To Re-Load or Not???

[SanJoseScott]

I just ordered my third "last thing I need" batch from amazon and brownells. The LnL Die wrench, primer tray, dry lube, digital micrometer, Imperial Die wax, 10 pack of LnL Die bushings, 2 powder drop dies. I am right at my self imposed budget limit of $2k including powder, bullets and primers.

If for one minute you think I'm going to plunk down some more cash to buy a friggin chronograph you just don't know me very wel......ummmm, what was the link to that one that clamped onto the barrel?

 

[rebs081]

Well, my Chrony F1 is now in a box at the post office, on it's way to Amherst NY for an upgrade. So my load testing is on hiatus until it gets back.

Maybe this will give me the opportunity to drag my son out to the range Friday morning to shoot the Winchester while I try to get used to shooting the Sport with only an 8x scope.

Bill I am only 15 minutes from Amherst NY. You could have sent it to me and I could have taken it in for you and picked it up and tried it out before shipping it back to you.

 

[BHarada]

Bill I am only 15 minutes from Amherst NY. You could have sent it to me and I could have taken it in for you and picked it up and tried it out before shipping it back to you.

Now you tell me. Doh!

The tracking for the box is curious as it left the Oakland sorting center then was processed through Atlanta. There haven't been any further updates, but I'll check again this evening.

In the mean time, I received my 40gn Sierra and Nosler bullets so I'll load up my ladder of test rounds. And I have ordered an RCBS collet style bullet puller in the event that the testing goes south and anything over 2800fps disintegrates the bullets at the muzzle. The thought of using my kinetic puller to disassemble 50+ rounds is not very appealing to me.

 

[BHarada]

The Chrony has landed in Buffalo so it looks like it'll be back at the factory on Monday. They quote a two week turn around for the upgrade so the countdown will soon begin.

 

[GMC man]

One word...MagnetoSpeed

I got an email from Brownells highlighting this while I was at the range last month.


It saves the shooting data to a micro SD card in a CSV file. And while the $275 price tag is a little steep, a Shooting Chrony Beta (the cheapest model with non-volatile memory and a serial (that's right, serial ) interface is $117 at Amazon. Although I would recommend the Beta Master version for $13 more since it includes a remote display. Then you need to add in the cable and PC software from ShootingChrony.com for another $95+shipping.

So for an extra $50-60 you get a chronograph that is not light sensitive, does not need to set up and aligned downrange, and saved data to an SD card (welcome to the 21st century ).

All this chronograph discussion has got me thinking that while I'm waiting for my new powder to arrive that I should send my Chrony in for an upgrade. It's a two week turn on the procedure so it'll be back just in time.

that's the chrono I bought after I shot my first optical chrono,
The bayonet may drop but you cant shoot it and all you have to do is re tighten the strap I give it 5 thumbs up.

BTW the variable speed drill for the annealing was a bust you cant slow it down enough but as hard headed as I am I am not yet giving up on the idea lol I am trying a 6 v dc motor and a potentiometer now. 8 )

 

[BHarada]

that's the chrono I bought after I shot my first optical chrono,
The bayonet may drop but you cant shoot it and all you have to do is re tighten the strap I give it 5 thumbs up.

BTW the variable speed drill for the annealing was a bust you cant slow it down enough but as hard headed as I am I am not yet giving up on the idea lol I am trying a 6 v dc motor and a potentiometer now. 8 )

Good to hear that it really works. It'll be strongly considered should my Chrony meet an untimely death.

Speaking of which, the USPS tracking email says my chrony was delivered to somewhere in Buffalo on Saturday. Unfortunately Shooting Chrony is in Amherst, with a different zip code. What's worse is that Shooting Chrony gets their deliveries made to a holding facility (also in Amherst) from which they make weekly pickups on Wednesday. So I won't know if they received it until then.

 

[happy1]

I bought the lee challenger kit, it gives you everything but the dies, shell holder, case prep tools and consumables ( powder, bullets and primers) in the last couple of years I have added some handier case preparation stuff, a digital scale. I used a black and decker workmate table opened it all the way up screwed two pieces of 1/2" or pretty close to it (well glued and screwed) and made a foldable loading bench. Including my 8mm Mauser Dies and my .223 dies I have under $250 in the whole set up. It probably takes me around 3 hours to load 100 rounds but I generally do it in stages and load 2 or 3 hundred at a time, prep and prime the cases and then load and seat the bullet and then do the final crimp. It actually turns into like 4 steps, you decap (take out the old primer) and resize the case. thats the most time consuming portion of it. then you prime your cases. then you load powder and bullets I do this as one step so my powder cant draw moisture then crimp. right now as I have it figured I am loading Hornady 55 gr V-Max for .25 a shot and Hornady Z-Max for .23 a shot if I bought my components in larger quantities I could get the per shot cost down. I am using Federal 5.56 Xm193 ammo cases from a bunch of that that I bought, I am using the latest and supposedly the greatest Hodgdons CFE223 powder and Hornady Bullets and CCI #41 5.56 primers. You can dang sure do it cheaper buy using regular primers and less expensive powders, but it is a part of shooting that is really cool, especially when your loads work and you watch them nail the bullseye. Sorry this was so long winded but I know that Crracer uses the same press for pistol rounds but those I dont load. Oh I have a Grafs Tumbler, after I decap and resize, I only size once, I put them in the dishwasher to remove most of the lube then I put them in the tumbler for a couple of two or three hours. I myself make reloading a two or three day thing but that is me.

Nope me too