What did you do in the reloading room recently?

andrew1220 said:
Nice! I just got 2k nickel plated brass along with a few thousand cases from a fellow NESer over the weekend. I think I'm good on brass for the time being.
Click to expand...

Same here. I still have about 1200 primed and ready to load and another 800 or so that are cleaned and waiting for primers.
 
Sized and trimmed 50-75 308 cases. I’ve also decided I’m gonna start loading the rifle on the Dillon Cuz the single stage is slow lol. Since I’m trying to make precision rounds I’ve been researching and going to get a free floating tool head for the 550. Think I’ll still size on the marksman than trim. Dillon toolhead will be set up with a turning mandrel in station 1(sets neck tension) and prime, powder drop station two, Redding micrometer seating die station 3. I ordered the mandrel and die and gotta decide between the armanov or Whidden toolhead. Leaning towards the armonov as I can float any or 4 stations if wanted.
 
I’m working on setting up a new reloading bench. I built it a couple weeks ago. Now I’m trying to organize everything and make sure it all has a home and the flow makes sense.
it’s going to be nice to have all of the presses at up for once.
I managed to smash my thumb when I pulled the ram out of an old Herter’s turret press. That was fun.
Let me tell you they don’t make them like the used to. This thing is a beast! Check out the thickness of the turret head. 94197770-2DB8-4A48-8A8A-EF906E1D885E.jpeg
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
I’m working on setting up a new reloading bench. I built it a couple weeks ago. Now I’m trying to organize everything and make sure it all has a home and the flow makes sense.
it’s going to be nice to have all of the presses at up for once.
I managed to smash my thumb when I pulled the ram out of an old Herter’s turret press. That was fun.
Let me tell you they don’t make them like the used to. This thing is a beast! Check out the thickness of the turret head. View attachment 394437
Click to expand...
had my first reloading "lessons" on a big old turret press like that. Had pirate ship wheel to rotate the dies around. You could fit several cals on that thing. IiRC it was a californian?
Hollywood press,
I learned more about how many adapters he had to make for that old press than I did about reloading.
I also loaded about 2k rounds of 38 and 357 for him while he "teached" me.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teNdjjjtVXM
 
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mac1911 said:
had my first reloading "lessons" on a big old turret press like that. Had pirate ship wheel to rotate the dies around. You could fit several cals on that thing. IiRC it was a californian?
Hollywood press,
I learned more about how many adapters he had to make for that old press than I did about reloading.
I also loaded about 2k rounds of 38 and 357 for him while he "teached" me.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teNdjjjtVXM
Click to expand...

Yeah those old presses are cool. This one has the larger die threads so you thread in Hornady lock n load inserts, or use an adapter to drop it down to a regular die thread. Then other adapters so you can run Lyman 310/Tru Line JR dies in it too.
I happen to have a pretty damn good collection of 310 dies. Maybe now I can put some to use.
 
Loaded 190 rounds 30/06 on the 650...might change over to .223 and put the sizing/trimming toolhead on there. I have prolly 2k or so of 223/5.56 to load up. Something of a PITA
as I need to unfasten the case feeder from the press to get low enough to change the feed plate. Only have a couple inches overtop of the cf...
 
I've been slowly cleaning up and moving stuff out of the basement into my newly created garage attic storage space. This has also allowed me to dedicate a portion of the basement to a reloading bench/area. My inline fabrication mount for the rock chucker is on its way to me and Jim's reloading class on the 10th of October is coming up fast. I cannot wait to start tinkering around.
 
Artie said:
Destroyed my 308 sizing and decapping die. Never had issues with Lee, this is my only Hornady. Rather than fix it, might just grab a Lee. Got about 100 sized and decapped before the damage
View attachment 362494
Click to expand...
I decided to email Hornady today and see if this would be covered under warranty. Within 3hrs I rcvd a reply and a confirmation that they are sending out replacement parts. +1 to Hornady Support, really happy and a bit surprised.
20200930_173920.jpg
 
Bodhisattva said:
I’ve really come to loathe CBC and Aguila brass!!! Just finished loading 1500rnds of 124 XTP and and had about 75 mixed Aguila and CBC fail the check gauge.

really not looking forward to pulling all that.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about a case gauge?
What failure are you having?

If a casing won't go into a case gauge, it is improperly sized.....it's not the brass.
 
image.jpeg

A new AR was born here today. [cheers]

Also stopped by my local gunshop, picked up a pound of Trail Boss and Accurate #5 and 10lbs of 9mm brass.

Never used Trail Boss in anything before but decided to get a pound just to have on the shelf in case I get the urge to experiment with something at a later date.
 
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Artie said:
I decided to email Hornady today and see if this would be covered under warranty. Within 3hrs I rcvd a reply and a confirmation that they are sending out replacement parts. +1 to Hornady Support, really happy and a bit surprised.
View attachment 394982
Click to expand...
when I called about getting a new zip spindle and 308 mandrel they sent me 2 set ups and dozen or so pins.
 
Uzi2 said:
Are you talking about a case gauge?
What failure are you having?

If a casing won't go into a case gauge, it is improperly sized.....it's not the brass.
Click to expand...

