What did you do at your reloading bench today?

[erwos]

Finished dialing in my Primer Xpress tonight and loaded ~150x 5.56x45 from the brass I trimmed on press. Didn't realize I had to do a couple things, but clever reading of the manual (always recommended!) set me straight.

Really cannot say enough good things about the Primer Xpress. Not having to manage primer tubes is fantastic. Only real quibble now is that the funnel on it could be bigger - it's fine for CCI primers, but the huge Federal primer trays don't fit very well.

 

[gwfrench]

Finally finished a batch of several times fired 220 HXP 30-06 brass prep. I want to do 125gr TNT Speer loads to play with using my Garand.

 

[guzma393]

Thawed out the casting equipment today and casted 1k lee 312/160/2R bullets.

I'm always running low on these 160 grain casts as 310 projectiles are always OOS and my mini30 and other 30 cal guns eat them up. Experimented with mixing pbtp super wet black with Eastwood lime green and got a neat foilage green color.

On top of that, the coating seems to run a bit thinner (a good thing for keeping the already fat ogive of this bullet thin for 300 blk loading). I also noticed that the coated bullets separated alot easier vs. Eastwood limegreen coated casts.

 

[lazarus]

I finished depriming and sizing all of my .308 and 7.62x51. Time for a trip through the primer swager and then trimming and a final tumbling and then work up some loads.

 

[trickg]

Finished dialing in my Primer Xpress tonight and loaded ~150x 5.56x45 from the brass I trimmed on press. Didn't realize I had to do a couple things, but clever reading of the manual (always recommended!) set me straight.

Really cannot say enough good things about the Primer Xpress. Not having to manage primer tubes is fantastic. Only real quibble now is that the funnel on it could be bigger - it's fine for CCI primers, but the huge Federal primer trays don't fit very well.

I was thinking about this post as I was pecking away at primers on a tray recently. I don't know if I shoot and reload enough to justify something like that though.

I had an interesting little issue last night. I finally decided to reload some 44 Magnum brass I'd had sitting around, and for the first time I set up my dies on my Dillon 550 for that. Once I got the dies set, I took off to reload progressive, but that little paperclip cartridge retention spring in station one kept binding, and for that case I just couldn't seem to find a sweet spot. Either it would bind when I was trying to insert a new case, or it would bind when I tried to index the press.

After doing some reading, I found that this is a common problem when loading 44 Mag and 45 Colt - the rims on the cases are so big that it's problematic.

I ended up just taking it off, and everything went smoothly after that. Apparently some guys do that, and they leave it off, but I'll likely put it back on when I move back to a smaller cartridge.

 

[Melnic]

Guzma, let us know how they shoot?
Are you gas checking those?

 

[Melnic]

dupe

 

[John from MD]

I would hate to try and put checks on painted bullets considering how the paint has increased the heel diameter.

 

[guzma393]

Guzma, let us know how they shoot?
Are you gas checking those?

I would hate to try and put checks on painted bullets considering how the paint has increased the heel diameter.

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.

 

[trickg]

I would hate to try and put checks on painted bullets considering how the paint has increased the heel diameter.

From what I've read about powder coating bullets, the coating negates the need for gas checks. I've read a few posts and articles that talk about how powder coating is a game changer for cast lead bullets. Coating allows for high pressures and faster speeds with virtually no leading whatsoever, with or without gas checks.

 

[John from MD]

From what I've read about powder coating bullets, the coating negates the need for gas checks. I've read a few posts and articles that talk about how powder coating is a game changer for cast lead bullets. Coating allows for high pressures and faster speeds with virtually no leading whatsoever, with or without gas checks.

It all depends on gun, bullet, velocity as to whether you will get acceptable accuracy without the gas check. As to the game changer part, it is and does all the stuff you say.

GUZ

I make my own for .30 cal but they work just like sage's. I buy his checks for my .44 and .45s as I don't have the tooling to make those. My fingers hurt trying to push the checks over paint so I pop them on before painting while watching a movie on the boob tube.

