What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Golddiggie said:
@andrew1220 Are you using a plastic or metal funnel to pour powder? I recently changed from the old plastic funnel I had been using to a metal one. No issues with static cling of the powder now.
Got this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075SY2DMD
Click to expand...
Powder Measure Drain Insert
Item #050125

https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-050125-Lock-N-Load-Powder-Measure/dp/B005KW4ZT0

Pretty sure this is what he's talking about. Ive called it a funnel myself, but its not really a funnel. You remove the insert from the body and push this in its place. Its just an empty tube that lets you dump the powder left in the hopper into a can without having to tip the whole thing upside down.
 
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andrew1220 said:
Wow I’m surprised you didn’t like the powder measure. I really like the measure. It’s dead nuts on dropping powder. I also use the powder funnel which makes dumping powder extremely easy.

And their dies have been good so far. I must have been lucky lol.
Click to expand...

I guess it’s good. It does drop consistently and is easy to use. Just cumbersome compared to my Lyman 55s.
I love my old school equipment too. It has more soul.
Hell I load some ammo with Lyman tong tools and lee loaders from time to time just for giggles.

I loaded up a test load of a 45/70 foraging round today.
12 grains of unique. Over powder card. Filled to the top with #9 and topped with an inverted 45 cal gas check. Crimped in place.

I can’t wait to try some of these suckers.

Seems like people are saying dropping the powder charge down a bit helped patterns and also the use of a 410 shot cup helps keep down on any leading that could happen.
Supposedly the pattern is good enough for small game with 6s or 7 1/2s out to about 25 yards.
 

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headednorth said:
Powder Measure Drain Insert
Item #050125

https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-050125-Lock-N-Load-Powder-Measure/dp/B005KW4ZT0

Pretty sure this is what he's talking about. Ive called it a funnel myself, but its not really a funnel. You remove the insert from the body and push this in its place. Its just an empty tube that lets you dump the powder left in the hopper into a can without having to tip the whole thing upside down.
Click to expand...
Yup I’m taking about ^that as well as a 3D printed funnel that I insert at the top of the hopper to help minimize spilling powder.
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
View attachment 272399

I guess it’s good. It does drop consistently and is easy to use. Just cumbersome compared to my Lyman 55s.
I love my old school equipment too. It has more soul.
Hell I load some ammo with Lyman tong tools and lee loaders from time to time just for giggles.

I loaded up a test load of a 45/70 foraging round today.
12 grains of unique. Over powder card. Filled to the top with #9 and topped with an inverted 45 cal gas check. Crimped in place.

I can’t wait to try some of these suckers.

Seems like people are saying dropping the powder charge down a bit helped patterns and also the use of a 410 shot cup helps keep down on any leading that could happen.
Supposedly the pattern is good enough for small game with 6s or 7 1/2s out to about 25 yards.
Click to expand...
Wow that is very cool! So what am I looking at in the photo? That’s the gas check?...might just be the lighting.

Can you make loads like that in 44 mag? Very interesting.

@NavelOfficer would approve of that I’d say lol.
 
andrew1220 said:
Yup I’m taking about ^that as well as a 3D printed funnel that I insert at the top of the hopper to help minimize spilling powder.
Click to expand...
Ah...ok. I misunderstood what you were referencing in the earlier post. I think I saw "dumping" powder and thought of the drain insert thingy.
giphy.gif
 
andrew1220 said:
Wow that is very cool! So what am I looking at in the photo? That’s the gas check?...might just be the lighting.

Can you make loads like that in 44 mag? Very interesting.

@NavelOfficer would approve of that I’d say lol.
Click to expand...
Yeah that’s the gas check.

Even better in 44 mag. You have speed shot shell capsules

Speer Empty Shot Capsules 44 Cal Box of 25 - MPN: 8782

Though you can do the same as I did with the gas check.

I’ve been known to load a 357 mag case with 2 grains of fast powder, a card wad, a case full of quinoa or similar grain and top with a gas check.
Works great for shooting carpenter bees around the yard.
 
New Pyrex hopper arrived today. Super fast shipping from that company.

Threads nice and tight into the Hornady housing. There was some minor static when pouring the powder into the hopper but that was quickly remedied by a wipe with a dryer sheet. The air in my basement is bone dry. My humidity gauge says 30%....

I think it was worth the money as I’ll never have to worry about it falling out or deteriorating/shrinking from reacting with the powder. Very well made.
5E675DC7-E214-49B0-9A41-F9EEC876B7BF.jpeg
 
You can make shot shells with most calibers, I suppose. I have found the gas check method works in 38 and 357; no reason you can't do this with the 44.You can punch wads from cardboard or plastic bottles, too. You might want to inspect for debris in the barrel from time to time.
I've even loaded .40 S&W cases with wax and shot to be used in the .44, although I've yet to shoot them (sold my Redhawk a long while ago).
 

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Swapped from Hodgon Universal to Hodgon TiteGroup for 9mm 124 grn Xtrme bullets.

Been getting incredibly diverse readings over my chronograph, and not sure I'm making powerfactor, (not enough fps).
So, I did some more reading looking for recommended powder for that bullet.
First run over the chronograph looked better, more consistent and definitely faster.

I'm also considering the possibility that my chronograph is incorrect, so a friend is lending me his this weekend to test with also.
 
allen-1 said:
Swapped from Hodgon Universal to Hodgon TiteGroup for 9mm 124 grn Xtrme bullets.

