techj
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Everything posted by techj
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Vlad, I think you found my problem
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I always see postings and am amazed over how many hundreds of rounds per hour people pump out of their presses. Well, I must be a real slow poke as I generally only run 150-200 rounds/hour (pistol) using my LNL with case & bullet feeder. Why so slow? Well, I include the time it takes to load primer tubes, verify (at least 10 times and then spot check every time I load a new primer tube) charge weights, clean the press (compressed air) every 300 rounds or so, case gauge check every round, dump unused powder back into the container & clean the press & dies and any spilled powder/sweep the floor. I also include in my time the occasional need to pull a bullet or clean the press due to a bad charge or crushed case. So, I don't even include any brass prep time (cleaning, lubing & dumping into case feeder). Generally speaking I will reload 800-1,000 in a day with breaks for lunch & coffee (I don't include the breaks in my time calculations). I know I could go a little faster but there is no way that I could do all of the above and hit 500+ rounds/hour. So...how fast do you really go and if you're really getting 500+ rounds/hour what aren't you including in your average? Or, better yet, how can I go faster?
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+1 on CompTac
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Just finished a great range session...round count is now about 260 and no FTF or any other problems (using factory mags). Just got in the CMC PowerMag (10-round) and a couple of FTF's on the 1st round but my rounds are short of the 1.260 that they call for so I'll be trying a different COAL/load next.
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Wanting to get into 1911 platform. Suggestions?
techj replied to Blankenhole's topic in 1911-style Pistols
Just picked up a Para Elite Target for $830 and there is a $100 rebate coming. Fit & finish look good and it came with a fiber optic front and adjustable rear target sights. Fits & handles well. Only have about 100 rounds through it so it's too soon to say how it will go. Have had a few 1st round failure to feed but it's not broken in yet. -
I just buy the cheapest metal stapler that I can find. Had a Powershot -- didn't last a year. Current stapler has been good for almost 2 years now.
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I just picked up an Elite Target and it is a very tight gun (in a good way) and the fit/finish is excellent. Now I just need to wait for the rain to stop for a while so that I can actually shoot it!
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How many rounds did you measure? What was the average and the standard deviation? FWIW - I usually run 10 rounds at a minimum and that is after at least a couple of rounds have been shot through the barrel.
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I store my brass in an unheated garage as well...usually in 1 gallon plastic bags so that I can label them as to whether or not they have been trimmed, resized, etc. Haven't bothered with desiccant and never had a problem. Since I reload in the same garage the brass is always at ambient temp when I reload so condensation is not a problem for me. I clean with an ultrasonic and let them fully dry on a microfiber towel in the garage before putting them into the bags.
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Don't want to join the crowd....
techj replied to jdlincoln's topic in Chronograph Equipment & Techniques
I use 10' for handguns. What I've done to avoid killing mine (so far) is to shoot off of a rest and have the bore axis (and target I'm aiming at) approx. 8" above the height of the chrono...no screens but I try to chrono in the morning and in a shaded area so that the sun doesn't prevent the chrono from reading. -
Mine should be coming in this week (had to order via Gunbroker). I'll wait until I get a few hundred rounds downrange before making many changes. Hoping that if the trigger smooths out that it will be good to go for limited competitions. If it doesn't smooth & lighten up then yes, some trigger work will be in order. Also, will need to check out some 10-round magazine options and do some load development work (230 fmj) to find the load that it likes the best. I'm not good/fast enough (yet) where a larger magwell will drop my reload times enough to make much of a difference so that will be a future consideration.
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Had a chance to shoot one recently and liked it enough that I just ordered the elite target model. Liked the handling, accuracy and look. Of course what motivated me as well is the $100 rebate promotional that they are currently running. The only downsides I saw to it were 1) the trigger face is polymer and has a little bit of vertical play; and 2) it takes about 500 rounds (so I was told by the elite's owner) to get the trigger to smooth out. He told me that out of the box it is about a 5lb pull and is a little gritty. When I shot his it was very smooth and he told me that the trigger was down to 4lb...no smithing work just cleaning/lubing.
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They work fine in my 38 special & 357 magnum cartridges... shot in a Roger GP100. Only primers that I've had a problem with in revolvers are S&B...they work great in my stock Glock 17. In my revolver I was getting about a 10% failure to fire.
