What did you do in the reloading room recently?

I sold off all my zinc and steel wheel weights recently which more or less paid for all my casting equipment and then some. So at this point my cast bullets are free. I have maybe 800lbs of ignots to go through before I need to smelt more wheel weights down. I can smelt approx 500+ lbs with one 20# tank.
As time goes on I will work up a plain base load for my rifles. Right now I want at least 200 yard accuracy ( my accuracy standard is me and rifle keeping them inside the 13" bull of a SR target @ 200 yards) Plain base will save me a few cents per round. I may have to invest in a gas check maker ?
By today's cost of supplies I gave a 20 cent per round price.
I'm sitting on primers I paid 15$/1000 H4895 18$/lb and gas checks well they are pricey....18$/1000
Most recently I paid 26$/1000 for 8mm
It's fun and the powder puff loads are a hoot. Trailboss with a 200 grain slug makes a good milk jug explorer plus the younger shooters can shoot the big guns with out worries.
That's a lot of lead. I never seem to get that much together. I shoot it all too fast. I never understood how people could stock pile when shooting is so fun.
Casting is really the best step I took other than reloading. You cut your costs down to nothing especially with rifle loads. What does 8mm loaded ammo sell for at retail?

QUOTE=Fixxah;4535294]Mihec makes incredible products. I have a hollow point mold for 45/70 cast and they are top of the line.[/QUOTE]
Yes he does. I have one of his brass 454-200 hollow point molds and it's been running strong for over 3 years and tens of thousands of bullets. Sometimes I wish I would have picked up the solid
Instead of the HP because it's just for target shooting. The solids cast faster. Then again it's a beautiful looking bullet with that HP


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That's a lot of lead. I never seem to get that much together. I shoot it all too fast. I never understood how people could stock pile when shooting is so fun.
Casting is really the best step I took other than reloading. You cut your costs down to nothing especially with rifle loads. What does 8mm loaded ammo sell for at retail?

QUOTE=Fixxah;4535294]Mihec makes incredible products. I have a hollow point mold for 45/70 cast and they are top of the line.
Yes he does. I have one of his brass 454-200 hollow point molds and it's been running strong for over 3 years and tens of thousands of bullets. Sometimes I wish I would have picked up the solid
Instead of the HP because it's just for target shooting. The solids cast faster. Then again it's a beautiful looking bullet with that HP


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I don't shoot as much anymore. Was nothing for me to shoot @ least 10k rounds a year before the twins where born. Past 4 years I'm lucky to shoot 100 rounds a month.
Although lead intake was a little slow at first I have a small net work of friends I have come to work with. I trade brass with one guy for his lead. I have a small consistent flow from work.
The zinc and steel weights are close to 50% of what I get in the buckets of wheel weights. last 4 years or so. It took me 2 years to accumulate 250lbs of zinc and about 100 lbs of steel.
I all in all my intake is more than I shoot. On average I collect about 350-500lbs of useable lead a year. Was shooting about 300lbs+ now I'm down to about 100lbs. Although now that I'm finding accurate loads I will shoot more cast than jacketed. Heck so far cast is more accurate in my 1903a3, 303 British and my 91/30 by a good margin and much cheaper.

Then recently a gent came in the shop looking for zinc wheel weights. Right out of the gate says he will pay 80 cents lb for 200lbs or more. SOLD he says he makes cannon balls.
 
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kids have a way of taking your shooting time away.
it will lighten up in a few years. maybe

thats a great price for zinc. do you sell it in wheel weight form or do you smelt it and ingot it?
 
kids have a way of taking your shooting time away.
it will lighten up in a few years. maybe

thats a great price for zinc. do you sell it in wheel weight form or do you smelt it and ingot it?

Wheel weights.... he says it's running 2$/lb+ for ignots. Gave me 10cents lb for steel.
 