Been getting incredibly diverse readings over my chronograph, and not sure I'm making powerfactor, (not enough fps).
So, I did some more reading looking for recommended powder for that bullet.
First run over the chronograph looked better, more consistent and definitely faster.

I'm also considering the possibility that my chronograph is incorrect, so a friend is lending me his this weekend to test with also.
Click to expand...
Certainly possible the chrono could be wonky. Although mine still works even though it’s been shot a couple times [laugh]

If you ever find some sport pistol powder, try it out. TG works but god damn does it burn hot and dirty. Inexpensive though.
 
NavelOfficer said:
You can make shot shells with most calibers, I suppose. I have found the gas check method works in 38 and 357; no reason you can't do this with the 44.You can punch wads from cardboard or plastic bottles, too. You might want to inspect for debris in the barrel from time to time.
I've even loaded .40 S&W cases with wax and shot to be used in the .44, although I've yet to shoot them (sold my Redhawk a long while ago).
Click to expand...


Lets see some more pics the 40 cases loaded up please. Maybe e few of the process to make them. I like that idea. Safety slug.
I've played with the idea of annealing and sizing down 45 SP brass to make 458" wadcutters.
Then I learned how to make wadcutters out of any mould. Just insert a gas check into a driving band in the mould. Pour your lead and you're good to go. The gas check blocks off the nose of the bullet making a nice little wadcutter.
 
Convinced my wife to buy me a Mr Bullet Feeder for my upcoming birthday for 9mm & .40, can't wait. Now I won't have to place bullets by hand like some sort of savage.
 
ILikeGlocks said:
Convinced my wife to buy me a Mr Bullet Feeder for my upcoming birthday for 9mm & .40, can't wait. Now I won't have to place bullets by hand like some sort of savage.
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Nice! I really want to get one as my Hornady LNL is far from automated lol. I don't have a casefeeder either. I'll continue being a savage I guess. I'm not shooting 50k plus rounds of 9mm per year so I can handle the volume...for now. I'd estimate 15-20k per year? Probably closer to 15k.
 
andrew1220 said:
Nice! I really want to get one as my Hornady LNL is far from automated lol. I don't have a casefeeder either. I'll continue being a savage I guess. I'm not shooting 50k plus rounds of 9mm per year so I can handle the volume...for now. I'd estimate 15-20k per year? Probably closer to 15k.
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I didn't need it for the longest time & could not justify it, but now my wife is getting into competition, so I am reloading for two...
 
ILikeGlocks said:
I didn't need it for the longest time & could not justify it, but now my wife is getting into competition, so I am reloading for two...
Click to expand...
Wow! That’s awesome! I’d love to get my wife into competition shooting but it just won’t happen. She’s got her own guns and is pro-gun etc but she just wouldn’t be interested.
 
Did you snag the standard or medium size? Hard to tell from your photo. I can't think of a reason why I'd go for the larger size but if its the same price... its time to warm up the card... again. I just started to get some deformation on the bottom of the factory hopper. I'll need to feed the VP9L kit coming my way.
 
Eric H said:
Did you snag the standard or medium size? Hard to tell from your photo. I can't think of a reason why I'd go for the larger size but if its the same price... its time to warm up the card... again. I just started to get some deformation on the bottom of the factory hopper. I'll need to feed the VP9L kit coming my way.
Click to expand...
I just went with the standard size. It's actually slightly taller/longer than the Hornady but the same volume. I don't need to hold 2 pounds of powder at a time so I went with the standard size.
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
Lets see some more pics the 40 cases loaded up please. Maybe e few of the process to make them. I like that idea. Safety slug.
Click to expand...

No, I'm not making .40 S&W shot shells, but you could do so with 10mm cases, I suppose (unless the large primer would be an issue in your firearm).
I am making .44 shot - filled bullets with a fired .40 S&W case, see photo in my last post (disregard the .45 AR round). Yes, they do make capsules and you could use wads/gas checks and go that route, too.
You can take worn out .308 cases (or .45 Magnum cases) and make .45 ACP shot shells easily enough, too.
 

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NavelOfficer said:
No, I'm not making .40 S&W shot shells, but you could do so with 10mm cases, I suppose (unless the large primer would be an issue in your firearm).
I am making .44 shot - filled bullets with a fired .40 S&W case, see photo in my last post (disregard the .45 AR round). Yes, they do make capsules and you could use wads/gas checks and go that route, too.
You can take worn out .308 cases (or .45 Magnum cases) and make .45 ACP shot shells easily enough, too.
Click to expand...

I caught what you were doing.
Filling the 40 cal brass with shot and using the brass as a projectile right?

I was hoping for pics of details on how you do that.
Anneal and size down brass. Fill with shot and glue the end? Load as normal?
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
I was hoping for pics of details on how you do that.
Anneal and size down brass. Fill with shot and glue the end? Load as normal?
Click to expand...

It's trial and error really. The 40 S&W case diameter is a tad small, but find fired cases that are slightly bulged, that is, can be sized for .429" diameter,and then trim them to a length that meets your needs. I don't recall what I trimmed them to nor what die I used to form the ogive; experiment until satisfied. Fill the case with shot and seal with wax, that's all. Charge weights will be trial and error as well. There's no published data that I'm aware of.
 

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