Hello y’all

S

scherf

Inactive
Well since I have finnally posted a reply I figure I’d introduce myself, don’t know if this is allowed here or not but honestly it’s the only part of TFL that I am interested in and will be using 99% of the time.....

My name is Zack, kinda new to reloading, I have been reloading for over 2 years now... all self taught though the web and books (more books than the web due to everyone being an expert)....

Joined here because I wanted to take my reloading to the next leve, around January I decided to bulk load and stash ammo due to it being a relativly cheap way to fill my time.... untill January I was only loading performance rounds in 6.5 creedmoor for my rifle. Small batch, usually 100 at a time. Now I am doing .40 for my handguns and .223/5.56 for an AR. And hopefully in a year or so will be adding .300 blackout...

Oh as for my handle, I honestly do not own any lee products but I love how everyone and there brother bashes/fights over it, so why not make someone triggered when I post.......

I hope to learn a lot and beable to give back too, have fun and stay safe!
 
Well, triggering a dispute is called trolling for an argument, and we get more than enough arguments without looking for more. So if you come up with a more apropos username, let us know and we will change it for you. But otherwise:

Welcome to the forum.

This is a fun hobby. Since you are talking about loading in bulk, I'll toss in something I I learned in the last year about ammo storage from the Norma manual. Loaded ammunition is by no means long-term moisture proof. Whatever humidity you store it in, over a period of about a year the powder inside will come to have the same moisture content it would have if you left the exposed to the air in that same humidity. Despite manufacturer recommendations to keep powder in a cool, dry place, you don't want it too dry. That is, you don't want the cartridges or the powder stored in bone dry conditions unless you live in them. You don't want to use desiccants. Norma says that going from 80% relative humidity to 0% increases pressure about 12%, which is enough to throw your carefully developed loads off their sweet spot or start a bolt sticking if the original load was hot. Around 40% to 70% RH seems to be where you want to be. Store ammunition in the same RH the powder was kept in when you developed the load, and that will keep the pressure valid.

Be aware that powder ages, so you generally want a FIFO (First In, First Out) storage system and to shoot the oldest stuff first and replace it with the new, except for testing or switching loads, of course.
 
Lol will do, feel free to change it to scherf at any point unclenick.

As for the Norma manual, I read that in another thread that you posted in and it doesn’t surprise me that it will normalize to its surroundings, canning engines in the navy showed me this unfortunately.... but the boost in pressure is very surprising, for my handgun loads I don’t think by any means pressure would be an issue, correct me if I am wrong, but the loads I have worked up for them are just heavy enough to get a good velocity and enough to cycle the slide with reliability. I’d rather have accuracy with the quick ability to be back in target for a follow us shot.... don’t need more recoil in a panic situation imo... so the .40 I load is almost right at the lowest recommended charge listed across the manuals I use. And where I reload and store ammo anyway is constant 55 RH @ 70 degrees...

For first loaded first out was the plan, I have done some digging and it seems to me that manufactures and other people seem to feel that powder has a good shelf life of 10 years soo I planed on firing off around the 5 year mark just to keep things fresh in my stock.

My current dilemma is finding a good powder for multiple guns, specifically the 6.5 creed and 5.56. Issues are finding one that is good across the board and not wanting to work up a new load to an extent (more so building two at one time). I have found two or three that can do both but I don’t like how “dirty” they are, and this is coming from others that use it. But I won’t know till I try for myself and I may just go and get one pound to start as a tester, better $20 waisted than $160....
 
When I saw the "Y'all" , I assumed you were from the South and referring to
Robert E. Lee.

You don't own ANY Lee products...that's unusual for a seasoned reloader.

Welcome to the forum from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
 
These people make bulk loading make sense:

Buy your components in groups of 500 or 1000 to save money and have supplies on hand. You may still need to buy bullets a box at a time, but honestly they sell pretty easily if they don't work for you.
 
Lee makes a couple products that are cost-effective & do pretty well.
Mostly low end entry stuff.

