Anyone with reloading tips/tricks?

[hogpatrol]

Don't rush reloading. Do it when you have the time and zero distractions.

 

[jimcasey01]

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..

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 can on hammer after every strike, so that's probably why it has never happened to me.
But hey, be safe out there. I'll have to replace number 8 with a different one.

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.

I have used a shell holder for years and agree with it being safe. I am certain that there is someone, somewhere, that has stabbed them self with a table spoon while walking to the table and been severely injured. That does not make walking with a tablespoon dangerous in my mind. Better yet do an internet search about people using firearms, I know you will find information that states it is dangerous. I still use firearms for target shooting. A little common sense goes a long way.

 

[Barlow]

Listen to Merle Haggard and Chet Atkins while loading. Barlow

 

[Brians356]

After neck trimming, I chamfer and deburr minimally then spin the case and press a small wad of 0000 steel wool firmly against the case mouth for a few seconds to "melt" and polish the edges.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Listen to Merle Haggard and Chet Atkins while loading. Barlow

I tried that once but didn't get any reloading done. If I remember correctly, I think I just stayed there and drank!

 

[Brians356]

Listen to Merle Haggard and Chet Atkins while loading. Barlow

George Jones and Conway Twitty in a pinch.

 

[Joe R]

logger3006 said:

Anyone with reloading tips/tricks?

.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..

I agree about the .40 S&W. However, for normal lube I use petroleum jelly (PJ). I bought one can of ISW but as soon as I opened it I knew what it was, a slightly less viscous PJ. A 13 ounce jar is a $1.98 at Walmart. The only thing is avoid getting any of it on the shoulder of the case or you'll get over lubrication dimples.

I still use my ISW can, but I refill it with PJ. Apparently I'm not the only one. JLK uses it to put on copper jackets.

 

[CatShooter]

Joe R

Those are not over lube dimples...

THESE are over lube dimples

Loaded .220 Swift and Crumpled Wilson Arrow shoulder.

They are Norma .220 Swift cases that someone here gave to me - someone tried to make cases for a Wilson Arrow, and made a mess of things... they will go back to being perfect .220 Swift cases when I finish with them.

 

[logger3006]

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..

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 can on hammer after every strike, so that's probably why it has never happened to me.
But hey, be safe out there. I'll have to replace number 8 with a different one.

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.

I have used a shell holder for years and agree with it being safe. I am certain that there is someone, somewhere, that has stabbed them self with a table spoon while walking to the table and been severely injured. That does not make walking with a tablespoon dangerous in my mind. Better yet do an internet search about people using firearms, I know you will find information that states it is dangerous. I still use firearms for target shooting. A little common sense goes a long way.

yea I agree, but I read it and have no reason to argue whether it happened or not. But one thing I'm sure about is its not going to happen to me.

 

[crowsnest2002]

All good one's. I'd like this to be a great source for beginners to get a little jump on things others have learned. I'm going to try the steel wool after deburring next time, I never thought of that.

 

[logger3006]

logger3006 said:

Anyone with reloading tips/tricks?

.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..

I agree about the .40 S&W. However, for normal lube I use petroleum jelly (PJ). I bought one can of ISW but as soon as I opened it I knew what it was, a slightly less viscous PJ. A 13 ounce jar is a $1.98 at Walmart. The only thing is avoid getting any of it on the shoulder of the case or you'll get over lubrication dimples.

I still use my ISW can, but I refill it with PJ. Apparently I'm not the only one. JLK uses it to put on copper jackets.

thanks. I will definitely use this trick..

 

[logger3006]

Every one here probably knows this one but for a beginner its a good shortcut that makes very accurate ammo for me on my forester coax. Take a candle and smoke a few fired cases at the neck and shoulder. Then run them in your FL die and adjust the die until it only removes the carbon residue from the neck only and not the shoulder. It saves me from buying a neck die..

 

[Brians356]

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..

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.

If you need a new O-ring for an inertial puller's shell holder, I believe Ace Hardware has the right size for mere pennies the copy.

FWIW: My RCBS intertial's O-ring was deteriorated - many cracks, and parted completely in one spot. Using water-thin CyA glue and a thin disposable glue pipette (I buy them in bulk, for other hobbies) I was able to actually repair the broken O-ring in about five minutes. It won't last long, but it worked in a pinch. (Thin CyA also plugs pinholes in bicycle inner tubes.)

 

[bsumoba]

1. Make your own lube...1 oz liquid Lanolin to 10 oz 99% Alcohol and put in a spray bottle. Use a tupperware or container with a lid, put brass in, a couple sprays into the container, shake a little or spin, let it sit a while and you have nicely coated brass to start resizing.

2. Buy pistol dies with carbide inserts. you will probably never need lube for pistol cartridges again.

3. Small base dies are wonderful for AR platforms.

4. When doing load development, sharpie the powder weight on the brass. you never know when your ammo box flips over and turns over in a bag or you drop it or what.

5. NEVER trust other people's data. work up your loads. i knew a guy that loaded 45.5 grains on Varget into LC brass with 175gr SMKs because that was what he read...he got the case stuck and had to take it to a smith to get it out and was an expensive lesson.

