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View Poll Results: How much to you cast/reload in a single session?

Voters
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  • I CAST less than 100 boolits at a time

    25 7.02%
  • I CAST between 100-500 boolits at a time

    183 51.40%
  • I CAST between 500-1000 boolits at a time

    92 25.84%
  • I CAST over 1000 boolits at a time

    43 12.08%
  • I RELOAD less than 100 rounds at a time

    61 17.13%
  • I RELOAD between 100-500 rounds at a time

    191 53.65%
  • I RELOAD between 500-1000 rounds at a time

    25 7.02%
  • I RELOAD over 1000 rounds at a time

    22 6.18%
Multiple Choice Poll.
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Thread: How much do you cast/reload in a single session?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    am44mag's Avatar
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    How much do you cast/reload in a single session?

    I was reading through the "what I did in the reloading room today" thread and it got me wondering, how much do you cast/reload in a single session? I've got a bit of a chaotic way of doing things where I load enough rounds to shoot for a day, and it's usually to test new loads. I'm trying to standardize that though so I can just crank out 1000 rounds at a time and have them always be the same. I usually cast 100-500 boolets at a time, and it's usually at least a couple different designs. What do you guys do?
    ______________________________________________
    Aaron

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy

    NC_JEFF's Avatar
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    Reloading - I do a hundred of a load I want to try
    50 if I'm not sure about it up front
    Atleast 3-500 of a trusted load that I have faith in
    Casting - I'm not a great caster but I try and do several hundred or more. The amount of clean alloy I have on hand dictates too.
    Jeff

  3. #3
    Boolit Master daloper's Avatar
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    I cast a small batch at a time. Maybe a few hundred depending on how full I fill the pot. After I get my square plastic nut jar full I put away the casting stuff and get set up to PC. I will PC 100 or so at a time until I get them all coated. When I load them I use a Lee turrent press and I will do a 100 or so at a sitting until I have them done. After that I move to the next mold and caliber. Never in a big hurry and I like the quiet time at the bench.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    When casting, I usually just have at it until the spousal unit starts making weird noises, such as, "why don't you wanna spend time with us?", Or "I'm going to kill you, if you don't put that down and come to bed".

    When loading tried and faithful rounds, I like lots of 300, though any multiple of 15 will jive with my system of checks and rhythm.

    Test loads get ten each. With a new gun, I like to find the high and low end of safety pretty quick so I can load up a good pile of various recipes that are known to be safe, while looking for that accurate load. If I could still shoot off my porch, it would just be lots of ten for this.

    Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Shopdog's Avatar
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    Cast 100-500.... don't shoot handguns much anymore( safe's full of them though).Mainly bolt action CB's. Rarely load JB's.Main focus is varmint hunting so usually load just a box of 20 at a time.That lasts about a week with a cpl shots st game the rest get blasted.When setting up a new rig or new load development that number jumps to about 3 bxs a week.Just not a high volume shooter,preferring chasing things that help in the field,3 shot cloverleafed from cold bores.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    i've been known to cast for 16 hours at a time.

    re-load not more than 4 hours at a time.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy wddodge's Avatar
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    With casting it's not so much how many as how much lead do I melt. Usually 20-25 lbs at a time. Much more than that and my butt gets tired of sitting and the hands need a break too.

    I load most of my handgun ammo on a Hornaday LnL progressive.. I load 100, fill the primer tube and take a break. The break might be half an hour or it might be till the next day.

    Denny

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I usually cast on the weekend, from 300-500, start PCing after that, then reload on Dillon every day from 100 to 500 till I run out of something. That reminds me, need more sp primers.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Pistol rounds are usually 100 rounds, Rifle rounds are less, just because I don't shoot that many when the range is open. I make mouse fart loads for the 30/30 just to see how they'll shoot. The 30-06 A.I. has enough sighted in loads should I go hunting again, and I still have an abundance of "trial" loads for it that shoot better than I expected....
    Tom
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    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    Casting - depends on how my back holds out and how many cavity mold I'm using. I usually try to get at least 300 cast up at a session - sometimes more, sometimes less.

