What did do today on your loading bench !

[Sisco]

Finished this batch today.

[mineralman55]

/\/\/\

That's interesting. I had the best results (to date) with the exact same combination, except 41.8 grains of RL15. Maybe I'll have to load down a bit and experiment.

What kind of velocities do you get with that?

[Sisco]

Not real high, I will have to go back and check my notes. This is range ammo. That load you are using is a good one. I have a bunch of 168's loaded at precisely 42 grains for my AR10 rifle. I downloaded a bit because I am using it in both the M1A and the AR10 rifle, and I have heard some horror stories about bent operating rods locally here with M1A's, so I am working back up slowly.  Doing a ladder workup next spring that will hopefully give me an optimum load I can use with both rifles. If I can squeeze the carbine into the same load, so much the better, but it really likes the 175's.

[mineralman55]

I don't think 42 grains is enough to bend an op rod of an M1A, they're pretty stout. However, I have found that accuracy in the M1A/M14 seems to respond better to charges at the low end of the charge limit. Doesn't seem to matter if it is ball powder or stick. Groups tend to spread out as the charge weight approaches the max. Just my experience in my rifles.

[planeflyer21]

1 hour ago, mineralman55 said:

I don't think 42 grains is enough to bend an op rod of an M1A, they're pretty stout. However, I have found that accuracy in the M1A/M14 seems to respond better to charges at the low end of the charge limit. Doesn't seem to matter if it is ball powder or stick. Groups tend to spread out as the charge weight approaches the max. Just my experience in my rifles.

IME it never seems to be near the maximum load on any firearm that is most accurate.  Usually is in the mid- to low-range of powder.

Can't be a fluke.

[Sisco]

3 hours ago, mineralman55 said:

I don't think 42 grains is enough to bend an op rod of an M1A, they're pretty stout. However, I have found that accuracy in the M1A/M14 seems to respond better to charges at the low end of the charge limit. Doesn't seem to matter if it is ball powder or stick. Groups tend to spread out as the charge weight approaches the max. Just my experience in my rifles.

That is good to know. AR10's seem to do better at the higher end. Well, I am pretty happy with the accuracy of this load in the M1A, so next year that will be my starting point. I say next year, because by next week the high is supposed to be 2 F. Plus if we get substantial snow, the road into the range is normally not plowed in the winter. And that is one mile in an area that often gets 2 feet of snow at a time, and 150 inches a winter. So I don't know when I will be back up there again.

[shepp]

Bottoms dropping out down here too hope to be ice fishing by NYE, That means my upper should be here anytime now?!?

[mineralman55]

17 hours ago, Sisco said:

That is good to know. AR10's seem to do better at the higher end.

Checking over my loading notes, I'd have to agree with you that that is a general trend. Must be something unique to the gas systems of M1A versus AR10 308AR rifles (for you "purists"). What an excuse to get out and check this with all my rifles!

[Sisco]

Just plowed 6 inches down here, word is they got a foot up at the range. Sabbatical time.

[MikedaddyH]

Finished prepping 255 cases of 300wsm. Picked up a box of 100 Sierra GameKing 165gr HPBT . I will load these up next. Also have over 500 pieces of 10mmAuto that's ready to load.

 

Edited December 11, 2016 by MikedaddyH

[bubbas4570]

Ran 50 9mm's through my LEE factory crimp die to take out any anomalies for a load that I had made for my sister. She was reporting failures in her Ruger P95 of types that shouldn't have happened.

And after heading to the indoor range, we couldn't get the P95 to fail at all....but we did shoot a bunch of her ammo up, and then I replenished her supply with new reloads, as her supply was still from '96.

Re-teaching her, helping her, and generally getting some range time in with her was good....she needed it to help her along her shooting journey and we needed the time together....

[kansas45]

Loaded 300 rounds of 38 Super this morning, preped some 308 brass for reloading this evening.

[FreQRiDeR]

70 rounds of 9mm, because I can't stand seeing empty brass laying around! ;)

[sketch]

5 hours ago, FreQRiDeR said:

70 rounds of 9mm, because I can't stand seeing empty brass laying around! ;)

I have a full time job for you cmon over! I need to reload more!  ? 

[bubbas4570]

On 01/03/2017 at 11:42 PM, sketch said:

I have a full time job for you cmon over! I need to reload more!  ? 

No kidding....buckets of work for whoever would like to do it!

[MikedaddyH]

Spent my spare time this weekend forming 300blk brass out of 223rem cases... Doing around 400 of them. Started cutting them at the shoulder of the 223 case which was about 1.411" , then backed it down to 1.388" . The last couple batches we're cut at 1.358" and those sized to 1.362" to 1.364" range. I even changed the blade in the mini-chop saw then killed my 12 year old Harbor Freight drill that I got for $10. Sacrificed an old Sears craftsman to the vice for trimming brass. Still have to champfer all the cases.

[98Z5V]

Fool, if you payed any attention to my step-by-step, you'd know to cut them shorter!  

[MikedaddyH]

3 hours ago, 98Z5V said:

Fool, if you payed any attention to my step-by-step, you'd know to cut them shorter!  

What are you cutting them to ?  The 1.358" cut seems about right . Did the last 200 + at that length.

