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What did you do at your reloading bench today?

All things reloading here
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DsGrouse
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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Wed Jun 24, 2026 6:10 am

Loaded my balance of 50 325-grain Hornaday Flex Tip bullets. I meant to grab 350 flat points. I actually grabbed three boxes at the store. One was 300-grain flat points, one was these 325s, and one was 350-grain flat points in .452. Groan. I didn't notice for a week.

I despise Hornady's Flex Tip ammo. I don't want to trim my brass. An hour or so of load development and poof. I've got some 325-grain plinking loads.

My 300 grain campro plated bullets arrived. They should be good up to 2000 fps, but I am elderly now and a wuss. I'm looking for right around 1600 fps.

I still need to find a decent deal on 405-grain bullets, plated or coated for subs.
.

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DsGrouse
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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Thu Jun 25, 2026 7:32 pm

I picked up a 100 405grain proofmark bullets for the 45-70. I worked up a subsonic load using the powder I've already had good luck with. IMR-3031.

In 90 degree heat, 32grains of IMR 3031 produced an average velocity of 1062fps.

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DsGrouse
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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Sun Jul 05, 2026 7:56 pm

Swapped over the rcbs progressive from 6mm arc to 6.5 Grendel. I ran off some 100ish rounds of 6.5 using 8208xbr, and Nosler 120grn ballistic tips.

Up next are Hornadays 123 grain A-Tips and 120grn-ELDMs. I also have a partial box of 120grain sierra soft points to load.

We'll see how the next few days of loading go.

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DsGrouse
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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Tue Jul 07, 2026 6:53 am

Loaded the ballance 500 pieces of 6.5 gren. Hornaday eldm, factory second plinkers, noslet lead free expansion tips, sierra spitzers. Thinking about it, it might have been closer to 700. I used three pounds of powder.

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DsGrouse
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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Tue Jul 07, 2026 6:55 am

Yeah, did the math, somewhere around 700 cartridges, adding the day before and the two partial powder jars, around 950 total, but the math I put together below is for 700 rounds.
Last edited by DsGrouse on Tue Jul 07, 2026 10:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by Hatchdog » Tue Jul 07, 2026 10:05 am

DsGrouse wrote:
Tue Jul 07, 2026 6:53 am
Loaded the ballance 500 pieces of 6.5 gren. Hornaday eldm, factory second plinkers, noslet lead free expansion tips, sierra spitzers. Thinking about it, it might have been closer to 700. I used three pounds of powder.
Yikes, that’s a lot of powder.

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Tue Jul 07, 2026 10:14 am

Here is the breakdown of the 6.5 Grendel.
Numbers for the 6.5 Grendel loading.
I always figure based on the current replacement value.

Once-fired brass, cost 10c, will drop by half each firing.

Primer 4 cents

Powder, 27grains 8208xbr. 22cents per round

I used 5 or 6 different bullets, all 120grains. Average cost .25cents per round(again, current replacement value)

Total, 0.10+ 0.04+ 0.22+ 0.25=61 cents per shot

61 cents per shot is $12.20cents per box of 20.

I loaded 700 rounds, give or take. My cost 427. That 427 was spread out over months of buying components.

My low price wholesale cost per 20 is 25.30 x 35 boxes is 885$ On the low end, taking the lowest factory ammo box I tried to replicate.

I averaged the closest factory load for all the bullet types I loaded. That averaged out to 30.168 per 20. That brings the 700 rounds wholesale price to 1,055.88

Retail cost of the 700 rounds averaged out between the different factory-loaded bullet types would be 37.96 per 20, or 1,329.65
Last edited by DsGrouse on Tue Jul 07, 2026 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Tue Jul 07, 2026 10:17 am

Hatchdog wrote:
Tue Jul 07, 2026 10:05 am
DsGrouse wrote:
Tue Jul 07, 2026 6:53 am
Loaded the ballance 500 pieces of 6.5 gren. Hornaday eldm, factory second plinkers, noslet lead free expansion tips, sierra spitzers. Thinking about it, it might have been closer to 700. I used three pounds of powder.
Yikes, that’s a lot of powder.
That it is. but it was good to get it done. I didn't realize I'd shot it all up. LOL. I'm now sitting on plenty of loaded 6mm arc, 6.5grendel, 6.5x55 swede, 375 win, 45-70, 44 mag and 38spl/357.

What I need to work on next is 30-30. I went out a few weeks ago and blasted through 200 rounds going from 100 to 250 yds.

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DsGrouse
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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Wed Jul 15, 2026 3:54 pm

30-30 is done. I loaded something around 475 to 550 cases.
Probably 175 150grain factory seconds.
100 170 grain sub x
200 170 grain hornaday interlocks
100 170 speer hot core bullets

No i just need to find the time to shoot it all.

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Fri Jul 17, 2026 9:01 pm

Found another 100 30-30 cases. I loaded them with 150grns sierra factory 2nds. I upped the charge from 27.4 grns to a middle of the road 28 grns of benchmark.

For now that pretty much finishes up my reloading. I could load some 5.56, but i'd need to trim, champher and deburr a 1000 plus cases

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by JVogler » Sat Jul 18, 2026 8:52 pm

Set up powder drop at 10.7 grains of Accurate TCM for loading in 357 brass under a 158grain coated SWC by Bayou Bullet. The last of my primer brass.

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by JVogler » Sat Jul 18, 2026 11:06 pm

The last of my primed brass.

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DsGrouse
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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by DsGrouse » Sun Jul 19, 2026 9:26 am

JVogler wrote:
Sat Jul 18, 2026 11:06 pm
The last of my primed brass.
Raven rocks is running a good sale on brass and cam pro double platw bullets

https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscrip ... 9W69PQJ9HE

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by JVogler » Sun Jul 19, 2026 8:42 pm

DsGrouse...thanks for the info. I got enough primers and brass for the time being, just don't have anymore that are ready to be loaded. I usually keep 38/357 shells primed in an airtight container ready to roll.

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by The Happy Kaboomer » Tue Jul 21, 2026 9:32 pm

Nothing................

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by Vaquero » Sat Aug 01, 2026 11:20 am

Stuffed a 45 colt cases with wfn 325gr MBC Slammers.
Five each to test in the Rossi R92.
Starting loads.
Unique 8.5
2400 17.5
H110 20.5
20260801_100236.jpg
20260801_100236.jpg (3.22 MiB) Viewed 111 times

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Ain't No Apologies for My Temperament :shock:
Si vis pacem, para bellum
H001, H006, H012

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by Hatchdog » Sun Aug 02, 2026 12:14 pm

These days there’s nothing prettier than a bottle of Alliant 2400. :lol:

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Re: What did you do at your reloading bench today?

Post by Vaquero » Sun Aug 02, 2026 12:59 pm

Hatchdog wrote:
Sun Aug 02, 2026 12:14 pm
These days there’s nothing prettier than a bottle of Alliant 2400. :lol:
:lol: well, that particular bottle is about empty, :? :( , but
I know there at least 3 other pounds stashed away around here. ;) 8-)
None of those showed promise, but the 2400 17.5 was the best. I don't believe it likes those heavy boolits. :lol:
I myself don't think I'd like shooting the H110 load from a handgun. That first round was an eye opener and the metal butt plate let me know it. :o :roll: :lol:

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Monte Walsh "You have No idea how little I care". :lol:

Ain't No Apologies for My Temperament :shock:
Si vis pacem, para bellum
H001, H006, H012

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