Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

rtp

Classifieds
  • Posts

    871
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by rtp

  1. That's why I was asking. And what happens when you include shipping charges? Personally, if I'm ordering a bunch of pistol bullets, I may be inclined to throw a k of their .223 in my cart as well for the $82.00. I think per/k they're reasonably competitive for paper punchers. Not everyone buys 6k at a time. Shipping included in prices/per bullet costs I gave. RMR > 10c each, even non-sale Midsouth Hornady 55gr FMJBT come out to ~8.x c/each or so shipped (assuming not shipping to AK ). True, prices change if only buying 500-1K at a time - guess that's how Xtreme and others manage to sell some of their bullets. Nothing wrong with trying some new brand or projectile out, which I do occasionally too, but once you know what works for you, buying in < case quantity is false economy unless it just can't be helped. I get your point on throwing a few on top of a pistol bullet order - why not? Let us know how they do.
  2. At what price? I'm seeing $468 for 6k, which is 7.8c each. I like RMR, but their 'branded' bullets are coming in at the same price or above where I can get known quality for the same or less, e.g.: http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/001532266B/22-Caliber-224-Diameter-55-Grain-Soft-Point-W-Cannelure-Approximately-6-and-000Case or wait for cabbalas or brown ells to run a sale, or: http://ammunitionstore.com/products/223-rem-55gr-fmj-bullets-224-dia-wolf-performance-4000-piece-case.html at 6.8c each (shipped). Why would you use RMR for that $ ?
  3. For 100yds .223, almost anything. One of the best buys going is the Wolf 55gr FMJ - seem to shoot well for the $ out to 100yards, not sure if anyone's taken 'em out further. Beyond that, bulk Hornady 55gr FMJBT or SPs - cases can get you down to ~7.x cents each on sale. http://ammunitionstore.com/products/223-rem-55gr-fmj-bullets-224-dia-wolf-performance-4000-piece-case.html?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=d6ae1b2fb0-Xmas_201512_16_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7093f43801-d6ae1b2fb0-424422821 I haven't really found a 'cheap' .308 load, so I just buy up Nosler CC, SMK, M118LR and Hornady 175 BTHPs and 178gr BTHPs when I see them go on sale, as seconds, etc.
  4. If you are thinking of any in particular I would appreciate the titles. Sure - ABCs of reloading + Lyman's latest. Both have good sections on the fundamentals of reloading/the why and how, etc., that are relevant no matter which press you choose. If you plan to load a lot of Hornady, their latest book is pretty good as well, while you can use online resources + various mfgr 'mini-magazines' for additional or confirming powder charges for specific bullets. e.g. if buying powder (or anything else) from Powder Valley, you can pick up a printed mag across Hodgdon/Winchester/IMR, VV, Alliant and others for 1cent each added to the order. They don't replace the loading books, but often have info on updated powders + another load reference.
  5. OP - are you starting to see a trend yet? Sure, some who have been loading for a while and now (rarely have people started on a 1050, let alone an automated one) own a 1050 may be forgetting what their first reloading sessions were like, but you've also got a good # of experienced reloaders telling you - no way in hell. Pick up a Lee Classic Cast Turret, Dillon 550 or LnL AP if you 'must' be progressive...and learn how to reload (let's say 10K flawless rounds as a good 'target') before evaluating (and thinking about what you've learned) before moving on from there.
  6. 1. How many reloading books do you have and have read end to end so far? If < 2, go do that first. 2. A 1050 + auto-drive is a huge mistake for most people as a first press. A turret is OK, as are some progressives if someone is truly cautious and careful, and starts loading 1 round at a time. Expecting to jump into an automated system with no prior experience is just a recipe for disaster, IMO. Maybe it will 'only' be thousands of rounds loaded that don't cycle your gun, maybe it will be only one of a thousand loaded too hot that makes the difference. Learn to reload before automation. Scales - Pick up an RCBS 505, 1010, or an electronic like the Gempro 250 (or higher $ - the electronics aren't all they're expected to be until you get into some $$).
