jaysouth

I just received a PID controller from a fellow member at castboolits. The purpose of the device is to act as a temperature regulator on your lead pot. I suppose it could be called a thermostat by non-scientific folks like me. Anyway, I set the thing for 700 degrees f. It kept my pot at this temp, plus or minus 5 degrees for a 2 hour casting session. Using wheelweight alloy, I quickly began cranking out nice uniform bullets. I look forward to experimenting with different temps for different alloys. [URL=http://s1223.photobucket.com/user/jaysouth100/media/PID%20controller/DSCN0190_zpscb5c5b08.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1223.photobucket.com/user/jaysouth100/media/PID%20controller/DSCN0189_zpsfde9adb2.jpg.html][/URL]

I have better and cheaper alternatives to .22 rf.  Here's how to turn you deer rifle into a superior and cheaper .22 equivalent.   Interesting read:    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?152431-Recipes-for-quot-Mouse-Fart-quot-Loads-in-30-06   The only downside is that you can't hunt small game in TN with a centerfire, at any velocity or pressure level.

My .22 rimfire substitute these days is 3-5 grs. of clays under a 113 cast bullet in my .30-30 single shot Topper.  Red Dot or Promo is OK in 'garden pest' loads, but Bullseye or Clays works better.   One pound = 7,000 grains divided by 3 grains = over 2,300 loads.  That's about one penny per load, add four cents for a primer and you get in at around a nickle per shot.  The cost sure beats .22 rimfire, when you can get it, and hits with a lot more authority.   This thread is an interesting read for ultra light loads for pest control or plinking in deer caliber cartridges:  http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?152431-Recipes-for-quot-Mouse-Fart-quot-Loads-in-30-06

LOL, I thought once upon a time $2,000 would be my upper limit for reloading gear.  Then I started casting, molds, furnaces, now a Proportional integral derivative controller for the furnace.  Last week I got a bid on a 20X40 steel insulated building for a reloading room.   I might have to go back to work to afford this "hobby".

I do live under a rock and usually am the last to get the word about something.     A vendor at the showgrounds told me that there would not be any future shows at Hendersonville.  RKs website does not show any shows there in 2014.   What went wrong?  I thought this was working its way into a decent show.

Yes, I agree with most that the Williamson Ag show has declined, however at this last one, I saw more pre-64 1894 Winchesters than I saw last year at all the shows, at a reasonable price.  Ditto for Marlin collectors.  One vendor had several 336s including a pristine 336a for under $400.   There were the usual idiots there attempting to sell run of the mill factory new guns for MSRP and vendors trying to sell IMR powder for $30 per pound, and the usual pork rinds, toasted nuts and fake indian stuff.   As someone above  astutely remarked, "it only takes one deal to make it a good show.     Since moving to TN from VA ten years ago, I am disappointed at ALL of the shows in TN.  After a decade of attending shows at Richmond Showplace and Dulles, TN shows are indeed disappointing in terms of number of vendors and attendees, and smoking good deals in the aisles and parking lotsl 

Don't go to a show looking for components unless David or his daughter is set up.  

I feel sorry for folks that live in other parts of the state/country who do not have access to vendors like these good folks.     Between the Reloading Bench, A-H and David and his great family, Nashville must be the best city in the world for reloaders.   For those of you who have only gander mountain and bass pro, I feel your pain.

Back in the good old days before 9-11, I used to shoot at Quantico on the USMC ranges.  At the time they were loading/reloading the 7.62 ammo issued with each sniper rifle.  In the reloading room were several blue progressive reloaders cranking out ammo that went in the case with each sniper rifle.  This was in the day when I was not conversant with Dillon models.  I suspect they were SDBs or 550s.  a 650 or above probably has too many moving parts for the average Marine.  We were not allowed in the room and were watching through glass doors.  I have no idea what the components were.   However, in another building, a member of the post pistol club was making .45 reloads.  They were reloading 4 grs. VV310 under a Hornady XTP bullet.  185 gr. if I remember correctly.   Good enough for the US Marines...............................................

Simple cures are often hard for simple folks.  The only problems I have had usually involved allignment or adjustments slipping over time.  Bearing wittness to that is my large primer machine.  I bought it used for $30.  It was barely recognizable and missing most moving parts.  I sent it back and got a new machine back in 4 weeks.  According to the invoice, they put over $300 worth of parts and billed me "No Charge".  I wish they would start making guns and autos with this level of warranty service.   Most of their gear has their lifetime no BS guarantee except for the 1050, which is one year.

