What did you do in the reloading room today?

[Mandoair]

The worst accuracy I've ever had out of one of my pistols was when trying to load low velocity loads with slow burning powder. For me it was 9mm with Shooters World Major Powder which is equivalent to AA#7.

Same powder shoots very accurately with high velocity loads. I disassembled those low velocity loads and reused the bullets with a fast powder and they were very accurate. Ditch the slow powder for low velocity loads.

I appreciate the advice I have sucked it up and loaded up ladders of AA #2, and #5, Tight Group, Win 244, When it warms up enough for the chronograph we’ll see.

[steve urquell]

I appreciate the advice I have sucked it up and loaded up ladders of AA #2, and #5, Tight Group, Win 244, When it warms up enough for the chronograph we’ll see.

[Outer Rondacker]

Walked in and started to open a box of primers to make a 223 run and the wife told me her client of 18 years was in the hospital and they gave her 48 hours at the most. So I drove in the crazy snow store to the hospital. A 45 min run took 2 hours each way. Some times you just got to do what you got to do. Tomorrow is another day and I will get the 223s done then.

[Jadkins87]

I got some 44mag brass sized and need to get them cleaned up the rest of the way and stored in till i make a trap to one of the big city to get powder and supplies. none of my local shops carry any reloading stuff besides a few things at 15 to 20 bucks over market price..

God Bless

JDAS

[openbook]

Finished my long-running reloading bench project—begun 2021, completed 2024.

I've been using the bench ever since I made the base back in December 2021.


A year later, I put together the skeleton of the cabinet (can't find a pic of that). And this past week, finally put in the dividers, shelves, and doors.


A picture showing the fold-down powder scale table.


Pretty happy with the project. It took a long time to finish—but it was usable as soon as the bench top was done, and it's grown with my handloading since then.

Lumber cost including three sheets of 4x8 3/4" plywood and several 2x4s, 4x4s 2x6s was about $300, with 3/4 plywood being by far the most expensive part. Hardware including nuts, bolts, screws, hinges, door track and a latch, about $125, with plastic door track, surprisingly, the most expensive component. I don't charge myself for labor.

The bench top sits at 43 inches, which is about four inches below elbow height for me and a good height for working.

[deltaenterprizes]

I got my 9mm 135 gr HP plated bullets from Extreme that I ordered on New Year’s Eve so I can attempt to make a reasonable facsimile of Hornady Critical Duty 9mm 135gr +P ammunition that we carry at work so I can practice some before we requalify in March.
I got 25 test rounds loaded.
That ammo has a different recoil pulse than I am used to with standard velocity 9mm ammunition.

[Mandoair]

Cast 38lbs. Of MP-135-138-NLG-BB 133 gr. Boolits. It drops 8 at a time. Going to be too cold to test my latest loads for some time

[WRideout]

That's a nice looking bench, Openbook. Mine is a salvaged steel frame with solid core door on top.

Wayne

[MUSTANG]

Deprimming .223 brass I have collected over the last 3 years. Will swage pockets, resize, trim, clean again and load up about two 5 gallon buckets full over the winter. Have to swage about 4 gallons of 22LR brass to make .224's for 60 grain bullets also during the winter. If that get's done; time to swage a few thousand 175 grain .308's from 5/16 copper tubing.

[Texas by God]

I’m loading 100 6.8 SPC with Speer 100 gr hp, and 50 more with Hornady 110gr bthp.
My truck gun needs to be fed.
New calves being born- got to watch for coyotes.


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[Mandoair]

Deprimming .223 brass I have collected over the last 3 years. Will swage pockets, resize, trim, clean again and load up about two 5 gallon buckets full over the winter. Have to swage about 4 gallons of 22LR brass to make .224's for 60 grain bullets also during the winter. If that get's done; time to swage a few thousand 175 grain .308's from 5/16 copper tubing.

Well, that’s very interesting about swedging 60 grain Bullets from 22 Brass sure like to know how to do that. Can you point me in that direction? Thank you.

