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I've been playing around recently with X-Treme 147gr bullets. Freak spoke highly of them. Searching for load data today, I found some posts here from a couple years ago where a few people were complaining these bullets were crap they wouldn't use if they were free. Were there some QC issues back around 2008? I don't have any complaints with them so far. I'm shooting them in Glocks and loading them with Universal Clays or WST. Here's my data so far: 1.155" OAL 3.14gr Universal 794.5fps 3.3gr Universal 851.0fps 3.42gr WST 870.0fps 3.48gr WST 884.4fps 1.142" OAL 3.6gr WST 896.4fps 1.118" OAL 3.3gr Universal 861.4fps 1.145" OAL 3.5gr WST 886.0fps These were collected in a couple of sessions...I played around a bit with OAL. The main thing I'm wondering is, how far can Universal be pushed with this load? Hodgdon's online data for Universal and 147gr says 3.0-3.3gr. I've found a few references saying that Lyman previously published 3.5gr as max for 147gr. I'm not currently shooting anything where PF matters, but if I were, the Universal load doesn't quite have enough FPS. Between the two, I think I prefer Universal...but I'm wondering if I can safely get them up to around 885fps?

I just thought to measure the diameter of my various 9mm bullets at the base with my digital caliper. The results were a little surprising: MG 124gr CMJ 0.354" JHP 0.3535" PD 124gr FMJ 0.354" - 0.3545" JHP 0.3545" X-Treme 147gr 0.355" BBI 130gr 0.3555" - 0.357" Speer 147gr GDHP 0.354" - 0.355" Random 9mm 115gr bullet I pulled from what I assume was factory round picked up at the range (may have been PMC) some time ago was 0.3535". The BBI's generally won't gauge in my Dillon 9mm gauge, but they've chambered and functioned just fine in a Glock 17. So, what diameter should 9mm bullets be?

It doesn't have to be dirty or messy looking. You can setup something the size of a computer desk (but preferably much sturdier) in a bedroom, and still have room for a bed and other typical bedroom furniture. Get something with drawers (locking preferably), and a machine cover. When you need the bedroom for a guest (assuming it's the guest room), put everything away. This appears to be out of production...but should give you an idea of what I'm talking about. http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/samsclub/0001764120256_A

Never heard of that stuff. Is it basically fabric softener in an aerosol can?

I've been using corn cob from Grainger recently, and my only complaint with the stuff is the static. I keep it in 5G plastic buckets. When I pour it from the bucket to the tumbler, it's insane how much static there is. Large clumps of corn cob will gather and stick to the rim of the bucket, and the ones that drop loose fly around like they're self powered. The ones that get away are really making a mess of the garage floor. I've been using cut up used dryer sheets in the tumbler. I even tried rubbing down the inside of the bucket with a new dryer sheet and then left it in there. I normally let the auto-flow feature on my tumbler drain out the media and pour it back into a 5G bucket of "used media". Any of you have more effective tricks than dryer sheets?

I ordered my press with the Al roller handle, so I've never even tried with a ball handle. Wouldn't the ball rub on your hand and cause blisters? I've read (not just in this thread) about people suggesting to put a sock over the ball to ease the friction.

What kind of velocity are you getting with the 124/125gr loads with 3.5-3.6gr Clays? Somewhere in the 1000-1050fps range?

I loaded some X-Treme 147gr plated bullets with 3.5gr WST at 1.140" and shot them recently in my Glocks. It was kind of chilly and windy...and I generally shoot like crap when my hands are cold...so I don't know if this load doesn't agree with my guns or if it was just the cold...but I was not happy with the accuracy. It was very soft shooting and no function problems in everything from the G26 to G34...but I'll have to give this load another try when my hands aren't getting numb.

It shouldn't be. WSF is much slower than WST. It's even slower than Universal.

Have you chrono'd those? I'm guessing just over 1000fps.

Did they actually refurb any of your parts, or just swap everything out for new parts?

Search is your friend http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=108436&st=25&p=1311432&hl=bbi%20130gr&fromsearch=1entry1311432

This is what I am currently using Ken. And it is cheap cheap cheap, and washable and reusable. http://www.kramerindustriesonline.com/blasting-media/glass-beads.htm What do you use? #3 or #4? The others all look tiny.

Interesting. Walnut media can be effectively washed and dried and reused? And you do this in your clothes washer? Not a dedicated one for media cleaning? I don't even want to guess how long I'd be in the dog house if I did that. I just put a tumbler's worth of walnut in the garbage tonight. It's done probably somewhere in the rough neighborhood of 10-20k rounds of brass. It was getting kind of dark and the 5G bucket I keep it in had a fine black powder buildup on the inside. I tumbled a batch of .45 brass tonight in Grainger corn cob media. It's my first time using this media. It seems very static clingy, perhaps a bit worse than the Harbor Freight walnut I'd been using...and I did notice that even though the corn cob media is tiny, it did like to stick in the flash holes. It's small enough though that I figure the decapper will either take care of it, or it's just so small, it won't be an issue even if it is left behind. The corn cob did seem to do a great job on the brass. It's too cold out there to sort it tonight, but the handfuls I sifted through looked great.

The 130gr 9mm I bought don't have a lube groove. They just seem a little oversized and non-uniform and just don't like to seat easily. Before anyone suggests it, I did already increase my flare in station two.

It sounds like there must be inconsistencies from batch to batch in the adhesion or cohesion of the coating. I've also had some that weren't quite round or had sides with flat spots. Maybe they have more demand than they can supply with adequate quality control?

I've loaded a few of them. I find them a little harder/slower to load than jacketed and the coating will come off on your fingers (or gloves) while loading them. I won't be switching to them...but will only use them for instances where I can't shoot jacketed.

Agrip.

Trouble is, if they don't go backwards, you don't know that you don't have other problems...just that the rim is definitely a problem (for the gauge anyway...they'll probably still shoot fine).

If a round goes into the gauge, but stops just short of the rim going in, you don't really know where the problem is. If it also won't go in backwards, then it could just be that the rim is just too big for the gauge. If it goes in backwards, then you know you have a problem elsewhere, probably closer to the mouth end.

It makes you wonder about the validity of the gauge though when even factory ammo won't gauge. And why is this more of an issue with .45acp than with 9mm? I've had no such problems with my Dillon 9mm gauge.

I know what you're talking about and have seen many of the same thing with various used brass and factory ammo. I even had Dillon replace my gage. I think their gage dimensions are a bit too conservative/optimistic.

Which one are you getting? You'll probably need a tripod for it if you don't already have a suitable one.

Why are you even trying to decap Wolf cases? I had a piece of FC NATO brass slip into some FC I was loading recently, and it'll definitely get your attention. You have to get rid of the crimp before you can reprime.

If you were still having trouble seating primers in WCC after swaging, isn't it likely that you just need to adjust the swage tool to provide more swage?