38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
That’s awesome Jack. That kid is growing up right!
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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
- Start date
My son has been using his 357 Henry quite a bit the last couple of weeks. He's 18 and I got him a membership to the club so he's been going by himself during his Christmas Vaca. He used up 4 coffee cans of 38 and 357 the last couple of weeks. I told him I gotta hit the reloading bench soon and make some more up....conversation goes something like this
Son......you should show me how to reload and I can make a bunch
Me.....ok let's go down and get started
Son....ok cool
Me.....after grabbing the bucket of freshly cleaned brass full of mixed cases......45 small primers in this can, large primer 45 in this one, 38 in this one, Remy 357 here, mixed 357 here, and any nickle plated 357 here
Son.......I thought you were gonna show me how to make ammo?!???!!
Me
Anyway .....looks like I added a "brass sorter" to the reloading room lol
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
You have to teach them the fun with the tedious. It all comes in one package.My son has been using his 357 Henry quite a bit the last couple of weeks. He's 18 and I got him a membership to the club so he's been going by himself during his Christmas Vaca. He used up 4 coffee cans of 38 and 357 the last couple of weeks. I told him I gotta hit the reloading bench soon and make some more up....conversation goes something like this
Son......you should show me how to reload and I can make a bunch
Me.....ok let's go down and get started
Son....ok cool
Me.....after grabbing the bucket of freshly cleaned brass full of mixed cases......45 small primers in this can, large primer 45 in this one, 38 in this one, Remy 357 here, mixed 357 here, and any nickle plated 357 here
Son.......I thought you were gonna show me how to make ammo?!???!!
Me
Anyway .....looks like I added a "brass sorter" to the reloading room lol
I bet his first purchase will be some brass sorting trays.
I learned Young and started from scratch so sorting brass was simple. I have 200 pieces of 45 ACP. Done.
If I started out with a mentor with buckets full I would have surely bough sorting trays by now.
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
I did a little quick testing with @pastera sorting chute for 38/357 and it works very nicely.
Im going to try to properly set it up on a coffee can over the next could of days and do a speed test with it.
Im going to try to properly set it up on a coffee can over the next could of days and do a speed test with it.
EddieZoom
NES Member
Quick Chrono Session:
357 Mag - 125GR Coated LRN (Blue Bullets) - 9.3GR Power Pistol - COL - 1.58x
Mixed brass, Winchester Small Primers (non-Magnum)
S&W 686 - 4 Inch
Min: 1180
Max 1327
Avg: 1252
StdDev: 39.97
Easy to shoot. Power pistol provides plenty of sound and fury but a pretty light load as far as 357 Mag goes.
I'm going to use 2400 for the nasty stuff ;-)
357 Mag - 125GR Coated LRN (Blue Bullets) - 9.3GR Power Pistol - COL - 1.58x
Mixed brass, Winchester Small Primers (non-Magnum)
S&W 686 - 4 Inch
Min: 1180
Max 1327
Avg: 1252
StdDev: 39.97
Easy to shoot. Power pistol provides plenty of sound and fury but a pretty light load as far as 357 Mag goes.
I'm going to use 2400 for the nasty stuff ;-)
pastera
NES Member
Had an idea the other night (sleepless...) for a way of tube feeding - need to get some time to model it up and test it using my Lee case collator and tube.
Haha I stopped him when he had about 100 38s and then had him make up a batch of 50 with me showing him.
I didn't want to torture him too long.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I have to keep an eye on Little Jack. When he and his family come to visit, he has been known to sneak down to the basement and come back up with bulges in his pockets. When I check my .45 inventory, I seem to come up short. LOL. Just kidding. Jack.
pastera
NES Member
After jacking up almost 6 lbs of cast 125g (356-120-TC) trying to coat them on a cold rainy day ![[banghead]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/045.gif "Bang Head [banghead]")
Loaded up my remaining 150 coated 9mm bullets with 4.5g of CFE Pistol for some range fodder.
Time to do a marathon casting session (and make my mistakes disappear, again)
Loaded up my remaining 150 coated 9mm bullets with 4.5g of CFE Pistol for some range fodder.
Time to do a marathon casting session (and make my mistakes disappear, again)
Dialed it back a bit on this. Those were a little sticky coming out of the cylinder. Just loaded up 10 rounds of 357 with Sierra #8350 170 grain FMJ, 13.3 grains of Alliant 2400, CCI500, in Starline brass.
