StratRider

StandardError, if you missed my early comment on the "sortinator" machine which already does this but sells for $3k, there are a few details at this link: https://www.hasgrok.com/?product=sortinator-1000 The first videos lean toward mechanics - which I believe several here (especially jmorris) could easily improve on, and the last 2 videos have information you might find interesting about their software. Best of luck and I hope to share and contibute in this experience.

I give all S&B, HRTRS, USGI, RG, MKE and Nato brass to a friend with a 1050 with it's built in swager. Stepped Brass is FM, IMT, Ammoload and Maxtech which goes to the recycle bucket with any A-MERC, A USA or LY brass. Most complaints I ever see in the forums is on CBC and Aguila brass but I load them on a 650 with no problem (so far).

Well, necessity isn't really the issue here. Some of us would like to do it for fun. I sort my brass by headstamp and if there is an easier way - and really cool way - to do that, I'm all in. When I do load workups, I always use the same headstamp just to eliminate another variable. For matches, I do the same. It's just one of those OCD things that makes me feel better. I believe that you thought the mechanical part was the hard part, where others of us can deal with the mechanics - just not the OCR part. It's nice when we can all work together. Your input will be quite enlightening. Thanks for helping with the challenge (when you get time of coarse)

Not knocking anyone at all here but for me - I'll never understand why so many think that these precious few seconds are worth the cost of these tools. Cost Benefit Analysis doesn't show it to be a value (to me) - but then CBA can't factor in how cool it is to just watch the machines work. Thus, I also picked up a Vibra-Prime for $20 from a guy that was pissed off at it - tinkered and made it work great for me - lol. The time to fill a standard pickup tube the old way is 90 seconds - I do a vibraprime fill in 40 seconds on my worst day and like others I fill several tubes before I start. While loading bullets by hand, I pull the handle on my 650 at a rate of 17 per minute = 1020 per hour / not counting reloading primers, bullets, brass that MBF and RF100 guys are doing also. As noted by others, the RF100 seems to load a small percentage upside down (causing a loss of time later) where I have NEVER had that happen with a vibra-prime. I HAVE TO ASK - for those that think the MBF saves so much time - just what are you doing with your left hand while pulling the handle ? Without an ammobot or Mark7 you are not even loading the RF100 with new primers without stopping the handle pull. And yes, I do really time these things - cost benefit analysis is one of my joys in life - lol - and helps to get me through the monotony of making bullets. The payoff comes for those that are shooting way more than my 20-25k per year. Once you hit that 40-50k per year mark, then an ammobot WITH the MBR makes sense.

I have to wonder how you would dry them out. Bake in the oven at 425 for an hour ? ? outside in the Texas sun is probably hotter than that. Air dry in the garage for a week then test a few in empty open cases would be the way I'd go.

it takes me 90 seconds to load a primer tube - no flipped primers -ever.

I've had some for a while and started using it full time after my N320 ran out. I have to say that the last time I cleaned my gun after a few matches it was quite a bit cleaner than before. Not thrilled with the granular composition of the stuff but I am happy with everything else about it.

I did something that many people do not recommend but then I did hear Steve Anderson discuss it before and also says that you won't know how it feels until you do it. I got a metronome app and set it at 180 while at the range. (I had dryfired like this in the garage too using 3 targets.) After getting the timing set in my mind again, I fired 10 rounds and 8/10 were in the "A" zone at 10 yards. Just saying - this really gave me the confidence to push myself harder in the matches and it has paid off.

I started a thread on this topic the first time I saw a sale like this. Most all responses were good as you see above. I bought 10k and have run the first 1k flawlessly in 2 Caniks that I own. Picked up the brass and the primer strikes were DEEP with those guns. I'm happy and am ordering more.

The JCSSA range hosts a USPSA match in Cleburne on the first Saturday of every month. CTASA hosts a USPSA match on the 3rd Sunday of each month out at CCC Tactical range in Cresson, TX. Therse are the closest to you that I know of and I believe there are some at ETTS in Waxahachi also. You should be able to find all of those in Practiscore.

On poppers you can cut some carpet pieces to be about 2" thick and duct tape the heck out of it.

I hit the review on each stage and copy them into cells so I can see the count of A's, B's, etc. Then have a set of cells to total all of that data for everyone's and a formula column to re-figure hit factor even though stage points is what really counts. And you can get that another way if you really want to (I do). By doing this I was able to determine that a match submitted to PS was inaccurate due to a stage that was thrown out. Once you have the data from the "review" of each stage - you can do anything you want if you are an excel nerd like me.

This was the best list I have ever found on .223 headstamps: http://www.300blktalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88599 It is based on brass thickness at the mouth opening. Too thick changes the compression or bite on the bullet.

Yes, I strayed from the main topic of the thread and was initially responding to a portion of a comment about needing A's, with some data that showed different.

I've looked at youtube "sortinator" and they have a few videos - one is just on the software but they are not sharing since the machine they made is for sale at $3k - which I believe is nuts and I don't care for their mechanical design. I've seen others that once recognized, the case could run down a short conveyor to be ejected or sidetracked like mail or packages at Amazon. Getting the software to activate servos upon recognition is all I'd like to see, the mechanics should be the easy part.

There seems to be quite a few OCR softwares out there and many are free. How to make it actually activate something is beyond me (for now). I'll be following this thread though. Thanks

Lightheartedly, I have to say that it is hard to take much advice from the guys you are beating. Even a few tenths would have changed things though. Obviously the C's are not intentional and I can add here that this only worked out when shooting MAJOR. If both were shooting Production or Minor PF, The B shooter would have lost.

Allow me to counter with these scores from a recent match which I found very interesting. With 40 fewer A's, the B class shooter was 11.5 seconds faster and ended with the higher HF. Class PF A B C D M NS Proc AP Time Hit Factor B Major 58 0 43 10 1 0 0 81.68 5.7786 M Major 98 0 12 1 1 0 0 92.20 5.7484

If you are not concerned with reusing it, then just fire it in the gun. I've done that many times before I figured out that I can push them out with the press and re-use them. Which I have done with over 200 rounds.

I did the same thing - tested out many weights with different barrel lengths too. As noted above though - other charts also show that A-S has identical properties to Prima-V I'd like to see how large those flakes are though - i have some 700x that I just can't use in a powder drop due to bridging.

oh man, you're killing me. Need to find a shop and play.

If you don't care about the inside of the case, then don' t use pins. I always wet tumble though for just one hour and got these results: With pins - 99% were shiney inside / / without pins - about 35% were clean inside. As previously mentioned though - it really only takes an extra 3 minutes to remove the pins if you have a system and a good magnet. I'll keep using my pins. Rifle brass is another story for me - I deprime them and run them through the stations on the Lyman Case Prep station. The 5 stations for me are brush the interior, bevel the primer pocket on the inside, clean the pocket, ream then hit the pocket uniformer. Lube them up and resize, trim, chammpher/debur then wet tumble with NO pins since the pockets are swaged and clean already. I did start using that shelf insert for the laundry dryer that is meant for drying shoes - can run up to 1k 9mm on that for about 20 min. = nice.

overall it was a decent run. the only other thing I could offer not covered above was that IF you are starting on the left side - I would have backed up while facing the other direction - dragging the pistol behind me while looking at the next targets - then of coarse eliminate that first reload.

I am still having difficulty calling my shots with irons and although I prefer to shoot production, I wonder if using a dot for a while to assist with shot calling itself would be helpful or hurtful.

I usually shop about 5 places for powder and none have had this either. Good Luck and please post if/when you find it.