What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Michael J. Spangler said:
But round is such an inefficient shape for storage. I know you’re frugal but I bet somewhere deep inside the engineer in you is thinking of 3D printing triangular storage bins to fit in between the radius of the coffee cans 😂
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I am now - [banghead] [angry2] [angry2] [angry2] [angry2] [angry2]
Maybe right after the bending dies for my tiny arbor press get done printing - I need to bend up some 1/2" x 1/8" aluminum to make thermocouple mounts for melting pots.
It is amazing how strong printed plastic tools can be.
 
Resized, reamed and primed 400 Wolf Gold .223 this morning. They have lightly crimped primers and though some can be reprimed easily, there is always that string of cases that refuse to cooperate so reaming the entire lot is the best choice.

Next step is on the Dillon motorized trimmer.
 
pastera said:
All you highfalutin folks with your purpose bought "look at my shiny ammo" boxes.
This is the right way to store your ammo for the common folk who don't go around thinking too much of themselves
View attachment 421494

Part of a coffee club at work so I just use the empty containers - they work great for storage, painting, parts cleaning, etc.
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Exactly what I use. I have cans upon cans upon cans. A piece of masking tape on the top with the cartridge and its state (tumbled/sized/ready to go) written in Sharpie. They are all over the place.
 
hv55maxx said:
ya know what i miss the most? all the free brass on the ground at the range. this is really putting a damper on collecting
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YES! I have noticed a significant drop off of uncollected brass. Like in the last week or 2. Almost no rifle brass, and pistol brass is down alot. Either no one is shooting before I get there or alot of non reloaders are saving brass for who knows what. Maybe for trading ,can't all be new reloaders there's no primers to be found for them to begin as new reloaders,
 
Maddawg1952 said:
YES! I have noticed a significant drop off of uncollected brass. Like in the last week or 2. Almost no rifle brass, and pistol brass is down alot. Either no one is shooting before I get there or alot of non reloaders are saving brass for who knows what. Maybe for trading ,can't all be new reloaders there's no primers to be found for them to begin as new reloaders,
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i dont think people are shooting. period.
 
LOL! I am by no means a brass rat. But if it's on the ground after I'm finished shooting , it gets picked up along with my brass.. It's actually what I did before I reloaded and threw them all in the brass bucket. Now they all get tossed in the bag and sorted when I have time . I have a couple ammo cans full of stuff I don't shoot.
 
Maddawg1952 said:
LOL! I am by no means a brass rat. But if it's on the ground after I'm finished shooting , it gets picked up along with my brass.. It's actually what I did before I reloaded and threw them all in the brass bucket. Now they all get tossed in the bag and sorted when I have time . I have a couple ammo cans full of stuff I don't shoot.
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makes good trading fodder if you get enough.... or in my case an excuse for a new gun [rofl] . ah fu(k it i have brass for that. bad time to shop but currently considering a 270wsm as i have brass and a recent sale on RCBS dies. might as well finish the puzzle.
 
Ok so you a**h***s got me to buy a case checker because I got curious even though I've done probably 50k round without one, lol.

I've learned two things. First, my setup was fine and if you're following the press/die makers instructions your good to go. Second, there are apparently a lot of shit gauges floating around and I'm going to give an example of two from the same manufacturer here.

First is this POS aluminum Lyman block. Each hole is different. You place a shell in one hole, it fits different than the other. Complete garbage. For reference this was stored in my living room at 68F for several days so thermal expansion of the aluminum is not a factor.

This is the same piece of LC brass is each hole inserted with the same force after I cleaned each bore with q-tips. 100% garbage.
20201211_144243.jpg 20201211_144227.jpg 20201211_144213.jpg 20201211_144201.jpg 20201211_144146.jpg 20201211_144127.jpg 20201211_143529.jpg

Next post is other gauge due to pick size limit.
 
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ProGun said:
Well, my timing sucks lol, but I'm IN. Have a Lee kit on it's way to me...and most everything except primers, but working on that, too!
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Honestly, you're probably better off that way. I bought my stuff piece meal, mainly from the classifieds on this forum, which allowed me (forced me) to read up on as much as I could before finally being able to reload. Certainly something you don't want to rush right into.

