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Reloading time again -- what is your most hated part of the process?


Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381

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Dang I hate to fill primer tubes. I don't know why, but I hate filling primer tubes. :wacko: I just finished up with 20 tubes in preparation for cranking the Dillon handle.

 

What is your least favorite part of reloading?

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Paying for components.

 

I load on a rock chucker, so I have to change dies, changing and re-setting dies is probably what I dislike the most. It does seem to take forever to finish when I'm running batches of 500 or more. Just finished about 1200 rounds and am getting ready to start a batch of about 600. Let's see, for that 600 it will take 1800 pulls on the rock chucker and 600 squeezes on the hand priming tool. I sure am looking forward to the day when I can afford a nice progressive press.

 

Grizz

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Stuffing primer tubes.

 

Grizzly Dave: Why do you have to reset your dies? I loaded on a single stage press for years. Once my dies were set to a particular bullet, I did not need to reset them. Just screw them into the press until the locking ring bottomed on the press. Changing dies is one thing, but you should not need to reset them.

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Dang I hate to fill primer tubes. I don't know why, but I hate filling primer tubes. :wacko: I just finished up with 20 tubes in preparation for cranking the Dillon handle.

 

What is your least favorite part of reloading?

That used to my biggest gripe until my wife got me a Dilon Primer Tube Filler machine, now separating the brass is my biggest complaint, I shoot .44 Russian,.45 Schofield and .44-40.

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Driftwood, I just started doing that very thing recently, though the locking ring came loose on one die taking it out so I'll have to reset that. Good point that took me way too long to figure out. LOL. Before I started doing that I'd take quite a while fiddling with the seat/crimp die to get just the crimp I wanted.

 

Grizz

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Dang I hate to fill primer tubes. I don't know why, but I hate filling primer tubes. :wacko: I just finished up with 20 tubes in preparation for cranking the Dillon handle.

 

What is your least favorite part of reloading?

 

Filling primer tubes is probably my least favorite part as well. However, I refuse to pay for a primer filler (just can't justify the cost). I also found that the Dillon primer tubes would occasionally flip a primer the wrong direction in the tube but I've had good results with RCBS tubes.

 

--Ranger Dave

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Driftwood, I just started doing that very thing recently, though the locking ring came loose on one die taking it out so I'll have to reset that. Good point that took me way too long to figure out. LOL. Before I started doing that I'd take quite a while fiddling with the seat/crimp die to get just the crimp I wanted.

 

Grizz

 

I switched over to the Hornady Lock-N-Load adapters for the Rockchucker and dies. This allows for a quick change of all dies and can be snugged up against the locking ring (also Hornady) for quick die changes.

 

--Ranger Dave

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When the 650 does its annual crash and I spend the next week trying to fix it. Then finally get the 550 out and start loading.

12

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Priming:

 

I hate filling primer tubes.

I hate trouble shooting primer feed problems.

I hate checking every case for high primers and still having a few show up at a match.

 

I love the results I get when I prime them by hand with my RCBS hand primer. To me, priming is part of case prep. I clean, then resize and deprime on a Rock Chucker, prime by hand and store ready for the next bulk reloading session. Never have a high primer with that method and quality doesn't suffer just because my bench doesnt weigh 3000#. My SDB's run like a song from stations 2-4.

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I dislike reloading those tiny 32s for my wife's pistols (and sometimes mine too). Those small bullets are hard to pick up in my fat fingers. The 38s just reload so easy in the 650. I don't mind primer tube reloading, I just do it inside the house on days I am not reloading.

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Let's see, it's between:

 

Seperating the media from the brass or...

 

Inspecting the brass or...

 

Loading primer tubes or...

 

Pulling the handle or...

 

Putting the rounds in boxes

 

Reloading for me is pretty much like going to the doctor to get a shot. The anticipation is worse than the actual event, but I still want it to be over a quickly as possible...thus I sold my 550 and bought a 650 a couple years back. I'm a spoiled child. :D

 

To minimize the pain, I inspect brass and load primer tubes while I watch TV. I'm not a big fan of Dillon's primer tubes, but since Hornady's only hold half as much (and because I only have one Hornady primer tube), I use Dillon's. Dillon could take a lesson from Hornady in this case. No parts to wear out and they load much faster. See one here.

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Most hated of all is trimming cases. Thankfully none of my SASS guns need case trimming.

If I ever get the .32 Special loaded for Long Range that may change. 10 rounds is nothing compared to 130 + for a 80 round and 50 round high power weekend. Almost on par is pulling the occasional 40SW case that is firmly stuck in a 45 ACP. The 40 SW inventer needs to burn slowly in hell for eternity. Real men shoot 1911s - Flamers exploit the opening!!!

 

2nd Most Hated was the whole priming process with tube filling priming on the up stroke, the BS little primer cup shoving it under the case.

