link to pics

ahem, a link that works now

Yeah, sometimes we just have to "make do".

This gives the term "showoff" a new level!

I think we are all in awe and green with envy....

Why the redundancy?

3 damn Ammomasters? A Dillon for each primer size?

Are his targets on a hill?

Those tables, unless loaded down with bullets, aren't very stable, methinks they would tip over easily.

Hate to be critical but some seem to have more money than brains.

Beautiful landscape.

-Spencer

Gives special zing to the phrase, "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing."

Now that is what my heaven looks like. Is that one press for each caliber? That's how I would do it.

quote:

Originally posted by 45otto:
Now that is what my heaven looks like. Is that one press for each caliber? That's how I would do it.

All I would need with that is some hot looking nude woman to bring me drinks.......................among other things

quote:

Originally posted by ShopCartRacing:


Those tables, unless loaded down with bullets, aren't very stable, methinks they would tip over easily.


-Spencer

I used to be bolted to the wall, and I almost pulled it loose a few times.

Now I no longer use the expander ball, and I only need a wimpy set up.

That's Awesome!

Must be Nice.

Reloader

Hey tnekkcc, You do have yourself quite a nice Set-Up.

Lots of small interesting details, like two Clocks and two Thermometers. Huuumm, and probably wear a temp sensing watch too.

The page seems to be down right now.

Well, I hope that shooting hole doesn't cross a frequented area. Always makes me nervous shooting out of a building like that....

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
link to pics

"THE PAGE CANNOT BE DISPLAYED"

That site is down, not just the link. It is a big site, and should come back.

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
link to pics

I very much like the ranch...very pretty country. If it was mine, my next step would be to get that jeep out of there and use the space to reduce the clutter in the loading room.

I might not get rid of all the clutter, though, as I'd probably use some of the space to do what I've done with my similar room now...put in a 13x40 or similar size hobby lathe.

I put a carport just outside my double doors, so my Toy 4x4 can sit out there protected from the winter weather but still immediately handy. Would also eventually substitute shelved cabinets with lockable doors for those wood shelves, and build much more sturdy benches, with a nice triple coat of spar varnish or moisture-setting gym floor finish before assembly. Have done both here and am glad I did.

You've got a real nice start, though, and I know the same "compulsion" that caused you to put the dinero into your current set-up will also cause you to refine it over the years.

Nice place.

What in the pictures makes ya'll think the tables are unstable ?

Hammer, who are you asking?


If you're asking me, I didn't say they look unstable. I said I'd upgrade them with something more sturdy...sturdy as in likely to stay stable, longer.

The ones in his picture look to be made of rather small dimension wood (except for the plywood tops), with rather small mating joints. Over time, the constant repeated application of pressure at the sides of the benches will most likely cause those joints to begin to separate.

If I knew how to post pictures to this site, I'd show you what I mean by sturdier benches.

Is anyone else not getting through to this link at all?

Alberta - send me your pics and I'll see what I can do.

THe reason I think they would be rickety is twofold. Firstly, you have about 50 - 100 lbs of reloading presses and other junk on the top shelf with nothing comproably heavy on the lower shelf.

Also, they have no feet and no footprint, rather they rest on the ends of 4 pieces of angle. Even some simple rubber pads on the bottoms would be a great improvement.

I still can't get over why anyone would need 3 Ammomasters in the same room. Crazy.

-Spencer

Mathematicians love multiplicity...

quote:

Originally posted by ShopCartRacing:
... I still can't get over why anyone would need 3 Ammomasters in the same room. Crazy.

-Spencer

Dillon doesn't make a progressive loader for the Nitro Express cartridges or the 50 BMG.

Maybe someone else does.

So three RCBS Ammomasters serve as a semi-progressive loader for big cases.

quote:

Originally posted by 9.3x62:
Mathematicians love multiplicity...

More than that, they love raising things to a higher power.

What's the difference between an introverted mathematician and an extroverted mathematician?

An introverted mathematician looks at his shoes when he talks to to you; and extroverted mathematicians looks at your shoes when he talks to you.

I know, I know..

can't get the link to work.

The benches have been made out of three different frames.

The three benches along the wall with four Dillon 550s have 4x4 posts for legs with 2x8 for additional framing. All were built by cabinet-makers using notched joints, glue, wood cement, bolts, and screws.

The tall bench with the 4x8 foot top with the Dillon 1050, three 650s, and a 550 on it has a welded steel frame made with 2x2 square tubing material. It was built by a welder artist whose work has been displayed in New York City museums.

