Versatility: the art of getting the most out of your components.

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If you have reloaded for any length of time, you know how you acquire many, many different components, some of which's use is pretty much restricted to one particular application. Everybody goes thru this, and to be quite honest, a lot of it has to do with trying many of the available components. So, you end up with a bunch of partial 1 lb. cannisters of powder and perhaps some primers that end up collecting dust. So, I'm starting this thread to have some of you tell how you are able to get the most out of just a few varieties of components. As for myself, I handload for pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun. I want to be as self-sufficient as possible. I cannot make powder or primers, but I can and do make all the bullets I use. So, I try to buy powders and primers that have more than one application. For example, I have a Magnum revolver that uses SPP's and a rifle that uses SRP's. When I use a powder such as 2400 in my Magnum, I use a standard SPP. However, when I use powders such as IMR4227 or HS-6, rather than use a Magnum SPP, I use a standard SRP which functions perfectly in my revolver. Sticking to primers, I like to buy Winchester LPP's because they are suitable for both standard and magnum loads. As for powders, I use the same powder for my standard power handgun loads as I use for my 12 gauge target and field loads (700X or Solo 1000). 2400 powder serves as both my .30 Carbine cast bullet load and high power revolver loads. HS-6 powder serves as both mid-range revolver loads and 12 gauge slug and buckshot loads. IMR4227 serves as high power revolver loads, .30 Carbine loads, and .30-06 cast bullet loads. Do I have a bunch of rarely used, partial one lb. powder cannisters on my shelf? Sure, but I am restricting my new purchases to items with several applications.

Don
 
I am in the narrowing it down and buying more of fewer things phase with most things as well. And yes, ended up with lots of partial one pounders. I am using them up as I can. Sometimes folks will ask a load question and if I have a few of that bullet left I'll load them shoot them and share the data via pm etc.
 
Very well put and very true. I try to keep things as minimal as possible with components. I don't go to level you have gone to, but I already had the idea of using things with multiple applications when I first got started with reloading.

I originally made a chart with all the calibers I intended to load and the powders suitable for them. This narrowed the field considerably and I now stick with Unique or Bullseye for almost all my pistol loads, and IMR or H4895 for the few rifles I load for. I do make an exception for my 10mm (AA7 or 9), .30 Carbine (AA9 or 2400) and .44 Magnum (2400) loads. I bought a large supply of IMR 4064 just for my .308s, but I have almost burned it all up with no intention to get more. At least it's not just sitting on the shelf.
 
i don't have any secrets, but i sure saved a ton of money by buying a LOT of one thing and not one of every thing.

one thing i did was buy blemished versions of bullets that i use. both blemished hornady XTP for pistol and 140g amax for rifle by the thousands for much much less than regular price. you have to check pretty regularly though as they don't last long.

that allowed me to have a practice load that was functional equivalent of my match/carry load. saves a little money i suppose, but it saves setup time on the press, as i just switch bullets without resetting powder bar or anything else.

heck i also bought blemished brass and that worked for me in matches for 2 years no problem.

unfortunately i went the other way on rifle powders. for some reason i shoot only varget in my 223, r15 in 308, H4350 in 6mm (6SLR and 6CM) and r17 in 6.5m (260 and 260AI). i wound up stocking several jugs of each, when in reality i could have cut back to 2 or maybe 1. i guess i don't need to push it that far though.
 
Casting is the way to go. Lead is the universal component. And even cast bullets are universal... I have recast bullets more than once. I got out of reloading 9x18, mainly because blowback guns are not so much fun for me to shoot (or clean). So what to do with all those bullets? Yep, just turn them into something else.

And shooting lead out of a rifle, in particular, is the ultimate catch-all for using up odd primers and powder. With cast bullets, you can make reduced rifle loads using pistol primers and almost any powder. I can use any powder in my inventory in any of my cast rifle cartridges, from my regular rifle powders down to my fastest pistol powders. Once, I dropped two cans of powder off a shelf, and the lids popped off. A quarter lb got mixed together - H335 and HP38. I thoroughly mixed this to homogenize it, then I worked up a reduced load for the 308 using cast bullets. Accuracy was excellent! Disclaimer - if it's not in a load book, of course you shouldn't do it yourself.