I just gave away a 5 gallon bucket of zinc weights.
I'll make sure to keep all them from now on.
My buddy was using the zinc weights cut up and shoved down the bore of a muzzle loader (with a shot cup)
Made some interesting holes in the target. So he got all of them.
I had some ingots but melted them down and cast zinc slugs for the same friend.


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I just gave away a 5 gallon bucket of zinc weights.
I'll make sure to keep all them from now on.
My buddy was using the zinc weights cut up and shoved down the bore of a muzzle loader (with a shot cup)
Made some interesting holes in the target. So he got all of them.
I had some ingots but melted them down and cast zinc slugs for the same friend.


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I was using zinc in my 12g 1oz Lee slug mold. Worked fine.... I got another 2 buckets to sort through plus I'm do for my annual meet with my brass guy.
 
I just gently placed a new 8# jug of titegroup on the shelf! I've been hunting for more W231, but only found titegroup. I guess I'll be working on some new .38, .45 and 9mm loads for the next few months.
 
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I just gently placed a new 8# jug of titegroup on the shelf! I've been hunting for more W231, but only found titegroup. I guess I'll be working on some new .38, .45 and 9mm loads for the next few months.

Nice. I know Shooters Outpost had 8lb jugs of HP38/231 last time I was up there a few weeks ago. Didn't catch a price though. I've been plenty satisfied with Titegroup in 9mm.

Just loaded the last of the X-treme heavy plate concave base RN 124 gr bullets and 124 gr HPs last night. The plan for tonight or this weekend is to load some 180 gr XTPs I just got for 357 mag, 180 gr 357 cast lead SP silhouette bullets, and some 180 gr XTP for 44 mag.
 
I thought I mentioned these .38 Special heavyweights before, perhaps another thread...
In any event, I loaded up a few more in hopes of making it to a pin shoot this Sunday.
These are not for .38 Special revolvers, since the COL is 1.640" (fit to my revolver) and they are loaded more toward .357 Magnum levels.

Lyman 358315 205gr
 
Nice. I know Shooters Outpost had 8lb jugs of HP38/231 last time I was up there a few weeks ago. Didn't catch a price though. I've been plenty satisfied with Titegroup in 9mm.

Just loaded the last of the X-treme heavy plate concave base RN 124 gr bullets and 124 gr HPs last night. The plan for tonight or this weekend is to load some 180 gr XTPs I just got for 357 mag, 180 gr 357 cast lead SP silhouette bullets, and some 180 gr XTP for 44 mag.

I picked it up at state line for $199, it was last 8# jug of pistol powder they had. It's definitely the best price, but it's still less than $0.02 of powder per round, so it's hard to complain. They did have some 1# jugs of pistol power and red dot if someones looking. Prices were ~ $24-28 per pound.

I've got ~ 3k of Berry plated 115gn and 1k of some Hornady 115gn (XTPs I think). So I'll be trying to work up a load for these hopefully in the next few weeks after I finish up the ~ 1/2 lb of w231 I have left.
 
I thought I mentioned these .38 Special heavyweights before, perhaps another thread...
In any event, I loaded up a few more in hopes of making it to a pin shoot this Sunday.
These are not for .38 Special revolvers, since the COL is 1.640" (fit to my revolver) and they are loaded more toward .357 Magnum levels.

Lyman 358315 205gr

damn 205 is a heavy bullet for 38s
must throw the pins when it connects
 
I thought I mentioned these .38 Special heavyweights before, perhaps another thread...
In any event, I loaded up a few more in hopes of making it to a pin shoot this Sunday.
These are not for .38 Special revolvers, since the COL is 1.640" (fit to my revolver) and they are loaded more toward .357 Magnum levels.

Lyman 358315 205gr

Nice......is bullet on right missing lube in top ring?
 
I thought I mentioned these .38 Special heavyweights before, perhaps another thread...
In any event, I loaded up a few more in hopes of making it to a pin shoot this Sunday.
These are not for .38 Special revolvers, since the COL is 1.640" (fit to my revolver) and they are loaded more toward .357 Magnum levels.

