What did you do in the reloading room recently?

[meh]

Loaded up 677 rounds of 44 magnum over the last couple of weeks to finish off my open 8# cannister of N110 and nearly finish off my stock of Zero 240gr JSPs. The powder ran out before the bullets (123 of those left), but I'm not going to crack open my other 8# cannister until I need to load more. Most of the charges were just dropped with the RCBS Chargemaster, yielding a glacially slow loading rate. I know my Hornady powder drop gives me 0.3gr of variation. The plastic Lee powder measure does much better with this powder. I tried the Lee with a drop, check, and adjust method. I suppose I could have lived without the adjustment, though it was very often off by 0.1gr and here and there by as much as 0.3gr. In the end I just let the Chargemaster do the work while I chilled.

Speaking of Zero 240gr JSPs, they're in stock at the moment.

 

[EMTDAD]

I have a shotshell reloading question.. I have a MEC reloader with the bushings and bars..

I've found a recipe for a powder not listed on the MEC Bushing Chart. https://www.mecoutdoors.com/images/uploaded/pdfs/PowderBushingChart.pdf

what's the best way to figure out what bushing I need?

 

[DW357]

Loaded up 677 rounds of 44 magnum over the last couple of weeks to finish off my open 8# cannister of N110 and nearly finish off my stock of Zero 240gr JSPs. The powder ran out before the bullets (123 of those left), but I'm not going to crack open my other 8# cannister until I need to load more. Most of the charges were just dropped with the RCBS Chargemaster, yielding a glacially slow loading rate. I know my Hornady powder drop gives me 0.3gr of variation. The plastic Lee powder measure does much better with this powder. I tried the Lee with a drop, check, and adjust method. I suppose I could have lived without the adjustment, though it was very often off by 0.1gr and here and there by as much as 0.3gr. In the end I just let the Chargemaster do the work while I chilled.

Speaking of Zero 240gr JSPs, they're in stock at the moment.

Finished off 8 pound keg of N110. Nice!
I got one pound of it and some AA9 and H110/296 left.

Glad to see Roze keeping up with demand on the 240 grainers.

 

[p..]

I have a shotshell reloading question.. I have a MEC reloader with the bushings and bars..

I've found a recipe for a powder not listed on the MEC Bushing Chart. https://www.mecoutdoors.com/images/uploaded/pdfs/PowderBushingChart.pdf

what's the best way to figure out what bushing I need?

Do you have a selection of bushings, or just one setup?
I have a selection of bushings, and just pick one that I think may be close, load up the hopper, throw a few charges and weigh each, then depending on how the charges are weighing, pick a larger or smaller bushing from there and do it again until I get the powder charge I'm looking for.

 

[p..]

Do you have a selection of bushings, or just one setup?
I have a selection of bushings, and just pick one that I think may be close, load up the hopper, throw a few charges and weigh each, then depending on how the charges are weighing, pick a larger or smaller bushing from there and do it again until I get the powder charge I'm looking for.

Also, the bushing charts will get you close, but they're not always spot-on. It's good to verify with a scale anyway before you start loading away.

 

[EMTDAD]

Do you have a selection of bushings, or just one setup?
I have a selection of bushings, and just pick one that I think may be close, load up the hopper, throw a few charges and weigh each, then depending on how the charges are weighing, pick a larger or smaller bushing from there and do it again until I get the powder charge I'm looking for.

Just 1 bushing right now. Wondering whats the best way to even get close

 

[p..]

Just 1 bushing right now. Wondering whats the best way to even get close

If you can stand to nerd out about it a little, figure out the volume of the bushing you have. Use it and throw a few charges with the powder you want to use and weigh the charges. Then...

(someone please check my math)

(grains you want) / (grains you threw) = (volume of the bushing you need) / (volume of the bushing you have)

so

(volume of the bushing you have) x ((grains you want) / (grains you threw)) = volume of the bushing you need

 

[EMTDAD]

If you can stand to nerd out about it a little, figure out the volume of the bushing you have. Use it and throw a few charges with the powder you want to use and weigh the charges. Then...

(someone please check my math)

(grains you want) / (grains you threw) = (volume of the bushing you need) / (volume of the bushing you have)

so

(volume of the bushing you have) x ((grains you want) / (grains you threw)) = volume of the bushing you need

makes perfect sense.. thanks.. I should've thought of that.

