Woke up with "the bug"

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

On the way home friday night I noticed the leaves starting to turn. Fall is coming, coming soon!

For whatever reason I woke up this morning and just wanted to reload. I've been putting off working up some new loads for my 7STW using 160grn Accubonds. I dug out my 7STW brass, found a dozen never fired ones and about 150 once fired brass. Tossed the fired brass in the tumbler while I went looking through my powders. I've tried a bunch of powders in that barrel burner over the years: H1000, RL19,RL22, RL25... oddly I've never tried 7828 in it. Books show its pretty popular in that caliber. Well as I'm starting from scratch anyway, I figured what the heck! No time like the present to try a new powder as well.

I stopped off at Cabelas while the brass was tumbling and bought some 7828. Huh, theres a ton of 4350 sitting there... maybe I'll reload up some 100grn partitions for my wifes .243 as well! Bought a can of that as well. Returned home and got things ready. Brass is still tumbling but its almost done... not sure what it is that is so fun about reloading but it sure can be! I dont get out to shoot as often as I used to, so I dont reload all that often anymore, but every so often the bug just hits and its time to reload. I'll do several small batches of both STW and .243 for later testing... but I've always had great luck with .243's, they seem to like most anything fed into them.

Ever just get the "bug"? LOL

-DallanC

gelandangan · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

I must resist..
I must resist..
I must resist..
I must resist..

Well, I think I am hooked.
Not only caught the bug, but been living with it for a while.
Resistant is futile.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Well that was a fun time, my 11 year old sat down with me and I walked him through the process. We did an excellent run of a variety of 7STW test loads. We are spending the night this next friday out on the desert for the dove hunt, I will get to test fire them then over a crony.

Tomorrow me and the boy will do a batch of .243 rounds.

-DallanC

Vince · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 11:18 pm Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

These days I load more 12g than anything else...but then again, when I hit the Clays Range I shoot and average of 100 - 150 shells, so there is a need to keep stocks up.

To me reloading is a bunch of things...therapeutic, fun, relaxing, saving money, and, I suppose, a necessity...not to mention the enjoyment of tuning a load to suit it's intended purpose and the rifle.

The bug...I have a chronic infection...just a matter of when it decides to flair up and hit me. In fact I've been reloading .410 shells on a small handloader similar to a Lee Loader (wish I could find one of them in .410) whilst sitting here at the computer. Very Happy

Cheers, Vince

Elvis · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 11:52 pm Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

yip that bug hits hard alright.
popped in to see a buddy while down in Dunedin watching the daughter play soccer and my buddy hands me some nice shiney .270 brass he has given the works(primer pockets , neck turning etc) so I will just have to fill them up with some very carefull loading soon.

dhc4ever · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:41 am Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

Yep the bug hits hard.
I found this out when I was "bedridden" and recovering.
The web is a wonderful tool for shopping, and I now have 3x the reloading stuff I had when I was well Very Happy

.
Load development on the new .308 worked out well, just under an Inch at 100m, 1.7" at 200m and 2.5" at 300m, no bedding and a cheap (in the usa) Redfield scope. I don't think I'll play with it any more (yeah right) it shoots better than I do.
I've also converted around 300 .223 range pickups to.222 ( dont watch ammosmith on youtube when you're sick and bored) and now got to get around to fire forming and working out which brass works best in the old Rem 788.

Bug? What bug?

SingleShotLover · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 5:44 am Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

That "bug" can morph into a disease. I don't mind having some empty rifle-caliber brass laying around since I always have at least a hundred of any given caliber loaded anyway, but I truly obsess about having even a single piece of handgun brass empty. This is pretty much pointless since any of my handgun calibers always have a few hundred rounds loaded anyway. Guess it doesn't have to make sense!

Kudos for getting to spend quality time with your son. Time is short but memories last.

Bushmaster · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 8:23 am Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

I have a friend that gives me his empty brass and what ever he can pick up at his range. My hands tremble everytime. Just can't wait to sort through them, clean, deprime/resize and load'em...

It's not a bug...It's a disease.

Good job with the son, Mr Dallan.

Ominivision1 · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 10:12 am Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

Kudos to you Dallan, all my boys are grown up and married but the wife and I still have memories and pictures. And as far as the "bug" yup I agree with the others.

stovepipe · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:54 am Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

Funy- been putting it off for a spell. Bushy same here when I get a big box delivered of once fired Federal ACP brass the range sweeper sucks up, all sorts of suprises in there- 38, 357, live stff, 308 cases etc.... Got into it last week and both presses were are going for rifle and pistol. Finished with 308 and 300m, then did some .357m cast loads, got the LEE 1000 die'd up for 44m cast loads now. Funny how that works for guys diving in at the same time at the bench. Maybe it's like girls and their time of the month when they all get it at once, or so I've heard.

WHERE'S THAT LADDER???

Ominivision1 · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

Yeah but the reloading equipment never talks back at ya. And they are ready to go anytime. Very Happy

Vince we need that ladder asap. Very Happy

stovepipe · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 12:17 pm Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

I got my bucket to sit on up there in case she gets that slingshot again...!!!!

wiersy111 · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 12:42 pm Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

I love it when the reloading syndrome kick in, of course SWMBO does get a little lonesome while I am in the reloading room. I have really had to resist this year, I am emptying my 45acp stockpile so I can start all fresh, that is about 3,000 casings. That will be a good Minnesota winter project.

stovepipe · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 1:23 pm Post subject: Re: Woke up with "the bug"

So is emptying that custom fridge of beverages in that custom man-cave of yers Mr. 111!

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Good grief.

I was cleaning up and I found a couple 1 gallon ziplock bags... filled to bursting with empty .22-250 brass. Guess I gotta load them up too. Must be 500 cases! I remember as a youth both me and my dad shooting .22-250s, he never reloaded so I vaguely remember grabbing every empty case I could and hiding them away for a rainy day. I clearly remember buying every box of remington brand .22-250 everytime we came across them. Was on a disneyland trip once and we visited a store that had them on closeout for a super cheap price, I think we bought 25 boxes and filled our suitcase up with them for the return flight hehehe.

Found a unopened 100 count bag of new .243 brass I didnt know I had when I was digging out the 200ish once fired .243 brass I was going to tumble today.

Found a bag of 100+ .223... dont know where that even came from, I dont own a .223, guess i'll have to get one.

Found 50 loaded .270 cartridges, no notes on what powder is in them. I do recognize they are loaded with 150grn GrandSlams, will pull them and load them back up with something I know is safe.

Oh yea, and I found a brick of Federal 215 match mag primers, 1000 count and another brick of Federal LR primers 1000 count. I cant imagine using them up anytime soon. I think I bought them both when Obama was first elected and people were making a run on components.

My reloading room isnt really all that cluttered... most stuff is neatly stacked on shelves. Some stuff just gets stuck in a drawer... then moved into the back of a drawer and forgotten about for a bit. Its like Christmas all over again digging through drawers lol.

-DallanC