What did you do at your reloading bench today?

erwos · Mar 13, 2024

Loaded like a hundred rounds of 9mm, and then my decap pin broke in a way that I couldn't really fix without more parts. Ordered the right parts from Dillon. I have enough buffer ammo left that it's not a big deal, and I'm on travel most of next week anyways.

Also gauged enough 223 to refill my buffer ammo on that. Looking forward to shooting more 223 as my schedule frees up.

gungate · Mar 14, 2024

Squaregrouper said:
I started assembling my portable single stage setup for cripples at my dining room table. It will be clamped in place and can be removed/hidden before my wife gets home from work.
(I am recovering from a major hip surgery and don't yet feel comfortable using steps when I am home alone.)
.
View attachment 457746

I replaced my powder hopper with the below that can be filled without removing it.

LEE AP1646 Hopper With Lid For Auto Drum & Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LEE AP1646 Hopper With Lid For Auto Drum & Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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GuitarmanNick · Mar 14, 2024

Doing some rounds for a ladder test on some new X-treme semi spitzer plated pills for my SKS.

Cleaning and prepping some once fired 7.62x25 brass.

guzma393 · Mar 14, 2024

GuitarmanNick said:
Doing some rounds for a ladder test on some new X-treme semi spitzer plated pills for my SKS.

Cleaning and prepping some once fired 7.62x25 brass.

Are those the .312/123 fp's? I heard mixed reviews about them not feeding well in Aks or sks'. I used them for 30-30, sized to .309 with great success, but never tried loading them for semi autos.

Squaregrouper · Mar 14, 2024

gungate said:
I replaced my powder hopper with the below that can be filled without removing it.

LEE AP1646 Hopper With Lid For Auto Drum & Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LEE AP1646 Hopper With Lid For Auto Drum & Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

That is the old style hopper- I prefer it and have one downstairs.

GuitarmanNick · Mar 15, 2024

guzma393 said:
Are those the .312/123 fp's? I heard mixed reviews about them not feeding well in Aks or sks'. I used them for 30-30, sized to .309 with great success, but never tried loading them for semi autos.

They are 0.312", 125 grain plated. One review said they were good up to 2000 FPS and had thicker plating compared to the 123s. Using 2.150" OAL on my loads which has worked well for feeding cast bullets in the SKS.

Planned ladder test should run between 1750 and 1900 FPS which is much faster than I can push the cast pills.

Just hoping to find a good plinking load somewhere in that range.

guzma393 · Mar 15, 2024

GuitarmanNick said:
They are 0.312", 125 grain plated. One review said they were good up to 2000 FPS and had thicker plating compared to the 123s. Using 2.150" OAL on my loads which has worked well for feeding cast bullets in the SKS.

Planned ladder test should run between 1750 and 1900 FPS which is much faster than I can push the cast pills.

Just hoping to find a good plinking load somewhere in that range.

Ah, gotcha. Im interested to hear how they work out for you. Im running the lee 312/160/2r, gas checked and powder coated bullet with great success out of the SKS and AK's. I push casts at around 1600-2000 fps for offhand steel blasting plinking.

I been experimenting with using large pistol primers in reduced cast x39 loads since they are easier to source than lrp in today's climate. Trialed 10 reduced loads using shooters world sbr (similar to h4198), and all went bang with no punctured/cratered/flat primers yet. I got a bunch of 2400 i am sitting on, and Im curious to see if that would cycle on my SKS and AK, and work with lpp.

85MikeTPI · Mar 15, 2024

guzma393 said:
I been experimenting with using large pistol primers in reduced cast x39 loads since they are easier to source than lrp in today's climate. Trialed 10 reduced loads using shooters world sbr (similar to h4198), and all went bang with no punctured/cratered/flat primers yet. I got a bunch of 2400 i am sitting on, and Im curious to see if that would cycle on my SKS and AK, and work with lpp.

Just be aware that LPP are shorter than LRP and you may have primers sunk into the pocket causing FTFs. Experimenting is great, but know your environment and issues won’t creep up and bite you later..

guzma393 · Mar 15, 2024

85MikeTPI said:
Just be aware that LPP are shorter than LRP and you may have primers sunk into the pocket causing FTFs. Experimenting is great, but know your environment and issues won’t creep up and bite you later..

A couple years back, I got my hands on some FedArm LRP that felt like they were seating deeper and easier than usual without batting an eye until 2k reloadings. All went bang and I didnt see anything off. I never loaded these primers with anything serious, mainly just reduced cast loads for 7.62x39 and 308 semi autos. Only recently, I started to get a hunch that they are dimensionally the same as LPP, and measured them with calipers...they turned out to be dimensionally the same!

To my knowledge, I believe FedArm sourced and repackaged Russian primers. I compared them to a pack of Tulammo LPP I had at hand. I'm wondering if it was all cut/swaged from a common primer cup conversion die from their berdan primer line...the fact that the Tulammo LPP looks, seats, and fires the same as the FedArm LRP's leads me to believe it even more.

trickg · Mar 15, 2024

Over my lunch break I was trying to set up to do some shotshell reloading and came upon a quandary. (I created a thread in the reloading forum about this, but figure it wouldn't hurt to put it here as well.)

I picked up some Ramshot competition and this is what I'm trying to reload:

Win AA Hull Federal 209 primer (NOT 209A - these are old stock)
AA12 Wad for 1-1/8 oz #7.5 shot

Here's the quandary.

Lyman manual calls for 18.0 gr for 1147 fps
Western manual calls for 17.5 gr for 1150 fps

My MEC powder bushing drops:
#28 - 17.5 - errs on the low side to 17.3 or 17.4
#29 - 18.5 - errs on the low side to 18.3 or 18.4

The Western manual has a recipe that calls for 18.6, delivering 1200 fps.

