Building the Perfect Reloading Room

Ive been tossing the idea of tinkering with a 510 or 50 Goblin. Where are you sourcing your 338 cases?
The .510 Whisper is the most fun you'll have with subsonic loads or plinking for fun...or high velocity loads with 5000 ft/lbs of energy with light bullets made for the 50 Alaska type rds.
Here's where I purchased some of the 338 Lapua mag brass.
But found a better deal with 300 Norma brass pull downs, at American Reloading.
I made mine from the above Rem 700 in 300 WM action $540 out the door for a new complete rifle,... fitted a 338 Lapua Mag bolt to the Rem 700 action, and chambered the McGowen 10 twist .510 barrel, I purchased 2 blanks with fast twists the other is 6.5 twist 338 for the 8.6 Blackout project. Modified a MDT 3.715" mag to fit the alum chassis.
Huge subsonic 1100 fps, 1002 gr bullets only lose 180 fps from 0 to 1000 yds, and arrive with 2000 ft/lbs at 1000 yds.
At just 1200 fps to 1450 fps the 620 gr APIT start to penetrate through 3/8" AR 500 armor plate at 100 yds...and detonate on targets at like pieces of 2×4 wood sending them skyward with a flash and loud bang.
There is absolutely nothing like the .510 Whisper, I have the 300 Blk, the 338 Blk, the 450 Bushmaster.
Stop thinking about it and build yourself a .510 Whisper.
It would be great for sub hunters, .510 350 gr handgun copper bullets expand at 900 fps, I ran them at 2450 fps and fairly cheap or 750 gr to 900 gr copper expanding bullets.
I used my finish reamer to make the cartridge gauge, and to make the brass go- gauge... a gunsmith will be happy to build ya one...but doing it yourself saves1/2 to 2/3 the cost, and no waiting.
If it were popular Starline could make brass for it. The fun factor is very high.
Cheap military pull downs around 45 cents ea.
I resize them, so it's actually fairly cheap to plink away.
 

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The .510 Whisper is the most fun you'll have with subsonic loads or plinking for fun...or high velocity loads with 5000 ft/lbs of energy with light bullets made for the 50 Alaska type rds.
Here's where I purchased some of the 338 Lapua mag brass.
But found a better deal with 300 Norma brass pull downs, at American Reloading.
I made mine from the above 300 WM action $540 out the door for a new action, fitted a 338 Lapua Mag bolt to the action, and chambered the McGowen 10 twist .510 barrel, I purchased 2 blanks with fast twists the other is 6.5 twist 338 for the 8.6 Blackout project. Modified a MDT 3.715" mag to fit the alum chassis.
Huge subsonic 1100 fps, 1002 gr bullets only lose 180 fps from 0 to 1000 yds, and arrive with 2000 ft/lbs at 1000 yds.
At just 1200 fps to 1450 fps the 620 gr APIT start to penetrate through 3/8" AR 500 armor plate at 100 yds...and detonate on targets at like pieces of 2×4 wood sending them skyward with a flash and loud bang.
There is absolutely nothing like the .510 Whisper, I have the 300 Blk, the 338 Blk, the 450 Bushmaster.
Stop thinking about it and build yourself a .510 Whisper.
It would be great for sub hunters, .510 350 gr handgun copper bullets expand at 900 fps, I ran them at 2450 fps and fairly cheap or 750 gr to 900 gr copper expanding bullets.
I used my finish reamer to make the cartridge gauge, and to make the brass go- gauge... a gunsmith will be happy to build ya one...but doing it yourself saves1/2 to 2/3 the cost, and no waiting.
If it were popular Starline could make brass for it. The fun factor is very high.
Cheap military pull downs around 45 cents ea.
I resize them, so it's actually fairly cheap to plink away.
This looks like whole bunch of fun. How's the recoil on one of these?
 
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This looks like whole bunch of fun. How's the recoil on one of these?
The recoil is easy and all day shooting with 650 gr subs, APITS...but going to 750 gr ATIPs at 1500 fps one definitely notices the difference. Even the 350 gr at 2450 fps isn't bad, but the really heavy bullets reaching 1500 fps are not what I'd consider all day enjoyment. It takes alot more powder to move 100 fps with these heavy bullets and recoil will double.
These are fired cases, most were fired in one day, about 150 in this box... quite a few were supers like this 50 gr load...and with the heavy bullet it starts to become an elephant rifle...but no where near my 416 Rigby, and these can be shot from the prone.
 