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LNL AP sticking in the upmost position
techj replied to cz75ipsc's topic in non-Dillon Reloading Equipment
It should never take much force with this press. Couple of other items to check include cleaning the priming arm/ram (powder build up can cause the slide to catch and/or the primer ram to not retract fully); making sure that the shell plate hasn't loosened; that there isn't a build-up of powder under the shell plate; and that if you're using a powder though expander that it's clean/OK. -
Can't speak to absolute accuracy @ 50 yards in 9mm as at that distance I'm usually just shooting at 6-8" steel plates and don't have any problems. At 25 yards the biggest factor is my ability to stay consistent versus any of the equipment or components. With my 24" lever action in 357 and MG 158's I can easily keep my shots within 2" at 50 yards (shooting off-hand). For my use (I shoot 9, 357, 44 & 45) I like the MG's due to their 1) being jacketed instead of plated or all lead; and 2) low-cost when purchased by the case.
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You may have to play with inserting/removing the magazine a bit to free it up... they can be fickle. FWIW I got to the point where if there is no spring tension on the assembly when I try to close it I stop and take it down to the beginning again. Good luck, have a drink and then try again.
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I find that the MG's give me slightly less velocity and so I load them a little hotter than the HAP's. Don't have my data in front of me but I think it was to 5.2 or 5.4 of N340 with the 115's in my G17.
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We've been RV'ing for about 14 years now and have had both motorhomes and now a trailer. There is no right or wrong one as it depends upon your lifestyle and it will probably change over the years. Much like a gun, you'll probably go through a couple before you find the right one and then you'll customize it...another fun (expensive) hobby! I have a blog that deals mostly with RV'ing and have a post http://rvschooner.com?p=182 that highlights our decision process between a trailer and a motorhome.
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Pros and Cons of opening a Shooting Range
techj replied to CSStreett's topic in Travel, Locations, Ranges, etc.
Your circle of friends will grow exponentially. -
Hadn't experienced any problems related to the feeder opening itself. Both the old and new styles allows the feeder opening to be adjusted and I never had any problems with loading both pistol (9, 44, 45, 357) and as well as rifle cases (30.06 & 308). The drums are slightly difference with the new one being slightly more oval (exterior) than the old and a different texture as you noted. Aside from it now getting my 357's to the feeder opening, the biggest improvement that I noted was that the drop tube is now an actual funnel rather than the molded clear plastic that served as a funnel. It seems that the fit to the large feed tube is tighter with no way for it to move out of place compared to the old design which would happen to me on rare occasion resulting in the tube moving too far into the molded plastic than intended.
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OK, finally had a chance to take a quick pic of the old vs. the new (see attachments)...the old one should appear first. FYI - the old one was photographed on my bench and the new one is shown mounted. Primary differences are the front where the old has a molded plastic funnel area whereas the new has a true funnel and the more extreme angle on the new. The new one comes with a different support arm that has a sharp angle on it vs. the straight end on the old one. The case plates and drop tubes did not change (and were not included with the replacement). I have only tried it with 357 magnum cases and it solved the problem... they now feed just about as fast as I can operate the press so I'm happy.
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That's the new one compared to what I had.
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What they sent me was a complete case feeder assembly (motor included) and support arm. The part # (from the packing list) for the new case feeder is 095300W. There was no part #/packing list entry for the new support arm. The old support arm had a square top and the new one is angled. The old case feeder had a clear plastic front and the new one only has a small plastic front. If I get a chance I'll get some pix. I'd guess that you have to find the right tech to talk to (I probably got lucky) and explain as I did that all of my other cases (I also reload for 9, 45, 44, 30.06 & 308) were feeding fine and it was only the 38/357 cases that would take forever to feed. FYI -- it was the same whether I tried the large pistol plate or the small pistol plate. Also, as I'm sure you know, being nice and asking them how to fix it will usually result in them being more helpful versus insisting on a specific fix or demanding something...just human nature. Also, I've read on forums where people with similar problems used the Dillon approach -- Dillon uses a similar case feeder and supplies a spacer washer for use either 357 & 44 mag cases to raise the plate slightly. I was going to try that if Hornady hadn't come through for me.
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Last week I called Hornady and explained my situation with the case feeder and 357 magnums. The tech stated that he hadn't heard of this problem but would get back to me. The next day I received 2 calls -- one to have me describe my case feeder and the shape of the top of the support arm. The second call was to let me know that they were sending me a newer version of the case feeder...no charge and no need to return the original. Yesterday I received a brand new case feeder and support arm. It is quite different looking than the one I had...after installing it there was definitely a more pronounced angle inside of the feeder. Long story short, my 357 mag cases now feed about as fast as I can operate the press so I'm a very happy camper.
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Which case feed plate for 6.8SPC?
techj replied to r0kawn's topic in Dillon Precision Reloading Equipment
What are the specs for the washer (thickness, ID, OD, material)? Don't have them and would like to source them at a box store if it isn't a very oddball item. Thanks!