The only caliber I don't cast much is 45ACP. When I get a good price on commercial cast bullets, it's not much more expensive than my current source for lead alloy.
 
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In my early years, i tried to minimize the number of powders that I inventoried but as my cartridge foot print has expanded over the years that has not been as easy.

When I add a new cartridge to my inventory, I tend to use powders that I have on hand, if appropriate, before venturing out to a new one. In most cases, one of my current powders works just fine.

I have either established alternate loads or have worked with an alternate powder enough that I can continue reloading should one or an other powder get in short supply.

For primers, I pretty much have stabilized on one type of primer for each primer size application. I have pretty much stopped loading magnum pistol loads so the need for magnum pistol primers for W296/H110 is not there for me any more.

I used to cast handgun bullets but do not do that any more. I still have the equipment if the need arises though.
 
No secret. Just don't shoot. hahaha. I don't have much time to shoot, so when i see stuff i know i will need ill pick it up at a good price, such as powder, primers, new(to me) die sets, or anything else reloading. I bought 7 used guns last year, haven't shot a single one, no time. I go to work for 39 hrs a week(CEO wants lots of part timers so he don't have to pay out bennys)go somewhere in town for lunch, then to my bosses wood shop till 10pm 6 nights a week.

So when i do take off work to go to a gun show, i know what im looking for as far as my components that i can use else where. and score deals a long the way as well.
 
I am following Walkalong's and Taliv's lead on this also. I am now buying only large powder jugs and getting rid of my dribs and drags on all but a very few. I am mostly shooting .358 bullets so I order them in bulk so I can use them in everything from my 38 Supers to my 357 Maximums.

My goal right now is to get down to just a few calibers, 9mm, .358, .400, .429 and .454 is it in pistol. I am also winnowing the powder supplies down to Bullseye, Unique, 2400, Trailboss (may drop this one also), 4227 and AA9. I have not decided if I will keep Herco and Blue Dot. Probably not.

Powders I will drop this year are many. Longshot, lilgun, power pistol, sr4756 (not by my choice though, it is being discontinued) 231, aa2,5, and 7, H110, 296, Red dot, Green dot (already gone), etc.

It was a lot of fun for years playing with all of the different powders and working up loads and experimenting but that only works when you can run out and buy another pound to finish a project. I don't really see this shortage problem going back to the old days for many years. There is just too much new demand right now and new reloaders and shooters to rely on the supply system to keep my experiments up.

So in essence, I am self exiling myself back to the 1930's to say 1970's and will start really using my old load books and skills to develop great lead based reloads using the old standby's that I can stock in bulk.

To me (as a 38/44 collector and big revolver/lead bullet shooter) it sounds like a very admirable goal and a lot of fun. Looking around, it seems like others are taking a similar trajectory.
 
To me, a big reason to handload is to save money. As I've practiced this hobby, I've realized that "deals" are out there from time to time, and generally require buying in bulk. To me, finding these deals is part of the fun.

That being said, you learn to make the most efficient use of the components on hand. Sure, it would be nice to try out a couple of different powders or bullets to see if you can improve accuracy for a certain gun, but when you have a couple of 8# jugs and a couple of 500 packs of suitable bullets on the shelf you learn to make do. Fortunately, I've always been able to come up with loads that work for me :)

Laphroaig
 
Some of you guys probably remember when you could get surplus powder like 4831. You could buy it in a paper bag by the pound. There was a gun store in Reno back in the 70's that carried 4831 and BLC2 or 4895, I bought it 30 lbs at a time! Used it for everything. Used only Unique for pistols with lead. Life was simple. I still buy in bulk, but in several more flavors. Ah, the good old days, a 30 pounder was $65.00!
 
Just 8 years ago, I scarfed up a bunch of the last of surplus IMR4895 when it was offered for $78 per 8# cannister. Feeling really good about THAT purchase.

Don
 
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