  7. Perfect - this is exactly what I wanted to know, whether they hold comparable to Hornady out to 300yds/ > 100yd. For me to date, few other 'bulk' bullets hold their own vs the Hornadys, making it effectively just not worth buying others or I'd have to relegate them to 'hoser stages only.' Seems like they do, so they become a good alternate to H55grs. I'm a little less thrilled they jacked the price up by 25%, but will pick some up if/when they go on sale and confirm in my rifles.
  8. ^This. Like I said, I load JHPs for a Walther as well, and I have to seat them at 1.08 or shorter (1.075 for MG JHPs) in order to get them to plunk and spin properly. Depending on the brass and bullet profile in question, once you get them short enough to plunk & spin, you may run into some that give you the issue I described above. Seconding/thirding - just saw the thread title and was about to post the same - my PPQ needs to be loaded shorter than my CZ does....load to ~1.07" with MG 124gr JHPs..
  9. I've been in there before. Powder is way overpriced. Good price on CCI SPP though $26.95. I can't believe anyone uses them, unless their in-store prices at 50% less. 8# of Win 748 for $200. http://www.brunoshooters.com/category/powder_winchester.html Their powder and price prices were even worse when powder was more scarce. They're on my 'never buy from' list; YMMV.
  10. Has anyone shot the Wolf 55gr FMJ bullets (in their reloads, not Wolf Gold ammo) out to 300yds? Results? Results vs Hornady 55gr FMJBT or SPs?
  11. The coatings will/should smoke less than bare lead, but otherwise this is spot on - use slower powders if your combo of coated bullet + powder is 'too smoky.' I use TG + various 124gr coated bullets, including for some indoor matches, and it's just not bothered me much, but YMMV as always.
  12. I've either got an eBay $8 light strip or the Hornady $14 one - basically identical. The Inline Fab skylight setup is certainly nice, but at 5x the cost of a strip, I haven't jumped on board w/it, and the strip light works well. YMMV as usual.
  13. I would (and have) skipped the $$$ carbide sizing die, but would be interested in experiences with it. Forster > Redding and at lower cost for the seating die.
  14. What I wanted was a video of an ammo plant running like the 650 in the video below.All of the ammo plant videos I can find are spitting out cases and/or bullets or only show a few rounds being loaded. Just looking for one that runs. Got it. I'm slowly contemplating adding a MBF to my LnL AP + case feeder. Would that 'qualify' or you're really looking for an 'out of box' or out of box + tuned Ammo Plant? It will likely be Xmas or later, but if I go that route, I don't mind doing a video..
  15. Another LnL AP + case feeder owner weighing in. Overall, I like the press, and would buy one again, loading 9mm, .223, .308 currently on it. I've made variations of the various tweaks many of us have posted - for the press itself, it's mainly down to the priming system and proper timing. Polish the primer shuttles, bevel the leading edge, slightly chamfer the primer hole in the shuttle with a VLD or drill bit. Adjust the primer cam wire correctly and occasionally blow off the press/shuttle channel = very few issues at all. Hornady has made numerous changes to the priming system over time - breakaway cam wire, now changing the primer seater from a 'T' to a solid column as someone mentioned above, improved the situation further, although I think I only once ever had to pull the old ones out to blow out... The case feeder...was more work, but now happy...mostly. Timing, polishing in some WS2/tungsten disulfide on moving parts(dropper bottom mainly), extending the drop tube to cover down to the case shuttle (greatly reduces chance of tilting over rifle cases). The collator is fine, and the feed plates interchange across Hornady and Dillon. The feed path into the funnel needed more help - incorrect height on the overall tube can position rifle shells that 'jam' the drop sensor in some conditions, but once set properly - done. Small pistol cases like 9mm can jam front to back, so I cut an insert from a primer tray that reduces the front to back spacing, while .223 could sometimes manage to jam sideways, so another primer tray insert for the side of the funnel gives rifle cases no way to go but down into the funnel properly. I generally leave both in place now - looks funny, and maybe one