Thrifty Reloading Tips--- List yours

[shooter chef]

printed return address

i use my printer to print return address labels, color coded for each different caliber,for each bullet weight and caliber i use. Then when i load, all I have to do is stick it to the ammo case and mark it with the approximate powder and charge. Even more, when i go the the range, I peel off the label and attach it the appropriate target I use to save time documenting at the range.

 

[Zippy06]

Hornady One Shot is junk.:barf:
Bought it, because, Cabela's does not sell Lee Resizing Lube.
.223 Lee Die. 3 stuck cases.
Thought Die was bad. Ordered new die from Lee. And some resizing lube.
Used "One Shot", again. New die. First case stuck.
Used Lee Resizing Lube. +4,000 rounds and no stuck cases.
Then, I found out about Midway. Great place.
I had stopped, reloading, for about 10 yrs. I quit travel job and moved. Two Ranges, 5 min. from my house.
Life is good.

 

[swmike]

Space Saver

I have a limited amount of bench space. I have two presses and only enough room for one at a time. To make it easy to change, I have attached each press to a "base" of 3/4" High Density Particle Board (Cabinet Grade). I Drilled holes in each corner, and through the bench. I installed "Tee Nuts" from the bottom of the bench holes and secure the Press Base using long 5/16" hex head bolts. Each press has it's own base that matches these 4 holes exactly. I also have one for the trimmer that just uses two front holes as I don't need as much "anchor". This has worked well for over 20 years. The Rock Crusher is used for such tasks as de-capping brass with military crimped primers and swedging the pockets. Also for sizing all my large rifle brass. My progressive is for all my small rifle (.223/5.56mm) and pistol loading. When not in use, the bases sit on a storage shelf with presses hanging over the front. A bag of shot holds them in place although a c-clamp would do the job too.

BTW, I use Dillon Case Lube. It's the only thing Dillon sells that I can afford.

 

[rrj731]

rrl731

carb. cleaner may be a good powder/carbon remover but i'ts also a very good finish remover!

 

[bob k]

Brake Cleaner

I've used it to clean shotguns for years, gets the plastic wad residue out easy.
Bob K

 

[dakotashooter2]

Save your empty plastic powder containers, peel off the labels and use them to store shot or bulk bullets.

If you are short press space. Get a piece of 4 x 6 or 6 x 6 cut to appropriate length Stand it up against the wall vertically and mount the press on top (you may have to notch it out a bit). . Since most of the pressure is downward all you need is a couple of long lag screws to anchor it to a stud in the wall. I do this for my bullet sizer.

 

[Red_Eagle]

The styrofoam trays 45ACP come in make great reloading blocks for the 30-06/308 family of cartridges.

If your loading 22 cal plastic tip bullets (i.e. V-max). Try chamfering with the bullet shaped grinding wheel in the dremel accessory kit. The steeper angle will enable you to get the bullet to stand up straight by it's self throught the seating process. If it goes in the die at too steep of an angle, the tip gets wedged between the seater plug and the wall of the die and breaks off.
CAUTION: THE BRASS WILL GET HOT!!!!! DO NOT ATTEMPT WITH PRIMED BRASS!!!!

 

[barnetmill]

For plinking ammo A cheap bullet to use in high velocity rifles is the 71 grain full metal jacket.311 caliber .32 automatic pistol bullet. I have used it in 30 us carbine and 30-06 M1 Garand. I suspect you could use in it in an AK and 7.62 Tok pistol as well as the russian nagant. In bulk they can be purchased for little under 6 cents. With increasing cost of 7.62 AK ammo I am thinking of trying it in that caliber once I get a spring for the firing pin so I can use soft primers.

It will not lead and it is cheap. Use in the 30-06 with same powder and charge that you use with 150 grain military load.

 

[FM12]

Check gun shops, especially those at gun ranges...members usually leave used/extra "stuff" there for sale,also hulls, brass, holsters, slings, magazines etc. Also check the discontinued/closeout bins...just bought 2 mec bushings for $1.00 each...Might even buy stuff you dont need but your buddies do...they'll do the same for you in the future. When buying on-line, check out the closeout & bargain links. You never know what will show up! Keep a written record of what you loan and borrow...your memory may not be as good as you think! This is also a record to encourage your borrowing friends to look "just one more time", maybe they do indeed have your sizeing die! I just bought a set of 44 mag dies for a new 629...went to put them in the shop, and found a set I had forgotten about from years past. Gun shows are about the best place for bargains: I bought an 8 pound jug of powder the other day for $20.00. I didnt event try to bargain with the seller.

