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  #51  
Old 10-17-2017, 10:56 AM
old&slow old&slow is offline
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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I have carbide dies in my 550 also. But, I spread my pistol brass flat on a cookie sheet and give them a very light spray of Hornady One Shot. It just makes it smoother.
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  #52  
Old 10-17-2017, 12:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spokes View Post
I remember buying 4831 from what looked like a fifty or hundred pound drum getting it in a paper bag or a container I brought in... It was fifty cents a pound..
Primers were a dollar box or less.
All close to sixty years ago..
You and I may have gotten this from the same place. I ordered mine from Walter Craig, still in business in Montgomery, Alabama though at that time I think he was in Selma. The price was $29.95 delivered for 50 pounds of H4831 in one pound paper bags! I still have a little of it and it has stored well. The year was about 1965.
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  #53  
Old 10-17-2017, 08:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rule3 View Post
Worst part?
Reading about what is the "best" press to get and how wonderful certain methods of "cleaning" brass is.

...

next, would be doing the chicken dance picking up brass , spend more time doing that then shooting
Winner, right there. Although I would also add "listening to guys that brag about how they buy the $70/500 super-duper .45 ACP bullets".

And Wise_A Sr is always dancing around picking up brass. We have perhaps 2000 .45 ACPs, and 1500 9mm (and there's always more to find). One, I'd rather do it myself, because I figure that (a) it's the least I owe, (b) I don't have 30 years of policework on my back, and (c) I figure if I hemorrhage some cases, it oughta cut down on the number that wear out.
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  #54  
Old 10-17-2017, 08:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gman51 View Post
Removing the old primers using a hand tool. Sometimes it is hard to find the hole.
Uh, eh, no, don't think I want the accompanying demerits.
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  #55  
Old 10-17-2017, 09:09 PM
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When I got my North Hollywood AutoMag, I "made" 150 .44 AutoMag cases from once fired .308 Win. brass. This included shortening and inside reaming the cases. Did it once just to know I could do it but won't be doing it a second time. Starline Brass get the nod from here on out.

Never got any bulk powder in paper bags but remember back in the day buying bulk Winchester 630 by the pound. It came in a "2 pound" clear plastic deli potato salad container which promptly began to melt and distort.

Bruce

Last edited by BruceM; 10-17-2017 at 09:20 PM.
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  #56  
Old 10-17-2017, 09:09 PM
Qc Pistolero Qc Pistolero is offline
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Trimming
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  #57  
Old 10-17-2017, 09:44 PM
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I hate loading primers.
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  #58  
Old 10-18-2017, 02:11 AM
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Trimming or cleaning primer pockets . I got ol' Arthur and I get cramps in my hands and forearms on top of that .
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  #59  
Old 10-18-2017, 03:59 AM
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Shooting the d*mned ammo, it is so boring!

But seriously, trying to find the last pieces of brass on the range and removing the idiotic primer crimp are the least favourite steps of the reloading process for me.
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  #60  
Old 10-18-2017, 06:38 AM
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Straight wall case reloading = gravy

Bottle Neck case reloading = PITA - brass prep sucks,..and powder measuring stinks,...lots of rifle powder doesn't meter very well, IMR 4064, etc
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  #61  
Old 10-18-2017, 06:42 AM
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I guess for me it would be trimming cases to length. Mostly bottleneck cases, but I occasionally will trim my 357 and 44 brass to get more even OAL, which tend to vary a bit over the course of many firing cycles.
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  #62  
Old 10-18-2017, 07:03 AM
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Trimming brass is the most laborious task but I find that with moderate loads the case stretch is minimal so its not often that I do that.

Workarounds for other unfavorite tasks,

Lubing cases - Hornady Spray lube
Powder trickling - Spherical powders. I find they meter accurately out of my RCBS Uniflow.

I reload mostly to save money on the expensive ammo - centerfire rifle and the magnum pistol cartridges. 9 mm I don't shoot enough of to make reloading it worthwhile, just use commercial hardball for that.
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  #63  
Old 10-18-2017, 04:04 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Quote:
Geno44 wrote:
Remember the one cent primers...
I've been reloading since 1977 and last of the primers from that time (which I just used up) had a price sticker of $1.45.
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  #64  
Old 10-18-2017, 04:09 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Quote:
Shocker wrote:
Trimming brass ... but I find that with moderate loads the case stretch is minimal so its not often that I do that.
Same here. Over the years I have accumulated enough experience about how much the cases stretch on each firing and the probability it will be lost in the weeds to know that if I trim my 223 brass to 1.753 (trim-to length in the manual is 1.750), I will save time along with wear and tear on my trimmer and can be confident the brass will be lost before it again reaches 1.760.
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  #65  
Old 10-18-2017, 04:11 PM
hdwhit hdwhit is offline
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Quote:
sasu wrote:
Shooting the d*mned ammo, it is so boring!
Agreed.