 

[Hugel38]

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?

 

[Hugel38]

CCI550 vs CCI 500 primers

I am trying to reload some 357 magnums and can’t find the CCI 550 primers anywhere. I do have some CCI 500’s however, so was wondering if I could use the 500’s and if so what can I expect?

 

[guzma393]

From what I've read about powder coating bullets, the coating negates the need for gas checks. I've read a few posts and articles that talk about how powder coating is a game changer for cast lead bullets. Coating allows for high pressures and faster speeds with virtually no leading whatsoever, with or without gas checks.

From my experience, anything pushed over 1500+ fps, especially for WW hardness lead, a gas check is highly recommended for acceptable accuracy out for midrange-longrange shooting. On top of that, a cast bullet with a gas check heel will perform worst without a gas check as it was designed to be fitted with one. I'm sure is is possible to get a plain based mold, optimize temperature/variants to cast perfect based bullets, and optimize the lead hardness, but I personally prefer to workaround all that by simply installing a gas check.

The powder coat simply acts as a lube and soft jacket that allows casts to run in direct impingement and piston driven semi autos. I normally don't gas check for loads shooting ~1000 fps.


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[trickg]

From my experience, anything pushed over 1500+ fps, especially for WW hardness lead, a gas check is highly recommended for acceptable accuracy out for midrange-longrange shooting. On top of that, a cast bullet with a gas check heel will perform worst without a gas check as it was designed to be fitted with one. I'm sure it is possible to get a plain based mold, optimize temperature/variants to cast perfect based bullets, and optimize the lead hardness, but I personally prefer to workaround all that by simply installing a gas check.

The powder coat simply acts as a lube and soft jacket that allows casts to run in direct impingement and piston driven semi autos. I normally don't gas check for loads shooting ~1000 fps.


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If pushing anything past 1500 fps, then shouldn't a jacketed bullet be used?

I know my Dad used gas checks on certain bullets he cast, but I don't cast - I'm either going to buy coated lead bullets for plinking and range fodder, or I'm going to buy something jacketed.

 

[guzma393]

If pushing anything past 1500 fps, then shouldn't a jacketed bullet be used?



I know my Dad used gas checks on certain bullets he cast, but I don't cast - I'm either going to buy coated lead bullets for plinking and range fodder, or I'm going to buy something jacketed.

Not at all, I've pushed gas checked casts over 2000+ fps, although that is the limit I will take them.

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[guzma393]

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?

You're new here. You got a separate post asking the same topic. Please respond to your own post, but to entertain your inquiry, what kind of powders are you using?

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[guzma393]

It all depends on gun, bullet, velocity as to whether you will get acceptable accuracy without the gas check. As to the game changer part, it is and does all the stuff you say.



GUZ



I make my own for .30 cal but they work just like sage's. I buy his checks for my .44 and .45s as I don't have the tooling to make those. My fingers hurt trying to push the checks over paint so I pop them on before painting while watching a movie on the boob tube.

My 30 cal gas check maker is still on backorder (been about 6 months in, ordered one from dimaprok). At this time, I might make my own ever since I acquired a minilathe.

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[trickg]

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?

I am trying to reload some 357 magnums and can’t find the CCI 550 primers anywhere. I do have some CCI 500’s however, so was wondering if I could use the 500’s and if so what can I expect?

It depends on the powder you're using and what the manual calls for. Some powders are better served with a magnum primer, and others don't require it.

I currently load 44 mag with Unique, and that doesn't require a magnum primer for good ignition, but loads with powders like H110 typically call for it.

What powder are you looking to use?

 

[John from MD]

If pushing anything past 1500 fps, then shouldn't a jacketed bullet be used?

I know my Dad used gas checks on certain bullets he cast, but I don't cast - I'm either going to buy coated lead bullets for plinking and range fodder, or I'm going to buy something jacketed.

I shoot my 300BO at 2000 FPS with scrap lead mix and powdercoated. Out of my 8 inch barrel, I get two inch groups from the bench with no leading at all.