Reloading
M1 Garand Gas Plug
I’m starting to get ready for the upcoming shooting season. One project I’ve had on the back burner for quite some time was fine tuning my M1 Garand. It’s a 1942 vintage Springfield. One addition is a gas plug. A few years ago Moose wanted to take the Garand out for some plinking. I let him do it. I later found out he had run 180 grain Hornadys through it– very bad Ju-Ju. It did not bend the operating rod up, but you need to watch your loads with the Garand. It was tuned to M2 Ball, which was not … More . . .
Update: Hornady Concentricity Tool
What do you do when you’re middle-aged, and the internal alarm goes off at 0400 on a Saturday morning? After a massive infusion of coffee, I headed to the Shamanic Reloading Cave to mount my new Hornady Concentricity Tool. By the time KYHillChick was up, I had it all fixed up on its own moveable carrier. I had tested some 30-06 for the Hawkeye in it and found similar results to the 8X57– overall not bad. I measured .001″ to .004″ with a couple of flyers. Adjustments knocked that down to a max runout of .002″ This is significant because … More . . .
Hornady Concentricity Tool
KYHillChick was looking for that special gift that says how much she loves her favorite outdoorsman, and lookee what I found on a flash sale at Natchez Shooters Supply. This is the Hornady Lock-N-Load Concentricity Tool. What the hell is that? Look, I’m no expert on this. However, I have been on 24HourCampfire.com particularly on the Ask The Gunwriter’s section for quite a while now. John Barsness (Mule Deer) is a real wiz at this sort of thing. He and the other rifle looney glitterati agree that after you’ve conquered the basics of rifle reloading and gone as … More . . .
Angus Reloads
Angus and I passed an important milestone today. This is the first time one of my grown sons has taken it upon himself to reload ammunition with his own components. They all came down to the bend to help Dad when they were small, but their interest has waned. Angus wanted loads for his AR, and wanted to learn how to do it all by himself. It all started with a huddle at 1100 ET to figure out what exactly he wanted. We settled on a 223 REM load for his AR that would cycle the action, but not rattle … More . . .
On Being a 2-Powder Reloader
Back in 2006, I was in the process of pulling in my horns. There were signs they might close the plant. I wanted to get down to the bare minimum, expecting a layoff. One thing I bought was an 8lb keg of Hodgdon H4895. I was pretty well already set up to run with one rifle powder. The kids were still small, and I had been using H4895 for their Yute Loads as well as all my deer loads. See Making the Switch to H4895 It has been 12 years. I finished off that 8lb keg only a few years … More . . .
A Mooselette in the Reloading Cave
Two weeks ago Mooselette was begging her Dad to bring her over to Grandpa’s so she could go down to the secret room and pull Grandpa’s handle. Stop it. That ain’t nice. No, what she meant was she wanted to go down to the reloading cave and pull the handle on the reloading press. I’d promised her I would teach her to reload. Yes, at 6, she’s a bit young, but I had Angus pulling the handle at age 4. On her first lesson, we took a couple dozen rounds of 30-30 Winchester and ran them through the press, I … More . . .
Hornady LNL AP– Thoughts after the first year
My Hornady LNL AP has now been in service for a year, and I thought I would give you an update. This is a down in the weeds blog entry. If you have no interest in progressive reloaders, I would not mind if you skipped it. However, for those of you who have written me, asking for my opinion on the Hornady LNL AP, this entry is a compilation of a year’s worth of experience. All told, I have loaded close to 2000 rounds in the following chamberings: 357 Magnum 9mm Luger 223 Remington 45 ACP Overall, I think I … More . . .
The Big Book of Gun Gack
I spent Saturday reading in John Barsness’s book, The Big Book of Gun Gack. You have probably read the author, he’s published in a heck of a lot of magazines, and he’s got a slew of good books on Amazon.com. This one is a collection of articles about a select bunch of rifle cartridges for the hunter and John’s take on reloading for them. It is a book for the hunter that reloads. . Table Of Contents Working Up a Load in the 21st Century Modern Rifle Powders Rifle Primers Rifling Twist Pre-Testing Big Game Bullets Sizing Cases … More . . .
Going Progressive — A final assessment
I just finished up my last major session with the Hornady Lock n Load Auto-Progressive before turning to my deer hunting loads. I thought I would give y’all an update. My goal over the summer was to start with 9mm to get my feet wet, switch to 357 Magnum and then finish off with 223 REM if everything else went well. This is not a formal review of the Hornady LNL AP. I am not nearly that presumptuous. Rather, I figured you would like to hear about my adventures with the LNL AP. Let me begin by saying that most, … More . . .
A Quick Update on the Press
First off, I want to let you know I have a growing admiration for the Hornady LNL Auto Progressive press. The naysayers complaints just have not panned out. Based on others’ comparisons to the Dillon 650, about the worst thing I can say about it, in my experience, is that that it has a red paint-job instead of a blue one. That may change, but poised to do my first big run of 9mm, that is the size of it. Grafs.com had the press and a stool for $450 back in March, and the price has dropped since then. … More . . .
Going Progressive– A new Bench and Press
Just before Turkey Season, I was shooting 9mm with Angus and the thought occurred to me that 9mm was a lot of fun, and it was a shame it took so much effort to load up a measly 50 rounds with my single stage press. That triggered a line of thought that ended up with me ordering a new progressive loader and building a new bench. It is my intention to fill you in on the process and document my progress. First off, let me take you through the reason for the new press. I have been loading a bunch … More . . .
Eight weeks and Counting
I just watched the countdown timer cross the 8-week mark. It’s now exactly 2 months to the start of Kentucky’s Modern Weapons Season. I stayed home from the farm overnight. It was going to be hot and muggy and thunderstorms have been moving through since sundown Friday. I’ve been busy down in the shamanic reloading cave all week, replenishing the larder. 25-06: 117 gr Hornady SPBT over H4831sc 30-06: Lots of 150 and 165 grainers over H4895. 30-30: 170-grain cast lead over H4895 — more green powder coated stuff 308 Win: 165 Grain Hornady SPBT over H4895 357 Mag: 125-grain … More . . .
Wringing out the Ruger American Predator
I was out shooting with my new Ruger American Predator in 223 REM. Overall, I impressed with a lot of things. There are a few flaws, but they are minor. I am also very happy with the Bushnell Banner 6-24X40mm scope I mounted on it. My only beef is that this is not a rifle that single-feeds easily. Feeding on the magazine so far has been flawless, but popping a single round in, no matter what bullet or seating depth, invariably causes trouble. I’m had that trouble before with a couple of rifles. It is a minor irritant. I have … More . . .
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