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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
- Start date
gerrycaruso
NES Member
It was a rainy crappy day so I took a drive to Cabelas. They had no primers and almost no powder but I snagged 500 plated .45s. I came home and loaded them all for the trip to Maine. Who doesn't love blasting the shit out of something with a Thompson smg?
Andrew I have enough kerosene left to melt those down , we could have fun and just dump them in loaded and sit back and watch the show
View: https://youtube.com/shorts/v3-qZspKtZ0?feature=share
Nice!
How does it work with melting coated bullets? Does the coating and lead just melt and separate in the pot?
It separates. Skims right off.
I'll throw in some donor lead if you want to make a metric ass-ton of whatever. Just come by and get it before I hit the road.
I also have some stuff for your casting seminars @Michael J. Spangler
I have had coated mixed in with the range scrap , all the scum comes to the top after melt , I have not seen any problems with the coatings. If you have hundreds in one pot it might smoke a bit.
Loaded up my test rounds of 200 grain RNFPs over WST in 44 magnum and 45 ACP and shot them. The loads matched up pretty well, velocity wise, using the almost-wadcutter 1.375" COAL in 44 magnum and 1.225" in 45 ACP. For example, with 5.2 grains of WST, I got 854fps out of my 5.5" Blackhawk and 851fps out of my 4.25" S&W Model 69. Unfortunately, I'm not sure my Model 69 likes these bullets. Have not slugged the bore or measured the cylinder throats or anything. I will need to do more careful accuracy testing, maybe load some up over CFE Pistol or something at a normal COAL to see if the jump to the throat is a factor. But the Blackhawk seemed quite pleased with the .452" ones in the .45 ACP cylinder. I was wishing I had more loaded up more of those to plink with.
In the boneheaded department, I loaded up about 125 rounds before I wondered why the low primer alarm hadn’t sounded, and when I checked it was because I never put in a sleeve of primers. The loaded round bin was a bit messy with powder everywhere.
Now I have a reason to buy one of those collet bullet pullers to install in the single stage press I never thought I’d use…
Now I have a reason to buy one of those collet bullet pullers to install in the single stage press I never thought I’d use…
Ream the throats. Theres always 1 or 2 thats under.
I noticed my groups tightened up and the s.d. was more consistent, especially with lead/plated/coated.
Jim Poulette
NES Member
Thanks for the data. Can you elaborate as to why you believe the Model 69 doesn't like the RNFPs ? Was it just accuracy?
I ask because I'm looking at adding a 629 4.12" to the herd. Seems like the 2-5/8" will eat them up all day @800-900fps, both 240 and 200.
Accuracy alone, if that. "Believe" is too strong a word. "Suspect" is probably right, though even that seems too strong in hindsight. It's something I feel I need to look into. My purpose before was to gather velocity data. It's nice to get group size at the same time, but this was the first time I'd ever shot this powder at all, and I was entirely on my own for the 44 loads. I just didn't want to load up more than 3 rounds at each charge level until I had confirmed that velocity would be about what I was expecting. That's not enough for accuracy evaluation, IMHO, unless maybe we're talking about a hunting rifle with a lightweight sporter barrel where the only accuracy that matters is what you get from a cold barrel. At any rate, the groups with the Blackhawk were better. We're talking an average group size of 3" for the 69 at 25 yards versus 1.9" for the Blackhawk. However, a few "all me" factors might be involved here. Plus, I'm not sure I was managing to seat the bullets as straight in the 44's. There was obviously more resistance plus a longer bullet. I used the Lyman M-type flaring die, and it's always disappointed me with poor stability of the alignment of the bullet in the flared case, which ought to be something it does really well. The RCBS versions that I have in 38/357 and 45C works great by comparison.
Anyway, I'm holding off on any conclusions. I've loaded up some more rounds. I'm planning to do a better job of evaluating the accuracy next time with 44 magnum:
1. 200gr RNFP, 5.4 grains WST at 1.375" COAL
2. 200gr RNFP, 8.2 grains CFE Pistol crimped into the crimping groove (didn't measure but probably about 1.575" COAL).
