What did you reload today?

[Mikej]

I stay in a hotel a lot. Some times I have a little extra time so I take a Lee hand press a hornady powder dispenser mechanical scale. I enjoy reloading otherwise I wouldn't have loaded 1500 rounds today. Now this was prepped brass sized pri.ed and flared. Just add powder and set bullet.

View attachment 694867 View attachment 694868

MAN, THAT is hard core.

Fire formed cases today. Got lucky

View attachment 694871

Dude, off topic. This ^ belongs in the "What Did You Un-load today" thread.

Now seriously, what's the story there ^ ?

 

[P7M13]

Ouch. Bad brass, or a headspace issue?

Now seriously, what's the story there ^ ?

I had @Velzey convert my two 6.5 Swede rifles into 6.5 Swede BJAI (Bob Jourdan Ackley Improved), straightening out the side walls and blowing out the shoulder to 40°.
Threads about that cartridge at Savage Shooters and 24-Hour Campfilre. I located a copy of the article, but cannot find it to post. Another article claims 13% improvement on cartridge performance. The recoil is significantly less than a 308, but there is still enough muzzle rise to limit viewing the hit.
I haven't begun to develop loads yet, but expect to get 3,000 FPS MV from a 140gr bullet.
I have fire-formed ~120 cases thus far using 47gr out of an ancient can of IMR4831 and 17¢ 140 grain plinkers. I think I tossed three S&B from the first batch.
Yesterday was 50 cases, and those are two that failed. I noted a dozen of the cases had pushed out primers. All R-P. Either loosening primer pockets or they really were over pressure. Of those two, nothing at all occurred during the shooting, just noticed those on brass inspection before deprime and tumbling.

[edit to add] This would be the 3rd firing of these cases. I have two hundred Lapua 6.5x55 brass still in the box, but I wanted to be sure I loved the cartridge before I made them value-less. I think I'm way past that now.
With my other 100 odd brass pieces (RP/ S&B / PPU), I want to develop a better way to fire form than wasting bullets. I think I'll give the packed kapok on 15 gr of Titegroup recipe a try. Why waste a bullet, even if it only cost 17¢ ?

 

[Mikej]

I had @Velzey convert my two 6.5 Swede rifles into 6.5 Swede BJAI (Bob Jourdan Ackley Improved), straightening out the side walls and blowing out the shoulder to 40°.
Threads about that cartridge at Savage Shooters and 24-Hour Campfilre. I located a copy of the article, but cannot find it to post. Another article claims 13% improvement on cartridge performance. The recoil is significantly less than a 308, but there is still enough muzzle rise to limit viewing the hit.
I haven't begun to develop loads yet, but expect to get 3,000 FPS MV from a 140gr bullet.
I have fire-formed ~120 cases thus far using 47gr out of an ancient can of IMR4831 and 17¢ 140 grain plinkers. I think I tossed three S&B from the first batch.
Yesterday was 50 cases, and those are two that failed. I noted a dozen of the cases had pushed out primers. All R-P. Either loosening primer pockets or they really were over pressure. Of those two, nothing at all occurred during the shooting, just noticed those on brass inspection before deprime and tumbling.

[edit to add] This would be the 3rd firing of these cases. I have two hundred Lapua 6.5x55 brass still in the box, but I wanted to be sure I loved the cartridge before I made them value-less. I think I'm way past that now.
With my other 100 odd brass pieces (RP/ S&B / PPU), I want to develop a better way to fire form than wasting bullets. I think I'll give the packed kapok on 15 gr of Titegroup recipe a try. Why waste a bullet, even if it only cost 17¢ ?

Very interesting. Good stuff for me to mull around in my head as I'm learning/reloading shouldered rounds now. I'm way away from what your doing there, but it sure is interesting.

You say "3rd firing" . Were the other two firings in a regular Swede Mauser chamber? I'm just getting to loading for the Swede and as a start I'm using S&B brass as I bought four boxes before I learned they weren't the best for loading longevity. So that will be the stuff to learn on, and I guess I'll see how good they are.

 

[tac]

P7id10T - 'S&B'............................

THERE's your mistake right there. Trying to make anything out of S&B cases is like trying to knit fog.

 

[Lesliet]

750 rounds of 9mm gamer loads. Need to up my game, shot 850 today! If we start getting more checks from the gubmint, maybe I can spend it before the currency devalues, and get a fancy Dillon with the feeders. Been reading that the Hornady feeders don't work as well, so that press could just stay set up for .380.

 

[RVTECH]

I pulled a .357 FTF round, separated some brass - pretty lame huh?

 

[Papercidal]

I just emptied some brass today.

 

[Helocat]

I pulled a .357 FTF round, separated some brass - pretty lame huh?

Nope not lame at all. Anything reloading is good.

 

[Lesliet]

Set up ladder tests for several different weights of 9mm bullet using AA2. Need to size my cast and Hi-Tek coated 135 grain 9mm slugs, so I can ladder test those. Trying to get more data in my loading book for the powders I can get, and get to where I can use a bunch of different powders depending what's available. Can't find WSF anywhere local, that's been my go-to for 147 grain 9mm loads.

 

[Papercidal]

Set up ladder tests for several different weights of 9mm bullet using AA2. Need to size my cast and Hi-Tek coated 135 grain 9mm slugs, so I can ladder test those. Trying to get more data in my loading book for the powders I can get, and get to where I can use a bunch of different powders depending what's available. Can't find WSF anywhere local, that's been my go-to for 147 grain 9mm loads.

