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I came running in from the garage this afternoon and proclaimed to my wife, "well honey, I am going to get cancer." Somewhat shocked she asked what I've been talking about! 
It all started last Saturday, I was lucky enough to win an AR-15 at my gun club's annual meeting. I've been a member for 7 years and it's the first meeting I've been able to attend, yeah I know way to make friends. Well, I had kicked around the idea of getting an AR platform rifle for a few years, but it's never been high on my list. I've got a .22-250 and like that caliber much more then the .223, so I didn't see the need as it wasn't filling a "hole." Regardless the Great Panic of December 2012 hit and I found myself AR-15'less and while I did feel a bit upset about it, I got over it. Now suddenly that's all changed. I am an AR-15 owner now and I've not prepared for it! Once I get home I madly dig through my range bag and find a single bulk box of 40 .223 Remington I had bought to shoot a friends rifle. "Well, it's 40, at least I can go out and make sure it works," I think to myself. Next I check my drawer with all my cleaned brass and find a plastic container with 25, .223 cases in it. I check my primers and for some lucky reason I accidentally bought 500 small rifle primers (I didn't need them up until this point). And of course, since I've got a .22-250, I have the .224 bullets I need. I take a look at my powder to find H4895 and H414. Luckily from what I've read the H4895 will burn just fast enough to work in a short barrel AR, so I've got powder. Onto Dies, I don't have any and from what I can find neither does anyone else. I checked about every online source I could think of and they all showed weeks to months out on dies. THWARTED I screamed!! (okay not really, but I was disappointed). I was pulled today to Bi-Mart by some cosmic force. I hadn't planned to go, but had to drive right by after taking my dog to the vet. Traffic parted so I could make the left turn and although it was a cloudy day, I swear the light of heaven shown down upon all that is Bi-Mart. A quick jaunt back to the gun counter and what do I find? A box of RCBS full length .223 dies!! I could not believe my.....luck. Also on the shelf an assortment of .223 bullets, but alas no powder I guess cosmic fate can only deliver so much. I was, however stuck in a paradox. There was no employee at the gun counter. Do I risk going and tracking one down, only to have some other cosmically driven ill-prepared AR owner to snatch up what I believe to be the last .223 dies on the face of the planet at this moment? I almost panicked, but stopped took a few deep breaths and grabbed my cell phone. I quickly Googled the store's phone number and asked whomever answered if they could send someone back to the gun counter. No sooner then me clicking the off button, did I hear an angelic voice from above "Sporting goods, please report to your counter." A few second later a red vested angle showed up to hand me my much coveted dies!! As they entered my grasp I couldn't help myself but let a small quite "my precious" go under my breath. I think the crimson festooned employee heard me as she gave me a bit of a funny look. I decided to push my luck and ask if they had a #10 shell holder, which she did as well! So with dies in hand I asked for a 250 bullet bulk pack of Nosler's and went on my way. I get home and begin to secure my new bounty with the rest of my reloading supplies. As I am organizing things in my drawers, I notice a plastic grocery bag, dirty and tucked up under a shelf. The bag bears a resemblance to one I'd use to pick up brass. Carefully and cautiously I grab it. I look inside to find another 20 pieces of .223 brass nestled among a mass of 9mm! Oh the JOY!! While it may not be an arsenal's worth of munitions, I feel a bit more prepared for being surprised by my new rifle.
So, with all the luck I've had in less then a week, I guess I am about due for some cancer!! Thanks for reading!
It all started last Saturday, I was lucky enough to win an AR-15 at my gun club's annual meeting. I've been a member for 7 years and it's the first meeting I've been able to attend, yeah I know way to make friends. Well, I had kicked around the idea of getting an AR platform rifle for a few years, but it's never been high on my list. I've got a .22-250 and like that caliber much more then the .223, so I didn't see the need as it wasn't filling a "hole." Regardless the Great Panic of December 2012 hit and I found myself AR-15'less and while I did feel a bit upset about it, I got over it. Now suddenly that's all changed. I am an AR-15 owner now and I've not prepared for it! Once I get home I madly dig through my range bag and find a single bulk box of 40 .223 Remington I had bought to shoot a friends rifle. "Well, it's 40, at least I can go out and make sure it works," I think to myself. Next I check my drawer with all my cleaned brass and find a plastic container with 25, .223 cases in it. I check my primers and for some lucky reason I accidentally bought 500 small rifle primers (I didn't need them up until this point). And of course, since I've got a .22-250, I have the .224 bullets I need. I take a look at my powder to find H4895 and H414. Luckily from what I've read the H4895 will burn just fast enough to work in a short barrel AR, so I've got powder. Onto Dies, I don't have any and from what I can find neither does anyone else. I checked about every online source I could think of and they all showed weeks to months out on dies. THWARTED I screamed!! (okay not really, but I was disappointed). I was pulled today to Bi-Mart by some cosmic force. I hadn't planned to go, but had to drive right by after taking my dog to the vet. Traffic parted so I could make the left turn and although it was a cloudy day, I swear the light of heaven shown down upon all that is Bi-Mart. A quick jaunt back to the gun counter and what do I find? A box of RCBS full length .223 dies!! I could not believe my.....luck. Also on the shelf an assortment of .223 bullets, but alas no powder I guess cosmic fate can only deliver so much. I was, however stuck in a paradox. There was no employee at the gun counter. Do I risk going and tracking one down, only to have some other cosmically driven ill-prepared AR owner to snatch up what I believe to be the last .223 dies on the face of the planet at this moment? I almost panicked, but stopped took a few deep breaths and grabbed my cell phone. I quickly Googled the store's phone number and asked whomever answered if they could send someone back to the gun counter. No sooner then me clicking the off button, did I hear an angelic voice from above "Sporting goods, please report to your counter." A few second later a red vested angle showed up to hand me my much coveted dies!! As they entered my grasp I couldn't help myself but let a small quite "my precious" go under my breath. I think the crimson festooned employee heard me as she gave me a bit of a funny look. I decided to push my luck and ask if they had a #10 shell holder, which she did as well! So with dies in hand I asked for a 250 bullet bulk pack of Nosler's and went on my way. I get home and begin to secure my new bounty with the rest of my reloading supplies. As I am organizing things in my drawers, I notice a plastic grocery bag, dirty and tucked up under a shelf. The bag bears a resemblance to one I'd use to pick up brass. Carefully and cautiously I grab it. I look inside to find another 20 pieces of .223 brass nestled among a mass of 9mm! Oh the JOY!! While it may not be an arsenal's worth of munitions, I feel a bit more prepared for being surprised by my new rifle.
So, with all the luck I've had in less then a week, I guess I am about due for some cancer!! Thanks for reading!
