What did you do in the reloading room recently?

I've only run about 5 batches through my new one, and so far I love it. Absolutely one of my favorite purchases in a while. I went with the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler. It's not much louder than my HF tumbler, and when I close the door i can't hear it in any other room other than the kitchen, and that's only if no one is in there making noise like washing dishes or something. The amount of time I save and the ability to clean up a weekends worth of brass in one go makes it a great buy.

Awesome. I've read that many guys use food dehydrators to dry the brass afterwards? Sounds like a lot of work and $ just to dry brass.
 
Last night I loaded up 20 rounds of 7.62x54R with incremental reduced loads, loading 123 gn copper plated bullets and want the velocity below 2000 fps. Maybe tomorrow I will take the chrony out and test them.

123 gr plated bullets in x54r? Interesting. I'd like to hear how they shoot. What are you using for powder and what are you shooting these from? Mosin? SVT40? VEPR?
 
Awesome. I've read that many guys use food dehydrators to dry the brass afterwards? Sounds like a lot of work and $ just to dry brass.

I know some who use dehydrators that they picked up cheap at yard sales/Goodwill but I don't bother, seems pointless to me. I basically just use two old bath towls and just turn the overhead fan on. After I seperate the brass form the pins I dump the brass in one towl, close up the ends and alternate lifting each end of the towl about a dozen times or so. It shakes out the water from inside the brass and primer pockets, in addition to drying the outside pretty well. I then dump it all onto a second towel laid on on the floor under the ceiling fan. Using this method it is dry by the time the next batch is done (3 hours). If I'm ever in a hurry I could just put a box fan on the floor to blow over it and it would dry even quicker.
 
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I know some who use dehydrators that they picked up cheap at yard sales/Goodwill but I don't bother, seems pointless to me. I basically just use two old bath towls and just turn the overhead fan on. After I seperate the brass form the pins I dump the brass in one towl, close up the ends and alternate lifting each end of the towl about a dozen times or so. It shakes out the water from inside the brass and primer pockets, in addition to drying the outside pretty well. I then dump it all onto a second towel laid on on the floor under the ceiling fan. Using this method it is dry by the time the next batch is done (3 hours). If I'm ever in a hurry I could just put a box fan on the floor to blow over it and it would dry even quicker.

Nice process you got there. I'll have to consider a wet tumbler. Thanks.
 
Cool. I was commenting in that Woburn IDPA thread about what people were using for bullets/weights/shapes and M1911 said he was using the Zero 147 gr JHPs. I'm sure those are nice bullets but almost twice the cost of plated is tough to swallow unless they're grouping 1" at 50 yards lol. Maybe if you buy in bulk you can get the JHPs for a better price.

In matches I shoot Hornady 125gr HAP with 4.2gr Titegroup , is it worth the extra $? No idea, I still suck so I'm not sure the bullet makes that much of a difference in my case.
 
In matches I shoot Hornady 125gr HAP with 4.2gr Titegroup , is it worth the extra $? No idea, I still suck so I'm not sure the bullet makes that much of a difference in my case.

Ohh interesting. So you're shooting the plated X-treme/Rainier stuff for practice only? Not at matches?
 
Not in the reloading room yet today but will be tonight…repairing guitar amps, unfortunately. My reloading room doubles as my ham radio shack and my guitar amp repair bench as well as an assortment of bench mounted power tools.

Today I rough cut some ½” aluminum flatstock to make a riser for my RCBS Jr press (I just put my new 550B up on the strong mount and now I’m spoiled). One of the guys in the shop will final mill them for me to size (it’ll cost me some beer) and then I’ll have a “strongmount” for my RCBS.

This past weekend I loaded my first hundred 223 rounds on my 550B and it went very smoothly.

I have never owned a case gauge until last week…now I know why my 223 rounds were a bit sticky in the chamber. I turned the sizing die down about 3/4s of a turn and the case dropped into the gauge flush. I cycled a couple of the new rounds in my AR and smooth as butter.

Hopefully I'll be reloading a bit later on in the week.
 
I have never owned a case gauge until last week…now I know why my 223 rounds were a bit sticky in the chamber. I turned the sizing die down about 3/4s of a turn and the case dropped into the gauge flush. I cycled a couple of the new rounds in my AR and smooth as butter.

If you're using the L.E. Wilson variety h/s case gauge (don't know about Lyman or Sheridan), remember, this isn't meant to measure case diameter dimensions accurately, but rather shoulder and case length. Neck-sized cases that are too fat to chamber in an AR properly may slip into the Wilson gauge as advertised.

Some discussion about this is on the link below...
http://www.300blktalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85899

Cheers!