I shoot to support my reloading habit.
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  #66  
Old 10-18-2017, 06:10 PM
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Too bad the OP didn't make a poll for this thread. I bet trimming cases would be winning by a substantial margin.
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  #67  
Old 10-18-2017, 10:35 PM
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I hate chamfering case mouths after trimming.
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  #68  
Old 10-18-2017, 11:29 PM
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For me its sizing/lubing the 1000's of bullets I cast.
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  #69  
Old 10-18-2017, 11:34 PM
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Originally Posted by oneounceload View Post
Or convince my wife............
Honey, would you push down this lever for me. That's it, now if you'll just slide one of those cases into the holder thingy there. Now keep doing that while I grab a sandwich.....
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Old 10-18-2017, 11:45 PM
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Default I LOVE cleaning cases....

I LOVE cleaning cases with my new tumbler. Just drop them in and go shooting for a while. When you come back...

Powder charging is almost a blast because I use my new RCBS measure.

Sizing used to be difficult but with the wax stuff it's really easy.

I sit in my chair and do priming and watch TV so that's at least not 'boring'.

Even though I have a really fast trimmer set up for my drill press, I still find trimming to be something I want to get over with. Thank goodness I don't do that much.

Now, the least favorite parts. I have to say I enjoy doing all of the operations, but I get more big screw ups seating bullets.

Though ABSOLUTELY necessary, I find plunk testing to be boring and it feels like a waste of time.
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  #71  
Old 10-19-2017, 12:16 AM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Using a wet tumbler, waiting for the brass to dry. Since the FART (Franklin Armory Reloading Tools), has a high capacity, I have to separate the brass.

Since I am shooting mainly revolvers, the other aspect of reloading that I hate is trying to gather up spent cases from semiautomatics, such as 45ACP. I can’t find all of the brass.

NOTE: I only reload handguns. I have the dies for rifles but I have not started (.223, 300 AAC, 6.5 Grendel, 308, 7 mm-08).

I single stage 454 Casull, 460, and 500 S&W. I use progressive presses (Dillon) for 357, 44 Magnum and 45 ACP).


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  #72  
Old 10-19-2017, 12:53 AM
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It depends on your perspective.
I started reloading to feed my then new S&W M29. The day I got it, I bought a Lee Loader, a Lee Auto Prime, and a set of Lee Powder dippers. For supplies, a pound of Unique, some CCI primers and some cast SWCs from a LGS. I also bought the only box of factory ammo I ever put through it, WW 240 gr SWCs.... I shot just to get the empty brass.
Every step of the process was a joy for me: sizing the cases with the Lee tool and a wooden mallet, dipping the Unique with the 1.0 cc dipper, etc. Heck, all these years later and, with the right cast bullet, it's still an awesome load!
As I added things like a powder scale, RCBS press, carbide dies, and (a couple decades later) a Dillon 650, I cherished the advantages gained.
Over the years, I've enjoyed resurrecting old obsolete arms, done some wildcatting, etc....
But, there's still nothing like sitting in the back yard on a nice sunny day knocking cases through a Lee Loader.
But, if I had to gripe, trimming brass with one of those Lee hand held case trimmers is a little rough on my fingers.

Jim
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  #73  
Old 10-19-2017, 01:17 AM
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I too have been 'rollin my own' for neigh on a half century.

I only cast pistol bullets and sizing/lubing is a chore.

I also, shoot the Roberts, 264 Winchester and the 300 Win Mag.

The most enjoyable part of handloading for me, now'n'days anyhow,
is teaching my grandson sons the safe and correct way to load.

Attention to every detail....Quality control is paramount if you want
good cartridges. Ammunition that one can shoot those tight groups with.

I always tell em, Boys, build every cartridge so you can be proud of it.

.
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Old 10-19-2017, 11:08 AM
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As for searching empties thrown by a semi-auto... I have been planning to invent a 2"-3" wildcat pistol cartridge because empties of that size would be child's play to find.
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Old 10-19-2017, 11:42 AM
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When I had the equipment and a free source of lead I did a lot of casting in H&G molds.Now cheap enough to buy hard cast bullets from Summers Enterprises and buy my 9mm ammo.

Repetition for any length of time tends to getting boring so frequent breaks solves most of it.