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I'm horrible about taking photos while doing a project. I had a 6x20 room made that was going to be filled with dirt when they built my house. It has 8 foot ceilings, poured walls, and a concrete roof. So I studded it up, used some of the leftover banged up drywall from our build and went to town. Installed 5 canned led lights and three outlets. I have some cabinets that were messed up in shipping that I'm going to place where the white paint is then butcher block the top. I plan on putting a storage rack on the other side to hold all the bigger items like hunting gear and gun cases.
 

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I'm horrible about taking photos while doing a project. I had a 6x20 room made that was going to be filled with dirt when they built my house. It has 8 foot ceilings, poured walls, and a concrete roof. So I studded it up, used some of the leftover banged up drywall from our build and went to town. Installed 5 canned led lights and three outlets. I have some cabinets that were messed up in shipping that I'm going to place where the white paint is then butcher block the top. I plan on putting a storage rack on the other side to hold all the bigger items like hunting gear and gun cases.

Consider a vault door on the entry you would have a good safe room.
 
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I'm horrible about taking photos while doing a project. I had a 6x20 room made that was going to be filled with dirt when they built my house. It has 8 foot ceilings, poured walls, and a concrete roof. So I studded it up, used some of the leftover banged up drywall from our build and went to town. Installed 5 canned led lights and three outlets. I have some cabinets that were messed up in shipping that I'm going to place where the white paint is then butcher block the top. I plan on putting a storage rack on the other side to hold all the bigger items like hunting gear and gun cases.
It was supposed to be filled with dirt???
 
It was supposed to be filled with dirt???
Yup. It was the footings for the house and the entry way that they were going to just fill with dirt then cap with concrete. I thought that was a waste of space so when we set the form, we sectioned off the door port. Then built the walls and roof, rebarred the crap out of it then poured concrete for the entry way.
 

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Yup. It was the footings for the house and the entry way that they were going to just fill with dirt then cap with concrete. I thought that was a waste of space so when we set the form, we sectioned off the door port. Then built the walls and roof, rebarred the crap out of it then poured concrete for the entry way.
Safe room bunker with rifles covering the walls.
 
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can you share some more details about the T tracks? What is the distance between two tracks and specifications of each track...thanks for the help !
Harry,

Measure all of the things you think you want to mount. Find a sort of average.

Then, you will want to mount your things to a plate or board that is then attached to the T-track.

By finding an average, you won't have one plate be waaaay too big or one waaaay too small. But the plates (or piece of plywood or whatever) can then have a universal mounting distance to the T-track. Plan so that the big thing isn't overhanging too much and the small thing isn't too far inboard.

EDIT: if you have small things, you can mount 2 on one mount and just turn that mount 180 degrees. Actually, you could do a square of the T-track mounts and even mount 4 things on one mount.


DRB
 
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Harry,

Measure all of the things you think you want to mount. Find a sort of average.

Then, you will want to mount your things to a plate or board that is then attached to the T-track.

By finding an average, you won't have one plate be waaaay too big or one waaaay too small. But the plates (or piece of plywood or whatever) can then have a universal mounting distance to the T-track. Plan so that the big thing isn't overhanging too much and the small thing isn't too far inboard.

EDIT: if you have small things, you can mount 2 on one mount and just turn that mount 180 degrees. Actually, you could do a square of the T-track mounts and even mount 4 things on one mount.


DRB

I guess you have to router it in?

Will that work in plywood? My reloading bench is 3/4" birch plywood, unfinished.
 
I guess you have to router it in?

Will that work in plywood? My reloading bench is 3/4" birch plywood, unfinished.
Yes, router a dado. You will want to double that 3/4" plywood just because you will want to attach the T-tracks securely using screws. The bottom of your groove will leave in the neighborhood of only 1/4". You could use CDX as the bottom layer, glued (use a glue trowel) and screwed together. Hide the screws by going from the bottom layer into the top layer. Avoid screws where you will be routing the groove. Have the track in hand before you decide to route a groove too deep or not deep enough.