 

[Crazy4nitro]

I bought a timer on the clearance rack for the plug on my Tumbler. set it to 12 hrs and walk away,that way if I forget to shut it off before I leave for work it times out while i'm gone. Elec. is cheap but hey every bit counts....

Crazy4nitro

 

[Donaldo]

Keep the plastic "cans" that coffee comes in (ie folgers). Works great for case washing, and the handle works pretty well to agitatite it once in a while.

 

[mjrodney]

Handy bucket of sand

This morning, I had a primer turn sideways on me and it jammed into the bottom of the brass only part way.

The portion sticking out prevented me from removing the shellholder from the bottom of the case.

I could see it had to be pried loose using a bit of force and a screwdriver, but I couldn't help but think, with my luck, anyway, that it might be set off with such force.

My close proximity neighbors would no doubt hear the report and call for six car loads of black suited and helmeted calvary.

Fortunately, I have a 5 gallon bucket of sand in the garage.

The ear & eye protection were on my head, so I shoved the pliers that gripped shell holder, and brass into the sand, along with the screw driver in place and ready to pry.

It took a few firm tugs, but the primer didn’t ignite and I didn't get a facefull of sand.

If it had, though, the noise would have been at a minimum and the sparks/flame contained.

 

[CoastalNC]

Cleaning, small containers, identification....

I get discarded plastic cartridge holders (from factory ammo boxes) out of the trashcan at the range. I use them for several different things-1) place dirty brass in them and dunk the whole thing in brass cleaner. This allows me to pull the whole bunch out in one grab versus individually and drain the liquid out quickly/easily.

I, too, like to use Sharpies/markers on primers, especially when working up a load. I load a few "starters" with, say, green then I'll have some blue. I'll work up to red- i.e. HOT. Obviously, I mark the primers after loading that weight and before moving forward. I write down "Green = x.x wt.", "Blue = x.y wt.", etc. in my records and/or labels. This allows me to use one cartridge box with for many different tests.

Also, for small parts like cutters, gages, etc. I use 35mm film canisters or shotgun choke tube cases.

 

[sanson]

when loading real light charges I add styrofoam micro-spheres on top of the powder to keep it against the primer. auto-body shops use microsphere powder to lighten resins or putty. the stuff is fine and weightless so it has no effect on your loads. just fill to the top of the case and press the bullet down

 

[hikingman]

Tumblin'

Tumblin is noisy? Nah! Close the bathroom (or basement) door.

Tumbler is movin'? Nah! Set in on a rubber backed bathroom floor mat.

Tumbler makes dust in the air? Nah! Place a small sheet of 'Glad' Wrap over the Tumbler and make the sheet large enougth that it overlaps-maybe 1/2 inch off tumbler's compartment. Then, set the lid on top and attach. I continue using the original sheet of Glad Wrap and that's recycling!

The Lyman Turbo Pro 1200 that has no on/off switch, just the a/c cord, and ships to your house for about Fifty bucks, try it when it's time to replace your own, you'll be 'glad' you did.

John

 

[armedtotheteeth]

I ll Throw out a bit of my lernin i got. I am too dang cheap to buy a tumbler, So When I trim my cases with the lee Trimmer. (In my HANDY DANDY Craftsman cordless drill) After im done trimming the cartridge. I Hit it with a Piece of fine steel wool with a little water/ BARKEEPERS FRIEND mix on it while it is still in the drill. After it is done in the drill i throw it in a plastic coffee can ( FOLGERS with the grippy handle) with more Barkeepers friend/ water and Soap. AGITATE IT A LITTLE BIT BY HAND.When you done a few Dozen cases . Rinse it well several times until the water is clean. I Do 300 Winn mag 100 cases at a time like this. I shoot alot of 300 Win Mag. ( I mean alot)

 

[garbageman]

I drink Maxwell House coffee cans are metal but are great for storing large quantities of brass, use a small piece of paper to write down the caliber, fold it over the edge and snap the lid on. Now you know what is inside at a glance.

