Id tell you to look at plain old chilled magnum lead shot in size BB on up. It will keep costs down. I roll crimp my 10 guage rounds with a BPI 4 pin roll crimper. I had to horse trade for hulls and wads. Some were given to me. If it were me if just buy over the counter ammo for 12 gauge. I own the old school Lee loaders in both 10 guage sizes and 3" 12 gauge. I have a mec 10 gauge loadee and 12 guage lee load all...that i dont use. Dont load enough and dont fold crimp. I mainly load 10 gauge black powder loads for my damascus SxS and 3.5" 2.5 oz #5 turkey loads. Tried 3oz but the pattern falls apart after 25 yards. The 2.5 oz loads i can put 110 lead #5's evenly in a 10" circle at 55 yards. Expermented with pedal count and length on BPI tuff wads. Four cuts to the 4th ring down along with a pattermaster code black turkey choke has done the best for me with #5 lead 2.5 oz loads. I havent loaded any 12 gauge yet. Just because i have tons of facotory ammo for them. I also dont have any wads for 12 either.
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Above is my last loading of 2.5 oz #5's. I used an old school 3.5" lee loader and a craftsman unversal drill press to roll crimp. I have the vintage lee loaders in 2 7/8" 10 and 3" 12 guage. I do have a lee load all 12 gauge and mec 10 gauge loader that ive necer used because i dont fold crimp my shells. You can get by with a bastic set up. Learning chips from the dollar store. Roll crimped with a 4 pin roller. Made the blocks myself. Imo the only reason to load is to get better patterns and heavier payloads...and mainly for obsolite calibers and loads like my 2 7/8" black powder turkey loads for my damascus 1873' charles daly SxS 10 gauge. Also started reloading modern 10 gauge Federal started roll crimping their grand slams and dont trim the hulls before doing so. The wont load of cycle in my Browning gold 10. So i either would have to order winchester turkey ammo when its availble. No thanks. Need some more 10 guage hulls if anyone has some to spare.
