulls. I've got a ton of the hulls and wads, so I might as well put them into my rotation. Short purple shells! Very Happy

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 1545 Location: Michigan

Dave,

What Wis. SxS shoots do you attend?
I'm usually at the U.P. Shoot, and would like to make a couple Wis. shoots.

"do you find you need to skiv them before you load them?"

I find skiving unnecessary as well. You might need to if you want an eight point crimp, but I either load my 2 9/16" hulls with a six-point or roll crimp.

I have shortened thousands of the purple Federals. While Dave M. has a great idea, my buddy and I have another way...

We cut a length of snug fitting dowel rounded with a file on one end to fit the basewad against its bottom. Then we using a Stanley-type razor knife and just spin around the periphery with the blade angled enough that the flat end of the dowel guides the cut without the blade cutting into the dowel.
A person good with their hands can make a lot of 2 9/16" hulls in a hurry this way that are trimmed quite accurate. We trim after sizing the hull and push the dowel out with a rod through the primer pocket if it is necessary.
It seems whenever I shoot a round of Sporting Clays with factory Federals now I size and de-prime them, then trim them as well... I load on a single stage Mec, so my hulls are ready for 2 9/16" loads when I want them.. It seems to add little time.
I shoot more and more 2 9/16" loads all the time, even in my 2 3/4" chambered 16's, as wads are a better fit sans fillers.

Slidehammer

Guest

Mike, here is a list of the shoots. I haven't attended the Little Creek shoot (up by Green Bay) because it comes at a bad time for my work, but I get to the other two. They are a lot of fun and you see some pretty nice guns even though they are very "down to earth" in nature.

http://www.mbabllc.com/shows.htm

Slidehammer, that sounds like another good way to trim hulls! Are you using the Gualandi 16 gauge wads in your short Federal hull loads?

Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 158 Location: NW Florida

I cut down a bunch of Fiocchi's using a 5/8(?) copper tube cut to length and a box cutter. I bought a thousand 2.5in primmed Cheddites from Graff and Sons and have loaded them five times and they still are OK. Much easier than cutting and the first time you load, all you use is the last three stations. Highly recommended. Bob

Why bother when you can buy new 2 1/2" hulls from Grafs? Just my opinion!
Charlie

Guest

Member Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 317

Guest

Great posting on cutting down hulls .

What I have figgured out it is , when the new wad is out we can shoot the 2 3/4" or 70mm hull untill the crimps fail , then we can trim the hull down to 65mm or 2 9/16" and load them with the Hartin Crimp untill these fail .

Then we can trim them one more time down to 2 3/8" and roll crimp them , this is a huge savings on hulls and we will be able to get 20-25?? loading out of a hull this way .

The prototype mold will be done in in the neighborhood of 2 weeks , Xmas and Doctors appointments slowed Arnie down a bit but very soon I will load up and head out for Hastings Neb. for the test run and ballistics testing to commence.

Regards Charles