Of course in six months when you're still waiting for primers, you may think differently! Hopefully that won't happen, but knowing the guys on here, someone will set you up to get you started if they have components to spare.
 
xtry51 said:
Second gauge is a steel Lyman that is good. I compared factory ammo and the same case from above post.

View attachment 421605View attachment 421607View attachment 421608View attachment 421609View attachment 421610

For reference here is an unprocessed, once fired LC case in the gauge.
View attachment 421611
View attachment 421612
View attachment 421613
View attachment 421613

Conclusion. Steel guages are good. Aluminum guages are shit.
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What is the purpose of the 6 cavities on the aluminium case gauge?

what are you shooting that 223 out of.
 
mac1911 said:
What is the purpose of the 6 cavities on the aluminium case gauge?

what are you shooting that 223 out of.
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Its just supposed to be to check more cases faster. I bought it mostly because I wondered why a 6 position block would be so cheap compared to a single. Basically I knew before I hit add to cart it was going to be a POS.

I'm shooting only ARs for .223 and I process my 77gr long range loads separate from the rest. My training ammo is always sub moa at 200yds even though it is mixed brass. I have good results at 600yds with my separate handloads so I'm not worried about my process there either.

I literally only bought the gauges because people here were talking about it. I've never had a clambering/feed issue with any ammo. It was solely for my edification.
 
xtry51 said:
Its just supposed to be to check more cases faster. I bought it mostly because I wondered why a 6 position block would be so cheap compared to a single. Basically I knew before I hit add to cart it was going to be a POS.

I'm shooting only ARs for .223 and I process my 77gr long range loads separate from the rest. My training ammo is always sub moa at 200yds even though it is mixed brass. I have good results at 600yds with my separate handloads so I'm not worried about my process there either.

I literally only bought the gauges because people here were talking about it. I've never had a clambering/feed issue with any ammo. It was solely for my edification.
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Im just surprised your fired case in the steel wilson gauge sticks out that far? I have the steel wilson 223 and i like it for setting up my dies.
If I set any of my dies i have to directions
It will set the shoulder back past Saami min.
The case gauge works well that way.

i bought the Hornady case comparator which allows me to check and adjust my dies across a larger selection.
A good place this helps is on Rimmed cases.
My 303 brit lee die set , set per instructions sets the shoulder way back . i was getting case head failure on 2-3 reloads. Now im at 7 reloads with this batch of brass for the 303 with just a few .000 showing on the case comparator gauge.
 
With the Lee Load all , to set primer, powder and wad setting the slugs. . Winchester 209 primer, 37grains of HS-6 Hodgdon Powder ,WA 112 wad. My slug in the Winchester Red AA's. Then on to the next station on the Loadall to crimp. Probably not the most efficient way, but I'm only making 50. 60 or as many as I cast till the pot needs to be filled. I need to go slow, today is my first attempt at using this new mold , might take a few tries to get things right.
 
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SJan said:
I've been working on 9mm. In the past month or so, I have doubled the number of loaded rounds I have on hand. Various loads of 115, 124 and 147g. I still have 7k 124g bullets under the bench, but I think I should conserve my primers for other calibers.View attachment 420630
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Is it necessary to store loaded ammo with the silica bags? Or do you just do it as a precaution? Also where do you get them? Thanks
 
daggrant99 said:
Is it necessary to store loaded ammo with the silica bags? Or do you just do it as a precaution? Also where do you get them? Thanks
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I get silica packets on amazon. Lots to choose from. 50 rounds of 9mm in food seal bag with 1 packet. I don’t vacuum air out though, just sealed up. Stack nice in ammo cans. Bought food sealer at Kohl’s with coupons and kohl’s cash. Was good deal. Buy bags on amazon. Lots to choose from.
 
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John380 said:
Was down to my last 3 factory 12ga slugs and none at the store. So I got a Lee 7/8oz mold this week and casted some today. Roll Crimper should be coming next week.
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I like it!
Maybe next time around we will have some more interest in the casting seminar now that the new reloaders have experienced a nasty drought
 

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