Cavediver

I'd like to try this drill, but my only practice area is at an indoor range. Any suggestions, or am I out of luck? For what it's worth, I have access to a 24x36 plotter and can draw custom target layouts. 36" is also about the maximum width of the lanes at my range. I laid out a miniature version of this drill that would be shot at about 9'. The upper A zone of each target is about 1/2" tall. Unfortunately, I don't think I can shoot this drill as my lines of fire would cross over into other lanes.

Dang if that one's not word for word Thanks for the link wide45. I've been reading on this topic for days and never saw this one. I need to hone my search skills a little bit. Thanks!

I'm having a bit of trouble tracking my front sight. I can see it jump out of the notch and it seems to return pretty well, but I cannot follow it through the entire cycle. Am I supposed to be moving my eye and keeping the front sight in sharp focus the entire time, or should I just relax and see the sight in my peripheral vision, maintaining focus on where the sight was / will be? A bit of background if it helps: I've been shooting for about a year and a half. Several months ago I joined a range and shoot at lunch at least once a week, sometimes more. I've shot a couple of competitions over the last year, and recently decided to get a little more serious about it. I'm keeping it at the hobby / pure entertainment level for now, but I'd like to elevate it a bit over the next year. I can shoot "reasonable" groups at 15 yards, and probably 85% A shots at 25 yards, slowish fire (snails pace for ya'll ). Now that I've settled down and started focusing, my groups are seeing slow but regular improvement.

I've had good luck with the precision 147's and Solo1000 in my XD9 tactical. It shoots good groups from a rest, minimal smoke for indoor use, and it had a very mild recoil. Unfortunately, most of my 500 round test order was spent doing smoke tests and playing with different charges of 3 different powders. It was all subjective testing, no scientific method to be found ghostholster.com had Zero 147 FMJ not too long ago; $271 / 3k. I'm loading those over 3.0gr Titegroup for a very mild round. I don't have access to a chrono, but I've read a number of posts that say this load is at or near the minimum for minor.

At Home Depot I found a "just in case" pair for my truck. OC Safety Glasses They're not the best looking glasses in the world, but they are pretty comfortable and ANSI rated. I'm sure that they're not as clear as Rudy or Oakley shades, but my level of shooting doesn't require the .25% of an edge that you'll get with performance eyeware. I find myself wearing them a lot as regular sunglasses. They also allow a reasonable seal when used with earmuffs.

If you've got a shop vac cut the foot off of an old pair of pantyhose and use it as a strainer, placed at the joint betweenthe flexible hose and the hard plastic extension. Since anything that's sharp will probably shred this setup, vacuum only the area where they were lost. This might work for lost primers as well, YMMV I have a small mesh bag (very fine mesh) that I use with a mini-shop vac.

Thanks for the training video! While I don't have the space for a training room, I can still implement a few concepts that you've shown. As a noob to competition shooting, this should help me get the ball rolling. Thanks again!

Carlos, SA Friday, and the rest of the Solo 1000 shooters, I thank you. I just shot my first small batch of Precision 147's over 3.2gr Solo 1000, 1.125 OAL. I cannot believe how soft these rounds felt. So soft, in fact, that I really can't believe these will make 130pf (XD 5" Tactical). Next week I'm going to load up another small batch or two and see if I can't run them over a chrono. These were shot indoors. The smoke was not bat at all. There was a little more than my normal 4.1gr TG under 124 Zero fmj, but it wasn't terrible. It was good enough that I'm probably going to switch to Precision bullets for all of my indoor practice. If my time at the chrono leaves me with the same impression (and I can make the required power factor), my "powder hunt" will be over. Thanks again guys!

Please forgive my ignorance... Excluding the scaling of the targets posted above, what's the difference between a "metric target" and an IPSC practice target I would buy at the range? Throwin Lead, any chance you'd email me a copy of the CAD file? I've got a plotter that could use a little workout

Try PistolGear.com

Question about the Bladetech: Tek-lok or SRB? If it helps, I'm using a Wilderness tactical belt for now. I plan on upgrading to a CR Speed setup, but not for a while yet. For the Sooper Hooper crowd, is that holster dropped or offset at all? I'm assuming the answer is no since it's legal for IDPA, but we all know what they say about assumptions

Nope, it probably doesn't. However, if things go well for me I will have a better rifle and a range membership within the next year. I'd like to learn this stuff while I have the time. If it doesn't happen, oh well... I've been searching and reading for the last two weeks. The original post was a simple question about press quality, and what's good enough for an amateur. I love the fact that it's grown; lots of good info I did find out something interesting. Dillon case lube works much better than the One-Shot for this application. It's actually pretty easy to resize .223 brass on my small Le single stage. I'm still keeping an eye out for a Rockchucker though. It's all about the toys... Thanks to everyone. I appreciate all of the information.

I've heard good things about Kead Bullets. I've also heard good things about Two Alpha Bullets. I've never loaded lead before, so I have no direct experience with either bullet. However, based on opinions from this forum, I just ordered a couple of sample packs (125s & 147s) from Kead. Good luck!

Thanks Hank. Case gauge: Dillon, Wilson or JP Enterprise? If I had to guess, I'd say my Saiga has a pretty loose chamber. From what I've read, the Dillon or the Wilson should be fine, but maybe I'm missing something? The Wilson trimmer looks like a good set-up. If I get the trimmer mounted chamfer tool will I still need the hand-held tool to smooth the outside edge of the neck? Thanks for the book link as well. While I doubt I'll ever need to load match grade ammo, it looks like a worthwhile read.

