I first ordered shells form Polywad on Aug 5, 2019. Called them 5 times and never received an answer. I questioned on this site as to wether Polywad was in business still. Well on 12/5/19 I received my order, (didn't even think I still had an order). I had already placed and recieved the items requested from RST who shipped the order promptly. Don't have any idea what happened butt will keep the shells but am not sure about ordering going forward.

This just happened to me. My parents ordered a few boxes for me as a Christmas gift. No shells. No returned calls. Nothing. They filed a dispute with the credit card company and received their money back. Never again. I will only order from RST.

I'm sorry to hear of the problems at Polywad. They had good products.

Wonder if Jay has left the business.

SRH

I ordered a case of 16 gauge shells. I waited two weeks and they never came. I called them up and a person said they were having problems with their suppliers. She said I could wait longer or get a credit. After waiting another two weeks I asked for my money back which was promptly credited to my money card.

I hope they stay in business. I really like their 28 gauge, Gram-Crak-R ammo. It is the most deadly ammunition I have put through my 28's. Tom Roster also recommends it.

Stan, As you know Jay sold the business a few years ago and remained as a "consultant" for a period of time. I hate to hear these issues as it was a great product with outstanding service during Jay's run. Gil

Gil, I had forgotten about him selling the business.. You refreshed my memory on that. Thanks.

SRH

So is Polywad defunct?

http://polywad.com/

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

According to the latest Google reviews, it looks like they have been taking orders, not shipping product, and not answering the phone.

I switched over to RSTs when I felt like the service and quality at Polywad started to drop off a couple years ago. Used to love and recommend Polywad.

Sad if it continues to be true. The marketplace needs multiple quality sources.

He sold the company and the new owners are pretty much non existent. I supported them because they were a local in GA company, but now I cant even get them on the phone. Gotta get spreaders somewhere else to start reloading with and am buying from RST. Backridge ammo did say they were going to start 2.5" shells soon. The owner of that company is a 16 gauge guy too so that's always a plus!

Hum, many thanks for the info. So who might be this >>Backridge<<?

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

...Yankee carpetbaggers?






_________________________
Isn’t Capitalism grand?

Curious what does the people in Europe use for all those short chamber gun?

Eley, Westley Richards, Holland and Holland, Kent etc

I believe on the continent that many shoot S&B?

https://www.sellier-bellot.cz/en/products/shotgun-shells/hunting-shells-paper/

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Here in New Zealand we get Gamebore Regal 16G in 2.5".

A UK brand that's sold worldwide I believe.

I am surprised there are no large importers of European 2.5 inch shells. Anyone know why that is?

Cost
Supplier unreliability
Daft laws
Taxes
Small market
RST

And this:

Hodgdon
Universal
Ched. 209
BP CS12 SHORT
20.7
6,700 PSI
1,200

That for a 2.5" 12 ga. Cheddite hull with one ounce of your choice of lead.

$5/box +/-

Last Importer of Eley was a guy in TX. He threw in the towel a dozen or so years ago.

I assume this is a hand load recipe? I don't know anything about hand loading but for $5 a box for 25 completely new shells I may consider it assuming I don't have to cut down hulls or anything like that.

What's the big deal about cutting down hull length? It's no harder than any other aspect of reloading.

SRH

You assume correctly Dan.

This does not include the cost of the hulls and if you really want 'brand new' ones they likely will have to be trimmed and skived from 2 3/4" shells.

RST shells are the same hull and you can reload those a few times.

It's worth looking into if you shoot in volume.

Equipment cost amortization will take a while, but loading is educational and gives you a measure of flexibility and freedom. It's nice to be able to load stuff not commercially available.

I feed a Damascus Parker with very light reloads for skeet and and have burned about 7,500 of my handloads in it.

The targets and gun don't know the difference between my shells and boutique loaded new shells, and I've saved nearly the initial cost of the gun.

In fact, if I could not load for it I would not have bought the gun.

