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Had to start by sizing & gaschecking a 100 boolits... Saeco #316 mold, 150 gr FP... Had to set up the RCBS Lubri-Sizer... then find my .309" die... that proved a ½ hour search! Can we say it's been awhile since I sized some of these... But hey, in the meantime, I found all my other sizer dies!
Then lubed and sized 100 once fired Winchester cases I bought off a supplier up in NY State several years ago... Then primed 'em with Winchester large rifle primers... set up the powder drop, 27.5 grains of RE7. Between finding stuff... not used since I rebuilt the reloading bench & shop... to actually doin' work that I haven't done in over a year...
This single stage loading is TIME CONSUMING!!! Over 3 hours from start to finish! But...
A friend of mine called the other day and asked if I could shoot one of my .30-30s at his next BAMM (Bolt Action Military Match) next Saturday. All so he could try to get some idea of relative times for firing and loading, maybe with an eye to increasing options for some shooters. I went looking for some ammo earlier today... and couldn't find any lead .30-30! So a'loadin' I went!! I'm going to use my little 16" Trapper and these loads.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Thank y'all... it was a rather cool day here in No. Texas, only 86ºF. Humidity was a bit on the high side... So I was sweatin' by the time I got done... I think I need one of those cooler fans for the shop... tho' air movement around the scale makes for some wild variations!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Sixgun wrote:Griff,
For a guy who drives a $100,000+ truck, you need to buy yourself a RCBS Pro-2000.
The other day I loaded up 100 rounds of 30-40 Krag in a half hour....taking my time.
But.....those babies you loaded do look nice. -----6
1st, I drive a 20 year old truck, that MIGHT be worth $15,000, has 2-1/3 million miles on it... and 2ndly, I have two Dillons, and... 3rdly, I happen to LIKE loading my .30-30s on the Rockchucker! Going slow lets me weigh every charge, verify crimp and identify any nose deformation, etc., etc...
Besides, did you have to do all the case prep and bullet prep on those .30-40Krag? And thanks... I made sure to turn all the bad spots on the bullets away from the camera!!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
I'm so sorry Griff...please excuse my exuberance. I'm always pushing my grand ideas onto others. I think it's because I have always been rushed my entire life. But not no more!!!!
Anyway, Now that pleasantries have been exchanged....I hear ya.
No case prep whatsoever other than tumbling. I find that loads that generate 1200-1700 or so do not "grow" in length, especially if you set your FLS properly. Even with the notorious .348 with its sloping case, they don't grow....and I shoot A LOT of .348's in metallic silhouette. I stopped cleaning primer pockets 10 years ago. Only case prep I do is inspect for mouth or body cracks after tumbling.
With the .223 I just throw them in the scrap heap after 4 loadings or so.
The Black Rose still looks nice even with all those miles.------6
I know just how you feel Griff. Right now I'm looking at a pile of 45 ACP brass, approx 1,000, which I want to load. Also needed are cast bullets for same. So far all I have done is to size these cases. I found about 30-40 with the small primer pocket. Today has been the break in our miserable temperatures.
So, although I'm only slightly into it, these will be loaded sooner rather than later. Then all the discomfort will be gone and I will be ready to start a new batch of whatever.
"He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present, than the living man." Antoine de Saint-Expuéry
Steelbanger, N.R.A. Life
PRPA Member
Marlin - a hard habit to break.
Ive loaded the vast majority of rounds Ive shot in 30-30 over the years. I was recently thinking that getting a little more brass may be nice. When I started checking prices, I figured out that buying factory loads was cheaper than starting with new brass and jacketed bullets. I don't recall that being the case before. 2 local emporiums have Winchester loads for $15.77 and $15/box.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Malamute wrote:Ive loaded the vast majority of rounds Ive shot in 30-30 over the years. I was recently thinking that getting a little more brass may be nice. When I started checking prices, I figured out that buying factory loads was cheaper than starting with new brass and jacketed bullets. I don't recall that being the case before. 2 local emporiums have Winchester loads for $15.77 and $15/box.
I've done that for years... buy a box or two of factory loads, save the brass... then one day back in the late '80s when I lived in CA... I was at the range... about 10 or 12 Mexican fellars show up, and proceed to shoot up about 20 boxes of Winchester, Federal & Remington rounds. They packed up the 3 rifles they were using, and made to leave... I asked... "hey you guys save your brass?" They said, "... no you can have it." And proceeded to box it all back up and handed them to me! Betwwen those & what I've saved over the years I still have a full 3lb ice cream tub full of them... but when I looked in that tub, I wasn't sure it'd been cleaned... looked sorta dingy. Might have to tumble them again! I bought this current batch of once fired Winchester brass in 2 bags of 250... Seems to me it was around $0.25/case.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Sounds similar to my reloading sessions! I pick a day, and just go all day trying to get as much done as possible! Yesterday I cast up 100+ .456" 400 grain bullets, and then another 100+ .410" 315 gr. bullets. After that I took them all to the basement and lubed and sized the .456" down to .452" for my .44-100. Then I lubed the .410's, and boxed everything up for loading later.
Had to fit it all in around getting the yard work done.
Sixgun wrote:...No case prep whatsoever other than tumbling. I find that loads that generate 1200-1700 or so do not "grow" in length, especially if you set your FLS properly....I stopped cleaning primer pockets 10 years ago. Only case prep I do is inspect for mouth or body cracks after tumbling...
Interesting - I read the same thing from a regular writer in one of the recent gun mags, can't remember who - Mike Venturino?
Griff wrote:... I made sure to turn all the bad spots on the bullets away from the camera!!
That's what I do with my selfies. So all my photos show the back of my head...
Nice looking bullets, anyway, Griff. QL doesn't show that Saeco bullet, but a similar Lyman load shows about 2163fps from the standard length Marlin 336.
Sixgun wrote:...No case prep whatsoever other than tumbling. I find that loads that generate 1200-1700 or so do not "grow" in length, especially if you set your FLS properly....I stopped cleaning primer pockets 10 years ago. Only case prep I do is inspect for mouth or body cracks after tumbling...
Interesting - I read the same thing from a regular writer in one of the recent gun mags, can't remember who - Mike Venturino?
Griff wrote:... I made sure to turn all the bad spots on the bullets away from the camera!!
That's what I do with my selfies. So all my photos show the back of my head...
Nice looking bullets, anyway, Griff. QL doesn't show that Saeco bullet, but a similar Lyman load shows about 2163fps from the standard length Marlin 336.
My reloading tablet tells me that I've recorded an ave of 2190fps out of a 26" with that load.. I don't recall running it over the chrono with the 16" Trapper or 20" carbines. Going to the range to shoot in a match on Sat... might have to take the Chronograph with me and just check it out.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Nice looking rounds. I have the bullets gas checked for my .32 Winchester Special I just need to get the brass out and load em up. I haven't loaded any or shot the rifle for a year. I really need to get it out and have some fun. Thanks for the post.