What did you do in the reloading room today?

[sigep1764]

Finished off the last of my PB powider with 200 rounds of 9mm yesterday. Filled the hopper with Red Dot and loaded ladder rounds of 3.0, 3.2, 3.4, and 3.6 grains. Then I promptly forgot them at home when I went to the range. Grrr.

[triggerhappy243]

Made 1127 30 caliber gas checks with the freechex and famco arbor press.
Lab
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/misc/paperclip.png Attached Thumbnailshttp://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129523&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1423080209 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129523&d=1423080209)CAN I MAKE GAS CHECKS ON MY ROCKCHUCKER PRESS?

[labradigger1]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/misc/paperclip.png Attached Thumbnailshttp://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129523&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1423080209 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129523&d=1423080209)CAN I MAKE GAS CHECKS ON MY ROCKCHUCKER PRESS?
Don't know, I will say it sucked bad making these. Two pulls of the handle for each check. I think I will buy mine from now on.
Lab

[bigarm]

Had a frustrating day trying to load 30-30. Finally gave up for the day. I did then manage to install my Skinner barrel mount peep sights on my Rossil 45 colt.

[Don Purcell]

Just finished putting up 78 feet of shelves in loading room. Have another 13 to go.

[tazman]

Took a little time this afternoon to load up some 38 special for extra supply.
Loaded 200 rounds with 3.5 Bullseye under an NOE 360-160-WFN. With my alloy these boolits drop at 156 grains so I just used the Lyman book load for 158 grain boolits. They shoot wonderful in my revolver.

[gloob]

Just finished putting up 78 feet of shelves in loading room. Have another 13 to go.
That sounds like a good day.

[Garyshome]

No more brass around here that needs to be de primed.

[Garyshome]

No more shotgun hulls around here need to be de primed!

[Patricklaw]

Last night I loaded about 400 rounds of 40 s&w with a Lee tl401-175 2x shake and baked some with HF yellow and some pink both over Win AA lite. This evening I built a new firing pin for a small, locally made 22 pistol that I have been unable to find a replacement for as its been out of production for 20 years.

[websterz]

I just sent you a PM Patricklaw.

[Jack Stanley]

Loaded a few rounds for the .223 Remington and did a scope shuffle form one rifle to another .

Jack

[Eddie2002]

Cast a couple hundred 100 grain .312 plinkers for my 30 caliber and 303 rifles and finished trimming 150 pieces of 30-06 brass. Loaded some test loads with 147 condum bullets for my 30-06 BDL 700 which doesn't seem able to give a good grouping with bullets that weight. Trying to figure out if it is all bullets of that weight or just the one type I've been shooting up to now.

[mrrch]

129730
Cast some Lee 311-93 plinkers for my rifles.
First time casting with this mold and they turned out okay (a few wrinkles/dropped at .309)
Need to add some more tin next time around, used straight ww's this round.

[bhn22]

I finally loaded my cast 38 & 357 mag hollowpoints!
129745

[btroj]

Wow, even your cases are cast! Must use lots of pewter to get em that shiny?

I made a new expander for 30 cal rifle bullets. Fits a Lyman M-die body. Has just a slight flair to allow a bullet to seat without shaving but won't over expand the neck.

[Jack Stanley]

Loaded fifty rounds for tomorrow and lubed and gas checked another hundred bullets just in case .

Jack

[bhn22]

Wow, even your cases are cast! Must use lots of pewter to get em that shiny?

I made a new expander for 30 cal rifle bullets. Fits a Lyman M-die body. Has just a slight flair to allow a bullet to seat without shaving but won't over expand the neck.

No, silly. They're silver plated so werewolves for steal my ammo and eat it. Don't you read the newspapers? It's a big problem in some areas.

[btroj]

Werewolves? My wife wanted a coat from wolf fur, Yep, she wanted to wearwolf! Bet that has you howling!

[Jal5]

Almost finished making anew wood reloading block for 50 rounds of 45 ACP. reloaded some test rounds for 223 using Re7. Lubed about 200 boolits TL and Bens liquid lube

[hickfu]

Didnt really do anything (I just got back from a trip to Oregon) but brought back 2lbs of Unique and 3lbs of Reloader7 to add to the reloading room :)

[alfloyd]

I cast up some slugs for a friend's cannon.
It shoots a golf ball, and he wanted a lead slug for it.
I had to build a mold first. The slugs weigh right at 1 pound each.
He was really excited.
Photo included.

Lafaun

129832

129833

[sav300]

Yesterday I cast up about 4 kgs of NOE 314299 in two sessions and today checked and lubed them,in two sessions.
Maybe do some NOE 22cal 70 grainers in 70%ww and 30% lino.
Am driving these just over 2200 fps.

[TXGunNut]

Sized a few cases for more test loads for my 35 Whelen, 32 Spcl, 38-55 and thutty-thutty. Just recalled I learned a lesson awhile back about having too many projects going on at once, need to focus on one or two.
Beautiful day here today, think I'll go outside and sort WW's while I ponder what to load in those cases currently making the rounds in the case cleaner.

[Jack Stanley]

Worked on a load with Unique and some .223 cases .

Jack

[Eddie2002]

Cast 75 .490 lead round balls for my flinter. Had a lot of little scraps of lead kicking around in the shop and didn't feel like casting an ingot so just went straight to the round ball mould and used the stuff up.

[EMC45]

Loaded 20 rounds of .308 with Lee 150gr FNGC over 13gr Unique. Gonna let 'em rip outta my FR8.

[gloob]

I made a couple of new pistol loading blocks.

And I cut a piece of brass tubing and stuck it in my 9mm Lee flaring die, so the expander doesn't drop down after it flares. After using other brands of expanding dies, I realize how much harder this makes things, when the expander does NOT withdraw at the point of maximum leverage!

Now I have to find the right size tubing for my 45ACP flaring die. I guess I'll need a piece of 1/2" tubing. I'd just stick some dowel in the back, but then the opening of the die wouldn't do anything for alignment. It looks like Lee takes efforts to make the outside of the die do "something."

[trixter]

Changed press over from 45ACP to 223 Remington. I made a few changes; I am going to load lead boolits, so I added the neck expanding die from RCBS and then had to use a Lee seating die because I can change the seating plug to flat (just turn it upside down). I have always used the Lee factory crimp die to just touch the neck and didn't want to crimp with it, so I dialed in the taper crimp on the seating die. It took a few times but I got it all set. Then I ran 25 through with powder coated boolits, then 25 with just Lee Liquid Alox. I will take these to the range and test them to see which ones I like best.

[pmer]

Got a used NOE, 22 cal. 60 grain mold going and was shooting them in a 1-9 twist AR15. Got a 1 x 2'' group at 100 yds with just under 15 grains IMR 4198.

[TXGunNut]

Nothing, too busy in the kitchen making sausage and burger from the critters my boolits helped me bring home.

[Efin]

De-primed and Wet tumbled some 454 casull, and lots of 223 for my 300BO project...

[Doggonekid]

I cast boolits in the garage for almost 10 hours. In the last 6 weeks I have now cast 325 pounds of 6 different calibers. All most out lead. Have two more calibers to go and only 140 pounds left. Half size ammo box weighs about 60-70 pounds.

[triggerhappy243]

Doggoneitkid..............

[Trapnblackkid]

How/what did you use for your mold?

[Trapnblackkid]

Today I condensed my lead bricks, looses wheel weights, and most of my industrialize lead solder in to cupcake sized pucks about a pound each then cleaned my forge and melting pot.

[robg]

sized and primed 50 .357 cases & 40 .223 cases

[39duck]

sized and primed 50 .357max cases and getting ready for more testing

[1911KY]

Loaded up a 100 of my usual range loads, 200 gr SWC over 4.2 gr of WST. Then I deprimed 250 45 cases and 200 9 mm cases from this past Saturday's range activity. Try to do some wet tumbling tonight and maybe get in another 100 loaded.

[Doggonekid]

How/what did you use for your mold?

I have 6 RCBS double cavity molds in .357-.401-.410-.429-.451-.458. I would alternat from one end to the other. All of my molds are SWC except the .45 it is RN.