day I'll make something 'cleaner,' but it's been working for thousands of rounds now. I do agree with a prior poster that this would be a trivial thing for Hornady to make in bulk, just a molded plastic funnel insert would solve most of the issues for a few cents...a rounded 'funnel' vs the flat front on the feeders today would also likely solve the pair of issues. It is probably worth noting that Hornady has also made silent case feeder changes over the years - original/early feeders had some issues on the 'gate opening' from the collator position vs the funnel position, so people were sometimes 're-clocking' things - this hasn't been needed as of at least the past few years AFAIK, with the newer/current gen case feeders. Short of trying to make a rounded funnel vs the flat one they ship with today, I'll eventually add a 'wiper' by making a small slot in the side of the collator, and using a spring, pair of washers and screw, or a small screw + washers/nut. I love the Hornady PM + micrometer inserts, and if at some future date I pick up a used 650 or 1050, I'd be more than happy running a Hornady PM over the Dillons there. The cost of the LnL bushings is trivial - just buy 10 packs when on sale. Like someone else said, the LnL lock rings are the best out there, and I'd be buying them for any/all presses/dies regardless. There is a small amount of side to side play in the long linkage arms, which imparts a tiny amount of rotational movement at full downward stroke, at least on my press - it has no impact on ammo quality/runout as it doesn't happen on the upstroke with a loaded plate, but I may eventually try throwing some thin washers between the inside of the linkage arms and the press, and the linkage arms and the ram/handle casting. RE: bullet feeder. I don't like Hornady's and won't be going down that path. I do have a Hornady die, and will eventually get around to opening up the collet slightly for feeding 9mm coated via a tube, or just go with an MBF for 9mm and some .223. I'd never favor the LnL AP over a 1050, but I'd never trade it for a 550. One of these days I'll probably have a 1050 alongside it, most likely for running bulk .223. Maybe I'll add an RCBS Pro-Chucker and dedicate one press per caliber - we'll see, but I'm also fine with swapping across calibers quickly enough on the LnL AP. @jmorris - I'm assuming you may have an idea for producing something to 'fix' some perceived AP issue, or an add-on? If so, I'd be interested in a pistol/rifle capable bullet feeder above all else, and might have interest in a replacement case feeder w/caliber specific bits - I bet others who don't own the Hornady case feeder might be on that one.
  16. rtp

    H335 vs. 8208XBR

    I like 8208XBR quote a bit, and it's become preferred for me lately in .223 over TAC. It should do fine in .308 at lower weight bullets, but IMO, it's a bit too fast for heavier 175gr+ loads.
  17. Another 'guns and ammo panic' started just after I started shooting in competitions. I'm one of those guys where the first choice for almost everything is to do it myself, e.g. have owned > 100 vehicles but only ever paid someone to work on one twice, same w/house projects etc., so why not on ammo? I do not want my sport and hobby to be impacted by the gov't and political climate changing with the wind, so probably like many of you, I started with a components '1 year plan,' then 3 year plan, now ~5 year plan, at which point "I'm good" until the next year.
  18. I don't think many of us would go to a LnL AP or 650 from a 1050 either! Some of the Hornady/Dillon conversations are tough - Hornady does/has made numerous incremental improvements over time, but someone looking through forums and reading of experiences from some time ago has no way to even guess this. Dillon's case feeder system is IMO a bit better due to the caliber specific inserts - while the Hornady and Dillon feeder plates are identical (save a few $ and buy whichever can be found cheaper), it would be nice to have had a bit less tweaking across calibers to get the LnL case feeder to ~99% (I wound up making some home-made funnel inserts, a few other minor bits). To their credit, they did redesign the collator portion and funnel to not require 'clocking' from the older/original models. I like the Hornady PM, bushings and priming system > Dillons, and Dillon's case feeder and fit/finish (not by much) > Hornady's, but YMMV as always.
