To Re-Load or Not???

I will take the blame....I am getting a lee hand press and my wife is happy that I will be putting my miniature loading bench into storage. I will only break it out when I finally get my loads figured out and have a bunch (like 200) to reload....I just wonder where she is going to stack her cook books with it out of the way LOL :D
 
I will take the blame....I am getting a lee hand press and my wife is happy that I will be putting my miniature loading bench into storage. I will only break it out when I finally get my loads figured out and have a bunch (like 200) to reload....I just wonder where she is going to stack her cook books with it out of the way LOL :D

Found a new friend and added some new fun to an old hobby. Couldn't be happier. Thanks. Let me know how the hand press works out. I've thought about those in the past but never got one. Always thought they might be handy for working up loads on the spot.
 
I am wanting to start playing with bullet seating depth and OAL including bullet.
What OAL are you guys using ?
I believe accuracy can be made even better buy finding a sweet spot in seating depth and OAL which would determine the jump to the rifling or the lack of a jump to the rifling.
Has anyone else experimented with this ?.

I have played with this idea as well. I load for bolt action rifles and OAL does indeed effect accuracy. I will take a bullet and barely seat it then load it in the chamber and use the bolt to seat the bullet then use this for starting OAL. The problem with doing this with an AR is that the leade or area between the chamber and the lands/grooves is much further out than in a bolt action and the bullet won't seat with the chambering. The only bullets that are long enough to possibly get out there will be the big heavies (80 or 90gr?). I haven't played with OAL in these bullet weights, but I'm interested as well.
I have tried it with 50-69gr bullets and don't notice it having an effect either way. If I remember correctly philevans has some experience with this as well.
 
I have been reloading for a long time. I do it mainly for the reason you get more consistant ammo. You can custom make whatever you want. Takes some trail and error at the range to see what loads work best. This is only my opinion (that and $20 can buy you a cup of coffee at McDonalds) start by reading about reloading. The best place to do that is with the Hornady reloading book. Solid gold info there. I would also suggest when you go to buy equipment to check out the Hornady Loack and Load set. Come with a really great heavy press, powder drop, hand primer and many extras. You'll be looking at somewhere around $325 for the outfit but I don't think you can do better starting out. To me and many others I know here in Montana Hornady is tops. Good luck and hope I might have sent some good info your way. RANGER on!
 
All i know i had a BLAST tonight... yes PUN intended:D

Re-Loaded about 400+ rds tonight, all .223... was a relaxing fun Night.

in between re-loads i Loaded 575rds in my 15-22 mags and my 6 .22 pistol mags... as well as all my 9mm Pistol mags ... all for tomorrows trips to the desert...

Like most here... i re-load for the $$$ savings... well... so I can shoot more rounds for the $$$ really..:p

I have found my Sweet spot with the Bulk 844 powder and stick with That.... no Competition shooting here.... just fun in the desert...

hey if yer goal is the perfect Loads and perfect Shot... ATTA BOY!!!..... guess i could do that.... but not my cup of tea....

Just keep having Fun and be ready for the Zombie Apocalypse is my plan....


...............
 
Any recommendations on a tumbler and media?

Mine is from cabela's

basic and works Great.....

Midwayusa has a bunch as well if no Cabelas or other sporting goods store close by


re-Loading is a fun and relaxing time for most of us.... Like today, after the PM NFL Games.... I Prepped some Brass and went to town..... 2 hrs later and 400rds... I had a nice time... i was outa re-loaded rds so needed ta do it:D.... Now i have 6-30rd mags loaded and about 250 xtra just in case;)


For Powder try Hi-Tech Ammo and Widener's

the WC844 is what i use... It is Great for the Price.... i love the Xterminator but it is pretty expensive and i have managed WC844 loads similar to the Xterminator....

Hornady 55gr FMJBT are my lead of choice....

i have got bulk Powder, Lead and primers from the above 2 retailers.... just depends on the amount ya want..

i currently have 32lbs of Powder and maybe 4000 lead and 6000 CCI400 primers..... should be good for a few Months....LOL:p

it is addictive... but very satisfying..... when you chrono yer OWN rds vs Factory... and yer's KICK the factory's B..U..T...T..... really is Fun Times


Now for Equipment.....Hey im on a Re-Loding HIGH.....:D... So time for some Stav's Advice......

i have a lee Progressive 1000... i love It... some people have had some Issues with them, but a few You tube vids and yer dialed... This is my 1st press, been re-loading like 8 months, and works great... i usualy do just 1 case at a time, but does have the case loader if needed for major progressive re-loading... But I like focusing on 1 case at a Time... that way i dont F' up....;)

i Originally looked at the Classic Turret... and May get one for loading 9mm... I like the Progressive options..... cuz once you get yer system down you can do a lot of rds per hour..... I can do probobly 250-300 an hour if i try.... But thats not fun.... i usualy do about 70 in 20 minutes at a time.... kinda relaxed and consistent.... like i said i did 400ish in about 2hrs tonight

Tumbler dosent really matter... get a desent one for $50 and Move on

Good Scale, calipers, case Headspace guage is a Must Have to test the seating of yer Brass

Rest is just testing and trying and being safe and consistent


lots of Fun.........


