What did you reload today?

[DLS]

This evening I loaded 250 "gravel pit" Garand loads .

I scored some plated 150gr. flat nose bullets for a great price a while ago. Loaded with a light charge they make great short range plinking rounds that are perfect for introducing new shooters to the Garand, or for my boys to shoot at the local gravel pit which has a maximum range of 83 yards if we have it to ourselves and can shoot diagonally across the area.

They are easy on the barrel, brass and the shoulder as well as the pocketbook.

 

[DLS]

Okay … not loading but ...

I'm in the habit of throwing more than one caliber in the tumbler to make a full load. I make sure they won't nest and let it rip.

Tonight I cleaned .30-06, .270 Win, .257 Roberts and 7mm Mauser. Notice anything???

Well the .270 is a necked down .30-06 (.30-03 actually but who's counting) and the .257 Roberts is a necked down 7mm Mauser.

When sorting, the differences in case size usually makes visual sorting easy. Just grab the cases by size. Well tonight I had the fun job of actually trying to read very clean brass's head stamps. There were about 250 of each cartridge and I had to really look hard at each one!

At least I didn't do what a friend did, actually mix .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm and .380 Auto all in the same batch. Talk about "Redneck Nesting Dolls"!

 

[CLT65]

How about what I "de-loaded"? I'm working on a couple hundred rounds of .44 Magnum JHPs that I bought for really cheap at the gun show yesterday.

They're someone else's old reloads, so I'm in the process of pulling them apart for components.

 

[DLS]

How about what I "de-loaded"? I'm working on a couple hundred rounds of .44 Magnum JHPs that I bought for really cheap at the gun show yesterday.

They're someone else's old reloads, so I'm in the process of pulling them apart for components.

That's a miserable job, I feel for you!

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I loaded up some stripper clips for my new SKS. Does that count?

 

[CLT65]

That's a miserable job, Ifeel for you!

It's not so bad really. I just do a few here and there as I get time. It's a mindless task that doesn't require much concentration. It's probably not worth my time, but I don't really mind.

Several of the boxes were commercial reloads, and I hesitated pulling them down. I decided to anyhow; better safe than sorry.

 

[CLT65]

I knew I made the right decision as soon as I pulled one round apart. It was a 240gr JHP loaded with 7.5gr of what looks a lot like 231, an awful light load for a .44 magnum. New Winchester brass.

Brings back memories of one of my first reloading experiences. 30 years ago my dad bought a Marlin 1894 .44 mag, and the dealer gave him a couple boxes of Miwall ammo, that looked exactly like this ammo. That rifle couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Branches were falling out of the trees 10 feet above the target. I pulled a couple rounds apart and as I recall it was this very same load.

I reloaded them with some 2400 or something (I forget), and they shot completely different, actually hit the target. Something about that really light load that rifle did not like. It's funny that I've stumbled across more of them now. I'm glad I pulled them down, even if they weren't dangerous.

 

[Packrat76]

50 rds of .41 mag, Speer 200 gn JHP with 16.5gns of 2400. They book out at 1200fps with my S&W 57.

 

[Cj10488]

I ended up doing 300rds of 223, 100+rds of 308 and another 100+ of 30-06. Ran out of cases for 223 and and 30cal projectiles otherwise I'd still be loading. Think I have 1000+ rds of 223, 500rds of 308 and 150ish rounds of 30-06 stashed away for a rainy day now.

James

 

[DLS]

Yesterday I loaded up fifteen 7.62x39mm. Today I loaded up fourteen.

My youngest daughter suddenly wants to deer hunt this year, so last week she slammed through the online hunter's safety course and last Saturday she completed the field course. She's tiny so the only rifle that comes close to fitting her is my SKS. So I loaded up 15 soft point rounds yesterday to function test and do a quick accuracy test. Why 15? That is all the reloadable brass I have in this caliber. I have a couple of cases of steel cased FMJ stuff but no expanding ammo.