  19. Do you have any reloading experience, or the 1050 is going to be your first press??
  20. ETA - I'm not anti-Dillon. I would have happily taken an XL650 but came across a solid deal on the LnL AP. I'm sure I'd be about as happy on a 650 - possibly happier w/casefeeder, less so on primer handling but close enough to a wash for the loading I do. I still wouldn't have gone with a 550. There's a Heathen in the house!!!!!!! (Just kidding. Wanted to be the first...) I've been running a 550 for the past decade. At the time I bought it, I couldn't even afford the 550 but had just thrown my Lee Pro 1000 into the driveway and backed over it a couple of times, so I had no choice. If I were to do it again today, I'd go the 650 route... but I've been promoted and have a couple raises under my belt, so nowadays I can afford it. Saying that, the 550 works so well, I just can't convince myself to buy another loader when I already have one that works great. And I sure aint selling my 550! I just looked at Brownells, and the Lock-N-Load Progressive is on sale, so you could probably get it for ballpark the same price as a 550 after you account for the dies that come with a 550; if I'm reading the ad correctly, no dies accompany the LNL at that price. I've never run a Hornady (just as Johnson184 isn't anti-Dillon, I'm not anti-Hornady) so I can't say I've compared one vs. the other, but I'd probably still choose a 550 if I couldn't afford a 650, if for no other reason than Dillon's customer service is enough to tip the scales their way. Correct - no dies or shell plate come with the LnL AP out of the box. It does come with 5 LnL bushings, which is basically the 'equivalent' of a Dillon toolhead (it's of course not a toolhead, but they way the LnL APs swap dies), minor nicety is as you don't always fill all stations, it works out a bit cheaper across N calibers vs toolheads + conversion bits. LOL on the 'no choice'...after putting the press under your tires. I found out a good friend just bought a progressive press, so I went to help him get it sorted...somehow, somewhere, he picked up a Loadmaster. I am now crossing fingers I/we won't want to throw it out a window - it's a serious Rube Goldberg machine, reminds me of the old kids game Mousetrap building crazy things.. Hornady's CS is solid, and they do make continuous improvements to the press, from updating the case feeder (no more 're-clocking' the collator) to the priming system, etc. I've gotten a few updated parts for free w/out issue, although they don't AFAIK have a 'found a rusted press in a barn, send it to us' arrangement. It's an understandably tough call if someone already has a 550 - do they 'need' to upgrade to an added station + auto-indexing, regardless of which brand...for most, no, but some 'want' to...if someone is considering going 550 from the start, it's more palatable to just step up now to a 5 station auto-indexing setup (whether LnL AP, XL650, or maybe the new RCBS).
  21. So - you're pretty much asking this question on a Dillon forum... Love my LnL, and wouldn't get a 550, period - lack of auto-advance and 4 stations vs 5 for the LnL or 650. The LnL or the 650 are likely to make you happy, each wit their own potential quirks in initial setup. The Dillon case feeder is less fiddly to get running 99% vs the Hornady's, but either will work. I would not, however, compare a 650 + case feeder or LnL Ammo Plant to a 1050 - the 1050 is in a class of it's own, IMO...and the $ to go with it. The new RBCS presses are also interesting, although I'm not sure what pricing settled out at. They seem to have a sacrificial primer slide, which sometimes sacrifices itself needlessly (does that make it suicidal? ), but otherwise seems solid. If you want to get in w/out a case feeder, possibly adding one later, maybe not - get the Hornady LnL AP. The 650 w/out feeder has you using both hands off the handle, with it's missing collator, but topping up the tubed on right hand, placing bullets with left. If you know you 'need' a case feeder out of the gate - the Dillon feeder is a bit better, although my LnL case feeder (ignore anyone talking about having to re-clock them - Hornady's case feeder has seen several revisions) runs pretty well after some minor tweaking. If you're really planning going 'all out' w/case and bullet feeders from day 1 - first I'd ask how much experience reloading you have, then I'd say get the 1050 if you're determined to go that route AND have experience already, or back to the LnL AP or 650 if not AND have actual patience and some level of mechanical understanding. YMMV as always - if you have a local mentor, it may be worth just going with whatever they have, just to get going...assuming you're new to progressives. ETA - I'm not anti-Dillon. I would have happily taken an XL650 but came across a solid deal on the LnL AP. I'm sure I'd be about as happy on a 650 - possibly happier w/casefeeder, less so on primer handling but close enough to a wash for the loading I do. I still wouldn't have gone with a 550.
