What did you do in the reloading room today?
- Thread starter Mike Overlay
- Start date
- Replies 5,502
- Views 242,013
I was feeling all ‘green’ today, recycling my brass and all. So, I wet tumbled some 45acp and 44mag brass using water from the rain barrel. Then I used my solar powered brass dryer.
Being not fond of snakes, I loaded 50 rounds of 38 snake shot. Do not plan on shooting any solid color snakes or any that want to get away. Just the ones with rattlers on the tail and or diamond shape heads. Have too many grand kids around with their dogs. So far, the last 3 times cutting the grass up there I did see any snakes except crossing the road to get there.
Unloaded 3000 rds of 7.62 licky split like.
CD
And you did not save the projectiles?
This week; Primed 9mm and used all the spp I had. Loaded about 200 rounds of 9mm. Ordered some 124g from Xtreme and got the shipping notice the next day. I've never seen them ship that fast... I was expecting a long wait, USPS is going to hate me.
Today I thought I would tackle that pesky problem of sorting 45 large and small primer brass. I took a block of wood, drilled 50 holes 1/2” diameter. Then I drilled holes for 5mm machine screws centered in each hole, and counterbored for the heads to be below flush, on the under side of the block. The screws stick up into the bottom of the 1/2” holes, will fit inside the large primer pockets but not the small primer pockets, so any small primer brass will stand proud of the large primer cases. With the top of the 1/2” holes counterbored with a 5/8” bit, the cases will easily fall into the holes on their own, just pour brass cases on top and shake it around a bit. Pick out any cases that stand proud, they are all small primer. What are left are all large primer.
Last edited:
Loaded about 400 rds of 9mm, 147 gr yesterday. I am about to finish up all the 147 gr pills and I should have 124gr in today according to tracking info.
I need to work up a load for 124 gr, round nose.
I need to work up a load for 124 gr, round nose.
Last edited:
Loaded up and tested some 125gr 300BLK w 18.0gr H110 since 18.4gr was blowing out primers occasionally when suppressed in my 8.5”. The lighter load seems to have solved it. I was already running an ST-T2 buffer. It wasn’t an issue on my 10.5” or unsuppressed. Only lost about 40fps.
I actually prefer to use them. I don’t have to swap the primer size on my Dillon 550. And if a large primer case accidentally gets thrown in the mix, I just end up with one round missing a primer. If I were loading large primers and a small primer case shows up, things come to a screeching halt.
I always work up new loads with large primer, since all load data are based on large primers. Once I find a good load, I switch to small primers and see how much of a difference exists. Usually there is very little difference, but with a few powders there can be a huge difference. I always use small magnum primers based on what I have observed, they come closer to large primer performance.
Last edited:
I finally ran out of 45 Auto cases to load. I do not think I have ever done that before. I suppose I need to start shooting some and should go FIFO if I can sort through all the 5 gallon buckets of them to find which were loaded first.
When you are unable to get away from home very much for the last couple of years you tend to do things that you would not normally do. Loading ammo in large quantities is such an activity. The pictured bucket is one of 4 or 5 for 45 Auto. I have others for other chamberings. I hope to be able to get out more often and use some of it fairly soon. I just swapped out the head on my 550 so I could start working on some more 9mm Luger rounds.edit: I dare saw that my little pile of ammo pales in comparison to what numerous fine folks on this forum shoot in a rather short time.
Last edited:
I am not real sure since I do not really load for speed. It is a good bit faster than with my Rockchucker. I can run through 100 primers fairly quickly but have never timed it.
Edit: I just loaded 50 rounds of 9mm in 12 minutes once everything was set up and all the components were at hand.
Edit: I just loaded 50 rounds of 9mm in 12 minutes once everything was set up and all the components were at hand.
Last edited:
Deprimed ~300 .223
Cut crimps out of 500 .300BLK
-RCBS mil crimp remover in FA Platinum makes it easy work.
Have about 800 more .223 drying tonight so they’ll get worked on this week.
Cut crimps out of 500 .300BLK
-RCBS mil crimp remover in FA Platinum makes it easy work.
Have about 800 more .223 drying tonight so they’ll get worked on this week.
Yesterday I decapped and swaged about 500 223 cases, took about 1.5 hrs. Then I wet tumbled, dried, and stored for later.
I have a 550. I can do about 400 per hour counting loading primer tubes. I only load one primer tube at a time, and use that as a short break from operating the press. I load up more cases and bullets into the bins and top off the powder if need be. I don't have a case feeder, that would speed things up a little.
After vibratory cleaning 400-500 pcs, I decap 50 pcs and then swage the primer pockets. Put those in my wet block. Spray with Hornady case lube then run them thru my 650. Rinse and repeat. I load 223/556 for something to do when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. I log my rounds and I'm at 14,750 on the 650. I pick up no less than 30 pcs of brass everytime I go to SWGC and on a good day 100 pcs. I love free once fired brass.
Wow, I've had a busy day. I decapped 1000+ 308 cases and wet tumbled them (took three loads in the Frankford tumbler). Then I decapped 1000 223 cases, and have them in the queue to be wet tumbled. Then I finished sorting some range brass - Mostly 40 and 357mag, but also some 7.62x39 boxer, 10mm, 38spl, and a bunch of 9mm that were stuck inside the 40 and 10mm.
Yeah, I definitely presort 9mm, 40 and 45. They all get stuck inside each other with pins. 38 covers the mouth of 223 making the rifle rounds contain pins. I've started decapping and sorting prior to tumbling.
Since all this craziness started in March, I've been working from home. I have made it through all my brass, decapped, tumbled and Primed until I'm out of primers.
It's rare I get extra brass at the range I have been going to on my lunch hour.
Last edited:
I have been washing brass all day when I was not cleaning up hurricane trash. A bunch of new brass was slightly exposed to salt water, and I did not want to have anything bad happen to it. I am finishing up on 500 Starline 30/06 cases and have a box of their 44/40 up next. Fired 9mm and 223 will have to wait their turns.
Visiting my mother up in the People's Republic New Jersey . Can't do any shooting but managed to cast about 800 semi wadcutters in .38 while the twister swirled around. Will powder coat and size them next time it rains.
Been on a brass kick lately... lubed, deprimed, and resized about 1400 .223 tonight.
Took about 2.5hr, while watching YouTube on my wife’s old Kindle Fire aka my new garage tablet.
2gal bucket
Took about 2.5hr, while watching YouTube on my wife’s old Kindle Fire aka my new garage tablet.
2gal bucket
Fired up the Star and made use of "leftover" 9mm projectiles finally....
My standard plinking load of 124 grain bullet, 3.9g titegroup, OAL 1.125"
My standard plinking load of 124 grain bullet, 3.9g titegroup, OAL 1.125"
Last edited:
No bias detected but it was the old (just not to me) way. Never got as dusty as I thought it would though.Wet pins, or the old school slow, noisy dusty way?
(can you detect any subtle bias?)
Just pulling your leg.... I used the vibratory tumbler for a good long while, but I came over to the wet pin side after getting a cheap China Freight tumbler. TopRudder got me adding some Armor All wash and wax (about a half capful) in the water recently and the used range brass comes out looking like the brass in the bottom box , in 30 min of tumble. I just let 'em air dry in the sun.
Of course there's no practical difference in the way they actually reload.... to each their own!
Now you tell me! I used a cap full of NU Finish in. They came out alright. They don’t look like new but they definitely look better and should be good to load now.