Why Even Reload?

[Foul Mike]

Bradu, I read with interest about how you and your friend cracked a die.!!! with once fired brass from a bad chamber, interesting.
Never in my 45+ years of reloading have I cracked a die.

If, when resizing once fired brass from any source, and the brass doesn't move through the die,without too much effort, I would back off, clear the die of the offending brass and put it in the recycle box. Never force something that is obviously not going to work, back up and start over and recycle the shit.

My Grandfather, the smartest man I ever was around, ran hardrock mines on a small scale and would put new handles in shovels and picks etc. when his miners would bring them in.

He would always tell them, "It doesn't take a strong back to break a shovel handle, just a weak mind."

Words of wisdom I have lived by and they have served me well. FM

 

[ColdSteel260]

That’s definitely a good argument. If prices spike though, even components will be limited and likely up in price. Are you talking about having thousands of rounds worth of components sitting around at any given time?

Yes. You mean you don't?

 

[ColdSteel260]

Not true. I can use an impact bullet puller, then reseat them to my specs. I've actually done this with some factory loads to tweak them to find a round that can be used in some rifles.

I'd imagine adding powder or keeping the tip from being damaged during this operation is tough.

 

[Milo 2.5]

Bradu, I read with interest about how you and your friend cracked a die.!!! with once fired brass from a bad chamber, interesting.
Never in my 45+ years of reloading have I cracked a die.

If, when resizing once fired brass from any source, and the brass doesn't move through the die,without too much effort, I would back off, clear the die of the offending brass and put it in the recycle box. Never force something that is obviously not going to work, back up and start over and recycle the shit.

My Grandfather, the smartest man I ever was around, ran hardrock mines on a small scale and would put new handles in shovels and picks etc. when his miners would bring them in.

He would always tell them, "It doesn't take a strong back to break a shovel handle, just a weak mind."

Words of wisdom I have lived by and they have served me well. FM

Been a couple of these cracking die stories floating around lately, maybe same one, I don't pay that close attn. But if you take 2 hollow cylindrical objects, one you can crush with a pliers, the other hardened you can bang on with a hammer and maybe not break.
Short story, I'm ramming the brass home, some logic would dictate the winner.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

I've sized buckets of LC brass fired through a 240 and that brass sized without any problems. The only sizing die I've ever broken was a Lee 9mm pistol die that had the carbide ring crack and fall out. Cracking the body of a regular rifle die sounds like BS to me...let alone two die bodies.

 

[Bradu]

Bradu, I read with interest about how you and your friend cracked a die.!!! with once fired brass from a bad chamber, interesting.
Never in my 45+ years of reloading have I cracked a die.

If, when resizing once fired brass from any source, and the brass doesn't move through the die,without too much effort, I would back off, clear the die of the offending brass and put it in the recycle box. Never force something that is obviously not going to work, back up and start over and recycle the shit.

My Grandfather, the smartest man I ever was around, ran hardrock mines on a small scale and would put new handles in shovels and picks etc. when his miners would bring them in.

He would always tell them, "It doesn't take a strong back to break a shovel handle, just a weak mind."

Words of wisdom I have lived by and they have served me well. FM

I've had brass size harder than what they did from not enough lube and I've never stuck a case in a die so think what you want. Good to hear you've never fucked anything up in your life, you are obviously perfect so I will just let this one be.

 

[Foul Mike]

I hear ya.

The other thing that my Grandpa said that really holds true for me is;

"Hurrying is the Daddy of ALL Fuck Ups."

Has held true for me, but not a lot of others.

Some people thrive on doing the hurry up and get it done. I used to big time, but am retired now to play with my toys. FM

 

[Foul Mike]

It sure as Hell is not a perfect world I live in and I am NOT without fault.
I FUCK UP all of the time.

I did not mean to twist your panties in a wad. Maybe give you something to think about.???

 

[Bradu]

It sure as Hell is not a perfect world I live in and I am NOT without fault.
I FUCK UP all of the time.

I did not mean to twist your panties in a wad. Maybe give you something to think about.???

It doesn't bother me at all, if you did, I would have called you a dumb cocksucker. I find it funny that people are quick to judge without knowing any details of the story. Like I said, good to hear you are perfect.

