Hand loader magazine

[picker]

Has a good article in the latest edition " LOADING BENCH ADVICE" mostly common sense thoughts but I thought I would ask the folks here if they have some Loading Bench Advice they care to share.
Like never ever have more that one powder on your bench.
Best/picker

PS Also wondering how many of you wear eye protection @ the bench ? I never do, that don't mean I wont start just never have.

 

[gahunter12]

1. Only 1 powder on the bench
2. Always wear safety glasses
3. Have a fire extinguisher near by
4. Always visually check powder level before seating bullet.
5. Never leave powder in powder measure.
6. If you do leave powder in measure, make sure to shake it up. Powder settling can be bad.
7. No distractions while at the bench.


BTW: you really need to start wearing safety glasses, unless you have amother set laying around.

 

[Grumulkin]

My rules:

1. One powder on the bench.
2. One type of primer on the bench.
3. When I switch powders, I empty the powder measure, empty the trickler and lay it on it's side.
4. DOUBLE check the setting on the powder scale.

Fire extinguisher? If you caught powder on fire, it would be all over before you could use a fire extinguisher.

Checking the powder level in the case before seating the bullet is good advice AND if it doesn't look right, re-weigh it.

I frequently leave powder in the powder measure. I've never had it settle or cause a problem but then I usually weigh each charge.

I've always been holed up in the basement reloading and have never had problems with distractions.

 

[rogn]

ALWAYS put a tag or label in powder measure or dipping pan with the type of powder in it.
Always think, if it didn't seem right it probably wasn't.
Double check everything.

 

[clearcut]

Don't forget to label the loads you make,6 months from now you may not know whats in them.
CC

 

[Lost Sheep]

Fire extinguisher? If you caught powder on fire, it would be all over before you could use a fire extinguisher.

But if you got a fire NOT in your powder, an extinguisher might be hand to use BEFORE the fire reaches your powder.


I used to load without eye protection, but then I read about primers going off while seating or in primer tubes, etc. I started then.

Lost Sheep

 

[7mmb]

But if you got a fire NOT in your powder, an extinguisher might be hand to use BEFORE the fire reaches your powder.

Lost Sheep

Or if your powder caught something else on fire. The powder will be gone before you get to the extinguisher, yes, but the bench could still be burning!

 

[savanahsdad]

I use to have No powder on my bench , I'd fill my hopper and put the can back in the safe , then pour what ever was leftover back in the can when I was done , I like to have as little on my bench as I need , then one day I was pouring some H414 back in the can and it over flowed ! some how I had two cans of H414 open :banghead: new rule started then, "leave can on bench"

 

[rskent]

I use to have No powder on my bench

I can just see me pouring tightgroup back into the 231 jug.

"leave can on bench"

 

[gahunter12]

Fire extinguisher? If you caught powder on fire, it would be all over before you could use a fire extinguisher.

I agree, but what if you have a fire period? It's always good to have one around the home/shop anyways.

I frequently leave powder in the powder measure. I've never had it settle or cause a problem but then I usually weigh each charge.

I never leave powder in my measure if I'm finished for the day. If I have to stop for a few hours I will leave it alone, but will shake it a little before dropping my test charges. I use a lot of Titegroup loading 9mm on my XL650. For some reason Titegroup will pack down if you let it sit for a while without using.

I've always been holed up in the basement reloading and have never had problems with distractions.

Im out in a shop away from the house when I load, but my wife, and kids will walk 20yrds just to ask me a question, or tell me to come eat. A distraction could be a TV, or radio.

 

[Candyman87]

The only can I leave out is the one that I took powder from. The rest are on the shelves. I also label the hopper with what's in it.

I always load wearing some sort of eye protection. Usually just my everyday glasses that meet ANSI Z87.1 specifications. Not the tightest to my face but will protect me from anything straight on.

Another thing I do that's possibly overkill is lot codes. Every lot has a lot code corresponding to a specific lot of powder, primers and bullets that are contained within. This way if I have problems with any components I can determine IMMEDIATELY what other boxes of ammo might be affected.

 

[J-Bar]

A lint roller or strip of masking tape is useful for picking up stray grains of powder or other little objects. I don't use primer tubes, preferring to place each individual primer in the press by hand. If I fumble one and it rolls into a tight spot, it's easy to pick up undamaged with a piece of tape.

