- Thread starter Kisssofdeath
- Start date
Laid out where I could possibly put one of the new SAC presses for sizing. Trying to decide if I want to pre-order one.
And since my reloading room doubles as my office, I got about 75% of the editing and voice work done on a video documenting the process of rebarreling my 300 PRC.
And since my reloading room doubles as my office, I got about 75% of the editing and voice work done on a video documenting the process of rebarreling my 300 PRC.
Loaded up a few hundred rounds of 223. Crappy federal brass, which I won't ever loaf again. I did also do a test for how the powder bar compares to throwing powder off press on the 550, so that will be interesting to shoot and see.
I measured 15 rounds to see the ES in powder on the powder bar and it was about what I expected. Most were closer but the spread was .80 gr. , so definitely not what I'm used to loading. We shall see how much it matters out to 500 with a 77gr SMK.
The case feeder set up worked perfectly all the way around though so I'm really happy about that. I can load very fast with the powder bar toolhead in use and I can size brass ridiculously fast. Pretty happy about that set and doing it on a 550. Now I am looking at a zero press just because I'd like to have a few more spaces on my turret and the primer catcher is much better on the zero. Also am looking at selling my MEC and putting a SAC nexus there for a different reason.
I measured 15 rounds to see the ES in powder on the powder bar and it was about what I expected. Most were closer but the spread was .80 gr. , so definitely not what I'm used to loading. We shall see how much it matters out to 500 with a 77gr SMK.
The case feeder set up worked perfectly all the way around though so I'm really happy about that. I can load very fast with the powder bar toolhead in use and I can size brass ridiculously fast. Pretty happy about that set and doing it on a 550. Now I am looking at a zero press just because I'd like to have a few more spaces on my turret and the primer catcher is much better on the zero. Also am looking at selling my MEC and putting a SAC nexus there for a different reason.
(Got a load to share?)
Are you converting brass?
Yup. It’s a pain - haven’t made any more in about ten years. I have about 50 still at this point. I take .338LM brass that already has five or six firings, use a pipe cutter to cut it to length, run it through a die to take the taper out, cut the shoulder with a neck turner…not a fun process.
I laddered up some 64 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws for 5.56
The lowest charge and highest charges were the most accurate but the highest charge was leaving an ejector swipe that peeled some brass off so I dropped down .02 and settled there. These are one of my favorite projectiles but they are hard to come by since Federal does not offer them as a "component" and will not provide load data for them. I started by using the Nosler BSB 64 grain load data. Velocity via LabRadar at 10ft was 3025 average from a 16" PWS Mk116. I used Benchmark as my powder since I have a bunch of it
The lowest charge and highest charges were the most accurate but the highest charge was leaving an ejector swipe that peeled some brass off so I dropped down .02 and settled there. These are one of my favorite projectiles but they are hard to come by since Federal does not offer them as a "component" and will not provide load data for them. I started by using the Nosler BSB 64 grain load data. Velocity via LabRadar at 10ft was 3025 average from a 16" PWS Mk116. I used Benchmark as my powder since I have a bunch of it
Annealed 100 6 creed and 223 cases and got them sized and trimmed
Never used a mandrel before. Loaded up 10 each of .308 match rounds of no mandrel, 0.306" mandrel and 0.307" mandrel.
My expection is that there will be no difference between the no mandrel and .306" and some variability with the .307"
My expection is that there will be no difference between the no mandrel and .306" and some variability with the .307"
Mine is the rifle length version. Dad picked it up from his first cousin back in the 30's when they were hunting, after his cousin missed the first deer he shot at with the gun and complained about the gun. Dad said, "I'll give you what you paid for it." $35 later it was dads. I saw him make some great shots at running deer at ranges I wouldn't have shot with the open sights. That gun was like an extension of him. My thumb knuckle tends to hammer my nose when I shoot it as I crawl the stock too much.
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Nothing quite like powdering 5x10 rounds for load development in 50pc of LRP brass you forgot to prime.
Sounds like fun!
Realized it 20min ago & I'm still just staring at the loading tray. Between 2-10 kernels fell out of each... calling it an night.
I found myself nodding at the helm this morning…..after getting home from night shift, just after some breakfast…..annealed 100 .308Win cases (Starline).
Knew it was time to get some sleep when I picked up an errant case……still hot.
. Woke my arse up enough to realize it was time to wrap things up & hit it again tomorrow morning after work.
Loaded up 50 rounds for my new 22 creed
I picked up one last night that just went through Aztec mode.. that sucked.I found myself nodding at the helm this morning…..after getting home from night shift, just after some breakfast…..annealed 100 .308Win cases (Starline).
Knew it was time to get some sleep when I picked up an errant case……still hot.
Woke my arse up enough to realize it was time to wrap things up & hit it again tomorrow morning after work.
View attachment 8357582
It's akin to loading shot shells and cranking them so rhythmically while listening to music ,that the idiot behind the handle neglected to notice the shot cup dispenser had jammed . Spent some time separating 7.5 shot from powder !. Just makes you become more attentive too the task at hand .
I can be easily distracted. No music or TV while the one armed monster is going.
Last night loaded up about 480-ish 45ACP rounds after converting the 550 over to large primer size. The reason it's not 500 is I had quite a few issues with Winchester LPP with anvils that were not right. Caused a lot of issues and screwed up primer seating on the press, that is when they fed down the primer tube. It was kind of a cluster. Hoping that issue is limited to that batch of primers, or I will be trying another brand. Problem is I can't find others.
Thats because Winchester is the only one shipping primers and the only one that's usa made. I wish their primers were better and more like CCI though. Winchester is the ONLY American manufacturer of any primer or powder now, as I understand it. Vista owns about everything else that's good, then there's the other foreign ones
As I pre-plan with all components laid out ,I find it soothing listening to 60-80 Rock music ,mostly Blues,Jazz Rock infusion .
