Best use of effort while reloading

[Trekker]

In terms of focus, I prioritize Safety first, then adequate Accuracy, then conservation of Time/Cost.

Safety comes first, as I rather like my eyes and face. My biggest focuses are on proper powder charge and case inspection. Since I am still running a single stage rockchucker and am working slowly anyway, I throw a deliberately low charge and then use the powder trickler to bring the charge up to the target weight. Although not necessary for pistol cases, since I have a tumbler I clean the brass anyway, and give them a look over for problems. I find it easier to look for cracks/overpressure signs/etc. with clean brass, and as a side bonus it also keeps my fingers cleaner.

Adequate Accuracy comes next, since if I cannot hit the target or am unsatisfied with accuracy, what is the point of shooting? I carefully measure powder and check the weight variance of bullets when I buy from a new manufacturer. My father got a 1k box of 200gr. lead SWC once, and that manufacturer had issues of air bubbles in the lead, which resulted in +/- 10-15gr. weight variances. Once I am convinced for a given manufacturer that bullet weight variance is minimal, and performance is decent, I do not weigh the bullets again. In the past I spent too much time trying different loads with combinations of powder and bullets, nowadays I am trying to standardize to decent readily available choices in powder and bullets. I do not have preference in primers, since I have not had any past ignition issues with CCI/Winchester/Federal/Remington.

For Cost, I buy bullets and primers in bulk and use range pick up brass.

For Time, I do not sort brass by manufacturer/weight. I will pay more for plated or jacketed bullets for guns that lead up more readily, since I am willing to pay a bit extra to forgo the time spent cleaning out lead. At a certain price point, it is better to simply purchase factory ammo than to bother reloading, so I keep in mind where this price point is for the ammo I shoot. Standard 7.5#/8# 12 gauge shotgun rounds for skeet always fall in this category for me. I will run 500-1000 rounds through a stage (deprime/size, bell case mouth, charge and seat bullet) to minimize time changing out and adjusting dies. I plan to get a progressive press to spend less time at the reloading bench, and so am looking into getting a dillon.

 

[noylj]

>Dealing with stuff that can cause catastrophic failure in your firearms, and injury or death to you and those in close proximity. I treat every step as if my life depends on it.

Do you really see case cleaning as your "life depends on it?" How about primer pocket cleaning? Flash hole deburring? Trimming cases that are below max case length?
Where your life depends on it would be barrel inspection (to be sure there is no obstruction), case inspection (particularly if something gets stuck in the case reducing case volume), charge weight verification, and checking bullet tension with finger/thumb.

 

[byf43]

>Dealing with stuff that can cause catastrophic failure in your firearms, and injury or death to you and those in close proximity. I treat every step as if my life depends on it.

Do you really see case cleaning as your "life depends on it?" How about primer pocket cleaning? Flash hole deburring? Trimming cases that are below max case length?


Where your life depends on it would be barrel inspection (to be sure there is no obstruction), case inspection (particularly if something gets stuck in the case reducing case volume), charge weight verification, and checking bullet tension with finger/thumb.

These are 'my' not-so-humble opinions -


Case cleaning: Cases are clean, so that you can visually inspect them, more easily. (And yes, I visually inspect EVERY case that I load.)

Primer pocket cleaning: IF primer pockets are allowed to 'build up' crud, you COULD (note - caps are for emphasis) prevent a primer from seating completely/properly.
(And COULD have an out-of-battery discharge.)

Flash hole de-burring: No specific comment.

Trimming cases that are below max case length: Not necessarily 'life threatening', but, I trim cases in a batch to keep uniformity.

 

[BUFF7MM]

>Dealing with stuff that can cause catastrophic failure in your firearms, and injury or death to you and those in close proximity. I treat every step as if my life depends on it.

Do you really see case cleaning as your "life depends on it?" How about primer pocket cleaning? Flash hole deburring? Trimming cases that are below max case length?
Where your life depends on it would be barrel inspection (to be sure there is no obstruction), case inspection (particularly if something gets stuck in the case reducing case volume), charge weight verification, and checking bullet tension with finger/thumb.

you pretty much answered your own question about the cases, thanks, now crawl back under your bridge.

 

[BUFF7MM]

These are 'my' not-so-humble opinions -


Case cleaning: Cases are clean, so that you can visually inspect them, more easily. (And yes, I visually inspect EVERY case that I load.)

Primer pocket cleaning: IF primer pockets are allowed to 'build up' crud, you COULD (note - caps are for emphasis) prevent a primer from seating completely/properly.
(And COULD have an out-of-battery discharge.)

Flash hole de-burring: No specific comment.

Trimming cases that are below max case length: Not necessarily 'life threatening', but, I trim cases in a batch to keep uniformity.

spot on assessment.

