What did you do in the reloading room today?
- Thread starter Kisssofdeath
- Start date
Finally finished the clean up. Installed a "Master Vice" we found for $200. If it does not do the job I will get an Orange Vice and area 419 incerts when they are in stock. Like the room being organized and clean. That is Ceasar the shop supervisor in his chair doing his thing.
Trying a few things out today. Now just need to get over this damn flu and find some range time.
C
Crimping is a pita… has to be done with a separate Crimp die. Among other things. But darn are they accurate! Tiny 2.7 grain of bullseye. And then 1 hole groups all day long!
2.7gr seems crazy low.
I think my 9mm plinking loads are 4gr of Bullseye, and I know they’re on the low end of load data.
Hornady, 148 HBWC?
I load my S&W 52 rounds with the same 2.7 grains of bullseye.
Just enough to cycle the action and maintain good accuracy. Been using that load for over 30 years.
I load my S&W 52 rounds with the same 2.7 grains of bullseye.
Just enough to cycle the action and maintain good accuracy. Been using that load for over 30 years.
It s a special load for a special target gun. Gun, load, etc are designed for each other.
Smith & Wesson Model 52 - Wikipedia
As Bullet says above… it cycles the action and is basically designed for 50 foot bullseye shooting. The WC flat nose bullet makes perfect round holes in paper. Also good for practicing on plates!
Cheers, Sirhr
I load for my freinds 52 he bought from his Grandfather. It is a real joy to shoot. Neither of us shoot bullseye but hitting 8" plates out o 50 yards with boring regularity is a hoot! Its a beautiful piece of functional art.It s a special load for a special target gun. Gun, load, etc are designed for each other.
Smith & Wesson Model 52 - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
As Bullet says above… it cycles the action and is basically designed for 50 foot bullseye shooting. The WC flat nose bullet makes perfect round holes in paper. Also good for practicing on plates!
Cheers, Sirhr
First time reloading ammo in almost 2 months so I started with loading up some small batches of prepped brass that has been littering the bench for months. 6mm CM 100g Core-Lokt, 260 REM 130g Golden Target and 338LM 250g Hybrid OTM/285g ELD-M. Next up is to prep and load a large batch of 50 BMG brass.
Replaced an old Dillon with a Lee single stage press today. Should be up and running tomorrow and begin loading again.
I’m pretty much caught up reloading wise so I spent Sunday and this morning fussing with my new Vortex Razor Gen 3 6-36X56. It’s replacing a Razor Gen 2.
Stay tuned for more “musical scopes” as a couple of Gen 2’s replace other older scopes.
If the weather ever stops sucking, I might actually get to zero them……
Stay tuned for more “musical scopes” as a couple of Gen 2’s replace other older scopes.
If the weather ever stops sucking, I might actually get to zero them……
Thanks dude.
Badger 1.125” for everything w/ 56mm
objective. Not as close as it looks in the picture but close enough the rubber Vortex Defender type cap is too close.
Badger 1.125” for everything w/ 56mm
objective. Not as close as it looks in the picture but close enough the rubber Vortex Defender type cap is too close.
Last edited:
In the shop tonight? Just inspecting the level of the Buffalo Trace... waiting on some new dies for a new caliber 
Which one are you getting? I run an Apex on an autodrive, and once you get it humming, it is spectacular.
The one piece of advice I would give is to use it run by hand for a week or so because you can feel when things are going sideways, and then tune them. If you are getting a Revolution, I don't know anything about those. If you are getting an Evolution, you'll really want to switch the priming to the new Apex system, which is miles better. Also the casefeeder is no longer a Hornady on the Apex.
If you have any questions about what might be getting you hung up and how to fix it, feel free to DM or tag me. It's a slightly complicated system, but when firing on all cylinders, it really works well. Tech support is also really good.
Apex is awesome. Some people have bitched about the fact they went to a cast toolhead, but I don't see that being an issue, especially when you look at the really good new casefeeder and the awesome priming system.
A few things off the bat:
1. With the casefeeder, make sure you only tighten the screws on the rear hatch so that they are flush on the inside. If you tighten them all the way, you'll get stoppages with cases catching on the screws.
2. Check all four of the adjustments on the primer system. I had to adjust three of four, but just a little bit.
3. Your main adjustment will be on the indexing pawl screw. Read that section in the manual. It sounds like a pain in the ass, but it's super easy. It needs to index perfectly, though.
4. Every few thousand rounds you'll need to remove that screw, apply vibra tite, and reinstall. You'll see that you will stay in index for 1500 rounds, then adjust and you will get 800 or so, then down. When you keep having to adjust, you vibra tite.
5. As far as settings go, call Mark 7, they will know exactly where you want to be. I only do 9mm on mine, and I run Index of 2, top dwell of 0, bottom dwell of 1. At 2000 rounds per hour setting that gives me 1506.
