Reloading in 2025

[Griff]

I've pretty much gone the entire year without loading any ammo, until yesterday. Our SASS club shoots the 2nd & 4th weekend of each month... I don't get to shoot every month, often for reasons due to my extreme procrastination... I got home earlier this week and took stock of my ammo supplies. I have plenty of shotgun ammo, both BP & smokeless, about 25 rounds of smokeless 45 Colt and 20 rounds of BP 45 Colt... need at least 60 for a single day. I have about ½ GI can of C45S with 160 grain bullets for pistols. My Marlin 1894 likes 200 grain bullets, and I'm not sure about the 1873 Uberti that has my C45S carrier in it. So, I decided to load up some C45S with 200 grain Lee RFN that're lubed with SPG. So... I set up to load 100 rounds with 3.4 grains of TiteGroup and that bullet. About halfway thru the sleeve of primers I loaded in the 550, I saw that my UniqueTek micrometer powder adjuster had backed out of the slide bar. So... rather than just guess, I hammered out about 40 rounds of loaded cartridges with my RCBS kinetic bullet puller. I've had this puller for about 50 years, and it's still working. With their heavy crimp it takes about 4 whacks to remove each bullet. I only ran into 5 rounds that had excessive loads of powder, but safe, not sorry, I continued until I had 'em all done except about 15 in the bottom of the catch bin. UniqueTek recommends LockTite to hold the adjuster in the bar, so I applied some new LockTite, waited about an hour to give it time to cure, and finished loading the 98 rounds... two primers had flipped and I crushed them trying to seat 'em, and to get the cases out of the Dillon. So, at tomorrow's match I'll shoot my 1851s with BP & round balls, and the C45S with smokeless and will take both smokeless & BP shotshells... I'll shoot in the 75+ age category with whatever mix of ammo suits my fancy tomorrow. Heck, I might just take my SAAs and shoot the C45S with the 160s outta them... Nah! I tease folks on the SASS Wire all the time about shooting their silly, gay, suppository pistols to stoop down to their level! Or... maybe I take my Patersons and shoot them!

Anyway, new ammo with new brass is SHORE PRETTY!

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[JimT]

Working on .41 Magnums right now. Loaded 100 round with the 210 gr. XTP over 20 gr. of WC820. That is my hunting round that I have used for a long time now. And am loading a bunch with the 230 gr. NEI flat point cast bullet over 6.6 gr. of Green Dot for just plain fun.

I have plenty of loading to do for other calibers. Cases are primed and ready to load. Indoor weather is due to hit Monday so I will stay busy when it does.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’m in Virginia for Christmas and I miss my loading bench. Now that I have it in a separate building and climate control I can really enjoy loading.

I need to get back to casting my own bullets again. I’m too busy and that’s not a good thing.

[Walt]

Hey Scott, send a picture or two of your new, now in-use loading room.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Hey Scott, send a picture or two of your new, now in-use loading room.

I’ll be sure to do that when I get home Walt.

It’s nothing special but I have moved things around a bit to accommodate myself better.

[earlmck]

Oh man, I haven't sat at the loading bench since I messed up my right wing back there in early November. Missing it bad, but I'm ready to get back to doing something, even if it's all left-handed. Maybe get the progressive set up and crank out some pistol stuff.