Yea, I run all of the ammo I make for, uh rainy days, through the check gauge. All of the mixed brass was resized with the same die without issue. Only the CBC or Aguila failed to sit flush in the gauge. As a matter of fact most of em only made it about 2/3 of the way in the gauge.

Aguila
F56DA7AA-FBD0-49DA-A57A-B27A1049D310.jpeg

CBC
F3969E51-1B92-47E9-BF32-111649C61C66.jpeg
 
Bodhisattva said:
Yea, I run all of the ammo I make for, uh rainy days, through the check gauge. All of the mixed brass was resized with the same die without issue. Only the CBC or Aguila failed to sit flush in the gauge. As a matter of fact most of em only made it about 2/3 of the way in the gauge.

Aguila
View attachment 395043

CBC
View attachment 395044
Click to expand...

Are you short stroking the press? Maybe going a bit too fast?

If most or all the others sized correctly, there's no reason they all shouldn't swage if you are maintaining the same stroke on the press and the die has not loosened/moved.

If that is loaded ammo, are you using a factory taper crimp die? I use the Lee Factory Crimp die and unless a rim is damaged ( dinged ) everything goes into a match chamber sized Dillon gauge without issue.
 
Uzi2 said:
Are you short stroking the press? Maybe going a bit too fast?

If most or all the others sized correctly, there's no reason they all shouldn't swage if you are maintaining the same stroke on the press and the die has not loosened/moved.
Click to expand...

Same for it all. I’ve never had this issue in ten years. But then again, Aguila and CBC are are new headstamp for me. Typically my range brass is all Win, Fed, Rem, or Perfecta with the occasional Herters.
 
Some brass may have different/inconsistent wall thickness. The sizer die will bring them all down to similar O.D.s, but seat a bullet into a thicker walled case and it will swell, perhaps beyond spec and bind in your gauge. Sometimes it may be a burr on the rim that doesn't allow a case to drop into the gauge fully. I'd use a micrometer and measure your loaded rounds.
Let us know what you discover. If it's bad brass, cull that stuff and use only what works.
 
NavelOfficer said:
Some brass may have different/inconsistent wall thickness. The sizer die will bring them all down to similar O.D.s, but seat a bullet into a thicker walled case and it will swell, perhaps beyond spec and bind in your gauge. Sometimes it may be a burr on the rim that doesn't allow a case to drop into the gauge fully. I'd use a micrometer and measure your loaded rounds.
Let us know what you discover. If it's bad brass, cull that stuff and use only what works.
Click to expand...

Correct, and that's exactly why I use the Lee factory crimp die, it brings all the potential bullet or wall thickness inconsistencies down to a uniform sized taper.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Yea, I run all of the ammo I make for, uh rainy days, through the check gauge. All of the mixed brass was resized with the same die without issue. Only the CBC or Aguila failed to sit flush in the gauge. As a matter of fact most of em only made it about 2/3 of the way in the gauge.

Aguila
View attachment 395043

CBC
View attachment 395044
Click to expand...
Uzi2 said:
Are you short stroking the press? Maybe going a bit too fast?

If most or all the others sized correctly, there's no reason they all shouldn't swage if you are maintaining the same stroke on the press and the die has not loosened/moved.

If that is loaded ammo, are you using a factory taper crimp die? I use the Lee Factory Crimp die and unless a rim is damaged ( dinged ) everything goes into a match chamber sized Dillon gauge without issue.
Click to expand...
Ahh yes you’ve found the 2 cases I hate as well. Though it’s usually the Aguila cases that have a crimp/cannelure around the middle of the case.
I’m pretty sure the wall thickness is thicker than most which causes a bulge especially if you’re seating them on the deeper side.

In my case I use heavier 147 gr bullets which are that much longer than a 124 grainer. Makes it even worse.

Though I recommend plunking them in your guns barrel and/or chambering them to see if they’re hard to extract.

I’ve been reloading for almost 7 years and can say I don’t use/own a case gauge. Just use the barrel of my gun.
 
Bodhisattva said:
I’ve really come to loathe CBC and Aguila brass!!! Just finished loading 1500rnds of 124 XTP and and had about 75 mixed Aguila and CBC fail the check gauge.

really not looking forward to pulling all that.
Click to expand...

Aguila's horrible. If you come across them again, just toss em.
AA USA is another one to avoid along with a handfull of others. I found a list years back on a website of cases to avoid because of similar problems to what happened to you, along with primer pockets so tight it would mash a primer when seating like Speer. It didn't matter what caliber it was in.
They'll bulge out like the heads sitting off center. And theres not a die made thats going to fix it.

I never understood why people sorted handgun brass by headstamp until I ran into that and had failure to fully chamber in bottom feeds. Especially with lead or plated sized heads.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Yea, I run all of the ammo I make for, uh rainy days, through the check gauge. All of the mixed brass was resized with the same die without issue. Only the CBC or Aguila failed to sit flush in the gauge. As a matter of fact most of em only made it about 2/3 of the way in the gauge.

Aguila
View attachment 395043

CBC
View attachment 395044
Click to expand...
Do youpistol guys run into false fail because of rim or head damage?
like my 308 and 30-06 beass out if my M1 Garands? OP pick looks like the issue is more near the case mouth
 

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