[jkcerda]

installed my bluei <<<<<<(forum member from another forum) adapter on my RCBS bullet feeder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf-gRuZlJvw#t=18

[slim1836]

Reloaded different weights of powder for my of 7.62x54R Mosin Nagant sniper rifle that I'm still trying to find the best combo for. The scope mount holes have been filled in so I'm stuck with open sights for now. If I can get some good results I may get an original scope mounted someday.

I do have fun tinkering with my Mosins.

Slim

[taco650]

Not today but... yesterday I smelted about 10lbs of COWW's. Another 10-15lbs to go then will start on the stick on WW's. Just from handling the stick-on's, I can tell they're much softer than the COWW's.

[shoot-n-lead]

Yesterday and today, I have been trying to replenish my hunting loads...loads that each powder charge is weighed before seating the bullet. So, tonight, I loaded a 115rds of 358429's for one of the Bisley Blackhawks. That gives me 150rds for it, now I can start on the other Bisley Blackhawk 357, then the sack full of 44 specials, then the one Bisley 45colt...oh, the challenge of having to feed these things.This is a lot more time consuming than loading the plinking ammo...probably the reason I run so low before replenishing it.

[TXGunNut]

Hunting season is over, rifles are all clean. Load testing season has begun and is in full swing. Lots of loading room and range time in next several weeks, I hope. Loaded up test loads in 30 WCF, 32 Spl, 35 Whelen and 38-55 WCF. Even got to lube & size a few boolits. Range trip tomorrow.

[BrianL]

Snowing and very cold so I spent the day sizing and lubing a big batch of bullets from last weekend's snowing and very cold casting session

[Eddie2002]

Loaded 15 30-06 test rounds using 5.5 grains of Alliant BE 86 pushing a 100 grain .311 Lee bullet for my BDL 700. It has been a real accurate load out to 50 yds when using Bullseye. Alliant just released BE 86 powder and it is supposed to be real close to Bullseye, I scored a pound last trip to the local reloading store and am dying to give it a try.

[CHeatermk3]

Swept the floor.

[shoot-n-lead]

Loaded 80rds to test for loads I am working up.

[lolbell]

Loaded some test rounds for a new to me .41 cal 210 swc mold. Got 10 rounds of 4 different charges each with AA9, IMR4227 and Unique, for a total of 120 rounds. Hope I'll get to test after church tomorrow. We here in central Alabama are suppose to get some winter weather sometime tomorrow.

[JWFilips]

Made a .246" Kake Cutter....(looks like I have some lubing & sizing to do!) Oh Yes, I annealed another 60 cases of .243 Win

[Maineboy]

Loaded my first cast boolit reloads in 308 Winchester; Lyman 311-091 with 17.5 grains of 2400 and CCI primers in RP and Browning cases. They are for my Savage 99.

[mac60]

Sized, lubed and gas checked 345 Lee c309-150-f.

[MBTcustom]

I cast up a bunch of XCB boolits of 95.6/2.2/2.2. Took the family out to dinner, now the pot is heating back up agian.

[TXGunNut]

Swept the floor.


Smart man. My loading room is carpeted and running the vacuum in there is always risky. Only takes one live primer to make it "interesting". We all have one unaccounted for primer, right?

[jacksonsmith]

reloaded 1000 12ga shotgun shells for trapshooting. then reorganized the ammo storage shelves

[opos]

Took "inventory" of my brass...found I have enough 357 brass to supply all of California and probably most of the West...so sat about depriming, doing some culling and sorting and the tumbler ran all day...I fill empty peanut butter jars with a specific amount of hulls after they are clean and deprimed...then I grab a jar full, do the rest of the prep and loading..I always load "in stages"..old guys get tired and I don't do well when tired...nice way to spend a day waiting for the Datona race on TV.

[opos]

Smart man. My loading room is carpeted and running the vacuum in there is always risky. Only takes one live primer to make it "interesting". We all have one unaccounted for primer, right?

I used to load in my "lair" (my hobby room that is carpeted) and got a real small shop vac with a wide attachment on it...it has no beater and the dropped stuff just gets sucked up by air pressure...I always thought that was safer...may not have been but seemed that way..I'm in the garage now and just sweep stuff up.

[trixter]

Worked on redoing a bunch of wedding rings for fishing.

[tazman]

Spent the afternoon smelting down some previously cast boolits that didn't work out as planned. Had a number of different varieties that combined into 95lb of ingots.

[hc18flyer]

Not the reloading room, but I sorted thru 450# of wheel weights. Want to get the smelting done on the next 'good weather' weekend. Only about 25 today with a cold wind. The last time before smelting, I power washed them with hot water in some mesh bottom trays I have a work. Seemed to get rid of a bunch of the dirt and grease. It also gave me a chance to double check for the zinc ones before they go into the pot. Flyer

[bigarm]

Powder coated about 300 45 colt bullets with pink from Smoke.

[johnc486]

Cast 350 148 gr lwc with a single banger lyman mould, boy, that was time consuming. Borrowed from a friend to see if I like it (definitely), I'll be ordering a 4 banger this coming week from Midway.

[Hannibal]

21 Lbs of LBT 358-180 FN, according to my non-certified livestock dosage scale130926. One box air cooled, one box Anti-freeze dropped. Had to use anti-freeze. 11 degrees with an 18 MPH wind today. Anyhow, it ought to keep my .357 Henry fed for a while.

[dragon813gt]

Absolutely nothing. Didn't make it into the teens today and the wind was ripping. Would have taken two hours and a few gallons of fuel oil to make it somewhat bearable. I've been contemplating building a small bench in the basement so I can cast in the house. Would have to move the canned goods shelves which I don't want to do :laugh:

[harrelson]

Loaded 300 9mm with harbor freight red powder coat 125gr lee rn . used 4gr of Unique. to cold to shoot today

[flyer1]

swaged a few hundred primer pockets.

[bigarm]

Loaded some 45 Colt bullets. My first 45 Colts. I did a light load of 231. Really pleasant to shoot.

[taco650]

Loaded some 45 Colt bullets. My first 45 Colts. I did a light load of 231. Really pleasant to shoot.

I've found that 231 made nice light loads for my 44 mag too.

[jonp]

Trimmed down 12 38spWC brass to the same length then loaded 20:1 Alloy 358145 over 2.5gr Promo to try in my sw 15. I came out with a bhn of about 11-12 on these which is a little high so I'm going to check several of the boolits to see what the average is. Boolits dropped 1gr+/- 148grs and .358-.359. I'm using Bens LL 60/40

[flyingmonkey35]

131088

[smoked turkey]

I loaded up 50 rounds of 454 Casull with the RCBS 45-300-SWC-GC lubed with Ben's Red. Load was 25 gr. H110. I have been shooting a J word bullet but didn't enjoy shooting them. I think these cast boolits will be much more pleasant to shoot. I am thinking about taking the 454 for whitetail next fall with this load. I also loaded a few rounds for my 35 Whelen using the 3589 boolit also lubed with Ben's Red and addition of Ben's Liquid Lube over the boolit. I loaded these with 44 gr. H4350. I am working on a Whelen load for a spring black bear hunt in New Brunswick. It is too cold to do anything outside so reloading is a fun thing to do on a day like today.

[shoot-n-lead]

Didn't do ANYTHING...but had every intention of filling some brass...just never got around to it.

[Patrick L]

Well, I'm on vacation this week. Since Friday, I've loaded my cast .30-06 Highpower ammo for the start of the season in April, loaded some 12, 16, and 20 gauge skeet loads, and made a few more stripper clips for my new .223 bolt gun. I think I'll probably load some 28 and .410 shells aand clean a few guns before the week is out.

[Jack Stanley]

Made some Blue Dot loads in .223 cases and tested them out back . Found a charge worth loading more and did that . After shooting them came back and loaded a bigger batch to fool with .

