[newmaxx11]

lets say you have 1000 brass,bullets,primers,powder....do you guys just load when you need them or go ahead and load all of them up and store em?

[Yo2slick]

I load when I have the spare time and the components. Its nice to just grab a box and go shoot rather than try to hurry up and load some for the range.

[ReloaderFred]

I load ahead. When you get in a hurry the night before you plan to go shooting, that's when mistakes occur.

And if I was down to 1,000 rounds of any one caliber, I'd be scrounging for components to get loading again........

Hope this helps.

Fred

[evan price]

I try to keep a large stockpile of loaded ammo ready. I like to have a thousand rounds of a caliber already loaded and ready to grab and go to the range whenever I want.
I also try to keep enough components on hand to load a thousand more.
If I drop below a thousand in any of those categories I order enough for another thousand.

Actually, my component quantities are much higher than that but you get the idea.

[wankerjake]

I load when I have time, and shoot when I have time. It has happened when I wanted to go shooting but was low or out of bullets, so I try and be proactive.

[helg]

If you have proven recipe that worked fine with your guns, and you do not think of adjusting it anyway - go ahead and load them all. Otherwise, give yourself a chance, load only for one session and test your loads. May be your first OAL and crimp do not chamber well. May be brass does not completely seal in one of your chambers, or shows overpressure signs. May be primers are too hard or too soft for your gun (it is very unlikely, but still possible). If so, what would you do with the rest of the 1000?

[Thingster]

I load at roughly twice the rate I shoot, until components limit me (typically brass).

I run through at least 50 rounds/week for casual shooting so I load at least 100/week. If I know I'm going out and will be running through more, I can grab what I've stocked over some previous loading sessions and over the next couple weeks get back up to where I was.

I like to keep about 200-300 rounds on hand for everything centerfire, but don't get bent out of shape if I drop below.

[RandyP]

Same story for me. I don't shoot often enough to need much of a 'stockpile' of ammo. I do keep a couple hundred completed rounds of the three calibers I reload for 'last minute' range trips.

Depending on my mood, the weather (I also motorcycle and scuba dive) and other time constraints, reloading serves as a great diversion and beats watching reruns on the TV.

I guess the short answer would be I have lots of components that I can use

[ar10]

I shoot a lot and stockpile so I don't have to screw with it during the shooting season. About 8000 this winter of all my calibers.

[243winxb]

Long term storage of 223 ammo for 20+ years has not worked well from me. Seems the brass has become brittle over time, still not sure on that one. When trying to solve the problem, found out a Dillon shell plate was FLRS to much also, didn't usa a gage back then or precision mics. No more stockpiling for me. How would you like to pull bullets on 1000 rounds?

[ArchAngelCD]

Many reloaders use the Winter months to reload for when the weather turns nicer. A friend loads many 1000's of rounds over the Winter. I do some reloading in the Winter but I don't come close to loading up what I would need to shoot all Summer.

I can't remember the last time I had to reload anything the night before a shoot. Like "ReloaderFred" said above, "When you get in a hurry the night before you plan to go shooting, that's when mistakes occur." Reloading is a hobby in itself. I like to reload and enjoy the quiet time when doing it.

[Afy]

I dont like to have empty cases lying around... so I tend to load at every opportunity I get.

[moooose102]

6 of 1, half dozen of the other. just personal preference i guess. i usually load ahead. it is nice to just go get the ammo you plan on useing, than to have to find or plan time to make it up. for my hunting ammo, i typically seal it so there is no chance of powder deterioration over time. but, it is nice to have some components set aside in case you decide to try something different.

[Ky Larry]

I usually load something about 4 nights a week. I can't stand the drivel coming out of my TV so I head for the shed.I always have enough ammo so I can just grad some and head to the range.

[zt77]

I have a .50 cal ammo can filled about 3/4 full of my pet loading in storage with dessicants, the can has been repainted and the letters restenciled in yellow with what is in it and the number of rounds in it. it's my JIC (just in case) can.

I also have a matching .30 cal can filled to about an inch below the top that i top off during spare time, when i want to shoot i grab that can and go shoot.

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

when I have a load and when I have the supplys, I'll pound out as much as I can, both for current range time and SHTF. One thing to consider is if your area has restictions on the amount of powder or primer's you can have it would be in your best intrest to get loaded as soon as you can.

[qajaq59]

I try to keep about 200 loaded for each rifle. That way if I am short on time to load it isn't a problem.

[Dark Skies]

I usually load up well in advance for the max amount I am liable to shoot (within the quantity I am allowed to possess on my licence) at the next range session. I then top up my materials next time I'm passing a gunshop.

[06]

DSkies, In England you have to have a license to reload and they tell you how much/many you can possess??????????? wc:what:

[Dark Skies]

In the UK when you apply for a license you have to put down the calibres of rifles you want to possess. You have to be able to demonstrate good reason for each rifle. It sounds more onerous than it actually is. Just stating hunting / competition / target shooting will suffice. When you apply you also have to state how much ammo you are likely to want to possess at any one time and also a lesser amount for how many rounds you can buy at any one time. Obviously the amount you can buy has to be less than the amount you can actually hold at any one time.