Lyman 358315 205gr

Penn Bullets makes a 230 GR wadcutter that works well on pins, but it's only good for the first load. I've got to load some revolver ammo for a pin shoot Sunday as well - going to try some 200 Gr RN in a 44 Russian case out of my 629.
 
Accurate lists that 230 at 855 fps. That's a respectable load for a 38+p
8 of them in a 627 could raise some hell


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Finished off the 50 rounds needed for CMP shoot tomorrow @ Hanson rod and gun 12noon
30-06 160 grain TL FP Custom mold from RanchDog ( originally designed for 30/30) no longer making molds but has NOE doing his designs. http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/
To shoot from my 1903a3 iron sights 100 yards NRA reduced targets.
Test loads for 8mm mauser shot from my 1944 K98
115_4093.jpg
8mm on left is traditional lube groove and lube with Whitelabel 2500+
30-06 on the right tumble lube design. I may or may not wipe lube from bullet?
It has not seemed to matter much. When the Liquid Alox dries it is not sticky so I tend to not bother "cleaning" the bullet tips.
 
Nice......is bullet on right missing lube in top ring?

No, actually the bullet on the left has lube in the crimp groove, but since I'm not seating these to the crimp groove, it could just be another lube groove. I ran these through the lubrisizer at different adjustments; some were intended for .35 Remington, I guess.
 
Penn Bullets makes a 230 GR wadcutter that works well on pins, but it's only good for the first load. I've got to load some revolver ammo for a pin shoot Sunday as well - going to try some 200 Gr RN in a 44 Russian case out of my 629.

230gr would be almost too much bullet in a .38. I load these .35 Remington bullets in .38 Special brass because they tend to bulge some .357 Magnum cases. Even the 185gr RNFNGC that my brother casts (LBT, I believe) is too broad a metplat to seat at the crimp groove in .357 Magnum brass; it tends to interfere with the cylinder throat. I see there's a Badman Pin bullet that's also 230gr...
http://www.badmanbullets.com/OnlineStore/images/38-230 WC.JPG

Glad to see someone else using .44 Russian. Seems to give the same performance as a .44 Special with less powder.
 
230gr would be almost too much bullet in a .38. I load these .35 Remington bullets in .38 Special brass because they tend to bulge some .357 Magnum cases. Even the 185gr RNFNGC that my brother casts (LBT, I believe) is too broad a metplat to seat at the crimp groove in .357 Magnum brass; it tends to interfere with the cylinder throat. I see there's a Badman Pin bullet that's also 230gr...
http://www.badmanbullets.com/OnlineStore/images/38-230 WC.JPG

Glad to see someone else using .44 Russian. Seems to give the same performance as a .44 Special with less powder.

So funny you mention this about the case bulging. That must explain why I had trouble chambering some 357 loads using 180 gr lead gas checked silhouette bullets (.358 diameter). I bought them as they were advertised as 38/.357 bullets. Most of the rounds wouldn't sit flush in the cylinder which obviously wouldn't allow me to close the cylinder.

I thought the cylinder was dirty so I cleaned it but that didn't seem to help a whole lot. Hmm
 
Update:
I ran each of the finished rounds through the Lee FCD about 10 times and now they're chambering okay.
 
andrew was it the diameter that was hanging up the rounds or was it the length?
i've found that sometimes the longer bullets seat out far (some designed for the 357 max) and won't chamber because of that
some when seated deep get into the thicker section of the case walls and thus give too fat of a round to chamber.
if the case mouse is .008" and 1/2" down the case where the base of the bullets sits is .013" then you're going to have an issue.
 
So funny you mention this about the case bulging. That must explain why I had trouble chambering some 357 loads using 180 gr lead gas checked silhouette bullets (.358 diameter). I bought them as they were advertised as 38/.357 bullets. Most of the rounds wouldn't sit flush in the cylinder which obviously wouldn't allow me to close the cylinder.

I thought the cylinder was dirty so I cleaned it but that didn't seem to help a whole lot. Hmm

If you're using that bullet with the broad metplat, it's probably binding on the cylinder throat. I seated them slightly past the crimp groove and they chambered fine.
 