Good Luck

............................
 
Is WC844 powder actually the same as H335 ? I am currently using the H335 and wonder about the WC844 since it is so much cheaper.
 
For pistol or perhaps 223 where you'll shoot a lot a progressive is worth it.
I got a lee loadmaster from titan reloading - just a few bucks more than the 1000 and can do more plus has the extra die station. Yes, watch the videos and tips online. I can easily do 300-350 rounds an hour of pistol no problem no rushing and that's a real number - some videos show '40 rounds a minute' or some **** but that's not something you can keep up for more than a minute.

For rifle or other lower production rounds I'd suggest a turret. I got a good deal on a challenger w/ breech lock that i'll be using for 30-06 but I only shoot 50-70 per range trip and rifle cases need more work than pistol (flash hole cleaning, measure/trimming). I'll bust through 200-300 pistol rounds per trip.

You'll need some reloading books -get the lee and then search ebay for some deals - $10/book but some are older which is handy but you'll want a modern one, hence the lee, often included in kits, and if you're using lee equipment get their book, it helps explain a lot about their perspective on reloading.

I got a lyman tumbler I think online from amazon and walmart has corncob bedding in the bet dept. a tad course but it works fine and it's cheap as dirt. Literally.

Get a chronograph, one of the chrony units for $90-110 range (midway has them on sale every so often). A great way to confirm what youi're doing is what you think you're doing. Essential for making sure you've got the power factor you need for competition or hunting.
 
Is WC844 powder actually the same as H335 ? I am currently using the H335 and wonder about the WC844 since it is so much cheaper.

I 've read that its burn rate is supposed to be similar to H335, but since it's not a commercial powder there will be lot-to-lot variations. I've never used H335 but the two lots of WC844 I bought have been fine up to 27.5gr under a 55gr FMJ-BT bullet, but 26.5–27gr seemed to be the sweet spot for both lots.
 
Any recommendations on a tumbler and media?

I have an old Lyman Turbo 600 that I got back in the early 80s but its bowl is small and will barely hold 150 .223 cases. So I upgraded and ordered a bigger tumbler from Grafs...



It's rated to hold 1000 9mm cases and I've tumbled 400 .223 cases in it easily.

I also second the recommendation of the Zilla crushed walnut media. Look for the Desert Blend as it's the finely crushed one that doesn't stick in the flash holes.
 
I have the grafs tumbler also, its actually my Dad's he has 4 different presses but doesnt reload. he wants to but has too many irons in the fires so I reload for him. I ordered some crushed walnut shell from some supplier on the net. Received 20lbs for under $20. Should last a long time, still occasionally get some in a flash hole but after I take them out of the tumbler I run them through my Lee universal deprimer and cleans them right out.
 
I've been tumbling my brass after using the universal deprimer. I bounce the cases around in a plastic colander to sift out the media after tumbling and that seems to clear out the flash holes for me.
 
Bill I will try that....
Ok guys I have a question....I am ready to load my test rounds in the different charge weights but I am having a problem deciding which bullet to use. I have a bunch of different options all 55gr, I have Hornady v-max, z-max, fmjbt, Dogtown 55gr FBHP, Armscor FMJBT, and Midway v-max blems. I have been weighing this question for 2 days so I thought I would ask for some opinions. Thank YOU
 
Depends on how much powder ya got:cool:

Seriously, go with whatever bullet(s) you have had the best luck with in the past.
 
I have 80 cases primed and ready to go, I have 6lbs of powder. I want to load in 5 round groups, chrono and chart on a target. Its the CFE223 powder which means my reloading info is limited. Nobody has it in a book except Hodgdon and they say to start at 26 with a max of 27.8. I have some reloads at 27, 27.5 and 27.8. I was going to drop down into the 26 range and test the different loads between 26 and 27 and then shoot some of what I have already loaded for comparison. it is hard to find data from people using this powder but I am still researching. Pdogs are such small targets that super accuracy is a must. I think you all understand the target is 2-3" wide and 8" tall standing and the other way on all 4r's.
 
For working up loads and using chrony I would want to keep every factor the same other than the charge i.e. same primer, brass, seating depth and bullet.
 
that's exactly what I want to do....I suppose I should weigh some bullets and find which ones run the most consistent as far as weight. I have read the armscor aren't that consistent which would add another variable in my test huh? I also sent GMCman a PM asking him where he found the info for the 25gr load he is using cause I cannot find that load anywhere and it is 1gr lower than what my books say. he does get some great groupings out of it though.
 
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