What clever little things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share?

[onslaught5012]

Vertical mounting plate for the Hornady concentricity gauge = great idea, thanks! (Will try it when my gauge arrives from Sinclair's).

This whole thread is EPIC!

The first thing I did when I received my Lee turret press was to make it a short-stroke handle setup close to the bend in the shaft for ergonomics. But I found I lost strength / force / leverage?, so put it back to default long-length. I now have some new Forster dies (Redding deluxe .204 set previously) that are smooth as butter full length sizing (plus Imperial wax or graphite for necks), so will try shortening the lever again Once I sort the bushing die out, then bye-bye lube until FL die is needed again.

The drinking straw over the threaded shaft on a brass tumbler worked a treat, too. Almost silent brass cleaning now Turning the wing-nut upside down also reduced it down to a couple of turns on the shaft. I've not tried the clothes peg yet though. I sometimes leave the lid off anyway.

There are many more tips seen here that I will need to remember when the need arises.

Never thought of using a hanging string or plumb to level my scope cross-hairs either - GENIUS! So obvious now. I do not know if my turret top cap is level, as every time I try it with those little levels plus one on the action, I am always off. The hanging string should be fantastic for vertical

The patch collection container with the 'X' cut into the lid is pure brilliance, and should fit over the muzzle, too.... read that one after I already had bought a clamp-on muzzle-mate thing.

Thanks to everyone here, just a wealth of wisdom. Learned more in a few hours, than one whole year of beginning to reload for my .204. Much appreciated! I have never seen such an array of handy can-do approach and crafting / machining / electronics wizardry / recycling to little (and big) problems. Such creative beasts, all of you!

The volume of cases you guys deal with (1,000's) is astounding. I feel like a sweat-shop slave worker if I need to prepare just 100 cases Jokes.

All the best,

Len

 

[mineralman55]

Powder Throw Catcher

When setting up my Uniflow powder measure I like to throw 10 charges and weigh that for pistols, or 5 charges to weigh for rifle cases. Throwing the powder into the small pan that comes with the scale always results in powder grains spilling over or bouncing out of the shallow pan. To stop this, I took an empty, large-sized pharmacy pill bottle and squarely cut the top off. It fits perfectly underneath the drop tube of my RCBS 4x4 press. Now I just slam off 5 or 10 throws of powder into the bottle, then pour it into the shallow pan to weigh. I don't lose a single powder grain now.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

When setting up my Uniflow powder measure I like to throw 10 charges and weigh that for pistols, or 5 charges to weigh for rifle cases. Throwing the powder into the small pan that comes with the scale always results in powder grains spilling over or bouncing out of the shallow pan. To stop this, I took an empty, large-sized pharmacy pill bottle and squarely cut the top off. It fits perfectly underneath the drop tube of my RCBS 4x4 press. Now I just slam off 5 or 10 throws of powder into the bottle, then pour it into the shallow pan to weigh. I don't lose a single powder grain now.

Also, if you are using an electronic scale, place the empty bottle on the scale and zero. Then weigh the powder in the bottle and set the pan aside.

 

[splattergun]

When using my Lee PPM, I keep a small paper plate under it to catch any powder spill. I cut a small 'T' shape notch in the edge, with the bottom of the T at the edge and the cross of the T about 3/4 in inside the plate, so that the plate will stay put.

In that same vein, when weighing charges onto a scale pan often results in powder bouncing out of the pan so, I drop the powder into a plastic scoop from an Oxyclean bucket. then that charge is easily poured into the scale pan. Those scoops are square, so are easy to pour from, which gives them several uses around the bench, including scooping shot into the shot canister of the loader. I have almost zero spillage to sweep up from the bench now.

 

[ClayinAR]

I use the plastic cups that cake frosting comes in. Wife buys lots of 'em. Drop powder in, etc.

 

[ole farmerbuck]

I just hold the pan up close to or against the drop tube. Havent spilled any yet.