The other reloading table has a frame made from two Gorilla Rack heavy-duty shelving frames that have been put together to form the base for a table top that is 4x4 feet. Gorilla Racks have no bolts but are held together by tight-fitting notches. The only tool needed for frame assembly is a heavy rubber or plastic head mallet. This table has two RCBS Rockchuckers on one side, three RCBS Ammomasters on the opposite side, and a Lee Turret on a third side. There are enough cast bullets on the bottom shelf that the entire defensive front line of the state high school championship football team could not move it. Even without that cast lead bullet weight, this table with eight legs and three plywood shelves never budged in use.

The Gorilla Rack frames work just fine and the others are overkill.

There are other small tables in the room that are built from Gorilla Rack frames that are meant to be portable (movable). They are typically 18" x 36" with 1 and 1/2 inch plywood tops and shelves. They are used for gun cleaning, assembly and disassembly, etc. Have some built on wheel coasters so they can be rolled to the shelves where bullets, brass, powder, etc are stored and easily brought to the loading tables.

Cannot recommend other metal shelving frames other than the heavy-duty Gorilla Racks for reloading tables. Have tried several others and they do not hold up. Can only recommend the heavy-duty Gorilla Rack frames. In the past have bought them at Home Depot, Lowe's, Fred Meyers, Sam's Club, etc. Don't know where to get them right now. Retail when these were bought was $69 to $89 each. Think I have over 40 for various uses.

All the table tops are made of two sheet thicknesses of 3/4 inch plywood for a total of 1 and 1/2 inches thick. Most are then covered with another 1/2 inch thick smooth finished wood top.

Under all the table tops, each has plenty of cross-members for support. Reloading press bolts are secured through angle iron forming an under table frame for the press in addition to heavy-duty washers.

Any of these tables will support thousands of pounds of weight. Have done some serious case forming for wildcats using the presses on these tables. Never a budge or wiggle. There is no wiggle or vibration from any of them in any use.

Have had built probably a dozen reloading tables prior to these and know improvement is always possible. This is the third hobby building built, again always looking for improvements.

Always looking for ways to improve and am interested in comments and suggestions.

My first press was a RCBS Rockchucker and keep two mounted now. But they're a tight squeeze for some of the African rounds like the 500 Nitro Express. That's why the three RCBS AmmoMasters stay mounted for quasi-progressive loading of them.

Time is in very short supply and demands on time are unlimited. That's why so many progressive presses setup for different primers. All the toolheads also have their own Dillon powder measure permanently setup so changing from one cartridge to another takes seconds, not minutes. For 44, actually keep multiple toolheads setup for different powder loads so if need to switch from 7.5 grains of Unique to 8.0 grains of Unique, it can be done instantly just by changing the toolhead. All the powder measures now have aftermarket micrometer dials which have been statistically calibrated for frequently used powders so this level of setup is not as necessary as it once was.

On a side note, keep a Savage action ready with over 50 barrels to screw on/off in order to test different cartridges and loads. The Savage action and barrel setup is the equivalent of the Dillon removable toolhead. The Savage has quickly replaceable stocks and scopes for the same reason.

Historically use the Dillon 550s more than any other press. Both 550 and 650 primer systems can cause problems without proper maintenance or with rushed operation. The trend is towards using the 650s more. In minutes of use, the 1050 sees the least use because of my change in shooting interests and because the 1050 is so efficient when it is used.

Never had an issue of trust with squibb loads with any of the Dillon equipment. Usually have assistants helping in the loading and any issues of trust are more connected with their experience and distraction level. Twenty-odd years ago had a no-powder load on the 40th-shot of an IHMSA match due to a missed powder charge done by an assistant, but those loads were done on a Redding Turret press. (That assistant is no longer with me, but he is the president of a 10,000+ employee company.)

Adjusting the Dillon powder die for rifle loads is more difficult for me than adjusting the equivalent handgun powder die. Probably the rifle powder die is more sensitive to case length.

There are other presses mounted on tables not in view. They include Bonanza COAX, Redding Turret, Lee Turret, Hornady, Lyman, 3 Ted Smith Mity-Mites, MEC, etc. They are not used as much these days as they once were.

..........

From the shooting bench, can fire, handload the same case, and fire again without leaving the shooting stool or pivoting more than 45 degrees. Time to refire the same case including powder charge adjustment is seconds, not minutes. There is a Harrel Precision powder measure and an electronic scale right there. Each round fired is measured by seven different chronographs on the same midpoint. The seven readings are then analyzed and any statistical outliers can be accounted for. Loads can be worked up quickly this way.

