What did you reload today?

[HaveGun]

Painstakingly cranked out another 100 rounds of 9mm on my Lee single-stage using stuff I didn't want. 147gr RMR TCFP bullets, 3.5 gr of Titegroup, and Federal Small Pistol primers using 3-4 times fired mixed brass. Bringing them with me on a road trip next month for my dad and I to burn through in the Arizona desert for fun.



Yes, it takes a couple of hours, but I never worry if there are any double powder charges, or primers upside down, or bullets upside down, or any other number of issues I see from the progressive set ups.

 

[Deerhurst]

How's the load feel to shoot? I'm doing 4.3gr of titegroup with 124gr projectiles and they are snappy. How does the 3.5gr load feel on 147s?

My 165gr 9mm on 2.8gr of titegroup go "bloop" at 775FPS.

I did ~1000 rounds of 9mm and about half a case of Tokarev subs on a single stage once. Took forever!

 

[HaveGun]

How's the load feel to shoot? I'm doing 4.3gr of titegroup with 124gr projectiles and they are snappy. How does the 3.5gr load feel on 147s?

No idea. Haven't shot it yet. Max listed is 3.6 grains, so should be fairly stout, but I simply don't notice recoil most of the time with defensive pistol calibers. Every now and then I'll try a recipe and notice that it had more "snap" to it, or was flashier. But generally, I'm awful at discerning recoil, unless I'm really concentrating on it.

When I shot in GSSF, I worked up loads that were as accurate as possible with as little recoil as possible. That's when I discovered Ramshot Silhouette powder and found it worked quite well in that role.

Not to say I'm immune to recoil. When I fire my rifles, I'm a big baby. I was working up some hunting loads for a .30-06 Ackley Improved this Summer and had put the action in a lightweight composite stock. Had the rifle at under 8 lbs when I touched off a load that supposedly got 3000 fps out of a 180gr bullet. That one made my eyeballs hurt.

 

[Deerhurst]

No idea. Haven't shot it yet. Max listed is 3.6 grains, so should be fairly stout, but I simply don't notice recoil most of the time with defensive pistol calibers. Every now and then I'll try a recipe and notice that it had more "snap" to it, or was flashier. But generally, I'm awful at discerning recoil, unless I'm really concentrating on it.

When I shot in GSSF, I worked up loads that were as accurate as possible with as little recoil as possible. That's when I discovered Ramshot Silhouette powder and found it worked quite well in that role.

Not to say I'm immune to recoil. When I fire my rifles, I'm a big baby. I was working up some hunting loads for a .30-06 Ackley Improved this Summer and had put the action in a lightweight composite stock. Had the rifle at under 8 lbs when I touched off a load that supposedly got 3000 fps out of a 180gr bullet. That one made my eyeballs hurt.

Haha! I know the feeling. I have a little 5lb brush gun in 308 with a 16" barrel. It is not pleasant to shoot. I love it but it's so small and light it beats you up! I normally shoot a 12lb or so 223 when I shoot bolt guns. Other than the noise you can hardly tell it went off!

I mostly do 147gr or heavier for subs for suppressor giggles. Sometimes I need something a little hotter for some action that is stiffer.

Got another 100 or so loaded for my 124s. Many more to go. Once I run out of these projectiles I may have enough primers to do some more 165s! Yay! Those 165s are awesome!

 

[Holepuncher]

Painstakingly cranked out another 100 rounds of 9mm on my Lee single-stage using stuff I didn't want. 147gr RMR TCFP bullets, 3.5 gr of Titegroup, and Federal Small Pistol primers using 3-4 times fired mixed brass. Bringing them with me on a road trip next month for my dad and I to burn through in the Arizona desert for fun.

View attachment 824380

Yes, it takes a couple of hours, but I never worry if there are any double powder charges, or primers upside down, or bullets upside down, or any other number of issues I see from the progressive set ups.

