Dorobuta

I was all set to reload some .308, and my powder dispenser quit on me....

Grr. I ended up breaking out the old balance beam scale for weighing the powder charges. This really slowed my pace down, so I only loaded a hundred rounds.

I do things in batches: sort in to buckets, clean a batch - throw the clean brass into another bucket. Then grab the clean brass, size and de-prime. The prepped brass goes into another bucket. Eventually I’ll grab a bunch of the prepped brass and prime a bunch. These go in an ammo can.

Once I fill an ammo can, I start throwing powder and seating bullets.

Normal flow is such that as I’m seating a bullet, the powder dispenser has thrown the next charge. This lets me keep up a good rhythm. Having to use the old scale slowed me down considerably.

Oh well, I’m going back and forth with Hornady on the dispenser in e-Mail.

John in AR

I don’t reload rifle stuff, other than rifle-specific loads in magnum handgun calibers (which isn’t really rifle stuff).

Progressive presses have me spoiled. Mine are cheap lee 1000’s, but for bulk handgun stuff I’ve been very happy with them. I do use a single stage for 454 and feel your pain on the loading hundreds of rounds at a time on one. I only shoot maybe 100-150 a year of that caliber; any more would be a pain.

Garand

Frustrating, I broke a pin on my RCBS RS3 press that I have had since 1986 while I was loading .30 carbine last week. Too near Christmas holidays to phone RCBS for a replacement, will do it in early January. For the next month I'll just do all my loading on my Lyman T Mag.

Dorobuta

I hand throw all rifle loads. Just because. Probably don’t need to, but keeps my velocities super consistent. I load as if every rifle round were for hunting. My one OCD trait.

Not as OCD with pistol rounds...

John in AR

Same here with the one exception of .454 Casull; at the pressures it runs at, I want the added safety of hand-weighing each charge. Even with the shortened 5" barrel, it still hits over 2,000 ft/lbs with a 240-grain XTP-Mag, and I don't feel comfortable loading stuff at those pressures on an inexpensive Lee progressive.

If I'm experimenting, I'll use a single stage as well, but that's about it. I'm too spoiled by the convenience of the progressives for most things.

Dorobuta

so I check my e-mail and I have two from Hornady - one is an order confirmation?? the other saying they think it is the power supply and they're sending me a new one free of charge.

I had told them it was old enough to be out of warranty.

This is what customer service looks like.

BigBassMan

I need to load some more .308 bounce off things rounds for my M1A. Down to around 300 an 10 mags full left. Just don't shoot it much, unlike the one trick pony there are others to shoot.

Garand

This years shooting was disappointing due to the covid, with limited "matches" the Cowboy Action guns didn't get used a lot. Mind you I bought 5 guns so I did spend a fair bit of time doing load development by myself. Because of this craziness, there were a number of firearms that haven't seen the light of day in almost 2 years!

BigBassMan

Same here, several did not get shot this year, hope next year is better.

Dorobuta

As soon as I use the last of my 4895, I need to start developing a load for BL-C2

Garand

Wondering why? Availability? Personally since I discovered years ago that 4895 was used in Lake City Match ammo in .30-06 & 7.62mm NATO, it had been my go to powder for .30-06, .308, 6.5x 55mm FMJ, .303 & 5.56mm.

BigBassMan

4895, 3031, 4046

Dorobuta

I could not find anything other than the BL-C(2), good news is that it has a bunch of military load data for it. Bad news, I really haven't used it before.

BigBassMan

Used to use it in 222 years ago then switched to 4198

John in AR

First glance looked like "used it 222 years ago" and thought "dude's seriously old"...

Dorobuta

everyone is short on powder right now...I can’t find 4895 anywhere.

BigBassMan

Guess I should have put 222 Remington. Had several back in the day, was not a barrel burner like the Swift.

Dorobuta

The BL-C was a substitution, when the place I ordered the 4895 they claimed to have in stock told me they were out and the BL-C was the only powder with .308 load data they had, which of course pissed me off. But at least I have a couple pounds of powder, which I will use until I can get a couple 8 pounders of 4895.

Dorobuta

loaded some rounds with the BL-C(2) now, off to the range to see which loads perform best....