techj

Only when I change powders and then usually just with compressed air.

another +1 on seating & crimping seperately - it's what I do with coated bullets. It will also let you get by with the minimum flair needed (still more than jacketed) to seat the bullets. I use a standard expander die and use an FCD for the crimp.

+1 on a very enjoyable non-stop action series. Even my better half enjoyed it and she usually doesn't like shoot-em-ups.

My pride when I screwed up a batch of 500 rounds that I then needed to pull because I forgot to re-adjust the powder measure when changing to another caliber (same powder).

I update my excel spreadsheet after every session. Helps me keep track of when to change springs or perform preventive maintenance (i.e. detail strip). I usually bring my ammo to the range in plastic flip boxes and can get the round count by checking the boxes when I get home....I rarely shoot the same caliber out of multiple guns per range trip so that makes it easier.

They're my favorite. The smell from the coating on the HyTeks bother me when I shoot indoors. Also, I don't get nearly as much smurf dust when I use my bullet feeder as a lot of the loose stuff comes off and stays in the collator.

Once you have a combo of bullets + powder then buy the most bulk you can afford. For bullets, I would buy sample packs until I found one that worked well for me - different profiles will require different seating depths in order to pass the plunk test in your gun. My personal preference - for both my Glock 17 & my 9mm 1911's are the Blue Bullets in 125gr. I also like Power Pistol, N320/340, Bullseye, etc. PP works well but is flashy & loud compared to some of the others. The chrono is essential especially if you are participating in IDPA or USPSA. IMHO you can get away with a lot more variance in your Glock than in some other handguns. Once you have your combo dialed in then the more you can buy & store (check your local fire regs fir any limitations on powder & primers) the cheaper it will be per round. I usually buy primers in 5 or 10 thousand increments and keep up to 50lb of powder on hand re-ordering at about the 25 lb mark to keep the shipping & hazmat costs down. Will usually buy 10,000+ bullets at a time - with some vendors (like the Blue Bullets) there are no shipping charges when you buy in bulk. Best advice of all would be to make friends with others that reload where you shoot so that you can find out more about local suppliers and maybe get them to teach you the ins & outs of their presses...would have saved me a lot of time and grief my first year if I had had a mentor.

I'll leave it running and just put a cover on it - even cardboard will help. I used 2 pieces - one cut to roughly fit inside the bowl and taped it to one that is too large to fit inside. Cuts the noise a LOT.

Would love to but can't justify as I'm retired. FWIW - I use the Lee FCD (9 & 45) with coated lead and only case check the rounds that will be used at a match just in case as I have rarely had a round that didn't pass the gauge not run in either my Glock (9 only) or my 1911's (9 or 45).

Another +1 for the Blue Bullets - I use them exclusively for 9 & 45.

I'm very happy with the CMC XP's but they are 10 rounders.

Thanks for the report and glad to hear that it is working well for you.

If you have a chance can you measure or check the manual as to the dimensions of the shooting area? I'm interested in how large a target area I would have compared to optical units like the Comp Elec. Also, please let us know how long the battery lasts before it needs charging or how long you ran it during your range session. Don't really care about the smartphone app...just want a chrono that will be usable indoors or out with a large enough shooting area that I am less likely to kill it while in use. Many thanks in advance!

I have and use the Hornady prep center for 308 & 30.06. Works well and I like that it is heavy/bolted to the bench. Works quite well...FYI I have the LNL AP for my press. It is a bit expensive and if I were to do it all over again - especially now that I'm not loading that much 30 cal anymore) I would have gotten the 1050 with the trimmer.

Has anyone tried the new Caldwell Precision Chronograph G2 - and if so, what did you think of it?

Powder is stored in a 3/4" plywood cabinet with spring hinged doors in my reloading room (detached garage). in our area we are allowed to store up to 50lb this way. still working on a way to fill the cabinet. I store my primers inside - only allowed a max of 10,000 primers. Makes no sense but don't want to deal with a denied claim should we ever have a fire.

I like to get to the range early and run a magazine of ammo before the match.

Sorry about your daughter. Why not program rings so that only the important numbers are the ones you pay attention to? Also, some phones (my Windows phone for example) let you set quiet hours where only designated numbers can ring through. It's what we use to avoid calls after dinner time except from family.

I have the FS (#51623) which has adjustabel rear and FO front along with G10 grips. But it is only a single stack model.

If I'm going to reload the next day I will usually have my primer tubes filled including the press ready to go. But my reloading set-up is in a dettached garage and I have no kids that might be curious.

+1 as well on the Blue Bullets.

If they're all at the same power factor and have the same bullet profile (i.e. RN) they should all work the same as the energy they're delivering is the same.

Ballistol and some grease (when spec'd by the manufcaturer and for the press).

I like to put a coat of polyurethane on my benches. That way if something spills - or I clean a die and it drips - I don't have to worry about it soaking into the wood.

Welcome! What part of the state are you from?