Which bushing would you use? I feel like the #28 is just a touch low, and the #29 is just a touch high.

I tested the load the other day with the #29 bushing - just two boxes - and they seemed to be fine, although a bit sharper recoil than the Red Dot loading I'd been using, but otherwise I did ok - 21/25 clays on that box of reloads. (I went on to shoot Remington Gun Club factory loads and shot 3 other rounds, all of which were 21/25.) I still haven't fired the second box.

Thoughts?

85MikeTPI · Mar 15, 2024

guzma393 said:
A couple years back, I got my hands on some FedArm LRP that felt like they were seating deeper and easier than usual without batting an eye until 2k reloadings. All went bang and I didnt see anything off. I never loaded these primers with anything serious, mainly just reduced cast loads for 7.62x39 and 308 semi autos. Only recently, I started to get a hunch that they are dimensionally the same as LPP, and measured them with calipers...they turned out to be dimensionally the same!

To my knowledge, I believe FedArm sourced and repackaged Russian primers. I compared them to a pack of Tulammo LPP I had at hand. I'm wondering if it was all cut/swaged from a common primer cup conversion die from their berdan primer line...the fact that the Tulammo LPP looks, seats, and fires the same as the FedArm LRP's leads me to believe it even more.

Ballistic Tools - Articles - Minimum and maximum primer and primer pocket dimensions

Ammunition, reloading accessories, once fired 5.56 brass, once fired 223 brass, brass cleaning supplies, handloading supplies, shooting accessories.

ballistictools.com

Yup, just CYA that you’re aware of the possibility, too many reloaders are not

Squaregrouper · Mar 15, 2024

Yesterday I loaded up 140rds of .45-70 at my dining room table portable reloading station. I can have everything stashed and cleaned up before my wife gets home.
I have lots of time on my hands since surgery but don't like walking up/down steps while home alone in the daytime, so my reloading room is out of the loop.
.

85MikeTPI · Mar 16, 2024

300blk 110gr Nosler and Hornady tests run over the chrono and into real gel. Both brands penetrated 15” and retained 60-80gr weight at the end.

Three 110gr on left

85MikeTPI · Mar 16, 2024

308win tests over a chrono and into gel. 165gr Nosler Accubond and gameking both have similar results of 24” penetration. Recovered bullets retained 110-120gr of weight. Serious wound channel in first 16” block.

Two recovered on right

85MikeTPI · Mar 16, 2024

M855a1 tests over chrono and into gel. Penetrating over 24” whereas the steel penetrator always turned hard out of the gel, while a 24.3gr copper barrier slug continued on straight through.

First block shockwave and penetrator exit, barrier continues into second block

gungate · Mar 17, 2024

Cleaned up the bullets and primers that I pulled and punched. They had various amounts of powder clinging to them. I got the below and it works great. Sift from one sieve to the other and in a minute all the powder was off.

I highly recommend it!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C8TJHBKP/

lazarus · Mar 19, 2024

I am glad I worked up the reloads I did before I moved. I am still setting up at my new place. I'd guess it'll be at least another week, if not two, before my setup is such that I feel like I could do any reloading. If I am lucky. And I've got a new to me GP100 coming my way soonish that I am itching to get to the range once MSP clears my 7 day wait.

If I wasn't sitting on a few hundred 357 handloads and a ton of 38spc I'd be actually considering buying FACTORY ammo just to shoot it.

Ick.

trickg · Mar 19, 2024

Lately my thing has been almost exclusively geared towards shotshell reloading. With both me and the missus shooting trap several times per week, we are RIPPING through shotgun shells! LOL! We're talking 6-8 boxes every outing.

Between last night and the lunch break today I loaded a flat of shells with the lighter of the two loads I mentioned above:

Win AA Hull
Federal 209 Primer
17.5 gr (Bushing 28) Ramshot Competition
Win/Claybuster AA12 wad
1-1/8 oz #7.5 shot

At this point I've shot both the heavier and lighter loads at the trap range. Both work and both break birds, although I feel like I can tell the difference in velocity between the two. We'll shoot up this flat, see how we like it, and I'll either use this as my mainly 1-1/8 oz loading.

Uncle Duke · Mar 19, 2024

trickg said:
Lately my thing has been almost exclusively geared towards shotshell reloading. With both me and the missus shooting trap several times per week, we are RIPPING through shotgun shells! LOL! We're talking 6-8 boxes every outing.

Between last night and the lunch break today I loaded a flat of shells with the lighter of the two loads I mentioned above:

Win AA Hull
Federal 209 Primer
17.5 gr (Bushing 28) Ramshot Competition
Win/Claybuster AA12 wad
1-1/8 oz #7.5 shot

At this point I've shot both the heavier and lighter loads at the trap range. Both work and both break birds, although I feel like I can tell the difference in velocity between the two. We'll shoot up this flat, see how we like it, and I'll either use this as my mainly 1-1/8 oz loading.

If nothing else, it's always fun to shoot and experiment with something you assembled yourself.

trickg · Mar 20, 2024

Uncle Duke said:
If nothing else, it's always fun to shoot and experiment with something you assembled yourself.

That's a big part of why I reload, although when I finally got involved in shooting on my own, the idea that I was going to tool up to reload was a foregone conclusion because that's how Dad always did it.

I'm not quite as far down the rabbit hole as he was though - he was also a bullet caster. I'd do that too except that it's too big of a challenge to find a cheap source of lead here in Central Maryland, although to be fair, I haven't tried terribly hard yet.

The shotgun thing has been fun though - at this point, since I bought the press in January, I've run roughly 2,500 shells through that press, simply as a means to keep myself in range fodder for the trap field.

What did you do at your reloading bench today?

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