Recent content by Twoboxer

After my hands tired of the squeeze-a-primer tools, I bought the RCBS Auto Priming Tool. You must mount it to the bench, perhaps with clamps, and you must fill the same primer tubes with primers as if you were priming on a progressive press. It works great, especially when paired with a Hornady...

Besides sample defects, the main problem with "low cost" digital scales is being highly sensitive to RF noise. Cell phones, microwaves, motors, fluorescent lamps (ballasts), wireless phones, WiFi . . . the list is long and getting longer every day. A second problem that afflicted (eg) the...

If both powders are from the same lot and neither has been abused, there's no issue combining them. Keep in mind that lot to lot variations of 4%-5% actually mean an 8%-10% theoretical swing is possible from lot to lot. If you run into a theoretical worst case when you are already pushing the...

And more than double the royalties lol? Eventually people may stop paying more by buying WIN231. Until then, whatever they buy yields Hodgdon the same profit.

We always have to keep in mind that Hodgdon is a packager, not a manufacturer of powder. Hodgdon pays a royalty to use the WIN231 product name and that's what makes it more expensive than the identical powder, HP38. You can see the two products sharing the same batch number at times. Why is...

The electronic scales most handloaders use (ie, <$500) all use the same basic strain gauge load cell technology. Strain gauges are often sarcastically referred to as "noise meters", ie, they will react to electronic noise. This noise can come over the power cord or over the air. Sources include...

I'm referring to devices like the Gempro 250, Chargemasters, and other similar weighing devices that use strain gauge load cells and are described as scales. The FX120i is called a balance, uses a hybrid mag force restoration device, and is not sensitive to RF and other "noise". These are...

Unfortunately, "readability" has little to do with "precision" or "repeatability". Under ~$500, the strain gauge used is far too susceptible to noise, both on the line and over the air. This is what causes these scales to flutter and frequently lose zero. When a scale has lost zero, do you have...

If he must carry a caliber that is only slightly more effective than a paint ball gun, it shouldn't be an over-weight 6-shooter with low capacity and slow reload. EG, the Ruger SR22 weighs ONE-THIRD LESS than the Bearcat, is smaller in overall length and likely in width, and he can carry the...

Want to shoot 2, or 3, or 4 times as much as your budget allows for factory ammunition? With more consistent ammo? That's what handloading does for us. Taken literally, no one wants to just "save money". They want to shoot more with better ammo for what they are spending, or would spend, on...

Well, saving money sorta depends on a couple of factors. The big 3 are probably how much you shoot, what kind of ammo satisfies your needs, and how you value your time. There's no doubt you can produce more consistent ammo at a lower cost per round than factory ammo. The savings on 115gr 9mm RM...

Re: your comment above . . . most folks with multiple progressive presses started out thinking the same as you. So maybe it might be worthwhile to review the basic pros/cons of the three Dillon presses involved. First, while a progressive might produce 100 rounds in 9 minutes, that is just...

First, Federal brass is usually shorter than trim-to-length (in several calibers) before firing. Then, during firing the case walls and shoulder are pushed hard against the chamber. These two events tend to pull the case mouth down, shortening case length. The case will stretch some during...

Have you ever tried to clean brass using a sonic cleaner? Might save you time and effort if you can borrow one. Many have been reported to require several cleaning cycles before doing an adequate job, even with small batch sizes. The solution one uses is chemically active, if mildly, so being...

There seem to be two choices. The RCBS Chargemaster Lite for around $250 (Midway) should perform similar to your old Pact, both the good and the bad. For truly superior performance, look at the A&D FX120i scale and the AutoTrickler at $729...