Oh... just sized and lubed the last of my Lyman 311410 plinking bullets and loaded a box each in .308 and .30-06 for some easy-shooting fun!
This bullet can work in many .30 calibers at various COLs:


 
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123 gr plated bullets in x54r? Interesting. I'd like to hear how they shoot. What are you using for powder and what are you shooting these from? Mosin? SVT40? VEPR?

The 123 grainer, typically used in the 7.62x39mm, is perfectly okay in the 54R, too. Heck, I've loaded the 18gr plastic riot bullet in 54R, but I doubt it would be practical in much beyond a bolt gun. They are plenty accurate and they work in rifle bowling pin matches.
In a bolt gun, your primary objective is to have the bullet clear the barrel, not cycle any action. Yes, you could argue, why have a mil-surp be as powerful as a Daisy BB gun?, but sometimes milder shooting loads are just what the doctor ordered.

On the other end of the spectrum, how about a 210 grain JSWC?
 
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Loaded about 50 .45ACP last night and 50 rounds of .223 for bench shooting on Friday fun day.

I'm just happy I figured out why I was crushing my .45 cases. Ruined about 10 cases and 7 projectiles before I got it, lol.

Today I'll probably read a couple new links and obsess over little details I don't need to worry about until I'm a better shot, lol.
 
reloading room is in continuous production 24/7 since i've been out of work. light is never shut off. wake up to pee in the middle of the night, wonder in and crank out 20 rds. before heading back to bed of whatever i'm set up for at the time. usually 45 acp, 9mm or 5.56. production, production, production. always in production now.
 
For me, the thread would be more aptly titled "this month" instead of "today", but just this past weekend, I loaded up about 200 9mm with W231 and got the primers ready for 200 more when I can find time. With 2 kids, a puppy, a non-shooting wife, work, and some other hobbies, reloading and shooting don't always make the cut when figuring out the schedule.
 
If you're using the L.E. Wilson variety h/s case gauge (don't know about Lyman or Sheridan), remember, this isn't meant to measure case diameter dimensions accurately, but rather shoulder and case length. Neck-sized cases that are too fat to chamber in an AR properly may slip into the Wilson gauge as advertised.

Some discussion about this is on the link below...
http://www.300blktalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85899

Cheers!

Thanks...I'll check out that thread. The base of the case was proud of the max height part (don't know what else to call it)...I went on Dillon's site (it's a Dillon case gauge) and one of the comments was if that happens, turn the die CW a bit until the base of the case sits at least flush with the max height indicator. I did that and the case dropped to flush.
 
Haha, I can only imagine what my basement is going to look like after another 10-20 years of reloading. Not too cramped now but only been buying components and reloading for the last few years.

Get married have a few kids and slowly loose "your" space.... I'm ready to crawl into the crevis between the burner and the wall in hopes I can at least be left alone for 30 min to get some reloading done.
I getting to tired staying up late reloading.
 
Loaded about 50 .45ACP last night and 50 rounds of .223 for bench shooting on Friday fun day.

I'm just happy I figured out why I was crushing my .45 cases. Ruined about 10 cases and 7 projectiles before I got it, lol.

Today I'll probably read a couple new links and obsess over little details I don't need to worry about until I'm a better shot, lol.

I've been occasionally crushing 357 mag casemouths when they go into the expander die. I think it's because the case rims are beat to s*** from my Coonan 357 and it's not going in straight into the die. Or it could be from the spring that goes around the shell plate. It was all kinked and stretched out. This is on a Hornady LNL progressive.
 
For me, the thread would be more aptly titled "this month" instead of "today", but just this past weekend, I loaded up about 200 9mm with W231 and got the primers ready for 200 more when I can find time. With 2 kids, a puppy, a non-shooting wife, work, and some other hobbies, reloading and shooting don't always make the cut when figuring out the schedule.

Kids are gone for the most part, so are the pets. I still work, wife puts up with all my hobbies, and the only thing that gets in the way of my reloading is me. Shot a local 200 yard "across the course" match two weeks ago and it felt like the old days, loading for my son and I and getting smoked by he who hasn't shot in two years.

Brass is tumbled and I plan to size and trim if necessary by the time the weekend is over. Will clean the lube off in work next week and them load so I can shoot Westfield in June. If I got off my lazy butt and prepped, I would shoot the Mass Memorial this weekend with a friend that plans to shoot but it's just not happening. Ya, just me getting in the way. I need to start shooting again to finish off the Distinguished. That and I hate the thought of dying with so many reloading components in stock!

Aside from all the crap on my reloading bench, I have no excuse.
 
I've been occasionally crushing 357 mag casemouths when they go into the expander die. I think it's because the case rims are beat to s*** from my Coonan 357 and it's not going in straight into the die. Or it could be from the spring that goes around the shell plate. It was all kinked and stretched out. This is on a Hornady LNL progressive.

