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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
- Start date
Sized, primed and belled 2650, 9mm cases in the past several days, waiting for 115gr fmj bullets to be delivered.
Figured out how to view the ogives of different bullets easily without all the reflections you get when shining a light on them.
I placed a loading block on the bench about two inches from the edge then placed the two different bullets on the loading bench side by side in front of it and shine a light at the side of them so they cast a clean, crisp shadow on the side of the loading block. The difference is clearly visible. Try it!
One bullet was a 9mm,147gr FMJ, the other was a Berry's 9mm, 147gr Plated. The Berry's has a more pointy ogive than the FMJ and that makes a difference in how long you can seat the bullet without it jamming into the rifling's of the barrel.
I'll be loading the FMJ's up for use in the Uzi exclusively as it has a more generous chamber than my pistols.
I placed a loading block on the bench about two inches from the edge then placed the two different bullets on the loading bench side by side in front of it and shine a light at the side of them so they cast a clean, crisp shadow on the side of the loading block. The difference is clearly visible. Try it!
One bullet was a 9mm,147gr FMJ, the other was a Berry's 9mm, 147gr Plated. The Berry's has a more pointy ogive than the FMJ and that makes a difference in how long you can seat the bullet without it jamming into the rifling's of the barrel.
I'll be loading the FMJ's up for use in the Uzi exclusively as it has a more generous chamber than my pistols.
just finished 1500 45 200 gr swc, got enough stockpiled for this winter league and practice.. ten k ready to go
300 148dewc finished up for my model 52
For anyone looking for some extra light at the reloading press, I highly recommend this LED headlight band. Very comfortable to wear, rechargeable, front strip and side light, high/low on both and hold power for 4-5 seconds and it strobes. Also has motion detection so you can wave your hand and it turns on and off.
The light is clean and very natural.....very comfortable on the eyes.
There's a ton of them on Ebay from different sellers, I just grabbed a pic to post. Check it out...I think you'll like it.
gerrycaruso
NES Member
I think I've settled on a 32/20 load. A 115 grain cast bullet and 4.6 grains of BE-86. It's accurate and quite mild in the model 92 and should be safe in the model 73. I also loaded a bunch of 240 and 300 grain coated lead with H110 for the 44 magnum revolver and Ruger 44 carbine.
I started using Gordon's Reloading Tool because I'm too cheap for Quickload.
I also joined their discord to keep up with things. Seems like a good tool to use for approximations of what is safe. I had a projectile from AR that I just wanted to doublecheck. I like that I can store all my notes in there for velocity as well.
I also joined their discord to keep up with things. Seems like a good tool to use for approximations of what is safe. I had a projectile from AR that I just wanted to doublecheck. I like that I can store all my notes in there for velocity as well.
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
Quick loads is like GRT with wayyyy more data.
Mainly more powders. Bullets not being as crucial. Well worth the price of admission but I do like GRT
Good to know, you had recommended Quickload before and I'll probably still get it at some point.
One thing I did notice in GRT is that there is no mention of the primer. The concept of using magnum versus regular primers does make a difference with certain powders, but no mention is made of it in the calculations. (Or maybe it is somewhere I haven't found yet)
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
@pastera would know that one. He’s into it pretty deep
pastera
NES Member
I haven't explorer GRT that deep into the geek settings to see if there is a way to account for primer brisance (explosive pressure)
Since it's not a lab verified tool, staying 15-20% below max pressure and working up based on pressure signs and velocity would be the safe option.
Once you know how much velocity add you get from a magnum versus standard primer you can get a feel for how far you can push it.
GRT is a great free tool for getting on the chart to a point where ladder loads can tune it.
I may grab QuickLoad and do some comparisons (good excuse to tell myself I actually need to spend the cash)
Since it's not a lab verified tool, staying 15-20% below max pressure and working up based on pressure signs and velocity would be the safe option.
Once you know how much velocity add you get from a magnum versus standard primer you can get a feel for how far you can push it.
GRT is a great free tool for getting on the chart to a point where ladder loads can tune it.
