Below are pictures, comments, descriptions, and links to the most relevant
equipment and components I use in my reloading processes
Please be aware most of these links are to the manufacturer and probably the highest prices. You can and should browse around for better prices and maybe even "used" on Ebay or something. And websites sometimes change their pages so the link may not go directly to the product I am displaying. At time of this post, they are.
This is the Short Action Customs NEXUS Press. This is by far the best single stage press I have ever owned and there are great reasons for it to be my last. I have used many over the years and this one hits all the checkmarks for precision and repeatability. The people at Short Action Customs are the very best engineers and designers. They are always thinking outside the box and coming up with something that addresses a known problem with other designs and eliminates them. Short Action Customs is THE place to get your gear. They don't pay me for referrals but I can't help myself.
This is The Annealing Made Perfect annealer MARKll. I have tried many other ways and different machines including propane and other inductive type ones. This one, while a bit expensive, has so many one of a kind features I would never consider anything else. The ability to analyze your base and save settings is absolutely phenomenal.
This is the Annealing Made Perfect AMP Press for bullet seating. Yes, again a bit expensive, but worth every penny. This machine has an app for your computer where you can see the pressure needed to seat your bullets and really helps you diagnose problems with your reloading processes. When used in conjunction with a excellent seating die such as the Short Action Customs Infinity APS Die you will get the most consistent seating out of anything I ever used.
This is the Fli-Rite Concenticity Gauge. I really like this one because it has something no other concentricity gauges have: The ability to straighten out your cartridge without doing any damage to your brass or neck interference fit.
This is the Hoover Meplat Trimmer. I bought this because I was considering trimming bullet Meplat and then pointing. I discovered this was not necessary for anything under 600 yards and demonstrated no improvements as such. But, it is also the BEST base to ogive sorter I have ever had. It has notches where you slip in a pair of calipers and away you go.
This is the RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure III with stand. I know you guys are thinking "why would I use such an ancient form of dispensing powder", and I don't blame you. The truth is I have used ALL the automatic dispensers/trickler's and such. They always overthrow or under throw and have only up to two hundredths of a grain accuracy and that is far from accurate. It could be .01, .02, .03. Way too far off for me. Once you get this setup to a fairly accurate pour amount, along with the Dandy Trickler below and my Sartorius balance below, I am able to get within a thousandths of a grain. MUCH better and ES and SD will prove it.
This is the Dandy Trickler. I love this ingenious tool. It uses vibration to move the powder kernels down the tube. It has slow and fast buttons and a speed counter-weight. Drop one kernel at a time with greater control. This along with the RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure lll and Sartorius GD503-NTEP scale make for super precise loading.
This is just a generic 8" stainless steel funnel. Great for pouring powder in and out of things.
This is the Sartorius GD503-NTEP scale. It is not available anymore but the link I give you will take you to the specs. I think the replacement is the Entris series. I got this one used off of Ebay. It measures to the thousandths of a grain. I have used many scale / trickler systems and they only gave one hundredths resolution. Which to me is way too much spread when it comes to precision and ES / SD.
This is the EP Integrations loading block. All aluminum billet and is actually three layers sandwiched together and locks down your brass. How many times have you knocked your brass over. Also keeps the funnel nice and steady on the neck of the brass. Worth every penny.
This is the Area419 Billet Loading Block. Nice, but eventually I will replace them all with EP Integrations loading blocks.
This is the Henderson GEN 3 powered case trimmer. Expensive: YES. But I have used quite a few of the hand crank, motorized, and drill attachment ones and none of them come near the speed and accuracy of this one. Even the Giraud.
This is the DoubleAlpha Primafill GEN-2. Makes filling primer tubes a breeze. Have no complaints and can't see being without it.
This is the InlineFabrication 9 3/4" tall Quick Change Ultramount. InlineFabrication is another one of those companies that thinks outside the box. They have many innovative offerings. I use this to swap tools effortlessly.
This is the K&M Precision Premium Carbide Flash Hole Uniformer. Works wonderfully especially when mounted on a case prep tool.