Nice looking 9mm loads! Enjoy the time spent with your Dad and don't forget the suntan lotion and the snake bite kit!

 

[Caveman Jim]

This just happened to me in the last few days while working up some AR9 loads. I was able to get it going again by watching some YouTube videos and reading the directions again. Here's an explanation:
The rod and flipper assembly that rotates the shell plate is called the indexer. At the completion of the lever down stroke (shell plate upstroke), the top of the flipper contacts the nub on the top of the frame and slightly pushes the bottom of the flipper closer to the frame so that it can contact the diagonal protrusion on the frame. As the plunger is moving downward (lever going back up), the bottom of the flipper contacts the diagonal protrusion on the frame and pulls the square rod outward. That's why you see wear on the diagonal protrusion and why they recommend a touch of grease on it. At the completion of the stroke, the flipper is pushed in by the main operating lever and the rod rotates the shell plate. You can remove the rod and rotate the flipper slightly. Keep doing that until the bottom of the flipper contacts the diagonal. You may need to do that several times but remember to reinstall the rod in the correct orientation. If need be, you can rotate the flipper a full turn to get it closer to the contact points on the frame. Make sure that you have the rod in the correct orientation with regard to the edge that contacts the shell plate. There is a very small bevel on the right side of the end of the rod. That bevel contacts the web of the carrier body and has to be in the correct position. Here's a video that covers it in full. It's a little long but really helps to explain how it works. If you need to order a new index rod and flipper, they're only $5.00 at Titan Reloading . Another source is FS Reloading .

I purchased an extra shell plate thinking that was the problem, but it turned out is was an issue of adjusting the timing with the indexer.

Keeping the the Loadmaster running can be frustrating at times. It needs a few tweeks now and then as parts do wear and move out of adjustment. But when it's running smoothly, your only delays are adding more powder, primers, and cases.

Thanks for the heads up, I searched the other day and watched the video yesterday. It definitely helped with the sorting out the problem. Proper placement is the key to this thing so will have to keep an eye on it and tweak it a bit.
I also just received an indexer rod along with a collator, and adjustable charge bar from Midway, they are on it with fast free shipping.
This is my first progressive press so there is a learning curve for that but I will not give up on it.
Thanks again.

 

[PiratePast40]

I'm setting up for training a neighbor how to reload using my LoadMaster. Instead of going full bore with everything going on at once, I'm going to have him start with just depriming and sizing his first five hundred. Then I'll have him prime those cases so he can see how that sub system works. That way he gets to feel the ram for each evolution and will get to understand it better. There is really quit a bit going on with each stroke when you're doing it all at once. If you think about it, you're shaping metal as well as removing and replacing components. Over the years, I've developed a system for feeling and watching the different processes so that I can tell everything that's going on. That way, it's easier to spot a flipped case or primer, listen to and watch primers come down the chute, and most importantly, look into each and every case to make sure you've got what looks like the right amount of powder.

A couple of big things that I've noticed. First is that if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Crimped primers will let you know they're in the case if you let them. Second is to use full strokes of the ram. If something happens in the middle, it can throw everything off and result in a second primer jamming the anvil, no powder or double powder, or a double case feed. If you need to stop to fix something, make sure you know the exact condition of each process before proceeding.

For the decapping pins. I reload quite a bit of range brass, both my own, and brass that I pick up at matches. A few crimped primers have made their way to the press. Because of that, 've been through a few of the pins and consider them consumables. Believe me, trying to force a new primer into a case with an existing primer can get sporty! I've done it twice over the course of about 20k rounds.

I've tried the charging bar, disc, and double disc sets, and now the new drum type powder feeder. I believe the drum type is as accurate as the charging bar. As usual, experiment with it yourself to see what works best for you.

Hope this helps instead of being a boring wall of text from "some guy on the internet".

