What did you do in the reloading room today?

[Great-Kazoo]

Reloaded 300 rounds of 9mm. Processed/tumbled another 1500 pieces. Found out the hard way that you do NOT want to wet tumble (in stainless media) brass that is covered in Dillon case lube! What a gooey mess.

For anyone who's wondering what a newbie could expect in terms of production rate... I've now done a total of about 1700 rounds of handgun ammo. For grins I started the stopwatch on the latest 300. I completed them in right at 22 minutes. I felt like I was moving at a snails pace... definitely not attempting some sort of max speed run. About the only thing I did that might be considered a speed enhancement was to pre-load 3 tubes of primers so I could just drop them in (300 total primers). If you do the math, it shows that I'm doing right at 800 rounds an hour.

i think I could easily double that rate with a bullet feeder. My left hand (the bullet placement hand) is a little jacked up as a result of some nerve damage and neck/spine surgery from several years ago. I don't have good feeling in my thumb and pointer finger and my hand tends to cramp easily. I think this situation probably slows me by at least 2-300 rounds per hour.

FWIW

[XC700116]

Loaded about 250 rounds of 260 rem. Then cranked out 200 300BLK subs.

Also figured out that I need to find some cheap brass to make up my ammo for the SH-cup this year as it sounds like I'll lose a good bit of it. Not throwing away good Lapua brass. I had about 20 pieces of Win 243 brass that I necked up and uniformed to test. Hoping it works out well since I can actually find some.

[Great-Kazoo]

helped another reloader acquire some powder for his 9mm . Watched another board member move one bench and replace with another for my aligned press process.

[Brian]

Reloaded 300 rounds of 9mm. Processed/tumbled another 1500 pieces. Found out the hard way that you do NOT want to wet tumble (in stainless media) brass that is covered in Dillon case lube! What a gooey mess.

For anyone who's wondering what a newbie could expect in terms of production rate... I've now done a total of about 1700 rounds of handgun ammo. For grins I started the stopwatch on the latest 300. I completed them in right at 22 minutes. I felt like I was moving at a snails pace... definitely not attempting some sort of max speed run. About the only thing I did that might be considered a speed enhancement was to pre-load 3 tubes of primers so I could just drop them in (300 total primers). If you do the math, it shows that I'm doing right at 800 rounds an hour.

i think I could easily double that rate with a bullet feeder. My left hand (the bullet placement hand) is a little jacked up as a result of some nerve damage and neck/spine surgery from several years ago. I don't have good feeling in my thumb and pointer finger and my hand tends to cramp easily. I think this situation probably slows me by at least 2-300 rounds per hour.

FWIW

So you decap on your dillon then before you dump in the wet tumbler? Trying to decide if I want to mess with wet tumbling. I do get tired of all the dust.

[NFATrustGuy]

So you decap on your dillon then before you dump in the wet tumbler? Trying to decide if I want to mess with wet tumbling. I do get tired of all the dust.

Yes. I decap on the Dillon, then **dry tumble* for about 30 minutes to remove the lube, then wet tumble for 2 hours. The brass looks brand new after the wet (stainless) tumble.

I also tumble (wet or dry, doesn't really matter) before the decapping run on the Dillon. I don't know how well or even if the brass would run through the machine without at least a little cleaning after having been fired.

Heck, I even dry tumble my finished ammo for 15-30 minutes. Of course the prepped cases get lubed before the actual reloading and I want to remove the lube before running the ammo through my guns.

It's absolutely not necessary to go to this much trouble, but I generally put an equal value on form AND function.

RE: Dust... I don't seem to get much dust from my walnut media. I was using corn, but no matter how often I changed the dryer sheets, it seemed pretty dusty. I pop a new dryer sheet cut in 1/4's into the media after each ~10 hours of runtime. I also dump in a bit of Nu Finish car polish in at the same time. My ammo is very shiny when I'm done with it!

[Brian]

Yes. I decap on the Dillon, then **dry tumble* for about 30 minutes to remove the lube, then wet tumble for 2 hours. The brass looks brand new after the wet (stainless) tumble.

I also tumble (wet or dry, doesn't really matter) before the decapping run on the Dillon. I don't know how well or even if the brass would run through the machine without at least a little cleaning after having been fired.

Heck, I even dry tumble my finished ammo for 15-30 minutes. Of course the prepped cases get lubed before the actual reloading and I want to remove the lube before running the ammo through my guns.

It's absolutely not necessary to go to this much trouble, but I generally put an equal value on form AND function.

RE: Dust... I don't seem to get much dust from my walnut media. I was using corn, but no matter how often I changed the dryer sheets, it seemed pretty dusty. I pop a new dryer sheet cut in 1/4's into the media after each ~10 hours of runtime. I also dump in a bit of Nu Finish car polish in at the same time. My ammo is very shiny when I'm done with it!

My problem is probably the suppressors. I have a hard time distinguishing my brass from the rusty old steel case left on the ground sometimes when I'm policing it all up, because it's so darn dirty. At one point I was even debating having a "dirty" tumbler and a clean tumbler set up. I've even swapped dryer sheets mid tumble, and I still often end up with a light coating of dust on the cases sometimes when I'm done. I saw somewhere one guy would go outside on a windy day and pour his walnut from bucket to bucket to get some of the dust to blow away, but I haven't tried that yet. Or I suppose I could not buy my walnut media at the pet store.

So what you're tellling me is if I want to bother to decap on the dillon first, I'm probably going to need to dry tumble to knock at least some of the crud off, then spray down with lube, decap on the press, then dry tumble again before I can wet tumble?

[Great-Kazoo]

So what you're tellling me is if I want to bother to decap on the dillon first, I'm probably going to need to dry tumble to knock at least some of the crud off, then spray down with lube, decap on the press, then dry tumble again before I can wet tumble?

If you're really concerned about the amount of dust you get when tumbling / using media separator. Outside of a dust collector, when you tumble put a capfull or 2 of mineral spirits in the media. You don't have as long a life span as without. But there's a noticable difference, dust wise. I use 70% rubbing alcohol, as it's not as potent when you open the tumbler.

I and i'm sure almost everyone tumbles prior to decapping. That minute crap , has the potential top scratch up the dies AND by tumbling you reduce the chances of rocks in the cases.
I have one of these for tumbling / using media separator, there's always one listed on CL.

http://www.harborfreight.com/13-gall...tor-31810.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/dust-co...kit-93601.html

This one is a real good deal.

http://boulder.craigslist.org/tls/4301313426.html

[DeusExMachina]

My 9mm process is similar...tumble range brass. Lube and load. Tumble again to remove lube. I just dry tumble.

My 223 process is going to be even worse...tumble range brass. Lube, decap and size. Trim. Tumble to remove lube and burrs. Load (I have a decap die on this tool head to push out any media stick in flash holes). Probably shouldn't have to tumble the loaded ammo again though.

[ray1970]

Just tossed some 9mm brass into the tumbler. Heading out of town for work so though I would bring it with me and process it one piece at a time on my hand held press. I should be able to get through a large ziplock bag full in a week or two.

[Hoser]

Processed some Radway 223 brass for a forum member. Trimmed it all nice then tumbled it in stainless because regular corncob was not getting it pretty enough. Everyone knows chicks dig pretty brass.

p.s. Radway 223 brass will **NOT** work for 300 Whisper/Blackout. The brass is too thick where the new 300 Whisper neck is formed. Cant get there from here without reaming the inside of the necks or turning the outside of the necks. Not worth it in any way shape or form.