Total noob , loaded my first rounds today

[baddinwolf]

Got a lee challenger kit last month and have been reading and watching other folks posts on fb and getting banned for posting my own lol. Thus why I came here. I'm borderline ocd and each step has been a journey so far but today I loaded my first 8 rds ( garage got way to cold, or I'd have done more lol) starting with 3006 , running 150 gr hdy interlocks with 48 gr of bl-c2 , ginex primers. Finally found other powders recently, aa4064, and believe it or not imr 4895. Will be cool finally shooting my own reloads.

question I have is how yall organize your loading blocks to keep from double charging cases? My thought on it is, after charging a case and moving the funnel to set a projectile in the last loaded case, just wondering how others organize things, Thanks.

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[P7M13]

I'll drop the powder in, then put a bullet in the case mouth, nose down.
Welcome to NWFA. Too cold?

 

[ageingstudent]

I'll drop the powder in, then put a bullet in the case mouth, nose down.
Welcome to NWFA. Too cold?

I used to put a large pistol case over charged cases. Then I just started seating a bullet right after charging. Less chance I'll knock a full tray of charged brass off the bench that way.

 

[ageingstudent]

Got a lee challenger kit last month and have been reading and watching other folks posts on fb and getting banned for posting my own lol. Thus why I came here. I'm borderline ocd and each step has been a journey so far but today I loaded my first 8 rds ( garage got way to cold, or I'd have done more lol) starting with 3006 , running 150 gr hdy interlocks with 48 gr of bl-c2 , ginex primers. Finally found other powders recently, aa4064, and believe it or not imr 4895. Will be cool finally shooting my own reloads.

question I have is how yall organize your loading blocks to keep from double charging cases? My thought on it is, after charging a case and moving the funnel to set a projectile in the last loaded case, just wondering how others organize things, Thanks.

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Welcome. Don't drink a bunch of coffee before you try shooting your first loads. You'll be plenty amped up and nervous as it is.

 

[aasbra]

After charging cases in a loading block, I use a small flashlight to look inside each case and visually check for a double charge or one that was skipped over.

Also, I try to not have interruptions or stop part way through when I am charging cases, and then move right after to seating projectiles in the block of charged cases.

 

[Spitpatch]

"Borderline OCD" is your friend in the Handloading game.

Best way not to double charge is the best way to load overall:

Charge your cases one at a time (for those guns, I'd weigh each and every charge), visually inspect the powder level, then immediately to the press for seating

Now, if you are "Reloading" (not handloading), meaning going for quantity of production in the shortest amount of time (a quite popular method these days), you'll have to develop your own "failsafes" toward doubling (or missing) any step on any particular round. Different brains work differently.

Beautiful rifles. I too shoot a Springfield and a Garand. They deserve Handloading.

 

[BMGMAN]

I second the bullet upside down when reloading using a tray to hold my rifle rounds. I do this with my 6.5 creedmoor rounds. I now use a lee turret press for all pistol rounds and my 5.56.
50BMG get powder charge, bullet right away. Usually do 50-100 then crimp them all. Ya don't wanna screw up when you're talking that much powder(it's still a bit intimidating seeing how much powder goes in those damn things!)
Have fun and be safe!

 

[HighlandLofts]

I have two Hornady Single-stage Lock n Load presses set up side by side and my powder drop is set up on the left side of the press.
I'll get the charge all set up, and have two trays one with the primed resized cases (flared if pistol cases)
The other tray is empty.
I will drop the powder in a case, put the case in the 1st press
Seat the bullet then move the cartridge over to the 2nd press and crimp it.
Then move the completed cartridge into the empty tray.
No chance to double charging a case.

Be totally focused on what you are doing. No radio, no food or drink, no Bchiting with anyone. Total focus on reloading.


Screw up and you will damage a gun,
Possibly get hurt or may e killed by exceeding the PSI on what the gun can handle.


Also be very careful no to let a case get by you with no powder put in the case, if one does and you attempt to shoot it (a squib)the primer will push the bullet in to the barrel and the next round will give you devastating results.

Be totally focused and be safe.

 

[washagonian]

Welcome to NWFA. Too cold?

I lived in Dallas / Fort Worth for a very short time

It gets colder than f**k in the winter. Yes, it's hot and muggy in the summer, but folks who haven't lived in Texas (and DFW specifically) generally have the impression that it's warm all the time. Not the case.

Regarding the OP's original question: For me, the only cases in the loading block are CHARGED cases. (I don't stage empty cases in a block.) When I charge a case I check the case visibly for a double charge, then place it in the block. Then, when I'm ready to seat and crimp I visually inspect all case charges with a flashlight before I start pulling cases from the block and putting them in the press.

This is just what works for me. There is no "best" strategy. It's a matter of trial and error until you find the strategy and system that work best for you.

Welcome to the addictive world of hand loading. Good luck.

 

[Dozer99]

I do them one at a time- I usually have a loading block of 50 primed, sized cases sitting off to my left. I will grab one case and set it in a single loading block I've made out of wood (it's a small wood square with one hole drilled in the middle) and then dispense the powder from my RCBS chargemaster. I then use a funnel to pour the powder into the primed case. I than take the primed, charged case and put it into my RCBS rock chucker and seat the bullet. I don't crimp at this step. I then measure the cartridge for OAL. If it passes than I put that cartridge into the partner press right next to the RC and crimp the bullet. I then put the finished cartridge off to my right into another loading block until I have done all 50.

