Need help from more experienced loaders

[thesheepdog]

Hey guys,

Had a question to you more experienced reloaders out there: What is the minimum number of rounds you'll load/reload per session?

I am just curious because I like to take my time reloading for certain calibers-comapred to loading a hundred or so with my AP press- and I don't like to load a whole lot at each session, just so I can prevent mistakes.

Also, what is the best way to fire form brass? Currently I have been loading some moderate loads to fire form some brass on one of my calibers. Is there a cheaper alternative to effectively fire forming brass?

 

[demigod]

Shoot. I'll load as few as 20-50 rounds sometimes.

I avoild silly long reloading sessions in favor of frequent shorter session. I'll shoot 150 rounds of .223 on Friday or Saturday, and have it all reloaded and sitting in mags by Sunday Afternoon.

 

[Hog Buster]

That kinda of depends on how much you shoot. Minimum for me is usually about a box or two of rifle or a box of pistol. If I shoot more I load more. One thing I don’t do is load in a rush, or when my mind starts wandering, that’s when things go wrong.

I don’t fire form brass, so I can’t help you there.

 

[That'll Do]

I'll load as few as 20 rounds, if I'm working up a new load. Usually I load 200-300 rounds per session (I use a progressive press most of the time). If I'm using a turret, I try and limit myself to 100 rounds.

 

[kraigwy]

It depends, I've loaded one or two rounds, shot 'em and back to the press. Trying to find what works.

Then some times I've loaded several thousand at one setting. I have a Dillon RL 1000, the older more commercial version of the 1050. Sucker can spit out 1800 rounds an hour for rounds such as 38 spl.

Once you have your load developed, with an accurate progressive loader it doesn't matter if you load a hundred or a thousand. It's consistancy.

 

[DiscoRacing]

working up a load... ive done as little as 4-6 rds...


... loading I usually do around 300-400rds

... but have done as little as 20rds for rifle

 

[BODAME]

Reloads

As few as 12 (Single Stage)as many as 500 (Dillon 650wCase Eater)

 

[demigod]

The only hastle to setting up to load is filling the powder hopper.... so for me... anything less than 20 or so.. forget it.

If I'm developing a load, I'll hand weigh the powder charge(s).

 

[zippy13]

It depends if my loader (Dillon 550) is set up for the caliber, or not. It's set up for .45ACP, now. So, I'll load as few as 100 .45's (a primer tube's worth). If I have to change the base plate, primer feed, and tool head, I'll wait until I have at least 500 cases of that caliber. Of course, if I'm developing a new load, then it's just a few.

 

[jmortimer]

Since I do it all in stages, I usually do 50 to 100 but that might take a week or more. Prep/prime one day a day(s)/week later charge and seat/crimp bullet. I just take my time. Otherwise it is more of a chore than a process to enjoy.

 

[thesheepdog]

Thanks for the info guys.

I load about once a month-either my own ammo or helping someone else load their ammo. And when it comes time to load my own ammo, I start small (10-15 rounds) and shoot 3-4 to test velocity and accuracy at 100 yards, then proceed to load more-depending on the results.

The initial reason I bought a loading system was to load a vast ammount of ammo, but the more I reload, the more I change my opinion. Now it's more like I just reload for custom hunting and/or target loads in my rifles. Is this normal?
I have a CQC/LR carbine course coming up and have been wondering if I should load my own ammo for it, or just buy it in bulk? I am leaning towards just buying bulk and having the leftover brass.

 

[hogcowboy]

Depends if my head is on straight. If not I've done as little as 4(on a Dillon 550). But normally with head on straight, like Zippy said, a primers tube worth(100).

 

[demigod]

The initial reason I bought a loading system was to load a vast ammount of ammo, but the more I reload, the more I change my opinion.

I've done the big sessions too. One year I filled up a 3 gallon plastic cat food bucket with .223. I shot out of that bucket all year and forgot how to reload by the time I got back onto the press.

Right now I'm more entertained by doing small runs every week.

 

[NWPilgrim]

Handloading is all about doing it the way YOU want.

When I am working with a new powder, bullet or cartridge I will load 10 rounds per powder charge/bullet combo, and load about 4-5 sets for testing.

Once I find a best load combo for a specific purpose then I will load 50-500 rounds for range use depending on purpose. A hunting cartridge may get just 50 at a time. My pistol and AR15 rounds may get loaded in lots of 500 if I am planning a lot of range time, usually with family shooters. For .38 Special and .30-06, .308 semi-auto I will typically load about 200 per session.

If you like to tinker than you may spend most of your reloading sessions with small batches testing various combos of bullet and powders. You could easily explore hundreds of combos for a single cartridge.

I tend to try to find a pretty darn good combo, rather than the most perfect, out of a few combos of bullet/powder and then stick with that until a different need arises.

For instance, when starting with a load for my M1 Garand, I chose a 150 gr FMJ and 168 gr Nosler BT bullets, and two of my standard powders that are also fairly popular for loading for Garands: H4895 and Varget. Finding a good combo among these is fine with me.

