• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

Reloading is fun...

drgrant

drgrant

Moderator
NES Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Messages
92,023
Likes
98,033
Feedback: 61 / 0 / 0
This should make a few antis cry a river, or three... [laugh] This is how I wasted a Saturday night... I had better plans, but they got destroyed... so I basically said... "Well, f**k it.. I'm not going to sit around doing nothing... " and then decided to RELOAD.

400 230 gr JHP rounds all crimped and ready to go... (one set is already boxed up and QCed. ) 7.0 grains of Power Pistol over a Winchester 230 gr JHP. Straddles 900 fps out of a 5" 1911. And that load isn't even the max. Even at 7, these loads are not for pussies. These are mainly for killing wood bowling pins. [smile]

Major PF... Bah. Try 207. [smile]

Every round was checked for powder and case gauged. These WILL work in all of my .45s. Of course, some of them will be more brutal than
others.


trays.jpg


After packaging, plus another 100 rounds that I loaded with 4.7 gr WST in the blue box... those are pussy loads for plinking, etc. They still make around 800 FPS out of a 1911, though.

endproduct.jpg


Obligatory alcohol, tobacco, firearm pics. (No, I didn't drink that whole bottle of merlot... [laugh]

alcfire.jpg


Whatever was left of the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero DL700 I smoked... Please ignore that shitty IBM craptiva carcass in the background.

yflor.jpg


Before anyone gives me a ration of shit, the cigar was smoked well away from the reloading area, and the alcohol was consumed slowly over a
very long time... although now it's starting to kick my ass.

Moral of the story... anyone can reload- I reloaded all this stuff on a SINGLE STAGE press. It is not the best way, but it works.

I strongly suggest anyone that burns more than 1000 rounds of a pistol caliber in a year learn how to reload. All the ammo I created above is stuff
you can't even buy in a store. (Well, at least not without paying some absurd amount of money for it... ) That's incentive enough alone, never mind
the cost savings.

-Mike

Special Thanks To:

RCBS
Winchester
Federal
Frankfurter Arsenal (for making my cheap pos brass tumbler that works)
MTM case gard (those guys that make the plastic boxes and trays)
Everyone at NES.

Music Used While Reloading:

-The Who
-Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Karn Evil 9 / Brain Salad Surgery)
-Rush (Exit, Stage Left)

That is all.
 
Last edited:
I wish I had room for a reloading press. That's pretty much the only reason I don't have one. (I live in an apartment)
 
Mike: I just purchased a pound of Power Pistol the other day for .45 acp and loaded 230 LRN bullets for my 625. Started at 6.5 and progressed to 7.5 grains. Accuracy left the room at the higher level. So I settled on 7.3 grains. Alliant has 8.1 as max with a 230 FMJ and I did not have any pressure signs or extracton problems with 7.5. Have never used this powder before and have not chronoed any loads yet. Shot these at an indoor range. What would you quess my speed would be out of a 4" revolver? This load (7.3) felt like more recoil than my usual 5.4 of Bullseye which clocks 865 out of the same gun.

I like that Power Pistol is a small flake that meters well. But it does look exactly like Bullseye which could get exciting should I mix the two up. Hasn't happened in 40 years of doing this stuff, but the resemblance between the two powders is scary. Alliant should have put an identifing color dot in Power Pistol like it does with Red Dot, Blue Dot, Green Dot.

Your cigar reminds me of my father many years ago reloading shotgun shells and .45-70 rifle rounds. He always had a cigar going off to the side. Even as a 12-year-old I thought he was nuts. Never touched anything off though. As for drinking while you reload? Never! I only drink heavily on my drive to the range.