Jack

[Idaho Mule]

I worked with a young shooter today. Tom is a friend of both of my sons, he is 19, so between my boys. I know his father and mother well, good people.. Tom is interested in casting for some of his shooting and asked for my help, so I agreed to help him. A while back he cast up some RCBS 150SWC's as well as some RCBS 158 CM with hopes of loading into his (and his Grandfather's) S&W 38. I guided him thru the casting and have been ribbing him about when was he gonna load them up so they would be out of my way. Sunday, while at the trap range I was ribbing him again and so we agreed on this evening for a reloading lesson. Tom brought over 250 rounds of empty .38 brass. He got that all sized and de-capped, it was nice clean stuff so I didn't make him polish it first. We measured 50 of them, and they are within specs and within .002 of each other so will make even crimps without trimming. The lesson continues tomorrow with more measuring, and trimming if needed. JW

[reloader28]

My reloading room doubles as a brew room.
So, the night before last, I bottled 25 gallons of chokecherry wine, racked 5 gallons of blackberry wine and 5 gallons of Grolsche clone brew.

Last night I lubed .35 boolits and made gas checks.

[johnc486]

Cast another 550 148 gr LWC and made up a batch of Barry Darr lube to lube them, retirement sure keeps one busy.

[bigarm]

Loaded the rest of my 45 Colt brass. Then had to try them out on a new swinging target we got. So we got out the Smith Model 25 and the Rossi lever action and shot off some rounds. I then went back to the man cave and worked on the 30-30 rounds.

[waco]

Smith Model 25
Jealous..........:)

[aspangler]

Sized and deprimed 650 223 cases. on a single stage press no less. LOL

[62chevy]

Note to self: Order shell holders for decapping cases you don't have dies for.

[mrrch]

Primed some 6.5 carcano brass.
Tried to remove some Lee mold pins so I could mount up my new NOE mold to the Lee handles.

[Jeff R]

Sold 19 Garands

[mrrch]

"sold 19 Garands" !!!
Retirement fund? lol

[bigarm]

Smith Model 25
Jealous..........:)

Haven't had it very long. Really like it!

[bigarm]

Sorted and tumbled brass yesterday.

[Jal5]

Working my way thru a can of 223/556 brass. A lot if case prep this month and then reloading

[trapper9260]

Load some test 9mm cast boolits.

[aspangler]

Loaded 120 5.56 62 gr ss109.

[ukrifleman]

F/L sized and de-capped 50 primed 30-06 Kynoch cases, that were given to me last Sunday at the range.

The primed cases had been sitting undisturbed on a shelf for the last 30 years, so was advised not to trust the primers!

ukrifleman.

[TXGunNut]

Sized some 38-55, 35 Whelen and 32 Spl cases and tossed them in the cleaner. Decided those cases would need some boolits sized when they came out so I sized 50 or so ea of Lyman 380681 and Accurate 322-170A boolits. Was trying to get the last dab of RCBS NRA 50-50 lube out my sizer so I could change over to BAC. Amazing how far a "dab" of lube will go when you're only loading small test batches, lol.
Will size a few 360-230 boolits after my coffee break, may even load test loads for my next range trip.

[bruce drake]

Sized and checked .325 8mm Karabiners, .312 160gr LEE spitzers and .358 158gr SWCs and then sized some .452 200gr SWCs, .312 93gr LEE RN and .358 160gr RN bullets....pretty good morning after shoveling out the driveways after last night's six inches of snowfall.

Tomorrow maybe I'll be loading some 308 Winchesters. :)

[TXGunNut]

Will size a few 360-230 boolits after my coffee break, may even load test loads for my next range trip. -Me


Oops, don't have any more 360-230's. Guess I better cast a pile after I load a few other test loads.

[triggerhappy243]

dont you hate it when that happens?

[iron mule]

cleaned up about 400 lbs of good scrap lead and cww/sww now have a nice pile of shiny ingots to sort and stack
cleaned about 5000 9mm brass///same amount of 40 s/w brass and same amount of 45 acp brass
this was yesterday
today trying to find a link to fix a pards win 94 30-30 cal /// need to get him to bring the gun to the shop so i can determine the year to get the right one
mule

[michiganmike]

NOT A THING for a couple weeks. I have cast all the bullets I will need for quite awhile this winter. But the winter of 2014-2015 has been too cold in Michigan to do any shooting. So, with the bullets stockpiled, I am working on other projects. So sad.

[lightman]

Primed 1000 223's and watched 2 movies! Come on Spring!!!

[mattw]

Finished up my new reloading bench!

131804

[Efin]

I have several hundred CBC 45 M4 labeled. They are berdan primed and thus not reloadable, and the primers are questionable with many "duds" so I've been "pulling" the 230s for future use in my 45 loading.
My Question, I'm holding the powder for either disposal or reuse? The load averages about 5.5 grains and is olive green in color, obviously I don't know the powder type. Thoughts?

[btroj]

Loaded 55 rounds in hopes that Tues will be warm enough to actually go shoot them

[tazman]

Over the last 2 days I have loaded up 300 rounds of different boolit designs for my 38 special with light powder charges to practice with and see which design shoots better with the light charge.
The choices were Lyman 358432, Noe 360-160-wfn, Noe 360-150-swc, Noe copy of the 358242, Lee 358-158-fn, and Lee TL358-158-swc.

[Retumbo]

Building an annealing machine :)

[gwpercle]

Yesterday was Sunday, the wife and kids went off to the New Orleans Zoo, temperature was 70 degrees with a breeze. Had all day to try out my new Lee Magnum Melter. Cast boolits until I couldn't stand up any longer. Broke for lunch and over the counter pain pills. At it again until I could go no more. The big melter is great for old ladle casters like me, who only have 1 and 2 cavity moulds. The bottom pour pot just didn't work out for me.
Sunday was a good day casting, me and the two kitties enjoyed ourselves!

[SSGOldfart]

I loaded the last hundred or so 38 WC for the last run on testing Ben's LL so far 875 + in my new LCR with out a sign of any leading,Yep keeping them in the target load range these full wadcutter with a HB are great in this little ruger,behind 2.7grs of Bullseye.

[John Guedry]

Loaded 50 rounds of .223

[bigarm]

I changed the 550 I use for large primers from 30-30 to 45 acp and loaded 100 rounds of 45 acp. I will get with it in a day or two and load a bunch more and then 40 as USPSA and 3 gun seasons will start here in a little over a month. Need to have ammo ready. Probably will need to cast a bunch more 45 and 40 also.

[waco]

Loaded 50 rounds of 22-250 (j words)
Cleaned the 257 Roberts

[johnc486]

Sized & lubed 100 148gr LWCs to be loaded in the new Starline 357 mag brass I received this evening (1000). This brass was bought from Starline for a total $138., a great price for new brass, will load them tomorrow with Bullseye.

[boho]

Cast 15lb of 60/40 solder drippings into round balls for making alloy for this summers shooting.

[ukrifleman]

I prepared all my fired 30-06, .308 Win and 6.5x55 brass and bagged it up in 50's, ready for loading.

ukrifleman

[EDK]

Working on the loading bench. Found ALL my STAR dies that had been mis-placed; moved in April and again in December. Need to design and build cabinets or storage shelves.

[Jal5]

Just when I thought I was closing in on the last piece of 223/556 brass prep I found about 300 more pieces under the bench.

[Swede 45]

Loaded up some test loads for my 9.3x57. Went to the range to testfire.. loaded up 60 more rounds of the best load.. Prepped some 500 6.5x55 brass before shipping them out to a friend here..

[Floydster]

Reformed 60 223 brass cases into 222 for my Rem. 722, turned out great,
there is a trick to it:)
Smokeyloads aka Floydster

[62chevy]

Just when I thought I was closing in on the last piece of 223/556 brass prep I found about 300 more pieces under the bench.

Ain't the truth and I don't even have a rifle in that caliber so deprimed and and clean in soap and citric acid, Thursday they get tumbled.

[Schrag4]

Tonight I casted the rest of the ingots I made up from my first batch of WW ever :razz:. Made about 900 9mm boolits if my junk bathroom scale is correct. Once I get these powder coated then I'll have to work on making up another batch of ingots from the WW I bought over a month ago.

[Efin]

Casted 200+ 250g and 200+ 300g all .452 for 45 Colt and 454 Casull, all ice water quenched. Powder coated the 300g's and placed gas checks and sized half, tomorrow the rest...

[bigarm]

Well, a couple of days ago while I was changing from 30-30 to 45 acp on one of my Dillon 550's, I decided I needed to change some of the tips on the primer pick up tubes and the tubes in the magazine. I thought I had bought extras, but of course couldn't find them. So I made a $50 order to Dillon. Of course, the next day I found my pieces! Of well, won't need to order extra pieces for a while. Yesterday I scored on 150 new Winchester 30-30 cases. Paid way too much, but have not been able to find new 30-30 anywhere.