 

[TCKev]

Because it's good for your sanity, I find it very calming.

 

[Bradu]

Btw, sounds like grandpa talked too much

 

[Threadcutter308]

Give it a rest, you’re not bringing anything to the party.

 

[LA260]

Or if you live in CA and buying ammo online is a hassle and stores dont carry match ammo

 

[FCS]

Btw, sounds like grandpa talked too much

Keep it positive and relevant.
Seems to me you should listen more, type less and keep snarky remarks to yourself.

 

[Bradu]

Keep it positive and relevant.
Seems to me you should listen more, type less and keep snarky remarks to yourself.

It is relevant, I'm replying to a comment. Thanks for your help though.

 

[ColdSteel260]

Y'all need to go to a Mary Kay party and just fight it out.

 

[Bradu]

Been a couple of these cracking die stories floating around lately, maybe same one, I don't pay that close attn. But if you take 2 hollow cylindrical objects, one you can crush with a pliers, the other hardened you can bang on with a hammer and maybe not break.
Short story, I'm ramming the brass home, some logic would dictate the winner.

There has been several discussions on this and for some reason it has been more common on the 300 norma and some 338 lapuas. The case right above the web being swollen and the thinner walls on the die from being a .587" diameter case is enough that it doesn't take much to crack. Mine split right in line with where the Forster lock ring comes together after sizing two cases. Some people were looking for a small base die thinking that was the answer when they should be contacting the gunsmith to resolve the issue.

 

[FCS]

Cracked a 7WSM sizing die.

7/8-14 die doesn’t have much wall thickness left on a 0.550 or larger body diameter cartridge.
Just above web on case where near strongest vs. opening of die where weakest...die will fail eventually.

 

[Milo 2.5]

Keep it positive and relevant.
Seems to me you should listen more, type less and keep snarky remarks to yourself.

Who appointed you? This is gold, let it ride. Post was over when hemi entered. Battle Royale now.

 

[FCS]

Who appointed you? This is gold, let it ride. Post was over when hemi entered. Battle Royale now.

Too much time on hands waiting for the 9AM appointment to show up.
Noted.
Thanks.

 

[Foul Mike]

Grandpa never said too much, but when he did say something, Smart people listened and learned.

 

[Bradu]

Not sure what the hurrying one has to do with what I said. Maybe grandpa should have taught his parrot when to use these words of wisdom.

 

[Milo 2.5]

Too much time on hands waiting for the 9AM appointment to show up.
Noted.
Thanks.

Your 9 am? You should hire Brad as a manager, he wont tolerate that shit. lol

 

[FCS]

Fire Marshal could care less.
Brad won’t do shit but make it worse.

 

[Bradu]

Awe, now you guys hurt my feelers

 

[Winny94]

Guess you didn’t read the post. I’m shooting out to about 1300 yards. I was doing some work at 100 to get a zero and shot a group for the hell of it.

Personally, no way would accept an 11SD for a reloaded round. The last load I worked up has an SD of 3.5. Would be fun to see the difference on paper at 800+. THere may be none, but there may be a lot.

 

[Maxduty]

I'd imagine adding powder or keeping the tip from being damaged during this operation is tough.

I think you misunderstand what is being said here. You're only adjusting the jump, so the projectile doesn't need to be removed from the case. Why would I add powder? I'm only adjusting the jump a little, not making any major changes to OAL. But to each their own. My time is worth more than it takes to hand load ammo to the same specs as the stuff that I can buy and already shoot well.

 

[CcoFirst]

Reloading gives you options, if you want to push a certain bullet faster or slower it’s up to you. If I just shot 6.5 CM or .308 at comps I would shoot factory, some great stuff out there like Prime ect.

 

[deersniper]

Because I don't want to have to notify my state government I am buying ammo.

It's none of their damn business how I spend my money or exercise my Constitutional right.

Why can’t you go to a border state and boot leg the ammo? If that’s illegal dump it in old boxes that don’t have date codes.

 

[deersniper]

So how do you buy ammo for less than $68 a hundred?

American gunner can Ben bought for $70.

Depends on how much your time is worth.