I got a little fussy on this one. I usually just run pistol through a Dillon 550, only interfering with the standard load cycle to pull the brass off after decapping and resizing to give a twist with a Lee primer pocket cleaner before proceeding. This time I broke it up a bit, using the Dillon to decap and resize, then cleaned the primer pocket, trimmed to length on an RCBS manual case trimmer (I had cases that measured from 1.282-1.287, spun them all down to 1.281"), checked with calipers, deburred case mouths, then back onto the Dillon for priming and belling, then off the Dillon to charge. Used an Ohaus 505, RCBS Uniflow, and RCBS trickler to get dead-on at 13.3 grains, charged the case, then back onto the Dillon for seating bullet and crimping. Will give those a whirl next time at the range and see how the standard deviations go. Just wanted to dial it back a little bit so the cases don't stick in the cylinder.
Then loaded 25 rounds of 12 gauge in the Pacific DL266. Remington Nitro 27 shells, 18.5 grains of Red Dot, Remington TGT-12 wads, 1 oz #9 shot. Those seem to pattern well in my old Brno over-under and break clays thrown from a spring thrower just fine.
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With 125 grain projos and 21.3 grains h1100 I get 1300 fps out of a 2 1/4 inch barrel. Recoil and flash are both brutal though.
With 125 grain projos and 21.3 grains h1100 I get 1300 fps out of a 2 1/4 inch barrel. Recoil and flash are both brutal though.
Seems like everybody tries to stuff more H110 into a case than I do. I loaded up some of the Zero 125 grain JHPC's over 20.8 grains of H110 once, thinking that was quite enough, and chrono'd them at 2206 fps out of a 20" Henry. Even with just 20 grains of H110 it was 2155 fps. Accuracy was crap with those bullets at that speed. IIRC, I wasn't even sure where the hottest ones hit.
I'd forgotten about that. Hodgdon does give that range for the 125gr XTP, Lyman, too, if my spreadsheet is to be believed. Hornady gives 17.4 to 19.9. Looks like my loads were chosen in protest to all three.
Prepped 300 cases of 38spl. Thanks to a tip from @andrew1220 , got a few sample packs of the Zero bullets on the way, 130gr and 158gr.
Omg I got the same advice from @andrew1220 I ordered 1000 jacketed 357 diameter soft points 158 grain. 11 cents each for jacketed?!?! Can't go wrong....11 cents is what I was paying for cast!
They are also sending me samples of 45acp lead semi wadcutters in 200 grain.
I need to get a commission from these sales.... ![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
I've been meaning to try them forever. I almost ordered a while back but I found about 150 Winchester projectiles laying around. Looking forward to trying these. Can't imagine I'll be disappointed and thus I'll make them my source for 38spl projectiles.
I've been working through a box of those. Very happy with them.
A bit brisk out there today, but I still popped off some of the 175g M118 LR pulls from American Reloading in 7.5 Swiss.
Fortunately, I snagged some Dynamit Nobel Nr 5620 primers and was able to return to service my GP11 brass. These primers aren't exactly suited for the GP11, as they have a shallow primer cup, but even seated fairly deeply, they all lit off just fine. Yippee!
Oh! My order came in yesterday from Norm in NM. I picked up some 6.5mm coated bullets for the Swede and some 200g RNFP for 45 Colt. The latter went directly atop some charged cases that have been waiting for quite awhile. I don't shoot this caliber, but a friend has a '94 lever chambered in this, so he will enjoy them.
Norm's product has kept me from even lighting up the Coleman Stove.
Fortunately, I snagged some Dynamit Nobel Nr 5620 primers and was able to return to service my GP11 brass. These primers aren't exactly suited for the GP11, as they have a shallow primer cup, but even seated fairly deeply, they all lit off just fine. Yippee!
Oh! My order came in yesterday from Norm in NM. I picked up some 6.5mm coated bullets for the Swede and some 200g RNFP for 45 Colt. The latter went directly atop some charged cases that have been waiting for quite awhile. I don't shoot this caliber, but a friend has a '94 lever chambered in this, so he will enjoy them.
Norm's product has kept me from even lighting up the Coleman Stove.
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cjrubes
NES Member
I picked up a pound of RL22 to mess with for 6.5 Swede based on recommendations over at Gunboards. The consensus is that it's one of the go-to powders for the M96. I've had good luck with it using neck sized brass, though it's been a while since I've done any more load development with it. From what I remember (I'd have to check my notes) I started at 40gr and worked my way up to 45gr or so with accuracy nodes at 41gr and 44gr (if I remember correctly). I settled on 41gr under the 140gr Hornady BTHP match bullets and it's been shooting well for me. If I revisit 6.5 Swede and RL22 I'll let you know.