 

[p..]

makes perfect sense.. thanks.. I should've thought of that.

When I picked up my shotshell press, that was my first experience using powder bushings, vs powder drops adjustable by a screw that I'd used for pistol/rifle loading. The bushings seemed kind of expensive to me purchased individually and I had the same thought as you, how do I pick the right one... so I just kept an eye on ebay, and eventually picked up a whole bunch of used bushings sold as a lot for what felt like a decent price.

In practice, I use trial and error and a scale to figure out what actually throws what I want, then record everything in my little reloading spreadsheet so I don't have to figure it out again.

Understanding of course that noodling around at the reloading bench in the middle of a snowstorm is the hobby all by itself, and actually going to the range to knock little orange frisbees out of the sky is sometimes secondary to that.

 

[gerrycaruso]

.312 bullets finally came back in stock so I bought some for the Mosin sniper. It doesn't shoot well with .311. For the Mec I use an adjustable bar. I don't use the bushings.

 

[kerryman71]

Been awhile since I posted in here. Desert is ready. 45 ACP Squares!

 

[Tinkermatic]

Been awhile since I posted in here. Desert is ready. 45 ACP Squares!

View attachment 678072

Needs more sprinkles.

 

[kerryman71]

Needs more sprinkles.

I'll be putting the sprinkles in later. Can't put those in the oven.

 

[DarrenL]

Got rid of all my federal primers, and was able to load the remaining IBEJ 124 with the remainder of a can of true blue. Still having occasional failures to de-prime, about 25 cases out of 1000. I saved them all to see if they had some correlation or obvious defect, but there was none. 8 blazer, 8 federal, 2 rem, 2 of five or six other types.

Also found that the powder bar on the powder measure is “sticking” on the downstroke, (after case belling) so the press acts as if the shell plate is tight, but it is actually the powder bar causing drag. Anyone experience this? I lightly greased the sides of the bar, that seemed to help. Dillon 650

 

[ddeck]

.


$13 shipping for the cheapest shipping.

Free shipping now and sale is still ongoing

 

[greencobra]

i did nothing as noble as reloading, i ripped apart the room picking up every stray magazine that was laying around and on the floor under the bench. just taking inventory and seeing what i have. i will have to do it again soon cause i'm still missing one mag in particular. i'm pretty positive i put it in the one spot i was sure to remember but have since forgotten. just a little mind blip, a malady of age.

 

[Tinkermatic]

More .308 considering the recent acquisition. A few more 168 grainers over 44.5 grains of Varget (working that load up, slowwwlllyyy). I’m still hooked on lighter bullets though, especially with a 16” barrel. So, I cooked up 50, 125 gr. SST’s (I maintain that it’s not wrong to choose bullets because they look cool) over 43 grains of 3031. Should be decently flat and fast out to 200 out of a 16” gas gun. Unfortunately, 80 rounds from trimming to crimping took me over 4 hours, but my set up should explain. Those 10 rounds don’t fit anywhere, need
More boxes.
It’s still worth it to me and I figure once I have an actual reloading setup, I’ll appreciate it a bit more. At least pistol rounds go much faster

I’d really like to find some AR-comp to really get the 125’s speeding along, but Alliant powders in general seem to be more scarce than Varget. Maybe someday that’ll change, maybe.

 

[pastera]

I have a shotshell reloading question.. I have a MEC reloader with the bushings and bars..

I've found a recipe for a powder not listed on the MEC Bushing Chart. https://www.mecoutdoors.com/images/uploaded/pdfs/PowderBushingChart.pdf

what's the best way to figure out what bushing I need?

Look up the volumetric density of the unlisted powder and find a listed powder that's close - start with the closest bushing and measure the drop weight.

If you were using hornady or pacific, I can print bushings from a script I wrote. Don't have a Mec to copy dimensions from so can't help (unless I can get my hands on a few bushings)

Not my design so buyer beware:

Customizable MEC powder bushing by mooniesdl3

This openscad designed part is to create a custom MEC powder bushing. You adjust the volume setting for the CC's you want based on the Lee VMD calculations. I print this with 20% infile, normal quality .2mm. No supports necessary

www.thingiverse.com

 

[kerryman71]

Needs more sprinkles.

Desert topping came today. Got 5K "sprinkles" coming tomorrow.

