Measuring spoons. Just something I use to scoop my powder and trickle into my scale. Surprisingly it gets me pretty close most of the time. I use the measuring spoons that look more like a scoop, they trickle pretty well when tapping them with my finger lightly.
Anyone with reloading tips/tricks?
- Thread starter crowsnest2002
- Start date
I'll offer one for those that use a powder measure , get a definitive weight on your pan (let's assume it's 116 grains) then find something inert like a bullet or a piece of brass and trim it to a weight that is equivalent to what your pan weighs.
This has helped me to re-zero the scale while there is powder already dumped in the pan.
This has helped me to re-zero the scale while there is powder already dumped in the pan.
Brians356
Silver $$ Contributor
Patch700 said:
If I'm charging a lot of cases to the same charge weight, I'll charge the first case, then keep re-weighing that first case's powder at intervals during the session as a check for any scale drift.
Re: spoons, I like my set of Lee powder dippers for that purpose.
.40 S&W Styrofoam blocks that come with factory ammo boxes make perfect loading blocks for .308 and 30-06 family cases. Safari land's CLP break free makes good emergency case lube..
Load development for beyond 300 yards is useless without a chronograph, and Chrony brand chronographs are useless.
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
1. Use inserts from MTM-100 ammo box for loading blocks. You can set up 100 pcs at a time.
2. Write the weight of your digital scale pan on the bottom of the pan. When you empty the powder, the scale should read the same as the pan weight, but in negative. It's an easy way to monitor scale drift.
3. In the summer, set your wet cases in MTM ammo box inserts with necks facing down on top of outside AC unit. The fan will blow hot air through cases and it will also vibrate them to shake water off. They will be dry in 10 minutes.
4. On a Giraud trimmer, use lockable die rings on your case holders so they don't need to be re-adjusted if removed.
5. Use a powder measure to throw cream of wheat into cases for fireforming.
6. Use bushing die with smaller bushing to size cases with smaller necks in same cartridge family. I.E. 6.5-284 die to size brass for 6-284.
7. To dry brass in the winter, put brass in the oven on a cookie sheet and make a small puddle of water on the cookie sheet close to oven window. Set oven at 225° and monitor puddle. When puddle is gone, brass is dry.
8. On a bushing die, size a piece of brass with stem tight against bushing and check runout. Back stem 1/4 turn and try again with another piece of brass. Do this until you get the least amount of runout on your brass.
9. Line the lids of you ammo boxes with a layer of foam to protect bullet tips and keep rounds from rattling.
10. Keep your brass in their own box of ammo for the life of the brass. When you remove brass to reload, make a line on the lid of the box with permanent marker to keep track of number of firings on your brass.
11. Keep only one powder on the bench at one time. Keep the powder label facing you and use painters tape on powder dispenser and write the powder type that it is loaded with.
12. Keep a small flashlight on the bench and shine a light in your brass before you seat bullets to make sure you did not forget to drop powder in any.
13. Keep brass upside down on loading block throughout all the operations until you seat primers. As primers are seated, put brass back right side up. This will keep you from dropping powder in a case with no primer.
2. Write the weight of your digital scale pan on the bottom of the pan. When you empty the powder, the scale should read the same as the pan weight, but in negative. It's an easy way to monitor scale drift.
3. In the summer, set your wet cases in MTM ammo box inserts with necks facing down on top of outside AC unit. The fan will blow hot air through cases and it will also vibrate them to shake water off. They will be dry in 10 minutes.
4. On a Giraud trimmer, use lockable die rings on your case holders so they don't need to be re-adjusted if removed.
5. Use a powder measure to throw cream of wheat into cases for fireforming.
6. Use bushing die with smaller bushing to size cases with smaller necks in same cartridge family. I.E. 6.5-284 die to size brass for 6-284.
7. To dry brass in the winter, put brass in the oven on a cookie sheet and make a small puddle of water on the cookie sheet close to oven window. Set oven at 225° and monitor puddle. When puddle is gone, brass is dry.
8. On a bushing die, size a piece of brass with stem tight against bushing and check runout. Back stem 1/4 turn and try again with another piece of brass. Do this until you get the least amount of runout on your brass.
9. Line the lids of you ammo boxes with a layer of foam to protect bullet tips and keep rounds from rattling.
10. Keep your brass in their own box of ammo for the life of the brass. When you remove brass to reload, make a line on the lid of the box with permanent marker to keep track of number of firings on your brass.
11. Keep only one powder on the bench at one time. Keep the powder label facing you and use painters tape on powder dispenser and write the powder type that it is loaded with.
12. Keep a small flashlight on the bench and shine a light in your brass before you seat bullets to make sure you did not forget to drop powder in any.
13. Keep brass upside down on loading block throughout all the operations until you seat primers. As primers are seated, put brass back right side up. This will keep you from dropping powder in a case with no primer.
Dang Erik, your the proverbial Martha Stewart of the "Reloading World"! ;D Good tips, Thanks.
On new brass I use a LE wilson trimmer to lightly trim the head of the case ,I turn the case backwards and take the high spots off the head,Laupa brass will have a high spor around the primer pocket.I think this will give a more consistant reading on your caliper when measuring base to ogive
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
brians356 said:
Get an Omega trickler, there is no better. It has two speeds and you can trickle one kernel at the time with no issues.
Erik has some good tricks. The only one I have a problem with is #8 I read on a forum maybe this one I'm not sure. That some one had a case fire using a shell holder. It had enough slop that the edge of the primer was struck and it fired. Its not worth the risk for a short trip to Tractor supply to buy a 25¢ o ring..
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
logger3006 said:
Hard to believe how a recessed primer would be struck by a shell holder that has a hole right in the middle to prevent primer contact. I tighten cap on hammer after every strike, so that's probably why it has never happened to me.
But hey, be safe out there. I have replaced #8 with a different trick.
CatShooter
Erik Cortina said:
I agree, Erik.
Some years back (~2010) I had to supervise the resolution of over a ton of loaded 223 that were made for Stag Arms that wouldn't chamber (the people that made it, did not properly resize it). The company had hired a few gorillas to pull it down by hand to salvage the components (at a projected labor cost of ~$10,000).
... I had them FL size the loaded rounds with Redding body dies without problems - there is no way in hell that the primer can contact the shell holder. Not only is there a hole in the middle, but there is a recessed groove going in and out of the shell holder.
Sometimes I think the internet reports of "incidents" come with a lot of imagination mixed in.
great tips guys .. 1 more..
Mark your "Re loaded" ammo Boxes
date , powder . charge , primer , case , bullet , ogive..etc
one day you may fine you need to make changes
Eric's tips... All great tips especially One powder on the bench... diff""" in 13- i leave all my cases heads up from after firing, threw case prep as well as storage, just works better for me ,......
Mark your "Re loaded" ammo Boxes
date , powder . charge , primer , case , bullet , ogive..etc
one day you may fine you need to make changes
Eric's tips... All great tips especially One powder on the bench... diff""" in 13- i leave all my cases heads up from after firing, threw case prep as well as storage, just works better for me ,......
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.