Happy April Fools!
But this isn’t totally a joke! Check out this video of a user who built a functional brass tumbler our of tinker toys!
As you continue reloading ammunition, sooner or later your going to realize “Whoah! How do I organize all my components like brass because I have a lot of stuff!”
Well, many people just put brass in bags, or back in the original ammo boxes after a day at the range.
The video below will shed a little light on storing and stockpiling your brass for reloading.
While there are many different ways to install primers into your pistol brass, one of the popular tools to install primers in the Lee Priming Tool.
This nifty hand held tool will make installing brass a breeze.
Watch the video below as this user demonstrates how to lee priming tool works, and to see if it’s for you.
Many shooters leave their brass on the range when they shoot it.
SCORE FOR YOU, THE RELOADER!
As you have likely seen, especially at outdoor ranges, range brass can be VERY dirty. One of the first things you’ll want to do is soak all the “junk” off the brass before you run it through your tumbler, dies, and equipment.
Many folks boil their brass in dish soap. Others use cleaners like “Simple Green” to safely remove all the nasty stuff before they get down to work.
But a word to the wise! Be careful how long you soak and clean brass in Simple Green. As the user in the video below will show us, Simple Green can work wonders for your super-dirty brass, but let soak too long, and you can end up with a tarnished mess.
Watch the video below to see the potential tarnishing effects if let to soak for too long! Be careful!
Some advanced reloaders, especially precision long range high-power shooters will know about the advantages of shooting with Moly Coated Bullets.
The theory behind firing moly coated bullets is that they will increase the accuracy by limiting the drag of a bullet traveling down a rifles barrel.
Moly coated bullets can at time be difficult to find in stores, so many reloaders familiar with shooting Moly may find the below video useful.
It is important to realize however that there may be some downsides to shooting Moly Coated Bullets. Many claim the Moly Coating actually will foul your rifles barrel fast, and that once you make it a habbit to shoot Moly, you shouldn’t go back to copper or brass jackets projectiles.
Many precision shooters swear that JHP boat tailed bullets can be just as accurate, so make sure and do a little research before you make the jump to Moly.
However, if your set on shooting Moly, the video below will help you get started making your own Moly Coated bullets.
One of the first things all reloaders need ot do before they start reloading is to consult a quality reloading manual. A decent manual will match the caliber and weight of your bullet with the proper powder along with the amount of powder which is safe to reload with.
Also of great importance in good modern reloading manuals is the MAXIMUM amount of powder safe for a certain load. NEVER EXCEED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF POWDER IN YOUR RELOADS as set forth by your reloading manual.
It can be difficult to select a reloading manual. If you do a little research online, you’ll often find thread after thread of people arguing back and forth over what is the “best” reloading manual to use. This guy likes the Lyman manual, while this guy likes the Lee Precision manual… and on… and on… This can be quite intimidating and confusing for the novice reloader or the reloader on a budget!
But there is good news! Hodgdon powders, one of the largest gunpowder manufactures in the world, publishes safe reloading recipes and data on their website for most all of their powders FREE OF CHARGE!
While it is often a good idea to compare one or two manuals recipes, we have found the the data on the Hogdon site is VERY accurate, and is all the data that many casual reloaders will need. The best thing about it is that is is periodically updated with any changes that may come about.
You can find the Hogdon’s reloading data on their website at http://www.hodgdon.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html
Sooner or later you are going to wonder what are the optimum reloading recipes for your reloaded rounds. Just how fast ARE those bullets travelling in FPS (feet per second)?
This is where the chronograph comes in handy. The chronograph is an affordable and easy to use instrument that measures the speed in FPS (feet per second) of a bullet shot out of your gun.
By using a chronograph, you are able to accurately see and record bullet velocities so you can adjust your reloading recipes accordingly.
In the past few years, the cost of chronographs have plummeted, making them a must-have tool for most reloaders.
In the video tutorial below, we will learn more about how to set up and and use a chronograph, how they work, and how they can help us as we reload our own ammunition.
Questions about primers are some of the most popular questions asked by new reloaders.
Many want to know what primer is proper for what cartridge, what primers are better than others, how do I safely handle and store primers, etc.
The video below is a good overview of primers, their handling, and their storage. If you are new to reloading, please watch carefully
While we know that reloading Berdan primers are difficult due to the nature of the primer and the availability of the proper reloading components, it IS possible to remove Berdan primers.
This video tutorial below will walk you through the steps on how to de-prime Berdan brass.
Maybe you’re one of the few lucky ones who can find suitable Berdan primers for reloading!
There is a large supply of military surplus ammunition on the market that contain Berdan primers. Most people know that is is difficult if not almost impossible to reload Berdan primed brass.
If you’re not careful, it is possible to break your depriming pin if you accidentally try and deprime Berdan primers.
Watch the video below to learn and see the difference between the two primers.
