What did you do at your reloading bench today?

trickg · Dec 2, 2021

bigmancrisler said:
I’m sure I probably save a good bit as almost everything I shoot is obsolete/not very readily available and usually expensive to get if I can find it. But also, I just love reloading. To me, there’s nothing better than coming home after a long day and just processing some brass or loading some ammo up.

This, all day long.

I have no qualms about shooting 45 ACP, 357 mag, 41 mag, 44 mag etc. Take 44 mag for example. The prices for 44 mag ammo are borderline outrageous IMO. If you already have the press, you'll pay for the dies with the money saved from just 2 boxes of ammo. It's even better if you're tooled up to cast bullets. When I was growing up, almost everything I fired that was a handgun round bigger than a 22 LR was reloaded with cast bullets.

This thread reminds me that I need to get my butt down into my reloading room and get some stuff done. I'm almost tooled up to do .223, so that's probably the next thing I'll reload.

bigmancrisler · Dec 2, 2021

trickg said:
This, all day long.

I have no qualms about shooting 45 ACP, 357 mag, 41 mag, 44 mag etc. Take 44 mag for example. The prices for 44 mag ammo are borderline outrageous IMO. If you already have the press, you'll pay for the dies with the money saved from just 2 boxes of ammo. It's even better if you're tooled up to cast bullets. When I was growing up, almost everything I fired that was a handgun round bigger than a 22 LR was reloaded with cast bullets.

This thread reminds me that I need to get my butt down into my reloading room and get some stuff done. I'm almost tooled up to do .223, so that's probably the next thing I'll reload.

I’m waiting on my casting equipment to show up, so that should start to cut my costs even more as I’m also in WV where I can get lead wheel weights fairly easily. So HOPEFULLY, my only costs now will be electricity for the melting pot, gas checks, powder coat primers and powder. Most all of my brass is range pick up or from factory ammo I bought once just for the brass.

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John from MD · Dec 2, 2021

bigmancrisler said:
I’m sure I probably save a good bit as almost everything I shoot is obsolete/not very readily available and usually expensive to get if I can find it. But also, I just love reloading. To me, there’s nothing better than coming home after a long day and just processing some brass or loading some ammo up.

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When I was on the job, reloading was one way of relieving stress. I just turn on some background tunes and got to work.

KRC · Dec 2, 2021

What is this "progressive" device of which thee speak?

Rockzilla · Dec 2, 2021

As some mentioned Time, Cost, etc. I started back in the early 70's
earlier if you count going to friends house who's family shot trap and
skeet reloaded 12ga. or parents friend that shot in bench rest. 222
Rem. and some others calibers, my mentor. So started with Rock
Chuckers, Ohaus Duo measure, Old RCBS 10-10, /even the ole Nut
Crackers are fun to use, not the fastest but hey it works.Like everything
else it just grew and grew casting, Wildcatting, Then to Corbin's
swaging, Would talk to Dave all the time, have some hand drawn
proto type equipment drawings, all his books, manuals, any thing
to do with swaging. It was just another extension of Reloading which
to me is a hobby. Personally I don't need or want the fastest, latest
like the ole Iron, Stars, Texan, Hollywood, etc. Time is subjective and
if you are about production, how fast, quanity so be it. If I do 20 50BMG
or 20 22 Hornets, thats fine, if I do 500-1,000 45acp's on the Stars thats
fine. Not knocking anyone. If you have to load in volumes for a shoot /match
that's fine, some make it sound like it's an effort. Like any Hobby, It's fun
and R & R... YMMV... As far as swaging and using 22LR cases, you always
find them and lead...so don't count time your GTG. only thing I haven't done
yet is make shot.. notice "yet"

-Rock

Speed3 · Dec 2, 2021

KRC said:
What is this "progressive" device of which thee speak?

Hahaha love the man bun label

Rockzilla · Dec 2, 2021

trickg said:
This, all day long.

I have no qualms about shooting 45 ACP, 357 mag, 41 mag, 44 mag etc. Take 44 mag for example. The prices for 44 mag ammo are borderline outrageous IMO. If you already have the press, you'll pay for the dies with the money saved from just 2 boxes of ammo. It's even better if you're tooled up to cast bullets. When I was growing up, almost everything I fired that was a handgun round bigger than a 22 LR was reloaded with cast bullets.

This thread reminds me that I need to get my butt down into my reloading room and get some stuff done. I'm almost tooled up to do .223, so that's probably the next thing I'll reload.

44 Mag can add rather quickly, Shooting Cast (powder coated) saves some.
As someone mentioned shooting after work more or less to relax. That's
what I did, worked nights go to range in morning (member) shoot bowling
pins, what a stress reliever.

There's a bunch of cartridges that I currently load thanks to the Contender
Pistol. Some if loaded are out there price wise. But it's all fun and relaxing
turn the tunes on and have at it.

-Rock

Harrys · Dec 3, 2021

John from MD said:
I guess we should have a law to keep people who can't rotate a shell carrier from owning reloading equipment. After all, it's for the children.

Harrys · Dec 3, 2021

trickg said:
This, all day long.

I have no qualms about shooting 45 ACP, 357 mag, 41 mag, 44 mag etc. Take 44 mag for example. The prices for 44 mag ammo are borderline outrageous IMO. If you already have the press, you'll pay for the dies with the money saved from just 2 boxes of ammo.

