"Breaking your Routine"…BENCH TIPS

[dudel]

OS, I really like those template! Perhaps you could speed up production by laying them on a big roll of brown wrapping paper and spray painting the outline? Maybe the BG in red, others in green?

[OS OK]

OS, I really like those template! Perhaps you could speed up production by laying them on a big roll of brown wrapping paper and spray painting the outline? Maybe the BG in red, others in green?

Tried that, thanks for the input…I still had to go in and delineate the scoring areas with a marks a lot…me and spray paint mix like oil and water…don't work…God, I hate using paint! or stain, it makes the paper wrinkle and is unacceptable to get clean holes to score. When the guys shoot these targets and are in the competition mode you see a lot of wadcutters coming out to the range…get my drift?
One of these days I'll run across someone who will give me a good price on printing them…say in 1000/per order and it'll be fair on both ends. If that worked out I could make them available at the local gun shops.
I'd really like to see this game catch on…the reactions I get locally are very gratifying and we have been playing now for two years. The 'cool' part is that we spend all day having a shoot, 4 of us generally, and at the end of the day we have shot about 150-200 rounds each and they were serious training rounds and having a blast at the same time…unusual combination.

PS…Texas hill country?…are you out by Kerville?

[dudel]

PS…Texas hill country?…are you out by Kerville?

Not far, closer to Boerne. Shoot in Bandera though.

[OS OK]

Not far, closer to Boerne. Shoot in Bandera though.

I worked that girls camp out there with two buddies one summer during high school summer vacation…though we would score big time all summer long…well…that camp operator was much wiser than we gave him credit for…he kept the bunch of us down in the river breaking new horses with an attitude problem or in the stalls shoveling road apples all summer. Didn't work out as we thought! In fact it was a lot of work…the only time we got to flirt with the girls, they were paddling by in canoes, didn't give us much time to be 'friendly' at all.
Wise old owl…that camp operator.

[W.R.Buchanan]

All my containers have post it notes with the contents. So I always know what's inside.

I process brass in batches up thru Priming in groups of 50-100,,, and then complete each round and put it in the box. IE: Charge, Seat Boolit, Crimp using 3 stations on my C&H press.(C&H444)

This way it is nearly impossible to make a mistake.

I got rid of he loading block batch method a long time ago, as there are too many opportunities to get distracted or miss charging a case or not fully charge a case, and then miss that error.

When you drop one charge, dump it thru the powder charging die and toonce the press to insure that all the powder made it into the hole, then move the case to the next station and seat a bullet, and then move it again and crimp, you pretty much can't make a mistake.

The single most important thing I have learned owning a machine shop is that when setting up a job for a guy to run, IT MUST BE IDIOT PROOF !!! He will never pay attention 100% of the time.

I also learned that when setting a job up for myself it must be Idiot Proof as well as I am a bigger idiot than most people I know, and I prove it to myself everyday.

Reloading is just like running a production machine.

I also learned that,,, "if you think you really know what's going on,,, You are probably FOS!"

A more humble approach to your own capabilities is a more prudent stance.

So in the end if you plan on screwing up,,, you should probably take more steps to insure that you don't.

My .02

Randy

[OS OK]

Another tip…or two...

With this new to me Powder Coating boolits thing I find myself reworking all my loads that were cast/lubed because the PC is heaver and presents different pressures due to maybe their slickness. I get lazy about having to round up everything and hike down to the range…If only I could work up loads right behind the shop…
dah-daa…how about one of those boolit traps made of a simple trash can and the rubber mulch.
I screwed a simple composite board on the front and staple cardboard to the front of that…give it a shake once and a while to keep the boolits from tunneling and I have the lazy mans answer to 'quick workups'.Attachment 161187

This is the other tip, see the tunnel I made from the plastic corrugated signboard? It helps in two ways…(1) it makes shooting through the chrony almost…I said 'Almost' fool proof. (2) It helps that 30 year old chrony to see the rounds in any type of daylight…I have stopped getting those annoying 'non readings' when shooting a string of carefully prepared boolits. (3) I always shoot a .22 round through before I start just to make sure that old chrony is awake and paying attention…so many times that first shot doesn't register for some unknown reason, well except for 'Murphy' and that SOB will get you anytime he can.
Attachment 161188

[tstowater]

Didn't add this on my last post. I avoid distractions with a passion. If someone comes into my loading room and asks a question, I will stop and address the question/issue before continuing what I was doing. I have found that distractions are a recipe for disaster.

[OS OK]

Didn't add this on my last post. I avoid distractions with a passion. If someone comes into my loading room and asks a question, I will stop and address the question/issue before continuing what I was doing. I have found that distractions are a recipe for disaster.

Roger that…Welcome to the Forum.!. (find a cool Avatar)

[Dancing Bear]

I also adhere to the one container of powder out at a time. In addition I attach a label identifying the powder to the powder measure stand. Just double protection for me.