[98Z5V]

Steps for my 300BLK manufacture:

 

1.  AR-15s get the $hit shot out of them at the range.  All brass policed up.

2.  All AR-15 brass (.223 Rem and 5.56 NATO) goes into the tumbler once it gets home.

3.  Sort out Lake City 5.56 NATO brass - that's the only stuff I'll turn into Blackout ammo anymore. 

4.  Run the Lake City 5.56 brass through the mini chop saw.  I was cutting it right at the neck, but that leaves ALOT of trimming.  I've been cutting it a little further back now, so I have less final-trimming to do.  I'll get pics next time I chop a batch up.

5.  Chamfer those now-straight-walled cases heavily, with VLD chamfer bits - this is important later, and for the next step. 

6.  Run them through the tumbler for about 15 minutes, to clear out all the brass shavings from chopping them - don't let that stuff tear up your 300BLK dies.

7.  Pull from tumbler, shake 'em out, and lube 'em up on the pad (or whatever you use).  You can hit straight-walled 5.56 cases with some pretty heavy lube, and it won't hurt the brass.  Typically, if you use too much lube, you're gonna dent in the shoulders of brass that you're just resizing.  That's one sign of "too much lube."  You can run this stuff heavy and it won't hurt new-made BLK cases - you're forming a brand new shoulder, where there wasn't one before.  I've yet to have a problem on a heavy-lubed pad, and any shoulder issues when making new BLK brass.

8.  Run 'em through the sizer/deprimer.

9.  Leave the lube on there - don't sweat it.  There's still alot of steps to go here...

10.  Change dies in the press - Run them through the Swager now - get rid of those crazy Lake City primer crimps.  Be aggressive with them in this step, because the new Lake CIty primer crimping is a 4-Corner affair.  Lake CIty wants to make sure you never blow out a primer in their brass, and they're damn good at the primer crimping process.

11.  These things are going in for final-trimming now.  Put them in your trimmer - lube still on them - and cut them back to 1.363" OAL.  I've been cutting them shorter now so I have less to trim.  If you chop them right at the shoulder, they'll be somewhere between 1.900" and 2.000" long when you start trimming - THAT'S ALOT TO HAND-TRIM!!!  I chop under the shoulder now - still experimenting - and my initial length, to start trimming, has beenin the 1.800"-something range.  That's not bad.

12.  You may need to hit them with the VLD chamfer tool (inner and outer) while you're trimming them down.  Measure often - if you have alot to go, chamfer those fuckers.  It makes it easier to trim them down.

13.  Once at final trim-to size, chamfer those bastards again, inner and outer, with the VLD chamfer tool.  This must be done in order to make it easier to get a good, light crimp on them later. 

14.  Once they're all trimmed to 1.363", they go into a small tupperware of hot soapy water.  Run them all around in there, make sure you wash them good.  They've got lube on them, brass shavings, gunk.  The hot soapy water makes that stuff go away fast. 

15.  Toss in a squirt of Real Lemon, right into the soapy water, for the last 10 minutes.  Makes 'em pretty.

16.  Out of the water, into a small collander - hot water bath, right under the faucet, to clear all that soap and lemon juice out.

17.  Onto the paper towels, out into the AZ sun, to dry out.  Takes less than 10 minutes here, in the middle of the day, in the summer...

18.  Into the tumbler again.  Polish 'em up.

19.  Clear them out from the tumbler, take them back inside ('cause it's summer in AZ...).

20.  Prime those bastards up.  I'm running CCI 400 small rifle primers in mine.

21.  Measure/drop powder.  I'm running 150 grain Hornady FMJ BT projectiles, so I'm running 16.1 grains of H110 powder under them.  It's very, very damn close to a compressed load in this small case.

22.  Seat your bullets. 

23. Toss on a light taper-crimp, if your dies don't already do this for you.  I've been using the RCBS AR-Series 300BLK Small Base Die Set.  The seater die has a crimp function built right into it - all in the same motion.  Once you hit that final depth on the seating, it crimps it, too.  No separate action the their AR-Series Dies. All in one.  Saved one step that way...  <lmao>

 

There you go.  That's the process I take to turn Lake City 5.56 NATO brass into 300BLK ammo.  Might seem excessive, but those steps are there for a reason.

[MikedaddyH]

Tom I've got around 60 cases at 1.4" that I might rechop to 1.368".

[bubbas4570]

Put together 200 9mm last night.

 

Hoping to put up some more tonight.

 

[survivalshop]

Some dumbass forgot to shut the Tumbler off last night , ran all night with the SS media , but the 308 & 300BLK look great .

[planeflyer21]

4 hours ago, survivalshop said:

Some dumbass forgot to shut the Tumbler off last night , ran all night with the SS media , but the 308 & 300BLK look great .

But now it's a bit translucent? 

[sketch]

16 hours ago, survivalshop said:

Some dumbass forgot to shut the Tumbler off last night , ran all night with the SS media , but the 308 & 300BLK look great .

I run my tumbler on a cmas light timer it works in 2 hr increments?

[survivalshop]

On 1/20/2017 at 8:52 PM, sketch said:

I run my tumbler on a cmas light timer it works in 2 hr increments?

I have always thought about a timer , but since when wet tumbling with SS media take three hours & the fact I would probably forget to set the timer , I just keep an eye on the clock . This time I fell asleep , my bad , I shouldn't have put them in so late for an old man .