Rant Mode; ON

[Hamish]

Rant mode; ON; GOTO LINE 2

(And he draws a deep breath)
OK, SSDD, I am about to get #%$*&^@! It's not like I decided early this morning to start sticking new bullets in old cases. It's not even like I decided last week to stuff self made boolits in old cases!

How did I ever get by so long shooting 7TCU, and 30-30 in Contender and .357 and .45 without a problem by sizing and lubing in a nose punch lube sizer with easily accessable loading data? It boggles the mind.

I have known about reduced powder loads for alot of years, but used them in pistolas, not the gewehr, thank you very much.

Want a whole lotta loads for (maybe) all de firearms in the house? Buy surplus powder! Um, wait a minute, remember how you used to use a chronogragh hot-rodding your bow in the '90's to wring every last foot per second out of it so you be competetive in 3D? Guess what, 'yer just wagglin 'yer butt in the wind if you don't use a chronogragh to build a load. I've read about since I was old enough to read about it in the gun rags at the barber shop, I understand, powder volume means squat, intertwine FPS mathematically (I can spout ballistics all you want, I still hate math, even though it IS my friend) with pressure to safely, sanely, find the high, low, and yellow brick road for a 'spacifical arm/round.

How did I get by all this time with the 7TCU and 30-30; shooting boolits, with seating in the normal j word manner? I guess I just took it for granted and did'nt think about the fact that the 357 and 45 had to have their mouths belled to poke a boolit in. Well, back to MidwayUSA, once again this week, (Serious as a heart attack, The Grand Architect of the Universe bless my SWMBO, she's never questioned one dime I've spent on toy's.) and order a universal case mouth die, and uh, oh yeah, you better order the factory crimp dies you figured you'd never, ever need, too, cause boolits falling into the case mouth is'nt going to go away buddy.

How blissfully ignorant I was, all those years, thinking that my .284, .309, and .358 boolits were *just right* dropped out of the mold onto a wet t-shirt on the bench, but, darn it, that .45 mold is *bad*, cause it's making out of round boolits. Oh well, size it and Bob's your uncle, right?

*WRONG* Water quenching? Hey, that's for Lead, too? Far Out!! Why do my bullets go *clink* now?? What do you mean I better put 'em through the sizer now instead of tommorow 'cause I might break my loading bench trying to push them through? Hardness tester, yes I know about those, yessir. I'll buy one later, I make my boolits out of boolits from the pistol berm, thank you.

Hmm, I keep reading about learning about adjusting the tin, antimony, lead, arsenic, parrafin, sawdust, 2 scoops of vanilla, bananas, nuts, 2 cherries, caramel, oops, sorry,,,, It seems I can never hope to drop a decent boolit again unless I learn Alchemy, darn it,,,,

You's guy's gotta understand, I'm too bi-polar to take much more of this! I am perfectly able to contemplate the sun, the moon, the alignment of the stars, the perfect concentricities the components, the very lightness of being that the mass of each seperate piece enjoys, and the final step on the ladder of karma that *is* the perfectly assembled collection of perfect parts. I just wanted to sling lead down the range on the rare day's that I even feel good enough to go to the range, let alone outside the back door.

My head is whirling, the boolits, the boolits,,,,,,

Borehumpingsemiroundheadedleadeingladygalenagallum phingohthehumanityofitall,,,,

I would like to address any personage of newness that is reading of my wordage at this place and time. Do *not* change more than one data point in the equation at any time. Doing so will likely render things to puppy brownies.

Some of this was to vent frustration, some to make both you and me smile, (I know I hit several nails on the head here, DAMHIKT), I know I did.[smilie=p:

Ok, time to make the doughnuts, um, I mean, Boolits![smilie=p:[smilie=p:

Rant Mode; OFF

[gray wolf]

I'm sorry but I didn't understand a word of what you wrote.
Could you break it down a little ?

