[BigBassMan]

Spent the weekend casting 9mm, .41, 38spl , 45acp an .44s, several coffee cans of each, all except the 9s an 44s are lubed an sized. Lost a couple hours when the pressure screw on one Lyman 450 sizer broke an I had to rebuild the bottom flange. Six cavity molds make the casting go fairly fast, just used one pot cause I need a break while more lead is melting. These bullets will be for standby in case I shoot up what is loaded. Another problem I (we) had was the linkage on the counter broke an did not want to take time to fix it, so now have no idea how many are in the cans. 9 pots of coffee were drank both days.

 

[Garand]

I've thought about casting on a number of times, even priced it out. I prefer to do all my reloading on a Lyman T Mag as I find the quality of ammo produced better than dillons that I have owned in the past using cast lead bullets. As I am a high volume shooter I just don't have the time to cast. About 5 years ago I couldn't find cast 6.5x55, so I bought a set of molds and got a friend who is a caster and low volume shooter to cast for me. Over 5,000 cast gas checked bullets in 5 years.

 

[John in AR]

I've thought about casting on a number of times, even priced it out...

I just got into it a couple years ago, and am glad I did. Lets me shoot low-end stuff like .38, 45LC, even 9mm very cheap.

 

[BigBassMan]

Went down to the St. Charles, MO Grafs Reloading today, got a hell of a deal on two like new Lyman 450 sizers an three molds. One is a .41 220 gr. Lyman an a pair 0f RCBS 158 gr, SWC. Was worth the trip besides needed a day off.

 

[Garand]

Just in .38, .44, 6.5x 55mm, .45 acp & .45 LC, I'm probably going through 14,000-16,000 per year, just don't have the time available to manufacture that kind of volume.

 

[Garand]

Well here we are back to the drawing board; 2 years ago I for the perfect powder for my Swedish M1896 rifle in 6.5x55. Which is AA 4227. Last November I managed to get a Swedish M38 Carbine with a almost factory new barrel. You think it would like the same load? Nope, apparently a rifle with 5 inches less of a barrel doesn't! I guess I'm back to doing load development this summer.

 

[BigEd]

AA Powder

Garand from my experience Accurate Arms on occasion will switch point of manufacture which will slightly change burn rates.

I just post this for every ones FYI.

My experience was with AA #5 using it to work on an accurate and functional subsonic load in 9mm for the UZI Carbine and Glock 17L I had at that time.

I used AA#5 sourced from the Czech Republic. Until AA switched the point of mfg. to the Republic of South Africa. The burn rate then changed and degraded both cycling and accuracy in both carbine and pistol.


Have you ever tried IMR 4350 for 6.5x55? I've had good luck ith it in the past when I used to reload for milsurp rifles.

 

[Garand]

I have 8-10 different powders in my lockup and I do not (yet) want to go out and buy more at this time. I made up 9 loads this weekend and will test it when the sun comes out later this week.

 

[BigBassMan]

Picked up 16 lb. of Unique an 5000 primers Last Wend. an shop threw in two 1 lb. cans. Added to stash. Also 475 pieces of new Starline 45LC brass.
Big problem is out of boxes to store loaded rounds in and out of space to even store more boxes.
Looked at Dillon 1050 the other day, over 2000 with most of the goodies on it but the bullet feeder for it will not feed lead bullets, will stick with my Star loaders. Another shop (where I got powder) has a 650 with several caliber change overs for sale for 400.00, giving that a thought. Two of the change overs kinda interest me, one is 30 carbine an 45 LC.

 

[BigEd]

I have 8-10 different powders in my lockup and I do not (yet) want to go out and buy more at this time. I made up 9 loads this weekend and will test it when the sun comes out later this week.

That I can understand like one time someone asked me why I used WW748 so much instead of some of the other powders for 223Rem and 308Win.,. I replied because I already have so much of it. And still do.

 

[John in AR]

I have 8-10 different powders in my lockup and I do not (yet) want to go out and buy more...

