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For the first-timers: First ten rounds ever reloaded (and shot just pe


ChemistShooter

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If you're vacuuming up powder I hope you are emptying it regularly. Because based on my experience vacuuming up a live primer, that combined with a bit of powder might not be fun or earn any brownie points with the wife. She'd be all pissed that her next birthday present was going to be a new vacuum cleaner [emoji56].

Oh, Lordy, yes, I clean out the container every time. Dump it in the trash, which gets carried out every day, so no chance of a build-up,

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Don't vacuum spilled gunpowder.

Static charges and brushes in the motor can ignite it. Just use a brush and sweep it up. Maybe a little compressed air.

Black powder is explosive, smokeless powder burns with vigor.

Congratulations on getting started with rolling your own ammo. It's really gratifying to find the your own ammo produces groups half the size of factory ammo.

I never saved any money reloading, just get to shoot more.

Plus, you can loose all your locator pins before you realize what happened. Digging in the shop vac is not fun. (happened during 223 trimming)

I've already played a couple rounds of find-the-damn-locator-pin. Not fun.
Take a milk jug or similar plastic item, cut a teardrop shaped "tab" out of it, push locator pin through small end of "tab", place locator pin back into machine. Makes it easier to lift them from the machine and easier to find when you drop them.

Great tip!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I really don't think loading is one of the topics where beginners benefit from other beginners giving advice. All the good information in this thread was in the answers and explanations of the experienced reloaders. I'd go so far as to change the thread title if I were a moderator to steer beginners away. This should be more of a "new to reloading, any thing I should do different?"

To the OP, no offense is meant by my above. We all start somewhere and there is always more to learn. Read the guidelines for powder storage some time, they're not all that crazy like I'm sure some lab chemicals are. Hell I'm more scared of having muriatic acid around than gunpowder. :)

I'm in the no pull and reuse camp with regard to bullets, because of hassle vs $$. keep cranking.

Since you're new ill give you a tip to help. I use spray case lube, even w the carbide dies. First few times I put the cases in a box, spray and shake. My grandpa had an idea that worked out great. Get a plastic bag (I actually use an 7lb ice bag, dry of course). Put about 100 cases in it, make sure it's good and open, spray some lube, close off the end (if you're fast the bag will stay inflated) and shake . You're shaking the brass in a light cloud of lubricant and it works out great and is less hassle than a box.

And the Dillon powder dispenser is amazing, such a solid item. Check at the beginning then don't worry about it.

Good luck!

Red

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I really don't think loading is one of the topics where beginners benefit from other beginners giving advice. All the good information in this thread was in the answers and explanations of the experienced reloaders. I'd go so far as to change the thread title if I were a moderator to steer beginners away. This should be more of a "new to reloading, any thing I should do different?"

To the OP, no offense is meant by my above. We all start somewhere and there is always more to learn. Read the guidelines for powder storage some time, they're not all that crazy like I'm sure some lab chemicals are. Hell I'm more scared of having muriatic acid around than gunpowder. :)

I'm in the no pull and reuse camp with regard to bullets, because of hassle vs $$. keep cranking.

Since you're new ill give you a tip to help. I use spray case lube, even w the carbide dies. First few times I put the cases in a box, spray and shake. My grandpa had an idea that worked out great. Get a plastic bag (I actually use an 7lb ice bag, dry of course). Put about 100 cases in it, make sure it's good and open, spray some lube, close off the end (if you're fast the bag will stay inflated) and shake . You're shaking the brass in a light cloud of lubricant and it works out great and is less hassle than a box.

And the Dillon powder dispenser is amazing, such a solid item. Check at the beginning then don't worry about it.

Good luck!

Red

Case lube taken under advisement. I've heard it before. The problem with putting case lube on is you have to take it back off again, if I have read correctly. But I'm having to remove anti-corrosion gunk already, so it wouldn't be an extra step.

However, my main problem at the moment is getting that little metal chute that's supposed to catch spent primers to operate properly. It's a major slow-down. Case lube, at the moment, would not result in a speed-up. And right at the moment I'm still getting the hang of it and it is probably not wise to try and go fast. I'm trying to find a little magnet to put on that chute so it will fall back properly.

The Dillon powder dispenser has not deviated from a 3.9 grain average in five days.

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Dump the sorry cotter pin for a precision tuned bent paper clip or equivalent.