On the other hand, I could have looked at 150 gr, 165 gr, 168 gr bullets in FMJ, OTM, BT, and SP from several makers. And then worked up test loads using H335, TAC, IMR4064, IMR4895, BL-C2, RL15, A2495, W748, Varget, H4895, etc. for each of those bullets. That's maybe 50 different bullets and a dozen powders for at least 600 combos to test. Then throw in different bullet seating depths, different primers, different case headstamps and you easily get into the thousands of possible combos to test!

All depends on what you enjoy doing and intended purpose. If your needs are simple and you are willing to get along with good enough, then you can get to it with a several test loads and get to making up large batches for many range sessions. Otherwise you can spend much more time fine tuning and exploring at the reloading bench than at the range. Handloading and shooting are two hobbies, not just one.

 

[cdoc42]

Just before and after Christmas, over 4-night sessions using a RCBS Rock-Chuker I reloaded 630 rounds of .30-06, .270 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, .257 Roberts, .375 Win and .308 Win. I would have finished another 60 rounds of .300 Win Mag but I ran out of powder and bullets.

I wrote to Hornady and suggested they follow Hodgdon's lead (where they produced 4 one-quarter pound containers of 4 different powders as a trial pack) and produce 4 boxes of 25 bullets in any given caliber style for us to experiment with rather than buying a whole box of 100 each. I have a 25-06 that likes the Hornady 120gr HP but I now have 100 each of 117gr spire and HP and 120 spire as well. Received an answer that it'll be put to marketing to see if it will fly. Keep your eyes peeled.

 

[BigJimP]

It depends .../ but I don't know there is a "normal" way ...its whatever you want to do ....

I load primarily handgun ammo in metallic - (and shotshells on different presses ...) / but most of the time, if I'm going to do some loading ( Dillon 650 on metallic )....I'll run at least 10 boxes at one time or I don't bother. I have the luxury of kids being grown - and gone / and a dedicated bench in my shop ---that noone will mess with / so I can leave it set-up to run as little or as much as I want in terms of volume.

I'll run at least 500 rds ( 10 boxes ) in a session for an hour or so. I usually leave my press set-up on one caliber / to load a case of bullets at a time ( 2,000 rds of .45 acp ) or ( 3,750 rds of 9mm) ....and then I box them up / store the finished rounds and just pull from inventory when I go to the range. But this past Sunday as an example ....cold out, nothing much going on ...so I went to my local indoor range ....with a couple of 1911's - one in 9mm, one in .45 acp and a .22 conversion kit - and 250 rds of .22 / 3 boxes of .45 acp / 8 boxes of 9mm ....and amused myself for about 3 hours .... Had a great time / ran some courses of fire / worked on my draw angles / stance, grip etc .... bs'd a little with some of the other shooters .... / left my wife alone, so she could read, fuss in her sewing room a little ...(stay out of her hair ..) ...and had a great day !!

So when I load up 3,750 rds of 9mm --- or 75 boxes ....it'll last me 3 or 4 months normally ....so when I load / I tend to do it in volumes that make sense for my usage.

Where a caliber like .44 mag ....I may only shoot 15 boxes a year ....

So it depends ....

 

[thesheepdog]

Makes sense.

I have an M4 Carbine that is my "training" gun. I use it to just practice on shooting techniques and the occasional varmint/deer hunt. So I can buy ammo for it any day. Sometimes I'll tinker around and try some self defense loads, or hunting loads, but I usually just run mil-spec ammo through it.

Now on the other hand, I have a 6.5 Grendel that is my long range gun. Ammo is a bit harder to come by for it-Cabelas recently had 10 boxes of it, 5 of which I took home with me. Anyway, I don't shoot this gun as much, and don't really like to because I don't have a nearby long distance range. So I will load 5-10 rounds for it every now and then.

So, I guess my question is "what's enough ammo??". I like to have a decent supply on hand, just in case I can't load some up quickly. Then when money comes in to buy more brass/reloading components, I shoot some of the old supply.

 

[demigod]

So, I guess my question is "what's enough ammo??".

What's enough money? What's enough women?

When you start finding ammo that you forgot you made... you're almost at enough!!

 

[thesheepdog]

I guess I need to load some more ammo Demigod.

 

[BigJimP]

What's enough ammo ....

I don't want an "armory" in my shop .... but I try to keep 3 months of ammo on hand.

My problem is, I have 10 grandkids, 4 adult kids ....and when they're around ( and their friends ) ....they can put a big time hurt on my ammo inventory !!

In general, I tend to keep at least:
a. 9mm 30 - 75 boxes.
( since a case of bullets is 3,750 )...and its my primary practice ammo...

b. .45acp 20 - 40 boxes.
.45 acp is my primary carry gun/case of bullets is 40 boxes ) and I shoot 8 or 10 boxes a month or so.

c. .40 S&W / .357 mag /.44 mag ....I keep about 20 - 30 boxes around per caliber / and I don't shoot it too much. I reload when my inventory gets down to 5 boxes or so per caliber.

so that's how I manage my inventory. I order bullets in case lots (Montana Gold or Rainier Ballistics primarily ), use only one powder Hodgdon TiteGroup --buy it in 8 lb kegs - and I like to have at least 5,000 - 10,000 primers on hand ... ( to keep it easy )...