There are also multiple bullet penetration/performance boxes immediately availabe using Bob Hagel's mixture, water, wet or dry newspapers, solid wood boards, or Corbin's simulated material.

Ultimately, though, testing must be done in the field requiring repeat trips to Africa.

Site with pictures is back up.

http://forums.sixgunner.com/tm.aspx?m=27446

Four by eight foot target stands go out from 10, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, out to 800 yards.

The jeep is solely for going down range to change paper targets which is needed a couple of times per day.

Auto-resetting steel targets are placed at random distances out to a mile and their distance and location are changed frequently to keep life interesting.

There is no one who should ever be anywhere on this range. It is remote, private, fenced, and guarded.


Safety is of utmost importance.

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
This gives the term "showoff" a new level!

...

The pictures were posted on another site after members of that site who had seen the setup urged me to share it. Probably was a mistake.

On the various sites where they have been posted by various people there have been 35,000+ hits.

As I sit is suburbia where land is $2M/acre and it is a long drive to the range, seeing someone have the reloading equiptment that close to his own range causes some envy.

If I could adjust my handloads and shoot again in minutes instead of waiting until next weekend, gun after gun of mine would get optomized.

I do load at the range, but that requires a huge effort.

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
... If I could adjust my handloads and shoot again in minutes instead of waiting until next weekend, gun after gun of mine would get optomized.

I do load at the range, but that requires a huge effort.

Started out doing my load development on the public range near where I grew up down South. Loaded everything to take to the range including hand dies and presses secured by C-clamps on the concrete benches. Used a B&M powder measure since any breeze killed a scale.


Back then seeing anyone with a chronograph caused a crowd. Then explaining to folks how to convert Base 8 numbers to Base 10 was fun. Some of the on-lookers saw their first computer at the shooting range.

Loading all the stuff, setting up at the range, reloading stuff in the vehicle, then unloading at home was a real pain. Seriously considered building a special trailer to keep all my stuff in so that only hitching it up and driving to the range was required. Had plans worked up and everything (long since lost).

Met Neal Knox and Fred Sinclair at the range once where they were attending a formal benchrest match that weekend. If memory serves me right, Knox was flying a Beechcraft Bonanza at the time whereas I was a Mooney man. Sinclair ended up building me a rifle.

Lots of memories...

Hammer

I had to show my wife the pictures of your set up, she teases me about my 300 square feet of handloading/bullet casting space. She said "Wow, go big or stay home!" I say more power to you, I know guys that own $30K boats and use them a few days each year. We're only here for a little while, might as well enjoy what we love to do

saw the pictures finally - wonderful setup!

Is that what you call a complete reloading setup?????? Are you kidding me?????? I did not see a single digital scale check-weight anywhere!!!!

Dude.....what's it like being in heaven, without having to die first?

quote:

Originally posted by Hammer:
...The pictures were posted on another site after members of that site who had seen the setup urged me to share it. Probably was a mistake...

Hey Hammer, If you can't tell when people are envious by giving you a needle or two, then perhaps you are correct.

Only mistake I could see is if some of us figure out where you are located and try to become "buddies" to use your set-up and range.
---

Surely you have an Iced Tea cooler close by.

............and make sure the tea is sweet, please.

Punch

quote:

Originally posted by mbartel:
...I did not see a single digital scale check-weight anywhere!!!!

Rest assured there are digital scales on every bench and NBS traceable check weights.

quote:

Originally posted by Puncher:
............and make sure the tea is sweet, please.

Punch

Is there some other kind ?

And there is a refrigerator full of drinks restocked daily.

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Hey Hammer, If you can't tell when people are envious by giving you a needle or two, then perhaps you are correct.

Only mistake I could see is if some of us figure out where you are located and try to become "buddies" to use your set-up and range.
---

Surely you have an Iced Tea cooler close by.

Hot Core,

Normally am considered to have a pretty good sense of humor and sorry if any comments/responses came across otherwise.

The long notes on benches and presses were copied from the sixguns.com forum which were originally responses to specific questions. Did update them in response to questions/comments that came from various sources since they were originally written.

Am always looking for ways to improve this setup and anything else. Am always making incremental improvements to the setup and have started totally over with three different buildings.

Make my living experimenting on all kinds of things trying to improve them.

Know there is nothing perfect or close to it. (Except my wife's cooking.)

Hammer