Butcher block counter top stuff isn't super expensive. I'm looking at several sites online. Here is one with "seconds". I'm thinking more of the lighter colored woods.

 
These T-track systems are the shit if the guy has only a small area to work with.
Need to use a pattern makers vice? Take the press off and install that vice.
All of the parts and pieces can be stored on wall shelves or in a locker.
i decided to use t-nut and not a track system as so powder doesn't get in there. now there are a bunch of holes in my work top.
 
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i decided to use t-nut and not a track system as so powder doesn't get in there. now there are a bunch of holes in my work top.
Meh...it's a work bench.
I made one out of a thick walnut slab one time. The slab was about 4" thick and I left the live edge on the side close to me. I'd never do that again. Then I sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and then I used a 50/50 mix of tung oil and mineral spirits and let it sit about 3 days and then I sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and them I used a 50/50 mix of tung oil again. Let that dry about 3-4 days and hand sanded with 500 grit. Applied another layer of 50/50 and let that dry. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Finally I used just my callouses to rub in a layer of oil.

It was beautiful! The wood was free so I only had some sandpaper, mineral spirits and tung oil and labor into it.

Then I drilled a big hole to install a big vise.

And I used a hammer to knock stuff loose on it.

And I dripped hot solder on it.

That was about 45 years ago and I might not use that slab as a workbench now but the point is, it was a workbench. Use it. And if you get the little holes or track or whatever filled with sawdust or gunpowder or whatever....there is this new invention out. It sucks.

EDIT: If you ever lose important stuff, like a detent spring or a set screw that is so tiny you barely found a key for it, when you go to suck, use a pantyhose over the orifice. If you don't have your own, just ask around.
 
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Meh...it's a work bench.
I made one out of a thick walnut slab one time. The slab was about 4" thick and I left the live edge on the side close to me. I'd never do that again. Then I sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and then I used a 50/50 mix of tung oil and mineral spirits and let it sit about 3 days and then I sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded and them I used a 50/50 mix of tung oil again. Let that dry about 3-4 days and hand sanded with 500 grit. Applied another layer of 50/50 and let that dry. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Finally I used just my callouses to rub in a layer of oil.

It was beautiful! The wood was free so I only had some sandpaper, mineral spirits and tung oil and labor into it.

Then I drilled a big hole to install a big vise.

And I used a hammer to knock stuff loose on it.

And I dripped hot solder on it.

That was about 45 years ago and I might not use that slab as a workbench now but the point is, it was a workbench. Use it. And if you get the little holes or track or whatever filled with sawdust or gunpowder or whatever....there is this new invention out. It sucks.

EDIT: If you ever lose important stuff, like a detent spring or a set screw that is so tiny you barely found a key for it, when you go to suck, use a pantyhose over the orifice. If you don't have your own, just ask around.
it is a workbench as you state as "work" is the main part, but those holes where thing fall into can be a pita. i usually cover the whole bench with a thin roll of rubber or some sort of mat that easily rolled back up. hopefully when i get to build my "ultimate" area i have the room to keep things in place and not need to switch thing around or need to remove for more work area. having an island would help for all sorts of better work area is in the thought process. for a work top i like bamboo, but might do birch or hickory?
 
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I have an ex-wife that loved her damned cat. I would find it on the counter where food prep would happen and lose my cool. She had a squirt gun, obviously ineffective. One day, after she left for work, I used little pieces of clear packing tape, laid down sticky side up. Some were as long as a foot. I used up what was left in the roll and booby trapped everywhere I didn't want the damned cat. I get home and can tell right away the booby trap had worked...lots of tape missing. I looked for the cat for about 10 seconds and then came to my senses. I gathered up all of the tape. She came home about an hour later and wondered where the cat was. i told her what I had done and she was mortified. She found the cat behind the clothes dryer. I had to move the dryer, she got that cat and then started pulling off the tape. The cat wasn't happy and didn't cooperate. I found it all very humorous but I didn't get laid that night.

You know what else that cat did? It NEVER got on the counter again.
 