[bigarm]

Today I loaded about 250 rounds of 45 acp and sized some 45 colt powder coated bullets. Also ordered an Ergo handle for my older Dillon 550b from Inline Fabrications. Have one for my newer one, but never got around to getting one for my older.

[62chevy]

Rebuilt my computer, it's the only place I have a bench to work on. Anyways my motherboard crapped out and a month ago my daughters powder supply fried, long story short her board was good so swapped them out. She bought a new computer.

[Tom W.]

Nothing. Too darn cold and rainy to get out to it.....

[mrrch]

Cast up some 268 134 from my new NOE mold for the Carcano.

[Efin]

Powder coated 200+ .452 / 250g cast earlier in the week, then sized and placed gas checks on 300g .452 pc'd yesterday.

[robg]

made up half a dozen 223 dummy rounds & half a dozen 308 dummy rounds for a friend of my wife,s to use for a display in their tattoo parlor.

[shootinfox2]

350 pounds of lead shot132149

[bigarm]

All I did was put some stuff away and took some preliminary measurements for a cabinet I want to build to hold my tool heads with dies so I could buy some wood. I went and bought most of the wood. Didn't have one size of dowel I needed. Going to Kalispell tomorrow for a Sportsman show so will probably try to get the dowel while I am up there and a new blade for the miter saw. They didn't have that either. Got 150 rounds of new 30-30 in the mail.

[Patricklaw]

Loaded 1k 9mm's for a friend that shoots steel challenge with us. 125 Berry's plated over a bit of win AA lite. There were three of us on a Dillon 650 so the time went quickly.

[dh2]

heated up some lead to try out my new MiHec 429640 HP 4-Cav Brass Mold, cast 300 sized some .431 and resized some 444Marlin brass to try these out in.

[lawboy]

I sized some 40 S&W brass. Will It will hold 4.8grs WST and an Ideal 40043 180gr flatpoint bullet for use in my custom 2011 USPSA Limited gun.

[Eddie17]

Loaded 10 rds 348 Winchester to test when the snow pack drops at my clubs rifle range! Looking at 1.5' at least!!

[triggerhappy243]

break out the duck hunting waders. the snow is never too deep to shoot.

[TXGunNut]

Taking a break from casting some RD 360-230's and Accurate 323-170A's. Last break I cleared the ice off my back porch & steps. When I have enough of those I'll do some Lyman 375449's and 380681's. Dunno what I'll pour next, maybe switch pots and pour some RB's for my frontstuffer.

[bigarm]

Worked on loading 30-30 bullets. I am having a devil of a time. I am trying to load them on a Dillon 550b. Shouldn't be so difficult. I am using RCBS cowboy dies for sizing in station 1 and seating in station 3. A Lee factory crimp die in station 4. In station 2 I am using a prototype powder funnel for 30-30 that also bells the case. I keep crushing cases in station 2. If the cases go in and come out fine with out crushing, the end rounds are very nice and feed well in the Marlin. However, it is very difficult to get them in the die in station 2 without crushing the back side as seen from my position in front of the press. It has been very frustrating. If you have any ideas, I am all ears.

[TXGunNut]

Yesterday's haul, will size & HT today. Running a little low on WW alloy, see a smelting session in my near future. Still loading test boolits for the RD 360-230 and the Accurate 323-170A. Cast a few test boolits for my 38-55 and a few 375449's because I like using two Lyman 2-cav's at once. ;-)132420

[JWFilips]

Well today I finally completed a months long project of honing out, all my bottle neck, rifle "necksizing" dies for cast boolits. (Won't be shooting jacketed no more) Marked all of them with a power engraver as "Cast boolit" Now I just hope I don't get another caliber gun!:bigsmyl2:

[bigarm]

My shop is multi-use, so I started out trying to change the blade on my miter saw which has never been changed before and it is 8 years old or so. Got frustrated with that after working on it with different wrenches, spraying it with break free, asking the wife to help me, etc.. So I decided to work on the 30-30's that have been giving me fits. Yes, pretty bright, go from one frustration to another. Took a new approach. Set up a single stage with the expanding die. So I sized and primed on station 1 on the Dillon 550b, expanded the case mouth on the single stage, returned to station 2 on the Dillon (where I was crushing cases) and dropped the powder (set up exactly as it was!) with NO crushed case, seated the bullet on station 3 and crimped on station 4. I only did 7 rounds but low and behold, no crushed cases and all passed the case gauge. So I tried them in the rifle. All fed and shot fine. I have no idea why it worked, but it seems to have. So then I sized and trimmed 50 more cases so I can try some more. Wish me luck!

[Love Life]

Cleaned it. Found several projects that I forgot I was working on, cleaned off the giant white board to prepare for some testing of a product, and found my feeler gauges after I bought another set

[Efin]

Loaded 50 - 454 Casull with my cast 300g, Tried a BlueDot recipe. Loaded 300 - 9mm with 200 of my 124g pc cast, trying Titewad this time. And 100 - 124g plated...

[triggerhappy243]

Bigarm........... It is reverse threaded

[sav300]

Loaded three calibers for tuesday.38-55 with 4198 and a Hoch 280 gr cast projectile.The 45-70 was two different loads,4198 and a Lee 405hb plus some Trail boss and a 405hb.The 577-450 with Trail Boss and a Lee 405hb.

[Alan in Vermont]

Real important stuff,, fixed the stool I park my butt on while loading. It was way beyond being loose jointed, almost to the point that I was expecting the crash of 2015 any time I shifted my weight on it.

[bigarm]

Bigarm........... It is reverse threaded

Thanks I knew that but that is something easily forgotten! The bolt just didn't want to budge and the wrenches kept slipping making me afraid I would strip the bolt too much. Finally put a hollow pipe like thing (not a pipe, but kind of like it) and it gave enough leverage to break it free.

[OnceFired]

Was going to do a bit of casting this weekend, and realized my clean & ready ingots are all SOWW. I have about 30 lbs of COWW yet to be smelted, but I didn't want to light up the turkey fryer for such a small job. I cleaned up a bit more instead.

[bigarm]

I worked on 30-30 again today and finally had great success! I did 50 rounds with NO crushed cases and after the first couple of rounds, used the Dillon as a progressive. I had sized and trimmed the cases yesterday, so I took the sizing die out of station 1 and put the RCBS cowboy expanding die there. I primed and expanded the case mouth there. Then I put the regular 30-30 powder funnel that does not flare the case back in the powder die and dropped the powder in station 2. Then I seated in station 3 with the RCBS seating/crimping die and crimped in station 4 with a Lee factory crimp die. The loading went well, every finished round easily passed the case gauge and I fired a few rounds and they fed and fired fine. It took a long time, but finally got there. Thought I would never get there.

[slim1836]

I walked out to the shed (aka reloading room) and got a beer out of the fridge, ok, I got 2, then back into the house to warm up, pop some popcorn and watch TV.

Yup, it's all still there as I last saw it, minus a couple of beers. Gotta get more beer.

This weather has got to be Bushs' fault.

Slim

Slim

[TXGunNut]

HT'd two batches of boolits, sized 100 boolits for my 32 Spl. Actually 50 go to my shooting buddy. May go size a few more and change to the .359 die to size a few for my 35 Whelen after supper. We'll see.

[johnc486]

Sized and lubed 500 148 gr LWCs, sized and primed 300 new Starline brass, my shoulders are tired, a real labor of love.

[flyer1]

Worked on some rifle brass. Camphered the inside and out of the case mouths, deburred the flash holes uniformed primer pockets and then primed them. I really dont enjoy prepping rifle brass. Cant wait to start some pistol brass.

[bhn22]

I walked in, turned on the lights, and looked around a bit. Then I turned off the lights and went back upstairs.

Too cold. Maybe tomorrow.

[Beaverhunter2]

Sized and gas checked 150 Lee soupcans for more .30-30 testing. Gonna see if .311 shoots better than .309. If so it will be impressive!

