Planning ahead...

[memilanuk]

So... this might be something a little different. Maybe, maybe not.

I've been historically *terrible* about planning ahead, other than for my main competition guns. Everything else... has been very 'ad-hoc', and that's probably being generous. That results with me having a number of guns that *don't* have loads ready, which is a bit of a bummer - and something I'm working on.

Once upon a time, long, long ago... I remember reading a reloading book (for those old enough to remember those!) where one of the pics showed the author planning things out on a calendar, like these stages/steps of brass prep on this evening, more steps this other evening, etc. etc. etc. range trip on this specific date i.e. Saturday afternoon, etc. These days, the book probably would have had a freakin' Gantt chart, but this was back in the time of day planners and such

At the time, I considered that way too over-the-top detailed and/or rigid. I was more 'go with the flow, man' in my approach, feeling that it afforded me more flexibility to pivot with unexpected developments and/or time opportunities that popped up. Nowadays... I dunno. A little more regimented plan / schedule is starting to look more attractive.

I'm curious about what you do as far as 'planning ahead' for loading/reloading/testing?

 

[RegionRat]

In a way, some things are not up to us and those dates are hard points in a timeline.

For example, if you want out of state tags, you can guess it hasn't been an easy topic lately. That means you are typically planning for a year away. Since that also means you have to bet on the come, you had better have the ammo/gun question sorted out by the time you are thinking about that season or else you will get caught short.

Competition seasons are similar in that the major travel matches and your regional events are on a steady calendar so the ammo flow with those is also something you start planning a year or two at a time or it hurts.

I start with those and sprinkle in some optional predator/varmint trips and back into supplies and prep time. No other way around it or else you will find yourself staying home.

 

[memilanuk]

Fair points.

I was more alluding to stuff with non-specific date requirements, like general plinking/target shooting stuff.

I've found myself in the pickle of having family/friends show up, want to go to the range, and look at me funny when I say "I don't have anything ready to shoot" - because it isn't one of my main match guns, and those are a ways out from any planned event.

As the grandkids are getting closer to shooting age, I figure I should *probably* get that sorted out

 

[Chris1972]

This a new problem for me. For 26 years I worked a schedule where I had a couple days off during the week when my wife worked. I took my time for granted and would often load just in time to do something, I had the time. For a couple of months now I’ve been working weekdays and get home from work within a few minutes of her everyday. This has created an instant eye opener on managing my time, or lack there of.

 

[Chris1972]

A couple of nice 22 LR and a little lot testing goes a long way towards a rewarding range trip. No prep and you can stack the ammo pretty deep. 200-300 yard with a 22 is no joke.

 

[RegionRat]

When there was cheap imported 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 coming to my doorstep for just a little more than rimfire... I finally stopped fighting the idea of owning those cartridges and stacked it deep, then commissioned rigs that burn those.

This way, the girls and guests can blast away and I don't blink an eye or have to reload.

Now, that doesn't help you with the embargo but these days it pays to keep a pile of M193 and decent 223/556 rigs for the kids and guests. Again, I don't bother to load or reload that stuff and don't blink an eye if the guests want to play.

Same goes for me. I always warm up the field shooting skills with plain old M193 on steel targets till I get myself back up to level. Field shooting is a perishable skill. Nobody I know gets away with rifle or pistol shooting at a high level when they are off the wagon for long.

A cheap centerfire cartridge like 223/556 that is almost always available is the way to roll these days, and rimfire still serves a purpose with rifle or pistol as well.

 

[memilanuk]

This has created an instant eye opener on managing my time, or lack there of.

Yup. This is more what I was getting at.

 

[mpwolf]

I have exactly the same problem Monte. Almost everything is in a constant state experimentation, with 20 rds of this, and 10 rds of that. The first thing I did was set up a 10-22 in an adjustable chassis, with an lpvo. It can be adjusted to fit pretty much everyone, and it never fails to bring s smile to whoever shoots it. Keep a couple pails of ammo on hand, and it’s always ready. I also have a couple of .223 bolt guns that shoot the same load. I try to keep a fair amount of ammo ready to go, scopes zeroed. Everything else is still pretty much chaos!

 

[Seymour Fish]

So... this might be something a little different. Maybe, maybe not.

I've been historically *terrible* about planning ahead, other than for my main competition guns. Everything else... has been very 'ad-hoc', and that's probably being generous. That results with me having a number of guns that *don't* have loads ready, which is a bit of a bummer - and something I'm working on.

Once upon a time, long, long ago... I remember reading a reloading book (for those old enough to remember those!) where one of the pics showed the author planning things out on a calendar, like these stages/steps of brass prep on this evening, more steps this other evening, etc. etc. etc. range trip on this specific date i.e. Saturday afternoon, etc. These days, the book probably would have had a freakin' Gantt chart, but this was back in the time of day planners and such

At the time, I considered that way too over-the-top detailed and/or rigid. I was more 'go with the flow, man' in my approach, feeling that it afforded me more flexibility to pivot with unexpected developments and/or time opportunities that popped up. Nowadays... I dunno. A little more regimented plan / schedule is starting to look more attractive.

I'm curious about what you do as far as 'planning ahead' for loading/reloading/testing?

Monte, do you have detailed notes on best reloads for each system ? If so, find all needed components, dies, tools and organize into a “pile”. Create 100 rounds. Move to the next, repeat. Start with your favorites, which provides motivation. Imagine a money-shoot opportunity could materialize.

 

[memilanuk]

do you have detailed notes on best reloads for each system ?

Sadly, no. I'm working on that.

In the past, I was usually focused enough on one or two cartridges, and the turn-around from one match to the next was short enough that I just kept the iterative data in my head. As I've been dusting off odds n ends guns from the safe, I've been going back through some of my notes and finding... not enough. For my match guns, yes. Everything else... not so much.

Over the last couple years I've been slowly improving that, keeping more of a 'narrative' log (aka 'dear diary' format) than just numbers in a spreadsheet. Some of that... makes for tragically entertaining reading later on when I come back around to one particular project or another But at least I have some idea of what I was thinking the last time I was fiddling with whatever it was.