I use IMR4350 quite a bit in other calibers but I haven't tried it in 6.5 Swede yet.
Very cool! I just got back from the range now. Blasted off a bunch of 357 and 44 mag.A bit brisk out there today, but I still popped off some of the 175g M118 LR pulls from American Reloading in 7.5 Swiss.
Fortunately, I snagged some Dynamit Nobel Nr 5620 primers and was able to return to service my GP11 brass. These primers aren't exactly suited for the GP11, as they have a shallow primer cup, but even seated fairly deeply, they all lit off just fine. Yippee!
Oh! My order came in yesterday from Norm in NM. I picked up some 6.5mm coated bullets for the Swede and some 200g RNFP for 45 Colt. The latter went directly atop some charged cases that have been waiting for quite awhile. I don't shoot this caliber, but a friend has a '94 lever chambered in this, so he will enjoy them.
Norm's product has kept me from even lighting up the Coleman Stove.
Let me know if you need any GP11 brass. I’ve been saving it since I just can’t scrap such nice looking brass.
Thanks Andrew. I really have an adequate supply and I'm only using it as long as I have workable berdan primers.
I know what you mean about being reluctant to toss it. Too bad the primers weren't readily available for more Swiss shooters to reuse this fine brass.
I'd think some dealer/FFL could monopolize the berdan primer business, if they could get an exclusive USA distributorship from Murom, D-N, whomever?
Most reloaders wouldn't bother with berdan-primed cases, but many would love to have that option, were they available, affordably, in the US.
I know what you mean about being reluctant to toss it. Too bad the primers weren't readily available for more Swiss shooters to reuse this fine brass.
I'd think some dealer/FFL could monopolize the berdan primer business, if they could get an exclusive USA distributorship from Murom, D-N, whomever?
Most reloaders wouldn't bother with berdan-primed cases, but many would love to have that option, were they available, affordably, in the US.
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quinnjalan
NES Member
After 7 months of working on our house renovation I finally got some time on my "Safe Space"...pun most definitely intended. The reloading base is an old Hamilton drafting table base that goes up and down thanks to a worm screw and electric motor. The base got shorter in length and narrowed a bit to better fit in my safe space. Im going to be able to walk around it when its in it's final resting place. I'm too old for reaching around to the back side of anything! The top is a piece of 5/8" aluminum plate I picked up on FB Marketplace. I still need to bolt down the top and then I can finally set up the reloader and start rolling my own ammo again. Clearly, I still need to tidy up my space but it's moving in the right direction.
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Eric H
NES Member
So, I spent last night in my buddies reloading room discussing his recent excitement. If anyone follows the General Discussion subforum, they might have been aware of the recent local negligent discharge thread. Well I happen to know that guy, good friend of mine actually, and he is doing a-okay and supremely embarassed.
Why am I sharing that here? Well he was shooting his reloads that day with some Blue Bullet powder coated projectiles, and maybe something is wrong with me, but I felt compelled to show you guys that the powder coating held up VERY well outside of where it finally struck the concrete floor.
Why am I sharing that here? Well he was shooting his reloads that day with some Blue Bullet powder coated projectiles, and maybe something is wrong with me, but I felt compelled to show you guys that the powder coating held up VERY well outside of where it finally struck the concrete floor.
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I am glad it sounds as though his ego got the worst of it. Thanks for sharing.
Eric H
NES Member
It was definitely an abrupt eye opening experience. Complacency kills people all the time, he was very fortunate. An inch higher, would have lost a toe and an inch lower would have gone into his thigh.
Always be sure to clear your path to the reholster, there is no need to rush it.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I use the Winchester data for W296/H110. 18.5 gr with the 125 gr JHP. Fills the case to at least 90% under the bullet. Worked well for years in my Python and Little Jack's Marlin lever gun. More is better than too little for a controlled burn vs a detonation. Jack.
Thanks Andrew. I really have an adequate supply and I'm only using it as long as I have workable berdan primers.
I know what you mean about being reluctant to toss it. Too bad the primers weren't readily available for more Swiss shooters to reuse this fine brass.
I'd think some dealer/FFL could monopolize the berdan primer business, if they could get an exclusive USA distributorship from Murom, D-N, whomever?
Most reloaders wouldn't bother with berdan-primed cases, but many would love to have that option, were they available, affordably, in the US.
How are you depriming your berdan brass?
I did about 1500 berdan .308 a couple of years ago. I made a tool out of a hardened masonary nail to pierce and hook the primer out. The brass is inserted in a hole in the bench top. It worked out very well without deforming the anvil.
I got a supply of berdan primers back in 2013 from Powder Valley.
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