John

[Animal]

I cleaned part of an AK 47 variant. I saw that the barrel was dirty. I could have sworn I just cleaned that rifle. Everything else on the rifle was clean. Hmmm, I guess the last time I had a cleaning session with it I got so busy paying attention to every little part of the rifle that I forgot about the barrel. What age does this type of forgetfulness happen? I can't remember.

[shoot-n-lead]

Loaded 200 357 plinking rounds with my last batch of 38-150-KT fodder...finished up my empty fired 357 brass...been working on it for a week...now...I need to buy some more 1x fired brass.

[taco650]

Yesterday's haul, will size & HT today. Running a little low on WW alloy, see a smelting session in my near future. Still loading test boolits for the RD 360-230 and the Accurate 323-170A. Cast a few test boolits for my 38-55 and a few 375449's because I like using two Lyman 2-cav's at once. ;-)132420

Is the RD 360-230 for the Whelen?

Not today but yesterday ordered a Lee 4-20 from Midway. I'm tired of ladle casting already. I realize some don't like this pot, aka drip-o-matic but its price point is what I can afford. I think I can deal with some drips because I'm mechanical enough to figure out a solution if it gets bad.

[sigep1764]

Broke my second body collar on my sdb in as many months last night. Everything is adjusted correct to the manual and Dillon couldn't make heads or tails of it other than they've had issues with the porosity of the cast aluminum before. New parts mailed this morning. Can't help but think it might have something to do with my slightly oversize funnel expander I had made. Might polish it up a little and try a little case lube on it every twenty rounds or so. Anybody ever had their carbide case sizing die opened up a little?

[skeettx]

Today, prepped the Dillon 1050 for another round of loading 9mm P.
Loaded 20 and will shoot them before making LOTS.

Using up the last of my Alcan AL-7 and a Rainier 115 gr. plated bullet.

Should work out well.

Mike

[taco650]

Loaded a box of 44 Special for a friend. 6.4gr of Unique & 4.7 of Trap100 under a commercial hard cast 240gr SWC.

Also smelted the SOWW's I had, probably less than 10lbs.

[bigarm]

Yesterday my ergo handle for my older Dillon came and I installed it. When playing with it, I compared it to the newer one (put an ergo handle on it before I ever used it) and it seemed much rougher in the movement. So today I tore down the older Dillon to adjust the timing or whatever they call it. Cleaned everything good and checked everything over. Had a new large primer feeder (what ever it is called) and decided I would put it in. As I was cleaning the primer feed tube I noticed that the piece that goes over the primer slide was bulging out where the screws are. I had heard of this but never noticed it before. Must have been that way for quite some time I am thinking because I have been pretty careful about not over tightening those screws and because the feed has not felt as smooth as the newer Dillon. So I took some auto sandpaper and sanded and sanded and sanded until it seemed pretty flat again. Took a while. Then I took some fine wet/dry sandpaper and buffed it up good, then cleaned it again with Power Blast and put everything back together. Then I made a few test rounds of 30-30 and everything worked much smoother, so hopefully that will help for a while. After shooting season this year I am considering sending it back to Dillon for a rebuild. They charge less than $70 to do that. Probably cost more in shipping than they charge to rebuild. I don't think you can beat that price.

[Land Owner]

1.) I installed both RockDock and ShelfDock systems on my new bench.

2.) I unloaded boxes of reloading supplies and "filed" them by caliber (223 below).

132825

3.) When tired of unpacking from the move, I read ALL of the posts in this thread.

[taco650]

Got my new Lee 4-20 pot in the mail today. Have to work all weekend and start night shift as well so Tuesday it will get fired up for the first time. Can't wait!

[bigarm]

Cast up a bunch of 45 acp today.

[aspangler]

Primed 580 .223

[Remiel]

used the reloading bench to build an AR-15 for the wife

[taco650]

used the reloading bench to build an AR-15 for the wife

You get my vote for "Husband of the Month" LOL!

[rr2241tx]

Helped a friend discover the joy of black powder reloading. It took us all afternoon but we made 20 rounds for his Ballard and if the TV weatherman will cooperate we're going to bring that old girl back to life on Saturday. We also recycled several Negra Modelo bottles celebrating our accomplishment afterwards and solved most of the world's greatest problems. Great way to spend a winter afternoon.

[trixter]

I gathered up lots and lots and lots and lots of my 223 reloads with vmax bullets to go squeek hunting in the morning. Woot Woot!

[Bongo Boy]

I sized/lubed a bunch of bullets that I cast last night, and cleared some of the debris off the bench so I could see the bench again.

[taco650]

Helped a friend discover the joy of black powder reloading. It took us all afternoon but we made 20 rounds for his Ballard and if the TV weatherman will cooperate we're going to bring that old girl back to life on Saturday. We also recycled several Negra Modelo bottles celebrating our accomplishment afterwards and solved most of the world's greatest problems. Great way to spend a winter afternoon.

Hope you two kept track of the answers you came up with so I can ask you later when I'm stumped on something. ;-)

[MBTcustom]

I loaded up some favorites for a buddy who owns an M1A in 358 Winchester I built for him. His exact words were "It's time for swinageddon up here, and I need some of your awesome cast bullet ammo".
Aaaaaaaaalrightythen!!!!!!

The bullets I chose for his swineslayer are two favorites of mine. The 358318 (lovingly reffered to us here at MBT as the "venison boomerang", and a monstrous 287 grain lovern design by mountain molds (not a catalog item.)
133039
I loaded up 50 of each with IMR3031 35 grains each for the 287 grainers, and 39 grains each for the 250 grainers (my own loads, check you own references)
133040
133041
The 358318 is an awesome hunting bullet. It kills by tumbling rather than expanding, and in a 14 twist, it does so with remarkable regularity. It exists a deer (or a pig I suppose) leaving a 4" X 1" gaping hole, and the animal that gets hit by this flying chopstick does not live long enough to tell his buddies how bad it was.
Swinageddon is on like donkey kong. 20 rounds as fast as you can pull the trigger is enough to convince any creature on God's green earth to fold like a kite.
133044

[michiganmike]

Good Afternoon!

Today is Saturday, March 7. I woke up at 0800, well before my wife, who still works full time. And she slept in. So, I went down to my shop where I have my reloading station. There I loaded up 100 rounds of brass to fire form for my 7mm-08. I have been looking everywhere for 7mm-08 brass for weeks, but found none.

So, I bought 100 rounds of Silvery State Armory .308 brass. This is very good brass IMO. I had previously prepped the brass, so I only had to prime, charge with powder and top off with bullets. The bullet I chose was Lyman #2660405, 150 gr. Loverin style. With wheel weights it throws a 145 grain bullet for me.

This is the mould I have owned for the longest time, and the most consistently accurate with any powder I put under it. And the powder I chose was 20 grains of Accurate 1660 which I have had for awhile. And I was able to finish off what was left in the canister. That charge, using the Handloads.com reduced load calculator should yield about 1800 fps. This powder meters beautifully.

This coming week is supposed to bring a big thaw to Michigan. So, hopefully I can get out and take these rounds to the range.

[EMC45]

Formed some more 8MM Mauser brass from some old 30-06 brass I had kicking around.

[skeettx]

Worked on some 50 BMG for a friend, then took them over to his house,
while going to Cracker Barrel for lunch to celebrate my wife's and my 45th Anniversary :)
Mike

[labradigger1]

Loads 450 9mm rounds for the xdm

[shoot-n-lead]

Loaded the last colt loads that I intend to load...gonna let someone else have the 45colt guns...loaded 50rds to shoot and confirm that I had not changed my mind.

[TXGunNut]

Is the RD 360-230 for the Whelen?

Not today but yesterday ordered a Lee 4-20 from Midway. I'm tired of ladle casting already. I realize some don't like this pot, aka drip-o-matic but its price point is what I can afford. I think I can deal with some drips because I'm mechanical enough to figure out a solution if it gets bad.

Yes, it is the NOE RD 360-230 and I load it for my 35 Whelen. Loaded some test loads today as well as some test loads for the Accurate 322-170A for my 32WS and some Lyman 380681 test loads for my 38-55. Should be an interesting day at the range tomorrow.
I prefer the bottom pour Lee over ladle casting but keep the old pot around for the moulds that seem to like it that way. My big Lyman single-cav moulds seem to prefer ladle casting for some reason.