You can usually get factory 65mm (2.5 inch) hulls at not much more than the price of 2.75, from the reloading suppliers. E.g., https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Cheddi...ctinfo/1391265/
Ballistic Products usually also has short paper hulls and short hulls in other gauges, though those seem to be more seasonal in their availability.

The "biggest" issue with short hulls is having your reloading machine able to handle them. Adjustment may be necessary.

Time, unfortunately. I have very little of it lately with a fairly demanding job and infant daughter. I don't tie my own flies for the same reason...

Cutting shells is pretty easy, especially with table saws and bandsaws, but skiving them, not so much. More tools. More time.

It looks like Ballistic Products often has shorter shells, but it is not clear at the moment, so you have to call and ask.

Ha. If you have time to be on here....you have plenty of time to load shells or cut hulls :-)

And that's fine.

Buy shells if you wish.

The US loaded RST is as good as any euro import, so don't think you're sacrificing anything in the way of performance because you aren't.

A euro hull is a euro hull, and they are universal now in the 2.5" market. It's all essentially the same components no matter the vendor. The differences are minor.

My last paper shells from both Eley and Fiocchi were nothing to get excited about. The last good paper shell was the Federal Champion 2 and they disappeared 30 years ago.

Times have changed. It's a global market.

Be thankful for RST.

The best shells in the world are loaded right here by Remington at the present time but of course they don't make 2.5" loads. Expect that to also change. The STS is doomed in the marketplace by economics, and the brass head shell will be extinct in a few years.

That is a great pity, but apparently unavoidable. Federal has already changed to steel head shells entirely. The others will follow suit soon enough.

In 12 gauge I have 5,000 plus once fired B&P hulls that I am working up a low pressure, 2 1/2", 1 ounce load for. Working on both a roll crimp version and a six point regular crimp. I really want the regular crimp load so I can load them on my Spolar but will settle for a roll crimp version if I must. Roll crimping will be so much slower by about five to one. But low volume shooting wont kill me to load them the way we did fifty years ago.

I still have a good supply of Federal Paper hulls and will be sad when they are all used up. So I am looking for a easy replacement for them. B&P are an option because I have a large number of them on hand. Also any of the Euro trash hulls seem to be everywhere for the pickup at clubs around me. So options are there if you look around. Loaders are fairly cheap and components have never been so easy to find. Loading has allowed me to buy and enjoy countless guns over the years.

Is the STS brass washed over steel or solid brass? Put a magnet on one and see. Gil

The STS I have in 12 and 20 is brass.

But... I've not bought any in several years.

My supply might last a lifetime, especially since it looks like no shooting for this year, and maybe a couple years.

I chatted with Jay Menefee today, what a fine fella.

I sent him an email with the thread.

He said he would try to make folks aware of the thread

Mike

Skiving is unnecessary if you roll crimp shortened hulls, which is how I have always done it. Only extra tool necessary is a roll crimper. My tool to cut them off is homemade, and doesn't require a saw.

SRH

Back to Polywad..

I do hope their products once again become available.

Their Spread-R inserts for 20 gauge work very well.

I have been shooting the Kent Elite Low Recoil 2.5", 3/4 oz, #8, for a couple of years now and find them more than satisfactory. They are the only commercially available 2.5" shells in Canada. Every now and then, someone will import RST or Gamebore 2.5" shells but they are $20.00 (or more) a box and way too expensive for target use as far as I'm concerned. I can get the Kent 2.5" for around $75.00 a case and that has put an end to my reloading 2.5" target loads since I struggle to get the price for reloads under $6.00 a box in Canada. The extra $1.50 in savings is not worth my time and hassle.
They are made in the US and I hope that more folks buy them so they are not discontinued.
I have no idea what the pressure is but you would really have to go out of your way to make a 12 gauge 3/4 oz shell more than 7K PSI. In my opinion, if your gun is safe to shoot, it's safe with these loads. They are a bit dirty in cold (below zero) temps but not too bad.
I thought that 3/4 oz would be a handicap but I have found no reduction in performance in my English guns. Even with my pre-choke bore Scottish hammergun.

