The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Reloading => Topic started by: Bic on August 08, 2010, 08:32:33 PM
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I'm a HORRIBLE knife sharpener, I lack the patience and skills. I have no doubt that I would also be a HORRIBLE reloader....oh wait what's that bright & shiny thing over there.....now...where was I?
Anyway.....that's why I have 3 pistols in the same caliber and much ammunition, and an AR with stores likewise.
BUT! should TEOTWAWKI last long enough to exhaust these supplies AND I was fortunate enough to obtain a revolver, which used cartridges big enough for my fat fingers to play with, [ruger44mag/45colt?] and matching caliber H&R single shot rifle? AND a Lee Load All hand loading tool with the appropriate dies....is there a load which even I could put together without endangering myself/others with no other equipment?
I'm thinking perhaps of compressed loads so as not to have to weigh/measure powder. Black powder?, Shotgun powder to play with on those electricity free candle lit evenings .....all opinions appreciated, Ta
MP
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Ahhh...You ok over there, Bub?
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Don't set the candles too close to the powder ;D
Pick up a reloading guide. Plenty of delicious recipes inside. If your going to be loading one "all purpose" bullet, once you set everything up, you won't have to change anything.
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a powder dipper set...
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Ahhh...You ok over there, Bub?
Just a couple more and I will be......
MP
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How much do you shoot?
If your throwing a couple hundred down range a week then yeah reload. You wont save any money you will just shoot more :P
If your only throwing a few doz down the range buy em, ammo prices are dirt cheap in your neck of the woods.
It costs me to reload about 18.00 aus per 50 44rem mag to reload (including pill price) If I cast it would be 50% of that.
IMHO You will need a minimum: powder measure, scales, press, dies and a good reloading book.
and time, depending how much you have will also affect your decision to reload.
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How much do you shoot?
If your throwing a couple hundred down range a week then yeah reload. You wont save any money you will just shoot more :P
If your only throwing a few doz down the range buy em, ammo prices are dirt cheap in your neck of the woods.
It costs me to reload about 18.00 aus per 50 44rem mag to reload (including pill price) If I cast it would be 50% of that.
IMHO You will need a minimum: powder measure, scales, press, dies and a good reloading book.
and time, depending how much you have will also affect your decision to reload.
It's not about that stuff Sledge, I was envisioning an 'End of Civilisation' scenario where this might be a last, desperate resort for self defence and foraging, having run out of all other options.
Maybe I'd be better off just stocking up on a shootload more .22lr :-\
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22lr can take any game animal in north america.
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Go with black powder calibers then, under those circumstances you may wind up having to make your own.
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Go with black powder calibers then, under those circumstances you may wind up having to make your own.
+1
With black powder, you can compress it (some smokeless can be compressed, but it is rare) so that would eliminate the need for precision measurements. With the BP, you do have to maintain the cleanliness more stringently after shooting, but that can be done with dish soap and water, followed by kerosene or lamp oil in a pinch.
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Also, being lower pressure BP is more forgiving if the charge is a little heavy, it may screw up accuracy, but is less likely to blow up the gun.
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10-4, I knew I'd come to the right place. I'll grab a couple of pounds of ffg when I'm in The Big City and store it with the gasoline, propane & matches in the basement ;)
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10-4, I knew I'd come to the right place. I'll grab a couple of pounds of ffg when I'm in The Big City and store it with the gasoline, propane & matches in the basement ;)
Atta boy!!!!
;D ;D ;D
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It's not about that stuff Sledge, I was envisioning an 'End of Civilisation' scenario where this might be a last, desperate resort for self defence and foraging, having run out of all other options.
Maybe I'd be better off just stocking up on a shootload more .22lr :-\
.
Ahhh I C, you talking about end of days scenarios, funnily enough a good friend of mine and I ordered some tech grade potassium nitrate other month, our plan is to see how closelfy we can come to making commercial grade BP for precisely that reason. We need to make up a ball mill yet and give it a whirl (taking into account all safety protocols of course). We figure we can make primers etc we may as well give this powder thing a whirl to see how good we can get it.
