Handloading at the range

[illinoisburt]

Dropped by the Forrest Service range on Saturday. Gentleman sitting on the concrete off the side of the benches whacking away with a hammer and old school Lee loader and dipper set for his M1 carbine. He would load up a magazine worth, fire, collect brass, and repeat. Years ago I tried taking a hand press out to do ladder testing with mixed results. This appeared more like simply loading his ammo to shoot.

Anyone else hand load their ammo at the range?

 

[jmorris]

I did before I had a range in my backyard. What would take a number of trips over a few weeks, working up loads, can be done in a few hours if you have everything at your finger tips and can chronograph seconds after loading a round to test.

 

[Varminterror]

Most guys shooting in 100/200 bench rest matches are loading at the match - often with set ups similar to @jmorris.

I personally mounted a Lee Anniversary Single Stage and an LCT on a 2' x 2' piece of fiber board, with a 1"x6" screwed to the bottom side, which I then clamp in a Black & Decker "Workmate" portable work bench. It folds flat, I can interchange table tops quickly and easily. So a guy can do it a lot faster and easier than the Lee Whack-a-Mole reloader set.

 

[Walkalong]

Most guys shooting in 100/200 bench rest matches are loading at the match

At least 99% of us did. Used the same small batch of cases over and over.

 

[Toprudder]

I've thought about working loads up at the range, but my thoughts were to have the brass already prepped to the point of dropping powder and seating a bullet. All I would need would be a way to measure powder (Chargemaster on a 12v battery) and a way to seat a bullet (Lee hand press with a seating die).

 

[hdwhit]

illinoisburt wrote:
Anyone else hand load their ammo at the range?

Yes.

But that's kind of a misleading statement since I have a complete reloading bench in the garage less than a hundred yards from my range.

Years ago when I did spend time at a local outdoor range, I took my loaded ammunition, shot it, collected my brass and went back home.

 

[Offfhand]

Talk about luxury! I snapped this photo of a guy I met at SuperShoot a few years ago. He has a loading bench built into his luxury motor coach so he can load next to a shooting rang in air conditioned comfort.

 

[Toprudder]

I thought about pulling my camper up to the range before. Not nearly as nice as that coach, but it is a small toy-hauler with a ramp door in the rear, I thought it would be nice to have a shooting bench in the back so I could just drop the ramp, shoot, pull the ramp back up and reload.

 

[Walkalong]

I have seen a couple of those motor home setups. Very nice, but not for a poor young parent of two. Some folks had some tow behind trailers with a pull up window like a vendor would have.

Me? I had a portable table to set up at, with a tarp to cover everything at night.

Do you know what press that is he is using?

 

[Reloadron]

Talk about luxury! I snapped this photo of a guy I met at SuperShoot a few years ago. He has a loading bench built into his

Yeah, the Super Shoot where one can find rows of half million dollar RVs. I shoot at Kelbly's Range (home of the super shoot) and I always see the bench rest guys loading and testing loads on the range. Most using setups like jmorris has. At the super shoot each shooter also gets some bench space. Pretty nice arrangement.

Ron

 

[old heeler]

When I got into BR I loaded at the range and I was also loading at home for my other rifles and working up loads that way. It took me few years but I change over and I can load at the range for all my rifles.

That picture he's using arbor press other one looks Harrell
http://harrellsprec.com/index.php/products/harrells-tooling-turret-press-by-henry-harrell

I can take one case that's FL sized and fire maybe 5/6 times neck sizing, if it's a mag case maybe 3/4 time. I can FL size at the range

My loading box is just like this and I have my press,powder,cases another box

. http://www.6mmbr.com/reloder17.html

 

[Walkalong]

I built my own load box for matches. It had reloading tools and would sit on my portable table.

 

[Jimster]

Awesome wood working skills! That's very nice looking.

 

[ants]

First, wow Anthony. That looks great!



Second, it can be so rewarding to have the ability load at the range! I love it.

However, do not underestimate the following:

• The stability of the surface under your scale is critical. Slightest movements keep the scale from settling. Often beam scales settle down better than electronic. If you are in a camper or motorhome or trailer, your 'significant other' moving in her chair will upset the scale something terrible, you'll blame it on her but it really isn't her fault. Just sayin'.
• Wind is your enemy, kernels of powder weigh nothing and blow around like mouse farts in the slightest draft of air. SLIGHTEST draft. Do not underestimate this. Slight wind will blow your powder to the next county. Figure this one out before you lose too much powder. (Breeze messes up your scale also.)
• Spend hours and hours at home (outdoors) loading on your mobile setup before even thinking about taking it to the range. Every hour at home honing your skill with the mobile setup will save DAYS of screw ups in the field. Just sayin'. Been there. Done that. Bought the t-shirt, wore it out, and tore it up for muzzle loader patch.

If I'm wrong about any of these, I'll gladly take the criticism. But I've made every possible mistake in the world, I can only speak from my own experience.

 

[Walkalong]

Shot with powder dropped from a measure attached to a wooden bench or table at the range. Not weighed, just dropped, seat bullets, shoot, repeat. (Too bad I didn't shoot five of these, would have been a heck of an aggregate.)

At 100/200 yards you are not going to see a slight spread in charge weight on target. Almost everyone in Benchrest just dropped charges. On the other hand, most folks who shoot long range (1K+) weigh charges.

 

[Walkalong]

Awesome wood working skills!

First, wow Anthony. That looks great!

Thanks, I got carried away (The OCD in me?) and it too a lot of man hours.

My "bench" box that I took to the line with me is more utilitarian, as was my "equipment" box I brought wind flags, towels, bullets, powder, press, etc in.

 

[Walkalong]

If you plan to weigh charges, ants is certainly correct, you need a reasonably stable surface and a calm day, or a way to protect the scale. But hey, you don't want to check loads on target on a real windy day anyway. The calm of the morning or late evening is often best. Although sometimes that heavy morning air will have gremlins in it that are hard to see.

 

[jmorris]

The stability of the surface under your scale is critical. Slightest movements keep the scale from settling.

I found air drafts to be a larger problem. The cake pan lid on top of the cooler above is what I used to put over the powder measure to block the wind. It needs to be clear so you can still read the scale.

 

[Offfhand]

Here is a portable 12V power source I use when using my RCBS Chargemasters at the range or anywhere standard AC current isn't available. A full charge is good for over three days of continuous use. The Chargemaster's front shield protects pan from wind. The steady and even battery current is often preferable in areas where there are electric power fluctuations that disrupt operation and accuracy of electronic instruments.

 

[Walkalong]

Looks like that would work very well.

 

[boom boom]

That is some beautiful work Walkalong.

In a many more years, I suspect it will be on some future version of Antiques Roadshow where the person selling it relies on an expert to tell them what it was for.

 

[Blue68f100]

I built my own load box for matches. It had reloading tools and would sit on my portable table.

Very nice Walkalong,

Surprised your other half has not commandeered it for her stuff, sewing.....

 

[jmorris]

Here is a portable 12V power source I use when using my RCBS Chargemasters at the range or anywhere standard AC current isn't available.

It's worth noting that RCBS has made the Chargemaster in at least 3 different configurations that I know of, 9, 10 and 12 volt.



I just used a power inverter, it's on the left corner of the tub in the photo I posted earlier, plugged into the cigarette lighter receptacle.

 

[Offfhand]

On the subject of loading at the range: attached are some photos I took at a recent benchrest competition where the shooters reload between between and have compact and efficient portable loading setups. The different setups shown may provide some helpful ideas for anyone planning to load at the range.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Every once in awhile, I find a thread or post that shocks me at how very much I've got to learn and do. This is one of those.