I have never double charged or un-charged a load doing it this way. It may take longer, but it makes it more enjoyable for me.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Got a lee challenger kit last month and have been reading and watching other folks posts on fb and getting banned for posting my own lol. Thus why I came here. I'm borderline ocd and each step has been a journey so far but today I loaded my first 8 rds ( garage got way to cold, or I'd have done more lol) starting with 3006 , running 150 gr hdy interlocks with 48 gr of bl-c2 , ginex primers. Finally found other powders recently, aa4064, and believe it or not imr 4895. Will be cool finally shooting my own reloads.

question I have is how yall organize your loading blocks to keep from double charging cases? My thought on it is, after charging a case and moving the funnel to set a projectile in the last loaded case, just wondering how others organize things, Thanks.

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I've found that you should do what is commonly practiced in everyday activities and is also intuitive. For example, when reading a book, it is advisable to randomly select pages AND words so as to not get confused.

 

[Local Loader]

For me I place my primed and lubed (dry lubed) in a loading block after priming and then when I charge a case I'll either put a bullet in the case or I'll place the case in an ammo box to await a bullet depending on how many I'm going to load and for small batches (<40) I'll use just the loading block but keep a row of separation or I'll use another part of the block, i.e. blocks that have a raised and lowered portion I'll place the primed cases in the raised part and the charged cases in the lower part. I always check each case as well before I charge it and before I seat a bullet to prevent under/over charges.

 

[Mikej]

You don't have to worry about double charging rifle cases in most instances. In smaller cases like 9mm I came to use HS-6, which if double charged, is full to the rim of the case and quite visible. Same with .40 S&W. Case is full to near top. Lots of light on the bench! I use a swivel-arm light and take the loading block and holt it under the light to see in each case after charging.
When I first started with straight wall, hand gun rounds, I dropped powder in each case and set it in the block. As I became more confident, I came to putting 8-10 cases in the block, hold block, drop powder in each one, and weigh powder in eighth/tenth case for accuracy.

 

[P7M13]

I lived in Dallas / Fort Worth for a very short time

It gets colder than f**k in the winter. Yes, it's hot and muggy in the summer, but folks who haven't lived in Texas (and DFW specifically) generally have the impression that it's warm all the time. Not the case.

Oh yeah. Presumed it was recent. My oldest is in the DFW area and earlier this week sent pics of her working the farm, in shorts and a tee shirt.

 

[PiratePast40]

How about using two loading blocks on different sides of the powder funnel? Pick up empty from the left block, fill, and then place in the block on the right.

 

[Xaevian]

You don't have to worry about double charging rifle cases in most instances.

This bears repeating.

 

[Certaindeaf]

This bears repeating.

But you have to pull the handle all the way down so there goes that theory, bucko!








Lulz

 

[baddinwolf]

I lived in Dallas / Fort Worth for a very short time

It gets colder than f**k in the winter. Yes, it's hot and muggy in the summer, but folks who haven't lived in Texas (and DFW specifically) generally have the impression that it's warm all the time. Not the case.

Regarding the OP's original question: For me, the only cases in the loading block are CHARGED cases. (I don't stage empty cases in a block.) When I charge a case I check the case visibly for a double charge, then place it in the block. Then, when I'm ready to seat and crimp I visually inspect all cases with a flashlight before I start pulling cases from the block and putting them in the press.

This is just what works for me. There is no "best" strategy. It's a matter of trial and error until you find the strategy and system that work best for you.

Welcome to the addictive world of hand loading. Good luck.

Thanks, yeah its snowed here the last 2 years in a row, I had a week off because of it in 21 ( truck driver ).

 

[baddinwolf]

How about using two loading blocks on different sides of the powder funnel? Pick up empty from the left block, fill, and then place in the block on the right.

I've got old peanut jars from Sam's that I washed out, primed cases in there, put in block and charged n seated then to the back of the block.

 

[dangerranger60]

I have always found ways to check my own work. when its time to charge cases, I line up 10 cases and 10 bullets in the block. I charge all 10 cases settle the powder and tip the whole block so that I can just see the powder, it is really evident when one case has only a tiny difference in powder.
Then I seat all 10 bullets and place the loaded rounds in an empty block. if I have a bullet or charged case left over I know somewhere I seated a bullet on an empty case. now at most I only have to break down at most 10 rounds to find that one ! when I'm sure everything is right I move the finished rounds to the range box or if they are hunting rounds I seal them.
The only time I varied from this it came back to bite me. I was making test rounds for a new gun and laid out 25 cases to make 5 runs of 5 cases each.
I dropped powder in the first 5 cases, seated the bullets, reset the powder measure, dropped 5 more charges, seated the bullets, and when I got to the end of the tray instead of 5 empty cases I had 7, two had powder charges. which meant somewhere in the 20 loaded cases there were two with no powder.
The whole time I was breaking down rounds I was thinking " never change the routine" and "when loading think about the loading not the test ". never put more cases in the block than I'm going to load in that group.
I went over 40 years of reloading before I got a squib. and I got two in one batch. the first bullet made it out of the barrel but just barely, and the second stuck mid barrel. both had powder but it fizzled instead of igniting. My best guess is I had 2 bad primers. DR