Pink Floyd ,John Mayall , Led Zeppelin Jethro Tull old favorites . Years back in college I learned to concentrate regardless of what distractions occurred . Having everything dialed in Prior to distractions is the key .
45-90 Bore/Land Paper patched black powder bullets.
That Red Ryder shooting some tight SD.
Much respect.
Gamin hit it outa the park with those.
No more lugging around Big Orange.
Spent a few minutes this afternoon wrapping up brass prep while the evening news was on.
Judging by the crime reports.....I should be loading more HD ammo, lol.
6.5 Creedmoor
6.5 Grendel
.308 Win
Now ready for sizing, priming, charging & seating......maybe I'll get into that after work tomorrow....maybe.
Noticed last range trip that I was getting clickers. Seemed odd as chrono didn't read any faster mv, and I mic'd the headspace before I left for the range. No pressure signs on brass. Took the spent cases home and measured everything I could think of. Using a sac die. Then it hit me....the 200 line. Pulled the ejector and fp and lubed the brass near the line, ran it up and checked in rifle, bolt handle dropped free. I'm an idiot. I wasn't lubing the whole case just neck and shoulder trying to get the bump I wanted.
So I have about 400 cases primed already, I just pulled the guts out of the die, lubed up the primed cases and ran them up again. Will load them up and test some more when I get back from Clay's match this weekend.
So I have about 400 cases primed already, I just pulled the guts out of the die, lubed up the primed cases and ran them up again. Will load them up and test some more when I get back from Clay's match this weekend.
Lol thanks! Hope my blackout numbers are only half as good. Did 3 sets of 10 supers with Lil Gun today, making it 8 different loads of blackout, and 10 other various ammo I want to clock tomorrow.That Red Ryder shooting some tight SD.
Much respect.
View attachment 8362400
Gamin hit it outa the park with those.
No more lugging around Big Orange.
Spent a few minutes this afternoon wrapping up brass prep while the evening news was on.
Judging by the crime reports.....I should be loading more HD ammo, lol.
View attachment 8362403
6.5 Creedmoor
View attachment 8362404
6.5 Grendel
View attachment 8362405
.308 Win
View attachment 8362406
Now ready for sizing, priming, charging & seating......maybe I'll get into that after work tomorrow....maybe.
For shits and grins I measured 50 cases I trimmed using the Henderson trimmer.
ES: .0025"
SD: .000723
ES: .0025"
SD: .000723
Trimmed, primed and charged.
I'm crying at what the replacement cost is going to be.
What caliber?
I shot my 223 test comparing rounfs thrown on the dillon with powder bar vs thrown off press. I did 20 shots of each and the dillon powder bar only had like 50 fps extreme spread on them between all 20 rounds so, I'm good with that. That equates to about 2" at 550 yards difference in strelok so that's pretty good for that round period, much less on the dillon with powder bar. I've done some things to help out the action of the press so that it's smooth and repeats the same way but still, that's pretty solid. Anywho, gonna crank out some ammo as soon as my redding easy feed shell holder gets here tomorrow so I can aneal my lapua 223 and then continue with load work up for ar's.
I don't know about cost, what I see is a lot of hours at the reloading bench..
Much respect.
I am scared for my AR’s to get a taste of Lapau, Peterson or Alpha……afraid they will like it too much.
Beautiful sight.
Well i have shot a good amount of my lapua in my ar , but what I was referring to here is that the lapua 223 is waiting to be anealed and will need to be done, before I can get to the starline 223 for my AR's. Sorry, reading it back, it's much less clear than I thought when I wrote it.Much respect.
I am scared for my AR’s to get a taste of Lapau, Peterson or Alpha……afraid they will like it too much.
- Nov 3, 2010
- 8,645
- 17,544
Loaded some test rounds for 7-08. 120g Vmax
44 grains of RL15
45 grains of IMR 4350
44 grains of RL15
45 grains of IMR 4350
Annealed 300 pcs of lapua .223 brass with my AMP and Mate. Man that sure does make it easy. I got that done while I was doing some actual work. Thats the thing about the expensive things that some like to say how ridiculous it is to spend that kind of money on annealer or amp mate or whatever....
I have the money to do it. What I don't have, is TIME, and the AMP+Mate gives me perfect annealing every time, and it also gives me a ton of time back in my day or afternoon or night ect.... Definitely one of my favorites in my load room
I have the money to do it. What I don't have, is TIME, and the AMP+Mate gives me perfect annealing every time, and it also gives me a ton of time back in my day or afternoon or night ect.... Definitely one of my favorites in my load room
Spent most of the day unpacking my reloading room - it was serving as a storage unit for a recent restoration project in the house. Finally got it all back together.
Celebrated by sizing, trimming/chamfering and priming 6.5 cm brass for my hunting rifle. I also had to bump back shoulders of primer .300NM brass.
Next up is to load up some .300NM rounds for some range work next week.
Celebrated by sizing, trimming/chamfering and priming 6.5 cm brass for my hunting rifle. I also had to bump back shoulders of primer .300NM brass.
Next up is to load up some .300NM rounds for some range work next week.
Just finished getting the 221 Fireball set for the first round of load development. 3 bullets and two powders all new to me. I forgot how small those cases are! 
The nice thing is that the max loads from Hodgdon top out just over 20 grains, so I’ll get some good mileage out of a keg.
The hard part is the fact that I’m having to treat the first two bullets like a unique wildcat because of the lack of load data.
The nice thing is that the max loads from Hodgdon top out just over 20 grains, so I’ll get some good mileage out of a keg.
The hard part is the fact that I’m having to treat the first two bullets like a unique wildcat because of the lack of load data.
