What did you do at your reloading bench today?

guzma393 said:

I've always installed gas checks on my coated casts using these checks and a lee sizer:

https://www.sagesoutdoors.com/30-7-62-mm-caliber-015-aluminum-gas-checks/

I sized and GC'ed all of them last night. I even tested out a new method where I installed the gas checks by hand before sizing. A good bit would 'snap' on while others would just cling on due do a bit of flashing on the heel. The ones that just cling on seem to crimp on just fine when pusher through the sizer. It's as if these gas checks are designed for this bullet with powdercoat applied.

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Thx was curious/confirming.

I have been plopping on the GC before coating as John does (he is the one that recommended it) my coatings tend to go on thick and I don't knock as much PC off as I should. John told me how, i just don't do it Was wondering how easy it was with your thinner coat. One of the PC I evaluated in my PC source thread goes on thinner and I was thinking to PC up a small batch with that coating to see if If putting on GC after coating was easier.

To enforce what was said, the GC I found makes it more accurate. I feel the consistent base with a GC makes a difference vs what you get without it. Sometimes I notice the base becomes an imperfect shape either from mold or from the PC process. Putting a GC on it if consistant and straight aides accuracy. Early on when I was putting GC on AFTER the PC, It did not fit easily so I got crooked ones and ones that did not insert as much. CG before PC does sometimes have the GC fall off and I just toss and remelt those.

My pistol bullets are never gas checked of course and my 9mm and 45 PC cast bullets along with the formula I use now are more accurate than any FMJ or Copper washed bullet I've been able to tune.

Guzma, I'm going to bump my PC source thread so you can post some of your recent powders to it.

Hugel38 said:

Hello, can someone answer a question regarding primers. I’m new to reloading. Been gathering supplies for about a year now.
Want to reload some 357 mag but I can’t find the CCI550 (magnum) primers. I do have some CCI500 however. Can I use the 500’s? What can I expect?

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People are trying to help you in the thread you already started.
https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=262613

Melnic said:

My pistol bullets are never gas checked of course and my 9mm and 45 PC cast bullets along with the formula I use now are more accurate than any FMJ or Copper washed bullet I've been able to tune.

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I have never been able to get the same accuracy with either Berry's or Ranier that I get with my own cast bullets. Part of the problem may be that i am pickier as to weight than they are. I limit my "match" grade bullets to a 1 grain spread and anything else goes in the plinking box. The plated bullets are a much wider spread and so they don't do as well. I only buy them if I run out of bullets and the weather is too cold or hot for casting.

John from MD said:

I have never been able to get the same accuracy with either Berry's or Ranier that I get with my own cast bullets. Part of the problem may be that i am pickier as to weight than they are. I limit my "match" grade bullets to a 1 grain spread and anything else goes in the plinking box. The plated bullets are a much wider spread and so they don't do as well. I only buy them if I run out of bullets and the weather is too cold or hot for casting.

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I have been casting my own for about a year now for my 45/70 and .500 S&W. I had some previously reloaded Berrys and Speer bullets. I also, found my hard cast with gas checks performed better. I just thought it was just me but when I brought both and compared the cast performed better. I can shoot 2-2-1/2 groups at 100 yards with cast with Iron sites. Berrys and Speer spread either up, down or sideways with 3-inch groups.

Setted up the press to load more 7.62x39 to load reduced cast loads. Been messing with berdan to boxer conversions this past two months ever since I got a minilathe.

200+ conversions and 300+ shots later, I still have my fingers.

Nice but doesn't resizing steel cases need strong arms.

Oh and GET THAT KEY OUT OF THAT CHUCK before you get hurt.

guzma393 said:

Setted up the press to load more 7.62x39 to load reduced cast loads. Been messing with berdan to boxer conversions this past two months ever since I got a minilathe.

200+ conversions and 300+ shots later, I still have my fingers.

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Believe it or not they also run in my PSA AK. Lol


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I have had good results using the 22Reloader kit to convert brass for x39 and 54R with cast bullets. Tried a few jacketed rounds closer to full power, and etched the face of the M-44 bolt when gases leaked around the primer on one of them. Will keep the converted cases for cast loads only, now.

Used brass cases from some M-67 for the x39 and Bulgarian surplus for the 54R. The M-67 cases look like they will hold up well for multiple loadings. Gonna try some M-30 cases for 54R next time. It looks to be very good brass for converting. I have enough brass cases that using steel should not be necessary for the foreseeable future.

When buying projectiles for use in x39, it is not any less expensive than buying ammo(may be significantly more expensive with jacketed projectiles), but the accuracy obtained is worth the effort.

If you cast your own, then the savings are noticeable.

Dupe

Dupe

GuitarmanNick said:

I have had good results using the 22Reloader kit to convert brass for x39 and 54R with cast bullets. Tried a few jacketed rounds closer to full power, and etched the face of the M-44 bolt when gases leaked around the primer on one of them. Will keep the converted cases for cast loads only, now.

Used brass cases from some M-67 for the x39 and Bulgarian surplus for the 54R. The M-67 cases look like they will hold up well for multiple loadings. Gonna try some M-30 cases for 54R next time. It looks to be very good brass for converting. I have enough brass cases that using steel should not be necessary for the foreseeable future.

When buying projectiles for use in x39, it is not any less expensive than buying ammo(may be significantly more expensive with jacketed projectiles), but the accuracy obtained is worth the effort.

If you cast your own, then the savings are noticeable.

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Yeah, unfortunately. That said, you can sometimes find a deal on projectiles. It does make me wonder if the Russian imports being shut down will both cause some domestic suppliers to introduce new loaded ammo (maybe a steel case option?) as well as more reloading projectiles.

