Just need to get a few things off my chest...

[Animal]

I bought 2 boxes of Hornaday .310 123gr SST bullets (100 per box) from my LGS. I've been wanting to dabble into reloading for my AK. Why? Because, I want to, and I'm pretty sure I heard it ask me to once. I decided to start with j-word bullets. The AK and Jacketed bullets seem to go together like Moon Pies and RC cola, so I thought that would be a good place to start before getting involved with alloys, lubes, temps, molds and hours of casting (I make casting an all day affair, it's just more efficient that way for me). So, I worked my load from Hornaday data. And before I knew it, I burned through the first box of bullets. Sheesh! It felt like I had someone standing in front of me saying "if you would like to load more bullets, you'll need to pay 27.99 for an additional box of bullets." I had another box, but I started burning through those pretty fast too. I wondered, "gee, will I have to buy a third box just to enjoy the load that I've tested and settled on? That'll set me back 80 bucks!"

I looked around my loading bench. I've got a 3lb lead muffin ingot just laying there so that I can smack it with my kinetic hammer when I need to pull a bullet. I then noticed my second 3lb ingot that rest on the base of my balance scale. I put it there just to add a little security from minor bumps against the table that might cause an inaccurate reading of the scale. I then noticed my 3rd 3lb ingot sitting on top of my puny little Hornaday powder trickler. It sets there just to add a little weight to prevent my clumsy hands from knocking it around when I trickle powder. I did the math. I had 63,000 grains worth of bullets just setting on my table because I have plenty to spare, and those ingots were able to serve a different purpose. Paper weights! that is all they are. Yet, I bought 200 bullets for 55 bucks and I had 420 bullets that cost a few pennies just sun-bathing on my bench.

Times like this make me understand why "jacket" is nearly a cuss word on this web-site. "J-word" is much more civil. Thanks folks, just had to get that off my chest.

[blikseme300]

For penance go cast some boolits for your AK. :cbpour:

[Bzcraig]

At least you "came around" before you bought more j-words

[BruceB]

My trickler is an RCBS unit, but years ago I found it to be too light, just as Animal found with his Hornady.

I drilled a hole through one side of the base, countersunk it, and threaded a machine screw through the hole so it would project into the interior of the base. The screw self-threaded very easily in the soft metal.

I then inverted the trickler, having stripped all the moving parts off the device. The base was then poured full of molten bullet metal, and the screw in the middle of the mass secures it in place....and NO mistake.

This added a pound or more to the weight of the trickler and it sits much more securely on the bench than it did before. It also doesn't occupy any more space than it did before the modification.

[Digital Dan]

I could make 82 1/4 bore bullets out of your powder trickler.

Just an observation....

[Handloader109]

I just sold two boxes I had sitting around for the AK and cancelled an order for a couple of more that were backordered. Have two molds with lead bullets cast and waiting on me to get more brass cases. I have about 75 that I have loaded and tried. First i shot were a catsneeze round. Wouldn't cycle my AK, but were fun to shoot as there was almost no kick. Haven't been out where I could shoot the AK again, but cast are SO much cheaper and in my opinion more fun. Just have to get more brass!

[62chevy]

It cost less than 2 dollars to load 10 grains of Unique for 20 rounds of .308. 200 rounds would be less than 20 bucks, not sure that would cycle an ak but only one way to find out.

I have a Redding trickler that is very heavy for its size and only cost a dollar more than the others. They must have put lead in the base but not sure.

[blaster]

You coulda bought a lee 2cav, a sizing die, and 1000 checks for about the cost of those two boxes.

[kungfustyle]

Agreed....the Lee 155g works great in my SKS. Look into hi tech lube and a size die to fit. Its about $8 for a box of 50..... 2400 or SR4759 r7 unique work very well

[blackthorn]

My scale and powder trickler sit on a 1" wood shelf at eye level. they are also sitting on a 3/16" piece of plywood that is grooved in the places needed to stabilize the scale, and the trickler base sits in a press fit hole through the plywood and rests on the shelf. You really have to twist and pull to get it out of there!