Shooting unknown ammo/ reloads........

[PJM]

i clean my ancient Lyman 55 completely prior to each session. I also shake each case up and down just prior to powder being added.

[DsGrouse]

When I begin loading and fill the powder hopper I label the cap on the hopper with the powder being used and only that container is out on the bench.
The label stays on the hopper after it is emptied into the powder container and until a new loading session is started at a later time.

I have found that after dumping the powder out and cycling the 550B powder hopper many times to remove any old powder you will still get some flakes of it that come out on the first dry cycle after it has sat for a good while. I always look for that before refilling the hopper with a new powder.

and a new step is added to my process. Normally I keep only the can on the top, but, it can be a while between loading sessions for me.

[BrokenolMarine]

I never have a problem mixing powders. I only load for handguns and only load with 231. Makes things easy.

[Vaquero]

I never have a problem mixing powders. I only load for handguns and only load with 231. Makes things easy.

I remember those days, even though it was a long time ago. My first few years reloading were pistol only.
Now I load for Every single cf cal. I own and then some.

RP

[BrokenolMarine]

I never have a problem mixing powders. I only load for handguns and only load with 231. Makes things easy.

I remember those days, even though it was a long time ago. My first few years reloading were pistol only.
Now I load for Every single cf cal. I own and then some.

RP

I did the math.

I was able to buy 223 / 556 at contract price while I was teaching. I bought a case or two every year out of pocket when I placed the department's bulk order for the coming year.

The cost to reload at the time, figuring in dies, toolhead, and the rest, would have been about the same. I just never bought the rifle setups.

[Vaquero]

I never have a problem mixing powders. I only load for handguns and only load with 231. Makes things easy.

I remember those days, even though it was a long time ago. My first few years reloading were pistol only.
Now I load for Every single cf cal. I own and then some.

RP

I did the math.

I was able to buy 223 / 556 at contract price while I was teaching. I bought a case or two every year out of pocket when I placed the department's bulk order for the coming year.

The cost to reload at the time, figuring in dies, toolhead, and the rest, would have been about the same. I just never bought the rifle setups.

The cal. that pushed me into reloading was the 41 mag., for obvious reasons. and then the 44 and I'm not really sure what came after that. The first rifle cal., was 35 Rem., the 223 was probably 3rd or 4th set.
My problem is I always seem to like more odd stuff so reloading is a No brainer.
Like 25-20, 32 colt, 32 s&w, 35 rem, 41 mag., 444 Marlin, 308mx, 38-55.
Could you even imagine what some of those would cost if they made today?
So now whatever I want to shoot next week or tomorrow I just sit down and pop out whatever I want


RP

[BrokenolMarine]

I started reloading 38 semi wadcutter to compete in local level ppc matches. These were 60 round matches called "match five" because you only shot a portion of the true 150 round 1500 point ppc course. Match Five takes place from seven to twenty five yards. The 150 round state level match works all the way back to fifty yards.

By the time I moved up to state level, I was shooting in three matches a month, and shooting the 1500, service revolver, service pistol, and backup gun matches.
I was loading 38, 9mm, 40, and 45acp. Yup... Lots of fun.

[coachk64]

Many years ago (late '80's) I had a bunch of different pistols and some friends at the local pistol range. We ran into an issue where the brass was getting stuck in the cylinder of my Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Spl. The empty cases had to be tapped out with a metal rod. It was only after I noticed it happening a second time that I saw that someone was loading the .44 Spl pistol with .41 Mag ammo. In this case the cases were splitting, therefor relieving the extra pressure before the thin-walled cylinder was blown out. I was shocked that the cheap Charter Arms pistol suffered no damage at all, and I still have it today. But I never put the .41 Mag ammo anywhere close to any .44 or .45 revolver.