 

[Racer88]

When I started reloading, I lived in a 14'x52' trailer house. I picked up a used RCBS partner press and bolted it to an old steel stool that I found. I had one set of dies (308), a balance beam scale, a set of Lee dippers, Lee trimmer, and a trickler.

Components and tools would fit in a tackle box and go under the bed, while the stool with the press on it went in the closet. You just have to want to bad enough.

Haha... I don't mean to make light of anything, but suddenly I was picturing "Matt Foley," and I had to create this:

Certainly, you are right, that if I REALLY wanted to reload, I'd find a way to make it work in my house. The reality is that I DON'T want to reload THAT badly... yet. For my purposes, factory match-grade ammo has served me quite well. I'm not competing on any serious level (the occasional NRA High Power match - maybe a couple times a year). And, I go just for fun.

I'll eventually probably get into it. But, my excuse is no room in the house right now. It's not that we literally don't have room. It's a nice sized home. But, wifey would not be happy if I had it out "in the open" where it would be seen. And, personally... I don't want a "portable" / stowable set-up. I'd want a permanent bench with everything ready to go at any time. Sooooo.... I'll have to wait until at least one of the kids is out of the house on a permanent basis.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

Haha... I don't mean to make light of anything, but suddenly I was picturing "Matt Foley," and I had to create this:

View attachment 7198772

Certainly, you are right, that if I REALLY wanted to reload, I'd find a way to make it work in my house. The reality is that I DON'T want to reload THAT badly... yet. For my purposes, factory match-grade ammo has served me quite well. I'm not competing on any serious level (the occasional NRA High Power match - maybe a couple times a year). And, I go just for fun.

I'll eventually probably get into it. But, my excuse is no room in the house right now. It's not that we literally don't have room. It's a nice sized home. But, wifey would not be happy if I had it out "in the open" where it would be seen. And, personally... I don't want a "portable" / stowable set-up. I'd want a permanent bench with everything ready to go at any time. Sooooo.... I'll have to wait until at least one of the kids is out of the house on a permanent basis.

Not too far from the truth!!

I was just out of the army, living in the mountains of NC. I was working construction and driving a trash truck for a living back then. That 14'x52' trailer was the first home I ever bought. It cost me $10K. The ex-wife got the trailer in the divorce 5 years later!

I have more than $10K in reloading equipment and components alone now.

 

[Racer88]

That 14'x52' trailer was the first home I ever bought. It cost me $10K. The ex-wife got the trailer in the divorce 5 years later!

I have more than $10K in reloading equipment and components alone now.

Ha! Great story and good on ya for "movin' on up!" ?

 

[GySgt Smith JE]

@Racer88 I was seriously laughing out loud at your meme. That has to be one of the best I've seen on here. @Skookum I understand the struggle. When I got out of the Marine Corps I bought a single wide trailer and lived next to a meth head. I still don't have $10K in reloading set up but I've definitely moved out of the trailer park.

 

[Jake the dog]

I have a buddy that I hope never reloads. He shoots factory Berger. I have a steady supply of once fired Lapua, out of a known chamber. Please no one tell him to start.

 

[chevy_man]

Ha! That's entirely possible! I'm eyeballing a Krieger barrel to replace the OEM barrel.

At 3200 rounds, my OEM barrel is supposed to be WELL past it's lifespan.... but, it's not. Presumably, there has been some throat erosion... with no detrimental effect evident.... yet. 3200 rounds!

How far do you shoot?

I had a 25-06 barrel that would shoot sub-moa at 200 and less. It would open up to 10 moa past 400. It was shot out, but you'd never know it on a 100 yard range. There was barely a trace of rifling left in the first 8" of barrel.

 

[Soulezoo]

That’s definitely a good argument. If prices spike though, even components will be limited and likely up in price. Are you talking about having thousands of rounds worth of components sitting around at any given time?

I do. I'll bet AJ does too.

 

[Racer88]

How far do you shoot?

I had a 25-06 barrel that would shoot sub-moa at 200 and less. It would open up to 10 moa past 400. It was shot out, but you'd never know it on a 100 yard range. There was barely a trace of rifling left in the first 8" of barrel.

That's a good point. Most recently, I shot out to 300 yards and was still sub-MOA. This coming Saturday, I'll be shooting 600 yards. It will be interesting to see what happens. I have a feeling, I'm going to see some issues.