+1 I like standardization & simplicity, at least as much as practical. I have 12 different powders on hand, but that's largely due to 'not quite' finishing off a particular powder when going to something else. Even though I have that many different ones on hand, nearly 80% of my stock is just two powders - Universal and Titegroup.

Those two are probably not perfect, but they're a very good "jack of all trades" for most of my uses.

 

[Maggieze]

Great post

 

[BigBassMan]

A problem with my reloading came up. Son just bought a Dillon press (Not sure what one) and I will go to his place today an help him set it up. So the problem is I will not get the buckets of brass him an his two boys shoot up! Not sure what caliber he will want it set up for first, just know he got change over for 9mm, 45 acp, 30 carbine, 223, 38spl, 45 lc (strange) I will take him all the odds an ends he forgot along with a single stage press he can use to process military brass.

 

[noylj]

Try shooting the bullets as-cast. I found best accuracy was with as-cast bullets. Used to pan lube, but now I use LLA. Probably try 45/45/10, if I ever start up the pot again.

 

[BigBassMan]

Tryed that tumble lubing, never again. 9mm leaded something terrible. Have 4 Lyman 450s, so not too bad. Using two 4 or 6 cavity molds at same time makes casting go kinda fast. Lately I have been buying 38s in same bullet I use from a place in IN for a good price. Had to do that to keep up, those Star loaders make cases an bullets disappear in a hurry. Like to find a change over for a Star in 45LC, seems I am shooting more of that than 44 these days. Ever looked into getting a 550 Dillion in that caliber, much cheaper. With the amount of 38 spl. I use, a 1050 might be in the works next year. Same problem tho, need two people to keep the speed up. About to give up loading or even shooting 9mm, tons loaded an all I ever shoot is a 986 Smith, same with 45acp, I shoot a 325 Smith an the autos stay home. Hauled a HiPower around for two months an never shot it. Hate chasing brass! Only shot 6 rounds of 22lr, thats right 6 this summer, the model 17 is going to son to match the 14 I gave him.

 

[noylj]

I prefer to NOT size my cast bullets. Accuracy is better with unsized bullets. None of my molds cast bullets that are so oversized that the rounds won't chamber easily. If they did, I would contact the maker and complain.

 

[boati]

why would you need to chase 9mm brass, when you can buy it all day long for 3c each? The leading problem in 9mm is fixed by using the right powder, lube and (mostly) heavy bullets, so that the velocity is sub 850 fps. 160 gr lrn You're just plinking, so zero the gun with this load and dont worry about it. You aint carrying .44's or 45lc's, either. so the practicing with a different gun than you ccw (IF you actually do, which I doubt like hell) means nothing. Pay some kid 2c each to retrieve your brass for you. For the price of a smith revolver (much less a dozen of them) you can buy many thousands of rds of 20c per shot 9mm'. I size so that there's no case-bulging. That stuff can cause malfunctions. Really hot-fast burning powders can cause base-fusing, which causes more lead fouling of the bore.

 

[noylj]

Leading is fixed by use of the right diameter and lube. LLA is a great barrier lube.
I find that 0.357-0.358" lead bullets and 0.356-0.357" jacketed bullets work best.

 

[Dorobuta]

I like to practice with several different handguns, including the ones - yes ones, as in I carry different ones from time to time, to remain proficient with all of them.

And I do carry a .45 Colt (S&W25-5) during hunting season. So, yeah, I practice with it too.

And why would I need to pay a kid to police my brass? I always clean up after myself. IF I'm at a range, they provide a broom and dust pan for clean up. If I'm in the desert, I try to leave the area cleaner than I found it. I'll pick up my brass plus whatever other brass or garbage is laying around.

I firmly believe, that if you brought it in, you had better bring it out.

 

[boati]

easy to say when all you fire is 50 rds. But when you fire 1500 rds, it gets to be a huge pita. What works pretty good for most thing is a sheet of plastic. Raise all four corners, get all the brass into the center of the sheeting, then manipulated the brass to an edge and pour it into the bucket, ready to load a few times. Eventually, 5000 rds need to go into a cement mixer with ground walnut hulls and jeweler's rouge.