Dirty Rod

Interesting. I just started working up loads with CFE. Hodgdon data ranges from 24.7 to 27.8 so I loaded up some batches for testing next weekend. Is there another source for CFE load data? OP, 25.2gr of TAC and 25.3gr of Varget are very accurate out of my SBR @ 2.220 using Hornady 55gr bullets. Won't have any chrono data until next weekend though.

Where were you this morning!?!?!? My trusty sharpie and I tackled 1500 cases this afternoon. Kidding. Appreciate the tip. I've got another 3-4k cases that will need to be marked at some point.

Thanx for the tip.I was going to grab a sharpie but I will go pick up one of those. Guess I better go find a factory ammo holder too.

Decided to try out an X-Die for .223. The range I use, however, has .223 brass all over the place and I hate to get it all mixed up after all the prep. For those of you that use one what are you doing to keep your brass separated at the range - brass catchers, painting your brass, or some other process? I've got all kinds of mixed headstamps so I figured I would ask before I took out my marker.

I only inspect the loaded rounds after I case gauge them. Loading on a 550. For rifle I also look at them after trimming.

I assume you are talking about pistol shooting so I would start but doing a Google search for the shooting fundamentals. Grip, stance, trigger press, sight picture, and follow through. There are probably a few books on it so picking up a book, or better yet, taking a class might speed things along. Going to the range and observing some of the better shooters looking at how they are holding their pistols, standing, etc might help as well. Not sure what kind of gun you have but there are probably a ton of forums out there for that pistol as well as a ton of information on this forum that should help. For rifles, all those same topics apply but the technique is just a little different. I would also add that you should spend some time learning about your gun ... UNLOADED of course. Reading up on how it works, cleaning it, lubing it, how the safeties work, etc will help you become familiar with it. You can also read up on dry firing which is something you can do at home. First though ... read up and make sure you clearly understand the four safety rules. Those are the most important things to learn about guns and shooting.

Checking this often defeats the purpose of having an auto indexing ammo plant. Maybe you load on a smaller press or maybe you don't shoot much ammo but your method seems a little overkill. Besides, I think constantly pulling rounds off the press to check powder drops opens up even more potential for an error to happen such as a squib or even a double charge. Once the machine has been dialed in and is running smooth the chances of a mistake are greatly reduced. Loading on a 550 shooting about 1200 pistol rounds a month. I assume everyone checks the first few so we are talking about checking 4 out of every 100 once I get moving. I suspect it could up the possibility of a double but if you are visually checking the powder level before placing a bullet it shouldn't be an issue. I've only loaded about a year (8-9k) so perhaps once I become an old grizzly veteran I'll change my view. The 30 year veteran that I learned from checked 1-2 out of each 100 on a 650.

Every couple at the beginning, then every 10 for the rest of the first 100, then every 25 or so for the rest of the night. I don't load close to max, my drops are consistently +/- .1, and I've tested my loads out to +.2 so minor variances are not going to blow up my gun so I don't need to obsess over it.

I use the EGW 7 round gauges. Good stuff.

I have had terrible luck with TAC for accruacy with every bullet I have tried in .223. I have not tried in in .308. Same here. TAC meters great out of the Dillon measure but wasn't as accurate as Varget out of my 10.5" barrel using a 55gr bullet. Best I could get was 1.5" @ 50 yards while several Varget loads were under an inch. I was going to use up the rest of the TAC and see if I can get Varget to stay within +/-.2 grains until I work up some other powders. Haven't chrono'd either yet.

If a 10" screen is a requirement then I think you will be good with the IPad but you should maybe drop by Costco and play with the Tab2 10" or perhaps the Note if you want a pen. I like the Tab2 but, as mentioned, I tend to prefer the IPad to all the other devices on the table.

Looks like you see it pretty much have it from my perspective. Gadget freaks at my house so we have a Kindle, Kindle Fire, IPad 1,2&3, Galaxy Tab 1&2, and several other devices. The Fire is a good reader but limited compared to the rest. The other Android devices are a close second to the IPad but I find myself on an IPad most often. The IPad2 is a better deal than the 3 IMO but I'm selling both of my IPads for the Mini when it's released for the 7" screen. I would definitely also recommend a hard look at the Nexus 7 as well.

Agree that 4.6-4.8 seems to be light for 230gr @ 1.25+. I remember a recent thread where 4.8 would not reliably cycle the slide on a 5" 1911. I'd work up 4-5 round batches in .2 increments and see how the shoot. 5.0-5.3 is a pretty common load for 230gr RN for a lot of folks.

Mine's been submerged and I've shot out in the rain 2-3 times.

2.26 is Max OAL for that round. Dropping it to 2.255 is only .005 and won't make any significant difference on pressure. Most folks load shorter and many books test OALs as short as 2.20. The Ramshot data estimates 2,820 @ 24.1 so dropping 100fps for the 2 inches and you are somewhere north of 2700. The only way to confirm your velocity is with a chrono.

Welcome

Could it be that you have SDB dies? I don't have any experience with Square Deal equipment but I've read that they have a different thread pattern and only work in the SD press.

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Sorry to see it. Even cracked I would think it would stay in as long as the nut was tight. Dillon will definitely send you a spare but sorry to hear you have an issue right out of the gate.

Agree that it is a good practice to look in every case before you seat the bullet but you need to look into why you are not dropping powder. I don't use Clays but you should be able to consistently get +/-.1 gr drops or .2 at the most. The dryer sheet should help with static but static is not going to cause significantly lighter charges or no powder to be dropped. Are you getting the full travel on your powder bar? Are you doing a full stroke every time you pull the handle? Have you run 10-15 charges and measured your powder drops for consistency?

+1. I recently replaced my Lee 9mm sizing die with a Dillon die. The Dillon radius eliminated the case hitting the bottom of the die. I do like the adjustable seating die though.

If you are changing OAL that much perhaps you should look at a micro-adjustable seating die.

The best way to answer that question for you is to go fondle and shoot a someone's full custom if you can. When I first started shooting the differences would have been wasted on me. Years later when I actually learned how to shoot I started to feel and see the differences between my production line guns and guns that are well fitted and balanced. The more I shot I started to see those small differences between my Kimbers, SAs, and my LB. Now my full custom is the one I keep reaching for. Dads Wilson feels like its got bearings compared to the rest of my 1911s. If you can't tell the differences after shooting some customs then the answer is easy.

Wow. You have had a time of it but hopefully it will get better. For swaging, what has worked for me is to start high and keep going deeper until your primers seat easily. You should be able to feel them seat.

How are you going to use them? If you plan on shooting indoors or large caliber rifles then I'd pass on the HLs. Outdoors they are OK for most folks but I needed a little more. I've been using the Pro Ears Golds for a couple of years and, as mentioned, wish they would redesign the battery compartment but the PE Slim Golds work really well for me and aren't so thick that I can't shoot my rifles. I wouldn't recommend the Pro Ears Preditor Golds though. My wife has broken hers several times.