Portable Reloading Setups

[J.Baker]

How many of you have a portable reloading kit to load at the range when doing load development? For those of you who do: what's in your kit and what do you store/transport it in? Bonus points for including pictures of your setups.

[Deadshot2]

How many of you have a portable reloading kit to load at the range when doing load development? For those of you who do: what's in your kit and what do you store/transport it in? Bonus points for including pictures of your setups.

For me, I go cheap and Old School. A Lee hand press, one of my extra neck sizing dies, a Seating die, an extra digital caliper, a Lyman 1500 Micro-Touch Digital Scale, a Lee Perfect Powder Measure, cheap plastic funnel and an RCBS Trickler (glued to a board so it's high enough to dribble in the pan while it's on the scale). A Lee hand primer and lee Primer pocket cleaner. I made a loading block out of a piece of hardwood using a 1.2" Forstner Bit and drill press. It all fits in a cheap Stanley plastic tool box.

I usually go to the range with a bunch of prepped brass, trimmed, neck sized, primed, etc and use it for loading my test ammo. The sizing and seating die, as well as hand primer are just backups in case I run out.

It's simple, effective, and low cost so if it's stolen I won't cry too much. Since I'm weighing every charge I don't need a $350 Culver/Harrells powder measure. The slow system forces me to let the barrel cool which has given me more accurate load workups.

If possible, use a Lee Dead Length Seating Die. Since it hits the shell holder when seating (when it's set up properly) it's one of the most uniform seating systems out there regardless of press (with the possible exception of the Wilson Dies.

Most expensive item will be the scale but I found it to be a good balance of "inexpensive" and "accurate".

You can get extra fancy but in the end probably not more accurate.

Once I get my initial load workup done, I then load at home using a Chargemaster to drop charges.

When I have accuracy issues I've found that they've been mostly "behind the gun", not the rifle or it's ammo. :p

PS: Sorry, no pic's, The setup is all packed in the back of my car. Maybe next week when I have it out at the range.

[drybean]

Never had the need for one, I just walk out the front door an shoot
off the deck ,it does have its limits
I can only go 300 yds

[J.Baker]

Never had the need for one, I just walk out the front door an shoot
off the deck ,it does have its limits
I can only go 300 yds

If I tried that I'd find myself in jail. Living in town sucks like that.

[scooterf79]

Never had the need for one, I just walk out the front door an shoot
off the deck ,it does have its limits
I can only go 300 yds

RIDICULOUS! Lol.
I too am curious about this, I'd like to take a few small things for load development at the range too.

LongRange has a good setup he uses, he migut chime in and show you his.
Anyone else, please share pics!
Scooter

[m12lrs]

My portable reloading kit consist of an MTM utility dry box.

In it i have a harvey deprimer. All the small tools for reloading. Sinclair priming tool, harrell combo press, harrell BR powder measure and a gempro digital scale. Bunch of stuff i have accumulated while reloading. Have another MTM box i keep bottles of powder for the power measure and primers and an MTM Die box. Have an ohas 10/10 but it is bulky, doesn't pack well and is really affected by the wind. When it is windy all i really do is set my powder measure on a known setting and hope for the best.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

I'm only reloading one round so far, 44 mag. Because of the low quantities I reload for just that one caliber, my ONLY reloading equipment would be considered a portable kit.
I do intend to eventually reload more and for more calibers, so one day I'll be investing in bench top equipment and this will actually be my portable kit.

In a large, plastic Stanley toolbox, I have a Lee handloader, Lee Classic Loader kit, hornady die kit, leather mallet, bullet puller, scale, empty disposable ammo boxes, reusable ammo boxes made by Plano, a small jeweler's anvil, several small hand tools for weapon maintenance, and of course the ammo components. And a few other odds and ends that go along with the task.

Very basic, very simple, suits my needs perfectly. At the rate I'm going, I'm on track to reloading a whopping 1,500 rounds this year. I don't consider that too bad when I take into account this is a kit that some serious reloaders have scoffed at.

[Deadshot2]

when I take into account this is a kit that some serious reloaders have scoffed at.

I know of one World Record Holder that uses a Lee press and Lee Collet sizing die. Also a Lee Perfect Powder Measure.

Sometimes it's all about the shooter and what he knows than it is about the tools used to load the ammo.

I've watched more than a few shooters invest huge amounts in loading equipment, using only the top names with everything nice and polished in fancy boxes, etc, etc, etc, The then sit and cuss because their 100 yard targets look like someone launched a load of 00 buckshot at it.

[bigedp51]

Winner, winner turkey dinner plus all the "Bonus points" for posting photos.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj225/gri8496/SANY0595.jpg

Or if you want to build up your pecs or cup size.

http://leeprecision.com/images/P/90685.jpg

Honest, I have used both at the range.
(just don't try sizing machine gun fired brass, you can die of exhaustion)

[Robinhood]

Dang Ed. I thought your stuff would have been more expensive. can you show us pics of you using this at the range?

[sharpshooter]

I built a boat load of these presses about 20 yrs ago, with the idea of taking it to the range.

3056

It all breaks down to fit into a modified Pachmayer pistol box.
3057

This press was designed for short cartridges like BR's, etc. It has a 2.5" stroke ram, which makes it a little difficult for longer cartridges using a Forster bullet seater.

For longer cases, I reworked this Lee classic turret press so it would clamp onto the bench.
30583059

[RC20]

I did a bit different take. I load up my progression of cartridges, I keep my old RCBS Junior (my first press about era 1973) in the car with a clamp.

Shell holders in the shooting box.

I just do COAL adjustments. Usually I load a trail group and leave the rest long.

Range master did not want it on the shooting bench so I set it up on benches behind the firing line.

If I hit a spot in the load progression that is doing badly I just quit shooting them and kinetic the bullets out at home.

I take the needed seating dies though the RCBS covers 308 and 06, it does not do the 7.5 due to the larger case size.

[RC20]

Winner, winner turkey dinner plus all the "Bonus points" for posting photos.


That was my first reload setup. I found it cracked the cases after 3 rounds. 44 mag. I threw it away when I got a real press (grin)