  22. Congrats, OP. The LnL AP like most, has a few 'tips and tricks,' mostly one time setup and done, but here's mine - some may help you to get your press running it's best. My collection of LnL tips (may have missed one or two): 1. Adjust the primer feed. Loosen the hex screw at top (holding the black plastic piece and rail), remove primer tube and blast tube. Adjust top of bracket so pickup hole is dead center or very slightly to the rear at full motion of ram, tighten. 2. De-burr primer shuttle with a flat stone or sandpaper. 3. Slightly bevel/undercut primer shuttle to remove some small amount of material towards the bottom of the shuttle while keeping the top as is (but smoothed). You want a slight downward bevel. You'll find many powders for pistol will throw the occasional flake out by press movement, and you want a bit of spare room to stop from jamming the primer shuttle from operating smoothly. A small can of compressed air is nice to keep on hand as well, just blast every few hundred rounds or so. 4. Make sure you set the timing right, lots of info out there on doing so, always adjust in small increments...should go easily into each detente on each step. If you need to 'nudge' the shell plate to fully go into position, adjust the timing once and be done with it. 5. The shell plate screw will loosen up. Add a split washer on top of the plate, below the screw head; problem solved. 6. New powder measures - do as much cleaning as you thought they needed, then double it. When new, de-grease with green brake cleaner or One shot cleaner, then soak in water + Dawn solution, shake around, let dry. Do this for 'the whole stack' including the inserts and powder drop. Repeat. Run 1# or so of powder through it manually, to dump back into the powder container. You can also use a bit of powdered graphite. If really motivated, you can remove the plastic powder tube (with some difficulty on some of them) and polish the inside surfaces of the 'funnel' to smooth it out. Once truly clean, and with some powder or graphite to 'lube' it, .1gr repeatable drops should be almost guaranteed with any ball powder, and some others. 7. Wrap a used dryer sheet around the tube, and rubber band it on to keep static down in the powder tube. 8. The powder baffle helps - use it! 9. Not enough can be said about ensuring a solid mount as well as a stable mounting surface/bench. Consistency of OAL as well as powder charges will thank you for ensuring a truly steady mount. 10. You can find an LED setup for $10 on eBay, pretty much the same as the $30 setup sold elsewhere, or I believe Hornady makes one for reasonable cash. Expect any 'tape adhesive' to not cut it and glue it on with some decent adhesive or epoxy. 11. It is possible to load a squib if your powder drop rotor gets dirty or if the drop tube mechanism gets dirty with powder residue. Do not use any lube other than graphite(or gunpowder, which contains graphite). ALWAYS look inside the case before placing a projectile!! 12. You may find that even if the loads can be dispensed with reasonable accuracy, the first few charges may be 'off' (depending on powder, length of time before resuming after a pit stop) vs when the press is in full swing, due to settling and compaction over time, so always cycle the powder measure a few times, dump the powder back in, and then check load weight. Recheck after a few rounds and after a hundred. Note that a powder baffle does help here, but this should be done regardless at the start of each loading session. At the start of each session, or for any adjustment, I throw a few charges 'manual''y into a pan, and dump them back into the hopper, then throw 10 charges manually, weigh, and divide by 10. Adjust if need be, throw a few back in hopper, repeat 10x throws, weigh. The micrometer inserts are also pretty nice. 13. The primer mechanism will make a "snap" sound as the shell plate gets loose, or start to hang up, so will the powder drop if it starts to get snagged by friction, so pay attention: your LNL is trying to tell you something! Setting up the primer system: Remove the primer shuttle + primer ram. Blow the primer ram out with compressed air, spray with One Shot or other dry lube if you feel the need. Remove any/all lube from the primer shuttle channel + shuttle. Get a flat piece of glass and wrap some fine grit