6. The most important sensor, IMO, is the primer orientation sensor, followed by the powdersense and bulletsense. If you can swing it, get the sensors you want before you put the thing on the autodrive, just because it is easier access.
7. Primer Xpress is really good if you want to go in that direction. It takes a little bit to get everything set perfectly, but it's worth it.
I use a 650 with a Dillon crimp die for .38 wc in a 52-2, seems to work alright.
2.7 of bullseye is exactly what I load lol.
finished loading 400 rounds for this weekend , also primed the next 400 cases just waiting to decide which powder they will be getting .
if you are using an autodrive, you just mount it to the autodrive base. It is plenty heavy to be stable on a good bench. If you are not using an autodrive, it comes with bench mount hardware. It's four bolts, slightly larger than the Dillons. You don't want to go higher, like on an Inline mount, with it.
Last edited:
Two other things come to mind. First, if you have never used an autodrive before, it is imperative that you back all of your dies off the shellplate. Each time you start the autodrive, you calibrate it, and if your dies are touching the shellplate, it will calibrate to short stroke. Just back them off a turn and a half or so. Second, you ideally are going to want to use the Lyman Pro Die pack. First because there is a separate case expansion station, and the Lyman expansion die is great, and second because they are built to be run slightly off the shellplate, and say so in the instructions.
The guy at Mark 7 told me their number one issue is that customers run the die all the way down to the shell plate and then don't understand why their autodrive fails constantly.
Made a 6.5c COAL gauge for my poor self
and measured Berger 144 lrht, Barnes 140mb, and Hornady 140 bthp for my Impact.
and measured Berger 144 lrht, Barnes 140mb, and Hornady 140 bthp for my Impact.
Well I emptied my powder thrower of some residual powder I had in it from a long session into about half a pound of R15, the powder in the thrower was BL-C2.
Feels bad.
Been loading nothing but R15 for the last few months until this last session using BL-C2 working up a load for a friends rifle.
Feels bad.
Been loading nothing but R15 for the last few months until this last session using BL-C2 working up a load for a friends rifle.
Yeah I have a system of whatever powder I'm using being out front and all others behind. It's so easy to forget that you were just doing a little of one thing when you are used to doing another and end up mixing them up or mixing them together.
I keep all my powders stored in a cabinet.
One out at a time and always right beside the powder measure.
Gets put away when the measure is emptied.
Powders are separated in the cabinet by brand first and left to right by burn rate.
One out at a time and always right beside the powder measure.
Gets put away when the measure is emptied.
Powders are separated in the cabinet by brand first and left to right by burn rate.
Yep
One can on bench
And I triple check it because I almost ran R16 instead of R26 once
One can on bench
And I triple check it because I almost ran R16 instead of R26 once
That’s why you put a label on the dispenser
Then you have to remember to change the label too.
Why does this H-4350 look like CFE-223?
Oh well, it says H-4350, in you go boys.
Thats usually what I do but I broke protocol leaving the rl15 out while using blc2. Was going to use the RL15 for next session. Was.
No reloading done today but figured I would reorganize my bench. I am happy with how it turned out. Much cleaner now.
And that's how it happens right there. It's happened to so many of us.... at least you didn't dump it in 7lbs of a jug of something....
Thanks for posting the pics. I've got a pile of the 124MPR and 2-3k of the 115s too. I want to say my loads were similar velocity, so great info. Love the GDs but the MPRs are great deal.
What a pig sti.
I have to clean this mess up before I can get back to reloading.
I have to clean this mess up before I can get back to reloading.
Goofing off and watching the Rolex 24 hour race Daytona. The track is really cold and very greasy. Should get really interesting about 4AM when the temps approach freezing. Because I’m queer for endurance racing, I’ll be up all night watching them run.
To feed in the 52 you have to put a sweet crimp kiss over the top of the lead.
That and the greasy lube.
I was told I'd never get it right but I must have got lucky as my 52 reloads have been 100%.
I use just less than 3 grains of 231.
The 52 "clears its throat" with a small cough and an X appears on your target.
Last edited:
Reloaded my first rounds ever. 300 blk. 220 grain with 9.2 grains of h110. Bought the press used so I’m missing a couple parts still. They cycle and are quiet. Have a lot to learn.
Not my fav powder. Bought this jug 2013 or so last time powder was scarce.
Just poured through a full 8 pounds of 8208xbr and 77s. Got me some big heavy Ammo cans of sweetness.
Found I still have a full box of primers left....figured I would make 1000 rounds of training ammo.
I think I have a bunch of ammo loaded with CFE, 5 rounds each at different loading just haven't got around to shooting them yet. Probably loaded them in 2014.
Should probably get rid of the pound of tac I have and continue the 77 grains capping it off.
Shit is like mercury in my Dillon. Drops perfect.
Just wish I had more.
Thinking I'd rather have 1000 rounds of the same stuff rather than 300 and 700.
