We’re all feeling the squeeze: a volatile political climate related to guns leads to a surge in gun-related purchases, which inevitably leads to reloading component shortages. It can be really disheartening to see bare shelves at the local gun store and “out of stock no backorder” when shopping online. I wanted to take a moment […]
Category: Reloading Blog
The Ultimate Reloader Reloading Blog
5 Tips for Reloading Accurate Rifle Ammunition
There are many reasons to handload your own rifle ammunition. It’s fun, it’s economical, and you can attain maximum accuracy by carefully loading custom ammunition for your rifle. If you’re new to handloading rifle ammunition, here are some basic considerations for accuracy: Start with proven loads and load data Fire form your brass Optimize bullet […]
Tips for Preventing Stuck Cases
Excited to get started loading, I grabbed some .223 Remington brass that had been sitting for months since being sprayed down with lube. I prepared to validate my powder charge by running a single cartridge through the RCBS Pro 2000 progressive press. I pulled the lever to size the case, and *POP*, when trying to […]
NWGUN.com / Ultimatereloader.com Response to the NRA Briefing 12/21/2012
From today’s NWGUN.com blog post: We are all affected by the horrible events that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families that were affected by this tragedy. Today, the NRA held a press conference where NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre communicated […]
Understanding Different Types of Reloading Presses
Wondering what the differences are between a single-stage press, a turret, and a progressive press? Wondering what type of press would be best for you to start off with or upgrade to? In this video, I give a quick overview of each type of press, and talk about the high-level differences. This is as close […]
Wondering what shellplate you need for your Hornady Lock-N-Load press?
I was just doing some online research to help a reader with a question about cartridges and Hornady Lock-N-Load equipment, and found the following super-helpful chart (click to enlarge) If you’ve ever been wondering what shellplate or shellholder you need for your Hornady Lock-N-Load press, this will get you sorted out in no time! Thanks, […]
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Press Sale at MidwayUSA
Have you been eyeing an RCBS Rockchucker press or kit? Now’s a good time to check out the sale that MidwayUSA is having on these presses! Just in time for Christmas! 🙂 Thanks, Gavin
2013 New Products from Hornady
If you are a fan of Hornady products, you’ll want to check out the wave of new products that Hornady just announced this month… There’s a lot of new ammunition and products in this release, and I thought I’d focus on the new reloading products that are a part of this announcement. Here’s a quick […]
Getting Ready to Load 40 S&W
Well, it’s getting close to time to actually start loading 40 S&W! I’ve been working on getting ready for a while now (See 40 S&W brass considerations post and Redding GRX Die setup/operation post). Following the cleaning of my 40 S&W brass, it was time to run all of the brass through the Redding GRX […]
Redding GR-X Die: Overview, Setup, Operation
In my first 40 S&W post, I talked about the issues that necessitate special sizing operations for certain classes of range pickup semi-automatic pistol brass. In this video I talk through an overview of the Redding GR-X die for 40S&W, show the setup steps (with optional bottle and bottle adapter), and also show push-through sizing. […]
RCBS Lube Die- Lube While You Load
In my last post, I gave an overview of some of the case lube products that I’ve used personally. These are the spray-on and wipe-on products that a lot of reloaders use on a regular basis. But there’s one more product that I use that’s interesting for those that want to load bulk quantities of […]
Some Case Lube Products I’ve Used
Reloading ammunition involves forming brass. Forming brass involves a lot of force and friction- this makes case lube a vital part of the reloading equation. Now, talk to a motorsports enthusiast about engine oils, and you’ll get opinions: strong ones. Likewise, when discussing case lubes, you’ll get passionate opinions as well. It’s not surprising people […]
Getting Started Reloading 500 S&W Magnum
There’s a first time for everything, and as a reloader, there can be many “first times” when you enjoy taking on new cartridges. For a while now I’ve wanted to load 500 S&W Magnum, and today I got that chance. My friend Dale Miller picked up a Smith and Wesson 500 S&W Magnum revolver a […]
Reloading Ammunition on a Budget
If you’re like most of us, your reloading activities have to fall within a budget of some sort. Some reloaders are sponsored (competitive shooters, etc), others have a fat budget, and others need to make the very most of every dollar spent on reloaded ammunition. If you’re like me, above all you want to prevent […]
Happy Independence Day!
Just a quick post wishing you all a happy 4th of July! I hope that you have a GREAT time with friends and family today, and I also hope that you can do some reloading, shooting, or BOTH! Thanks, Gavin
Q&A: Lee Loadmaster Station #2, what’s it good for?
Recently, I got the following question via the Suggestion Box from Bruce in Oregon: The Lee Loadmaster is a four station progressive press unless station 2 could be used for more than just priming. What else can it be used for? Can a person expand, powder & prime at that station? […]
Quick Tip: Indexing Your Dies
If you are reloading rifle ammunition on a progressive reloading press, you just may be one of those “attention to detail” kind of guys. Rifle reloaders tend to be a bit obsessive about their reloading supplies, equipment, and processes. But some times we overlook the simple details that can make a difference. If you’re loading […]
Poll: What pistol dies do you like most?
One of the most important components when loading pistol ammunition is the dies that are used. Different die sets offer different features and finishes, so selecting the right dies can be a difficult purchasing decision for sure! So, please take a moment and let us all know what dies you prefer, and please leave a […]
Reloading 40 S&W – Brass considerations
Hello all- I’m looking forward to bringing you all information about loading 40 S&W and 10mm Auto! We haven’t yet covered that here on http://ultimatereloader.com, and I know a lot of you are interested in this topic, so here goes! Before I get started loading (as always), careful attention needs to be payed to several […]
Dreams of loading the big 50
Everyday shooting is fun, but some times I just want to experience something extreme- something that few people experience. When it comes to rifle shooting, the big 50 BMG definately falls into this category. What’s so exciting about the 50 BMG? (Doesn’t take much imagination, but I’ll elaborate none the less 🙂 ). The 50 […]
UR / NWGUN celebrate 2,000,000 views on YouTube!
Just a quick thanks to everyone for your ongoing support! In the last day, the YouTube channel (gavintoobe) for Ultimate Reloader and Northwest Gun Magazine exceeded the 2,000,000 total views count! On to 3,000,000. 🙂 Looking forward to it! Thanks, Gavin
Dillon XL-650 owners: check out the free caliber conversion webpage
Pulling your hair out trying to figure out what parts you need to piece together your own caliber conversion kit for a Dillon progressive? This can be frustrating when you want to add another caliber capability to your reloading room, but don’t know exactly what parts you already may have! Sean Newton took the time […]
Coming in Northwest Gun Magazine #1 – Full Hornady Lock-N-Load AP review!
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be doing a complete round of full reviews on all 4 5-station progressive reloading presses in the first four issues of Northwest Gun Magazine! To start I’ll be covering the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP. In this article you’ll see what’s in the box (included), get a lowdown on features, read […]
Hornady Lock-N-Load AP: Overview Part II
In my last post, I included a video covering some of the basic features of the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP progressive 5-station reloading press. In this post, I’ll finish the overview of this reloading press with another video covering the case feed system, and demonstrating the press in operation. I wanted to mention again that I’m […]
Hornady Lock-N-Load AP: Overview Part I
Well, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be publishing a full review of the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP in Northwest Gun Magazine Issue #1! I decided that since the last overview video I shot for the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP was uploaded over 4 years ago, it was time for a refresh! In this two part series […]