How many rounds you can possess is largely a matter of being able to have good reason for wanting that quantity. If I lived right next door to a range and could shoot more often than I am able to then I could ask for permission to possess say, 1000 rounds in eacg of the calibres shot there. It's generally not a problem to obtain permission - providing you can justify it.

If you shot an obscure calibre of milsurp the scarecity would also justify making large volume purchase - because it would be reasonable to buy as many as became available in one hit because you might not see a batch for many months.

In my case I applied for (could have asked for more if I wanted) the capacity to buy 200 rounds in each calibre at any one time and to hold a maximum of 400 rounds in each calibre. If you have a .38 / .357 there's no problem having 400 of each for the same rifle. This is enough for my needs based on my current shooting of my larger calibres. On the other hand I shoot a lot of .22LR twice a week so I applied for 2000 rounds max hold and 1000 max purchase.

If I find I'm shooting more later on there's generally no problem just having your licence amended (for free). The police authority in my area (very rural) is pretty reasonable in issuing licences - especially if you're a long time shooter.

You can buy as many reloading parts as you want - and until recently didn't even need to show a licence. Now you need to show it to buy primers face to face. However, you have to keep the assembled ammunition in accordance with the max amounts on your licence. So I could buy a million rifle cases, primers, bullets and barrels of powder with no problem but could only assemble 400 rounds at a time - unless I had the licence amended.

It's not really a problem - you figure out what you need and build in a little future proofing and apply for your licence. You can always have it changed later for free - providing you're going like for like. If I want to add a calibre of rifle not already on my licence I have to pay a small fee. But if I have a calibre I decide I don't need (and haven't got a rifle in at the time) I can simply swap it out for another for free. Sometimes it's prudent to apply for a few calibres you probably won't need when first getting a licence so you have spare swaps.

On the plus side - if I have the 'slots' on my license I can walk into any gunshop and buy as many rifles as I have permission for, pay for them, and walk out the door with them. There is no waiting time because you're already pre-checked when getting the licence. I can do the same with private sellers too. You do have to notify the police within seven days of firearms purchases. You don't for ammo - that's just written in pen on your license by the seller. Don't need to write anything down for components but the seller does have to keep a note of the buyer's details for powders. Blackpowder needs a special licence because it's an explosive.

[remingtondude58]

I would load when time permits, but only after I have found a load I really like to ensure I will be happy with all the loads.

[Hummer70]

The elephant in the room for storage is the proper storage conditions. For instance the projected storage life of US military spec ammo in UNOPENED CANS is 125 years. If the cans have been opened since production the estimated shelf life is 75 years.

The big enemy is humidity to the primers. Primers should be purchased as soon after manufacture as possible in 5,000 sleeves and placed in 20MM cans. When needed open the 20 MM can, remove a sleeve and reseal can immediately. Place the 1000 sleeve in a 50 cal can. Only remove one box at a time, load them and store back in 50 cal cans.

Someone mentioned brittle brass being a problem. This comes from not stress relieving the necks before loading and not cleaning the cases properly. Uncleaned cases leave a carbon residue. Carbon in contact with brass in the presence of moisture sets up a galvanic action condition.

I use L E Wilson case gage and adjust my dies to where all cases sized will drop freely into and out of the Wilson gage. I just recently saw another gage a friend had very similar to the Wilson but can't remember the name.

OK we have cleaned the cases (I use stainless steel media in a Thumlers Tumbler run for 12 hours starting with hot water and Ivory Dish Detergent) and just after they have been deprimed and FL sized I stress relieve the cases.

Stress relieving is not the same as annealing. I know everone has read a thousand times heat them hot in a pan of water and knock them over. Sounds good but not good for the cases and they are not heated evenly and this is NOT HOW THE ARSENALS DO IT.

Arsenal/vendor line loading has the cases coming down a chute mouth up and passing through a series of blue flame gas jets under very little pressure. They are in the flames approximately six seconds and drop into a hopper. THEY ARE NOT DUMPED IN WATER and allowed to AIR COOL ONLY. Thusly begging the question if the arsenals/vendors do it that way, why would we want to do something different?

A fixture for holding the cases while stress relieving them is as follows:
Obtain a piece of steel round stock 3/4" in diameter. On one end turn it down to 3/8" for one inch. In the other end drill a hole that will easily hold the case diameter you want to stress relieve. Drill the hole deep enough so at least 1/4" below the SHOULDER is exposed.

I find a 33/64" drill to be universal size for everything form 243 to 35 Remington including 7.5 Swiss. I use a propane torch with a small tip with the flame reduced until the inner bright blue flame is 3/4" to 1" long. Place this bright blue FLAME TIP on the case body below the shoulder as the case holder spins in a electric drill at approximately 200 RPM.

