To Re-Load or Not???

[stavman11]

Ya Know........

I think i am learning more every time i Load....

HUGE race day Yesterday at my Shop... Good relaxed race day today.... get home at 6:40..... Wife and BEST Dog in the world Great me... eat some... talk Some.... Ask Wife does she wanna go Shoot Tomorrow AM.... ( i dont know she says).... so that means START LOADING.....LOL
Load all my mags (19- 15-22 and 2 50rd drums.... 6-.223 mags... The LAST of my not perfect Sized loads)..... that only took about an hour... ISH....

So what ta do now

Time to Re-Load.................. had about 200 prepped Brass.... So lets see... do i Time myself... relax and Hit some Tunes on the headset...try what LUBE I like best..... YUP... lets do em ALL

1st off.... Just sitting at My bench and relaxing..Chilling... JAMMING... and having fun is awesome.... long 2 days and I can just sit and have fun....Love it... Alos remmember i have just been reloading for like 3 months now... so STILL a rookie

So 1st off....
Sizing GOOP... or whatever ya wanna Call it...
Hornady One Shot...... Really do like it alot.... never a stuck case... Not really any Overflow inside the neck (gooped up powder) lastes pretty well.... Spray in Box... shake.. Spray again... wait a few minutes... Rock and Roll......

Imperial Sizing Wax...
This stuff ROCKS.... butt!!!! it can GOOP up inside the Neck... maybe 1 outa 8 or so..... Probably me more than it as i roll it in my hands and lube each case.... will work on it more next Time..... Seems ta last a long Time (small Tin I mean)...

Ultimately both are 2 thumbs up....... When i do start Loading I use a bit of Synthetic Motor oil on the 1st case just ta lube the die... and maybe after 30-50 ish ill do it again....... Early on i had a STUCK case (ummmm it is STILL stuck ) so cost me a new Die... so am kinda Paranoid about it again..

Oh ya... i Tried Cabela's case Lube... SUCKS major REAR Ends...... Nuff Said there...LOL

Rounds per Hour.....
So then after setup..... ok setup is grab my Beverage... Lube cases... line up Bins.... time ta Relax...
Set Timer for 15min..... Didnt really try ta Fly (Lee pro 1000 progressive press) Did 39 in 15min... so that equals almost 160/hr.... Now could i do 160 in an hour... heck no.... Cuz i would be relaxing and having fun... but ta sit down for an Hour total and Bust out 100rds... FUN Times... and some Match Grade Ammo ta BOOT..... back at ya oneyeopn...

Now I will CONTINUE my Book review for all you Junkies still reading

My lee Progressive 1000 does have the Brass Feeder.... But For me, oh and I actually was looking at the Lee Classic 1st, but for me I like hand Loading each Shell in.... I can Focus on each process... be sure each is PERFECT... and Move to the next... I do Love the aspect of the progressive ability down the road.... but for Now i Like My Process.

Primer Pocket..
As of yet i have not cleaned.. prepped or worked on the Primer pockets... ya ya ya... i have read.. heck... Maybe 20+ Posts/Reviews/Talks about them.... I would also say i have shot at least 1200rds of My Loads.... Most issues are with Military rds... and i have none.... I Have looked at MANY MANY MANY of my rounds from factory 1 shot to my latestest 5 shot (ish) brass..... Really a few powder stains is at Most what I see... I have actualy cleaned a couple and didnt seem that much different.... Anyways.... My $.02 anyways..

I also cant say how Much the Head Space Guage helps me KNOW I am doing everything even better.... a MUST have in yer re-Loading tool Box....

I can also see that the cases i did trim with my Lee Zip tool where more because of miss Sized cases than cases needing Trimmed..... Since then i have not needed to trim any Cases...

Now i currently have 180 my Loads ready for Tomorrow.... as of tomorrow If I shoot more than those i will start Shooting the 600ish factory Loads i still have... Then will start a NEW batch of re-Loads.... Current ones are on about 4-5 cycles.....