[wadcutter]

Didn't add this on my last post. I avoid distractions with a passion. If someone comes into my loading room and asks a question, I will stop and address the question/issue before continuing what I was doing. I have found that distractions are a recipe for disaster.

Personally I try to do the final step, powder load and bullet seating, only when I'm alone in the house.

[shoot-n-lead]

I have found that distractions are a recipe for disaster.

What kind of disaster did you have that made you aware of this?

[shoot-n-lead]

After using one powder in the measure and trickler, when finished, I take the measure and trickler over to the air compressor and blow them out, so as to not take a chance on having residual powder in them, that can be mixed with another burn rate powder.

[Outer Rondacker]

OS OK where did you get the rubber mulch? I like this as a trap idea.

[OS OK]

OS OK where did you get the rubber mulch? I like this as a trap idea.

Howdy O_R...I found it at 'Home Depot' its a big lumber/hardware/garden type supply we have out here in Kali and I'll bet that stuff is pretty widely distributed everywhere.
Here is a You Tube link showing how they are built but you can find other methods just by watching this one and YT will suggest others to view.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT8YCey0hPE

If they don's suggest this, remember to use the plastic mulch bags to make a barrier 1/2 way into the trap, bout say 20" in. Most of your rounds will not go in further than that and when you reclaim your lead you don't have to empty the whole rig. It is a heavy target! Boolits will tunnel in the mulch…so…roll the target or shake it ever so often to prevent that. If you let them tunnel, they will eventually pierce the rear of the container…when you first reclaim the lead you will get a good feel how this works.
Save a couple of bags to go right behind your front seal board where you staple cardboard on the face to tape/staple a target. The wooden board I use will go south eventually and need replacement…but…the plastic bags right behind it will prevent the mulch from falling out while that is happening.
I used pan head sheet metal screws from the underside of the trash can top rim to hold the whole thing together…so far I'm good with that

Good Luck…Thanks for asking…OS OK

[tstowater]

What kind of disaster did you have that made you aware of this?

With a 550, the main concern is forgetting to manually index so you could end up with a double charge (more of that where a second charge will not fill the case on a handgun load) or trying to stuff another primer in.... that hasn't been very successful and assorted other issues.

Also, I use a P-W shotgun loader and primary concern there with auto-index is failing to put in a wad and/or another hull.

Many of these are easily avoided if you are paying attention and distractions can cause attention deficit.

[OS OK]

Attachment 161450Attachment 161451
​I added a short piece of radiator hose to my Lee XR to make it fit my large paws…works like a charm for me.
Added another piece to the handle of the RCBS's narrow handle to make it more comfortable in my palm…yeah baby!
If you look closely, you will see the priming tube catch pin there stuck to a small magnet on the upper end of the handle…I tend to misplace small items like that and magnets are a true blessing when it comes to hanging onto little things we use on the bench.

If you have an idea you want to share on this post with pictures…Please Do!

OS OK

[Three44s]

One can of powder on the bench at a time.

My test ammo lots get transported to the range in sets of zip lock bags with a pertinent note in each one. The fired rounds get placed back into it's respective bag and when I get back to the load room I line them all up in a load block and re-inspect for minute pressure signs etc.

Three 44s

[Static line]

Attachment 161450Attachment 161451
​I added a short piece of radiator hose to my Lee XR to make it fit my large paws…works like a charm for me.
Added another piece to the handle of the RCBS's narrow handle to make it more comfortable in my palm…yeah baby!
If you look closely, you will see the priming tube catch pin there stuck to a small magnet on the upper end of the handle…I tend to misplace small items like that and magnets are a true blessing when it comes to hanging onto little things we use on the bench.

If you have an idea you want to share on this post with pictures…Please Do!

OS OK

I have the Lee hand primer too and I had to put duct tape on the handle just to keep it from slipping in my hand and spilling primers.I hate their cheap lids that crack just looking at them.I bought the RCBS hand primer so I could quit using the Lee job but I hate it even worse.Make a wrong move with it and you have spring and rods going everywhere.I stuck it back in the box after trying to put it back together three times in the middle of handloading.I got in the pick-up and drove 10 miles to Fins,Feathers,Furs a week ago and bought a RCBS Auto prime like you have in your picture.After over 40 years of handloading,I can't believe I went that long without one.I like it a lot. First time in use,I thought where the heck am I going to stick this little clip,well,it ended up in the top part of the primer tube,cliped on the edge.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Whatever container holds loaded rounds gets a label on it with the load data (e.g. 45ACP. 230RN, 6.2-Unique).

[Kevin Rohrer]

With a 550, the main concern is forgetting to manually index so you could end up with a double charge (more of that where a second charge will not fill the case on a handgun load) or trying to stuff another primer in.... that hasn't been very successful and assorted other issues.

I ALWAYS use a bulky powder on the Dillon so a double-charge overflows the case. And my Mark-1 Eyeball checks every round as it moves around the press.