Thread: Made a start

Finally got time to start setting up a bench for reloading using my step sons gear I have on permanent loan.
Second photo is the mess at the other end of the shed on my working bench.

Nice to get a good space set up for loading.

G.C.

I would love to get into reloading but am way too retard with numbers. Can use basic ballistic calculator but the reloaders books look like the matrix to me.

Must be some sort of learning defect. Can call distance to a few metres by eye though...

Originally Posted by Phil_H

Bloody good to see @Happy Jack,
Shame about the scales. I bought myself a new Lee reloading kit and it came with the new scales....same as you have there. My opinion of them is absolutely frustrating rubbish. Yes, they seem to be accurate but so much time is lost playing with them.

I have one set of Hornady electronic scales

Attachment 155500

and a Hornady trickler that you are more then welcome to borrow....and I can promise you that you will see the benefit in a better set of scales than the standard Lee.

Let me know if you are interested. I am on holiday this week and have to come over to Waiau to check on a property there and am happy to deliver the scales and trickler to you in Hanmer.

Cheers
Phil

Hi Phil

scales will be upgraded as soon as funds allow. Yes please if possible for the loan it would be much appreciated

lee scales are fine....buy a set of spoons to throw slightly smaller charge and trickle last say grain up....its quick and easy....
Ive got two powder throwers that work fast and accurately,but prefer to chuck most loads over scales,anything less than 20 rounds I wont even bother with the thrower.

Originally Posted by Phil_H

Hell @Preacher,
I just don't believe any of your last post.
I am no rocket scientist but I used to reload for pistol in the late 70's and 80's and used to even cast projectiles for myself and other club members.

25 year hiatus and now I am back into it. Anyone with half a brain.....so that counts Australian's into the mix as well .....can do it.....therefore so can you.

Hell, I spent 22 years in the north island bringing up four kids and hated it......the island, not the kids......but always used to like Turangi and the surrounding areas........probably to much time on annual camp with the Territorials amongst other things.

Always happy to take some time and revisit Turangi. Tell me you are interested and I will arrange a date to turn up on your door with some reloading kit.......and you will never look back.

From what I know of you already @Preacher, you are more than capable of reloading and it is just so enjoyable, cost saving and good for the soul.

Balls in your court.

Cheers
Phil

That is a very generous offer. I would love to host you here for a spell. Definitely smash some milage hunting. But I am not joking...my maths skills are shitbox. That's why they gave me the LMG in another life.

Don't shoot enough to make reloading cost effective, however if I can maximize accuracy enough to justify the investment then we have a deal.

ok so it appears you already HAVE powder thrower...set it tiny bit light,throw into cup and tip onto scale pan then trickle rest of way...or use teaspoon of powder in right hand over pan,tap right thumb knuckle with left pointy finger and will despence few granuals of powder each tap...try it on sugar or coffe into your cup and will soon work it out...you spoon holding hand/wrist rests on bench....nearly as fast as trickler.

Yep thanks for all the tips, just waiting on the kid (26) to find the large primer lever for the press that isn't in the box of stuff hopefully he can find it this week.

If he doesn't find it definitely consider a hand primer. Might not be too much more vs the lever

Greetings All,
I can thoroughly recommend the hand primer seater. It's all I use these days. I have some Ohuas (later RCBS) beam balance scales, that I bought in the 1970's, and some RCBS electronic scales. Both are still used. By sheer chance the two scales agree precisely with each other. A decent quality set of beam balance scales is really all you need.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
I can thoroughly recommend the hand primer seater. It's all I use these days. I have some Ohuas (later RCBS) beam balance scales, that I bought in the 1970's, and some RCBS electronic scales. Both are still used. By sheer chance the two scales agree precisely with each other. A decent quality set of beam balance scales is really all you need.
Regards Grandpamac.

+1 to hand primer and 'better' beam balance scales. I use a poop scoop as a trickler - the one you get for a faeces sample, free from the local Pathlab.

Originally Posted by Phil_H

What 'hand primer' do you recommend @grandpamac ?
I currently have the one from the Lee Anniversary set and it has problem feeding the primers for some reason. I am trying to work out where the problem is but being impatient I have gone back to seating them with the press......which I have to say I enjoy....something therapeutic to it.

But if I was going to get into loading greater quantities I would be looking at getting a better hand primer.

Cheers
Phil

Greetings Phil,
Mine is the standard Lee Auto Prime that I bought 20 years or so back. It's worked pretty well but with most things there is a knack. I only put 10 primers in at a time, anvil side up obviously and hold it with the primer tray sloping down about 45 degrees toward the shell holder. I have had the odd problem with the small rifle primers tipping sideways but have found that keeping a steady rhythm and seating all the primers in the tray before putting the tool down gets over most of them.
I must say that I like using the hands on tools. This even goes as far as using a Lee Loader to neck size my .303 cases, depriming most cases with a punch and base set and scraping the pockets clean with a small screwdriver. I appreciate that this level of hands on is not for everyone.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Phil_H

I'm definitely with you on the second part.
I have a Lee Loader for both the .308 and .243 and I do enjoy making up rounds with them from beginning to end.

Cheers
Phil

Thanks for that Phil,
Increasing levels of decrepitude has limited my hunting to token efforts. I am also fully retired so the time taken to produce loaded rounds comes a distant second to the satisfaction gained. Slow loading, as I will in future call it, also keeps me out from my dearly beloved's feet. With our 48th anniversary coming up later this month this is an important consideration. I have, in the interests of science, loaded complete rounds with the Lee Loader. The idea of hitting anything close to a live primer with a hammer fills me with dread. The few I seated this way were done with a full face shield and without excitement. Future priming will be done with the hand tool.
Regards Grandpamac.

Ha ha, somewhere I've still got a Lee 12g shotgun loader. Same deal, hammer used to seat the primers. Although shotgun primers didn't seem to need much force to seat. It made good rounds but of course was as slow as.

Progressed then to a flash harry Lee press with optional auto prime attachment. I didnt know myself. Speed thrills

Originally Posted by Phil_H

Starting to plan a road trip for the new year already. What calibre would you want to load for?

Cheers
Phil

The .243. It has a 17" barrel so would like to try get back a bit of velocity and play with different projectiles.

The .308 for the bush does just fine with factory ammo as I rarely get more than a 50m shot.