 

[noylj]

Being called a troll for pointing out that there are priorities is ridiculous. I'm a troll? Really? Is that your ad hominem attack to everyone that suggests something else? That's is usually the anti-gunners technique.
Primer pocket residue does NOT build up and, if it did, you STILL run a finger over every seated primer, don't you? After all, every step is life-or-death.
Residue inside a bottle neck case (not a straightwall case) can build up, but most folks never shoot a bottleneck case enough for this to happen--it is a problem for benchrest shooters who use one case for years, shooting what can be light, sooty loads. And, historically, it never causes them any problems until they note a chunk fall out of the case.
I can easily inspect cases before cleaning and don't find any issue. The whole idea that a case must be bright and shiny to be able to inspect the case is really an excuse for the loader's desire for bright and shiny.
The real question then is: do you really inspect EVERY case after cleaning? I inspect every case before cleaning—I think it is that important. My problem is that I occasionally throw a case in the wrong bin (say a .40 into my .45 Auto bin) and my press doesn't like it.

 

[byf43]

Being called a troll for pointing out that there are priorities is ridiculous. I'm a troll? Really? Is that your ad hominem attack to everyone that suggests something else? That's is usually the anti-gunners technique.
Primer pocket residue does NOT build up and, if it did, you STILL run a finger over every seated primer, don't you? After all, every step is life-or-death.
Residue inside a bottle neck case (not a straightwall case) can build up, but most folks never shoot a bottleneck case enough for this to happen--it is a problem for benchrest shooters who use one case for years, shooting what can be light, sooty loads. And, historically, it never causes them any problems until they note a chunk fall out of the case.
I can easily inspect cases before cleaning and don't find any issue. The whole idea that a case must be bright and shiny to be able to inspect the case is really an excuse for the loader's desire for bright and shiny.
The real question then is: do you really inspect EVERY case after cleaning? I inspect every case before cleaning—I think it is that important. My problem is that I occasionally throw a case in the wrong bin (say a .40 into my .45 Auto bin) and my press doesn't like it.

TIME OUT!!!!!!



Don't get your panties in a bunch.
I made a response to your post. Period. That's what we do, here. We have a CONVERSATION.


I've been loading my own ammo for darned-near 40 years, now, and YES, primer pocket residue DOES (can) build up. (However, I clean every primer pocket, every time.)

 

[DaemonAssassin]

>Dealing with stuff that can cause catastrophic failure in your firearms, and injury or death to you and those in close proximity. I treat every step as if my life depends on it.

Do you really see case cleaning as your "life depends on it?" How about primer pocket cleaning? Flash hole deburring? Trimming cases that are below max case length?
Where your life depends on it would be barrel inspection (to be sure there is no obstruction), case inspection (particularly if something gets stuck in the case reducing case volume), charge weight verification, and checking bullet tension with finger/thumb.

Being called a troll for pointing out that there are priorities is ridiculous. I'm a troll? Really? Is that your ad hominem attack to everyone that suggests something else? That's is usually the anti-gunners technique.
Primer pocket residue does NOT build up and, if it did, you STILL run a finger over every seated primer, don't you? After all, every step is life-or-death.
Residue inside a bottle neck case (not a straightwall case) can build up, but most folks never shoot a bottleneck case enough for this to happen--it is a problem for benchrest shooters who use one case for years, shooting what can be light, sooty loads. And, historically, it never causes them any problems until they note a chunk fall out of the case.
I can easily inspect cases before cleaning and don't find any issue. The whole idea that a case must be bright and shiny to be able to inspect the case is really an excuse for the loader's desire for bright and shiny.
The real question then is: do you really inspect EVERY case after cleaning? I inspect every case before cleaning—I think it is that important. My problem is that I occasionally throw a case in the wrong bin (say a .40 into my .45 Auto bin) and my press doesn't like it.

Somebody pass the butter and J.O. Spice....

 

[Pinecone]

It depends on what the load is for.

For USPSA, good cast bullets, decent powder, primers whatever is cheapest. Mixed lots of brass. Crank the 650 and make rounds.

For long range rifle, QUALITY brass, MATCH bullets, MATCH primers, SPECIFIC powder. And lots of time doing things carefully and repeatably.

Other rounds, somewhere in between.

 

[Pinecone]

To to the above.

I tumble all my brass first. Mainly to avoid grit damaging my dies. I do not clean primer pockets, and have never had an issue. And some of my pistol brass has been loaded a LOT of times.

I do not visually inspect every case every time. Except for my long range loads, but I load those by the hundreds, not thousands like pistol and .223.

 

[Jmorrismetal]

I automate the processes, I get more done in less time, more accurately.

Sorting brass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFw7IcQUmgs

Casting, coating and sizing bullets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8tWaN5PrTY

Sorting for small primer pocket brass while loading
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V7vSEAqkZw

Having a computer controlled machine load for you while you do something else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrFhnDQ-eUU

Sure it took time to build the machines but after the works done once the payback is every time you use it.