I have an ex-wife that loved her damned cat. I would find it on the counter where food prep would happen and lose my cool. She had a squirt gun, obviously ineffective. One day, after she left for work, I used little pieces of clear packing tape, laid down sticky side up. Some were as long as a foot. I used up what was left in the roll and booby trapped everywhere I didn't want the damned cat. I get home and can tell right away the booby trap had worked...lots of tape missing. I looked for the cat for about 10 seconds and then came to my senses. I gathered up all of the tape. She came home about an hour later and wondered where the cat was. i told her what I had done and she was mortified. She found the cat behind the clothes dryer. I had to move the dryer, she got that cat and then started pulling off the tape. The cat wasn't happy and didn't cooperate. I found it all very humorous but I didn't get laid that night.

You know what else that cat did? It NEVER got on the counter again.
i'm not necessarily a cat person, but do enjoy how funny they are and the wife and kids like them, but we don't like the in the house or where we eat or have food. every once in awhile we do let some in the house as long as the cats behave. they've killed many snakes and rodents the last 2 years, so we are happy about that! 1 kitten killed a rat bigger than it was.
 
I heavily considered tracks but ultimately decided on using flush mount QC plates from inline Fab. I can swap stuff out easily if I want to and don't have the tracks in the way of my other stuff nor the junk that constantly falls into them. Much easier to keep clean. However, I had room to have 4 of those plates and even another spot i could easily put one. If I had less bench space tracks would probably be the way I went with it.

I found these pull outs to be pretty handy too.
 

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I have an ex-wife that loved her damned cat. I would find it on the counter where food prep would happen and lose my cool. She had a squirt gun, obviously ineffective. One day, after she left for work, I used little pieces of clear packing tape, laid down sticky side up. Some were as long as a foot. I used up what was left in the roll and booby trapped everywhere I didn't want the damned cat. I get home and can tell right away the booby trap had worked...lots of tape missing. I looked for the cat for about 10 seconds and then came to my senses. I gathered up all of the tape. She came home about an hour later and wondered where the cat was. i told her what I had done and she was mortified. She found the cat behind the clothes dryer. I had to move the dryer, she got that cat and then started pulling off the tape. The cat wasn't happy and didn't cooperate. I found it all very humorous but I didn't get laid that night.

You know what else that cat did? It NEVER got on the counter again.

Tried the same shit with my cat. As you can see, unfazed.......


cat.JPG
 
All of this fuss regarding powder in tracks or holes and such...

I must do things differently because there is very rarely any powder that is not in the can, in the charge dispenser or in a case. Other than the times I have dropped a filled case, there isn't any on the bench.

The other thing I do is clean up the area after I finish for that day. I put the tools away. The powder I didn't use gets poured back into the jug it came from and that goes back into the cabinet for powder...on the shelf with the rest of the powder of that type. Primers back in the cabinet with the remainder of the primers. I wipe down the work surfaces and sweep and use the sucker and empty the trash can.
 
The other thing I do is clean up the area after I finish for that day. I put the tools away. The powder I didn't use gets poured back into the jug it came from and that goes back into the cabinet for powder...on the shelf with the rest of the powder of that type. Primers back in the cabinet with the remainder of the primers. I wipe down the work surfaces and sweep and use the sucker and empty the trash can.

I do this, but I will add that it really clicked when I realized that 'sweeping the floor' is a 'before work' item. Way less time spent looking for small parts (looking at you, spring detents) that try to escape to the floor. I got that wisdom from a Mark Novak video.
 
Well, if you want no holes in the bench, mount the reloading press or vise or whatever on steel plates.

Put the steel plate (with the whatever attached) on the bench’s right front corner.

Use strong F-clamps (like Bessey) to hold it onto the bench. Their steel-worker clamps are super super tough. The rear clamp would have to be a deep-throat clamp, maybe like this:

Other ideas here:


Otherwise the euro vise makers have these nifty vise holders that go up and down, plus they usually have a pivot & slide under model.

In action:

Instead of a vise, mount a quick change plate.

If you don’t mind some holes permanently filled with clamps, then try this:

That site has a million different clamps. They also feature the US brand Benchcrafted, which you might want to check out.

For example, you might use a tail vise to clamp your reloading press that is affixed to a steel or wood plate.

Lee Valley might have something.
 
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Meh... stop being a pussy. Get a set of these, drill a couple 1" holes a little way back from the edge and you'll be fine 👌

Might need a thicker bench top, though 😜
I have some of those! Love ‘em.