It has been awhile since I've FOUND any .310/.311 projectiles for 7.62x39 loading (other than Hornady SST), but the last few times they were around 20cpb for FMJ. Lands you around 40cpr loaded depending on what your other component prices were.

In the times of yesteryear before the pandemic hit, I did see FMJ bullets for around 16-18cpb a few times. THOSE prices got you down around 30cpr. If you compared to brass cased ammo, still a lot cheaper. Of course not remotely as cheap as steel cased ammo (god, those were the days!).

It was NOT a favor, but I am glad I dragged my feet as long as I did on another gun in 7.62x39 and finally decided to pass on 5.45x39. Now? Shit, that would have been an awful mistake.

One thing when you could nab either for pretty cheap. Now? Basically no 5.45 and 7.62 steel is likely to dry up a lot in another year and a half and brass ain't so cheap. Though maybe higher demand for it will cause prices to (eventually) go down if manufacturers increase production and scales of economy there.

When I could shoot 7.62x39 for under 20cpr it was making finding some way to get an AK like, or AR in 7.62x39 awfully attractive. Now? Well, I will not get rid of my SKS as I really like it and I've got enough loaded ammo to run it for probably a decade at the rate I use it, and enough components to run it for another 3 or 4 years. At some point I am hoping I can score 1 or 2k FMJ bullets for a really good deal to get me another maybe decade of use reloading.

I got 100 primed federal cases last year and 250 FMJ bullets early last year for what were good pre-pandemic prices (I wish I had gotten 200 cases and 1000 bullets. Oh well) and then RMR had "trash" primed 7.62x39 that I picked up 500 cases from them. I'll want to load many of them lighter, but in sorting them, about 200 seemed to be properly sized (or close enough to be SAAMI spec), another 250 are short, but I am 99% sure not dangerously short (mostly coming up .01-.02" below SAMMI minimum). Another 20 or so are trash and I'll deprime them and reuse the primers. 30 are so long and I should be able to size them down with the priming pin out.

The short cases I'll load around minimum starting loads to hopefully resize them up without blowing apart the cases. I could probably load them near max without problems, but I'd really much rather load very light. I am loading for plinking anyway. At some point I might try a match load for my SKS as it does seem pretty accurate with the right load. And I might work up a hunting load, just to try it out deer hunting some year. Not concerned about it that much though for stretching loads.

John from MD said:

Nice but doesn't resizing steel cases need strong arms.



Oh and GET THAT KEY OUT OF THAT CHUCK before you get hurt.

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It became a habit of when I started chucking and turning stock for a just a couple of seconds haha. I always hate putting it down somewhere and forgetting where I put it

Sizing steel cases isn't too bad provided that they are generously lubed. They don't seem to experience that hydraulic vacuum effect vs. overlubed sized brass.

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guzma393 said:

It became a habit of when I started chucking and turning stock for a just a couple of seconds haha. I always hate putting it down somewhere and forgetting where I put it

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The problem is that when you get in the habit of leaving it there, you eventually leave it there when you turn on the lathe. Then you get a quick trip to the emergency room to get it removed.

guzma393 said:

It became a habit of when I started chucking and turning stock for a just a couple of seconds haha. I always hate putting it down somewhere and forgetting where I put it

Sizing steel cases isn't too bad provided that they are generously lubed. They don't seem to experience that hydraulic vacuum effect vs. overlubed sized brass.

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Get one of the chrome plated magnets that Home Depot sells (several in a bag for skinny money) and attach it to your lathe gear box. They are strong enough to hold a chuck key and it doesn't get lost.

KRC said:

"Are you gonna trim and point them?"

to

Berger 6.5mm 140 Hybrid (moly)

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Just got a Whidden pointing die and 2 collets for 6.5 for 180 shipped what meplat trimmer do you use

Belt sander.

Many years ago I had a meplat trimmer (K&N? - now in the bottom of a drawer somewhere?) but I did not like it as it still left a sharp wafer edge that had to be removed after trimming anyways. I now use a shop belt sander with a very worn very fine grade belt. I have done this not just to eliminate the uneven jagged edge on most 140 gr. Hybrids, but also to remove a few thou in length so the rounds fit and cycle in an AICS mag. At this point, I can't yet say the tip "improvement" makes a difference downrange, but it seems logical that more symmetrical and similar tips would shoot more consistently.

KRC said:

Belt sander.

Many years ago I had a meplat trimmer (K&N? - now in the bottom of a drawer somewhere?) but I did not like it as it still left a sharp wafer edge that had to be removed after trimming anyways. I now use a shop belt sander with a very worn very fine grade belt. I have done this not just to eliminate the uneven jagged edge on most 140 gr. Hybrids, but also to remove a few thou in length so the rounds fit and cycle in an AICS mag. At this point, I can't yet say the tip "improvement" makes a difference downrange, but it seems logical that more symmetrical and similar tips would shoot more consistently.

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It likely does make some differences, especially at very long ranges.

That said, poking around there are a few tests out there or people mutilating the tips of bullets and it has minimal impact on accuracy. Damage to the tail of the bullet had significant impact on the accuracy. Now these tests were at 100 and I think one was done at 200yds and didn’t find more than about an extra 1 inch deviation from mutilate tips.

Cleaning up tips that are slightly off? Probably does do a bit, but you might be talking at the level of a tenth or so MOA uniforming them. Certainly something to do once you’ve worked on accurizing all the other variables. Probably not something to focus on early on in making the most accurate match loads.

Just cast my first bullets with Guz’s help.


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sheath

Built a sheath for my Mom's chef knife I gave her for Christmas.

NIce.

usa259 said:

Built a sheath for my Mom's chef knife I gave her for Christmas.

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Nice what material did you use?