Its good fun to use but dirty shit, get a stainless revolver if you plan on using it and find a good bullet lube, that will be your key to success. Lubricant is everything when dealing with BP.
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TEOTWAWKI ?
What does this stand for? I hear the mall ninja's use it a lot. I'm not up on my SHTF "lingo". Bill T.
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TEOTWAWKI ?
What does this stand for? I hear the mall ninja's use it a lot. I'm not up on my SHTF "lingo". Bill T.
The
End
Of
The
World
As
We
Know
It
8)
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The
End
Of
The
World
As
We
Know
It
8)
What are they talking about? That has come and gone. Hussein was inaugurated a year and a half ago! Bill T.
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I'd say a shot gun with full brass shells would be the easyest thing to reload. All you need is powder, primer, some thing to use as a wad, and something hard for shot.
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Got me to thinking.
What would it take to set up to be able to make modern ammunition after a "crash"?
It would be a great survival occupation for a group of folks, both for personal use and as barter.
Can smokeless powder be made with low tech means?
Manufacturing brass cases? Gilding for jacketed bullets?
All this was done with 1900's technology.
Finding and stockpiling the resources can start early.
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Sledgemeister: "Lubricant is everything when dealing with DP." :o :o :o
My editing - sorry Sledge, couldn't resist ;)
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Sledgemeister: "Lubricant is everything when dealing with DP." :o :o :o
My editing - sorry Sledge, couldn't resist ;)
Your forgiven, that statement could go well with many names ;D
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Got me to thinking. What would it take to set up to be able to make modern ammunition after a "crash"? It would be a great survival occupation for a group of folks, both for personal use and as barter. Can smokeless powder be made with low tech means? Manufacturing brass cases? Gilding for jacketed bullets?
All this was done with 1900's technology. Finding and stockpiling the resources can start early.
With the proper knowledge, machinery, and raw materials, anyone can manufacture just about anything in a pinch. The problem is the amount of equipment that is necessary, along with the quality of the final outcome. It would be extremely difficult to produce brass cases of the same quality of the major manufacturers. Modern smokeless gunpowder is made in a very elaborate manufacturing process to maintain lot to lot consistency. Some of it is actually produced under water for safety reasons.
I think a much better alternative would be to heavily stockpile components. For example enough .223 brass that would fill a couple of 30 gallon trash cans would keep a safe full of AR-15's running for a long time. Especially when you consider the fact they can be reloaded several times over. Smokeless gun powder is safe to store in very large quantities, as are primers. Bullets can be cast, just as long as you have access to a large enough supply of lead and Tin. Jacketed projectiles are heavy, but take up very little space.
When you consider how much room you would need to manufacture this stuff, on even a small scale, it would be far easier to use that room to stockpile most everything you would need to reload for years to come. Also, if the need arises it is far easier to move raw components than it is the machinery required to make them. Bill T.
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With the proper knowledge, machinery, and raw materials, anyone can manufacture just about anything in a pinch. The problem is the amount of equipment that is necessary, along with the quality of the final outcome. It would be extremely difficult to produce brass cases of the same quality of the major manufacturers. Modern smokeless gunpowder is made in a very elaborate manufacturing process to maintain lot to lot consistency. Some of it is actually produced under water for safety reasons.
I think a much better alternative would be to heavily stockpile components. For example enough .223 brass that would fill a couple of 30 gallon trash cans would keep a safe full of AR-15's running for a long time. Especially when you consider the fact they can be reloaded several times over. Smokeless gun powder is safe to store in very large quantities, as are primers. Bullets can be cast, just as long as you have access to a large enough supply of lead and Tin. Jacketed projectiles are heavy, but take up very little space.
When you consider how much room you would need to manufacture this stuff, on even a small scale, it would be far easier to use that room to stockpile most everything you would need to reload for years to come. Also, if the need arises it is far easier to move raw components than it is the machinery required to make them. Bill T.
Yeah...more bang for the effort and resources by stockpiling.
I hate it when practicality ruins a nice dream :D :D