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I cast and reload for both rifle and pistol. I use a Hornady LnL progressive press. Pistol I load for 7.63 Mauser, 9mm, 38/357 44mag/spec, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, rifle .223, 30 carbine, 30/30, 30/40 Krag, 308, 30/06, 7.7mm ***,6.5 ***, 7.5 Swiss, 8mm Mauser, 303 British, 45/70.
I cast and reload for both rifle and pistol. I use a Hornady LnL progressive press. Pistol I load for 7.63 Mauser, 9mm, 38/357 44mag/spec, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, rifle .223, 30 carbine, 30/30, 30/40 Krag, 308, 30/06, 7.7mm ***,6.5 ***, 7.5 Swiss, 8mm Mauser, 303 British, 45/70.
All of those are good cast calibers, for the 7.63 Mauser, commercial bullets are not readily available, similarly 7.7, 7.5 mm rifles. In the 45-70, you can certainly buy jacketed bullets but they are expensive, and if your rifle is an old one, I am not so hot on shooting modern jacketed bullets in those old soft steel barrels.
There are guys shooting .223 in AR platforms in the Cast Bullet Association, and getting decent accuracy with loads "hot" enough to cycle the action. In Garands, we have people with cast loads that shoot better than GI "Ball" ammo (although not better than handloaded or commercial match ammo, of course).
I thought I'd start a thread on it. Question one, have you bought store brand reloads and noticed the OCL is all over the road? I've had some not even fit in the mag for .223.
Since this seems to be a threat of not just who reloads but also how to do it, let me address my issues.
I've gotten recommendations of what modern units to look at and I will research those. Those of Dillon Precision look like a dream!........a very expensive dream but right now, just a research item.
I also have my ex sister in law's father's reloading equipment. She gave it to me for my interests, perhaps 10 -14 years ago (and then, it is perhaps at least 20 years older from there), but I haven't done much with it except move it from home to home.
Right now, however, the item in mind is what kind of infrastructure does one need to go under such equipment? Will a heavy folding party table or two do? Where does one locate such equipment? I am thinking of three places available in my home such as a wall closet (folding doors) or a corner of the den, along the wall in the garage (a car would be pulled out to the driveway during work), or in the vault room itself but as that such a room is a safe room, I am not sure if I want to load it up with that equipment.
Since this seems to be a threat of not just who reloads but also how to do it, let me address my issues.
I've gotten recommendations of what modern units to look at and I will research those. Those of Dillon Precision look like a dream!........a very expensive dream but right now, just a research item.
I also have my ex sister in law's father's reloading equipment. She gave it to me for my interests, perhaps 10 -14 years ago (and then, it is perhaps at least 20 years older from there), but I haven't done much with it except move it from home to home.
Right now, however, the item in mind is what kind of infrastructure does one need to go under such equipment? Will a heavy folding party table or two do? Where does one locate such equipment? I am thinking of three places available in my home such as a wall closet (folding doors) or a corner of the den, along the wall in the garage (a car would be pulled out to the driveway during work), or in the vault room itself but as that such a room is a safe room, I am not sure if I want to load it up with that equipment.
So, input?
For progressive loaders, Dillon can’t be beat. But unless you are shooting a lot, you can get by fine with a single stage press.
How heavy is the table? If it’s wobbling around as you are loading, that isn’t a goood thing.
I wouldn’t load in the garage, to much temperature fluctuation for comfort. You’re in TX, right? Do you want to be loading in your garage in August? I vote for corner of the den.
For progressive loaders, Dillon can’t be beat. But unless you are shooting a lot, you can get by fine with a single stage press.
How heavy is the table? If it’s wobbling around as you are loading, that isn’t a goood thing.
I wouldn’t load in the garage, to much temperature fluctuation for comfort. You’re in TX, right? Do you want to be loading in your garage in August? I vote for corner of the den.
Well, A LOT is what I shoot. I'm working back up to the WW III surplus intensity of 400 rounds of rifle and 1000 of pistol a month. My commitment of never missing rather demands such.
Well, A LOT is what I shoot. I'm working back up to the WW III surplus intensity of 400 rounds of rifle and 1000 of pistol a month. My commitment of never missing rather demands such.
