HAH! I know, right? I was separating the nickel and brass, had to dry some out as it was slightly damp from the tumbling process the lgs used and, (whispering) um...maybe by head stamp? OK - a little OCD but this is 'Murica

Today I loaded 5 .45 ACP SPP with reduced loads in hopes of altering the ejection angle on my 2 P220s by around 45 degrees.

...and again, I'm exhausted.

Finished off loading 50 H322/69smk and 100 IMR4895/77gn Nosler CC.

I cleaned 2k pieces of 9mm, rolled 200 2.23, rearranged some stuff, and primed 400 pieces of 2.23 brass. I like having it already primed when I use my Dillon. I know it's a little waste of time but it's what i find easier.

Well today I had a forum member bring four buckets of wheel weight over,we smelted and turned into bricklets..I cooked a couple of steaks while he cast some 45 230's.
Wound up with a five gallon bucket of steel clips.
We relaxed in the range burning old ammo from five different 1911's two were my Kimbers of mine ,never missed a beat,the rock island shooter I dearly love chocked on one round.

Found a 8lb keg of Red Dot locally. Have enough red dot for 18,000 9mm loads. Think I'm set a while. Just got back yesterday and have to go down south for a few weeks so yet another month and a half of no loading.

Got Gung-Ho this morning and pumped out 50 test rounds of 4.3gr Red Dot and 124gr Tmj's. Loving the Hornady LnL but its not ejecting the loaded rounds unless I come down with some ummph, and since the cases are damn near filled with this load, I can't do that without powder jumping everywhere.

Loaded 100 rounds of .45 ACP. 185 grain Nosler JHP over 4.8 grains VV N310, mixed brass, Winchester LP primers. I may do another 100 later tonight.

quote:

Originally posted by Zacsquatch:
Got Gung-Ho this morning and pumped out 50 test rounds of 4.3gr Red Dot and 124gr Tmj's. Loving the Hornady LnL but its not ejecting the loaded rounds unless I come down with some ummph, and since the cases are damn near filled with this load, I can't do that without powder jumping everywhere.

Be careful with that much unless you have already worked up to that amount.
I just checked my Manuel and the max is 3.6
Hell I only run 4.9 in the 45apv 230 grain bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by 45 Cal:

quote:

Originally posted by Zacsquatch:
Got Gung-Ho this morning and pumped out 50 test rounds of 4.3gr Red Dot and 124gr Tmj's. Loving the Hornady LnL but its not ejecting the loaded rounds unless I come down with some ummph, and since the cases are damn near filled with this load, I can't do that without powder jumping everywhere.

Be careful with that much unless you have already worked up to that amount.
I just checked my Manuel and the max is 3.6
Hell I only run 4.9 in the 45apv 230 grain bullet.

Ammoguide shows 3 loads for 125's with maxes between 4.5-4.8. I shot the 4.3's an hour ago and no pressure signs in 3 pistols and the AR.

This weekend I melted down about 140lbs of wheel weights, and got about 110lbs of cleaned lead ingots. Find it takes me about an hour to melt down 70 or so pounds in a 12" dutch oven, and flux 3 times with dry pine sawdust.


Finished sorting through my last haul of lead wheel weights, only ended up with about 20 lbs of zinc, steel, and iron wheel weights as well as several valve stems, nuts and bolts. It's a tedious job, but eliminates a lot of worry of melting any undesirables in the mix. Even though I run a thermometer to keep an eye on the melt temp I prefer not to run the risk.

quote:

Originally posted by novalty:
This weekend I melted down about 140lbs of wheel weights, and got about 110lbs of cleaned lead ingots. Find it takes me about an hour to melt down 70 or so pounds in a 12" dutch oven, and flux 3 times with dry pine sawdust.


Finished sorting through my last haul of lead wheel weights, only ended up with about 20 lbs of zinc, steel, and iron wheel weights as well as several valve stems, nuts and bolts. It's a tedious job, but eliminates a lot of worry of melting any undesirables in the mix. Even though I run a thermometer to keep an eye on the melt temp I prefer not to run the risk.

Try to keep your temp around 650 deg.
We poured up several buckets Sat ,I have a batch mix pot that holds five gallons.
A trick I have found that works well for my smelting is a half frame of bee wax in the pot before you fire it up and pour in the w w's
It helps if you have Bees,I have several hives and the old foundation really puts the garbage up top for skimming off.
Beleave me this beats all the other stuff I have tried.

quote:

Originally posted by 45 Cal:

Try to keep your temp around 650 deg.
We poured up several buckets Sat ,I have a batch mix pot that holds five gallons.

Is the 650° to keep the ingots more uniform in color without the frosting?

I don't have any easy access to beeswax. Does that help bring the wheel weight up to temp faster? Right now I leave a 1/2" or so of melted lead in the bottom of my dutch oven, and that does help bring the melt up to temp faster. As mentioned I do keep my Lyman thermometer in the melt, but with my fryer I haven't quite figured out the controls to keep the temp where I want it. I know that I am able to pull any undesirable wheel weights out of the melt before the temp gets high enough to melt them--as I pulled out about a dozen that I missed in sorting. Once I have all the clips and initial crap pulled out, I had to fool with the output on the burner as the temp would start to approach 700°, and even with bumping it down to medium it would stay up as I ladled out into ingots as I was decreasing the fryer to medium or even low.

This is a pic of the last batch of 200lbs I melted last fall.


Find I am getting about a 20% loss ratio with clips and crud.

I wish I could post from P B but its stupid as of this month.
I use a turkey frier burner.,Pretty easy to control temp,also a big ass home made dipper,to shuffle the steel to top.
Now on your next batch leave some lead in the pot,its brings up to temp faster with the melt.
Get some bee wax ,canning paraffin works some what but bee wax is the answer.
Don't ever let it turn Blue,gold color is a warning,gold color ,turn the heat off and stir the shit out of it.

Sorted out my latest gift of 12/20 hulls...really happy to get the ACTIV hulls ...
Now...if they were just loaded.

20 Gauge ACTIV hulls are my all time favorites.

I've got a stash of them that I'll cry over when they're finally all used up.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
20 Gauge ACTIV hulls are my all time favorites.

I've got a stash of them that I'll cry over when they're finally all used up.

I do not understand why they went the way of the buffalo...they are some of the best hulls I have ever loaded...I know some folks did not like them because they thought hulls needed brass or steel heads to handle pressure...
I keep feelers out for anyone having fired hulls...but they are not as easy to find as they were just a couple years ago...the hulls just drop out of my cowboy double Stoeger coach gun if you just tilt it back and they load like buttah ...
Love my ACTIV hulls.

Got 250 primed nickel 223 cases today and another 250 pulled Fusion bullets.

Gonna have some really sexy SHTF ammo.

Everyone knows if it looks better it shoots better.