I use the crap out of my first generation 'Turret' press for tearing down rounds and tool work on brass.
I like the 'Factory Crimp' Die, it's a collet die and works pretty well for the price.
 
Gwpercle, I lied (just realized after I made this handle) that I had bought the newest lee reloading book due to I found a copy at Cabela’s out of the plastic and it had a lot more 5.56 load data and some of his history was interesting just skimming it so I took it home. And also I wouldn’t call myself seasoned..... cause every time I look at expanding, I find a new process that I want to add, currently that’s annealing my 6.5 brass....

Nathan, I try to buy all my components at 2000 pieces or more usually.... an 8lb thing of powder calculates out to be about ~1800-2100 loads depending on the powder weight.... but to supply myself to load that much takes a few pay periods lmfao.... but it does make sense for when the summer comes around and the outdoor range makes a good day long adventure....
 
So you're not Lee Van Cleef's(or Lee Majors or Lee Meriwether or Lee Marvin or Lee J. Cobb) biggest fan? snicker.
"...powder ages..." The absolute best .303 ball ammo I ever shot was of 1944 vintage, fired in the early 80's and had been in military storage that entire time. Powder only goes 'bad' if it's stored incorrectly. Cool and dry is essential.
"...the newest Lee reloading book..." It contains load data tested by the powder makers. Lee does no testing, of any kind, themselves. That doesn't mean the data is no good. Just that they publish manuals and pretend the data is theirs.
 
Lol GlenF, don’t forget the pink hat too LMFAO!!! Your cool in my book lol


Marco if it was going to me more of actual information thread, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have named the thread “hello y’all”......... but here we both are on this thread that I created to introduce myself in the only section of this web sight that serves me any usable purpose... so I’d rather only get to know those that frequent this part of the web sight....
 
Since you requested the name change publicly, I made it for you.

I also just deleted 3 posts that appeared to be a bit of trolling and a response to it. Let's keep it civil.
 
Hi scherf, and welcome to TFL.

Just thought I'd put in two cents worth (if that :p) regarding loading in bulk . . .

After 34 years of loading, I tend to shy away from it. There's only a couple loadings I know I'll shoot 'till the day I go horizontal; and those I load 'till my heart's content. But that's only a few recipes - 45 ACP; 200LSWC, 5.0gn W231 being one example. Been loading it since 1985.

But . . . Just speaking for myself, my shooting styles and likes tend to float around. So a "mainstay" round in my arsenal three years ago, may not exist at all now. There's been a few times over the years where I loaded close to a thousand rounds of something, only for it to fall out of favor with me a couple hundred rounds into it. Been there. Done that.

So for me, I tend to load as I go.
 
Thanks Nick!

The bulk loading is more of a stash of RTG ammo when SHTF kind of deal, not really ment to be a worked up great load per individual gun, but one that funtions well in all of the same caliber.

BUT! i do like working up loads for precision with my rifles and those will never be bulk loaded.
 
Probably the best powder that comes to my mind for both .223 and 6.5 Creedmoor would be Varget. Good for slightly heavier .223 and lighter 6.5. Another one in this category that has worked well for me is RE15. I know Benchmark works well in heavier .223 but I personally haven't tried in 6.5 but would guess it might work there.
 
Jetinteriorguy,
I haven’t really looked into a dual powder too much, I forget the two that I found to be in both of those calibers but the velocity would be a little off copaired to the RL 17 I have been using in the 6.5, I haven’t had any issues with it but once I burn though it I will probably try to look for the next powder then, but with warm weather coming that last bit that I have should be gone soon lol
 
Several years ago I took a look at what powders would work in most everything I owned.
I came up with Unique for handguns, WW748 for Rifle Ammo, and Red Dot/Promo for shotgun.

Lee does make some usable products. The Cast Iron Classic press is good to go. I like the Shell Holder Set, the Push Through sizer dies for 40 S&W and 45acp/45GAP are good also. I have a few Lee bullet molds also.

I would have thought Robert E. Lee also, U'all :)

Bob R
 
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