I use them for holding up equipment in the garage and field kitchen stuff out at camp outs.
Thank you for the suggestion on temperature fluctuation.
I have used single stage press, they work just fine, but you have to do things in batches, like one run of the de-capping and resizing in one operations, then perform the adding the new primer to the brass.
the 3rd stage and a new dye is to powder pour which also add a slight flair to the brass, and finally a new dye for the bullet seat/crimp. Might not be a bad idea to have at least 4 reloading trays to hold the brass as well.
And reloading in the garage is just fine, but I would store the primers and the powder inside the temperature controlled house. And bring them out with you as you reload.
And if the Garage has a window, but no AC, you can always add one.
But as someone else has indicated, you need a strong bench/table for the press. It will have to be at the edge of the table/bench for the press to work in the first place. So you need a strong stable surface.
And rifle brass is a pain in the butt to work with. In most cases the brass will need trimming each time they are shot. And rifle brass will only last 3 - 5 times. Where as pistol will last many more times reloading it
I have used single stage press, they work just fine, but you have to do things in batches, like one run of the de-capping and resizing in one operations, then perform the adding the new primer to the brass.
the 3rd stage and a new dye is to powder pour which also add a slight flair to the brass, and finally a new dye for the bullet seat/crimp. Might not be a bad idea to have at least 4 reloading trays to hold the brass as well.
And reloading in the garage is just fine, but I would store the primers and the powder inside the temperature controlled house. And bring them out with you as you reload.
And if the Garage has a window, but no AC, you can always add one.
But as someone else has indicated, you need a strong bench/table for the press. It will have to be at the edge of the table/bench for the press to work in the first place. So you need a strong stable surface.
And rifle brass is a pain in the butt to work with. In most cases the brass will need trimming each time they are shot. And rifle brass will only last 3 - 5 times. Where as pistol will last many more times reloading it
Okay, two things.
First of all, this is a reloading dummy here, so is there one of those books? Something I can start reading?
Secondly, right now, reloading rifle ammo isn't high on the list. The reason is that I use an indoor range and if the bolt fails to cycle back, I can't just hit the butt against the ground to complete the cycle.
That happened on my -10 a few years back, the range had to use a tool that locked into the holes on the bolt and it took 3 of them to pull the bolt back. So now for my rifles, I use only first run "respectable" ammo (ie, Fiocchi, Remington, Partizan, etc) when I am at the range. If it happens again, I don't want them to tell me that from now on, I can only use what they sell.
Someday, since I have 10+ acres, I may have my own range....but not yet. So while I will eventually be reloading rifle, probably have a stock pile of that, it is not on the immediate list.
I cast and reload for both rifle and pistol. I use a Hornady LnL progressive press. Pistol I load for 7.63 Mauser, 9mm, 38/357 44mag/spec, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, rifle .223, 30 carbine, 30/30, 30/40 Krag, 308, 30/06, 7.7mm ***,6.5 ***, 7.5 Swiss, 8mm Mauser, 303 British, 45/70.
Sounds like you must have an impressive milsurp collection, or is this for others? I see Arikasa (both types), K98s, Enfields, Garands?, K31s...
Well, A LOT is what I shoot. I'm working back up to the WW III surplus intensity of 400 rounds of rifle and 1000 of pistol a month. My commitment of never missing rather demands such.
I have used single stage press, they work just fine, but you have to do things in batches, like one run of the de-capping and resizing in one operations, then perform the adding the new primer to the brass.
the 3rd stage and a new dye is to powder pour which also add a slight flair to the brass, and finally a new dye for the bullet seat/crimp. Might not be a bad idea to have at least 4 reloading trays to hold the brass as well.
And reloading in the garage is just fine, but I would store the primers and the powder inside the temperature controlled house. And bring them out with you as you reload.
And if the Garage has a window, but no AC, you can always add one.
But as someone else has indicated, you need a strong bench/table for the press. It will have to be at the edge of the table/bench for the press to work in the first place. So you need a strong stable surface.
And rifle brass is a pain in the butt to work with. In most cases the brass will need trimming each time they are shot. And rifle brass will only last 3 - 5 times. Where as pistol will last many more times reloading it
You might have an excess headspace problem. Trimming after every firing isn’t normal, nor is only 3-5 loadings.
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