A little One Shot will make the loading process much smoother, and acts as an anti-tarnish. It goes a lot further if you use the red tube to spray it on brass in a 1 gal bag. No need to remove One Shot unless you seriously over-do it.

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When loading on my SDB's I use the Hornady paste case lube. I just place the tub next to the cases and simply touch my finger on it every three or four cases and then touch my finger and thumb together. Then all I do is pick up the cases and feed them onto the shell plate. You don't need to smear it on to the entire perimeter of the case, as just touching the case is enough to transfer a little lube. You don't need a big blob of it on your finger, just enough to where your fingers feel slippery when rubbed together.

A 4 oz. tub for $4.00 will probably last 100K rounds, and I have never even considered cleaning it back off of the loaded ammo as there is so little on it. It makes loading effortless though.

https://reloadingunlimited.com/product/hornady-unique-case-lube-4-oz-tub/?gclid=Cj0KEQiAqqO0BRDyo8mkv9y259EBEiQApVQD_ZHnYmVuJLugazGmGlDd_QTusz-KYS5Ska3tM5XsiPYaAkLB8P8HAQ

Edit: If I had to remove "anti corrosion junk" from bullets, I'd be switching bullet manufacturers in a hurry!

Edited by TDA
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Ah. My very next question, marking cases for retrieval. I have discovered TiteGroup leaves a distinctive burn mark around the mouth that makes it easy to see what I fired. (Done shot 300 of them puppies so far. I reek of TiteGroup.) But a mark would be better. I only want what I fired. I know their history.

Again, thanks to all. Y'all are making this easy.

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Ah. My very next question, marking cases for retrieval. I have discovered TiteGroup leaves a distinctive burn mark around the mouth that makes it easy to see what I fired. (Done shot 300 of them puppies so far. I reek of TiteGroup.) But a mark would be better. I only want what I fired. I know their history.

Again, thanks to all. Y'all are making this easy.

I use different colored Sharpies across the face of the base. The color tells me how many reloads I've done on that case. Most of the competitive shooters I know do the same thing (with variations) I use a 100 round case gauge and mark them when they are done with gauging, then I dump them into a bag for the match or range, the mark lets me know that the round had gone through the gauge. I also stack my primers and powder anywhere I can find space. :roflol:

post-56380-0-88268800-1451886397_thumb.j

post-56380-0-56653200-1451886521_thumb.j

post-56380-0-14307100-1451886582_thumb.j

post-56380-0-21319900-1451886604_thumb.j

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I made a brass marker. Makes a 1/4" wide mark around the middle.

I like that idea even though it's slower than my current method. What I do now is while case gauging with a hundo gauge is make the bottom of the cartridge with a wide tip marker. Then I just tell folks if the see green on the bottom it's mine :).

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I made a brass marker. Makes a 1/4" wide mark around the middle.

I like that idea even though it's slower than my current method. What I do now is while case gauging with a hundo gauge is make the bottom of the cartridge with a wide tip marker. Then I just tell folks if the see green on the bottom it's mine :).

I tried that...never could get my brass to land end up where I could see the mark...mine always seems to lay on the side....and the wide red mark makes it pretty easy to see.

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Ah. My very next question, marking cases for retrieval. I have discovered TiteGroup leaves a distinctive burn mark around the mouth that makes it easy to see what I fired. (Done shot 300 of them puppies so far. I reek of TiteGroup.) But a mark would be better. I only want what I fired. I know their history.

Again, thanks to all. Y'all are making this easy.

Chem, TiteGroup should not leave soot on the case, nor should any powder, that is because your charge weight is too low. I have been running that powder for over 15 years thru my Glocks and the fired cases look nearly as clean as they went in. 125 TC Bayous on top of 4.2 grs at 1.100". Can you post a pic? Suggest you go with the published Hodgdon data, 4.5 grs minimum at 1.125" OAL. 4 grs would work ok for moly lead or coated, but not FMJ, since there is more friction. I would actually take it to 5.0 grs, and guys I know using 115's are running 5.4 grs

image37190.jpg

Edited by 9x45
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I don't mark brass, because I don't save it. Most competitive shooters do not pickup every single piece, especially guys running Major Open unless they are running weird brass like 38 Super Comp. However there are a number of case marking methods used. The most popular ones mark the diameter, and not the head stamp, although much faster because they just run a marker across a 50 round box, but it is harder to see.

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