What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Try running some Sharpie on a loaded round and once you started to feel resistance just try to give it a spin in the chamber. You should see where the interference is where the sharpie rubbed off.


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I shot my cast loads....rain,fog,sweat,tears and still not a bad day. I shot the 1903a3 with cast loads.
CMP shoot. Need to fine tune my zero with these loads. Did well for not being able to see the bullet holes in the target.through the rain. My 5 sighters where not consistent enough to really get a good bead on my poi. Still pulled a 408/500/2X shooting lefty. Off hand was awful as usual.
More later.
 
andrew1220 said:
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.
Click to expand...

Was inspired by this to sort through my bucket of 9mm. Surprisingly found only one .380 but pulled out a bunch of crimped WCC that have been a pain in my ass lately.
 
Loaded up some more of the Lehigh Defense .300BLK bullets for further testing. Got a chance to go out and shoot the 78 grain and 110 grain the other day. No significant pressure signs, everything cycled fine, the 110's grouped poorly until I got close to max, have a few other graduations loaded up to try to nail down the OCW next time I go out. Same with the 78's - only had 50 of them, so I'm trying to be sparing, but gotta do what I gotta do to make sure I'm loading the best (and safest) charge. With those 78's intended for close quarters, I don't NEED a tack driver workup - but it makes no sense to me to just not bother working up an accurate load - that's at least half the fun of it for me. That's why I like the .300BLK - so many different ways to load for it.
 
Here are the silhouette 357 bullets. View attachment 140232
I'm pretty sure it's a diameter issue as Michael mentioned. I tried the bullets in different headstamp brass and some chambered fine (PMC) and some didn't (federal). But I don't know how many times some of these were fired so the brass thickness will vary of course.

Anyway if I run it through the FCD a couple times it's fine.
 
my results of my recent loads.
160 gn .310" gas checked tumble lube design with 16 grains 2400. 1903a3 iron sights 100 yards. shot in NRA CMP service rifle format.
Last weekend I tested these loads from a rifle rest @ 100 yards and 5 5 shot groups where from 1.8"-2.5" so this round is capable of shooting well enough to score well on these targets.... I just did not put the rounds where they needed to go. Did a 8mm mauser cast test today but that didnt do as well.

8mm 5 shots no idea where the 5th shot went. this was with 30 grains of H4895, the other 5 shot group was awful not going there.


1903a3 shot with sling prone, prone rapid and sitting rapid. Standing off hand again awful not going there.

prone rapid


prone slow


rapid sitting


all in all i shot a 408/500 which is about my average for this rifle even with match FMJ HPs
load has potential now i just need to deliver.
 
mac1911 said:
my results of my recent loads.
160 gn .310" gas checked tumble lube design with 16 grains 2400. 1903a3 iron sights 100 yards. shot in NRA CMP service rifle format.
Last weekend I tested these loads from a rifle rest @ 100 yards and 5 5 shot groups where from 1.8"-2.5" so this round is capable of shooting well enough to score well on these targets.... I just did not put the rounds where they needed to go. Did a 8mm mauser cast test today but that didnt do as well.

8mm 5 shots no idea where the 5th shot went. this was with 30 grains of H4895, the other 5 shot group was awful not going there.


1903a3 shot with sling prone, prone rapid and sitting rapid. Standing off hand again awful not going there.

prone rapid


prone slow


rapid sitting


all in all i shot a 408/500 which is about my average for this rifle even with match FMJ HPs
load has potential now i just need to deliver.
Click to expand...

Nicely done. Sounds like all that testing and casting really paid off.
 
andrew1220 said:
Nicely done. Sounds like all that testing and casting really paid off.
Click to expand...

getting any of these old surplus rifles shooting 2 moa-ish is always good. Im not sure how much I can improve on the a3 ? Although I cant hold 2moa very often.
especially rapid fire and off hand. shooting good scores into a 6" black bull with irons is not exactly easy with surplus rifles.....its even more fun trying with your own reloads and home dropped bullets. I plan on shooting this load in a 200 yard match july 12th at old colony. hope I can do as well. actually I should do better will be using CMP rules. using the SR target for all positions
 
andrew1220 said:
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.
Click to expand...

356 is right for either 9 or 38 sup. CZ's take 356 (you can slug and confirm if your barrel is 0.355 or 0.356)

it is vital to both measure the headspace in your barrel with a bullet and also do a plunk test.


in my CM, 1.105 for RMR bullets and 1.075 for HAP and XTP. I then back off roughly 0.01 for safety and loading variance due to bullets or cases.

If you are interested, a LGS can ream a CZ barrel for 10 to 20 dollars and open it up to standard 0al lengths. Has not bothered me because I don't do 9 mm major or extra hot loads. I would still recommend checking OAL with a bullet and calipers in your barrel and doing the plunk test with an empty round (no primer or powder).
 
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glockerblogger said:
356 is right for either 9 or 38 sup. CZ's take 356 (you can slug and confirm if your barrel is 0.355 or 0.356)

it is vital to both measure the headspace in your barrel with a bullet and also do a plunk test.

in my CM, 1.055 for RMR bullets and 1.075 for HAP and XTP. I then back off roughly 0.01 for safety and loading variance due to bullets or cases.

If you are interested, a LGS can ream a CZ barrel for 10 to 20 dollars and open it up to standard 0al lengths. Has not bothered me because I don't do 9 mm major or extra hot loads. I would still recommend checking OAL with a bullet and calipers in your barrel and doing the plunk test with an empty round (no primer or powder).
Click to expand...