[steg]

I thinl I laughed a little reading your post, Oh Heck I know I laughed and I laughed alot, good post Hamish........................steg

[No_1]

I get it completely. Many years ago all I had was 1 loading book, a lee balance beam scale and no tumbler. Then I added a couple cheap moulds and a lee pro 4-20 pot with some liquid alox. I thought I was walking in high cotton.

When I look at my bench today with all the things I use to prepare, clean, measure, load, store I wonder how I ever survived back then.....

R.

[geargnasher]

My take on it, GW: Ignorance is bliss, and this site abolishes ignorance. He hasn't found the part about blissful enlightenment, that part takes a bit.

Gear

[Jack Stanley]

OK ............ so tell me what you really feel about missing the obvious then finally catchin' it hmmmmmmmmm............................. :popcorn:

Jack

[Hamish]

I was ridiculously blessed setting up cast boolit loads for the 7TCU and 30-30. A few years ago I started on setting up for .44mag in a 12" compensated Contender barrel and was getting close with 2 different powders and the silhouette game kind of died out around here and it was forgotten about.

Long story short, between the speed bumps every few days of discovering another piece of equipment I realize I need, and the fact that I really AM anal about trying to eliminate as many variables as I can think of, instead of just loading a bunch of brass and going to the range and at the least, just blasting a bunch of money out the muzzle, and possibly "blowing my damn fool head off" to quote I can't remember who from what movie. Learning pb metallurgy, searching for better understanding of powder than how many flakes to pour down a hole in a case, Projectile shape, weight,type, etc. is both enjoyable and frustrating at the same time .

I realize that the above post can be a little hard to understand. One of the fibromyalgia meds I take makes concentration harder,(like when you've got a blinding migraine going kind of thing.) My thoughts run faster than I can get them down and proofreading sometimes suffers.

I'm 51 years old and had my guns all shooting very nicely thank you, and "some damn fool" thought it would be cool to start shooting cast in the rifles instead of just the Contender and the pistols, and I seem to be back about the third rung of the ladder off the ground.

Rich


(SWMBO=She Who Must Be Obeyed)
(DAMHIKT=Don't Ask Me How I Know That)

I apologize if I have used abbreviations not common on this forum, I'm used to conversing on The Porch, a gathering place for Galoots, a place not unlike this one, for those who lovingly rescue hand woodworking tools. The also spend an inordinate amount of time restoring, cataloging, discussing, and using their toys!y

[45-70 Chevroner]

I'm not sure I will ever be able to properly load a "boolit" load again, after reading Hamish's thread. I think the only soultion is to reread my lyman loading manual and unwind my brain. Simple keep it simple, all "I" wanted to do was "sling lead down range!". I think I need to recheck all my equipment to make sure I have enough to properly assemble boolits.

[truckjohn]

It's easy to get hoodoo-ed.... There's lots of products out there that You Just Gotta Have.... But... Really?

For example.. I have owned a neck turner for 7 years now (One of the good ones that the Bench Rest guys use....) .... Somehow, I couldn't get by without it... but the truth is that I Never used it "For real" until 2-days ago.... On case prep for Cast-boolit reloads for a Mosin Nagant 91/30 of all things..... Not for a 30BR in an actual Benchrest rifle....

I think many reloaders end up with piles of stuff we have tried - but just didn't find useful for whatever reason.... but it's still with us - sitting in a box in the basement with the Case neck turner and the bullet meplat uniformer... never mention the 50 different "Keith" profile boolit molds for the 44 mag....

The most important thing is to figure out what you actually like to do... Do you like to shoot? Do you like to Hunt? Do you like to tinker?..... If you are a "Hunter" - fiddling around with bullets and loads is mostly an unwanted sideline - a means to an end..... If you are a tinkerer... acknowledge it and embrace it for what it is... but don't try to fool yourself.... If you really love to Shoot or Hunt the best - and you spend all day tinkering... you may not be happy.....

Thanks

[johnly]

Totally understand the comments about the 7mm TCU. I thought my 7-30 Waters or 7mm Super Bower were what I needed and overlooked the 7mm TCU. That all changed when I picked up a 10 inch and decided to shoot it. I was hooked. It's easy to load and gives up very little to the bigger boomers.