This is the Lyman Case Prep Express out of case and modified to mount on "Inline Fabrication Plate with the mounting tube on the bottom made by Total Vise".
"Inline Fabrication Plate with the mounting tube on the bottom made by Total Vise".
This is the Primal Rights CPS - Competition Primer Seater. This is the top of the line primer seater and its price reflects that. However, NO primer seater will seat a primer to the exact depth every time. This is due to the rim thickness of the cartridge which can vary as much as .003". Since the shell holder indexes off the case rim. Not shown here is the modification I made to this which keeps me within .0005"! I plan on making drawings to show how to make this modification yourself. I no longer use this.
This is the Primal Rights PrimeWhere Digital Package. This is the top of the line for measuring primer pocket depth and primer seating depth. There is an app for it that shows you readings on your iPhone and other stats. I do not recommend getting the Indicator Stand as it does not work well.
This is the Short Action Customs Infinity APS Modular Seating Die. Again, the finest design, build, and features of any manufacturer. This die is totally modular and with one die and selecting the right components for it, you can use for almost any brass cartridge. Highly, highly recommended! Short Action Customs is THE place to get your gear. They don't pay me for referrals but I can't help myself.
These are the Forster Universal Bullet Puller (right) and the Porter Precision Products expansion mandrel die body. I have used the Hornady bullet puller and the manual bullet pullers and they don't compare. Also the Porter mandrel is also the best I ever used.
This is the Total Vise Speed Track Locking System. Let me tell you about this company. They have the BEST system in the world, Made in USA with USA materials. I took a standard pice of 7/8" Unistrut and mounted on the side of my bench and this goes into it and rides on the track right and left.
This is the Short Action Customs Modular Sizing Die. Again, incredible engineering and the BEST sizing die out there.
These are the tumbling media I use for wet tumble cleaning. They work so much better that steel pins. Don't get stuck in primer flash holes.
This is the Lyman Cyclone Case Dryer. Great product and I completely dry 200 cases in about an hour.
The Mighty Armory PUA Decapping Die. No more primers getting stuck on the pin and not able to pull case out. This die has a spring loaded pin that shoots the old primer down and out. Great idea.
Here we have a bowl for applying Imperial case lube, Imperial case lube, foam Q-tips, Nitrile gloves, and micro-fiber gloves for wiping off lube. I also use a regular micro-fiber cloth for wiping off lube.
This is the Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler I use.
This is the K&M Premium Carbide primer pocket correction tool shown with 1/4" hex shank. They also make an adapter for a 8/32" thread.
These are Mitutoyo Absolute Digimatic 6" and 8' calipers. On top is a Mitutoyo 8" dial caliper
These are the Short Action Customs headspace and bullet comparators with both short and long holders. These snap in and out of the holders and are superb to anything else. The two bottom red bases with gold screws are Hornady Anvil Bases that help keep everything square.
This is the Sinclair hand Primer. It is slower yes, but it has the ability to index off the case head, and not use rim thickness to determine depth.
This is the Rabbit hole RPG Gauge. This is used for measuring case rim thickness, primer pocket depth, primer seating depth, and primer height. Love this tool and so glad they came out with it.
Powder, brass, bullets, and Primers I Use
I now use Alpha Munitions brass. I used to use Lapua but lately have been having too much variations in primer pocket depth. This is the finest brass made and is made in America.
These are the bullets I use, Lapua Scenar. I have also tried many others but these work best in my setup. Yours may vary of course but what I like about these the most is their incredible consistency in size, weight, base to ogive. When I sort them, which I hardly have to do, they are always wishing .001 or .0005"
This is the powder I have settled on so far. Hodgdon Varget. This gave me best SD / ES.
These are the primers I use, Federal Gold Medal Small Rifle Match Primers. #GM205M.
CCI Small Rifle Primers BR-4. These are the primers I use now with the Alapha Munitions Brass.
Load your long-range competition loads with only the best. CCI® Bench Rest Rifle primers are engineered to provide precision ignition in tough conditions. They're assembled with extra care for superior consistency and accuracy.
- Precision ignition for tough competition
- Assembled with extra care for consistency
- Ultimate in accuracy
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