[MarkinMD]

I was sizing some 350 legend cases for further experiments with lee 200 gr RNFP GC cast boolits. Apparently the sizing lube was insufficient on one case and it stuck in the die. The rim then pulled off. I removed the decapping pin from the Lee die. I was able to reach down with a screwdriver and used a small hammer to tap the case out of the die. I was using my Lyman All American 8 turret press. I did not think to rotate the turret away from the ram position. The Lee die uses a tapered thread plug to retain the decapping pin. That retainer plug takes a considerable amount of torque to grip the pin. Of course, the die began to turn in the press. I reached for a second wrench to hold the die and at that point the decapping pin slipped out of the retaining plug, fell through the shell holder and down into the hollow ram. The ram has a machined slot that lines up with the primer catcher and that is where the center hole ends. The decapping pin was lodged at the bottom of the center hole with no access from the primer slot or from above. I had to walk, through the snow, to my garage, find my small telescoping magnet and then back to the reloading shop. I was able to retrieve the pin using the magnet. I then rotated the turret so that a dropped pin would land on the bench. This is a good example of Murphy's Law in action. When things go wrong, there is no half way, they go all the way wrong!

[Wild Bill 7]

Loaded 300 357’s with 153 grain RCBS mold boolits. 5.5 grains AA#2. They are powder coated red, white and blue. Going to use them with my wife’s new Rossi 92 stainless lever gun.

[Outer Rondacker]

Finally got to prime up some 223 brass but life jumped in the mix again. Today's goal is to charge and seat some plinkers. At least 100 for crying out loud.

MarkinMD I am glad you got it worked out and yes Murphy's Law runs rain here at this homestead as well.

[WRideout]

I was sizing some 350 legend cases for further experiments with lee 200 gr RNFP GC cast boolits. Apparently the sizing lube was insufficient on one case and it stuck in the die. The rim then pulled off. I removed the decapping pin from the Lee die. I was able to reach down with a screwdriver and used a small hammer to tap the case out of the die. I was using my Lyman All American 8 turret press. I did not think to rotate the turret away from the ram position. The Lee die uses a tapered thread plug to retain the decapping pin. That retainer plug takes a considerable amount of torque to grip the pin. Of course, the die began to turn in the press. I reached for a second wrench to hold the die and at that point the decapping pin slipped out of the retaining plug, fell through the shell holder and down into the hollow ram. The ram has a machined slot that lines up with the primer catcher and that is where the center hole ends. The decapping pin was lodged at the bottom of the center hole with no access from the primer slot or from above. I had to walk, through the snow, to my garage, find my small telescoping magnet and then back to the reloading shop. I was able to retrieve the pin using the magnet. I then rotated the turret so that a dropped pin would land on the bench. This is a good example of Murphy's Law in action. When things go wrong, there is no half way, they go all the way wrong!

(head nodding) So true, so true! I once had to fill a stuck case with molten lead so I had something to push it out of the die.
Wayne

[firefly1957]

I have been working on making my own percussion caps one die uses large primers to form them. I dumped the empties from my RCBS 4X4 press set up for .45 acp and found three small primers and one primer with a upside down anvil ! The primer looks to have fired fine and was most likely range pickup brass.

I am using a odd mix for priming it is made in small batches 8 grains Barium Chlorate , 2 grains Charcoal and .3 grains Red Phosphorous . I have been working with .2 grains in a cap and it is a bit energetic so I will be reducing it . The other day I put 15 grains old Clumped up CTG Pyrodex in my CVA .45 pistol with a bit of paper towel on the powder it went off without a hitch . Commercial caps tend to misfire or hangfire with this old can of Pyrodex . I started by making pellets with Gum Arabic or N.C. Lacquer as binder and finding scooping the mix in then adding a touch of thinned Lacquer seems to be best . Pistol has fired quite a few caps in two weeks without cleaning no rust so far...It was cleaned after firing Pyrodex .

[abqcaster]

I lubed, Sized and Gas checked some 155gr, .40, MP, round, hollow-points. I gotta say this is probably the last time I pan lube and PBGC my bullets. It's way too messy and time consuming for me, these days. I'm getting set up for powder coating the vast majority of my projectiles. I tried about 9 years ago, but it was too inconsistent and too new of a process. I have seen it mature and become more reliable and simple. I'm very ready to give powder coating another try.

[flgolfer29]

Loaded 100 ea 45 Colt rounds, and resized 300+ 38 special cases.

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[Arkansas Paul]

Cast some .530 round balls so I can go shoot the new (to me) muzzleloader tomorrow.

[hc18flyer]

Cast and powder coated just over 200 .358- RCBS 150 grain Keith bullets to feed our K- frame 38's. They will get pushed thru the Lee sizer Monday night. I was looking forward to spending a couple hours casting. Next time it's 358- 149 grain button nose wad cutters. Can't have too many ready to load! hc18flyer