John

[Hamish]

I have read that some of T/C's 7TCU barrels were dogs, only good for sending to Mike Bellm to bore out, but I got a good 'un. Shoots the Lee 130 and any other size J bullet I have tried good enough to knock down 40 out of 40. I got frustrated yesterday trying to seat 175 and 250 gr. boolits in my K98 and it was'nt pretty. I had gotten used to simply reseating to proper COL and have *never* had to neck crimp with calibers other than .45. What a mess, a couple of badly stretched necks and the rest the boolit wanted to fall into the case. I am definitely not used to a military chamber.

I think the biggest problem is having learned over the years and then add the new knowledge about lead loading is the overload of having to relearn how to properly load cast, crimp the neck, is the boolit the right hardness, I don't have a powder load ready, what should my COL be, etc.,etc.,etc., Way too many variables to get it halfway right in the loading room to start with. If I were 20 I would blissfully cast some boolits, slap 'em in the brass, and just go shoot. The Rant On thing was laughing at myself for just not slowing down and enjoying what little time I may have to do something fun.

I think its a little sad that the 7mm has faded to a great extent, the 6TCU and 6mm BR have taken center stage now that the greater majority are going for long range ballistics rather than ringing steel. I admit it got a little too much rainbow for some folks, but how can you not love something thats so easy to load for and shoots so well. Maybe I'll break out the new 7mm Soupcan mold this week,,,,,,,excuse me while I get back on the horse. Rich

[303Guy]

Great thread Hamish. Split my sides cracking up!

I'm a tinkerer. Going out hunting is good motivation to tinker some more. (Keeps me fit - and sane!)

[Wayne Smith]

Yaaah, Hamish, I feel with you. When I'm feeling like that I go back to basics. Load my 44-40 cases with 38gr GOEX FFG compressed and a 200gr Big Lube boolit. In fact, I think I'll go load some now!

[1Shirt]

Check out Dr. Phil!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[Hamish]

I think Wayne has the best psychiatric medicine right there if'n you can read the 'script.

[Harter66]

I talked myself out of boolits several time because of all the tools you "had"to have. Casting is the means to the end for me. I get to blast away or tweek up a load for an 1 1/2 at whatever range so I stay tuned up.

Totaly get the joy/fruastration of enlightenment too.

Wait..............you mean I can't just cast up some boolits over a turkey burner,poke em' in a case,and shoot em' up for the simpler time rewind? Just for the sake of getting away from the house to grouse around for spent brass and p'up other peoples boolits? I'm supossed to have goals and purpose? **** another ruined hobby!

Nahh ,I'll just keep to getting what I've got, when I dumb luck into something like my 32 Rem that shoots a heavier boolit faster on less powder more accurately than bullets I am blissfull.

[gnoahhh]

It's all good.

I started out 40 years ago by just chamfering case mouths to accept a cast bullet. I had no idea what an "M" die was. In my ignorance, I got some pretty good results. Then during a foray into casting and loading pistol bullets I stumbled onto the concept of belling case mouths. It still took forever for me to break down and buy an M die, and afterward I honestly couldn't see a bit of difference in loading ease/accuracy from before. Now, though I do employ an expander plug of my own design/manufacture, as often as not I still just chamfer the case mouths.

As an aside, I do a lot of seating with Vickerman Universal straight line seater dies and L.E.Wilson straight line seaters in which a belled case mouth won't fit. So in that respect the act of accumulating doo-dads can be self defeating. So then why is my bench cluttered with stuff I never use?

[Hamish]

With all the channels on dish and cable why is'nt there a show for *us*? I'd watch HOARDERS!, Buried Alive by Sporting Goods!