[Tenbender]

Melted down 1 1/2 buckets of wheel weights this morning. 179 1 lb. ingots Re-sized 200 30 30 cases I bought on Gunbroker.

[dragon813gt]

Cleaned a new to me Savage 99 in 300 Savage. Didn't need another one but price was set properly. Now to have it refinished.

[bigarm]

Yesterday I bought a tool chest as my old Craftsman has been dying. Unwrapped and set it up. Got most of the tools put away and then cast some 30-30 bullets. Really nice here today, about 50, which is really nice for March in Montana. Was able to leave the big shop door open. Hope to powder coat tomorrow. Need to powder coat 3 different calibers. Don't know if I can do that in one day.

[bigarm]

Loaded the last colt loads that I intend to load...gonna let someone else have the 45colt guns...loaded 50rds to shoot and confirm that I had not changed my mind.

I have just had 45 colts (Smith 25 and Rossi lever action) for a month or so. I am liking the round, especially like the Smith. Fun gun to shoot.

[Uncle Jimbo]

Loaded 200 rounds of 38 spl. Using a new to me bullet. 125 gr RF.

[Efin]

Loaded 100 - 9mm with Titewad, now ready to do a bunch of my 45acp with Titewad too.

[Jack Stanley]

Cast a few more RCBS 22-55-SP bullets to work with .

Jack

[jabo52521]

Lubed and sized some 250 grain wadcutters for 44 mag using Ben's Red. Will load them up tomorrow using powder I found at a yard sale.133200133201

[shoot-n-lead]

I have just had 45 colts (Smith 25 and Rossi lever action) for a month or so. I am liking the round, especially like the Smith. Fun gun to shoot.

This is my second try with it...first time was back in the early 80's...I just cannot get into it and get nothing out of it. I am a 44 guy, thru and thru, just don't need the colt for anything that I do.

It is a good round and I hope that you get all of the enjoyment out of it that I have been unable to get.

[shoot-n-lead]

Loaded 200 rounds of 38 spl. Using a new to me bullet. 125 gr RF.

I have cast and shot a BIG pile of the Lee 125gr RF in 38 and 357...love that little bullet.

[johnc486]

Cast 750 158 gr LSWC, lubed & sized 200 148 gr LWC. Tomorrow will be casting some 200 gr LSWC to be shot in my new Dan Wesson Valor due to arrive next week, I hope it turns out to be a good buy, my 1st 1911.

[Land Owner]

Cast, air cooled, weighed, and sorted 500 - 22 Bator boolits out of 49/49/2 - WW/Pb/Sn! What a pill!

[websterz]

I just finished sorting through about 1000 rounds of brass from the range trip yesterday. Some nice folks left behind about half of that, mostly .45acp and 9mm, all factory fresh once fired stuff. There were also about 50 rounds of 357 mag and 40 rounds of 50AE. :-) The rest was my own. Tumblers are gonna be busy tomorrow!

[johnc486]

I cast 1065 200 gr LSWC, now to size and lube on the LAM2 and load them with VV N310 for the forthcoming Dan Wesson Valor. The casting was done with the Lee TL 2 cavity, took 5 hours for this old man to accomplish, a labor of luv.

[Landshark9025]

Yesterday: 550 rounds of 38 SPL with Lee 358-140 with 50/50 Lithi-Bee lube.
350 rounds of 9mm with 124g RN from Bayou Bullets.
Today: Another 229 rounds of 9mm 124g RN.

That's gotta be north of 4,500-5,000 pulls of the handle on the turret by time you count the double pulls to get the primer out, dumping and rechecking powder, etc.

[Landshark9025]

I'm impressed. Best I can muster is about 150 an hour with a two cavity and can't do it for 5 hours straight. That's just flat out production.


I cast 1065 200 gr LSWC, now to size and lube on the LAM2 and load them with VV N310 for the forthcoming Dan Wesson Valor. The casting was done with the Lee TL 2 cavity, took 5 hours for this old man to accomplish, a labor of luv.

[jonp]

Tried out a new 358140 swc Lee mold and promptly turned the sprue plate screw the wrong way and busted it off. UGH. Finished shooting up the 358145 WC I had sized at .358 for my SW 15-4. Much leading at the rifling but the barrel is clean so I think it is nothing more than trying them unsized but I had them loaded over 3gr of Promo so used them up. Put away some powder and cleaned a few firearms I have in the safe but don't shoot much

[h8dirt]

Inspected and weight sorted 525 Accurate Molds 452300AG's that I cast yesterday. I love this mold and "boolit" in my 45 Colts. Can't wait to try it in the FA M83 454 that I have on order.

[BrianL]

I did some smelting of large 20 lb Lino ingots into Lyman ingots and tried out a few of the molds that I was just gifted. Only had a little over an hour with two
Lyman 311252's and a RCBS 30-150SP but got roughly 3 lbs of plinkers and 90 lbs of lino ingots133312

[kryogen]

I coated bullets with hi-tek

[bigarm]

This is my second try with it...first time was back in the early 80's...I just cannot get into it and get nothing out of it. I am a 44 guy, thru and thru, just don't need the colt for anything that I do.

It is a good round and I hope that you get all of the enjoyment out of it that I have been unable to get.

I have 44's also, a Smith 29 in 44 mag, 2 Colt SAA's in 44 spl (a really great round) and a Marlin 94 in 44 mag/spl. Love those guns as well. I just have been liking the Smith and the Rossi in 45 colt lately. Load them light and they are quite fun to shoot steel with.

[bigarm]

Today I powder coated bullets, about 200 30-30 with sulpher yellow, about 300 45 acp with Harbor Freight red and about 400 .357 with John Deere green.

[blikseme300]

Reformed 100 307Win cases to 308MX. Lousy weather so can't work on the farm or go shoot. Did find some "missing" tools while looking for the dies and cleaned up the loading bench so day ended well.

[Deadpool]

Loaded up some PC .401 174gr in 40S&W, broke 900 Joules every shot in this one set of powder, only a couple cases showed a little pressure signs. 18" bbl.

I have bad news about dacron filler... I made a second set of each powder set, with a small tuft of dacron for testing. I tried to keep it all the same. Velocity increased with the filler, between 0.5% and 3.5% increase. However, standard deviation increased 20% to 100%. :(

[TXGunNut]

Cleaned a new to me Savage 99 in 300 Savage. Didn't need another one but price was set properly. Now to have it refinished.

Congrats! Looking forward to pics and progress reports.

[TXGunNut]

Didn't get to shoot the loads I put together yesterday so my only trips to the loading room today were research-related. Decided I needed a new Hornady manual so that was my excuse for a Cabelas trek.

[Efin]

Load 200 45acp with some bullets pulled from some Brazilian berdan CBCs

[tdoyka]

loaded up some 165gr ranch dog for my 30-40 krag and then i did some 405gr fbfn(moyers bullets) for my 45-70.

[scottfire1957]

Loaded 100 rnds .45ACP, after having fired a few to make sure they work. Next step is to see if I can hit anything with them.



Edit: "make sure they work" means they didn't break me or the firearm!

[jonp]

Loaded up some PC .401 174gr in 40S&W, broke 900 Joules every shot in this one set of powder, only a couple cases showed a little pressure signs. 18" bbl.

I have bad news about dacron filler... I made a second set of each powder set, with a small tuft of dacron for testing. I tried to keep it all the same. Velocity increased with the filler, between 0.5% and 3.5% increase. However, standard deviation increased 20% to 100%. :(

Wow. You measure pressure, velocity and joules? What do you use to measure that? Im impressed

[websterz]

Hopefully they didn't break the family joules!

