Welcome to CoolReloading.com as we start another URL, it may start slow but as my avaialable time is increasing will grow faster. This is going to be both extremes of reloading for maximum savings to handloading for ultimate accuracy. I began reloading at age twelve mentored by our local game warden and by age thirteen had a fully set up bench of my own plus enough casting eqpipment to feed all my firearms. This was a time and place when a thirteen year old kid who worked hard could drive his own car to the hardware store, buy a Smith & Wesson Model 19 357 Mag with his own money and parent fill out the "yellow sheet" their next trip to town. Soon after I got my drivers license had my first progressive press and enough guns to start shoppuing a safe. Hope by sharing forty plus years of experience will be of help to someone. This is a one man band website, once get the site structure laid out will be doing range reports along with video footage. Nobody pays me, this is strictly a personal opinion site with no slant to appease a sponsor though I may take sponsors at some point, I won't sell my soul to them.
LOADING & BUYING IN BULK IS A KEY TO SAVINGS
Boxes of fired brass as in left photo combined with powder and primers as in center photo combined with a little work become boxes of loaded ammo as in right hand photo ready to shoot. There are those who load fast, using less epensive components for lowest cost ammo possible with least amount of work. There are others (would say most) that put a bit more effort into their loading, buy good components, add in some extra steps to come up with cost savings and better accuracy than factory ammo. Then you have the people who leverage every trick possible at the loading bench, find the best components for their cartridge and firearm combination, test loads till perfected to obtain accuracy that can be unbelievable even nest to the best commercial match ammo on the market. I genrally load ammo in the last two catagories, I want precision with cost savings and am willing to put forth some extra effort to get both.
MORE BRASS YOU CAN COLLECT THE LARGER BATCHES CAN RUN
SEVERAL SECTIONS ON BRASS PURCHASING, SCROUNGING & PREP COMING
CASE PREP IS THE FOUNDATION IN WHICH GOOD AMMO BEGINS
HOW TO PREP YOUR BRASS FOR BEST RESULTS
MY GENERAL PUTPOSE RELOADING AREA WHERE MOST WORK GETS DONE
Will be getting detailed information nd photos on all my equipment along with tips and tricks. Just in this corner will notice tow RCBS Reckchucker presses, A fully equipped Dillon 550b progressive, Dillon Square Deaal B (40 Smith), Lee Turret Press and have other benches. Notice the bullet casting bench then six mixed brand Lubrisizers plus there are others on another bench s I dislike changing bullet size dies, top punches and type of lube. Have three Thumbler's Tumblers but need a couple more tumblers, more presses and other equipment but have to sek out deals now that I m on a fixed budget with cost of components soaring.
MORE INFORMATION & MORE LIKELY TO MAKE ACCURATE AMMO
When I began reloading at age twelve needed little guidance as had been reading all I could in gun magazines, now one can get a good lesson on the internet on the most basid to advance equipment and techniques. Many I know just use internet information but I have seen data even on major manufacturers sites initialy published with errors then after a few people blow up their guns the errors quietly get corrected so when they go to a print manual the internet commumunity proofread their data. I have books dating back to pre World War and actuually find information in 75 tear old manuals many stopped including fifty years ago.
MORE INFORMATION ON PRINT MANUALS COMING SOON
FROM POWDER TO ALMOST EVERYTHING, ACCURATE WEIGHING IS KEY
Second photo shows my first RCBS 5-10 Beam Scale purchaased at age twelve still on my bench. I had some less expensive and way more expensive options even back in the mid 1970s on a smal budget but went with the best scale I could buy at the time, not the cheapest and it still is accurate as it was new. When I decided to go digital there were not $29 to $49 options so I went with this Mettler PM400 purchased at a lab equipment auction for $200 when an accurate digital scale was over $1,000 and retail price on the Mettler was $4,000. It has served me well for over two decades and a nice one is still expensive on the used market. Last photo shows a PACT digital automatic trickler for precision loading onleft side.
MUCH MORE ON SCALES & MEASURING DEVICES
BENCH ORGANIZATION IS HELPFUL TO REDUCE ERRORS
The end pictures show bench decluttered enough to do a large run while the second photo shows it piled up with clutter from unloading boxes of components and tolls I don't particularly need for a particular run. Notice top mostly centered shelf is not reloading stuff but dedicated to the wonderful woman who not only supports me in my hobbies but helps out with mundane tasks like sorting, weigning, inspecting and boxing final product. Photo on left shows the first fifty rounds of a large run of 6.8 spc II and photo on right is a run of 308 Win. If look at my powder measures you will see labels with the powder currently loading. I have left the bench for a few days and if not for labels could be unsure which measure had H322 or H355 as they look very similar. Even if have Bulleye small flake in one and IMR 4831 long grain in another measure keep them marked as I often have up to five measures loaded with different powders but forget what is in just one and could be catashtophic.
START WITH TWO OR THREE SETS OF DIES THEN IT GROWS
At age thirteen had my own car, first pistol, rimfire rifle, centerfire rifle and been reloading over a year using the local game wardens equipment. Was allowed to drive anywhere could go on dirt roads only "crossing" paved roads. That gave me access to two places gun shops but no reloading equipment. Worked hard saving enough money for a new Smith & Wesson M19 357 Mag and my own start in reloading so risking loss of my keys drove into metro Atlanta to a gunshop with best prices on reloading equipment buying bullet casting molds, reloading press, scale and my first three sets of reloading dies. From the photos you can see the number of dies sets have increased. Some are upgrades in same caliber, replacements for worn out dies (you can wear a set out if work at it), specialty match dies and some are for intermeidate steps forming one case into another. At present have dies in over sixty calibers, always adding more, regularly load ammo in about three dozen calibers with occasional small runs in a dozen others.
HOW TO FIND BARGAINS IN RELOADING SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT
THE RIGHT PRESS & CORRECT ACCESSORIES MAKES FOR SPEED & PRECISION
MUCH MORE COMING SOON
After years of shooting all kinds of ammo in about every type firearm and cartridge from common to wildcats we have the experiece to test in ballistic gelitan, against barriers, for accuracy and against armor of all levels. See our sites such as www.CoolAR15.com, www.CoolBulletProofing.com, www.ChurchSecurityVolunteers.com and others. All are under construction with video content being developed, range reports and more. Am slowing at work, officially in semi retirement with early retirement which means full time shooting and associated subjects.. As these sites expand new sites will launch and have two dozen URLs along with a YouTube channel on the horizon. The number of updates and amount of content should increase exponentiallly. Have moderate recouses so test products from wendors are welcome. I will pass my unbiased view of all aspects of shooting sports, defensive tactics and much more. Anyone who wants to contribute contnet and photos to feel free to do so.
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