Sorry for the BOOK post but am really seeing that reloading is as much a fun and relaxing process as it is a potential $$$$ saver..... I started reloading to save $$$$$.... but have found a fun HOBBY I didnt know existed...... Being shot in the head in 3rd grade Tarnished my view on GUNS....... never thought they would be the Fun hobby they are Today... guess when yer 47... Life changes eh

Now..... Just gotta get up early.... Beat the Possible Monsoons tomorrow here in Phoenix.... and LOB SOME LEAD!!!!


My play Pen...... Not perfect but works... hand built the Table has casters to move about) for My RC cars and Plane bench... But well... has be requisitioned for another use now

Sorry bad Pic... Actually a vertical panoramic from My phone but gives ya an idea Of My Play Area

 

[BHarada]

Stav,
Just lightly touch the lube with a fingertip then rub it between your thumb, index and middle fingers. Your fingertips shouldn't feel any greasier that had you rubbed them on you nose. haha.

When you put a case into the shell holder rub the case with your fingertips. I usually have to re-lube my fingertips every 3-4 cases.

 

[oneyeopn]

yeah I am shooting my factory loads up before I continue shooting my handloads, but I cant get them shot up fast enough. but it does make my handloads all once fired brass.

 

[stavman11]

Stav,
Just lightly touch the lube with a fingertip then rub it between your thumb, index and middle fingers. Your fingertips shouldn't feel any greasier that had you rubbed them on you nose. haha.

When you put a case into the shell holder rub the case with your fingertips. I usually have to re-lube my fingertips every 3-4 cases.

Tried this Bill.... Just didnt seem ta work as well..... Just didnt FEEL right...... like not enough LUBE... Probably Me and my Scorpio OCD...LOL..... so will stick with my system for now..

So took a few more minutes and did it the way I was before.... Rubbed in my Hands but a few at a Time.... Worked a lot better
I Loaded almost 200rds tonight.... FUN Times... Think I maybe had 8 brass that had GOOP (powder) in the neck...... So taking a few more moments made a HUGE difference

Still Like the Hornady One Shot.... did a bunch with it and... Worked Flawless.....

Ok For Tomorrow (no Monsoons in Forecast )
180 my Rounds Loaded in 6 Mags
160rds Factory loads in Stripper Clips (just in case) ready ta Load (all Factory Boxes SAVED... Just In case )
Reactive targets ready... Lipo Batteries.....Old Soda pop... Watermelons.... Potatoes...... Clay Pigeons.......
575rds of .22 for M&P 15-22...... and MANY 9mm and .357


Gunna be a fun PLAY... err testing Day for sure

 

[GMC man]

well I got the lee Challenger kit in and mounted it, first thing is I should have went ahead and pieced it together , the case trimmer and the primer loader was not as good as I hoped they would be, and it only came with one Breech Lock Quick Change Bushing and the product description said two so I had to order one more, and a good case trimmer and primer loader. It doesnt seem to end

 

[JaPes]

well I got the lee Challenger kit in and mounted it, first thing is I should have went ahead and pieced it together , the case trimmer and the primer loader was not as good as I hoped they would be, and it only came with one Breech Lock Quick Change Bushing and the product description said two so I had to order one more, and a good case trimmer and primer loader.

It was the same with my Lee Breech Lock Hand Press, only one quick change bushing. When I figured out what was what and why, I was a bit

1 bushing for the ram prime, so there went the freebie.

Then for each die set:

1 bushing for the decapping/resizing die
1 bushing for the powder through flare die
1 bushing for the projectile seating die
1 bushing for the factory crimp die

Oh well. I only need to buy them once. Nice thing is that as long as I don't change load specs, the dies are ready to go.

It doesnt seem to end

No it doesn't. I don't have the space for a single stage bench mount press. Even if I did, I'm having too much OCD fun with the hand press.

The ram prime works well but it's not quick on the hand press. I picked up a Lee Ergo Prime.