 

[Member 5605]

This just happened to me in the last few days while working up some AR9 loads. I was able to get it going again by watching some YouTube videos and reading the directions again. Here's an explanation:
The rod and flipper assembly that rotates the shell plate is called the indexer. At the completion of the lever down stroke (shell plate upstroke), the top of the flipper contacts the nub on the top of the frame and slightly pushes the bottom of the flipper closer to the frame so that it can contact the diagonal protrusion on the frame. As the plunger is moving downward (lever going back up), the bottom of the flipper contacts the diagonal protrusion on the frame and pulls the square rod outward. That's why you see wear on the diagonal protrusion and why they recommend a touch of grease on it. At the completion of the stroke, the flipper is pushed in by the main operating lever and the rod rotates the shell plate. You can remove the rod and rotate the flipper slightly. Keep doing that until the bottom of the flipper contacts the diagonal. You may need to do that several times but remember to reinstall the rod in the correct orientation. If need be, you can rotate the flipper a full turn to get it closer to the contact points on the frame. Make sure that you have the rod in the correct orientation with regard to the edge that contacts the shell plate. There is a very small bevel on the right side of the end of the rod. That bevel contacts the web of the carrier body and has to be in the correct position. Here's a video that covers it in full. It's a little long but really helps to explain how it works. If you need to order a new index rod and flipper, they're only $5.00 at Titan Reloading . Another source is FS Reloading .

I purchased an extra shell plate thinking that was the problem, but it turned out is was an issue of adjusting the timing with the indexer.

Keeping the the Loadmaster running can be frustrating at times. It needs a few tweeks now and then as parts do wear and move out of adjustment. But when it's running smoothly, your only delays are adding more powder, primers, and cases.

Not so fast.
When they changed shell plates they didn't index it properly. Nothing to do with the flipper.

 

[PiratePast40]

Not so fast.
When they changed shell plates they didn't index it properly. Nothing to do with the flipper.

My experience with the exact same problem was with the indexing rod flipper not contacting the diagonal line on the frame. That's the only thing that pulls the rod out. Just changing the shellplate should have no effect on that part of the timing. Timing of the carrier itself is a different issue. You would need to loosen the nut on the bottom of the ram in order to change that aspect. Smoothing out contact surfaces isn't necessarily a bad idea, it's just that actual index timing involves the ram and carrier. Here's a link that goes into more detail: indexing

 

[Holepuncher]

I'm setting up for training a neighbor how to reload using my LoadMaster. Instead of going full bore with everything going on at once, I'm going to have him start with just depriming and sizing his first five hundred. Then I'll have him prime those cases so he can see how that sub system works. That way he gets to feel the ram for each evolution and will get to understand it better. There is really quit a bit going on with each stroke when you're doing it all at once. If you think about it, you're shaping metal as well as removing and replacing components. Over the years, I've developed a system for feeling and watching the different processes so that I can tell everything that's going on. That way, it's easier to spot a flipped case or primer, listen to and watch primers come down the chute, and most importantly, look into each and every case to make sure you've got what looks like the right amount of powder.

A couple of big things that I've noticed. First is that if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Crimped primers will let you know they're in the case if you let them. Second is to use full strokes of the ram. If something happens in the middle, it can throw everything off and result in a second primer jamming the anvil, no powder or double powder, or a double case feed. If you need to stop to fix something, make sure you know the exact condition of each process before proceeding.

For the decapping pins. I reload quite a bit of range brass, both my own, and brass that I pick up at matches. A few crimped primers have made their way to the press. Because of that, 've been through a few of the pins and consider them consumables. Believe me, trying to force a new primer into a case with an existing primer can get sporty! I've done it twice over the course of about 20k rounds.

I've tried the charging bar, disc, and double disc sets, and now the new drum type powder feeder. I believe the drum type is as accurate as the charging bar. As usual, experiment with it yourself to see what works best for you.

Hope this helps instead of being a boring wall of text from "some guy on the internet".

I mounted a small battery powered Led gooseneck flashlight on my progressive press. I have it aimed at the shell case after it gets a powder charge. This makes it easy to check the powder level in each case.

