I just finished casting about 20 lbs of 140 gr bullets. Keeps me shooting for next months..
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I just finished casting about 20 lbs of 140 gr bullets. Keeps me shooting for next months..
Tom W
To much crimp may swell the case below the bullet. Are you using brass designed for wad cutters, if the brass is not straight walled below the bullet the bullet will also swell the brass if the bullet is in the tapered portion of the brass.
If you loading 38 Special wad cutters the brass should have the the two rings around the brass.
Seating them flush with a bit of a roll crimp. I found some brass had a cannellure at the base, as well as some that had one, two or no cannellure. It was mostly +p and +p+ brass that the boolits swelled the brass.
Brought all my reloading equip/supplies into the house. Shed is to full of other stuff and not enough room for me to work. I am set with enough reloads to keep me shooting/occupied thru the winter (all my guns). Now all my stuff is in the closet (ulterior motive? Hahaha!)
Loaded up some "try" loads for a hunting trip that's less than two weeks away. Starting over with 5744 powder, couldn't get the results I wanted with 3031. Headed to the range shortly, will likely clean and load these same cases for another trip tomorrow. So many projects, so little time!
Taking a smoke break while the boolits dry. Got a new .401 175gr two cavity mold this week. Cast 50 tonight. 50/50 clip on/ stick on with 2% tin added and water dropped. Drop out at 178 grains. Dead on at .401. Going to power coat in a minute here.
Annealed 104 rounds of 9.3x74R brass and then loaded it up with 6.5 grains of Nitro 100 and a case full of cornmeal filler so that I can fire form them on Monday when I head up to the range. I'll see how they look after they come out of the chamber of my No. 5 Pacific Ballard in .40-90 Ballard ...
:)
Restocked some goodies from the Big Reno Show .
Scored a #45 Cramer .
Attachment 181027
I have started down the 9mm road. I am using some Lee TL 356-124-2R, that were cast by a friend, and I received in a trade. So far I am very happy with the results. I took 15 rounds to the club on Tuesday morning and they worked great in my new XDs. I tried some un-sized and some sized. I could not tell the difference in target results, but there is differences while reloading, even after opening the mouth as wide as possible I still shaved some lead. I sized some and the problem went away. Now to perfect the powder (Unique) load.
I love this hobby.
Now that clinton is defeated.................NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!! I can relax for a little while!
Sized trimmed cleaned primer pockets on the 40 308 cases I used at the range today .bought 2 309 molds 160rn and 150 FP two cavity molds should speed up my casting from the single cavity molds I've been using.
Continued making fire-forming rounds, this time for the Lee Enfield .410 Musket. .303 British cases that are annealed, 6.5 grains of Nitro 100, 1/4 sheet of toilet tissue, filled with bulk cornmeal, topped off with another 1/4 sheet of tissue. Taking the LE Musket up to the range tomorrow along with my No. 5 Pacific Ballard in .40-90 ... and my Hi Wall in .32-40 ... and my Low Wall in .22 WCF ... my Springfield Garand ... and a couple others. We're making a day out of it and friend of mine is bringing his son along with him. I want to give his boy lots of options in the way of guns to try out!
:lol:
Worked on cleaning an old Lee 10# production pot by boiling water in it. Lots of scale and crud. Next will be lapping the spout then my first try at bottom pouring boolits
Loaded some 38-55's this morning after marveling at the first frost of the year. By the time coffee pot was dry and gear loaded in the truck temps were a comfy 50 or so and a wonderful day at the range. Changed out my walnut media after probably 15 years, amazing how well the new stuff is working!
100 RDS of 30-.06 plinkers, and 25 test rounds for 300BO
Expanded and primed 100 357 cases I deprimed and polished last week ,was going to do some casting but its blowing a gale and pouring with rain, only 5 degrees c ,so I wimped out.
Cold weather is setting in around here and the casting season has begun. Just poured 250 LBS of lead ingots and stacked them next to my linotype and wheel weight ingots. Got out my furnaces and bullet molds and then, it was time to go to bed. The older I get the harder it is to stay up after 10:00. I will finish this story at a latter date.