    Reloading - for most, usually around 100 rounds. Batch loading for rifle, usually mourned 40 to 60 (30-30 or 8mm Mauser)

  11. #11
    Boolit Master zymguy's Avatar
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    whats a batch? I throw powder charges at a max of 50 (one tray full) but I may make 2000 of the same load over the weekend .

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    For casting I usually just drain the 20 lbs Lee pot until the lead starts to dribble out rather than a steam. For loading it could be anything from 20 .30-06 rounds or 200 45 ACP rounds. Or whenever the spousal unit start making funny noises like sureYnot mentioned.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master



    RedHawk357Mag's Avatar
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    Casting maybe 500 or so of future projectiles. Reloading, pistol no more than 300, rifle maybe 20 at a time. Single stage guy.

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
    Ruger RedHawk 357 Mag 44 Mag GP100 Davidson Exclusive 5" Security Six 2 3/4", Speed Six 4"
    Smith Wesson 629 PP and 686 PP, 617

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    DerekP Houston's Avatar
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    depends on the caliber for reloading, I typically just reload to feed my stockpile and replace what I've used. I prefer to do casting in bulk, I'll dedicate a few hours to it and try to get at least 1k-2k of keepers. If its a new mold or design I'll just do a few pours to try out.
    My feedback page if you feel inclined to add:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-Shooter

    Thanks Yall!

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    In honesty, I would say 3 out of 4 casting sessions I will cast over 100, but most often under 150.
    The 4th session would probably be 50-60ish.

    Same for reloading.

    I do tend to reload in 100 round batch's. I may not get them all completed in a single session. But once I start on something I like to fill a 100 round box. Exceptions of course.

    I recently found 32 .32sw long brass fired in my range bag. So I processed those, got enough new brass to make it an even 50. Cast 60 some Lee .314 90 gr tl TC bullets. Next day loaded them. Filled a new 50 round mtm type box which was small enough to fit in my Ruger Single Six case.

    I don't shoot as often as I used to, or that much when I am there. 3 to 4 cylinders out of a revolver. Couple of mags out of a semi auto. If all is working as it should I'm happy with that.

    Rifle probably less than that if all goes well. And if it does not, I'm just as likely to give up and try another day.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy



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    I usually cast between 500 and 1000 at a time. 300 is my max for reloading but now that I finally bought some more primer tubes that may change to more!
    "Yes or no will almost always suffice as the answer"

  17. #17
    Boolit Master


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    I cast from 3-4 molds at a time, so I empty a 20lb pot in 15-20 minutes. And I'm only counting the # of bullets after culling.
    When loading ammo on the L-N-L, I usually load 4-500 rounds of a well established load. When loading on the single stage, I put together either 2-3 boxes of test pistol ammo, or 1-5 20rds boxes of rifle ammo.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

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  18. #18
    Boolit Master
    Tom W.'s Avatar
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    I do have four 50 cal ammo cans in the shed that I either cannot pick up anymore or can barely pick up. One is full of cleaned and sized .45 acp brass, one is full of cleaned and sized 9 mm brass, one full of 230 gr Lee TC boolits for a .45 and the other is half full of Lee 9mm tc boolits. I no longer have any .45 cal firearms, so they might head for the pot if I feel froggy. Just a handful at a time, I can't move them since my surgery and this darn powerport that they left in my chest.
    Tom
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    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  19. #19
    Moderator
    Texas by God's Avatar
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    200 or so handgun loads at the most. Rifle 100 at the most. I spread it out over days sometimes. RockChucker, press priming, Redding powder measure, RCBS scales and Lee Scoops....

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  20. #20
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Most of the time I'll cast 200-300 at a time, new/borrowed mold may be just enough to get the mold up to temp to get a dozen good boolits I can measure/weigh.

    Reloading may be as low as a cylinder/ clip full to check fit/function of a new load to an ammo can full of a work horse load.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check