 

[Fire_Moose]

That's what I do.

Sent from my CZ85 Combat

 

[mineralman55]

"I just hold the pan up close to or against the drop tube. Havent spilled any yet."

Tried that for years. The rim on my pan has a small spout. No matter how I held it against the base of the upper part of the press a few grains managed to spill/bounce out. The pill bottle is deep and wide enough to stop that. I'm happy.

 

[twofish]

Made a weighted Powder Trickler Riser out of a hair spray top.

1) Find common aerosol can top of correct diameter and attach to powder trickler with
good tape. (Easy, I found many around the house that would have worked.)



2) Got two 4 oz. Pyramid Sinkers out of my tackle box. (Any lead item would work even
old bullets that won't be used or shotshell lead)



3) I glued the weights together so they would stay straight and most of the mass would
be as as low as possible.



4) Melt old candle wax in an empty soup can and fill the cap to encapsulate the weight.



5) Allow to cool for a couple of hours.



Worked like a champ. I now have a bottom heavy riser that is the perfect height to use with my scale.

Hope you can use.

twofish

 

[Andrew Leigh]

Cool

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

i have the same RCBS trickler. i removed the spout, turned it upside down, and poured the base full of molten lead. when it cooled, i turned it over and the lead fell out, so i used some gorilla glue to secure it inside the base and replaced the spout. now i can trickle with one hand.

 

[twofish]

I thought of that or using the weights and filling the trickler itself with wax but my biggest issue was height when using a digital scale.

 

[Dr.Zubrato]

When I lose track of my bullet inventory, a quick way of getting an accurate measurement is using old plastic PMC ammo trays from your caliber of choice, place them side by side and spread around handfuls of bullets until the trays are filled up. It's an easy and fast way to count hundreds at a time, for me at least.
one hole in a 9mm tray will hold 2 x115gr bullets, so I know how much I have left per batch if theres 100 per tray.
PS they also make for great loading blocks.

Also: not sure if I read it here, or on another forum. You can use old brass casings for a quick powder dipper, find an appropriate casing size, trim to your favorite powder charge, and what I do is wrap around a paperclip and twist it into place, and superglue around the rim so flakes won't get in between.

 

[lvbill]

Best way to clean Range Brass

1) You first need to wash all the Range Brass in a bucket of Solution, as follows. A. 1qt. hot water. B) 1 cup of White Vinegar. C) 1 tsp. salt, D) 1 Tbs. of Dwan dish soap. Let soak for 1 hour. You may need to double if you have lots of brass.
2) Rinse and lay ou in the sun to dry. Or you can even use the oven, set as low as possible and place on a cookie sheet to dry.
3) Next you Tumble the brass for 1/12 - to 2 hr. Using this Mix. Lizerad corn beding, is muchbiger in size th reg. typs of corm media. You will fine at Walmart. You will also need to buy .177 dia. steal air gun B.B's (Dasiey) also from walmart. You will also need to purchase a orange bottle of car polish called New Finish in the orange bottle. You add the corn and about 1/3 B.B's and two cap fulls of the car polish, into the tumbler. And let run for a few minets. to mix. I tumble with the primers in the brass, as it is to hard to remove from primer pocket's. You will clean the pockets later if you want! I use a stainless steel brush in a electric drill for cleaning the primer pockets.
4) You will now wash in a little soapy water and dry. You can also use a air compresser as well and blow out the case's.
5) I use a Dillon RL 550 B with a case feeder this is a great machine. I will take out all the Dies and the powder as well leaving only the first die. The DeCaper and resizeing Die in. I will Decap and resize all the cleaned brass Re install Dies and start loading

 

[cordercorral]

After cleaning my brass with steel media, I rinse with hot water. Then place the brass in a sock, place a hair dryer on the open end of the sock shake the sock a few times. Can dry 200 cases in 5min's.