sandpaper around it, or an Arkansas stone or similar. Rub the bottom portion of the primer shuttle against the paper or stone until it's smooth. Deburr the leading rounded age if needed. Now, look at the leading edge (the rounded portion) of the primer shuttle. You're going to want to cut a small bevel on the bottom half height-wise of the leading edge - to form a small 'v' downwards on the leading edge. This will open up an area to let minor crud accumulate w/out stopping your priming operations. Take a VLD reamer or drill bit slightly larger than the primer hole in the shuttle. Use it to put a minor chamfer on the top side of the primer shuttle primer hole. Sand lightly if any burrs are remaining. Throw a bit of powdered graphite or One Shot dry lube in the channel, and put it back together, but remove the 'blast tube' and inner tube from the primer tube assembly, so you have only the bare bracket over the shuttle. Shine a light down inside the bracket so you can see down into the assembly as the shuttle cycles back and forth. Pull your press handle all the way down so the ram is all the way up, and loosen the bracket at the top of the 'z bar.' Adjust so the primer shuttle primer hole is just a hair rearwards past dead center as it goes rear-ward in it's cycle to pick up a primer. Tighten it down. Pick up a camera 'rocket blower' like this one for $12, and use it to blow off the shell plate and primer area when you load primers or finish a loading session.
  23. No - the collator portion of the LnL AP and Dillons are close to the same, even able to use each other's feed plates, but the similarities end there. The Dillon 650 comes with the tube and 'pusher' components with the base press, while the equivalent is part of the case feeder kit for the LnL AP. Having said that, the LnL is set up to place bullets and cases from the left, so your right hand never needs to leave the handle, so you can get into a decent rhythm pretty easily.
  24. My WSF load tests, various projectiles, a few guns.
  25. Disagree strongly - you don't need the load data necessarily, but the front half of most manuals, and the full text of ABCs of Reloading, is all about how, what, and why - nothing to do with load data. Someone really needs to have a clue what/why/how to do each step before they load their first round, ideally. ABCs is inexpensive - $20 or so? Why would you not learn what you're doing/trying to do with something like reloading? Even with a mentor, I'd appreciate someone I was mentoring taking the time to bring themselves up to speed via at least one solid reloading book. Its been my experience that newbies get seriously more confused after reading manuals. Even though the manuals will explain things, newbies don't really understand to start with, then they over think everything, google up internet lore, and worry even more and ask endless questions. ... That's why I say it's best to have an experienced re-loader setup the press for you, and once setup, don't monkey with it! Reloading is still just a means to an end. The object is to make consistent loads that are reliable. Don't over think the whole reloading process, once your press is cranking then get out there and grip it and rip it. Depends on the person, I suppose - I've seen the flip side where someone seems to believe they know everything, followed by loading for a 308 or other rifle caliber and jumping into 'random Internet loads' vs working up, and ideally IMO starting to learn how to reload on pistol rounds. I agree there are some interesting questions that can come out of a newbie reading a reloading book, but I'd prefer to see them ask and get answers vs having someone set up a press for them and they never really know how to check/adjust/the whys and hows. In your other post, you claimed the 'fast' loaders shouldn't load up thousands of rounds - if you have someone set up a press for someone, then never touch it, how would someone know how to prevent such issues in the first place? Perhaps 'those guys' didn't read a reloading book or do sanity checks throughout the loading operation? Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I agree hands-on with an experienced reloader walking through the book material and press operation is 'best,' but people can't always get it, or to the depth they 'should.'
×
×
  • Create New...