Okay good to know. Ya it doesn't bother me either since I'm not running hot loads anyway. I did some testing and 1.11" seemed to be about the max for proper feeding and extracting. So I seated them a little deeper to 1.105" for the loading variances (as you do also).

Well you've convinced me to order some .356 bullets to try. Another NES member and I are going to split some Zero .356 125 gr JHP bullets. I've had great luck/accuracy with Zero bullets in 357 mag and 9mm (.355") and they're a little cheaper than the HAP bullets. I can get them for $109 per 1000 shipped.

BTW, I sold my S&W 1911 9mm pro series on Saturday and I'm currently trying to sell my Rem 1100 12g shotgun to help pay for a new Dan Wesson PM9 I ordered last week. I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Can't. Friggen. Wait.
 
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andrew1220 said:
Okay good to know. Ya it doesn't bother me either since I'm not running hot loads anyway. I did some testing and 1.11" seemed to be about the max for proper feeding and extracting. So I seated them a little deeper to 1.105" for the loading variances (as you do also).

Well you've convinced me to order some .356 bullets to try. Another NES member and I are going to split some Zero .356 125 gr JHP bullets. I've had great luck/accuracy with Zero bullets in 357 mag and 9mm (.355") and they're a little cheaper than the HAP bullets. I can get them for $109 per 1000 shipped.

BTW, I sold my S&W 1911 9mm pro series on Saturday and I'm currently trying to sell my Rem 1100 12g shotgun to help pay for a new Dan Wesson PM9 I ordered last week. I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Can't. Friggen. Wait.
Click to expand...

The PM-9 is a sweet gun but make sure you chamber check ammo. It will jam on stuff all my other 9s digest with ease.
 
andrew1220 said:
Oh really. Is it picky with OAL and round nose vs hollow point?
Click to expand...

Not picky that way. With some brass (like CBC that gets thicker a bit closer to the case mouth than most) and long bullets (I usually use 147s) there's a very slight bulge in the case at the base of the bullet. Almost invisible and won't keep the rounds from chambering in most guns, but causes a major jam in my PM-9 with the case stuck in the chamber and the slide slightly OOB. Took a while to figure out it was al related to a single type of brass.

Great guns though - easily my most accurate 1911.
 
Probably posted this somewhere else in this forum, but I've noticed the Freedom Munitions brass (I believe it is their product...?) has a shoulder inside the case...

Head stamp: *IMT* 9mm Luger

How about a .310" diameter 130gr shot-filled and 200gr lead-core JSWC?
Works great in 7.62x54R and presumably in 7.7 Jap and .303 British.


 
Did some cleaning and organizing. Started setting up my new Hornady LNL. Took a few minutes to load some .44 MAG 240gr with H110, did some at 21.5gr and some at 23gr.
 
Reloaded the same 29 cases several times today and now I'm just about out of bullets and berdan primers...

7.5x55mm GP-11 brass with X-Treme 150gr PFN.
 
Well, being in an apartment, I don't have a reloading room. However, I did just finish up my portable reloading station last night. It won't be on the cover of fine woodworking, but it's good enough with the minimal tools of an apartment. Maybe I'll try and make one with handmade dovetails during the winter.

P0wllxS.jpg
 
I finished off the loading the last of my Xtreme 158 gr RN 38 cal bullets on top of 4.2 gr of Bullseye for some light 357 mag loads. My plan/goal for this week/weekend is to load some 9mm with newly acquired zero 125 gr JHPs using N320 powder.
 
andrew1220 said:
I finished off the loading the last of my Xtreme 158 gr RN 38 cal bullets on top of 4.2 gr of Bullseye for some light 357 mag loads. My plan/goal for this week/weekend is to load some 9mm with newly acquired zero 125 gr JHPs using N320 powder.
Click to expand...

Come to think of it, andrew1220, I do possess the RCBS 180gr SIL mold, but I rarely cast with it. It doesn't help you anyways being that I'm in SE CT.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...m-358-diameter-180-grain-silhouette-gas-check
Works in .35 Remington, too.
 
andrew1220 said:
I finished off the loading the last of my Xtreme 158 gr RN 38 cal bullets on top of 4.2 gr of Bullseye for some light 357 mag loads. My plan/goal for this week/weekend is to load some 9mm with newly acquired zero 125 gr JHPs using N320 powder.
Click to expand...

Let me know how they shoot! Will you be attending Woburn's IDPA on the 4th?
 
tysdad115 said:
Let me know how they shoot! Will you be attending Woburn's IDPA on the 4th?
Click to expand...

Ya I'm like 90% sure I'll be attending the match on Saturday. I hope I can test these loads between now and Saturday. I'll definitely let you know how they shoot! I'll make sure to bring your 2k bullets.
 
I looked for my RCBS hand chamfer/deburring tool last night and today. I have torn my shop apart looking for it. It is usually in a drawer that has case prep tools in it. I used it only a few days ago.

We all know what will happen...as soon as I buy a new one, I will find the lost one. [sad2]

The thing that pisses me off is this was about 25 years old. I've been told the new RCBS ones are made in China and nowhere near as well made.

EDIT: AHA! I found it! It was in a bucket of 223 brass. I must've tossed it in there when I was cleaning the place up after a reloading spree. Yay! I saved me $20.
 
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PappyM3 said:
Well, being in an apartment, I don't have a reloading room. However, I did just finish up my portable reloading station last night. It won't be on the cover of fine woodworking, but it's good enough with the minimal tools of an apartment. Maybe I'll try and make one with handmade dovetails during the winter.

P0wllxS.jpg
Click to expand...

Very nice and job well done. Have fun reloading with that great setup.
 

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