Quite the contrary. I've decided to keep an eye out for a used single stage. If I find one for a good price, I'll buy it. Until then, I'll stick with my existing Lee, putting any of the really difficult brass aside for later processing. I will start with hand tools for trimming, chamfering, pocket cleaning, etc. The last thing I will need is a manual or single stage mounted powder measure.

Excellent information. Thank you everyone. I think I've got what I need for now. Of course, if you've got a different opinion, it's always welcome! Bitswap, for what it's worth, I will continue loading an additional 500-1k rounds of 9mm per month, plus another 200+ rounds of .40. I'll chew on this information for a while and see if I think it's worth selling my SDB to make this upgrade. Maybe a solid single stage is all I need until I've got a good handle on the .223 process. I think I'm going to wait a while on that timmer though I understand and love quality tools, but that one's out of range for now.

Why do you size and neck size? Doesn't the first sizing take care of that? Does the tubling work to clean the neck and primer pockets, or is this an additional (hand tool) step? Also, do you trim and chamfer / deburr with hand tools, drill chucked tools, or something else entirely? Finally, why the decapper in stage one of phase three? Removal of stuck tumbling media?

Actually, I don't have either yet I'm currently loading 9 & .40 on an SDB. I love it for what it is, but loading for my rifle would be nice. I'm planning on selling the SDB setup to partially finance a new 550 set up for 9 & .223, with .40 showing up down the road. I've got the bottom of the line single stage press from Lee, but it's not up to the task. It won't punch crimped primers, and I'm scared I'm going to break the arm while sizing some of the larger .223 brass... I'll eventually get one of the undersized .40 dies for it so it won't die a lonely death under the bench. While I wanted to get all of my .223 brass prepped and ready now, I guess the best thing to do is wait until I get the 550 before adding another single stage. If I don't like the amount of force / lack of leverage on the 550, MidwayUSA can have another press on my doorstep in no time flat. (I'm not saying there is a lack of leverage, I just don't have any experience with a 550. I only know one or two other folks that reload: none of them have a 550.) Of course, if my impatience gets the best of me, I might wind up with one anyhow Last question: since I'm only shooting 100-150 rounds of .223 per month, does it make sense to invest in the cool motorized gizmos? While I can afford it if it's the best way to go, I'd rather put the money into more consumables. (AKA: I have more time than money, but I'm willing to spend if it will really pay off.) One thing I failed to mention: my current rifle is a converted Saiga .223. MOBG is an acceptable level of accuracy for now. I've got my eye on the SIG 556, but that's a little ways down the road... Thanks, Jay

It seems like a lot of folks prefer a 2 press set-up for processing .223 brass. If I choose to go this route, what single stage press should I buy? Will the $50 Lee presses work as well as an RCBS Rock Crusher? The rest of the process will be done on a 550. Would buying an extra tool head work as well as a dedicated single stage? FWIW, I'm not going to load a ton of rifle ammo. I don't use it in competition (yet), just plinking and target shooting.

For the money, a conversion kit plus powder and tool head runs $165. A whole second press for $275? If you've got the space and budget, and you like loading on the SDB, get the second press. I've switched tool heads and powder a few times for my 9 & .40. If I were in your shoes (shooting enough .40 to justify it) I'd get a second press. If I were only making the change once a month or less, I'd stay with one press.

On the N.E. side of Atlanta (Gwinnett County) there's David's Gun Room (Norcross / Duluth area) and Bullseye in Lawrenceville. Prices at David's are a little high, but the selection is decent and most of the guys there actually reload and use the stuff. Prices at Bullseye are better but the selection is a little more limited.

Very good to know. That's even easier than the setup I was planning. Thanks!

Bill, I'd try it, but I don't have that many arms, or a long enough reach I'm sure it works fine with incandescent bulbs or halogen bulbs, I just didn't know if there's a problem with LED flicker, or if it operates at some frequency that the sensors don't like. BTW, I think I found my own answer. It looks like Midway has a (new?) "Shooting Chrony" set of LED lamps coming out. I could swear it wasn't listed there last week while I was researching this stuff Yoshidaex, thanks for your input on the infrared setups. If I were buying a new one, that's probably what I'd go for. However, I'm trying to get a working setup with an existing Competition Electronics (?) model.

Does anyone know if LED lighting will work for a chrono? The existing setups I've looked at require extension cords and big bulbs; overall it looks like a pretty cumbersome setup. I was thinking about a 12v battery pack and a few focused LED lamps or MR-16 Halogens mounted to the base unit, pointing up at the sky screens. I'd rather use LED lamps as they require less current and don't get quite as hot.

jmorris, thanks. I'm thinking about an MDF or plywood "gear"; rough shape with a bandsaw and finished with a router. I've got access to a CNC router and some better materials, but this is all about "home building" with common tools. It looks like the really tough part will be finding an appropriate drive motor for a reasonable price (under $50?). I'm guessing I need to make the spaces between the teeth (dims A& B on the attached image) large enough to grab a fired .45 case with a little room to spare? Michael, that sounds a lot like the top plate for the Lee case feeder. Similar design and concept?