The test went well so tonight I loaded 14. Why 14? (you guys ask a lot of questions ) Because I lost a case during testing this afternoon! Man those SKSs really throw the brass … and beat it up pretty well too! This weekend she will use those 14 to fine tune her zero … then they will go through the dies again to have loads with which to hunt. I hope we don't lose any more cases!

 

[Xaevian]

Awesome

 

[snarlingdog]

Yesterday I loaded up fifteen 7.62x39mm. Today I loaded up fourteen.

My youngest daughter suddenly wants to deer hunt this year, so last week she slammed through the online hunter's safety course and last Saturday she completed the field course. She's tiny so the only rifle that comes close to fitting her is my SKS. So I loaded up 15 soft point rounds yesterday to function test and do a quick accuracy test. Why 15? That is all the reloadable brass I have in this caliber. I have a couple of cases of steel cased FMJ stuff but no expanding ammo.

The test went well so tonight I loaded 14. Why 14? (you guys ask a lot of questions ) Because I lost a case during testing this afternoon! Man those SKSs really throw the brass … and beat it up pretty well too! This weekend she will use those 14 to fine tune her zero … then they will go through the dies again to have loads with which to hunt. I hope we don't lose any more cases!

View attachment 621614

Be careful about magazine size for hunting in your state for deer. Some only allow 4 round magazines. I had a guy inform me Oregon has a limit and I was shocked

 

[DLS]

Thanks for the heads up. I appreciate you looking out for a fellow shooter!

Washington State has a 5 round magazine limit for big game. I have a 5-round magazine arriving in a day or two but in case it does not arrive or work I've cut a small block of wood that will limit the issue 10-rounder to actually 4 rounds (close enough I was tired of fiddling with the sizing).

I've screwed a small metal plate to the block and if I need to use it I will epoxy the plate to the magazine bottom. That way it fulfills the requirement that the block be "permanent" (meaning not removable without tools). So it would take a heat gun to remove it, and when the time comes the block can be removed without damaging the issue magazine box.

I'm hoping the replacement 5-rounder will work though … it would remove all doubt and it sits a bit more flush to the bottom of the stock.

 

[snarlingdog]

@DLS good. Just don't want anyone slapped for a fine that most people dont even know about.

 

[osprey]

I believe the 5 round limit was lifted way back in 2007 or 2008 in WA. Load em up!

 

[DLS]

It seems you are correct! I've only bow hunted for the last 15 years or so, so I missed the change in the regulations and didn't notice it's absence when I sat with my daughter as she went through hunters ed.

 

[snarlingdog]

I reloaded some 243 today. I dont do much with this round but I love shooting paper with it.

 

[762x39]

I believe the 5 round limit was lifted way back in 2007 or 2008 in WA. Load em up!

I was surprised to learn that in Oregon the 5 round limit now applies only to semi-automatics.

 

[erslll]

I was surprised to learn that in Oregon the 5 round limit now applies only to semi-automatics.

That is the way I have read the regs also but am a little suspicious of how it may be interpreted. Not that I think I would need more than that and not that I really actually hunt much anymore but 10 round AICS mags are pretty common on bolt guns now. I'm not sure I want to test the waters.

 

[ageingstudent]

That is the way I have read the regs also but am a little suspicious of how it may be interpreted. Not that I think I would need more than that and not that I really actually hunt much anymore but 10 round AICS mags are pretty common on bolt guns now. I'm not sure I want to test the waters.

My dad and my grandpa actually got busted once out near Condon when they were chukar hunting. My dad had a nice old Ithaca pump and when the game warden checked them it took three shells in the magazine. Evidently the wooden plug had split diagonally lengthwise and doubled up on itself inside the magazine leaving space for the extra shell. Thankfully the judge threw it out when they looked at the broken plug. I bet the judge wouldn't throw it out nowadays. Don't forget to check your plugs before you go hunting.