John
 
I liked your post DrGrant.
I have thought about the reloading process before but have been scared away by the initial costs. I'm a new shooter and don't own any expensive calibers yet. Could you give an estimate on the start-up costs to reloading? Could someone get started with $500 or less with basic supplies? If so, I'd be inclined to buy a reloading book and learn more about it.
Thanks
 
ztargetshooter said:
I liked your post DrGrant.
I have thought about the reloading process before but have been scared away by the initial costs. I'm a new shooter and don't own any expensive calibers yet. Could you give an estimate on the start-up costs to reloading? Could someone get started with $500 or less with basic supplies? If so, I'd be inclined to buy a reloading book and learn more about it.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Fine choice of wines there Mike. Beringer is very good. I still have a few bottles of their '94 cabernet reserve kicking around for special occasions. The stuff is awesome!
 
Hanwei said:
I wish I had room for a reloading press. That's pretty much the only reason I don't have one. (I live in an apartment)
Click to expand...

A single stage press and a powder measure take no room at all on a table. Everything else can be put away somwhere else until needed.
 
Mike is right. If you shoot anything more than just casually, you need to reload.

I've been reloading since I started shooting skeet in 99, and started reloading for rifles about a year after I got into Highpower. I make cost calculation spreadsheets to keep track of costs and some of you guys that don't reload would cry if I told you what my ammo costs to make.
 
You save a ton even reloading calibers that are "cheap". I made up 1000 9mm rounds at a cost of $90 last week.

I guarantee my ammo will outperform the 115gr UMC they sell at Dicks for $12/50 rounds (when they have it). Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to make 2000 more.

For a total of $270, I'll end up with ammo that would cost $720 if I could even find it. There's a $450 "savings", and my ammo shoots better.
 
Last edited:
SA John said:
Mike: I just purchased a pound of Power Pistol the other day for .45 acp and loaded 230 LRN bullets for my 625. Started at 6.5 and progressed to 7.5 grains. Accuracy left the room at the higher level. So I settled on 7.3 grains. Alliant has 8.1 as max with a 230 FMJ and I did not have any pressure signs or extracton problems with 7.5. Have never used this powder before and have not chronoed any loads yet. Shot these at an indoor range. What would you quess my speed would be out of a 4" revolver? This load (7.3) felt like more recoil than my usual 5.4 of Bullseye which clocks 865 out of the same gun.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how fast it'd go out of a wheelgun because I've only ever
launched mine out of a few 1911s, and a couple of different HKs.

I lost my old chrono book somewhere around here, and I had some more
interesting data on that load. In testing I think I went up to 7.4 with 230
FMJs...

It definitely does have a kick to it. I haven't worked up any 900+ loads
with other powder, so I have little to compare it to. However, at
the low end (6.5 grains) it doesn't seem to recoil any worse than a typical
factory .45 practice round, although I think the gun barks louder, though.

I like that Power Pistol is a small flake that meters well. But it does look exactly like Bullseye which could get exciting should I mix the two up. Hasn't happened in 40 years of doing this stuff, but the resemblance between the two powders is scary. Alliant should have put an identifing color dot in Power Pistol like it does with Red Dot, Blue Dot, Green Dot.
Click to expand...

Yeah... this is why I only take out one can at a time, then it only goes
back in the cabinet once the measure is dumped back into the can.

-Mike
 
Nice post/pics Mike! You didn't list the type of cigar in your closing "credits" though. [wink] Do tell.

I'm in the initial stages of learning to reload now. I recently picked up a few books & am trying to absorb as much info as I can before I purchase the press & other necessities.
 
K-DUB said:
Nice post/pics Mike! You didn't list the type of cigar in your closing "credits" though. [wink] Do tell.
Click to expand...

It's printed above the pic... [wink]

It's a La Flor Dominicana, DL-700....

http://www.laflordominicana.com/paginas/Ourcigar/DoubleLigero/Double_Ligero.html

It's a medium to full bodied cigar, but it smokes very smooth.

My favorite from the series is the DL-660 but the place I get my smokes from
ran out of them. I found out about these when I saw them in a jar at one of my customer's offices....
I figured "well, if the bossman of this (large) company buys em, they must not be that bad.... " That hunch
proved to be right. [laugh]

I'm in the initial stages of learning to reload now. I recently picked up a few books & am trying to absorb as much info as I can before I purchase the press & other necessities.
Click to expand...