 

[Dframe]

I've followed the "only one powder on the bench" rule for years.
The NO DISTRACTIONS rule is also mandatory. I don't even have a radio in my reloading room.
I also complete whatever task I'm working on (sizing depriming whatever) on the lot I'm working on before I leave the room.
I never leave a loading block with only part of the cases filled, and in fact never leave cases with powder in them until fully loaded
I have BRIGHT lighting in there. This is something a lot of folks don't think about.
I try (and sometimes fail) to keep clutter to an absolute minumum

 

[savanahsdad]

I can just see me pouring tightgroup back into the 231 jug.

that could be real bad , the first thing I do is fill out the label on my ammo box if it is a new load and if it is an old load the box is next to my press , this way all my load info is right there , I know what powder I'm using , primers, brass, and COL, in the past I would take out only what I needed and but the rest away, fill my hopper , put powder away , fill primer tray , put the rest away , double check data , put book away , I also no longer keep more than one container of the same powder in my powder safe at a time , new lots of the same powder is kept in another room , so I guess I could go back to my old system , but I'm now in the habit of leaving out the can I'm working from

 

[scaevola]

Maybe I'm more paranoid than you guys, but I write the powder and charge I'm dispensing with the measure on a piece of masking tape and stick it on the measure. When I put the excess powder back in the container ( the only powder container on the bench ) I take the tape off and toss it.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

All of my mistakes can be attributed to this:

7. No distractions while at the bench.

Most other (if not all) safety measures can be made useless if I am not attentive or allow distractions. For me this is on the top of my list. YMMV

 

[poco loco]

put a post it in the top of your powder measure

with the powder type written on it.

That way you can clear the keg off of the bench, yet still know exactly what powder is in the measure.

plus the basics of one powder at a time and one caliber at a time.

 

[mdi]

Lots of good ideas so far, but I have another thought; I use a sticky note with the load I'm using and stick it onto the powder measure, right in front of my face. I also weight a lot of charges so with the load posted close by, I can glance at my scale setting several times (many) during the session (I have an Ohaus/Lyman beam scale I use a lot, but the .1 gr. poise can jump if the pan is removed quickly and the beam bounces. One time it jumped .4 grain heavier and I had to dump/recharge 40 cases). I also keep the powder can right next to the powder measure. Worked for me for the last 25+ years...

 

[Buckeye357]

I log all my loads in my Lyman data log book. Only put out powder when charging cases then put powder away,same with primers when done with priming put them away. Keep bench organized and clean the more room the better. Stay focused,double check everything and use more than one source for you load data.I count out 10 of everything , when priming 10 primers then use them,10 more, same with seating bullets place out 10 , load 10.

 

[Catpop]

I save old envelopes, cut them to what ever size I need for labels, etc. I write the powder name on a slip of this paper with a sharpie, fold it in half and put it on TOP of the powder IN the hopper! No way to lose it!
Catpop

 

[Joea132]

I never thought about one powder on the bench at a time. I have an area where I keep the open canisters of stuff I use often. Whenever I pour powder in the autocharge, I put the canister on top or next to it.

I've got a little girl at home and when I go down to load while she's sleeping, I find that I try to rush to get things done. I have learned it is not worth it to load while I have her.

As far as a fire extinguisher, I have one in my house anyways. Minimize your risk of starting a fire. Leave plenty of room around heaters if you're loading in a garage or shed. And have some Damn smoke detectors. There is no excuse in this day and age to not have them throughout your home. OK, I'm off my firefighter soapbox!

 

[HEAVY METAL 1]

If I need to pause in my reloading I write a note and stick it among the brass or whatever with details on exactly what I have done and what needs yet to be done. It is best to fully complete a task before a pause in the process, but real life intervenes and necessitates a break in the action sometimes

 

[Bula]

I keep a roll of Blue painters tape on my bench, and every jug of powder gets a Blue lable with the powders name. After I fill the powder drop, I place the lable onto the powder drop. When I look at my powder, the one with no lable is whats in the hopper.

 

[TrickyDick]

Whenever Loading, I put the can of powder Im using behind the dispenser so i know it's what's in it. otherwise, i dump it back into the can when i'm done. as far as powder level in the casings, I drop the powder, check the weight, pour back into casing, then seat bullet, then do the next one. I like the thought of sealing the case once i know the weight is exact so i don't make any mistakes.

 

[*Kemosabe*]

Anybody care about their hearing? Since safety glasses gives some protection from a tube of primers going off, I think wearing ear protection is important too.

With my eyes and ears already on I can take my reloads off the bench and walk out to my back yard and test them without missing a step.