 

[CozMoDan]

1) You first need to wash all the Range Brass in a bucket of Solution, as follows. A. 1qt. hot water. B) 1 cup of White Vinegar. C) 1 tsp. salt, D) 1 Tbs. of Dwan dish soap. Let soak for 1 hour. You may need to double if you have lots of brass.
2) Rinse and lay ou in the sun to dry. Or you can even use the oven, set as low as possible and place on a cookie sheet to dry.
3) Next you Tumble the brass for 1/12 - to 2 hr. Using this Mix. Lizerad corn beding, is muchbiger in size th reg. typs of corm media. You will fine at Walmart. You will also need to buy .177 dia. steal air gun B.B's (Dasiey) also from walmart. You will also need to purchase a orange bottle of car polish called New Finish in the orange bottle. You add the corn and about 1/3 B.B's and two cap fulls of the car polish, into the tumbler. And let run for a few minets. to mix. I tumble with the primers in the brass, as it is to hard to remove from primer pocket's. You will clean the pockets later if you want! I use a stainless steel brush in a electric drill for cleaning the primer pockets.
4) You will now wash in a little soapy water and dry. You can also use a air compresser as well and blow out the case's.
5) I use a Dillon RL 550 B with a case feeder this is a great machine. I will take out all the Dies and the powder as well leaving only the first die. The DeCaper and resizeing Die in. I will Decap and resize all the cleaned brass Re install Dies and start loading



Holey smokes Batman that will take more time than I spend at the range. Seriously though just spend a few dollars to get the stainless steel pins and a tumbler and put 1/4 tsp spoon of a lemon based cleaner and 2 tbl spoons of dish soap and tumble for 2 or 3 hours of more if needed. When I go to the range people say "You must be rich shoot brand new ammo" that is how good it looks.

Here is a link to the web site:

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

The instruction are also there.
Happy shooting.
Coz

 

[Skinnedknuckles]

I use a Lee Deluxe Turret Press to load both .38/.357 and 9mm. I find that after reloading a few boxes of ammo the turret alignment starts to drift just a little. I used to get the wrench out and adjust the index rod when it happened. Then when I changed calibers (and turrets) it was out of adjustment the other way. The solution finally dawned on me one day.

The reason it starts to fail to quite reach the index stop is an increase in friction in the turret. When the alignment starts to change I lift out the turret and wipe down the outer diameter of the turret and the inside diameter of the press ring with an oil impregnated cloth. Drop it back in and index accuracy is spot on.

 

[Lost Sheep]

I use a Lee Deluxe Turret Press to load both .38/.357 and 9mm. I find that after reloading a few boxes of ammo the turret alignment starts to drift just a little. I used to get the wrench out and adjust the index rod when it happened. Then when I changed calibers (and turrets) it was out of adjustment the other way. The solution finally dawned on me one day.

The reason it starts to fail to quite reach the index stop is an increase in friction in the turret. When the alignment starts to change I lift out the turret and wipe down the outer diameter of the turret and the inside diameter of the press ring with an oil impregnated cloth. Drop it back in and index accuracy is spot on.

A little lock-tite or similar preparation on the adjusting nut would probably help, too.

Don't forget to apply a little lube on the ball detent as well.

Lost Sheep

 

[Skinnedknuckles]

A little lock-tite or similar preparation on the adjusting nut would probably help, too.

Don't forget to apply a little lube on the ball detent as well.

Lost Sheep

I don't use the Loctite because I use more than one turret and there are small manufacturing tolerance differences that can affect adjustment. In any case, the actually adjustment doesn't seem to be changing, just the dynamics with friction changing how far the turret actually moves (push plus "coast") when I pull the handle.

 

[trixter]

I use a Lee Deluxe Turret Press to load both .38/.357 and 9mm. I find that after reloading a few boxes of ammo the turret alignment starts to drift just a little. I used to get the wrench out and adjust the index rod when it happened. Then when I changed calibers (and turrets) it was out of adjustment the other way. The solution finally dawned on me one day.

