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Nothing is going to work better for you – either in your reloading press or in your shotgun – than perfect shells. Many writers recommend that you begin reloading with a bag of new or even once-fired and pre-sorted shells that can be purchased from your local dealer or via a known internet vendor like Cabela’s. Unfortunately, it is well known that most shotshell reloaders use hulls well past their prime and wind up trading performance for economy. No one would consciously choose to make this trade, but we reload in part to make our money and our components last longer than one shot and there is always that push-pull dilemma of getting “just one more shot” from a hull.

Petals on G/BP wads are designed to snap-away from the flying shot after it leaves your muzzle. According to Ballistic Products, this allows the pattern to expand evenly out to the fringes.

Fortunately, hulls occasionally give you easily discoverable clues about their readiness for retirement. Worn-out shells destroy shot-to-shot consistency. As hulls age, patterns and velocities can be affected by pressure fluctuations, so it is crucial that you quickly identify and dispose of flawed hulls. Inspect the base and walls of hulls for cracks and corrosion. Hulls with compromised structures will leak gas and cause the loss of pressure and velocity.