Although I dont post much , I try to read everything and this board and its members have been more helpful than any other source. So with that in mind I thought I would start a thread where we could all share a helpful hint or safety tip . A couple things I do are :
Even though I decap before I do anything else I always have the decapping pin in my sizing die . This will clean out any stuck tumbling media.
I also always write on a piece of masking tape , the powder and charge weight , then stick it to my powder measure. That way it always right in front of my eyes .
I would like to hear some more tips from everyone . We can all still learn something.

After filling powder dispencer, cap powder container and place it in the middle of the floor or another "obvious" out of location place that stands out. When dispencing is done immediately put excess powder back into the out of place jug.Do not let it set in powder dispencer over night .
The best case luricant I ever found is a fine coat of Bardahl. NO wrinkled shoulders or stuck cases. Costs little and lasts forever. Keep a saturated work towel in a ziplock bag. Use on a 1x6x8 board.Change bag & board every 4 years. THIS STUFF WORKS.

Handle lubed cases with one hand only primers (if necessary) with other hand.

When disturbed while loading powder place a 3/16" dowel rod in next case to be loaded.
In some cases dowel rods can be used to indicate powder height. roger

I set the can of powder on the bench by my powder drop. the rest stay on the top shelf. That can stays there until I have all cases loaded, boxes marked etc, notes take etc. I use lee auto primeing tool. I put the primers in the autoprime, then put the box the primers came in the box the lee autoprime goes in that way I know what primers are in the auto prime. I also do not buy primers in large qty and keep them away from my powder. I had a primer tray blow up on a multi stg press about 10 yrs ago, I still have the chipped tooth as a reminder. Primers will get ya.

i found that sprinkling powder from a small glass spice jar with holes large enough for the powder being used is easier and faster than a powder trickler.

When working up loads with several powder charges and multiple powders, I always write the powder and charge on the side of the case with a Sharpie immediately after bullet seating. When I go to the range and reach max with a particular load and come home with unfired loaded rounds, I always know what is what. Writing on the box is for the birds if cartridges get mixed up.

I also mark my magnum primers on a loaded round with a red Sharpie. If I have to pull a bullet, I know what the case is primed with.

Even if you are using a progressive press stop to check you powder settings at least every 10-20 rounds and check every so often in the press itself to make certain powder and primers flow evenly and equally. It can become very rythmic on a progressive and you can forget where you are or not catch an error until it's way too late. I use the tape on the powder measure method too works great and it's easy.

If possible use the spray lube for cases. I like the Dillon product personally but have heard good things about the others. I bought a smallish rectangular plastic container with lid at the Dollar store for just the purpose of case lubing. I put a few cases in the container squirt on the lube and shake the container a bit. as the case roll around they lub up and none gets inside the mouth. I also labeld the container so no food or anything else gets store in it.

Speaking of those plastic containers I bought 3 deep rectanular models with lids at the same Dollar store and use them for my cleaned pistol cases. Also labled so no one puts a 45ACP into the 40S&W bin (Yeah that never happened ).These also work well for bul pistol bullets too.

Before pouring powder back in the jug, I compare the look and smell of the powders.



My Uniflow powder measure and mounting bracket are not mounted but is clamped to the bench. That way the powder measure can quickly be unclamped and then turned upside down for pouring back into the jug. There is always some powder in the drum, so the measure must be cranked a few times to get empty after pouring. I have a separate big funnel for pouring powder back in jugs.



When transporting to the range, I take the balance beam off the scale. When I set it up at the range, I make sure that wind cannot put a shift on it.



While shooting at the range, I take notes. Sometimes I have so many targets that I could forget what they are about, so I draw a map of the targets while I am still at the bench. I also write down any gunsmithing that may be needed.



When I load up an incremental work up, I put them in a plastic cartridge box with a post-it sticker on the inside of the lid. When the box is opened the sticker reads like a map of where what load is. I have short hand for marking on the post-it; "PP" means pierced primer, "FC" means fully compressed an NO more powder will ever fit with ANY double compression tricks, "w/nut" means over all length measured with the Sinclair bullet comparitor that looks like a nut.



As soon as I get home from the range I review my targets and mark the groups. Then I write up a range report that co relates loads to groups and send it as an email to someone. I print the email an staple it to the stack of targets and file it with targets.



--

A society that teaches evolution as fact will breed a generation of atheists that will destroy the society. It is Darwinian.

new to the site, so please forgive my ignorance. recently received 40 lbs of "wc-852 military powder" and need any and all info on reloading with 30.6 shells.

I get these little colored stickers at the office supply store that have several different colors in one package. I use them to mark powder cans. Rifle powders are one color, pistol another. (I can almost match AA powder's colors!) The little sticker goes on the can's top, and when the powder is poured into the hopper, the sticker goes on the hopper. (Yes, I check to see if the sticker matches the can's labeling!) The can goes on a shelf away from my bench but not back into storage. Only one powder out at a time. When the powder goes back into the can, the sticker is pulled and put back on the cap. When the "sticky" gives up, I just make another label. I haven't had to throw away a hopper full of powder since I started doing this.


Before I had a dedicated reloading area in my house, I reloaded in my garage. I found I could put empty cases in old plastic two liter pop bottles. I let the tops on them; cut a two + inch hole at the top to fill or empty the jugs. I found I could take a piece of coathanger and put a bend in each end, and hang my jugs on the rafters in the garage. I still keep pistol cases this way. I can tell at a glance what caliber. You'd be surprised how many cases you can get in a jug. A little masking or 100mph tape on the edge of the hole will keep you from getting cut on the plastic.

My gunsmith uses a plain old O cedar sponge to lube cases. Works just fine. Rolls the round in it just like a RCBS.

Ku-dude

I use the sheet below so I can keep rack of what I've done. Plus I tape a piece of masking tape to the loading box recording the box number and caliber. I have the boxes marked similarly. I usually deprime using a univeral deprimer.



Reloading Data

Caliber:______________ # of Rounds _______ Page:___________

Type Brass_______________________ Box Number _______ Firing__________

Comments _____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________


============================================================================

Rounds in batch _____ Deprimed________ Cleaned � after deprime_ after sizing_

Resized-Full _______ Neck ______ Annealed ___________

Primer Pocket ______ Flash Hole _________ Trimmed__________ Deburred ___________

Primer_________ Powder __________________ Grains __________ Bullet ___________ Crimped____

OAL___________________ Datum to Case Head _____________ Ogive to Case Head___________

Comments ___________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

============================================================================

Range Location_______________________ Distance _____________ Barometric Pressure_______

Date _________ Sky________ Humidity _______ Temp _______ Target Number_________

Comments _____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

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