acekc

Alliant's web site shows a max load of Unique at 1,000 fps so making major shouldn't be an issue: http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/DetailPrint.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=180&shellid=29&bulletid=42

What it comes with is a pickup tube that has a larger blue tube around it. I think the blue tube is part vibration dampener and part blast shield but I'm not 100% sure. At any rate the inner tube is similar to a pickup tube without the plastic end - there's a cotter pin on one end that you pull so the primers can flow into the primer tube on the press. I'm not sure what you mean by "bulk ammo" but if you plan on using a press, the way people typically use the RF-100 is to have it load the tube, use those primers to load the press and then start the RF-100 loading more primers. Once it's adjusted properly it will load 100 primers in two minutes or less and its completely hands-off, so unless your reloading method is capable of using 100 primers in less than two minutes then another full tube will be waiting for you when you run out of primers. Then you start the RF-100 again before going back to the press and lather, rinse, repeat. Having said that, if you took a "regular" primer pickup tube and modified it so it had an open end opposite the end with the cotter pin you could probably line the two tubes up, pull the pin on the RF-100 tube and drop 100 primers into the other tube. Do that multiple times and you could have several tubes' worth of primers ready to go.

I purchased one of these recently and I'm pretty happy with it: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/525910/bianchi-4100-ranger-hush-rig-right-hand-medium-and-large-frame-7-1-2-to-8-1-2-barrel-revolver-nylon-black

Umm, can I change my vote from zero to one?

Berrys 147gr with 3.4gr N320 @ 1.13" OAL chronos for me at 913.4fps (StDev of 5.03) for a PF of 134.26. That's out of a 4.7" barrel so you should be fine with your Pro.

The Pro Chrono Digital kinda sorta has this already. For $50 you can buy a USB interface and connect it to your Windows laptop. The included software lets you control the chrono (delete shots/strings, advance to the next string etc.) from the laptop, and you can download the velocities and save them as CSV files for later import into Excel etc. You can also enable a window that shows the last velocity in very large text making it easy to see from a few feet away. This is the setup I use and it works great.

I have the ProChrono Digital and like it quite a bit. So long as the battery is in good shape it's pretty reliable in terms of picking up shots. If you shoot inside a lot there's an optional infrared kit, and if you have a Windows laptop there's a kit to connect the chrono to your laptop via USB to control it, download shot strings and save them to disk, etc.

Alliant shows 9gr max with a 155gr GDHP. Hornady lists 5.8gr to 8.9gr so 7gr would more or less split the difference. I once loaded a bunch of 155gr Rainiers (which are plated like the Berrys) over 6.4gr of PP at 1.125" OAL. They chronoed at 964fps out of a 4" barrel.

I currently have both a 650 and a LnL AP. Both have the case feeder, the Hornady has the bullet feeder as well. I posted an extensive summary of my thoughts on this matter in another thread so I'll direct you to that instead of repeating myself: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=146826&view=findpost&p=1646592 A few other thoughts based on your comments above: - Yes, caliber changes cost more on the Dillon, but at least some of the costs you listed apply to the Hornady as well (case feeder, case feeder plates, additional primer tubes), some are partially offset by corresponding costs on the Hornady (i.e. several LnL bushings per caliber instead of a Dillon toolhead) and some shouldn't be included in a comparison because they provide features not available on the Hornady (strong mount, bullet tray, powder check). - I would argue strongly that once you involve the case feeder, caliber changes on the Hornady are most certainly not quicker. The reason that Dillon caliber changes cost more is that the case feeder parts are tailored to each caliber and require zero adjustment. I'm going from memory but swapping the orientation of a part when going from pistol to rifle and a simple adjustment to the stage two locator are all that's required on the Dillon. Because the Hornady uses a small number of parts at each location to cover all calibers, caliber changes require a lot of monkeying around on the Hornady; trying different parts, adjusting the parts, etc. Even then I find that it's not uncommon(especially with case feeder V-blocks) to find a situation where there IS no obvious good choice among the available parts that provides reliable operation for a particular caliber. - You mention $162 for the primer quick change but I think that you only have to buy one @ $81 to be able to swap since the press comes with both small and large primer parts. I think you just take your unused primer parts, install them into the $81 assembly and wind up with two complete assemblies. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, I only load small primers on my 650 right now. - After using a LnL the 650's system of chucking unused primers aside is annoying. The LnL does feed the primer to the shellplate if there is no round present, but if no case is primed it just pulls it back and sticks the same primer out there again until it gets used. All is not rosy with the LnL primer system however - the area under the primer seater gets clogged with debris easily, jamming the press when it tried to index and sometimes forcing you to remove the seater assembly from the press entirely and disassemble it to clean it. Over time the bottom of the seater digs a hole into the frame of the press and will eventually result in high primers unless you use a piece of metal like a washer to keep the bottom of the seater out of the hole. - With some polishing compounds and a little TLC the Dillon powder measures can be made to throw very consistently in my experience. I used a scale with 0.02gr resolution and I've seen as little as +/- 0.06gr variance with pistol loads. - Since getting the Dillon I'm seeing the point of the bullet feeder less and less. Even with a bullet feeder I want to visually inspect the powder level before the bullet drops, so I'm pausing between handle pulls to look in each case. With the bullet tray for the 650 I can grab a bullet as I'm pulling the handle and plop it on the case without really pausing any longer than I would to look at the powder level. Meanwhile the bullet feeder is loud, never shuts off and requires fiddling that significantly increases the time for caliber changes. After I bought my LnL but before I got the Dillon, I used to look at things the same way it sounds like you're looking at them now. I looked at the features, cost, etc. of the Hornady vs. the Dillon, looked at the Dillon annoyances that people complained about (spent primers flipping on the floor, feeding primers with or without a case, etc.) and scratched my head and said "I don't get it." Now that I have the 650 I get it - I have far fewer stoppages with the 650 than I ever had with the LnL, and the ones I do have are almost certainly due to my bench needing to be shored up better. I still have the LnL and don't plan on getting rid of it, but I would much rather load on the 650.