Hope Jay is doing well. He is indeed a nice fella. What's he up to now that he sold Polywad?

SRH

I've had several enjoyable chats over the years with Jay. He was truly innovative. Gil

He told me once that his entire reloading career began with a quest, and him ultimately designing and loading, super efficient crow loads. A man after mine own heart .........

SRH

I am glad you guys spoke with him. Maybe the new owners will start making some shells and money

Poor business management to buy a thriving business but then to see it fall apart. What a waste of money...

It does read as a strange scenario but I guess that you never know what circumstances personal or otherwise may be the cause of Polywad`s issues.

Thrive?
Doubt it.

Haven't seen any of their products on the shelf in MI in 20 years. And then it was their spreaders heaped in the discount pile.

Seen a lot of custom loaders come and go.

RST seems to do a good job, and covers all the bases.
Probably isn't enough business out there to keep two of them around profitably.

I know, just anecdotal.

It seems like the anecdote predates the sale? I'd think anyone in this type of business would have looked over the previous direct retail effectiveness and built around it.

Well yes, but in the gun business that rarely seems to happen.

Ballard arms now in Michigan? Not much going on there.

Duane weibbe sold his accessories business to an experienced CNC operator. I have tried buying product from him but he does not return email.

Seems like many guys buy a gun business after they retire from work and find that it is just not worth it. I'm sure exceptions are out there.

A lot of guys who take up golf come to the same conclusion.


__________________________
Duck, duck, goose.
Ducati Panigale, Ducati Monster, Moto Guzzi V7III Milano

I never did understand chasing a little white ball around but that is just me.

To obtain that level of excitement in my life I would need to buy some paint and watch it dry.

After passing many golf courses in my travels, I always imagine what a nice sporting clays course they would make!
Karl

To quote Mark Twain: "a good walk spoiled." Gil

I'm not the first to note that sporting clays have many similarities to golf. Numerous holes and stations, each with differing distances and distractions. Many use different chokes on differing shots which is similar to changing clubs. The focus and concentration needed during the shot(s) are nearly identical. Flinches are another similarity, though not limited to sporting clays as related to skeet and trap. In golf it is called either flinches or yips. One person "performing", while the rest on the squad or in the foursome are spectators, is the same as well.

I played golf for a few years in my younger days and enjoyed it. Not as much as sporting clays, however. But, if sporting clays had never been designed and implemented I would most likely be playing golf these days.

SRH

What is the new, or old, California rule regarding purchase of ammo? I just noticed a new notice on the RSTshells website:

>>CA residents will no longer be able to order online individually and will have to order through an Approved CA vendor<<

http://www.rstshells.com/

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Re CA ammo law, Judge Benitez (federal) issued an immediate injunction to halt state enforcement of the ammo law. I think that was last Thursday, so we were able to once again buy ammo without a background check (and paying a fee for that check for each purchase), and we could again start buying ammo online without going thru a local FFL. That lasted until just before 10:00 Friday night, when AG Becerra got a three judge panel from the the 9th Circus to stay the injunction. So our 2A rights were restored for maybe 30 hours before the state screwed us again. Online orders that had not yet shipped were cancelled by the vendors. Don’t know legal status of orders that made it onto the truck before Friday night. Next step may be a hearing by the full 9th Circus, then maybe to the Supremes. Lots of strategizing now on both sides about how to move forward given the risks of possible precedent. FYI, this was the case brought by Kim Rhode with help from the CA Rifle & Pistol Assn (CRPA), with a little support from NRA. Local scuttlebutt says the NRA was mostly MIA on this one and CRPA did all the heavy lifting. I hate this state government. Lovely place ruined by the politicians and the fools who vote for them.

And I thought purchasing ammo via a drive thru @ a local gunshop was difficult.

Many thanks for the clarification.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse