A new "what are you doing in the loading room today" thread

[WarEagleEd]

My reloading set-up is in the garage. It is west facing and gets pretty hot in the Summer which discourages me from doing much reloading. Add in a one-year old and there isn't much time to sit in the garage doing anything. I have some brass that has needed to be deprimed for a while. I recently ordered the Harvey hand deprimer in the hope that I can use it indoors where it is cooler and I can keep an eye on my son. Surprisingly, it arrived today, so I tried it out while watching football. It worked well, though my short fingers make it a little harder to use. Also, if a flash hole has debris stuck in it or if the primer anvil has moved around it can be difficult to get the depriming rod to fully seat in the flash hole. This keeps the case from entering the slot in the handle and the tool won't close thus not removing the primer.

[WarEagleEd]

I knocked the primers out of some .270 Winchester range brass using the Harvey Deprimer.

[Mbaker78]

I finally picked up the rest of the stuff I should need for powder coating, so I’ll probably give that a try sometime today. Hopefully it doesn’t go too poorly.

I tried out a test set of subsonic loads for 300aac with 1680 the other day and was thoroughly unimpressed. I couldn’t get velocity over 950, it was noticeably louder than my loads with IMR4227, and it was pretty dirty. It felt like my shooting bench was covered with sand after 30 rounds, which I’m guessing was unburnt powder.

Though I will say that it cycled amazingly well, even at the lowest test charge. Maybe I’ll save it for my sons undergassed 6.8spc (18” barrel with rifle gas system) and see if it performs better there.

[WarEagleEd]

Knocking out more primers with the Harvey Deprimer.

[Mbaker78]

I made it to the range today to put some rounds through my pistol suppressor. It’s an all around improvement over unsuppressed, but not nearly silent. Brass seems to just pile up at my feet now as opposed to flying 10+ feet away.

I tried some powder coating over the last couple days. In the process I also learned that aluminum isn’t as non-stick as they would make you believe, so I ended up peeling bullets off of the foil after they cooled.
The lee 309-230 mold seems to want a second coat of harbor freight red, while the 401-175 seemed to take well to a single coat. Next session I’ll try the 452-230 TC and see how they coat.

I have a decent load worked up for the 40 and 45, I just need to find something good for the blackout now.

[Mashuga]

When powder coating I use the aluminum foil that is marked 'non-stick'. Only one side of the foil is non stick though. I have not had any issues with bullets sticking to it and have reused the same sheets many times.

[Mbaker78]

I just used parchment paper. Much less fuss, and I can still get a couple uses out of it.

[b2lee]

Just finished up loading 100 300PRC with some 230gr Hornady A-Tips. Using Retumbo powder I got a load going over 3000fps with minimal pressure signs. The accuracy on this node is stupid good...and the muzzle velocity deviations are getting lower and lower with better scales and better brass prep.

Yep...finally got my 2000 yard rifle built and shooting nice....I think I'm in love.

[b2lee]

I purchased some 45ACP mags that were used police trade ins. Two had a slight amount of spot rust and I cleaned that...oiled them....disassembled and cleaned the springs and followers. Going to the range to function test the mags with a can of 45 Auto I loaded last month using some 230gr powder coated boolits.

45acp2.jpg

[Mbaker78]

My local shop had a 50cal ammo can full on M&P40 magazines for $12, so I bought a handful of them the other day. Eventually I’ll get around to building a 40s&w upper for my SBR and pick a stern defense mag block that accepts M&P magazines.

A couple days ago I loaded up test sets of 300aac subs (lee 309-230 that have been powder coated) with IMR4227 and lil’gun since I wasn’t impressed with 1680. I’m hoping the 4227 will be the one, because I have more of that than lil’gun.

[b2lee]

I loaded 3 rounds of 300BO with Lil' Gun and a Lee 309-230 powder coated red......and 1 round of 308 with Varget and a 168gr everglades match....just because I can't stand brass to be laying around. I have 5 pieces of 300PRC not loaded...but I can't find any Retumbo/RL-26/H1000 anywhere

Mbaker78, I have a BTSniper 40 cal die that makes 185gr boolits from old 9mm brass with an XTP hollow point. They hit HARD out of my hand gun....I've always wanted to see what they would do in a rifle. I've been thinking of a 10mm upper and see what they can do on some hogs.

[lightman]

Nothing much lately until just now. Sorted and deprimed some brass collected from the range. This is the weekend before deer season opens. Finally, something other than 9mm, 40 S&W and 223!

[Mbaker78]

I haven’t done anything loading related the last few days. Just got home from picking my son up from Parris Island after he graduated boot camp. We’ll probably go to the range at least once while he’s home, but I doubt I’ll be doing much loading until he goes back for MCT.

I did pick up an AR9 lower (Glock) from palmetto state armory while I was in the neighborhood though, just have to wait for it to be delivered to my FFL.

[WarEagleEd]

I applied some WD-40 as a corrosion preventative on the rams, handles, and other exposed metal parts of my reloading presses.

Ed

[DukeInFlorida]

In the course of shooting the Lawnsteel game, I average 60-90 shots a day (four games, each one 15-20 o so shots, depending n the target setup). Each game is 50 minutes or until the animal targets are all down, six shooters on th shooting line. Each shooter gets one shot at a time. So, at the end of the day, I get home and remove the empties from the 100 pc plastic ammo boxes. I had built quite an inventory of cartridges, several hundred for each gun I bring to the session.

• 38 Specials for my Contender
• 38 Specials for my S&W Model 27
• 44 magnums for my contender
• 44 magnums for my S&W 629
• 45 Long Colts for my Contender

I'm down to the last <200 of each, and it's time to start cleaning brass, and preparing for assembling enough for the next six months. While walnut shell media is fine for 99% of my reloading, I use SS pin tumbling for all my Lawnsteel brass. I tumble in water with some Dawn and citrus acid, followed by a careful rinse, and then drying in a food dehydrator. Finally, tumble in walnut shell media with NuFinish to give the shiny brass a great polymer coating that resists the humidity here in Florida.

The assembled cartridges stay shiny until used. Have been using Winchester brass exclusively, so that the pressure vessel reactions are the same every shot. Shooting at small steel targets with open sights at 165 feet+ requires the fussiest reloading that you can do.

There's a link for the rules of Lawnsteel in my sig line. If anyone is ever in the Daytona Beach area, we shoot every Tuesday morning. I'd be happy to lend you my seat on the line, a gun tuned for the game, and ammo tuned for the gun. Bring a roll of nickels, we play for nickels. If you think you are a good shot, try this!

Time to start cleaning/polishing brass.....

[b2lee]

Sounds like you had a great time Duke. I went to the range today to dial in the hunting scope on a 308...only shot 10 rounds. Then I did some load development rounds for the 300PRC...shot 10 rounds. Then I went home...so not much brass to prep.

Now...you made me think a little bit there with something you said. I too SS tumble my brass...after depriming....and put in two drops of Dawn and one of those old Lee powder dippers full of citric acid...and they get super shiny and then food dehydrate them dry....but after a while they will start to turn.....but you made me think that after I SS wet tumble...maybe run them through some walnut with NuFinish...and that pretty shine will last a lot longer.

I worked up a load on the 300PRC using VihtaVuori N565...I've never used VihtaVuori before....but my loads with it almost exactly matched my same loads with Retumbo...so I'm super happy.

[edp2k]

Instead of using dawn for SS pin tumbling, use any brand of car "wash&wax" liquid car wash soap.
It contains some wax, so that brass retains a thin wax coating even after a good rinse.
You can barely feel it on the dried brass, but it prevents any tarnishing for a long time (about a yr in my location)
and it makes sizing use a lot less effort.

I use armour all brand but others say they get the same results with other brands.

[Mbaker78]

I was hoping to make it to the range and test some loads before I go back to work, but it doesn’t look like that’ll be happening. I’m currently fighting off a cold, and the high tomorrow at the range is only going to be in the low 30s.

[LEP]

Got awful quite in here.

[b2lee]

I may get to shoot some Thursday when my new scope arrives...then I'll get to play in the reloading room. I only have one piece of brass that isn't loaded...and that's a 6.5 Creed...First time in my life I have a ton of powder, bullets, and primers.....and no spent brass to fill.