As the case is in the flames count to 6 and immediately turn the drill away from you and point downwards and drop onto a towel. NOT WATER.

If you have done it right the cases will have a LIGHT BLUE TINGE just like military ammo.

IF THE CASE IN THIS AREA IS DARKER than military ammo the time in flame is a tad too long. Count faster or drop at say 5 seconds. If it is too light add a second.

YOU WILL NOT SEE THE CASE TURN BLUE WHILE IN FLAME BUT IF YOU WATCH CLOSELY IT WILL ATTAIN THE BLUE TINGE AS SOON AS IT HITS THE TOWEL.

If it turns almost black you have just ruined the case or have reduced its life tremendously. Loading them and storing them you will find in about a year or two most of the necks will split as you have burned the brass.

You don't have to have a propane torch. A candle or alcohol lamp will work just fine but time will be a tad longer and the candle will turn the case black. When I used a candle I rotated the case in candle until my fingers told me it was time to drop it.

Does this work? Well I have a LC 30.06 Match case (1963) I ran a test on and have loaded it 157 times and no splits. When I get time I will get back to how long it will go.

Another thing to consider is chamber dimensions. In a bolt gun the least you can resize the case (assuming it is dedicated to same rifle forever) the better off you are.

For instance I have four sets of 30.06 dies. New 30.06 cases measure .465" on base dimension (.200 up from rim) and I have dies that size . 465", .467", .469" and .471".
SAAMI 30.06 chambers run .471 to .472 but I have seen chambers give fired cases at .475".

Thusly a SAAMI chamber rifle is sized with the .471 die.

I chamber my own rifles and I order reamers much tighter in base dimension. For instance my 30.06 reamers come in at .467" diameter. When fired the 30.06 expands to .467" and springs back to .4655" or .466". Thusly I don't work the brass when I resize.

THIS IS BASED ON SOUND ENGINEERING PRINCIPLE. IF IT DON'T MOVE IT STAYS THE SAME OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS POSSIBLE.

Gas guns are disaster in the making and eat brass for breakfast and by and large have jumbo chambers.

I also order my necks to expand no more than .002" more than a loaded round. This is for bolt gun obviously. As the cases get older and I need them I will cycle them over for gas gun use at the end of their careers which is when I feel the primer pockets getting looser.

LC cases have nice tight primer pockets as well as IMI, IVI, PRVI PARTISAN. Commercial cases generally are softer than milspec cases and thusly do not achieve high reload life.

If you are target shooting and keep your ammo dry you should be OK. If you are going after dangerous game you need to waterproof your primers. This is done by applying clean nail polish to case head and then pulling the case head across a piece of paper wiping off excess polish from case head but leaving it intact around the primer edge. I use the clear but have seen red and pink ! ! ! ! !

For long term loading I tumble bullets in saw dust and carnauba wax to coat them. Thusly when the copper bullet comes in contact with brass case there will be somewhat of a insulating barrier between them and hopefully cut down on the cold welding that can occur from galvanic action.

I also size cases for semi autos with .002" neck grip. For bolt guns .001" to .0005" grip on bullets depending on whether they are for slow fire or rapid fire. I open necks up with custom expanders to allow this grip.

Uniformity of projectile release is the name of the game for long range shooting. The "feel" of the bullet being seated in case is worthless.

When neck turning cases unless it is for a dead tight chamber I set outside neck turner to only take off high spot on outside of neck. On 30.06 Match cases this is .013" and 308 cases I set at .015" to take off high spots.

Bottom line is if you care for your brass by doing some planning up front you can shoot the same brass in same rifle for years and store it for years as well.

Oh yeah one more problem that seems to be prevalent. FL dies are not necessarily FL sizing. I have 56 sets of dies and I have had to chuck about a dozen FL dies in lathe and trim off .005 to .010" from bottom so they will set the shoulder back.

On my bolt guns I also have Mo gages. These allow me to size cases just enough to have a .001 to .002" shoulder clearance. I also headspace my rifles to have forward shoulder movement from zero to .002" if possible. AGAIN IF IT DON'T MOVE IT CAN'T BE BAD ! ! ! !

[Schleprok62]

It really depends... am I just going out for some plinking, target practice, or am I developing a load with a different group of components? If i'm load developing, I only make a handful of them for testing.

Otherwise, I load up what I know works, while saving a few for load development...

[KI.W.]

I must to load "now", because it is legal here in Finland to keep only 2 kilos powders at home. I load catridges for my 16 different calipers and need many powdwrs. It is legal to keep thent of thousends cartridges at home.

Sorry my bad language. :scrutiny:

[RonellCooper]

I go to the range once a month (unfortunately). Knowing this and taking into consideration how much ammo I know I'm going to use I make sure that I have at least 40-60 rounds already loaded per rifle. This allows me to stay a little ahead of the game. Another reason I don't store a lot of loaded ammo is that I thoroughly enjoy the process of reloading. After a visit to the range I give it a few days and I start planning for the next trip.