Used to buy Peter Pan Peanut Butter but switched to JIF due to recall, but both use clear plastic jars. Use to store clean brass, primed or unprimed, just write the caliber and other information on the jar with a sharpie or put a piece of paper with this information on it so it can read through the side of the jar. These are good for taking to the range with loaded rounds cause you can screw the lid tight and toss in the range bag without worrying that they will spill. The jars are also great for storing small tools and tossing in your tool box.

Small and Large Butter tubs, Shedds spread is what we use, make good storage containers for bullets, brass any item you need.

I use one of those metal frame with plastic drawer conainers on my loading bench to put my dies in. Mark the front of the drawer with the caliber. The drawer holds three dies easily (already had mine, if you buy one you can get larger drawers), I use the next row of drawers for the matching Factory Crimp die. You can put the shell holder and scoop in with the dies so everything is there to load that round, just take the drawer out and there it is. I use Lee Dies but have a few RCBS. I had several of the round 3 die sets containers and the square 4 die set containers and the RCBS has a different box too, cuts down on clutter and finding the die set you need is a breeze now.

I bought a roll of the drawer mat stuff (don't know the actual name) at Lowes, it is the rubber stuff to line your drawers so things don't slide around. Comes in different colors and you can cut it to fit with scissors. Put a piece wherever you need it on your bench to keep things from running away, line your tool box drawers, pick it up, move it around if it is in the way. Great stuff.

 

[williamd]

Handy around the loading/gun work area.

- A shop vac for the spilled powder and shot (yes you have! )
- a good magnet to find the parts that do not stop at the groove in your bench. ......... maybe
- trays with different size compartments and snap shut lids ... tackle shop?
- files, stones, plastic head hammer, gunsmith screwdrivers (yes, you have!)
- post your best load data on the front of you safe or the wall (assunming you do not load in the kitchen!)
- "Dear Diary" - seriously, a notebook for records. It is handy and fun to look back at 30 (ok, +) years of load/shoot data!
- a 'nail board' for all the shotshell bushings ... long enough nails
- a shell holder in each die set box; some duplication but really handy
- small vice (not that kind of vice! )
- quikset ready crete to patch the floor (yes, you have )
spackle for the ceiling or wall
- needle nosed plyers to pull the wad outta that case with no powder
- bullet puller, of course
- bluing pen
- tru oil or similar
- safety glasses ... even over you costly prescriptions

- large ball peen hammer to beat the crap outta those things that need the crap beaten out of them occasionally (yes, you have! )

 

[dodgestdshift]

The tops of shoe boxes make a handy place to drop cases as you are loading them. Obviously you can't use them for charged cases without bullets, but for everything else they work fine.

 

[mattgreennra]

From a post I made on THR

These aren't anyting brilliant, but just a couple of good ideas.

This first one is for anyone with an RCBS Pro-2000 or w/ a piggyback system. I was finding that when changing plates, powder funnels, or dies my powder measure got slightly misalligned. I used some mailing labels, duct tape, and a sharpie to mark the position that is correct for my uni-flow powder measure.


Also for these RCBS owners a water/propel bottle with the cap drilled out serves as a perfect primer catcher. I put lube on my press to catch the primer cancer-dust and with the bottle sealed with duct tape I have almost 0 dust in my room.

I also found that large snack containers from Sam's Club make awesome pistol brass storage containers. They keep the filth in and with a simple label you know EXACTLY what stage the brass is in.

I used a standard fold up table for my bench. It works pretty well, but bows a little bit when you put alot of pressure on it. Anyways my setup is in a college apartment and I need storage vertically that's cheap. I went to target to get something to add table-space for storage. They have $10-15 shelves that are supposed to be 2-tiered, but I used only the top and got corner supports from the hardware store that I put in. This shelf is perfectly dimensioned to store a couple powders, manuals and other random stuff.

I recently started reloading rifle brass and I am sorting that for consistency (unlike my pistol brass.) I wanted a way to (again) store it vertically in seperate compartments. I went to Lowe's in their plastic storage/shelf section and got these black bins. They come in packs of 4 and can even be hung off an included support horizontally which I think would be incredibly helpful. They were about $6 per four. These work great for my brass.



BTW the slimjims and booze are there simply for storage, I don't have alot of room. I don't gobble slim jims and Bacardi when I reload.

Also, I use a small "dust buster" handyvac thing for spilled powder. It's very small and doesn't have a powderful motor, so I feel safe picking up spilled powder w/ it. A better alternative to blowing up you vacuum.

Hope this helps.