[Deadpool]

Wow. You measure pressure, velocity and joules? What do you use to measure that? Im impressed

Energy was just a calculation, to draw comparison to 10mm. Pressure signs are just signs. Looks like I can load larger charges, they're not coming close yet to what I see in faster powders, in regards to pressure signs. Standard rounds flatten the primer cup and crater the indent, in every brand I have brass for. Only two cups cratered with that charge, but none flattened. Loving this powder so far. Hoping for 1600fps. That would be 1340 joules, or 988 ft-lbs.. that would beat a 10mm pistol :) Boolits were grouped exactly at 174.0gr

[bigarm]

I sized powder coated bullets today. Sized my 45 acp and that went well. I started to size my 158 grain .357 bullets to .358. At first it was going okay and then it seemed to get harder and take more effort. Also it appeared that the sizing operation was taking off the powder coat, scratching it, etc. I took the die out, cleaned it and tried again. No change. Then I decided to try to hone it out a little because when I checked with calipers it seemed they were sizing a little small. Tried again and it seemed better and then it happened - a stuck bullet in the sizing die. Darn! Also seems to have damaged the very bottom thread on the die. Darn again! I guess I need a machinist to retread it as I don't have that equipment and have to get the bullet out. Funny thing though, I have a .356 sizing die and just for giggles I tried it. The bullets sized easily and sure enough when I checked with calipers they measured .356. Only tried a few as I really didn't want them sized that small. Why would a larger die get a bullet stuck and a smaller one size okay? After that I decided to go back to working on 30-30's. I had them going good so I decided to take one more run with the prototype powder funnel and sure enough crushed a couple of cases. So put it back like I had it and made some rounds just fine. I did one more thing. I had read of a fix for primer feeding with an extended bar under the primer feed. Found one on ebay and ordered it. Put it in today and immediately had feeding problems. So I took it apart and buffed it up with fine wet/dry sandpaper and steel wool. Put it back together and still had trouble. Kept adjusting it and finally got it working good. We will see long term how it works.

[TXGunNut]

I set the clock forward to DST and walked back out. Maybe this weekend.

[michiganmike]

Today I cast about 75 bullets using the COWW that I melted and refined down yesterday. The mould was the Lyman 150 grain round nose Loverin design 7mm. It was very productive. The alloy was very clean and the bullets were 148.6 grains =/- 1 grain. I put anything outside of those parameters back in the pot. They are beauties, nice, clean, crisp lines throughout - bases, lube rings, etc. It was a rewarding exercise.

These bullets will be used with the used Lyman 450 Lube Sizer that I bought on EBay earlier this week. I am looking forward to trying out my new toy. The lube will be Ben's Red that I modified with some Carnauba Red to make it a little stiffer. The Michigan summers get pretty hot and humid. I will melt it and pour into the Lyman's lube reservoir, as Ben suggested in a recent post. Looking forward to trying both the lube and the lube sizer out.

MichiganMike

[jabo52521]

Got started at 7am this morning and cast 500 230 grain round nose. Sized and tumble lube. Finished before 10am. They're drying now. Tomorrow is reloading day then off to the range.

[Efin]

Loaded 100 250g 45 Colt self cast pc's. The casting pot is calling my name tomorrow... I'm seeing 9's, 40 and 45, maybe some 30's too...

[robg]

cast 230 wfn 158g pb boolits & 100 158g lswc gc boolits sized & lubed both .good day

[timberhawk]

Cast 500+ .403 MiHec 200 gr. shallow HP to load in my brand new Glock Gen 4 Model 20.

Plan to PC the bullets and load with Blue Dot.

I need to get some AA9, but that's scarcer than hen's teeth right now!

[taco650]

Not today but yesterday I tried out my new Lee 4-20 pot. Now I know why its called the drip-o-matic :-(

Also cast from my new Lee 309-180RN mold. After it warmed up got some nice ones but they all weigh about 170.5, not 180 as Lee info said. Alloy was 50/50 COWW's and range scrap with a little plumber's solder added.

[Bongo Boy]

200 rounds of 44 Mag, bright and shiny, ready for Thursday at the Range.


http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x150/Bongo_Boy/Handloading/44Mag%20in%20the%20Box_zps2u8h9vin.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/user/Bongo_Boy/media/Handloading/44Mag%20in%20the%20Box_zps2u8h9vin.jpg.html)

[Bongo Boy]

Cast 500+ .403 MiHec 200 gr. shallow HP to load in my brand new Glock Gen 4 Model 20.

I love that bullet--I've got the older one he built, I think, which drops 'em at ~186 gr or so using the deep pins. What a fun one to load.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x150/Bongo_Boy/Handloading/104662ab-3724-4181-9d01-a5b98997339d_zpslhe8pfu7.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/user/Bongo_Boy/media/Handloading/104662ab-3724-4181-9d01-a5b98997339d_zpslhe8pfu7.jpg.html)

[Jal5]

Scored a 8# jug of Bullseye today at $15 per lb including tax [emoji2][emoji2]

[62chevy]

Not today but yesterday I tried out my new Lee 4-20 pot. Now I know why its called the drip-o-matic :-(

Also cast from my new Lee 309-180RN mold. After it warmed up got some nice ones but they all weigh about 170.5, not 180 as Lee info said. Alloy was 50/50 COWW's and range scrap with a little plumber's solder added.

I have the same problem with the same mold from Lee. 168 grains with COWW and 172 with pipe lead. But it does drop at .312 to .314.

[tazman]

I spent some time this morning casting up 1000 158 grain RF boolits for my 38.357. I spent some time this afternoon loading 150 rounds of 150 grain tc boolits for my 40S&W.

[bigarm]

Loaded about 150 rounds of 45 acp. The Dillon was running funky, not smooth at all, so I took apart the primer system and sanded and buffed it. Cleaned up the rest and then put back together. Ran out of time to try it out as we had to go into town to pick up my wife's new glasses. Hopefully, it will be smoother.

[skeettx]

Bigarm, which Dillon press, if it is a 1050, I have found you really need to clean up the case feed, wow, what a difference that makes.

[Thin Man]

Been working with a Winchester 1892 that was born in 1911 (easy number to remember). Today I loaded 5 each of 4 different boolit patterns over 8.5 grains H108 for group testing. The previous test involved the same process over 10.0 grains 2400, groups went from acceptable to really poor. The sights are regulated for 25 yards (the longest distance of the indoor range available to me). The owner wants a load that groups well enough to have confidence in it when it fires and is striking at the sights. The rifle carries a 24" full octagon barrel with a slight amount of bore pitting, nothing excessive. What I have found so far is that the rifle prefers fat, heavy boolits (120 grains @ .313" group buy mold) more so than the lighter boolits (100 grain Lyman 31133 HP mold @ .311"). I just got a batch of new Starline brass for this project so that makes the testing more fun.

[taco650]

I have the same problem with the same mold from Lee. 168 grains with COWW and 172 with pipe lead. But it does drop at .312 to .314.

I measured a few with my calipers (I know, not the most accurate way to do it) and they measured .310. Did you "adjust" your mold so they come out fatter?

[bigarm]

Bigarm, which Dillon press, if it is a 1050, I have found you really need to clean up the case feed, wow, what a difference that makes.

No, this is an older 550. I have 2 550's. One I bought last summer and this one that I bought used maybe 12+ years ago. I am toying with the idea of sending it back to Dillon for a rebuild after summer as I will need it during for USPSA and 3 Gun. They will rebuild for just under $70, a pretty good deal I think.

[mdi]

Yesterday I went out to my shop to let wifey-poo have the house to herself (AKA I got away). Hit the cd "play", listened to some Ray Price, closed my eyes and smelled gun oil, lead, beeswax lube while fondling a newly reloaded 308 Winchester round...

[62chevy]

I measured a few with my calipers (I know, not the most accurate way to do it) and they measured .310. Did you "adjust" your mold so they come out fatter?

Didn't do anything to the mold other than use it, just the way they drop. I just wanted a heavy boolit for case forming but 168 will get 'er done so no big deal. If I wanted it for hunting then yes I'd be mad.

[michiganmike]

Today the used Lyman 450 Lube Sizer purchased on EBay arrived. It was intact and clean on the outside. The inside was another matter. The seller said he got it at an estate sale.

Apparently the previous owner either stopped using it one day and walked away from it. Or, after he died it languished in the basement for years. Because the lube reservoir was partially filled with what appeared to have been Alox, now very tough and hard to remove.

I removed most of it manually. But didn't heat up the device for fear of getting it too hot and damaging it. Maybe I am being overly cautious, but I have made messes over the years by doing what made sense at first blush. Now the entire body of the sizer is sitting in a can of Ed's Red solvent. I will finish the job tomorrow.

The top punch and sizer die should be here tomorrow from Midway USA. Then the fun begins.