I like to reload in the early AM before the day's cobwebs form.

I asked my better half if she'd like to learn reloading....the silence was deafening.
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Old 10-19-2017, 11:50 AM
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My favorite part of reloading (by far) is load development with a new caliber, bullet and/or powder. Guess it's the engineer in me but the systematic application of knowledge, theory and process to eat away at the unknowns cranks me up.
Once I have my "go to" loads, cranking out 500-1000 of them can get mundane. Still better than cleaning the garage but mundane.
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Old 10-19-2017, 03:53 PM
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Getting enough time where I can load at my own pace and not be disturbed by anyone for any reason.
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Old 10-19-2017, 07:19 PM
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Priming. I hand prime with an RCBS priming tool. I've tried priming with my press, but primer seating depth seems to be far more consistent with hand priming, but it is a pain in the... hand.
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Old 10-19-2017, 08:18 PM
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I used to hate priming, on the press was too fiddly and hand tools hurt my hands. Once I got an RCBS bench priming tool I couldn't be happier.
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Old 10-19-2017, 08:43 PM
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Quote:
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Me too... very relaxing and I don’t mind the repetitive work.

Until that shoulder starts to hurt after 1000 pulls of the handle....
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Old 10-20-2017, 05:42 PM
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Been reloading and casting since the 1960's. Case trimming is boring to me. Really enjoy casting probably because you can see the production. I do have a TV in my reloading room that I mostly listen to. It's not on when I'm assembling components. Since I've retired I spent more time in my loading room piddling and not worrying about production. I load my pistol on a Dillon, but do deprime and clean cases first. Never took the time to do that before.
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Old 10-20-2017, 05:58 PM
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Resizing brass cases and installing the primers as this process takes the most time and is boring.
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Old 10-23-2017, 08:02 AM
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223/5.56 brass processing: sizing, primer crimp swaging, and trimming. It all makes reloading straight-walled handgun rounds seem like a "walk in the park."
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Old 10-24-2017, 05:49 PM
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Checking out the headstamps to weed out the 9x18 Makarov brass. Those drive me nuts because they will go all the way through my press and I don't find them until I see a low case in my gauge.
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Old 10-24-2017, 06:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
Bending over and picking up the fired brass lying all over the place.
Being the "frugal" (tight ) person I am I just cannot walk off and leave my fired brass...and it ruins my day to come back with any less than I started with. If I come back with more ...that's a great day !
Having aged a bit my back begins to ache before I get them all.
The young don't realize what they have right now....good sound bodies !
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Definitely picking up the brass.

I shot one comp this year on a range that “ate up” .45 ACP brass. Out of 300 fired I got back less than 200 cases. As my squad followed a squad with an open division shooter making 9mm major, no-one else was interested in claiming back their brass either.

And then I shot our North Island IPSC Champs on a range which was not up to standard after a week of rain. On two stages you had to wade through above ankle deep mud to reach the targets to patch. Again, I lost so many 45 cases that weekend!
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Old 10-25-2017, 09:43 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Lubesizing bullets used to be right up there as one of my least favorite reloading activities, until I got my Star with heated base and air pressure lube. I used to use a RCBS LAM2, it was tedious and killed my wrists. Now my least favorite reloading chore would be removing military crimps.
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Old 10-26-2017, 06:59 AM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwi cop View Post
Definitely picking up the brass.
Instead of throwing your SPP .45 brass in the garbage where it belongs, load it up and keep a couple boxes in your bag.

When you arrive at a high-loss situation, bust out the SPPs. I especially like dumping them in irrational "no reload" situations where the hacks and meatheads that invented the rule are there to glom all the brass.
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Old 10-26-2017, 01:35 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Searching for the spent brass. Even when shooting .45 ACP they seem to hide from me on purpose.
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Old 11-12-2017, 01:07 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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The only part about reloading that I don't like is having to reach in my wallet & pay for the stuff.
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Old 11-12-2017, 01:47 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Used to be sizing/lubing. Since I bought a Heater plate for the sizer/luber that has changed. I don't like trimming rifle brass, or all the case prep I go through, but I do like watching group sizes shrink with each new prep step. Loading primer tubes comes in a close second.
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Old 11-12-2017, 02:06 PM
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Had no idea this thread had continued so long. If I found an unpleasant aspect of handloading, I believe I would be in pursuit of another interest.
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Old 11-12-2017, 04:29 PM
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Paying for the components.