Here's a 300 yard target from a couple of months ago when the round count was at an even 3,000:
Five consecutive sub-MOA groups with three of them in the 1/2-MOA range.

 

[truck1]

I reload because I don't want to be dependent on someone else to provide my ammo. Sure you can buy it now, but depending on where you reside you are at the mercy of politicians who might not want you to have ammunition for your firearms. Do you trust them to uphold your constitutional rights? I sure don't. Reloading is a long process of acquiring components, powder, equipment. It is an investment in you and your families freedom. Rant over.

 

[wade2big]

I reload because I don't want to be dependent on someone else to provide my ammo. Sure you can buy it now, but depending on where you reside you are at the mercy of politicians who might not want you to have ammunition for your firearms. Do you trust them to uphold your constitutional rights? I sure don't. Reloading is a long process of acquiring components, powder, equipment. It is an investment in you and your families freedom. Rant over.

Unless you stockpile reloading gear by the thousands then your point is moot. Reloading supplies will be and have been equally hard to come by. I sold 35,000 rounds of 5.45x39 when I got out of it last year. Just a dent. These numbers count.

 

[wade2big]

Personally, no way would accept an 11SD for a reloaded round. The last load I worked up has an SD of 3.5. Would be fun to see the difference on paper at 800+. THere may be none, but there may be a lot.

There would be much less error than your wind call.

 

[truck1]

Wade,
Like I replied, I reload for the independence of ammo availability for every caliber I own. It's not about the cost for me. I live in a state that is not so free anymore. Sure it is an investment, but a worthwhile one IMHO.

 

[wade2big]

Wade,
Like I replied, I reload for the independence of ammo availability for every caliber I own. It's not about the cost for me. I live in a state that is not so free anymore. Sure it is an investment, but a worthwhile one IMHO.

I never said anything about costs. It costs plenty to stockpile loaded ammunition as it does loading supplies. I understand why you and the other guys reload completely. I may one day as well. I was just making a point that if something ever happens to loaded ammunition, you can bet your ass reloaders will be in the same pickle.

if I reloaded I would shoot the best bullet for my needs. That would be a benefit to me. I don’t do that now. I buy what Good quality ammunition that I can buy in bulk from individuals. I buy out peoples stock when they either switch calibers, loads, or get out of shooting. If an ad popped up in my area with a guy selling 1000 - 10,000 rounds of FGMM 175 gr or similar, I would buy it usually at 60 to 70 cents a pop. Its what I do.

 

[Conaso]

Does it not translate to "pain versus gain" and time? I shoot very little .45 ACP, so I buy plinking and defense; I shoot a lot of .223Rem/5.56mm but don't have the time to reload the volume so I buy bulk and defense ammo; I have precision firearms in Revolver .357mag, .223Rem, 6.5CM, .32-40Win, etc., so I reload them for optimum precision, even mold some bullets.

If I made the $450/hr of my lawyer, I don't know how much I would reload.

It's whatever is right for YOU.

 

[GIXXER2000]

Well for me the cost of reloading my .338lm and .300WM has paid for all my reloading equipment many times over. I have used some factory ammo but it never is quite as good. I guess like the commercial if just ok works for you them that's great but not for me.

 

[magtech]

Milo, I volunteer to be The ASSHOLE you speak of.. I have nothing else to do and I am good at being an ASSHOLE.

I don't think I am the only one on here that"qualifies."

Damn, and here I was thinking It was my turn... Well shit

 

[AIAW]

Reloading gets all the bitches! That’s the main reason anyone does it; secondary is the complete and absolute control over your internal and external ballistics properties.

 

[magtech]

Why do I reload..It gives me something worthwhile to do when I want to be alone.

When my wife is being crazy It a good break from her.

And most importantly, it makes me shoot way more than normal. When I reload I'm way more excited to shoot for play/testing... There's something about buying bullets and shooting them that doesn't excite me. It's like ohh hey there boring factory bullets... Maybe my reloads have part of my soul in them and I can sense that...

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Shooting is the easy part. Reloading is the challenge. With it comes a sense of pride. And it's a hobby onto itself.