 

[PiratePast40]

I mounted a small battery powered Led gooseneck flashlight on my progressive press. I have it aimed at the shell case after it gets a powder charge. This makes it easy to check the powder level in each case.

I was able to find an AC LED strip that works pretty good. It sticks to the inside of the frame. Mikes Reloading Bench makes some improvements for the press. I've got the turret stabilizer plate, billet turret, and shake brake. My bench is stable enough that I don't need the shake brake any more. Since the Billet turret has a hole in the center, I was able to put a flashlight in it to light up the shell plate. I eventually found a round light made for the purpose. I might have been Inline Fabrication . The billet turret has made the most difference. There are standoffs on the bottom of the turret that contact the shell plate at the top of the stroke. That prevents the shell plate from flexing if you don't have a round in each of the slots. Really made the whole thing more stable and a more consistent OAL. It's like any other hobby with components that you can modify to suit your own tastes and budget!

 

[Dr Prepper]

I mounted a small battery powered Led gooseneck flashlight on my progressive press. I have it aimed at the shell case after it gets a powder charge. This makes it easy to check the powder level in each case.

I sae old Scotty Kilmer on YT recommend a pretty cheap bore scope camera for like $60 which came with a lighted tip and high def camera and screen. Might be perfect for this purpose.
I went on amazon to loom at it and it was $100 though. Im sure prices fluctuate on those quite a bit.

 

[Deerhurst]

And more 9mm. Still have another 5 gallons of the stuff to clean and I'm a long ways off making a dent in the clean stuff.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I always put my range pickup brass in a small bucket then when it was full I'd sort calibers and throw them in the Thumlers for a few hours.
I loathe putting things off in the shop cuz it gets cluttered quickly.

 

[Helocat]

Because all these guys talking about reloading thousands upon thousands of rounds.
I have a few k's i should stuff for my next upcoming conoe trip, but man. I sure wish i could find more. Powder and primers. And every thing else.
I have a co-ax and some decent gear.
But yeah it takes for ever!

I have oogled a dillon or two (ok or three or four ) and the newer mark7's look intruiging.
I gotta say as a former cnc machinist and somehwat techno nerd i kinda do like the idea of a fully automated press.
Maybe even networked so i could run it from work only problem right now is i need a job! So thats a pipe dream!

Seems im always short on money or time. Even when im not working still SOO much crap to do!

Hay former CNC machinist here too.

Been wanting a Dillon 1100 for dedicated brass prep. No go for availablty. So I have one of these comming to solve the problem. Just going to make my own.

 

[Holepuncher]

And more 9mm. Still have another 5 gallons of the stuff to clean and I'm a long ways off making a dent in the clean stuff.

It would be nice if someone invented a small washing machine where a person could dump a five gallon bucket of nasty muddy brass into it and after about an hour, the brass would come out clean and shinny!

 

[kisfish]

Cleaned, sized and primed 100 223 range pick up brass. Sorting the head stamps half were Norma brass. Tumbled a few hundred 38 and 357.

 

[Kyrsen]

Woke up early to process my fired 45-70 cartridges. 50+. In the tumbler now. I like loading them with standard 405 GR round nose projectiles that I cast and lube myself.

 

[ma96782]

Not to say I'm immune to recoil. When I fire my rifles, I'm a big baby. I was working up some hunting loads for a .30-06 Ackley Improved this Summer and had put the action in a lightweight composite stock. Had the rifle at under 8 lbs when I touched off a load that supposedly got 3000 fps out of a 180gr bullet. That one made my eyeballs hurt.

LOL (this came to mind).....

Aloha, Mark

 

[gtivan]

Woke up early to process my fired 45-70 cartridges. 50+. In the tumbler now. I like loading them with standard 405 GR round nose projectiles that I cast and lube myself.

What powder you use for that? I just finished powder coating a peanut butter jar full of 405 gr to begin my first attempts at 45/70.