 

Long ago I ordered a Lee manual, got the cheapo free press, have used the Lee Ram Prime thing for a long time. Never did feed primers really well but a shake after every round or two works well.

 

Using an old Lyman T-Mag (not the T-MagII) I constantly worry about not charging a case. Have started dumping powder in after I size and expand. Then dump powder sit charged case in loading block. When block is full visually inspect for no charge or double charge. Then seat bullet and factory crimp if .45 or 9mm

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my least favorite part of reloading ? paying for the primers !

but beyond that,........it's gotta be filling the primer tubes

as mentioned above, glad I'm not alone

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That used to my biggest gripe until my wife got me a Dilon Primer Tube Filler machine, now separating the brass is my biggest complaint, I shoot .44 Russian,.45 Schofield and .44-40.

 

Might want to start using nickel 45 Scofield if it is available.

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Starting up again after a day or two away from the shop.

 

Just finished year end books. Looks like I did about 460,000+ for others in 2010.

(This is cartridges only count.

I don't keep track of shotgun rounds.

(about 2500-3000 per month)

 

I have no idea how many I did for me.

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Here is my solution to primer tube filling, found on Brian Enos forum. This thing works. It is constructed from the small primer tray of a Lee hand prime, an extra primer fill tube with the plastic end cut off and some epoxy. All it takes is learning how to hold it against your tumber for the vibratory action to fill the tubes. Once you get good at it this device will fill tubes FAST (around 30 seconds). You have to register to see the pics on Enos's site but it's worth it for this. I've probably run more than 10k primers through this gadget already and it costs around $25 to make.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=92183

 

NOTE - I just went looking for the Lee Auto Prime tool and it appears they have updated it with a new model with a new tray type... I don't know if the new one can be modified the same as the old round tray model.

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I just got a Lee Pro 1000 for Christmas, been kinda busy with other stuff, but finally got it running pretty good. Right now it's only set up for .45ACP and it sure is hard to see any powder in the case. I figgered out I could wear a headband flashlight I see down in the case.

When I get the shell holder for .44-40 and dropping black powder it will be easier to see in the hull.

 

Anyway, to answer the question, I reckon the worst part is it's usually either way too cold or way too hot in my storage shed to spend much time there. And when the weather is cooperative then it's trying to get .428 bullets to work in my Uberti SAA .44-40. It don't like .428's unless everything is absolutely perfect.

 

I ain't fond of panlubing either.

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Everybody needs one of these.

Sorry, but:

1) the url you entered has an extra http:// in it. Fix it by copying what I fixed in my quote of your post.

2) on fine gravel, the gravel gets picked up along with the fired brass; around table and props the device won't get into the edges and corners; and it's slow. We've tried them, and the fingers-on-a-stick too, and mostly gone back to manual methods.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Driftwood, I just started doing that very thing recently, though the locking ring came loose on one die taking it out so I'll have to reset that. Good point that took me way too long to figure out. LOL. Before I started doing that I'd take quite a while fiddling with the seat/crimp die to get just the crimp I wanted.

 

Grizz

 

Hey Grizz,

I been reloadin' since '75, for many years on a single-stage. Here's a tip an old reloader gave me when I wuz gittin' started: For each caliber that ya reload, when ya git ever'thin' all adjusted and crankin', build yerself a dummy round with an unprimed, empty case an the boolit yur gonna use in it - properly seated and crimped - then if ya ever hafta re-set the seating adn crimp die/s ya jist back off the seating plug and run th' dummy up inta th die an' run the seater plug down 'till she touches, and VIOLA! yer set! Many of my die boxes have several dummies in 'em cuz I use different boolits in th' smae caliber.

 

Happy single-stagein' 'till ya git a Dillon 650 with a case feeder... I do 100 .45 Colts in about 10 minutes, and I ain't hurryin'.

 

BTW, years ago Larry Potterfield at Midway sold a nifty primer tube filler that I've been usin' ever since. I think it didn't sell too good, cuz they didn't advertise it. Larry should bring it back and demo it on his ads on Wed. and Thurs. nights. It was about a 1/10 of th' cost of Dillon's machine and don't hafta be screwed ta th' bench. I bet CAS shooters would snatch 'em up if'n they knew about 'em.

 

:FlagAm:

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I forgot to mention sorting my cleaned 45 Colt and 44-40 brass, since I tumble them together. Gotta sort them at some point, I do it after they have been tumbled. I throw all my Black Powder big stuff (45 Colt, 44-40, 45 Schofield) into my rinse jug at the end of a match. Then I rinse them all out and lay them on paper towels to dry them. Then I throw them into the tumbler together. After tumbling it's time to sort. I try to tumble my Smokeless 44 Special and 45 Auto Rim separately, otherwise it gets too complicated at sorting time.

 

Come to think of it, I think I like sorting brass and dumping out all the media from inside even less than filling primer tubes.

 

Probably gonna be sorting 44 Russians next year too.

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