Thursday, September 11, 2014

Cooking up some zombie pills

Taking a break from mudding the living room
Its time to cook up a batch of . . . Zombie Pills
First ingredient, 500 count of once fired 9mm Luger
Cleaned de-primed, sized and re-primed
250 count of Berrys 115 grain plated round nose.
Verified on the digital scale
One case in to the expander die
3.9 grains of Alliant Red Dot
bullet seated and crimped
 
 Check for over all length, 1.151 inch
Repeat 100 times
This is what the process looks like

10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Nothing to it Jaz, I find it quite relaxing. I enjoy the detail and precision of it all.

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  2. Thumbs up! The only way to get consistent accuracy is to have consistency in the ammunition. Something you can't get in most off the shelf loads.

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    1. MV, while my ultimate goal is not necessarily improved accuracy, but self sufficiency and economy, the improved consistency is a nice benefit. I rather like a 6$ cost per 50 count instead of 18 or 20 $ for the store bought.

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  3. Your living room is going to be great.

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    1. Yael, I'm getting there. I think one more coat of plaster, then sanding and then paint.

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  4. I think I have probably loaded more 9mm than anything else over the years. I am blessed with a Wilson case gauge that makes checking the product a lot easier. Other than that, I just have basic tools, a rock chucker is about my most sophisticated bit of gear, though I did break down and buy a digital scale.

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    1. Harry: I only check C.O.L every so often, mostly upon starting a batch just to ensure the dies are set right for that specific recipe. I will look in to one of those Wilson case gauges. I like using the LEE dippers for dosing propellant but with the Red Dot and the 115 grain Berry's I was just between the .3 and .5 cc scoop, so I wound up weighing every charge. Probably the most precise load I have made up so far. I bought the little Hornady digital scale on sale last year for 18 $ and it does make it much easier than the old balance beam type. Rock Chuckers these days are going for big money. I am keeping my eyes peeled for a used one. I have the LEE Classic cast press that I got on sale for 80$. The turret makes it easy to save your die settings, and as I had already sized and primed I was turning it manually. If you run the full stroke on the lever you can make it cycle though all four stages. I was doing a factory crimp. On that one if you add all the bells and whistles you can make it in to full progressive.

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  5. I've got a MEC 12 gauge set up. Just need to sit down and do it! Thanks for sharing. I really want to get into reloading.

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    1. Glad you liked it Mark. I really enjoy reloading, I find it almost therapeutic. Its good not only for self sufficiency but to keep the cost down. I have a box of 50 rounds down to 6 bucks and it gets even cheaper if you cast your own. And next time when politicians scare folks in to a buying binge and all the common calibers are missing from the shelves you can make your own. It also gives you a lot of flexibility, in that you can load powder puff loads for the missus or when you introduce your children to shooting and otherwise customize your loads to your use. And there is the recycling aspect of it too. I have never tried using a MEC shot shell loader, and have not really gotten in to shot shell reloading mostly because I can still get 12 and 20 gauge so cheaply at Wallyworld. I do have the little LEE Loaders for my shot shells if I am ever so inclined, but with shot shells they are so big you can load them just by hand with no real tools, depriming them with a nail and do wax, or glue plugs and forgo the crimp. I also have the LEE loaders for my metal cartridges when I just feel like siting out on the deck and enjoying the fresh air.
      If you want to get in to reloading brass without investing much money the little LEE loaders are great and can be had from ebay for 25 $ or less. Here is the process in about 40 seconds.
      http://youtu.be/UeEl9wZyabc

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