Hey all, just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be bringing you all some shotshell reloading content this year! I’m still getting things lined up, but I’m really looking forward to trying out a bunch of equipment, experimenting with different types of shot, slugs, powder, primers, hulls, wads, and putting it all […]
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Dealing With Reloading Component Shortages
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Calling all RCBS Pro-2000 users!
Recently, I gathered feedback from Lee Loadmaster owners. Today it’s time to call out to all you RCBS Pro-2000 owners! You APS-loving cast iron frame equipped people know who you are. 🙂 So what was it about the RCBS Pro-2000 that made you decide to buy into that system? What do you like about it […]
Rifle Brass Prep Basics
Continuing with our discussion on Pistol Brass Prep Basics, in this post I’ll cover the “other half” of brass prep, rifle brass prep basics! Rifle brass prep tends to be a bit more involved, to take longer, and also to be more critical to the reloading process for rifle cartridges than pistol brass prep is […]
What do you want to see in a gun magazine?
A Different Kind of Gun Magazine Northwest Gun Magazine is going to be “A Different Kind of Gun Magazine”. I definitely have ideas of what this should look like, but I also wanted to get your feedback on what you enjoy about the gun-related publications that you read, and also what you don’t like. What […]
A Short History – Cameras at Ultimate Reloader
Before Ultimate Reloader existed, I had just upgraded from my very first reloading press (A Lee Pro-1000 setup for 44 Magnum) to a new reloading press. The hours and hours I spent online shoveling through forum posts was painful, and I finally decided what press I would buy (Hornady Lock-N-Load AP). The decision wasn’t easy, […]
Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Tip: Quick Change Powder Through Expander Linkage
Over the last year, I’ve had a lot of questions about the Hornady PTX expander system, and how to get it to work. I thought I would take this opportunity to talk briefly about the “magic PTX bracket linkage thingy” that many of you have asked about specifically. The official name of this item is […]
Poll: What Rifle Cartridge Do You Reload Most Often?
If you’re like me, as soon as you get a new rifle, you start to anticipate reloading for it. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing your groups shrink after careful planning and successive batches of reloads. For most of us, there’s a particular rifle cartridge that we tend to reload most frequently. Which […]
Frankenlöder – 9mm with Hornady-RCBS Bullet Feeder Setup on Dillon XL-650 – Part III
In this third installment of the Frankenlöder 9mm Dillon+Hornady+RCBS series, we’ll build on what we talked about in the first post and second post. We’ve seen what it takes to setup the Dillon XL-650 with Hornady 9mm dies, and also modified the drop tube from the RCBS Pistol Bullet Feed kit in order to get […]
UR Essential 45 ACP Loading Guide – Need your feedback!
Hello all- I wanted to let you know about a project that I’m working on. My first eBook! That’s right- in conjunction with Northwest Gun Magazine, I’m putting together a 45 ACP reloading guide book. The idea is to distill for the reader/loader all of the essential information about reloading 45 ACP. This won’t be […]
NWGUN: Plastic Santa -vs- Explosive Target
My brother-in-law Aaron was recently the victim of a drive-by yard dumping prank. A giant well-aged plastic yard Santa was dumped in his front yard. This occurrence transpired shortly before a trip to the woods shooting with friends. It didn’t take too much creative thought to decide that dear old Santa needed to come along […]
Preview: Introducing Northwest Gun Magazine!
Hello all, just wanted to let you know that I’m working on what will become a Northwest regional publication that’s all about guns, and the key issues that affect shooters in the Northwest. What’s great is that most of the content will be relevant nationally! Here are some of the ideas we have for content […]
Finding Ultimate Reloader on Facebook is now easier!
I’ve enjoyed interacting with all you on Facebook – it’s nice to have a casual forum to share and “like” things. I just wanted to drop a quick post to tell you all that Ultimate Reloader is now easier than ever to find on Facebook! No one likes typing in long URLs, and pasting long […]
Cool 1911 Animation – Learn how it works!
There are a lot of great resources available online related to firearms. During a detail strip of my 1911 pistol recently, I found this cool animation that shows how the 1911 pistol functions. The cool thing about it is that you can choose what parts of the pistol are visible, and even toggle some to […]
You know what they say about one man’s trash!
A while back I was doing some cleaning in my crawl space, and found this old beer can under the visqueen. I immediately though to myself – hmmm, construction workers haven’t changed at all in the last 50 years. I had the mental picture of the guys back in 1960 finishing a hard day’s labor […]
Range Report – 44 Special Hard Cast in the Smith and Wesson 629
I get a lot of satisfaction out of shooting “bullseye” style when I go to the range. It’s a lot of fun to put in practice time, and to see that practice time (whether dry firing at home, or range time) translate to smaller and smaller groups. It’s also rewarding to spend time with a […]
Poll: Do you ever clean primer pockets?
