.223 reloads tonight

qty X 101, 55gr Hornaday Varmit = $16.94
1/2 pd of powder = $15.00
100 small rifle primers
Free Brass from ranges (580)..0.00
about 3 hrs total prep and load time.(580 shells cases)
Total Cost $35.48 for 101 bullets
Cost per bullet .35 per bullet

Remington Core Lokt qty 20 per box = $17.36 X 5 boxes $86.80 or .86 per bullet.

Ya I like reloading and only pinched my finger 3 times during bullet head placements..lol

Next up 100 X 50Gr Hp, Varmit Grenades...
Attachment 24169Attachment 24170Attachment 24171Attachment 24172Attachment 24173
Gory video on impact with rabbits in New Zealand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6yBsczuX9s

Good winter hobby. What powder/how much of it are you loading?

IMR 4895, 22 gr per charge, max is 23gr for 55gr bullet, CCI primers, total bullet lenght is 2.260. Reload data from IMR site.

line - Looks like you have a good set up. I use mostly Hornady equipment. Don't have a 223, but I do load 22-250. I have been using CFE 223 and Superformance. Each has worked out well for me. I am fixing my car at the moment so I am not reloading this week as much as I would like. I ran off 100 over the weekend. Nothing like a progressive to make things go faster...

Funny, I have the LEE auto primer loader with small and large trays (hand one). Went to use for the first time with small rifle primers and the collet is missing. So I sitting there pissed off wondering how I going to prime shells... Started looking online at BP for replacement shell holders and then YouTube. Turns out the RCBS Rock Chucker I bought (never used in the box) had a kit in a clear plastic case that contained the primer attachment for small and large caliber primers. Was a complete fluke when I found it on YouTube and it works just great. I have a single hand held primer charger for larger primers and works well, so now I have two ways to prime brass. Next set of Dies is 9MM and 45ACP, I don't own a pistol, but I have a buddy that does and wants to reload. Did you notice powder went up to $30.00 this year. Was 20 a pd last year and went to buy some last week and price went up $10 since the last time I bought about 6 months ago.

The only annoying part of reloading right now is chamfering brass inner/outer. I only have the small hand one, looks like a medicine bottle cap. Couple 100 rds of .308 and fingers were aching, not so bad with .223 though. Think I need a motor driven one…. The wife is gonna kill me, spending too much this year.

Those 223s work great for knocking distant porkies from the treetops this time of year as well.
I load a few 32ACPs, talk about fat fingers....
I also found that it was easier to have two autoprimes, one set for large primer, the other for small.

Porkies, porcupine? Haven't shot one of those since I was kid. We would eat anything once to try it, used the old Cooey Ace .22. It was a tiny .22 and single shot. Great gun very accurate with the welded fixed sights. Sure wish I could find one today, nostalgic moment. I did manage to locate my Cooey model 60 with the tube fed (under barrel) that I had as a kid. Lots of fun, but admittedly don’t use much since I got 10/22…lol. I did get my 10yr old daughter the Savage youth .22 in single shot and she loves plinking with it.

line - I noticed that powder went up in most places, but I grew up in the Niagara Region (St. Catharines) and when I go back to visit family I order powder from Lawry Shooting Sports in Caledonia.

http://www.lawryshootingsports.com/page/powders

Their powders are cheaper than Higginsons and the service is better. Not sure when I am going next but you are welcome to PM me and we can coordinate a powder purchase since I work in Ottawa.

Where are you going to let them loose?

I do all my shooting in Marboro forest, one of 3 ranges and an open field that gives about 400M of sight lines.

Bookmarked

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Originally Posted by DGearyFTE

line - I noticed that powder went up in most places, but I grew up in the Niagara Region (St. Catharines) and when I go back to visit family I order powder from Lawry Shooting Sports in Caledonia.

http://www.lawryshootingsports.com/page/powders

Their powders are cheaper than Higginsons and the service is better. Not sure when I am going next but you are welcome to PM me and we can coordinate a powder purchase since I work in Ottawa.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by line052

The only annoying part of reloading right now is chamfering brass inner/outer. I only have the small hand one, looks like a medicine bottle cap. Couple 100 rds of .308 and fingers were aching, not so bad with .223 though. Think I need a motor driven one…. The wife is gonna kill me, spending too much this year.

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I use my cordless drill with a Lee piece meant to be used with the Lee case length gauge for trimming. The drill turns the case while I push the chamfer/deburr tool against it. It is pretty quick, but I have also been thinking about getting one of the tools made specifically for this purpose. All the major manufacturers make them, and they are mostly in the $100-$150 range.

I was lucky. I was in the US for a year and while I was there I bought a Hornady Case Prep center (+$300). It has saved me countless hours. I can trim, deburr/chamfer and clean the primer pocket using the one tool. If you like to shoot as much as I do then it is worth considering. I buy from this site on a regular basis.

http://www.bigsupplyshop.com/Hornady...2_p_11040.html

Mark,
If it makes you feel any better my wife has already drawn the line in the sand. I am not to buy anymore reloading stuff other than gun powder for the next long time. Good thing I have lots of bullets and primers!

Yes, she is not there yet...but I feel it coming. She is going to in 2 weeks for 4 days with a girlfriend to Vegas, I think thats why I have had some passes lately...lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DGearyFTE

Mark,
If it makes you feel any better my wife has already drawn the line in the sand. I am not to buy anymore reloading stuff other than gun powder for the next long time. Good thing I have lots of bullets and primers!

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Man what monster that is, the I was looking at was about 120.00 from LEE....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DGearyFTE

I was lucky. I was in the US for a year and while I was there I bought a Hornady Case Prep center (+$300). It has saved me countless hours. I can trim, deburr/chamfer and clean the primer pocket using the one tool. If you like to shoot as much as I do then it is worth considering. I buy from this site on a regular basis.

http://www.bigsupplyshop.com/Hornady...2_p_11040.html

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In this instance you get what you pay for. I do a lot of shooting and loading. Just cleaning the primer pockets by hand would be miserable. I sat one night in front of the TV using a Lyman flash hole deburr tool. I am pretty sure it took me near an hour and a half to do 100 cases. Fortunately that only has to be done once per case.
If I am going shooting to work up a load I will likely have at least two rifles on the go and shoot at least 100 rounds in 10 round batches. I would spend more time reloading than shooting if I had to work up these loads by hand.
I have found that the 30-06 and 338 Win Mag cases don't stretch too much but the 22-250 is different and I am already into trimming cases which of course leads to deburr and chamfer. Primer pockets always need to be cleaned.
With the Case Prep center and a Lock n Load progressive I can start from scratch and have 100 rounds built in about 2 hours. If I have everything prepped then I can easily turn out 200 or more in an hour. I tend not to use the powder dispense since I am fussy about getting to within 0.1 grain on the load.
Friend of mine shoots F-Class. He measures powder on a medical scale to within +/- 100th grain.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by line052

The only annoying part of reloading right now is chamfering brass inner/outer. I only have the small hand one, looks like a medicine bottle cap. Couple 100 rds of .308 and fingers were aching, not so bad with .223 though. Think I need a motor driven one…. The wife is gonna kill me, spending too much this year.

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Spend once cry once...
I'd suggest a Giraud trimmer... http://www.giraudtool.com/prod02.htm
I use one on my .223 cases.
Trims, chamfers and deburrs all in one step.
I loaded up 1400 rounds last weekend and without the Giraud, well... Without it I wouldn't have.

Impressive. I thought the Hornady was pricey