 

[DW357]

More .308 considering the recent acquisition. A few more 168 grainers over 44.5 grains of Varget (working that load up, slowwwlllyyy). I’m still hooked on lighter bullets though, especially with a 16” barrel. So, I cooked up 50, 125 gr. SST’s (I maintain that it’s not wrong to choose bullets because they look cool) over 43 grains of 3031. Should be decently flat and fast out to 200 out of a 16” gas gun. Unfortunately, 80 rounds from trimming to crimping took me over 4 hours, but my set up should explain. Those 10 rounds don’t fit anywhere, need
More boxes.
It’s still worth it to me and I figure once I have an actual reloading setup, I’ll appreciate it a bit more. At least pistol rounds go much faster

I’d really like to find some AR-comp to really get the 125’s speeding along, but Alliant powders in general seem to be more scarce than Varget. Maybe someday that’ll change, maybe. View attachment 678431View attachment 678433View attachment 678432

Nice. The Giraud triway trimmer chucked into a cordless drill can speed up brass prep

Giraud Tri-Way Trimmer

The Giraud Tri Way Trimmer is designed to be powered by your typical drill motor, drill press, or other dedicated rotating power source. Got an old motor laying around and some mechanical...

www.giraudtool.com

 

[pastera]

Just 1 bushing right now. Wondering whats the best way to even get close

Post what bushing have, powder and the charge you need
Looks like your not far from me - I can print a couple of bushings around the size you need.

Inside dia.of MEC bushings

Does anyone have a chart showing the inside diameter of MEC bushings? I need one about .520-.525. neo

www.trapshooters.com

 

[bottle-cap]

 

[gerrycaruso]

I loaded some .312s with 4350 to try in the Mosin sniper. I also loaded some 45acp with a 230 grain bullet and Longshot.

 

[DW357]

Recovered a Zero 158 gr JHP from the 100 yard berm today. Shot from the DW revolver with 8" barrel. Decent expansion. 14.5 gr 2400
Compared to the JHP shot into water jugs (on the right)


Also recovered some 44cal 225 gr FTX bullets from the 100 yard berm. Shot from the Henry rifle. 20ish gr H110. Got a few of these mixed in with some pulled XTPs last year.

 

[TrashcanDan]

Unloaded some .45 A.R. in 255 gr.

One should not load .45 acp in 230 using winchester primers into moons and then try to shoot them if ones revolver is set for federal primers without leaving ones self a note that the strain screw is set for such, just in case one tries it 2 years later and forgets.
Just as one should not set their sights on a shadow to hit center mass while aiming at the bottom of an 8" plate for steel challenge and then wonder why 2 years later everything hitting high or just over the plate.

Twas a potato moment one shall not forget.

 

[EddieZoom]

In practice, I use trial and error and a scale to figure out what actually throws what I want, then record everything in my little reloading spreadsheet so I don't have to figure it out again.

I haven't done a lot of shotshell reloading but when I first started to figure out the Mec and the bushings I remember thinking "you have to be kidding me". Feels primitive and not at all what we are used to obsessing over loading pistol/rifle. I went dumpster diving for hulls when I first started and was talking to an experienced shotshell reloader. "Hey, what do you do for cleaning/prepping the hulls before you reload them". He laughed out loud ;-)

 

[nstassel]

Made a convenient locator pin tab after only about five years of stupidly ignoring this simple solution.

 

[steve8140]

I haven’t been loading much lately but I have been going through some 5 gallon buckets and sorting brass to start cleaning.

Is anyone familiar with the Fillon case seperator sifters or any similar products? Are they worth it?
Rifle isn’t a big deal to me but pistol cases can be a pain. After a little while they all start to look the same.

 

[ddeck]

I haven’t been loading much lately but I have been going through some 5 gallon buckets and sorting brass to start cleaning.

Is anyone familiar with the Fillon case seperator sifters or any similar products? Are they worth it?
Rifle isn’t a big deal to me but pistol cases can be a pain. After a little while they all start to look the same.

Are you indicating separating the media from cases or the different sized cases?

We just had a large discussion about separating different sized cases:

Sorting brass

Looking for the best and fastest way to sort brass. Especially 380 from 9mm

www.northeastshooters.com

 

[76Too]

Are they worth it?
Rifle isn’t a big deal to me but pistol cases can be a pain. After a little while they all start to look the same.

Yes! Get them. You won’t believe you ever got by without them.