[shooter93]

You start out young...and do and try everything....you end up old.....and go back to simple. One night in chat a younger member askd....what's a 38-55?....there was an immediate response by a number of people....it's what you'll be shooting when you get old....lol.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

One thing you over looked is LOOB! [smilie=b:

You just gotta make your own special recipe loob, and then get it to work! Don't ya?;-)

[Hamish]

There is a can of JPW that already has a bottle of LLA melted into with the top off to vent the algels share, beeswax from randyrat got here a couple day's ago. I just had a thought. A special mold to cast the soft lead sinkers to slug your barrel. Or how about last nights idea, modify a mold to accept machined archery target points to make AP ammo. It did'nt take long to learn in a search that thanks to Bill and Hilary that is now illegal.

[Skipper488]

Yea, I thought I got into this to save money too. LOL
Very good rant, especially with the command on and command off, to a programmer that's doubly funny.

[casterofboolits]

Jeezopete! I wish I were that articulate. One thing that happens as we get older and deeper into our hobby (obcession?) is the amount of "gewgaws" we end up with. Moulds, lead pots, presses, dies, lubers, brass and lead stash; etc. Then the eyes go and we have a "nuther" problem altogether.

I like to find a load for my guns and then just "sit" on it forever. If my Lyman 429421 44-245-SWCKT over 18.5 grains of 2400 gives me 1.5" at 25 yards, I ain't gonna mess with it! How fast is it going? Damfiknow. Before the eyes went, I could bust nine out of ten clay birds at 100 yards with it!

One thing I'm anal about is my mould dropping the weight they are rated at within +/- one grain with my alloy. I do this by grinding/milling the top of the mould and controlling my alloy to be consistant.

I do what works for me. I like reading about what others do and the results they achieve, but for the most part it ain't gonna make me change or worry about it. YMMV

[Hamish]

Hmm, a mould for making a sinker that would have one end flat so you could push on it, and the other end would have to have a taper so that it would go into either end of the barrel without too much trouble,,,,,,,,

[turbo1889]

One way to keep your sanity is to also develop "minimalist kits". I have several that fit in leather pouches that I can either strap to my belt or put in my back-pack that allow me to reload "in the middle of no-where".

A few of them even include small single cavity mold blocks (I like the old Ideal molds for this) and a set of stripped down handles and little stamped steel ice-cram scoop ladle with the handle cut off to a stub with a couple hose clamps so I can attach it to a stick. I can put a recovered fired boolit or two in the ladle and hold both it and the mold in the camp-fire until the lead melts in the ladle and the mold is preheated and then carefully pour the lead into the mold. Then withdraw both from the fire and let the sprue and boolit solidify and then use another stick as a whacker to cut the sprue. Work some BAC lube into the grooves with my fingers and load "as cast" no sizing.

Obviously the Lyman "big ugly pair of pliers" or a Lee loader are usually the loading tool of choice. But one of these days I'm going to have someone make me up a simple length of metal tube that is threaded 7/8x14 on the inside and then take a 7/8x14 bolt and notch the tip to hold a shell holder. That and a set of regular loading dies would make a handy little loader. Screw a regular loading die into one end of the tube and put the shell holder in the end of the bolt and but a case in the shell holder and screw that assembly in the other end of the tube and it should be just as strong as a regular loading press with the mechanical advantage of the screw using a leatherman to grab a hold of the bolt head and screw it in from the bottom (probably would have to grind the bolt head down to fit the leatherman jaws). Short lengths of 1” PVC with one end glue capped and the other end screw in capped make dandy little powder containers and a single box of a hundred primers with resealable blue masking tape on the two ends of the paper sleeve to keep the tray from sliding loose is more then enough.

I have the shop full of all kinds of goodies – and I have my little kits in their leather pouches. I’m covering both ends of the spectrum and keeping myself balanced.

[linotype]

Hmm, a mould for making a sinker that would have one end flat so you could push on it, and the other end would have to have a taper so that it would go into either end of the barrel without too much trouble,,,,,,,,

Once I stopped laughing, I remembered some "slip sinkers" I found. Tapered like a bullet.
Work great for slugging.
Years ago my biggest concern was why one of my WC moulds was cutting lead as I seated it. .358? .359? .360? What? I need a sizer? :roll:

Ah, the good old days.....