Does the Dillon 650 or 1050 load rifle length cartridges?  I know plenty of pistol shooters that use the 650.  I have single stage presses for bullet sizing, full length bottleneck cartridge resizing and loading most rifle calibers.  I have 2 dillon 550s sitting side by side.  One is dedicated to large primer and the other to small primers.  I load everything from .380 to .308 on the Dillons and get ammo that is more accurate than I can shoot it.  The Rockchucker is basically the only press that I go to now, however I have a Lee dedicated for resizing cast bullets.  There is a Herter and an RCBC Jr. somewhere in the clutter of my shop.   As it turns out, the only way I can keep the dillons running  is to use the functioning press to compare to the broken press to diagnose problems.  Otherwise, I would be on the phone to Dillon a lot.   Regarding the 1050, it is a $2,000 proposition and so popular with commercial reloaders that Dillon does not offer the same bulletproof warranty on it that it does for it's other presses and gear.

Who did the work on this? Some of our members might be interested in a dissertation on why a rimmed cartridge works better than rimless on single shots. You sure went to a lot of trouble to get a single shot 25-06, LOL. Some folks are rechambering .30-30 and .308 single shot rifles to 7.62X54 Russian to get the functional equivalent of a 30-06 in a rimmed cartridge. Great looking rifle, I know you are proud of it.

I sent a Handi in .357 Mag to David.  He did a trigger job, reamed the chamber to .357 MAX and trimmed the barrel back to 16 1/2 inches.  It is very accurate and walks on a .35 Remington out to 200 yards.  With full pressure loads, it will blow away chronographs two lanes in both directions on the range.   http://www.dandtcustomgunworks.com/index.html

Interesting article from www.officer.com http://www.officer.com/article/10849956/guns-dont-kill-people-society-does

You a trouble-maker!! (LOL) Actually, those advocating factory ammo only can only cite a case where a spouse committed suicide with a handload that resulted in legal problems for the reloading spouse. If you have a genuine IDOL (immediate defense of life) shooting, the question of ammo will not arise.

Call: A-H Reloading- 615 835 3407 I was there today but was not looking for hornet brass. He had more powder than I have seen in a long, long time. Except the Red Dot that I wanted one pound of. He had a 4 pounder but that is multiple lifetime supply for me.

Finding a smith to do custom work like this is getting harder and harder and barrels are getting expensive. Not to be a killjoy, a Weatherby Vanguard S2 can be had in magnum calibers for about the price of installing a mauser barrel these days. They are guaranteed to shoot under MOA out of the box. They also have an adjustable trigger that you can tinker with and a hinged floorplate. You can get a Savage for less, but no accuracy guarantee. You might get lucky and get a MOA Savage out of the box. But the Vanguard is a sure bet.

I cast and load 158 gr. bullets over 5 grs. of HP-38/231 in .38 Spl cases. I shoot these is a single shot Handi rifle with good effect and a lot cheaper than one can buy .22 rf for these days. The Handi is chambered for .357 Max which is a potent rifle cartridge with the same ballistics as a .35 Rem. The shorter .38 spl cases give reasonable accuracy despite the long jump from case mouth to the rifling of the Max. Because of the high price and iffy availability of .22 rf., I am using this rifle and a Smith revolver to teach my grand children how to shoot a rifle and handgun.

Slug your barrel and get someone with a micrometer to measure the bore and groove diameter.  Come back with those numbers and an experienced caster can advise what size bullet is required for good fit and no leading.

I was in A-H Reloading two weeks ago.  I have never seen his shelves as well stocked as then.  No Unique but lots of Red Dot, 2400, Varget, 4064, 4350 etc, etc.

Your OP got me to thinking.  I pulled out the M-80 pulldowns that I have in the cabinet and tested them in a magnetic parts bowl from Craftsman.  Pour a handfull of bullets in the dish and tip it over at an angle.  Some of my bullets stuck to the dish, some did not.   I now have a good rainy day project for grandkids.  Seperate all the magnetic attractive bullets from the ones that do not stick.     Does it really make a difference?  I never thought about it until this thread.

IMR4350 or H4350 are both outstanding powders for 30-30.  Either will be a compressed charge resulting in outstanding accuracy.  Downside is that your velocity maximums for these powders will be a hundred or so FPS below the traditional 30-30 powders like 4895 and 3031.   Can your deer tell the difference between 2100 fps and 2300 fps?  Can your deer tell the difference between a dead center hit and a clean miss?  No, but you sure can.   Chevy man, what manuals do your have?

If you can still get into your bathroom? No! Kitchen? Who needs a stinkin' kitchen? It sounds like you have the makings for a home based business selling brass.

You have a deep addiction for which no cure exists nor is it needed. Nice 3913.

If you shoot one or two, the rest will find good reasons to leave as quickly as possible. I personally witnessed a mob of several hundred dispersed by one shot from a shotgun by an 80 year old jeweler. Breaking glass and pellets left a couple of the mob bleeding and screaming. The rest disappeared faster than scared monkeys.