Thrifty Reloading Tips--- List yours

[reloader28]

I didn't have time to read ALL the tips yet so if these are in here already I'm sorry.
1. Instead of buying an electric trimmer take the handle off your RCBS or Forester lathe trimmer and put on a 1/2 inch drill motor.

2. For reloading for several different guns with the same dies, I made a set of washers from scrap ( one 3/32 thick , four .025 thick per set ). With any combination of washers under the sizer die I can neck size and under the seating die I can get any custom OAL without ever adjusting the die again. The number of washers is on each gun's load data sheet for quick reference. ( 3 small washers for 3.330 OAL or 2 small washers for 3.305)

3. Make a cheap OAL gauge by making 4 slices down the neck and shoulder of a FL sized brass with a Dremal. De-bur inside with a chainsaw file and squeeze the "fingers" together a little for good bullet tension. Insert a bullet that you are loading and leave it long so the rifling will push it into the case as you close the bolt. Carefully extract and measure it. Do this 2 or 3 times for consistency.

[mongoose33]

1. Rather than have to throw 10 or 20 charges when I change my powder measure just to get them to settle down, I tap the measure with a large allen wrench to pre-settle the powder. It's amazing--once I do that, it might take 2 or 3 powder drops for it to settle down.

Of course, those 10 or 20 powder drops have the effect of settling the powder, so I'm accelerating that process.

2. I hate looking for tools on the benchtop, things like allen wrenches and the like. I decided to stick them to my press using a magnet, but the LnLAP is aluminum so that doesn't work.

I cut a piece of steel stock I had lying around, drilled a couple holes in it, and attached it to the press in the holes reserved for the case loader. Then I stuck a couple of strong magnets (blue in the pic) on the steel, and to those I can stick my tools. Up out of the way but handy:



3. The orange-handled tool in the pic is similar to a dentist's pick; I use it to stretch the spring for the primer slide over the stud it attaches to. My fingers are too big to do that otherwise.

4. I have the Shell Sorter (link: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=847836 ) that allows one to separate out the 9mm, .40, .223, and .45 brass quickly and easily. Yeah, they're $38 which is stupidly expensive for what they are--except they're worth it. I tilt them about a 45-degree angle while rotating them and nested brass will separate.

5. I have found that I can more efficiently grab bullets for my LnLAP if I attach a "bullet tray" to the front strut. It's just a small cardboard box, bottom nested in the top and reinforced by tape, and attached by a small clamp. As I pull the handle down, I grab a bullet from that tray, reach over to get a case, then after the handle comes up and I seat the next primer, I push the new case in its slot and then as my hand comes back I put the bullet on the case ready to have the bullet seated:



6. I can't take credit for this one, read it somewhere (maybe on TFL), but it's a fabulous way to deal with spent primers coming out of the LnLAP press. Cut a hole in the top of a water bottle just slightly smaller than the tube coming down from the press, then stick the tube in. Just unscrew the top to empty. And even though the tube moves up and down with the press, the bottle does too.

[Big Don]

Once again, doing what I can to keep an excellent thread alive and healthy.

[Doc K]

I use the LEE LUBE AND SIZING KIT in my Hornady LnL progrssive press. I put a block of wood under the shellplate to limit the downward excursion of the ram. That way the pawls aren't engaged and the shellplate doesn't rotate.

[whitedogone]

Loading in small space?

Recycled Microwave cart



Die holder

notice the plastic tub. I use a bunch of these and rotate them out for different cals.