It's a belling issue on my end I'm 99% sure. Finally got it figured out.

My favorite mistake so far is not switching the belling die out for the seating die, and cramming a bullet so far into the case I couldn't pull it... Going in the dud box Friday. I had a bad night last week and probably had 6 mistakes out of 50... I called it quits 5 mistakes too late lol.
 
I've been occasionally crushing 357 mag casemouths when they go into the expander die. I think it's because the case rims are beat to s*** from my Coonan 357 and it's not going in straight into the die. Or it could be from the spring that goes around the shell plate. It was all kinked and stretched out. This is on a Hornady LNL progressive.

My .38/.357 die set is Lyman. Using a single-stage RC.
I know that if you don't have the case fully into the shell holder (sometimes it sticks to my finger and slides out slightly), it will catch the expander punch and simply crush the case. If you don't totally destroy the case, it gets trimmed for .38 Special use.

Just have to find alternate uses...e.g. .30-06 cases can be trimmed down to 7.7 Jap, 7.65 Arg., 8x57, .308 Winchester, then .44 Auto Mag and, ultimately, into .45 ACP shot shells. What brass shortage?
 
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My .38/.357 die set is Lyman. Using a single-stage RC.
I know that if you don't have the case fully into the shell holder (sometimes it sticks to my finger and slides out slightly), it will catch the expander punch and simply crush the case. If you don't totally destroy the case, it gets trimmed for .38 Special use.

I'm quite sure this is the problem. I've installed a new shellholder spring which hopefully will have more tension to keep the case straight.
 
Not today, but got some stuff done over the past week or so. I got a Tri Way trimmer and an RCBS swaging tool within a couple of days of each other and case prep has become a joy to do. Did some houskeeping type stuff- cleaned and lubed the 650 and the Hornady single stage, pulled a bunch of mistakes and dummy/set-up rounds that had been lying around for a while, got the bench cleared off and organized, came up with a checklist and printed up a bunch to help keep batches better organized. Also picked up a bunch of primers last week. Loaded up just under 300 115gr 9mm last night.
 
Not today, but got some stuff done over the past week or so. I got a Tri Way trimmer and an RCBS swaging tool within a couple of days of each other and case prep has become a joy to do. Did some houskeeping type stuff- cleaned and lubed the 650 and the Hornady single stage, pulled a bunch of mistakes and dummy/set-up rounds that had been lying around for a while, got the bench cleared off and organized, came up with a checklist and printed up a bunch to help keep batches better organized. Also picked up a bunch of primers last week. Loaded up just under 300 115gr 9mm last night.

What brand of 9mm bullets are you using? Which powder? Just curious to hear what others use for components.
 
The 123 grainer, typically used in the 7.62x39mm, is perfectly okay in the 54R, too. Heck, I've loaded the 18gr plastic riot bullet in 54R, but I doubt it would be practical in much beyond a bolt gun. They are plenty accurate and they work in rifle bowling pin matches.
In a bolt gun, your primary objective is to have the bullet clear the barrel, not cycle any action. Yes, you could argue, why have a mil-surp be as powerful as a Daisy BB gun?, but sometimes milder shooting loads are just what the doctor ordered.

On the other end of the spectrum, how about a 210 grain JSWC?

The 123 grain bullets shot quite well, My lightest load clocked in at ~ 1300 FPS, at 50 yards they were about 6" low, the heaviest load was at ~ 1750 FPS and the group moved up to about 1.5" low. I used H380 powder, started at 24 gn and worked up to 28 gn. I can still push them a bit harder to get to 2000 FPS and expect the group to be very near dead center.
 
Unique, I get pretty good accuracy out of my Super Blackhawk with it, seems very consistent. Burns relatively clean, but I did dial this load back, so we'll see.

Cool. I've yet to try Unique. I've got a bunch of 2400 and H110/296 which is great for full house magnum loads. I've tried Bullseye for lighter loads which seemed to work well too.
 
Cool. I've yet to try Unique. I've got a bunch of 2400 and H110/296 which is great for full house magnum loads. I've tried Bullseye for lighter loads which seemed to work well too.


Thanks, I did shoot a few today (~20 yards):



44 Mag on the left,Hornady XTP 240 grain, Unique 9.8 grains. Pretty light load, very manageable. Cases were very clean.
44 Special on the right, Hornady 240 grain SWC HP, Bullseye 4.0. Extremely light load, cases pretty dirty. Felt like shooting a .22, especially out of a Super Blackhawk with a 10.5 inch barrel. I made this load for my wife so she could tell all her friends she shot a .44 lol
 
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