I really liked wsf when I could find it (sportsmans used to carry it in 4#) in quantity after they quit carrying it I found some sport pistol and it worked well enough under 155 and 140grain 9mm I just got a case of it last time they had the rebates on powder with free hazmat.

 

[tac]

Maybe August here before our ranges open. The only people popping caps are game wardens and conservation rangers. No 'fun' shooting of any kind except air-gunning in the back yard - IF you have a back yard, that is.

I'm lucky, living out in the rurals but most of my back yard is filled with a train track............

 

[Lesliet]

I really liked wsf when I could find it (sportsmans used to carry it in 4#) in quantity after they quit carrying it I found some sport pistol and it worked well enough under 155 and 140grain 9mm I just got a case of it last time they had the rebates on powder with free hazmat.

Wsf burns pretty clean at the pressure/load I'm using for 147's. Soft recoil, accurate enough for steel. Haven't been able to find any Sport Pistol lately, either, although I did see a can last month and think about it, but ended up not buying it. If nothing else, there's a good local supply of HP-38, which is reliable, if not ideal. Need to do a ladder test of the Nitro 100 NF, and maybe learn more about the IMR powders. Seems like Bi-Mart always has IMR, but I don't have the numbers memorized, yet, for anything I shoot. I have a couple of pounds of 700x, but that stuff didn''t meter for me when I tried it, so velocities were all over the place. May have to try again and verify, since I've learned how to set up my powder throw better since the last time I tried it.

Any other thoughts on powders to try for steel loads in 9mm?

 

[Lesliet]

Just gonna share a really cool comparo I just read: 9MM

 

[Mikej]

Wsf burns pretty clean at the pressure/load I'm using for 147's. Soft recoil, accurate enough for steel. Haven't been able to find any Sport Pistol lately, either, although I did see a can last month and think about it, but ended up not buying it. If nothing else, there's a good local supply of HP-38, which is reliable, if not ideal. Need to do a ladder test of the Nitro 100 NF, and maybe learn more about the IMR powders. Seems like Bi-Mart always has IMR, but I don't have the numbers memorized, yet, for anything I shoot. I have a couple of pounds of 700x, but that stuff didn''t meter for me when I tried it, so velocities were all over the place. May have to try again and verify, since I've learned how to set up my powder throw better since the last time I tried it.

Any other thoughts on powders to try for steel loads in 9mm?

I'd think HS-6 would be worth a try for you if you can find it? I've been using it in 9mm for 115-124gr since it was recommended to me shortly after I started loading in 2011. Good case fill and a little slower for the heavier bullets. Burns fairy clean, and complete, in the small cases of 9 and .40.

700X I tried that one early on. If you're using a Uniflow measure? What a nightmare to measure. I gave it away.

 

[Mikej]

Just gonna share a really cool comparo I just read: 9MM

Now that is really cool!

Those targets show pretty much what I figured out early on, that there are a lot of powders that will run 9mm juuust fine. I'm not a good enough shot to tell you that one power is more accurate than another. are you? Find a powder that is cheap, readily available and measures well, you'll be just fine.

 

[Helocat]

Maybe August here before our ranges open. The only people popping caps are game wardens and conservation rangers. No 'fun' shooting of any kind except air-gunning in the back yard - IF you have a back yard, that is.

I'm lucky, living out in the rurals but most of my back yard is filled with a train track............

Bummer but can keep loading rounds for when they do open.

 

[tac]

Bummer but can keep loading rounds for when they do open.

Done that, well, up to my limits, that is. Got no room for 700 7.5x55 though, so 200 will have to do for now.

 

[Lesliet]

I'd think HS-6 would be worth a try for you if you can find it? I've been using it in 9mm for 115-124gr since it was recommended to me shortly after I started loading in 2011. Good case fill and a little slower for the heavier bullets. Burns fairy clean, and complete, in the small cases of 9 and .40.

700X I tried that one early on. If you're using a Uniflow measure? What a nightmare to measure. I gave it away.

They had some of the HS-6 at Coastal, but I couldn't remember if that's a good one or not. I'll give it a shot next time I see some! In other news, Cabelas in Springfield was starting to have a fair bit of stock on various bulk bullets, when I was there tonight. 9mm, 38, 45, 44, all had boxes of either 500 or 1000 back on the shelf, in a fair number of flavors. Now that I'm casting, they seem really expensive, though.

Sized 850 of my 9mm 135's, time to load some up with Accurate #2 and see what works.

 

[DizzyJ]

Loaded up some .223/5.56 ammo and tried it out the other day. I was pleased considering it was all mixed head stamp range brass.

Gave me some hope for creating a good short range load for the AR for dinging the steel out to 200 meters at the 3-gun matches!

 

[Lesliet]

Shot my ladder test for AA2 with various projectiles in 9mm. Pretty impressed with this stuff, the recoil is soft, and it seems very consistent. Best groups were 147 grain SNS poly-coated, 3.4 grains of AA2. First four rounds were under 1.75" group, and the whole group was just over 2". ( Was kind of rushing due to wanting to clean up before the sun went down.) SD of 9, not bad for mixed range brass ! Power factor is up there at 137, so I may experiment with a spread of charges going lower, although I will be loading up some of this exact load over the weekend.