Guns & Hinderers

RDA said:
2 lbs of rifle powder should get you closer to 550-600 rounds of .223.

But you are right, primer, FMJ 55g bullet, powder with free brass is about $0.20-$0.25 per round so $40 of components could get you 160-200 rounds.
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RDA, thanks for the crosscheck - yep my first mistake was trying to do math in public :o

At the moment, the only powders I've been able to find for .223 are IMR 4198 and 4064. Full disclosure, while I've done a lot of reloading, I've never reloaded .223 (once vowed to never reload it since it was so cheap and plentiful, oh how times have changed). Anyway, I rechecked my math and 20.0 grains of 4198 would fill up 350 rounds per 1 lb….(I forgot to double it when I last posted). The 4064 should get me around 290 per lb at 24.0 gr/round.. I ended up with 2 lbs of the 4198 and scored a 8 lb jug of the 4064 - so it works out to about $0.06 (4198) and $0.09-$0.10 (4064) per round for just the powder..

I'm not sure how I'm going to like those powders, I've never been a big fan of extruded - it doesn't meter super well and I'm concerned how well it'll settle into the narrow .223 cases. Unfortunately, those are the only ones I've been able to find in a long time around here. I'd be willing to pay the hazmat and shipping to AK if I could find stuff in stock online.. I'd like to give Win 748 a try since I prefer rounder powders..

kwazyjuice said:
I've got 1500 rounds available! :D
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I only have about 1000 on hand :(

RDA said:
Bass Pro and Gander Mountain have crazy prices. Gun shops around me have had 20 round boxes of .223 for under $10 for some time in quantity and cases for under $500. I recently saw on-line a case for $379 (brass and 55g bullets).

9mm and .22lr continues to be out of stock more than in stock and when available, still pretty pricey and limited.



Me too...
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Around here the best I can do is $400/1000 rnds - and that's if I'm in the right place at the right time… More regularly it's about $500/1000. I have a hard time accepting $.50/rnd for .223, so when I figured I could reload it for $.20/rnd I rethought my self-imposed .223 reloading boycott.

kwazyjuice said:
Never can have enough right! :o

I've got some 9mm too guys.
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True words! Once I dip below 1000 .223 and 500 .45 ACP I start to fret.. I have about 300-400 rounds of 9mm, courtesy of Uncle Sugar.. But, I don't shoot 9mm all that often except for when I'm shooting the M9 to prep for an occasional qual or if I'm going to tote the Solo around.
 
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AZ2AK said:
I'm not sure how I'm going to like those powders, I've never been a big fan of extruded - it doesn't meter super well and I'm concerned how well it'll settle into the narrow .223 cases. Unfortunately, those are the only ones I've been able to find in a long time around here. I'd be willing to pay the hazmat and shipping to AK if I could find stuff in stock online.. I'd like to give Win 748 a try since I prefer rounder powders.
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Extruded powders can meter really well but it depends on which powders and what equipment. Varget is a particularly long and is known to bridge and/or generally not meter well. My Chargemaster handles it great but the variance on my Dillon powder drop isn't good. IMR8208XBR is much shorter and meters great as does Reloader 15 and many of the Vihtavuori powders that are extruded. I am not personally familiar with the IMR powders you posted but recall others using them in Dillon progressive presses so they must work pretty well.

I have three buddies that have easily helped me to see the light regarding ammo inventory. Before their influence, I would buy 200-500 rounds and felt good, that was before I went to a training class and could shoot 2,500 rounds in a four day weekend. Then I started buying in case quantity in 9mm and .223/5.56 and got a good jump start before Sandy Hook. Before Sandy Hook, prices were such that reloading didn't make sense unless you wanted to tailor rounds.

After Sandy Hook, ammo dried up or cost 2x-3x as much which was too tough for me to swallow. Combine that with adding 300BLK and I started reloading. Instead of searching for ammo, I am grabbing components when the price is right. During 2013, I have been able to get a number of jugs of powder for 9mm (VV N320, Win231, AA#2, AA#5, AA#7, e3), .223/5.56 (IMR8208XBR, VVN135/N133, RE15, Varget) and for 300 BLK (H110, AA1680) along with enough primers/bullets/brass for all three.

I just need our weather to break so I can test some loads I have worked up.
 
I reload on a Dillon 550, so I use their powder system. I'm a bit on the OCD side when it comes to powder drops - I'll generally check it every 20-25 rounds to make sure it's still metering consistently, even when it is.. That's for my bulk ammo. For hunting rounds I will individually weigh out each charge.

My ammo supply needs are compounded by my wife. While she doesn't go as often as I do (I have some weekdays off when she has to work), she will burn up as much or more ammo than I do when she does accompany me to the range. Plus, we're about to gear up for 3-gun and that plus practice is going to burn through a bunch of rounds..

I keep meaning to look into the newer .30 cal offerings such as 300BLK, etc. I might solicit your thoughts when I get around to it, if you don't mind..
 
AZ2AK said:
I reload on a Dillon 550, so I use their powder system. I'm a bit on the OCD side when it comes to powder drops - I'll generally check it every 20-25 rounds to make sure it's still metering consistently, even when it is.. That's for my bulk ammo. For hunting rounds I will individually weigh out each charge.

My ammo supply needs are compounded by my wife. While she doesn't go as often as I do (I have some weekdays off when she has to work), she will burn up as much or more ammo than I do when she does accompany me to the range. Plus, we're about to gear up for 3-gun and that plus practice is going to burn through a bunch of rounds..

I keep meaning to look into the newer .30 cal offerings such as 300BLK, etc. I might solicit your thoughts when I get around to it, if you don't mind..
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No problem, I'll share what I know. When reloading, being obsessive is better than being lax. Good luck
 
kwazyjuice said:
300 BLK is a pain to get a hold of
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Yes, it can be. There are a number of boutique manufacturers now so it is getting better, depends what you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay. I know places that have it in stock right now. My LGS had unlimited boxes of 220g subsonic for $27.99 this week.
 
RDA said:
Yes, it can be. There are a number of boutique manufacturers now so it is getting better, depends what you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay. I know places that have it in stock right now. My LGS had unlimited boxes of 220g subsonic for $27.99 this week.
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Not too shabby!
 
Watching the Walking Dead tonight I started thinking about what I'd want on me in a crazy situation like that (not the first time and I'm not alone I'm sure), and this is what I came up with. I couldn't get any pictures to come out very good with the AR included, so the magazine is it's stand-in. On a somewhat related note, I've put in some time shooting the last few days and I have to say the XD has grown on me a ton. At first I disliked it and didn't shoot especially well with it, but I have to say I'm becoming a fan! I actually shot better with it today than I did my 1911's. I think I actually like the barrel length better, and, who knows, maybe I'll become a fan of more modern designs. I had a chance to play with a few guns in the gun shop today too, and the H&K is looking more and more tempting.

2d0kivr.jpg
 
^ omg the black dlc looks gorgeous with green scales!!! - not a common sight - very cool! :thumbup:

nice sig too - i found sigs to be the next best non-1911 pistols to shoot
 
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Nj, I'd have dual welding XM-24 Spearpoints and a wharnie in my back pocket! Gotta have something death-looking for the "zombiocolypse"!
 
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