Low Tech Tool

[Ben]

For many of us, this is nothing new. I have a young man that I'm trying to help get started reloading. He loads under my supervision or his fathers.

As you can imagine ( for those of us who can still remember what it was like to be young and broke ), starting out with reloading, he is on a VERY limited reloading budget.

He watched me using several of my powder measures, he asked what they cost, when I replied, I saw him with a somewhat dejected look on his face. $$$ that he just couldn't afford to spend right now. I told him that he needn't be concerned about buying a powder measure that I'd make him one.

I'm starting him out with the Lyman 358495 , 148 gr. wadcutter and 2.7 grs. of Red Dot in 38 Spec cases. He will fire these out of his Dad's 38 Spec. revolver ( under his Dad's supervision ).

I've made about a bazillion of these " Powder Spoons " for people through the years. Super dependable, never gets out of calibration, cheap and very functional.

Each time i throw a charge with this spoon, this is what my scale looks like :



I'm hoping he will enjoy using this scoop. For any of you that are just getting started reloading, you might want to give this a try.







This one is made from a cut down .22 Mag. empty case. A piece of # 10 ga. copper wire is soldered to the case. Works amazingly well.



He can shoot some of these wadcutters with this load in his 38 Spec.

[Pressman]

Ben, what you did was go back to the early days of relaoding. That is how we first measured powder. Back then black was the only powder in town but the scoop worked great.
I have a box full of different cartridge cases with handles soldered on that were made by someone a long time ago.

See the Lee dipper kit for the modern version of your measure.
You have thought that young man a great deal about practicality and making things work to get the job done.
Ken

[Ben]

You have taught that young man a great deal about practicality and making things work to get the job done.
Ken

I fear that we may be one generation away for caring enough about our guns, reloading, etc to even consider fighting for the principle of such.

We really need to get young people into the shooting sports ! !

You know................if you don't consider it important, you aren't going to be very willing to fight for it, are you ?

Ben

[Catshooter]

Very nice Ben, it's is cool and rewarding to help someone get his feet under him, isn't it.

By the way, what scale is that in your pic?


Cat

[Mk42gunner]

Ben,

I like the way you labelled the scoop. I have one of the Lee 15 measure kits, and a bunch of homemade ones for loads that are do not fit the Lee measures.

When I find a load that I like I usually make up a dipper for it. If I am only loading a few rounds it is easier to use the dipper than to set up and adjust a powder measure for twenty or so rounds.

If I am going to load a few hundred it is a different story, but it is hard for a dipper to get out of adjustment.

Robert

[Bret4207]

I have both the Lee sets and many ho'made scoops. Nothing wrong with that!

[P.K.]

I have both the Lee sets and many ho'made scoops. Nothing wrong with that!

In the same boat. I have something similar to the pictured .22LR case. Mine is sodierd with a piece of coat hanger and the other end is pounded flat. Great for working loads to add and then "skim" a tenth or more away at a time. A great tool for anyone's bench.

To the OP, WTG passing it along. The young man, every time he handles powder or brass he will remember who taught him.

[Ben]

Very nice Ben, it's is cool and rewarding to help someone get his feet under him, isn't it.

By the way, what scale is that in your pic?


Cat

The scale is an old Webster, oil dampened scale, from the 1950's.
Works amazingly well. I really like my scale.

Ben

[mtgrs737]

Ben,

Your post brings back memories of when I first got started reloading for my new to me ex-police 38 spl. I was a poor college kid with a girlfriend so reloading was at least third on the list of things to spend money on. My bother in law told me of a retired guy that sold reloads out of the back porch of his house. I went to see the guy and he did indeed sell 38 spl wadcutter reloads at a very attractive price. His load was 3 grs. of Red Dot which is very similar to yours. The guy also sold reloading equipment so when my thirst for reloads exceeded his output (he was extremely slow in everything he did) I took the leap and bought a Rock chucker press and used 38 spl. die set and lube pad and some of his home cast 38 spl wadcutter boolits. He made me a scoop from a Lee plastic one and adjusted it to throw a 3 grain load by pressing a heavy paper disc in the bottom of the scoop. I was now in business to reload for mayself as he was just too slow at producing the ammo I wanted. Well before very long I had run him dry of 38 wadcutter cast boolits! (do you see a pattern here?) so he sold me a Lyman wadcutter mould, a Lee bullet caster 4 lb. pot, a Lyman dipper, and a Lyman 450 lubersizer. You might say over the period of a year he eased me into the reloading and casting hobby that I have enjoyed for 40 years. I still have the equpment, and the girlfriend (which I married many years ago) and three kids to go along her. It all started with a retired guy, a used 38 s&w, some good quality reloading and casting gear and 3 grains of Red Dot.