I have the earlier ones he suggested buying, years ago. Chris is one of the most honest and most awesome woodworking writers ever.

I didn’t dare suggest those (awesome) caveman tools as I thought I would offend delicate sensibilities lol. BAM BAM BAM there it’s fastened! Lol
 
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I have some of those! Love ‘em.

I have the earlier ones he suggested buying, years ago. Chris is one of the most honest and most awesome woodworking writers ever.

I didn’t dare suggest those (awesome) caveman tools as I thought I would offend delicate sensibilities lol. BAM BAM BAM there it’s fastened! Lol

I mainly suggested it because I still have a lot of my smaller presses (RCBS Partner, Lee APP, etc.) mounted to boards. For a long time, I just used big-a$$ c-clamps whenever I needed to attach any press, anywhere. But recently, I was needing to use the APP, didn't have a plate for my Inline Fabrication stand, and figured 'fuck it' and put it on the edge of my "woodworking" bench (more of a utility bench with a row of dog holes bored in the top, about 3" in from the edge and inline with the stretcher underneath, giving them about 4" of SPF 2x to bite into. I've got a couple LN ones, and two or three Gramercy's that I picked up used.

I always worry about t-track pulling out... most of the ones I've seen/used for things like router tables or table saw jigs have pretty dinky little screws. Yeah, there are a bunch of them, but still. I've considered epoxying them in place, but that seems... more permanent than I want, for some reason. As opposed to a row of big a$$ dog holes 🤷‍♂️🤣
 
I mainly suggested it because I still have a lot of my smaller presses (RCBS Partner, Lee APP, etc.) mounted to boards. For a long time, I just used big-a$$ c-clamps whenever I needed to attach any press, anywhere. But recently, I was needing to use the APP, didn't have a plate for my Inline Fabrication stand, and figured 'fuck it' and put it on the edge of my "woodworking" bench (more of a utility bench with a row of dog holes bored in the top, about 3" in from the edge and inline with the stretcher underneath, giving them about 4" of SPF 2x to bite into. I've got a couple LN ones, and two or three Gramercy's that I picked up used.

I always worry about t-track pulling out... most of the ones I've seen/used for things like router tables or table saw jigs have pretty dinky little screws. Yeah, there are a bunch of them, but still. I've considered epoxying them in place, but that seems... more permanent than I want, for some reason. As opposed to a row of big a$$ dog holes 🤷‍♂️🤣
I get it. I do.

The holes aren't that permanent but routering a groove is.

I guess it's easy enough to glue in some dowel in a hole and patch that up but it's more difficult to glue in a strip and patch that way.

/sarcasm font/
 
I've used the RCBS bench primer for nearly 10 years now. I set up my benches with the Inline Fabrication quick change system. I have their flush mount, top mount and riser bases. They aren't cheap, but very high quality. Here's a link to their website.

Inline Fabrication
I use and love the inline fab system. With this I’m able to swap accessories when needed. I use it for 4 presses, a regular vise and a barrel vise.

Another advantage comes to mind, if a shooting buddy uses the same system you could swap accessories with him.

You could also have base mounts at the range, in your trailer or motor home.
 
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it is a workbench as you state as "work" is the main part, but those holes where thing fall into can be a pita. i usually cover the whole bench with a thin roll of rubber or some sort of mat that easily rolled back up. hopefully when i get to build my "ultimate" area i have the room to keep things in place and not need to switch thing around or need to remove for more work area. having an island would help for all sorts of better work area is in the thought process. for a work top i like bamboo, but might do birch or hickory?
Here's a thought:
 

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All of this fuss regarding powder in tracks or holes and such...

I must do things differently because there is very rarely any powder that is not in the can, in the charge dispenser or in a case. Other than the times I have dropped a filled case, there isn't any on the bench.

The other thing I do is clean up the area after I finish for that day. I put the tools away. The powder I didn't use gets poured back into the jug it came from and that goes back into the cabinet for powder...on the shelf with the rest of the powder of that type. Primers back in the cabinet with the remainder of the primers. I wipe down the work surfaces and sweep and use the sucker and empty the trash can.
If I drop any powder I do what a real American patriot does and snort it up. But like you say it is pretty rare, which in hand keeps it a good treat.
 
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