I may grab QuickLoad and do some comparisons (good excuse to tell myself I actually need to spend the cash)
pastera
NES Member
Best way is to grab something like a hornady comparator set.
Measure the bullet length and the length to the ogive.
That only gets you so far since the leade angle on many different makes is cut differently so exactly where a bullet hits the rifling on the nose profile can be different.
Easy fix is to load a dummy round very long, and measure how far the case extends past an empty inserted case.
Then get a seater stem that indexes off the ogive and doesn't push on the nose (I 3d print them for Lee dies)
Over on another site I got some good links to different resources on the differences between the two types of primers.
I'm not a recoil junkie so all my stuff stays on the lower side of the mid range anyway. I'm using it more for velocity knowledge on the different barrel lengths. The seating depth thing helps too for different projectiles.
The loads I have developed so far with GRT I've verified through books anyway, just to make sure. It's just when you start moving into these different combinations that I'm trying to get a feel for it
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
Bro and BIL both dropped off some lead flashing.
Melted up 100 pounds and dropped in some 50/50 solder and about 20 pounds of monotype.
A little rich but should be good cut 50/50 with pure, for about 97% of my needs.
Melted up 100 pounds and dropped in some 50/50 solder and about 20 pounds of monotype.
A little rich but should be good cut 50/50 with pure, for about 97% of my needs.
Been loading 45acp with zero brand 200 grain lswc. I've always seated those to 1.239 to keep the shoulder a "fingernail width" proud of the case mouth and they function perfectly in my 1911. Running low on those so broke open a box of Dillon brand 200 grain swc that I picked up at ktp on the trade in shelf. Very nicely formed projos. Seated to 1.239 the shoulder was very proud of the case mouth......to get the shoulder the fingernail width about the case mouth inhad to seat to 1.115. Seems very short.....made 20 and will test before running more.
Anyone think 1.115 is too short?
Anyone think 1.115 is too short?
Finally got around to testing these. Brass looked like garbage for both batches and it was a bit breezy at the range . Poa was the orange circle and you can see the difference between a 55 and 77 at 100yds , loaded to max length in a gas gun. 24" 1:8 223 wylde barrel that i think is a bear creek. Loads were averages pulled from random websites. The varget loads were dropped with an electronic scale, h335 was from a manual powder drop. I was consistently hitting plates out to 600 with the 77smk.
edit ---- My initial post was a few months back when i started to load up a batch of 77s, varget, manual powder drop, trickling each charge in by hand using a basic scale. hence the +/- .2 grains because the scale drifted a couple times. Life decided to throw a few lemons my way and a good amount of primed brass sat on the bench completely forgotten about until recently. The dust settled a bit at which point I then decided to purchase an electronic powder drop to speed things up. Brass was loaded up, and put in the same containers as the other rounds.
So, I cant say whether or not the 77's here are from the electronic powder drop or from the manual drop months back. These are also from bags of sorted Sierra bullets that I've had lying around. Iv'e been told that within 500-600 yards, bullet variances wont matter so much , so I've just been loading them up. Iv'e got some from similar lot numbers that I'll use in the future.
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Curious if you recorded velocity and standard deviation loading at such a wide range (23.8-24.2).
I'm using the RCBS Rangemaster. I load to 24.0g, no deviation allowed. I trickle until the scale just flips from 23.9 over to 24.0g. I had a 12fps SD when shooting these at my Ridgeline class. (CCI400 primers, Star brass, loaded on a Lee Turret).
I'm using the RCBS Rangemaster. I load to 24.0g, no deviation allowed. I trickle until the scale just flips from 23.9 over to 24.0g. I had a 12fps SD when shooting these at my Ridgeline class. (CCI400 primers, Star brass, loaded on a Lee Turret).
Good question, thanks. I've made some changes since the last reloading round and completely forgot about it.