[Sonnypie]

Ya know, you look to be just a thin red hair heavy there, Ben.
My guess would be about 1/100th of a grain.

Just kidding...
Just... kidding....

God Bless you for being patient and helpful passing along the affliction.
You probably already have, but explain that a power measure is really only a souped up dipper anyway, that is adjustable so it throws about the same amount each time.
It's more just a fancier way to do the same thing.

Incidentally, there is a dipper by my Lyman 505 scale very similar to what you made. I use it to sprinkle adjust what is in the pan, if necessary.
My Dad had a Redding oil damped scale back in the 1960's when we started reloading. My recollection was '62-'64 when we began sneekin out to the back of the shop for hours at a time.
Those are memories a man of any age never forgets.
I think one of the Nephew's must have got a hold of Dad's scale.

[Ben]

Sometimes, going back to " the old ways " is just FUN !
Let alone the memories that are brought back in your mind that are 40 + yrs old in a lot of cases.

Ben

[Catshooter]

Webster! Who knew? That's a very cool looking scale.

A new toy, a new toy!


Cat

[geargnasher]

Ben, when I first went to college I lived in a travel trailer and did all my casting on the propane stove. Not having room or money for a good scale, I snuck (sneaked?) a handfull of cartridge cases and an old asprin bottle full of Bullseye into the lab and 'borrowed' the lab scales to mark different amounts of the powder. After filing them down to the marks, I re-verified the next week and had a set of three charges for my K38. After picking the one that worked the best, I took a short scrap piece of 12-gauge romex repurposed from a construction site dumpster and used the ground wire for a handle, wrapped in a ? shape around the extractor groove and soldered into place. Worked great, and I still have it somewhere. Can't remember now what I used for a handle, might have been a scrap of wood.

Gear

[Ben]

Gear


We've all made home made tools that work just fine. I've always thought the best reloaders were the best " tinkerer's".

Ben

[41 mag fan]

Just this past Sunday I had a friend of my wife come over with her 16 yr old son.
The boy wanted to shoot, his mom had bought a 9mm. I said sure bring him over.
Instant liking to the boy I took. Very thoughtful and with manners. (very unusual these days to see)

Before it was all said and done I had several guns and loads out to let him shoot.
He kept mentioning how he'd like to learn to reload.
Told him the prices I'd paid for the guns and what it cost to reload and I seen the look in his face also at the prices.
Told him now that he'd shot up several hundred loads I had to replenish my stock, that I was going to need some help getting them reloaded.
The look on his face was payment in kind when he realized I was going to start showing him how to reload.

For a boy who never had a father, (father deserted family when he was born) he was a very good boy and instantly liked by me.

What james don't realize but I do, I just influenced the next generation to guns, reloading and the shooting industry.

[Catshooter]

And very high on the personal satisfaction side, isn't it 41magfan?

Good on you.

Welcome to the site by the way.


Cat

[41 mag fan]

Thank You Cat,

Yes it's a personal satisfaction that money can't buy. We need more kids to get into the shooting and hunting and fishing. Keeps kids out of trouble and instills a respect in a person. Our society is losing these traditions all to quick.

[Ben]

41 mag fan :

I figure that God just put another jewel in your crown.
That is what it is all about ! !

Ben

[Wayne Smith]

41Magfan, you don't tell us where you are, but from your sentence construction I would guess either Germany or of German language origin? Welcome and congratulations introducing another to the addiction!

[xbeeman412]

Ben, I try to work with the Grandson showing him reloading and shooting but its hard when

His father doesent see the value in it (they live 65 miles away) and having him here is hard.

I love working with kids of all ages,12-99 that want to learn shooting or reloading.