Just kidding. Actually, lubing cases and wiping the excess lube off afterwards is the most onerous task. Second on the list would be weighing each charge and trickle charging. I only do this for near max loads and for max accuracy loads.
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Old 11-12-2017, 05:42 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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I find every aspect of handloading ammunition/bullet casting theraputic!
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Old 11-12-2017, 05:59 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Default A coupla thinggs....

Separating range brass. My eyes ain't too good and usually I can tell at a glance if a case is a different caliber, but I still get a lot of misfits. The only way to be sure is to get a bright light and a magnifying glass and try to make out each headstamp. This is very slow and tedious because I usually have to turn a case in the light 3-4 times to see it and sometimes they are scratched or something.
I have picked up range brass but when I just pick up my own brass, there's a lot of weird calibers in there.

Next has to be post-tumbling. Getting the media and dust out of the cases is a pain.
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Old 11-12-2017, 06:35 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Quote:
Next has to be post-tumbling. Getting the media and dust out of the cases is a pain.
It used to be tumbling until I went to the liquid system - now its case trimming - always hated it but I have devised a simpler system. I got a Morse taper adapter to fit my drill press chuck so now I chuck up the Lee case holder in my lathe, slow it down and trim on the lathe. Seems like overkill but I can do it standing up and the cases are held solidly and I can quickly pop them in and out of the Lee case holder.
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Old 11-13-2017, 09:44 AM
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Case trimming 5.56. Last year my Dillon size-trim setup wasn't sizing the necks down quite enough for proper neck tension, and apparently the bullets I was loading were just a bit small. I had 5000 once fired GI cases to do...So I went back to an old RCBS die that worked, and got a Wilson trimmer. My wrist said only do about 100 a day, and sometimes that was too much...Dillon sent me a new die later on and all is well again.

Used to cast a LOT of bullets in years past in H&G 4 cavity molds, but between a lack of decent wheelweights for casting any more and--again, my wrists and arms--I don't do it anymore.

I am a single stage press guy for everything--don't trust these newfangled progressive presses (or politicians!). Many years ago I tried to get one of the early (RCBS) progressives up and running right. Finally put the wrenches and tools down and sold it off. Some years ago I was given a Dillon 550. It's STILL in the box.

Can't load for HOURS anymore and have to pace myself, but still like to pass the winter months this way. I put some music or a Great Course DVD on and I'm in my own little world.
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Old 11-13-2017, 10:15 AM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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Decapping and cleaning before resizing.
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Old 11-13-2017, 03:55 PM
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What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you? What is the most unpleasant part of reloading for you?  
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I handload on Dillon 550b for accuracy and safety:

38 Special,
357 Magnum,
357 Maximum,
44 Special,
44 Magnum
45 Colt

Quote from above:
"My favorite part of reloading (by far) is load development with a new caliber, bullet and/or powder. Guess it's the engineer in me but the systematic application of knowledge, theory and process to eat away at the unknowns cranks me up. " Me too.

I think most guys reload one caliber with one powder and one bullet. That's not me.

So I use 10 different powders and 6 different bullets for each of the 6 calibers. I use 6 different powder weights for each test lot.

10x6x6x6 = 2160 combos to test with of course, 6 shots each. This requires you to setup your dies thousands of times.

I set the brass holder, the primer size, and a powder.
I set the powder weight. I set the flare.
I set the seater die for the bullet length.
I set the crimp die.
I make 12 cartridges (save 6 for later), marksalot them, and then change bullets which means resetting the seater die 6 times for the 6 different bullets. Resetting the seater die required loosening the lock nuts and guessing how much to turn. Do this every couple of minutes.

This last step was driving me crazy until I got the Redding Competition Seating die which is fully finger adjustable from the top. It cost 5x what the others cost, but is worth every penny.

I then bump the powder charge by .25 grains and start over.

If I were to count the lubing techniques I'm going through, the possible combos count would skyrocket. I can only test about 50 combos a day. Only 300 rounds, but it takes time to shoot every shot for accuracy, measure, and record data.

After testing with 6 shots and saving 6 rounds, I now have a library collection of different cartridges for each caliber; different powders, different powder weights, and different bullets. I always test with the same "Reference Revolver". I meticulously record the testing including chronograph. But, everyone knows that different guns will NOT shoot the combos the same way. The Shooting Logs and the library can save you days of work trying to find that right combo for each firearm.

Did anyone successfully follow this post?

Prescut

I use 6 marked coffee cans while shooting to dump my brass in. That keeps the calibers separate which stopped the horrible steps of ground pickup and hand separating. Cases in cases gets ugly quick.

Last edited by oddshooter; 11-13-2017 at 04:24 PM.
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