MichiganMike

[bangerjim]

Started de-priming and swaging the over 1,200 5.56 brass I came home from the range with....FREE for just bending over and picking it up. I like these AR shooters that do not cast & load!

Also over 170 357 MAG brass to de-prime.

banger-j

[websterz]

Today I am machining a new crank assembly and two case sliders for a customer. My reloading room is also my machine shop. :-)

[taco650]

Today the used Lyman 450 Lube Sizer purchased on EBay arrived. It was intact and clean on the outside. The inside was another matter. The seller said he got it at an estate sale.

Apparently the previous owner either stopped using it one day and walked away from it. Or, after he died it languished in the basement for years. Because the lube reservoir was partially filled with what appeared to have been Alox, now very tough and hard to remove.

I removed most of it manually. But didn't heat up the device for fear of getting it too hot and damaging it. Maybe I am being overly cautious, but I have made messes over the years by doing what made sense at first blush. Now the entire body of the sizer is sitting in a can of Ed's Red solvent. I will finish the job tomorrow.

The top punch and sizer die should be here tomorrow from Midway USA. Then the fun begins.

MichiganMike

I have read here of people boiling the whole thing until all the lube is melted out.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am sizing/lubing a sample 'lot' of some Lee CTL312 160 2R boolits.
using SL68B (with is almost clear), it sure is tough to see in the small TL lube grooves.
It'll be interesting to see if that will be enough lube for my Mod 70 30-06,


http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/sized%20and%20lubed%20with%20SL68B_zpsmuzcwzd8.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/sized%20and%20lubed%20with%20SL68B_zpsmuzcwzd8.jpg .html)


I am thinking, these are some pretty good witness marks from the throat of my mod 70
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/Lee%20CTL312-160-2R%20in%2030-06%20with%20rifling%20witness%20marks%20from%20Mod %2070_zpsh3vk7cca.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/Lee%20CTL312-160-2R%20in%2030-06%20with%20rifling%20witness%20marks%20from%20Mod %2070_zpsh3vk7cca.jpg.html)

[Shiloh]

More 38's.

Shiloh

[michiganmike]

For the first time I resized and lubed bullets using the used Lyman Lube-Sizer I bought on EBay. I watched a how to on YouTube 3-4 times and went to work. The tool is actually quite simple. And I now have 70 sized and lubed 7mm bullets (148.6 grains +/- 1 grain).

It is Lyman's 150 grain round nose Loverin bullet and has always been the most accurate 7mm bullet I make for my Ruger 77 Hawkeye across a fairly wide range of powders. Tomorrow I will finish them off with a coating of Ben's Liquid Lube and reload them. H4895 is probably the most accurate powder for this bullet.

Had fun with my new toy.

MichiganMike

[CHeatermk3]

Yesterday, turned the necks on 84- 7,62x54r cases that were annealed last october.

Today, ice pack on elbow.

[bigarm]

I bought a new tool chest recently to replace my old craftsman that had two drawers would not work. I had an appointment in town so it was later when I got home so I decided to take out that old tool chest and see if I could get the drawers working. Thought maybe since those two drawers were fairly deep I might be able to convert it to store my Dillon toolheads with dies. Took the drawers out, messed with the slides, put the drawers in and they seemed to work. Then I took some lubricant and lubed all the drawers up really good. Unfortunately I measured the depth of the drawers and they are about an inch or two short for what I had in mind. Will have to find another use for it.

[Latheman]

Trimming Rifle brass .223 and 30.06

[Jal5]

Prepped 300 pcs 9mm
Cast some for 45 auto and 9mm
Busy day!
Bought another can of Johnson One Step at Lowes for TL

[taco650]

Got my new-to-me Lyman 450 mounted and then sized/lubed/checked my first batch of Lee 309-180RNGC's. Sized them to .310 and it worked great! Now to prep some 30-06 brass and load 'em up! Still haven't decided on a load yet but probably used Unique although I'd like to get them to around 1700-1800fps so might use my Longshot instead.

[taco650]

I am sizing/lubing a sample 'lot' of some Lee CTL312 160 2R boolits.
using SL68B (with is almost clear), it sure is tough to see in the small TL lube grooves.
It'll be interesting to see if that will be enough lube for my Mod 70 30-06,


http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/sized%20and%20lubed%20with%20SL68B_zpsmuzcwzd8.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/sized%20and%20lubed%20with%20SL68B_zpsmuzcwzd8.jpg .html)


I am thinking, these are some pretty good witness marks from the throat of my mod 70
http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/Lee%20CTL312-160-2R%20in%2030-06%20with%20rifling%20witness%20marks%20from%20Mod %2070_zpsh3vk7cca.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/Lee%20CTL312-160-2R%20in%2030-06%20with%20rifling%20witness%20marks%20from%20Mod %2070_zpsh3vk7cca.jpg.html)

Those look really good Jon. I'd like to know how that lube works out.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Those look really good Jon. I'd like to know how that lube works out.
Thanks, your comment is just the motivation I need to get out this week with them. I'm scheduled to go back to work next week...and the Auction in 2 weeks from now. If I don't get out this week, it'll probably be a month before I get to the range.

[zidave]

Loaded up my first batch of 223. 55gr FMJ over a charge of Varget.

[bangerjim]

Dug out my big box of FMJ 38's. Primed 50ea) 357 MAG cases. Ready to stuff with some powder, seat, and off to the range tomorrow!

[BrianL]

Lubed 350 41 mag slugs and 450 75 grain .311 plinkers

[smoked turkey]

Did all the initial work on some 35 Whelen cases such as sizing, neck flairing, cleaning primer pockets and then a 45 minute ride in the ground walnut media with some polish added to make them shine. While the cases were being vibrated, I sized, lubed and put the GCs on the big 3589 boolit. I then tumble lubed them in some Ben's liquid lube and placed them on wax paper to dry. Took the cases out of the media and put CCI 200 LR primers in them. So now I have the prep work done on both the brass and boolits. In a day or so I will load these up with a 44 grain charge of H4350. These shoot good for me and the plan is to be sitting in New Brunswick in the first part of May on a black bear hunt with these boolits. All in all I had a good evening in the reloading room.

[aspangler]

Swaged the primer pockets in the last 300 223's and primed the last 400 of the 1000 cases I bought. Ready to load now.

[Jeff R]

I finally got off my rear and did a casting session. I made some wadcutters yesterday. Today, more of them, and some 210 gr. Boolits for the .41 Mag.

134771 134773

134774 134775

Regards,
Jeff

Rocketing towards 200 posts!!

[mattw]

Got time to make some 230 grain Seaco bullets a couple of weeks ago, sized them and set them aside. Yesterday I decided to load a few and try working up a load for them with 2400. I started at 16 grains, was looking for a plinking load... I went out and test fired that load this morning and shot a 4 shot 1 hole'r and went back in and loaded 200!

134788

[shoot-n-lead]

I loaded another 200rds of 357...as I continue to try to fill all of my brass in all calibers...just seem to keep acquiring more brass.

[DougGuy]

I was sent some samples of the 454190 that were sized .4555" and I needed to make a custom expander to use for these. The inset lower right in the photo shows the stock Lee .45 Colt expander, which measures .4515" and the new one I made (to the right of the Lee) measures .454" which is just about perfect neck tension for a .4555" ~ .456" boolit.

Had to flare and polish the bottom of the Lee .45 Colt seating die, because with the case expanded enough to accept the large boolit, it didn't want to go into the seating die!

After that I loaded up 20 rds over 8.5gr Herco and roll crimped them. If you ever wanted to know what the biggest diameter boolit you can seat in a standard .45 Colt seating die, this is it! You can see on the lead in front of the crimp that the crimping collar was almost shaving the boolit all the way around!

Thanks Silver Jack Hammer, I think these will do just fine!

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/Lyman454190samples-pasted_zpsrpg1dx3t.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/Lyman454190samples-pasted_zpsrpg1dx3t.jpg.html)

Uberti "Old West" model, this one has cylinder throats that are .4565" they faithfully copied the 1873 Colt Peacemaker right down to the last detail, and for the best results, boolits should be sized to a light drag fit in the throats..

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Guns/DSC03760crop768_zpsxo4wirjx.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Guns/DSC03760crop768_zpsxo4wirjx.jpg.html)