3. 240gr TCFP, 9.2 grains Ultimate Pistol (circa 1000fps)
4. 240gr Speer FMJFP (Silhouette), 21 grains of N110.
This time the chronograph will stay at home, leaving me to concentrate on producing the smallest possible groups. Actually it has to for now because one of the wires to the 9v connector broke off as I was putting it away the other day, and I either need to solder it back or splice on a new connector.
pastera
NES Member
If you load on a progressive you either have or will in the future load a few rounds without primers.
Unless you figure out a way of mounting a primer detector at the powder drop station it's going to happen the question is how many before you check powder weight or COAL and find the issue
Apparently, in this case it was about 125…
Never again, until next time…
Jim Poulette
NES Member
Interesting. I find that the "push resistance" for primer insertion on the LNL AP is so pronounced - I actually can't imagine missing one. I also put a "red zone" on the fiber stick that holds the primers down in the tube - once I hit the "red zone" (assuming I see it I suppose) I stop and refill.
I wonder if Murphy heard me say that.......
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I prime separately then run through to powder, bullet and crimp.
Same with the 550B I run...my primer seater will actually ‘stick’ to the inside of the primer pocket if it didn’t insert a primer into it...that’s a tell-tale sign I drank too many beers before I started reloading, or maybe just forgot to put the weighted follower rod into the primer magazine tube.Interesting. I find that the "push resistance" for primer insertion on the LNL AP is so pronounced - I actually can't imagine missing one. I also put a "red zone" on the fiber stick that holds the primers down in the tube - once I hit the "red zone" (assuming I see it I suppose) I stop and refill.
I wonder if Murphy heard me say that.......
I often think about upgrading to a progressive press from my Lee Classic turret with the safety prime to get an extra couple of hundred rounds. per hour. Then I read something like this and reflect on how visual everything is on the turret press, and I still get good output per hour. Yet another time I will take the extra money I would've spent on another press and will buy more components and/or a gun(s}.
I used to prefer my single stage too, but my production with a progressive once it’s dialed in is at least 3x than with the single stage (assuming all brass is prepped). If you think about it, the amount of times your handling each case with a single stage is probably at least 3...if not more.
I've been meaning/planning to get a progressive for a long time, usually earmarking tax return funds for it, but I've still never done it. With competitions down (at least for me) and prices up, I've had less need to churn out 500 rounds of 9x19 in an evening, especially when those funds, as you mentioned, could be used for other things. I'm sure I'll get there someday, though.
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
It’s all about paying attention. If you have your eyes on stuff you usually do alright. Sometimes shit happens and for all your trying you’re still going to make mistakes.
A good progressive is always worth having on the bench.
BarnBuilder
NES Member
Single stage here for pistol and rifle…..love it. That is my pass time so speed is not necessary. Actually loaded sabot slug test loads today with the Lyman “pellet” slugs. Roll and star crimped, see which performs better. The Lightfield IDS I did the other day were pretty good. Sick of the high price for my 870 rifled barrel.
Got my delivery of 147 gr RN bullets today (only 2.5 weeks from ordering). Looks like they’ve changed the profile/ogive on these. They’re not as blunt or short and stubby as the old profile.
Photo shows the old on the left and new on the right. I’m guessing I’ll be able to load these longer in my CZ pistols. But won’t know until I make some dummy rounds and do the plunk test.
Photo shows the old on the left and new on the right. I’m guessing I’ll be able to load these longer in my CZ pistols. But won’t know until I make some dummy rounds and do the plunk test.
Add to that some rather aggressively loaded 44 specials:
5. 200gr RNFP, 6.5gr WST at 1.442”
6. 200gr RNFP, 7.0gr WST at 1.442”
WST might not have a published 44SP load because the upper end for 44SP is only 15.5K psi, but I only have magnums, so what do I care if the pressure comes out to 17K or whatever?
Same, but I know if I trained for and shot competitions, I’d have a big blue machine.
I plan to embrace my single stage for the first time as soon as my Hornady Cam-lock bullet puller arrives…
EddieZoom
NES Member
Interesting....I need to check the latest batch of 125's from Blue and compare to old.
Can you weigh those and put calipers to em?
I wonder if they reamed out an old for something else