Entropy had started to claim my reloading area. So spent some time cleaning and organizing. Found a box of factory 45-70 that was “missing” with the 45 reloading components (45 muzzle loading). Also two boxes of 38 spl in the back of the shelves. Sometimes using a flashlight helps
Entropy is a very dangerous thing. It keeps taking over my garage too 
Tallahassee
NES Member
RMR came out with their own 180gr bullet. Looks good, weighs consistent. Going to put that together with 9.5gr longshot.
I cleaned and organized my reloading bench and supply shelves like 2 months ago and it's already starting to go to shitEntropy is a very dangerous thing. It keeps taking over my garage too
Made 100 45acp with the Dillon brand 200 grain swc and titegroup at 4.6 last night.
I got the open house at the club this weekend need a fair amount of ammo made up so last night I topped off my 45acp stock and tonight I'll run at least 200 357 mag if I can. It's just ammo for newer folks to try out some stuff like my henry carbine so I'm thinking 158 grain cast with a good dose of unique for these.....I got the day to think on what recipe to put together.
I got the open house at the club this weekend need a fair amount of ammo made up so last night I topped off my 45acp stock and tonight I'll run at least 200 357 mag if I can. It's just ammo for newer folks to try out some stuff like my henry carbine so I'm thinking 158 grain cast with a good dose of unique for these.....I got the day to think on what recipe to put together.
Made 100 each 357 mag
158 grain cast rnfp with 11.2 grains 2400
That used up a small amount of 2400 i had hanging around. I've loaded cast 158s with 12.5 grains 2400 in the past my notes say it was a stout load and accurate enough in a pistol. Went 11.1 to stretch that last bit of 2400 I had.....min is 10.7 so it'll be a moderate load I'd think.
Loaded 50 357 with 125 grain jhp and 21.1 grains h110.
That was it for tonight.
Going over in my head what else I cam make up for the open house.....I have a ton of 158 grain plated......I have some cfe pistol......anyone ever use cfe pistol in 357 mag? According to the big chart it burns slower than unique......might be worth a try......
158 grain cast rnfp with 11.2 grains 2400
That used up a small amount of 2400 i had hanging around. I've loaded cast 158s with 12.5 grains 2400 in the past my notes say it was a stout load and accurate enough in a pistol. Went 11.1 to stretch that last bit of 2400 I had.....min is 10.7 so it'll be a moderate load I'd think.
Loaded 50 357 with 125 grain jhp and 21.1 grains h110.
That was it for tonight.
Going over in my head what else I cam make up for the open house.....I have a ton of 158 grain plated......I have some cfe pistol......anyone ever use cfe pistol in 357 mag? According to the big chart it burns slower than unique......might be worth a try......
Hodgedon website says for cast 158 grain 5.3 to 6.6 grains cfe pistol. A max load of 6.6 states a stout 1321fps. As it's a medium rate burning powder I see that as a possibility. I've only used cfe pistol in 45acp and it worked fine.......I'll make 50 at the lower rate with some plated 158s and see how they do.
Tallahassee
NES Member
Went to load up some true 10mm last night. My square deal started giving me issues. Hopefully I'll get a few hours today to clean it, hopefully that fixes it. Kept flipping primers, like the timing on the shell plate was off.
Yeah I gotta clean my turret it's filthy. I get so little time at the bench I hate losing time cleaning it...but it's to the point it's a necessity now.
Moved a shitload of brass and bullets to the other side of the basement ! In addition to several long gun cases and assorted live ammo !! Oil burner man needed room to perform the annual cleaning ! Reversed the process after he left !! All is back to "normal" !!!!!!! 
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Tallahassee
NES Member
Well, cleaned it yesterday morning, still flipping primers. Called Dillon while at work, they told me not to mess with the adjustment screws, yet. The very polite gentleman told me the most likely cause is the finger/index arm is finally worn. So, they are sending me a new one.
I have three of these now. Probably going to start sending them back to Dillon one at a time to get rebuilt. It's $85 and that includes the shipping back to me. They said when it comes back, it'll be better than a new one.
I have three of these now. Probably going to start sending them back to Dillon one at a time to get rebuilt. It's $85 and that includes the shipping back to me. They said when it comes back, it'll be better than a new one.
