Setting up to load - bored

Going to load 38, 357, and 9mm today, or at least till I get tired. Recent visitors used up a lot of ammo. I dug around in the gun safe to see if I had any empty pistol brass in there that I had missed. Nope, but I found a lot of ammo I forgot I had. Trying to keep busy. Decided to hold off on doing stuff that has more danger to it, like chainsawing, and I have plenty firewood left anyway and apparently no more winter temps. When I get finished with pistol rounds, I suppose I’ll get after the rifle ammo and try out my new RCBS Chargemaster.

After that, and when it cools off, I’ll go after pigs, and also see if the wife really shot all the turtles.

When desperate, I guess I could sharpen shredder blades. Naaahhh!

I'm going to try to get back into loading next week. Grad school and a new role at work have taken over my life and I haven't really loaded in the past year or so.

Wish I had a progressive to handle the pistol stuff. Single stage is fine for the rifle ammo, but dang it gets old loading 45 acp single stage.

I got set up and ready to load again the other day and my scales are malfunctioning. The eyes between the dispenser and the scales are not seeing each other. Dig out my old scales but lost interest before I got started.

38’s are finished. 357’s next, and brass is prepped and primed. Then on to 9mm - about 300 rounds of that. Then maybe some 223’s with the 65 gr Sierras and then some 260 rounds. That oughta do it.

I’m going sort of slow because when the reloading is done I don’t have much else that needs doing. If it’ll quit raining I can go fishing.

.357's for me today

bayou Bullets 158gr semi wadcutter coated
4.4gr W-231

Mild load but will hurt if hit by one . ordering some defensive bullets . \

I would load a bunch of .223's but I dont have one

I found 200 rounds of 55gr Vmax I forgot I had

Gotta clean off my bench first...

Buzzsaw, you telling us you don’t have a 223? Everybody has a 223.

Looks like I need some fresh 357 brass. I’ll order some tomorrow. Getting a lot of split case necks, all on nickel plated brass.

Finally finished all the pistol ammo. Whew! Single stage press. I have decided that I like Universal over Unique. Was undecided till this weekend.

Neighbors coming over soon, so almost “now drinking”.

I'M SHOPPING THEM

did order some 125gr XTP'S

I’ve used unique for a long time on my lighter 45 Colt loads. It’s very dirty but has been consistent. What’s the gain of universal? I’d be willing to check it out if it’s equal all around and cleaner.

I use two single stage presses on my pistol loads. Makes it much faster. Not like a progressive but it’ll do.

Universal seems to meter just a little bit better. Enough to matter or at least enough to notice. Either will do however.

About to do the same, going to get creative with powder bullet combinations. looks like 223, 50gr with Re-7. Amazing what you will find when you are going through your reloading stash. Found 500 primed Win 223 brass, 500 PRVI 50gr bullets and a sealed pound on Re-7. Going to need more powder...

I have been loading a slug of ammo in the evenings as well.
380-90 grain XTP and W 231
357-158 grain XTP and H110
38- 148 grain hollow base wad cutters and Universal. (My favorite pistol plinking load).
38-158 Hollow point SWC and Universal
45acp- 230 RN and W 231

Switched to Universal from Unique a few years ago for 38 wad cutters. I like it. My perception in it meters a little better and seems to burn a little cleaner with a good crimp. Works well for 20 gauge target loads as well.

Also loaded a slug of .223- 65 grain SGK with Varget

Shotgun ammo is next...

I made the switch from Unique to Universal when my stock of Hercules brand ran out. No more hassles with dispensing the powder with progressive reloading ops. Meters consistently, spot on with Lee's Auto Drum. Velocity SD and ES are tighter.

Good info gentlemen. I may give it a shot but I have two pounds of Unique left. Most of my 45 Colt loads are with H110 so that may last forever.

I started with used cases yesterday and cast bullets, lubed bullets, deprimed, sized, flared, charged, seated and FCDd 42 rounds of .45 AUTO. Way too much time for 42 rounds (it did NOT take all day) but I had never used that mold before and it gave me trouble. The mention of .45 Colt and H110 makes me want to load some hot .45s today but my Colt is an Italian replica and I don't wanna blow it up.

If this lasts much longer it might be a time to learn to load shot shells. Haven't been there yet...

I also load for a Pietta and a Uberti. That’s where the Unique comes in for me. I’ve always been afraid of blowing the Italians up, and downloading H110 is a no no.

I hate Unique but I have some. Last Colts I loaded with W231 I think. I'm guessing about 6.5-7.0 grains under a Lee 260 grain RNFP I cast at home. Maybe I'll try the Unique to use it up.

BTW, I finished the 45 AUTO batch the next day (had to start them over other than priming).

Thursday was 9X19 day. Did fifty 115 grain XTP over 4.7 Bullseye.

I put the reloading bench next to the laptop last week on one of my work from home days. Got about 150 rounds of 6.5 creedmoor loaded up between emails. The last 100 rounds of my Hornady brass (5th firing), and the beginning of my Prime brass.

Going to try to load up some 45 ACP this week.

Hadn’t reloaded in years; now been reloading everything in sight 10mm, 44 Special, 44 Mag, 8mm, 303 British, 25-35 Win. Waiting for 223 and 458 SOCOM bullets to arrive. Been hard getting primers needed.