What did you do at your reloading bench today?

[chilipeppermaniac]

I know…

True. I was actually talking about succinylcholine being a near-perfect murder weapon at breakfast yesterday. I sat in the corner.

That and an icicle.

 

[lazarus]

Loaded some 158gr XTPs on top of 16.5gr of H110 to test again, along with some 125gr XTPs on top of 19.5, 20, 20.5, and 21gr of H110. Win SPM primers. 6 rounds for each. Plus 10 rounds each of 158gr FPRN FMJ 158gr 6gr TG and 158gr Xtreme SWC on 5.4gr TG. Loaded using a Lee collet crimper rather than an FCD. See how that compared to using an FCD. I am wondering if I was over crimping them with the FCD, which ALSO sizes down the bullets a little, like a thousandth or so.

This was in preparation for getting my 27-2 back from S&W after they held it for a month and didn't fix the stripped yoke screw *eyeroll*.

 

[erwos]

Managed to find some time today to crank out a few hundred more 9mm, and ~125 .45 Auto. The .45 is a new load with 4.6gr Titegroup, so I'll need to verify I like it before I mass-produce it.

Next stop is processing a batch of 223 brass. I have some previously-processed brass, but I think the new trimmer will do a better cut.

 

[Joker]

All I managed to get accomplished was sort out about 40lbs of range brass....

 

[Harrys]

Cleaned some 45/70 brass

 

[JRisBundyboyz]

New Reloader just getting started. Picked up RCBS master reloading kit new in box for 250. I’m planning to reload my 300 blackout sub sonic. And today I just missed a deal on 77 grain projectiles

 

[4g64loser]

New Reloader just getting started. Picked up RCBS master reloading kit new in box for 250. I’m planning to reload my 300 blackout sub sonic. And today I just missed a deal on 77 grain projectiles

Welcome to the addiction.

 

[Russ D]

New Reloader just getting started. Picked up RCBS master reloading kit new in box for 250. I’m planning to reload my 300 blackout sub sonic. And today I just missed a deal on 77 grain projectiles

Welcome aboard. This hobby takes on a life of its own. The rabbit hole is very deep.

 

[4g64loser]

Welcome aboard. This hobby takes on a life of its own. The rabbit hole is very deep.

I'm still looking for the bottom. I'll let you know if I find it.

If I decide to start making my own rifle bullets, I'll be even more invisible than normal.

 

[JRisBundyboyz]

I'm still looking for the bottom. I'll let you know if I find it.

If I decide to start making my own rifle bullets, I'll be even more invisible than normal.

I’ve been following guys who cast their own 220 grain projectiles and it’s very tempting. But one step at a time.

The other round I’ll be reloading is 37mm it would be great to find someone in MD who’s doing that. July 4th is getting close. :-)

 

[4g64loser]

I’ve been following guys who cast their own 220 grain projectiles and it’s very tempting. But one step at a time.

The other round I’ll be reloading is 37mm it would be great to find someone in MD who’s doing that. July 4th is getting close. :-)

37mm flare launcher or one of the 37mm pack howitzers? I've done the howitzer but not the flare launcher. I've done some really weird stuff.

 

[trickg]

All I managed to get accomplished was sort out about 40lbs of range brass....

That's not exactly nothing!

New Reloader just getting started. Picked up RCBS master reloading kit new in box for 250. I’m planning to reload my 300 blackout sub sonic. And today I just missed a deal on 77 grain projectiles

As others have said, the rabbit hole can get pretty deep - it just depends on how far you want to go in terms of DIY'ing things (casting bullets is part of that) and the more calibers you add to your setup, the deeper it gets.

I'm mainly in it because I like the ability to choose what I'm shooting in terms of power, bullet weight and type - I've long since come to the realization that any money "saved" by reloading instead of buying gets dumped back into the hobby.

 

[lazarus]

No loading, but shooting today. Tested a 357 factory load in my 27-2. Plus hand loads.

I need to figure out my hand loads I think. My 158 and 125gr H110 loads seem to be clocking a far amount under Hornady’s data. Hornady says a 8” Colt Python. My S&W 27-2 is 8 3/8”. For the same powder load, I am getting 1150fps for 158gr, Hornady says 1250fps. For 125gr Hornady max I am getting 1444fps and Hornady says 1500fps.

Everyone else says max is 1-2gr more than Hornady’s max. Pushing those limits I see up to 1200fps for 158s running .7gr more than Hornady’s max load. For 125s, no real change in velocity even going a full grain over Hornady’s max.

