Loaded 250 30.06 tracers today and cleaned 500 .223 brass that I and a neighbor shot last Tuesday.
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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
- Start date
gerrycaruso
NES Member
Yes, a longer distance will likely tell you more.
Loaded 200 each 45acp lswc last night. I'm way behind on keeping my shelves stocked up with plate bangers.
Was up early this morning and loaded some .308 147gr FMJ with IMR 4064.
Hand weighing the charges and using the top end of a cut in half piece of 6.5 Creedmoor brass with a small plastic Harbor Freight funnel stuffed in the back end to drop in the cases.
The 6.5 case mouth fits great into the .30 cal. case mouth and it's large enough so the stick powder doesn't bridge and stop up.
Using the smallest funnel on the right in the picture.
Hand weighing the charges and using the top end of a cut in half piece of 6.5 Creedmoor brass with a small plastic Harbor Freight funnel stuffed in the back end to drop in the cases.
The 6.5 case mouth fits great into the .30 cal. case mouth and it's large enough so the stick powder doesn't bridge and stop up.
Using the smallest funnel on the right in the picture.
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Bridging can be a nightmare lol. I learned my lesson long ago with flake type powders like 700x and unique. Made a batch of 50 38 special got to the range to test and I was hearing pop, BANG, pop pop BANG
Threw those away.....figured out some of the powder was sticking in the funnel.....oof. now I give the funnel a tap after I drop a charge in.
Long cut and short cut stick powders are worse for bridging, especially in small mouthed cartridges like .223/5.56. This is why some presses have "low powder alarms" to warn of under charges and over charges.
When the powder bridges and doesn't drop the entire charge in one, the next cartridge will likely be an over charge.
This is why I do not use any stick type powder unless I hand weigh the charges and dump them individually. All my small mouthed cartridges are loaded with ball type powders, I'll use a powder drop with the ball powders, but any stick powder is hand weighed.
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Specifically for .223/5.56 there are stick powders like 4320 you can use because you can't physically fit an over charge into the case. It's a heavy "Learn to love the crunch" powder. I've loaded a lot of training ammo with 4320.
Yes, I understand you can't fit two charges in the case but you can fit several grains above the desired load if a previous charge drops 3/4ths and the next one has the other 1/4. Depends on when the bridging occurred.
Long cut powders bridge more than the short cut stick powders and neither meter well in some measures like ball powders.
Given the choice, I use ball powders for .223/5.56 and hand weigh the stick powders in larger calibers.
gerrycaruso
NES Member
I also use ball powder in 5.56/.223 because of bridging.
I'm saying with 4320 you can literally dip the case into the powder and slam a bullet in on top and it's still not an overcharge.
It's not in my powder inventory.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Been sitting on a box of hornady 230 grain fmj and finally decided to load them. Got em at kittery on the trade in shelf many months ago. $20 for a box of 100 each fmj seemed like a bargain.
Been delaying loading these cuz I had to reset my dies from my usual 200 grain lswc setup. Finally got these loaded this morning. Not sure what to even use them for......I went with 5 grains bullseye and 1.27 oal to mimic the true 230 grain government load. Maybe I'll just hold onto em
Been delaying loading these cuz I had to reset my dies from my usual 200 grain lswc setup. Finally got these loaded this morning. Not sure what to even use them for......I went with 5 grains bullseye and 1.27 oal to mimic the true 230 grain government load. Maybe I'll just hold onto em
We're not necessarily talking about overcharge when it comes to bridging.......we're talking about bridging causing inconsistent charge weights.
When I discovered bridging with 700x it wasn't going to blow up the revolver....I just looked like a total ass clown at the plate shoot because every shot sounded different and some were so quiet I thought I'd get a squib.
Cleaned up my reloading bench and shelves today.....and did an inventory on projos powder and primers while I was at it. I've got alot more 240 grain clswv for 44 mag than I thought. I'll have to run a few batches of 44 mag for pin shoots soon.
