What did you reload today?

[padraig]

My first loading of powder coated bullets.

View attachment 1895154

Look like Bayou.

 

[TM-Salem]

I knew I was going to go shooting yesterday, working up loads for a few rifles.
I figured I havent shot the 45-70 in 7 years so I loaded up some 350gr cast and some 425gr cast to see how it still shoots.

I had taken the long eye relief pistol scope that I use as my scout scope (NcStar, pretty good as it has not broke under the recoil of the 45-70 yet)

I only had 80 yards where I was so I put the scope on after re-zeroing the scope.
1st 2 shots were about 2" low so I adjusted up 1.5 (i miss wrote 1.75 on the paper) and shot again.
The next 2 were just a little low and a little right so a quick adjustment and the next 2 were ok for
my 350gr flat nose Tombstone bullet flying at 1970fps at 80 yards. (a member of MarlinOwners.com named my cast bullets Tombstone's because my son picked the name Doc Holliday for me there.)

Of course I was in the middle of testing some 30-30 loads, and when I came back to them I noticed I was flinching because of the recoil of the 45-70 I was just shooting. I will have to retest the 30-30 I guess..

 

[Mono1]

"priving"
Did I start a trend?

@misterarman is an influencer now.

 

[misterarman]

@misterarman is an influencer now.

Wow!
Kind of almost like almost dieing if a heart attack.
Didn't see that coming.

 

[gmerkt]

I was at the range today. I wanted to check zero on my .35 Whelen. A couple of clicks of windage got it right. But I fired about 18 rounds total, some for fun. I will get started on reloading those later tonight. I'm still using my home-made .35 Whelen cases. Some time back, I bought some factory Hornady primed cases. But they cost about 90 cents each, I can't bring myself to use them so long as I have my home-mades. Like most of my firearms, I've never fired a factory round in it. The last time I saw .35 Whelen factory ammo on a shelf for sale was maybe 2-1/2 years ago, I the sticker said, $66 for a box of 20.

I have a low recoil load that I fire in the Whelen. I use the relatively new Hornady Sub-X bullet for this. The design of which supposedly causes it to properly expand at lower velocities. So, again supposedly, you don't need a whopper load to deliver the blow.

On this same range trip, I re-zeroed my Colt AR-15 to fire 75 gr. bullets. Previously, I'd fired 35 gr. frangible bullets through it. It needed significant adjustment to the factory sights (the carry handle kind). I'm still able to do pretty good shooting at 100 yards with the aperture sight. I struggle with some open rear sights that are situated ahead of the receiver.

 

[Mono1]

On this same range trip, I re-zeroed my Colt AR-15 to fire 75 gr. bullets.

Gotta Keep Yer Sh*t Zero'ed. A Rifle Not Zero'd is Just a BAT.

OR Firewood.

 

[oremike]

I refilled the in house ready firewood supply and then started on 9mm. First is some 147gr HP's for an order then some 135gr SWC's for my wifes SA-35. 10mm, 45acp, 38 Special and 41 Mag on deck.

 

[arakboss]

I spent 20 min fussing around with trying to pull the slide off my Bersa Thunder 380CC. After finally getting the slide off, I stuffed the loaded round in the barrel and it fit fine. I went ahead and expanded the case mouths a bit on the other 49 pieces of brass. Tomorrow I well add powder and Sunday I will seat bullets.

 

[arakboss]

I finished loading my 50 rounds of 380 but I crushed the cases on 5 rnds. I was too conservative with case mouth expansion and some of the pulled bullets were slightly larger in diameter. I am going to try 50 more, starting tomorrow. I already adjusted the expanding die to allow the largest diameter bullet to fit the mouth. Hopefully I get 50 out of 50 on this next batch.

 

[aasbra]

My first loading of powder coated bullets.

View attachment 1895154

I really like powder coated bullets for most of what I load for —range ammo for steel targets. I probably load and shoot more of them than anything else.

I've found them to be economical, accurate (if sized right for the application), and easy to clean the bore after firing. I prefer handling them when loading to lubed lead, and find there isn't the smoke like with traditional lubed lead when firing.

While it is tough to beat a good priced FMJ or JHP, for handgun loads, or subsonic/reduced rifle loads, I have been happy with the coated bullets if not pushing them too hard. I did lead up the bore of my 30-30 single shot while finding the "upper limit" of what velocity they would reasonable accommodate.

Please report back on your experience with these first coated bullets you loaded.

 

[padraig]

Back to 9mm...

 

[arakboss]

I loaded up 5 more 380 rnds to replace the 5, I crushed. I expanded the case mouths on 50 more 380 cases. I will be picking up more primers and powder this morning from fellow members and possibly a few projectiles as well. My "similar to" blc2 powder arrived yesterday and I picked up a jug from a local member yesterday evening as well.

Primers and powder are everywhere. Get some while getting is good.

 

[misterarman]

More .38

 

[Dozer99]

Loaded (21) 7x57 mm Mauser. 139 BTSP Hdy with 36 grains of Win 748. COL is 2.965.

I'll take my Brazilian 1935 out this week and see how it like the Win 748.

 

[Newberg]

APP arrived from LEE.

Setup and it worked fantastic for maybe 300 cases. Then the screw fell out of the bottom of the shuttle carrier and it fell apart. Now I can't get it to run smoothly or go back far enough to pickup a case even with the case feeder adjusted entirely to the right. I have to pull it back by hand a little.

So now with two hands I can make it work decently well with some speed. But it's still janky.

Also... I busted the Squirrel Daddy pin the same day I got it.

5.56 wet cleaned case + crimped primer. I emailed Squirrel Daddy but they have an ominous email reply about not reading emails.

So for now, the LEE factory pin is back in.

 

[misterarman]

APP arrived from LEE.

Setup and it worked fantastic for maybe 300 cases. Then the screw fell out of the bottom of the shuttle carrier and it fell apart. Now I can't get it to run smoothly or go back far enough to pickup a case even with the case feeder adjusted entirely to the right. I have to pull it back by hand a little.

So now with two hands I can make it work decently well with some speed. But it's still janky.

Also... I busted the Squirrel Daddy pin the same day I got it.

5.56 wet cleaned case + crimped primer. I emailed Squirrel Daddy but they have an ominous email reply about not reading emails.

So for now, the LEE factory pin is back in.

View attachment 1896459

Oh, Lee.

 

[misterarman]

Oh, Lee.

FW Arms Universal Decapping Die.
Buy once, cry once.

 

[Papercidal]

FW Arms Universal Decapping Die.
Buy once, cry once.

I've not tried their universal but I've got the original self centering decapper as well as the one with the popper and they are a game changer. They will barely clear the roller handle in the APP but if I was going to decap on that press I'd want the self centering die.

I used the app swage kit for a bit and while it worked well sometimes it didn't feed directly into the center of the shell holder and would punch the primer pocket sideways the self centering swage foot from fw arms solved this.

 

[Capn Jack]

What am I reloading?
My boats for the last time.
I told my wife, if there are any problems and we don't go out this summer,
both boats are for sale, as is, turn key, fueled and provisioned for two months.

 

[misterarman]

What am I reloading?
My boats for the last time.
I told my wife, if there are any problems and we don't go out this summer,
both boats are for sale, as is, turn key, fueled and provisioned for two months.

View attachment 1896671

I would take it out for a 3 hour tour.