Reloading question

[Lost Lake]

Lots of good info and advice given, particularly about not using older reloads unless you really know or trust the person who did the loading. Not much to add, except that reloading isn't hard, just don't allow yourself to be distracted while doing it and don't get in a hurry.

Most presses are strong so I'd bet yours is fine.

Just stay well within newer published load data and you'll do fine.

 

[Omega]

I should mention when he let me have the .44 he gave me some handloads from this era. That is/was the only ammo I had for it. I shot it a few times. They were fine, though one casing did split, but the others I shot were fine.

Split cases happen, for various reasons, some being multiple reloads making weak brass or too stout a load (max). As I said, reloads are a crap shoot, most times you will be ok, but it's that one time that would worry me. Being as there are only a few, pulling them should not be a problem. If you really trust the source, go for it, again being that there are only a few you may be ok, and most 44s are pretty stout and can handle quite a bit.

 

[fairchaser]

All the advice above is good information. You're gonna need a good set of calipers and something to trim brass. If you are going to use new brass, you might get away with just the calipers for now. You can learn a lot on YouTube. Look up Panhandle Precision for some great videos. Reloading can be therapeutic or a nightmare depending on your personality.

 

[Bone Collector]

I can help. I have loaded for over 30 years. Nothing hard or difficult about giving you instructions. Easy.

The part that will be difficult, maybe near impossible is finding powder, bullets, and primers. If you do, I can for sure help you out.

I just saw a like 10 plastic jars of it today at SW in the boro. I didn't buy it because I am not reloading yet.

 

[Bone Collector]

If you really trust the source, go for it, again being that there are only a few you may be ok, and most 44s are pretty stout and can handle quite a bit.

MY FIL reloaded them. all that stuff was his. I have shot out of another batch and some of his reloaded .270 WTHBY Mags.

 

[Hunter 257W]

OK, I'm looking at the pictures and see that you have same scale I'm currently using which is the RCBS 5-10. Looks complete to me once I stared at it a while and figured out that the beam was upside down. The little copper fin should fit into the slot in the body like in this picture. My camera isn't great but hopefully you can see enough to tell what is what.

 

[Hunter 257W]

The powder measure looks to be missing the handle that goes on the powder rotors or drums. That could be made from a simple piece of thin steel bought from Home Depot though. At 1st I thought both the plugs that go inside the powder drums were missing but I think that's 1 of them in the die box with it's end all rusted up. Looks like the thread adapter that fits the powder drum threads is still on it too so that's good. There should be a knurled lock nut on it also so that when you get the powder dropper adjusted, it won't turn and change the amount of powder dropped. Here are a couple pictures I took of my RCBS Powder dropper if that might be of any use.

 

[Hunter 257W]

If you have a bench grinder with a wire wheel on it, that does wonders for stripping rust off bare steel surfaces.

 

[Cull Buck Hunter]

Split cases happen, for various reasons, some being multiple reloads making weak brass or too stout a load (max). As I said, reloads are a crap shoot, most times you will be ok, but it's that one time that would worry me. Being as there are only a few, pulling them should not be a problem. If you really trust the source, go for it, again being that there are only a few you may be ok, and most 44s are pretty stout and can handle quite a bit.

Pistol reloads worry me the most, with the ease of double charging.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Pistol reloads worry me the most, with the ease of double charging.

Yep, the way I handle that is to use a loading block and charge 50 at a time before seating bullets. Then look at the powder charge in each one with a small flashlight to compare powder charges.

To do this I like to use the RCBS Little Dandy powder dropper and hold it in my hand rather than mounting it on a stand. That way I can move it from case to case while in the loading block to drop the powder. Of course since the Little Dandy uses fixed rotors, you have to buy a different one for each charge weight.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Definitely need calipers if you don't have any. Another good investment is some type bullet puller.

I would also agree with pulling the pistol loads in question, just not worth risking damage or injury.

 

[Omega]

The powder measure looks to be missing the handle that goes on the powder rotors or drums. That could be made from a simple piece of thin steel bought from Home Depot though. At 1st I thought both the plugs that go inside the powder drums were missing but I think that's 1 of them in the die box with it's end all rusted up. Looks like the thread adapter that fits the powder drum threads is still on it too so that's good. There should be a knurled lock nut on it also so that when you get the powder dropper adjusted, it won't turn and change the amount of powder dropped. Here are a couple pictures I took of my RCBS Powder dropper if that might be of any use.

Good catch, didn't notice that. As to the wire wheel, I'd use a brass wheel, steel one may mar the surfaces more than they may already be by pitting. Evaporust works great, I would dunk my dies in it every now and then, humidity would keep rusting the surface when I had my reloading gear in the shed.

OP: contact RCBS, they may send one or at least sell you one.

Pistol reloads worry me the most, with the ease of double charging.

As Hunter 257W does, I too use a loading block and charge one case at a time. Once the block is full, you can shine a light and check for any inconsistencies. On my Lee Turret, I use it as a single stage, even though I have used it as intended, I always go back to single stage. Just feels better to me to do it that way, and reduces the possibility of a bad charge, light or heavy since I manually charge each case.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Definitely need calipers if you don't have any. Another good investment is some type bullet puller.

I would also agree with pulling the pistol loads in question, just not worth risking damage or injury.

Yep, calipers for measuring and as Fairchaser mentioned, a way to trim cases. I went with the Forster brand trimmer because it was the only reasonably priced trimmer back when I got started that was capable of outside neck turning. Of course outside turning isn't something that's really required but I was focused then on turning out the most accurate loads I could for groundhog rifles.

A hammer style "Inertia" bullet puller will eventually be needed for sure. I have a box of "mistakes" that I need to go through and do some bullet pulling myself. The worst one's are things like a 22-250 loaded with 50 grain bullets. Those little rascals don't have much momentum to work with when trying to whack them out.