Getting manuals is a good thing... the Lyman and Speer manuals are a good place to start. It helps to get hands on experience, though... I don't think I would have gotten started if a friend of mine didn't show me the ropes... takes a lot of the mystery out of it, rather quickly. It sounds more complicated than it actually is. Reloading for straight walled pistol cases is actually pretty easy, especially once you get your dies/powder measure tweaked in.

-Mike
 
Last edited:
Hanwei said:
I wish I had room for a reloading press. That's pretty much the only reason I don't have one. (I live in an apartment)
Click to expand...

Originally I was in a 5 bedroom house, then to stay with my sis for a bit where I had the entire basement, and built a 12 foot long reloading and casting bench. Now I'm moving into a decent sized 1 bedroom apartment. You better believe I'll have all that stuff here, just packaged a bit differently. It can be done. It's all in how you utilize your space.
 
ztargetshooter said:
Could someone get started with $500 or less with basic supplies? If so, I'd be inclined to buy a reloading book and learn more about it.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes quite easily. That would get you a new single stage press, powder measure/scale and enough dies for two or three calibers plus a little left over for components

You might even be able to find a decent used progressive press with the dies you need iffin' you look around.
 
Almost all of the metallic cartridge reloading gear I have is used. Come to think of it, the only thing new are the die sets.

I also have a MEC 600 that makes shotgun shells like it's nobody's business.
 
Good job with the reloading.

If you look around, E Bay comes to mind, progressive presses can be had for very little. They really don't take up any more room than a single stage press.
400 per hour with the Dillon SDB, while taking my time.

I have a press set up for each caliber I shoot a lot of. Imagine what I am saving shooting mostly 38 Super? Besides I shoot 3 different guns in 38 Super. A 1911, a Comp'd 1911, and a revolver. I can taylor my loads for each one.

Can't do that at the store....

Bob
 
drgrant said:
It's printed above the pic... [wink]
Click to expand...

Doh! My mistake. [smile]

It's a La Flor Dominicana, DL-700....

http://www.laflordominicana.com/paginas/Ourcigar/DoubleLigero/Double_Ligero.html

It's a medium to full bodied cigar, but it smokes very smooth.

My favorite from the series is the DL-660 but the place I get my smokes from
ran out of them. I found out about these when I saw them in a jar at one of my customer's offices....
I figured "well, if the bossman of this (large) company buys em, they must not be that bad.... " That hunch
proved to be right. [laugh]
Click to expand...

Sounds good...I'll have to try a few with my next cigar order.
 
just ordered a Lee turret press, working on getting a few MEC for shotshell reloading from another NES member. My 9mm and .308 dies showed up the other day, got 1000 Win AA 12ga shells from another NES member....... I decided instead of getting another gun, the money should be spent making sure I can shoot whatever I have. Any recommendations on which manuals are the best? drb
 
seeing this post makes me wish i had taken ther offer from my brother inlaw for the reloading stuff his father had sitting down in his basement....[slap]
 
Amen to all 3 (done in the right order of course)!!

1) I enjoy cranking out a couple of hundred rounds of quality ammo of any caliber mainly just thinking about how much fun I will have shooting them later. I reload 357 Mag, 9mm, 40, 45, and 10mm (less of the last caliber recently)

2) After all that hard work at the reloading bench you deserve a refreshment. A good wine or a good beer satisfies the palate and the psyche.

3) A good cigar!! Yes!! Goes great with #2 or stronger spirits if you fancy bourbon, scotch or cognac. (I am smiling just thinking about it)!
 

Similar threads

Headspace and reloading
Replies
28
Views
472
PatMcD
PatMcD
Fun afternoon
Replies
0
Views
241
peterk123
P
Is there a reason.......
2 3
Replies
66
Views
2K
CMEBoston
CMEBoston
Groton is next in line
2
Replies
37
Views
1K
Asaltweapon
Asaltweapon
Facebook is insane.
2
Replies
43
Views
973
HARRYM
H
Back
Top Bottom