Looking at cases and primers, I don’t think this is an issue with being over pressure. I am running Winchester small pistol magnum primers. My understanding is those are cooler and softer than CCI550 small pistol magnum primers. I am wondering with the heavier powder charges, that it needs an even hotter primer to ignite all of that powder efficiently.

Hornady American Gunner 125gr XTP box velocity is 1500fps. I assume a 6-8” test platform. I was seeing 1542fps average at 10yds on my chrono from my 27-2.

About 100fps faster than my 125gr XTP H110 load, right up at max. Same bullet. I have to double check what primer Hornady says they are using in their reloading guide. Of course no idea what powder Hornady is using in their American gunner.

American gunner also some nice blast to it, but no flash. My H110 even out of an 8 3/8” barrel has huge fireball. Roughly the same muzzle blast. Yeah Hornady might be using a flash suppressant in their powder, but I am still wondering if I am getting poor combustion with the Winchester small pistol magnum primer and H110. Especially once you are getting in to tons of powder like with a 125gr bullet.

So I am going to load a ladder again with CCI 550/400 for 125 and 158gr XTP.

 

[85MikeTPI]

Picked up a package of BPI's AQ slug rifling tails to try. I had a batch of .690 roundballs cast last month, that I drilled a 5/16" hole into and press fit them on the tails. Ball weight was 480gn and the tail was 40gn. Final payload was 420gn after drilling and attaching the tail. The tails are .705 so the package will fit into a Remington hull and test in a smoothbore.

Also received my green "brush wads" that I screwed the Svarog Zeverboy powdercoated slugs to. I still need to make a few more and load up some Federal Top Gun hulls with them. They are fullbore (730) and will test in the Savage 212 rifled slug gun.

 

[Sticky]

I’ve been following guys who cast their own 220 grain projectiles and it’s very tempting. But one step at a time.

The other round I’ll be reloading is 37mm it would be great to find someone in MD who’s doing that. July 4th is getting close. :-)

I cast for all my guns except 223, pretty much, but... I suspect that 4g is referring to making his own bullets a different way. He doesn't strike me as a cast bullet kinda guy..

 

[4g64loser]

I cast for all my guns except 223, pretty much, but... I suspect that 4g is referring to making his own bullets a different way. He doesn't strike me as a cast bullet kinda guy..

If I had a place to cast, I'd probably be doing it. I don't mind shooting cast stuff in handguns if the prices are good. Prefer coated if possible.

I was referring to the tooling to cut, form, and seat my own cores into j4 jackets or potentially even draw my own jackets. Alas, don't have the space and the tooling is SUPER expensive. I've been present when others were making their own match bullets. Not at all a money saving process. It is how some of the very best shooters eliminate one more variable.

 

[6-Pack]

I picked up the Rock 5.7 receiver someone mentioned on another thread.

Reloading the 5.7x28 looks like quite the challenge, so I’m going to try it. I have dies, brass, and projectiles on hand. My load books say that True Blue is a good powder.

Anyone else here reload the 5.7? It looks like the most difficult cartridge to reload (maybe even more than 7.62x38R because of the coating on the 5.7 brass).

 

[Sticky]

That's what I suspected when I posted, you were talking conventional jacketed boolits. I do coat everything I cast, be it with hi tek or PC, they all get one or the other. I cast for all my handguns except rimfire and mostly 30 cal bullets for the 300BO, 308 and x39s. I still shoot a lot of jacketed bullets, but it's nice to be able to crank out a few hundred 9mm or 45's (or other common handgun calibers) in a casting session at times!

You just need a swiss turn lathe and some round stock!! lol

 

[4g64loser]

That's what I suspected when I posted, you were talking conventional jacketed boolits. I do coat everything I cast, be it with hi tek or PC, they all get one or the other. I cast for all my handguns except rimfire and mostly 30 cal bullets for the 300BO, 308 and x39s. I still shoot a lot of jacketed bullets, but it's nice to be able to crank out a few hundred 9mm or 45's (or other common handgun calibers) in a casting session at times!

You just need a swiss turn lathe and some round stock!! lol

The dies I have seen used are carbide and VERY expensive. But I watched the bullets perform unbelievably well in a match. Score benchrest shooting.

 

[blazing lead]

Melted down some more lead I had laying around, over a nice fire. I got rid of my branches that blew down around the house lately and my lawn mower oil change was the flux . Gonna turn it into .38's .45's and such.