The reason it starts to fail to quite reach the index stop is an increase in friction in the turret. When the alignment starts to change I lift out the turret and wipe down the outer diameter of the turret and the inside diameter of the press ring with an oil impregnated cloth. Drop it back in and index accuracy is spot on.

I too found out the 'a little dab 'l do ya'. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[herrwalther]

Just the other day I was going through my catch all brass pile. Range pickups mostly. I learned how invaluable a flashlight on the reloading bench is. I put a .45LC case in my universal decapper set and met resistance. Apparently this round was Berden primed. Now I check any brass not shot by me. Thankfully it didn't break the decapping pin.

 

[TenDriver]

1) You first need to wash all the Range Brass in a bucket of Solution, as follows. A. 1qt. hot water. B) 1 cup of White Vinegar. C) 1 tsp. salt, D) 1 Tbs. of Dwan dish soap. Let soak for 1 hour. You may need to double if you have lots of brass.
2) Rinse and lay ou in the sun to dry. Or you can even use the oven, set as low as possible and place on a cookie sheet to dry.
3) Next you Tumble the brass for 1/12 - to 2 hr. Using this Mix. Lizerad corn beding, is muchbiger in size th reg. typs of corm media. You will fine at Walmart. You will also need to buy .177 dia. steal air gun B.B's (Dasiey) also from walmart. You will also need to purchase a orange bottle of car polish called New Finish in the orange bottle. You add the corn and about 1/3 B.B's and two cap fulls of the car polish, into the tumbler. And let run for a few minets. to mix. I tumble with the primers in the brass, as it is to hard to remove from primer pocket's. You will clean the pockets later if you want! I use a stainless steel brush in a electric drill for cleaning the primer pockets.
4) You will now wash in a little soapy water and dry. You can also use a air compresser as well and blow out the case's.
5) I use a Dillon RL 550 B with a case feeder this is a great machine. I will take out all the Dies and the powder as well leaving only the first die. The DeCaper and resizeing Die in. I will Decap and resize all the cleaned brass Re install Dies and start loading



Holey smokes Batman that will take more time than I spend at the range. Seriously though just spend a few dollars to get the stainless steel pins and a tumbler and put 1/4 tsp spoon of a lemon based cleaner and 2 tbl spoons of dish soap and tumble for 2 or 3 hours of more if needed. When I go to the range people say "You must be rich shoot brand new ammo" that is how good it looks.

Here is a link to the web site:

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

The instruction are also there.
Happy shooting.
Coz

Walnut shell / corn cob mix puts the shiny back on cases too. Throw in a used dryer sheet to keep the dust down.

Works good last long time.

 

[PhotoBiker]

For around the reloading bench, I always wear gloves. The nitrate/latex make my hands sweat and are expensive after a while. Last year I discovered these Gorilla Grips while walking the aisles at The Home Depot. They last me months, hands never sweat, they don't interfere with anything (no problems with the press), and I keep the crap off my hands.

When they are not on sale, they are $4.95/pr. I get a 10% military discount at my local Home Depot as well.

 

[Darkside]

Primer catcher for my RCII

This is my primer catcher for my Rock Chucker II with a Case Kicker. I put a 1/4" roll pin in the channel in the ram to keep the guided towards the spent primer "guide". This "guide" funnels the spent primer down the groove in the press where the primer arm was located and into a plastic catch container that I made out of Kydex.
http://[URL=http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/AR15-SBR/media/20131009_223735_resized3_zps5751325a.jpg.html] [/URL] "][/URL]

Here is a close up of the "guide"
"]http:// [/URL]

 

[Jcinnb]

My reloading and fly tying benches are adjacent. Maybe it's just me, but when I drop a bullet into the barrel of my bolt actions for placing it against the lands, it usually hangs up and results in frustration. In other words, the bullet seldom drops straight down the barrel.

One day I noticed a pair of fishing forceps with curved jaws on my fly tying desk. I tried holding the base of the bullet and got the bullet in the barrel the first try. Works very well.