Reloading APP on a MEC jr

[Chili Pepper Kid]

Howdy all:

    Last year when I ran out of smokeless powder I bought 2 cans of 3F and 1 of 2F american pioneer powder. I figured out how to load .45lc and shot several matches. This winter I was given a older MEC jr. and have been pondering loading 12 gauge. I have never reloaded shotgun.

    My question is: I have 2 powder bushing (29 and 30). Is one of those appropriate?


    Chili Pepper Kid

[Knarley Bob]

What I load is called a square load. That is same volume of powder to the volume of shot. If the powder bushing is way smaller than the shot hole, pretty "poochy" load. I found one of those adjustable bars, adjusted them to the same volume and away we go!
Hope this helps a little.

Knarley

[Lefty Dude]

APP is a very coarse grain powder in both the 3F & 2F editions. I dip the powder using a Lee dipper of proper size, and by-pass the powder portion of the bar, using the shot side only.
Your choice may vary from mine, but the above works well for me.

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[hellgate]

I load everything through the 600jr but it's a little messy with all the fines/dust. I use the equivalent volume of about 50 grs BP and 7/8oz for shot as my light load. A WW AA white wad (or other of equivalent length) works well. For a heavier load I use 75-82 grs by volume which takes the larges bushing they make (36?) and 1 1/8oz shot. To make room for all that powder & shot I cut the "legs" out of the AA wad and just load the over powder wad and the shot cup. I't's a boomer with BP. The APP heavy load, to me, kicks a bit more than with real BP.

Lefty Dude's method is a good one. I have sized & primed up 25 hulls, put them in the tray, charge them all with a dipper of powder and a funnel and then ran them through the press. It doesn't take that much more time than running them through the press.

[longinosoap]

What Lefty said.

I use the 3.1 lee dipper and 1 oz shot of Pinnacle 3F, which I understand to be the same as APP. Good easy load that does the job.

[Lefty Dude]

Yep, the 3.1cc Lee dipper is a good choice. It is the one I use also.
This dipper weigh's out at  48-50 grains of APP on my scale.
Makes for a nice CAS/SASS load, in both plastic & all brass hulls.

[Coffinmaker]

I probably shouldn't weigh in on this one 'cause I don't load on a MEC.  My shuttles are ALL solid brass and really simple to load.

However.  When I first started using APP is was a really light color, very dusty, and didn't run well thru my reloading presses.  I don't know exactly when the formula changed, but the latest iteration of APP runs thru my Dillon 650(s) like grain thru a goose.  The only change I made was the powder charge bar.  Switched out the small bar for the large one.  Very little dust now.
In all fairness, I do get an occasional "bridge" but infrequently enough that I don't care.  Since I load full cases with no fillers, the occasional bridge is very obvious and simple to correct.

I really like APP.  Oh, I also use it in my brass shotgun hulls.

Coffinmaker

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

I load all my BP shotgun loads on a Lee load all with APP FFF .
Only like 45.00 New with all Bushings and everything needed .
And you dont need a Square load .
Its just a waist of powder for the short range we shoot in Cowboy Action .
You can down load quite a bit and still knock down the targets .
I cant remember the bushing number anymore.
But its equivalent to a 45 Colt full of powder .
Its a mild recoil and plenty for knock downs and Popers .
Just sayin.
Rooster