That Evaporust stuff sounds like a good product, I need to get some of it to try out.

 

[Jcalder]

Yep, calipers for measuring and as Fairchaser mentioned, a way to trim cases. I went with the Forster brand trimmer because it was the only reasonably priced trimmer back when I got started that was capable of outside neck turning. Of course outside turning isn't something that's really required but I was focused then on turning out the most accurate loads I could for groundhog rifles.

A hammer style "Inertia" bullet puller will eventually be needed for sure. I have a box of "mistakes" that I need to go through and do some bullet pulling myself. The worst one's are things like a 22-250 loaded with 50 grain bullets. Those little rascals don't have much momentum to work with when trying to whack them out.

That Evaporust stuff sounds like a good product, I need to get some of it to try out.

I would suggest a collet style puller. Yes, it's costly, but not much fuss.

 

[Omega]

I would suggest a collet style puller. Yes, it's costly, but not much fuss.

You know, I have both, and find the kinetic puller gets more use. Most times I only have one or two to pull, and the hammer does a dang good job, and there is little if any marks on the bullet. Of course you need something to strike it on, so I use a lead ingot, cause they do break, don't ask how I know.

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Pistol reloads worry me the most, with the ease of double charging.

 

[brassmagnet]

Two pages and it hasn't come up! You are going to need a bench, it is going to need to be way more solid than you think. Mrs. Bone Collector just needs to know you need a room or a corner to reload in, and you do not need to know every time somebody puts something on faceplace or twatter or whatever. You could cause a lot of damage if you get distracted. Whether you are standing or sitting be consistent with moving the ram on the press and double check everything for a while until you get a rhythm. Use loading blocks to hold your shells and work in stages, tumble, deprime, tumble again or clean primer pocket, size, prime, add powder, recheck powder, seat bullet and crimp or not. If you have carbide pistol dies you don't need to use case lube, if you don't use lube on rifle cases you will stick the first case.


Nothing to it.

 

[Jcalder]

You know, I have both, and find the kinetic puller gets more use. Most times I only have one or two to pull, and the hammer does a dang good job, and there is little if any marks on the bullet. Of course you need something to strike it on, so I use a lead ingot, cause they do break, don't ask how I know.

I pulled over 30 the other day. That woulda been a lot of beating lol. I agree, one or two here and there it really wouldn't matter. Doing several would get tiring. Nothing wrong with the loads, just breaking down what was loaded since I no longer had the rifle they were built for.

 

[Granddaddy]

I have read several threads on here about reloading. One thing that sticks with me was someone on here said, if you want to reload, read about it, then read some more. I have some old stuff RCBS (I think) that my FIL gave me. He had dies for his .270 Weatherby Mag, and I think .44. This stuff is from the late 70s - early 80s.

I have no idea what I have. I have not had a place to set it up until now. I admit I am afraid to blow myself or my house up (not really, but it crosses my mind). I have no idea if the equipment will work, and I have no idea (obviously) what i would need to purchase other than powder, bullets, and primers.

I reloaded some .45 and 45-70 with my buddy years ago. It didn't seem too hard, but he knew what he was doing, so he was telling me what to do.

How the heck can I tell if what I have is good enough, or if I need to buy all new stuff, or just add in certain components?

I have a .270, but it is a .270 win. and I also have the .270 Weatherby Mag here. I recently picked up a .300 win and bullets are expensive for that, though I have been able to find ammo for it, pretty easily.

If I took it on, eventually i would want to reload 9mm, .44, .270 Win, .270 WTHBY Mag, and .300 Win. I know I would need dies, but would just buy as I go.

I reload only shotgun shells simply because I never shot pistols & rifles enough in the past to warrant the time & expense in reloading pistol & rifle loads. So I don't have direct reloading experience with anything other than shotshell reloading but I would think the same precautions apply - use only established recipes from respected ammo manufacturers and DO NOT deviate or substitute components or powder amounts except where the recipe allows or suggests. If you follow that principle you will never get in trouble. And from first hand knowledge of a couple of friends who thought they were smarter than the recipes, they have ruined guns trying their own variations - and it could be worse. Good luck - hope you can find components.

 

[Ranger Scout]

I have read several threads on here about reloading. One thing that sticks with me was someone on here said, if you want to reload, read about it, then read some more. I have some old stuff RCBS (I think) that my FIL gave me. He had dies for his .270 Weatherby Mag, and I think .44. This stuff is from the late 70s - early 80s.

I have no idea what I have. I have not had a place to set it up until now. I admit I am afraid to blow myself or my house up (not really, but it crosses my mind). I have no idea if the equipment will work, and I have no idea (obviously) what i would need to purchase other than powder, bullets, and primers.

I reloaded some .45 and 45-70 with my buddy years ago. It didn't seem too hard, but he knew what he was doing, so he was telling me what to do.

How the heck can I tell if what I have is good enough, or if I need to buy all new stuff, or just add in certain components?

I have a .270, but it is a .270 win. and I also have the .270 Weatherby Mag here. I recently picked up a .300 win and bullets are expensive for that, though I have been able to find ammo for it, pretty easily.

If I took it on, eventually i would want to reload 9mm, .44, .270 Win, .270 WTHBY Mag, and .300 Win. I know I would need dies, but would just buy as I go.

I reload .223, .308. .45, and 9mm the best book that you can read about reloading in my opinion is Lee Precision Modern Reloading 2nd Edition. When you start reloading the main thing is what ever place that you reload always cut out all distractions meaning radio, TV, cellphone, wife, kids and so on. Then the fun begins I do a lot of weighing of my powders, properly prep my cases I always start my loads at their lowest and work my way up for accuracy.