I use the stainless media with the Thumler's Tumbler. I can do around 200-250 pieces of pistol brass depending on caliber; that's OK for now but I am pondering getting a cement mixer and taking it up a notch or ten. I do knock out the primers beforehand using a Lee universal decapper die - I use my progressive so it goes quickly. One thing I've noticed as that unless you're cleaning nasty, corroded brass that has been sitting outside for a couple of years, an hour in the tumbler gets them 95% of the way there if not better. You might spot a couple of stubborn bits of crud here and there but generally they look great inside and out. As a result I never tumble a batch for more than an hour anymore. Once it's done I dump out as much of the water as I can without spilling media/brass and then fill it and dump it one more time - this gets nearly all of the soap off. Separating is pretty easy if you already have a crank-style separator like the Frankford Arsenal unit. You just fill the bucket up with water until the level is an inch or so below the rim - this puts the basket about halfway in the water. Throw the brass in, lock the basket and spin it around like you would to separate out dry media - all the steel pins fall to the bottom of the bucket. The brass can be put in an oven on low heat or left to dry in the sun. Check the flash holes of a few pieces to make sure they're dry - the flash hole tends to capture a drop of water and hold onto it. Have you used this yet? What size is the mixer and how much stainless media do you use with it?

The 1.225" OAL in the Hornady manual is for the XTP; Hornady lists an OAL of 1.135" for the SWC which matches Hodgdon's OAL for the same bullet. Powder weight differences between different manuals are pretty common - I usually consult multiple sources to get a feel for the overall weight range and then start low and work up with a chrono while looking for pressure signs. More than likely the differences are due to Hornady and Hodgdon using different guns for their testing. Hornady used a Colt Government Model which has a barrel length of around 5". AFAIK Hodgdon doesn't provide any information on the gun they use for testing a particular caliber, but if they used a gun with a longer barrel it would explain why they got similar velocities with 0.6gr less powder.

Major and minor are scored differently for non-A hits: Zone Major Minor A 5 5 B 4 3 C 4 3 D 2 1 M -10 -10 NS -10 -10

Are you talking about Super-X? According to their web site Winchcester only has Super-X or USA ammo for the 38 Super. The Super-X is $41 per box of 50 at Cheaper Than Dirt. The USA stuff (white box) is $28 per box of 50. According to the specs and CTD the two are very close to one another in terms of muzzle energy, but that may not tell the whole story. Given the number of ports in the Elite Gold, I wouldn't be surprised if one cartridge worked in the gun while another didn't even if their muzzle energies were the same. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt you'll find anyone using Winchester factory ammo with a Gold Team in 38 Super. My impression is that the vast majority of people who shoot 38 Super Open guns reload themselves or purchase specialty ammo like the Atlanta Arms stuff.

Call EAA and see what they have to say. They're the only current source of barrels AFAIK. I suspect that if they can provide you with a "factory ammo" barrel you'll have to send in your slide so the barrel can be fit to it. I'd be curious to know what they say with regard to why your gun only came with one barrel since other guns of the same type were obviously sold with two.