That's a good load, and .45 ball ammo is always good to have around.Been sitting on a box of hornady 230 grain fmj and finally decided to load them. Got em at kittery on the trade in shelf many months ago. $20 for a box of 100 each fmj seemed like a bargain.
Been delaying loading these cuz I had to reset my dies from my usual 200 grain lswc setup. Finally got these loaded this morning. Not sure what to even use them for......I went with 5 grains bullseye and 1.27 oal to mimic the true 230 grain government load. Maybe I'll just hold onto em
View attachment 910025
I went apeshit loading .45acp several years ago feeding a Thompson, and probably couldn't shoot all of it in my lifetime. My previous UPS guy used to honk the horn when he arrived so I could bring out a two wheeled dolly to stack the cases of Montana Gold Bullets on it from the truck tailgate. He'd say "those should keep you busy for a while". He was a gun guy too and we always had a good conversation for a few minutes when he delivered.
Loaded 150 each 44 mag
240 grain clswc
9 grains tite group
Low level 44 mag but makes a hell of a bowling pin load.
240 grain clswc
9 grains tite group
Low level 44 mag but makes a hell of a bowling pin load.
My goal is to keep 2 years worth of reloading supplies on the shelves at all times.
Same with shotgun hunting ammo.
"Light" 44 mag.
Titegroup load data from hodgedon lists 4.7 to 10 grains. I've loaded alot at 9 grains and that's a fairly stiff load. Went with 6.6 to make a tamer load for bowling pins.
100 each.
Titegroup load data from hodgedon lists 4.7 to 10 grains. I've loaded alot at 9 grains and that's a fairly stiff load. Went with 6.6 to make a tamer load for bowling pins.
100 each.
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That looks "antiqueish"
Star Universal in 45 ACP. They definitely have a cult following. Solidly machined. I had one a few years ago and sold it. I found this one for a song on a reloading site that more younger people use, so no one knew what it was.
ETA: This press was $215 in 1965. I paid less than that 5 days ago
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38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
Giggitty
gerrycaruso
NES Member
Loaded some 25/20 for a Remington pump and 32/20 for a Winchester 92.
loaded 800 45 200 gr swc this morning
Loaded 150, 30-30 rounds yesterday and today, using Varget and 150gr round nose Hornady bullets.
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
Cast a few 75 grain wadcutters and a good deal of 112 grain wadcutters for the 38
Let me tell you. A single cavity 75 grain wadcutter mould is pretty slow!! Even when you’re cranking them out that pile adds up slowly.
Then made a bunch of my 9mm hollow points. Hoping to get a second batch done today and I can coat them all.
Let me tell you. A single cavity 75 grain wadcutter mould is pretty slow!! Even when you’re cranking them out that pile adds up slowly.
Then made a bunch of my 9mm hollow points. Hoping to get a second batch done today and I can coat them all.
Woofwoof
NES Member
I set up my first reloading station. Wish me luck. Starting out with 9mm, then will eventually move up to 45acp, .223, and .308. Maybe some 30-30 down the road.
Hornady AP is a decent press. I’ve never had any issues and the parts can easily be found from multiple dealers. If you 3d print there is a good case feeder that you can make.
If you have any issues post them here and we can help out. There are some decent YouTube videos from Highboy76 and others that troubleshoot the setup
If you have any issues post them here and we can help out. There are some decent YouTube videos from Highboy76 and others that troubleshoot the setup
Haven't done a blessed thing in months.
Got sucked into shot shell loading by a "friend". He's been sooo helpful since I told him I'd picked up a "free" shot shell press.
He's gone off the deep end and now drips his own shot to support his trap shooting habit.
He dropped off a couple hundred components and powder and shot.
Super.
Trying to figure out the press has been an issue since it's missing parts. Getting there though.
Pray for me.
Got sucked into shot shell loading by a "friend". He's been sooo helpful since I told him I'd picked up a "free" shot shell press.
He's gone off the deep end and now drips his own shot to support his trap shooting habit.
He dropped off a couple hundred components and powder and shot.
Super.
Trying to figure out the press has been an issue since it's missing parts. Getting there though.
Pray for me.