I generally shoot 50 to 100 rounds a month of .500 S&W magnums. At an average cost of 60 bucks per box of 20, it could get really pricy and cut into the beer fund. My cost to reload once the brass is paid for and re used is about 55 cents per found. I can get a little over 300 rounds from a pound of powder.

Harrys · Dec 3, 2021

John from MD said:
When I was on the job, reloading was one way of relieving stress. I just turn on some background tunes and got to work.

When I was stationed with the Navy at GTMO, we could have our personal weapons on the base, they just had to be stored in the armory. We were able to check them out and go to the range. After a long 18-hour day training ships and running people through the gas chamber it was relaxing to go to the armory and make a few rounds on my free time. Being there and training we had very little free time. I did have my reloading equipment there and could keep it in my flintstone house. However, primers and powder were stored at the armory, so I had to bring the equipment there. There were hundreds of guns stored there that were abandoned/unclaimed by people when they were transferred. Some of the guns have been there since the 50s. It was a real shame as the Navy ended up scrapping/destroying all of them, at their scrap yard on base.

PowPow · Dec 3, 2021

erwos said:
The 550C is infamous for pistol double charges in action shooting circles, which is why it was never on the table for me. Doing those on a 650 is difficult due to how it works. Doing it on a 550C is one moment of indexing forgetfulness, especially with smaller 9mm charges. That is why I almost never recommend the 550C for anything other than large rifle cartridges.

Every time I hear about the infamy of double charges on the 550, I just gotta say "wow". For that to happen when running it progressively, one is not indexing it, not putting a new case in, not putting a new bullet in to seat, and is decapping a live primer and installing a fresh one in its place. You're forgetting to do 3 things and doing one semi-dangerous thing.

It's pretty simple to avoid, but one needs to pay attention if the process stalls for any reason. If one can't pay attention, then maybe reloading is probably not a good thing to be doing.

PowPow · Dec 3, 2021

erwos said:
Oh, I agree. But some people are also claiming they're loading at 500 rounds an hour on one, without a bullet feeder and a case feeder. There's a lot of room for things to go wrong at that pace.

The absolute peak that I can do on my 550 is 100 pistol in ~15 minutes, but I can't sustain that pace for a whole hour. A man's got to know his limitations and the imitations of his equipment. New equipment can't always make up for the man's limitations. :lol2:

GunBum · Dec 4, 2021

PowPow said:
The absolute peak that I can do on my 550 is 100 pistol in ~15 minutes, but I can't sustain that pace for a whole hour. A man's got to know his limitations and the imitations of his equipment. New equipment can't always make up for the man's limitations.

Same here. I usually just go into the loading room, load up a tube of primers, knock out 100 rounds, box them up, and leave the loading room. Takes about 10-15 minutes. I might repeat that whole process after a short break, but loading 500 rounds straight almost never happens for me. I find more joy in loading oddball stuff on the single stage press.

lazarus · Dec 5, 2021

PowPow said:
The absolute peak that I can do on my 550 is 100 pistol in ~15 minutes, but I can't sustain that pace for a whole hour. A man's got to know his limitations and the imitations of his equipment. New equipment can't always make up for the man's limitations.

That’s not what she said :lol2:

lazarus · Dec 5, 2021

GunBum said:
Same here. I usually just go into the loading room, load up a tube of primers, knock out 100 rounds, box them up, and leave the loading room. Takes about 10-15 minutes. I might repeat that whole process after a short break, but loading 500 rounds straight almost never happens for me. I find more joy in loading oddball stuff on the single stage press.

That’s what I do too. Once I’ve loaded a tray of primers, I walk away for a bit. Most times that’s all I plan to load in a session. But if I was planning to really crank it out I’ll stop, go have a seltzer. Watch a little TV. Just go stretch my legs and back for 5 minutes at least. Then load another tray of primers and get back to it.

bigmancrisler · Dec 5, 2021

I usually do about 50-100 then I’ll take brass out of the tumbler and dry it then go back and do some more or something like that.

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CanDoEZ · Dec 5, 2021

Finally got my bench redesign completed, and set up the Dillon 550 I inherited from my Uncle last year. Slider press mount idea stolen from Bob at MD Reloadr. Repurposed a stainless steel restaurant drink station that I picked up for $50

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John from MD · Dec 5, 2021

Another neat reloading bench! :omg:

trickg · Dec 6, 2021

CanDoEZ said:
Finally got my bench redesign completed, and set up the Dillon 550 I inherited from my Uncle last year. Slider press mount idea stolen from Bob at MD Reloadr. Repurposed a stainless steel restaurant drink station that I picked up for $50

Looks good!

I like the idea of having a setup where you can swap in a different press - I'm at a point where I'd like to have either another bench with a single stage press to compliment my Dillon - and frankly, I could use the extra space, so the extra bench is not a bad idea - or having a setup where my presses are swappable, like yours.

I'm of the belief that a neat reloading bench is a safe reloading bench.

Seagrave1963 · Dec 6, 2021

CanDoEZ said:
Finally got my bench redesign completed, and set up the Dillon 550 I inherited from my Uncle last year. Slider press mount idea stolen from Bob at MD Reloadr. Repurposed a stainless steel restaurant drink station that I picked up for $50

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Very nice setup. InLine stuff is great too.

What did you do at your reloading bench today?

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