Tested BE with 125 gr HAP with my CZechmate 9 mm - ladder with OAL 1.066 (0.01 less than plunk test for safety). 3.7 gr was the wunderload. Off hand (no rest), one inch black circle on a white paper target - the rounds were almost on top of each other, I had to pull the target close to confirm I was actually hitting it :) reasonably tempered shooting, not much recoil. Chalk one up for a keeper recipe!
 
:( and finally damaged the decapping sizing die on my Dillon 1050 after about 5K rounds loaded so far. I was loading at the rate of 30 rounds per minute, when bang - my very first jam on this wonderful machine on the downstroke. Some maneuvering later, the culprit - military brass with berdan primer. The decapping and sizing die still works (i loaded another 500 after) but it definitely sticks on the upstroke, so i will need to replace it before i start loading again. At the speed I load, perhaps it is an acceptable hazard - unless i am willing to inspect every case for the primer type before i chuck it into the case feeder.

IMG_0943.jpgIMG_0942.JPG
 
:( and finally damaged the decapping sizing die on my Dillon 1050 after about 5K rounds loaded so far. I was loading at the rate of 30 rounds per minute, when bang - my very first jam on this wonderful machine on the downstroke. Some maneuvering later, the culprit - military brass with berdan primer. The decapping and sizing die still works (i loaded another 500 after) but it definitely sticks on the upstroke, so i will need to replace it before i start loading again. At the speed I load, perhaps it is an acceptable hazard - unless i am willing to inspect every case for the primer type before i chuck it into the case feeder.

View attachment 140147View attachment 140148

Yep that will do it. I always look at the headstamp for 9mm before I put it in the shell holder on my LNL press. I've caught 1 .380 case, and probably a dozen military cases (WCC headstamp) in the 3k-4k 9mm rounds I've made. It doesn't take too much time to look at the headstamp so I figured it's worth it for me to do. YMMV.
 
Tested BE with 125 gr HAP with my CZechmate 9 mm - ladder with OAL 1.066 (0.01 less than plunk test for safety). 3.7 gr was the wunderload. Off hand (no rest), one inch black circle on a white paper target - the rounds were almost on top of each other, I had to pull the target close to confirm I was actually hitting it :) reasonably tempered shooting, not much recoil. Chalk one up for a keeper recipe!

I've heard of a few IDPA shooters using the Hornady HAP bullets. I see they're .356 not .355 in diameter. So that's basically a 38 super bullet right?

I learned real quick that my CZ75 doesn't like HP rounds any longer than 1.11" or else it won't go into battery.
 
If you're using that bullet with the broad metplat, it's probably binding on the cylinder throat. I seated them slightly past the crimp groove and they chambered fine.

Yeah I'm not sure. I did notice a slight bulge in the case (down towards the end of where the bullet would be inside the case) but I seated them a little deeper like you did and that seemed to help. There was some very slight resistance when I closed the cylinder with a round inside but seems okay. I'll upload some photos later of the bullets.
 
Yeah I'm not sure. I did notice a slight bulge in the case (down towards the end of where the bullet would be inside the case) but I seated them a little deeper like you did and that seemed to help. There was some very slight resistance when I closed the cylinder with a round inside but seems okay. I'll upload some photos later of the bullets.

If the bullet base continues to bulge the brass, you may have to dedicate some .38 Special cases and load them to the same COL as the .357 Magnums and see what results you get. Obviously you won't be roll crimping into the crimp groove, if any, on that bullet.
I can't say if every brand of .38 Special and .357 Magnum brass conforms to exact standardized wall thicknesses, but you might find some that accept this bullet better than others.

BTW, shot off some easy-shooting 130gr LRNs in the K31 and decapped them and have them laying in the hot sunshine now. Will likely save these for some of the coated bullets I'll be ordering shortly. Darn, soon to exhaust my supply of LRBs, too!
 
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