6. use a flashlight and look into the cases on ones fired multiple times to check for possible impending case head separation signs. i use a paperclip with a hook at the end and run in on the inside of the case near the case head. you sometimes feel a small dip where the brass is thinner which could indicate something might be bad.

7. DO NOT use superglue on the edges of primers when installed into loose primer pockets...they will NOT help keep the primer in the pocket!

8. weighing powder in the morning, then weighing it in the afternoon/evening might give different results...take that for whatever its worth

9. some fine grain powders like AA#9 DO NOT do well in powder measures like the Lee Perfect Powder Measure and gum up the unit.

10. contrary to popular belief, you do not necessarily need to BOLT down your press onto a bench. Its definitely the best way, but a good set of vice grips and wood pieces can be just as stable. Then you're mobile and can reload on your kitchen table, in your man cave, etc.

11. Presses like the Forster Co-Ax are WAYYYYY better than the single stage presses like the Lee Single Stage Press. That's why they're 10x more expensive.

12. Some shellholders will work for multiple calibers. Test your new cartridge in your current shellholders before you go buy a dedicated shellholder....I use a Co-Ax now and dont use shellholders anymore other than on my little lee press and i already invested in the shellholders for that one.

13. Buy equipment that can be used across different manufactures such as shellholders being used on both presses and trimmer equipment

14. Use a VLD seater for VLD/Hybrids and other long, pointy bullets like the bergers.

15. If using hornady's OAL gauges and you are using a wildcat like a 284 Shehane and using a 284 Winchester modified cartridge. make sure to trim the modified case.

16. Glasses ARE recommend when seating primers.......

17. drop your powder into your brass case with as much consistency as you can. It is as important as the weight of the powder.

 

[Brians356]

16. Glasses ARE recommend when seating primers.......

Well, sure, it helps to be able to see what you're doing. Oh, wait, you meant safety glasses?

 

[Joe R]

CatShooter said:

They are Norma .220 Swift cases that someone here gave to me - someone tried to make cases for a Wilson Arrow, and made a mess of things... they will go back to being perfect .220 Swift cases when I finish with them.

Wow Paul,
You can rescue that? That looks like junk to me, but of course so do X-rays. It just goes to show you that knowledge, training and aptitude are a powerful thing.

Kindest regards,

Joe

 

[spclark]

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.

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.

9. Line the lids of you ammo boxes with a layer of foam to protect bullet tips and keep rounds from rattling.

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.

All good tips from a veteran at this preoccupation!

#1: I like the black plastic inserts I used to get with 44REM Magnum pistol ammo from Remington. Fits anything 308-base size for reloading & when cases are upside-down it's easy to put 'em in the sun to dry (see #'s 3 & 13)

#2: Been doing that for years too! Change scales & you might find the pan weight changes a little so Shooters Choice is good for wiping away the old Sharpie-ink pan weight before writing in the new value.

#3: I set my cases on a rack in the output from a dehumidifier in the basement. Not as quick as the A/C idea but they're usually dry overnight. I like the idea of the telltale puddle though, need to try that!

#9: Use pieces of double-faced carpet tape to secure the foam. Otherwise a windy day'll cause you frustration when it tries to take the foam away.

 

[CatShooter]

CatShooter said:

They are Norma .220 Swift cases that someone here gave to me - someone tried to make cases for a Wilson Arrow, and made a mess of things... they will go back to being perfect .220 Swift cases when I finish with them.

Wow Paul,
You can rescue that? That looks like junk to me, but of course so do X-rays. It just goes to show you that knowledge, training and aptitude are a powerful thing.

Kindest regards,

Joe

Joe... you betcha.

There was a thread about these cases a few weeks ago, and everyone said junk them!

But owning a nifty .220 Swift, and loving Norma Swift cases, I took them into my 12 step program "Kitty case hospital"

The poster was kind enough to send them to me. First thing was to anneal them.

The shoulders on the Wilson Arrow are further back than the swift which is badd - but the body is straighter - so the cases are muffin topped and won't chamber right now.

I normally don't have a FL die for my calibres, so I found a .220 Swift FL die on eBay for almost nothin'.

I'll partially FL size the cases just enough so I have to lean on the bolt to close it. Then, I'll put a light oil on the cases and fire form them - then into the polisher over night - they will come out with perfect shoulders and no stretch.

 

[Cassidy]

martha, sorry... Eric. I don't understand why you dry brass. Does it adsorb surface moisture during cold or high humidity weather? If you don't dry it, what influence might it have. Would it help to keep desicants in the brass container to keep the moisture level low?

 

[CatShooter]

martha, sorry... Eric. I don't understand why you dry brass. Does it adsorb surface moisture during cold or high humidity weather? If you don't dry it, what influence might it have. Would it help to keep desicants in the brass container to keep the moisture level low?

I can't answer for Erik, but I dry my cases so I can put them in the polisher, and then put powder and primer stuff in them.

It really sucks to polish and load cases, when there is water in them