Guess what? It needs a special shell holder! It doesn't use a standard shell holder. Oh well...

Speaking of OCD...

It works perfectly.

 

[stavman11]

Finaly able to go shoot today

5am and up and ready.... no Monsoons ta worry about...


yes it never ends...... wait till ya buy 6000 bullets and 16lbs of powder....
i was also looking at another Lee Pro 1000 for 9mm..... but will wait on that

Enjoy GMC,,,,,,,, It s a lot of fun to re-load.....

 

[oneyeopn]

Bill kept talking about his RCBS universal hand primer, I will tell you, it rocks, I have never been able to prime as quickly as I can now and it doesnt wear your hands out and you can "feel" the primer seat very well. One purchase I am glad I made that I learned from you guys, also I have the quick change bushings for everthing that goes in my press, pricey but a heck of lot easier with very minimal adjustments.

 

[JaPes]

Oneyeopn kept talking about Bill talking about a RCBS universal hand primer that I had to try a hand primer.

 

[BHarada]

I just hated having my little reloading table lifted off the ground every time I used the press to prime a case. haha

 

[oneyeopn]

I had the same problem with my little B&D workmate semi-folding reloading table (with an extra 1" plywood top). I call it semi folding because I mounted the press to it and it kinda sticks out when you fold it up. Works great in a tiny house, except for priming and very large round resizing.

 

[stavman11]

Actually My Biggest issue with my BIG... Caster Bound Table is 1st Stage de-prime/Size.... Moves it Towards me....LOL

My lee pro 1000 on Priming isnt a big issue...... cuz the WALL is there....LOL.....


Got a NEW Toy Today Guys........... just an optic..... AK-47 still in the Planning stage.....HAHAHAHAHHAH



Ill have a new thread soon

 

[oneyeopn]

LOL....Used my Wilson case headspace gauge this evening....it is honestly almost bizarre how such a little change can make so much difference. Now I have to get one for .308, I am not sure about the straight cases like on my 45 colt.....anybody got a thought?

 

[BHarada]

The 45 Colt headspaces off the rim so I wouldn't bother with a gauge. I don't even measure my 44 mag cases. haha

 

[JaPes]

I just used the Hornady Auto Charge. WOW! Calibrate, zero, put powder in the hopper, and set the desired charge weight. The thing is dead on.

When I put the empty reloading scale pan back on the unit, it starts measuring out a charge.

It dropped a charge beyond the desired weight just one time. When it did, it alarmed. I then had to press a button to acknowledge/clear the warning lockout.

ALSO...

Thanks to oneyeopn & you guys, I now realize how much factory range ammo sucks.

 

[oneyeopn]

JaPes...so your accuracy improved I take... Yeah I am loading the granddaddy of the V-Max or at least its monster sized cousin .452 225gr Hornady FTX Leverevolution Bullets...should be running about 1800fps...thats cookin for 225gr and they say I can build and push 300gr that hard....will need 2 recoil pads on my leveraction. LOL

p.s. the worst part is that I have to shoot up all my loaded ammo to have my reloads, without doing mag dumps that is going to take a while

 

[JaPes]

Yeah I am loading the granddaddy of the V-Max or at least its monster sized cousin .452 225gr Hornady FTX Leverevolution Bullets...should be running about 1800fps...thats cookin for 225gr and they say I can build and push 300gr that hard....will need 2 recoil pads on my leveraction.

Holy crud! You can take out a pre-histoic hogzilla!

...or turn pesky p-dogs into mist.

 

[oneyeopn]

Here ya go 55gr V-Max (L) and V-Max on Steroids (R)

Now I am Looking for Prairie Dogasaurus's

 

[GMC man]

do you guys crimp your rounds?

 

[oneyeopn]

GMC...I use the factory crimp on all my rounds except my 45 colts and that is because the bullet seating die puts a roll crimp on it. Maybe I dont need to but I do it. Great Question by the way.