Category: Firearms

Reloading is fun and economical.  I outlined why I wanted to do it in an article a while back, almost a year to the day:  Reloading 101

For the last year we’ve mostly shot ammo that we’ve reloaded.  Except for maybe 300 rounds of factory, everything we shot this year was reloaded.

So here are the things I’ve learned this year.

1) Cast Lead, while economical, pretty much sucks.  I’ve shot it for a year now, about 12k rounds through various guns (All Glocks), some with aftermarket barrels but we’ve probably put 6k rounds down the Glock 34 this year alone with no ill effects.   Accuracy is fine, it’s just dirtier.

Disclaimer:  Glock says don’t do this.   I’m convinced the reason they say that is because people don’t clean their guns.  I do, before and after every match and generally speaking every time I shoot them.  Yes, I have shot a GSSF match with my LEAD reloads.  I could also give my gun to the Glock Armorer after cleaning and they’d never know it had lead through it.  You just have to keep it clean.

Cast Lead, even good bullets from SNS Casting are dirty.  Speed shooting through a smoke screen is no fun, and in fact I’m kind of tired of it so I’m switching.

Cast Lead is dirty, you will need to clean your guns more often if you use it.  You should clean them anyway, which is why the dirty gun part didn’t bother me.

Cast Lead with a compensator sucks though, the comp will lead up and it’s a bitch to get off.   Another reason I’m switching up.

It’s dirty when you reload, and well, it’s lead.   I’m very diligent about washing my hands after I reload or shoot.  But reload 400 rounds and your bullet handling hand will be frickin dirty, scrub brush required dirty.   Reloading with plated bullets eliminates this.

I’m about 2/3rds the way through my first order from Montana Gold Bullet, Inc. and I’m really liking the results so far.

Reloading is cleaner, shooting is cleaner, and no smoke screen after things get heated up.  

So if you have $340 just laying around, hit them up and order me a box of 9mm 115gr FMJ’s.   You’ll find them here. 

Your purchase will help further my shooting as well as further promote “Super Molly” in the shooting world.   She needs your support cause I can’t afford her alone .

Here’s Molly on one of the stages.  Strings 3 and 5 where her best, but it wasn’t her best day by a long shot.  We’d all been sick and struggling with bronchitis.  So that kind of sucked.

I just finished reloading 800 rounds tonight which will get us through Friday Night Steel and the GSSF Match this weekend.  Yep it’s work, but the cost is still about half of factory.

I have never bought new brass.   From the day we started shooting I’ve been saving it.  So when we started reloading, I already had a bunch.   I was given a bucket load by a fellow shooter who had more than he could ever use.

We’ve pretty much maintained that quantity all year long.  We pick up the brass we shoot when we can, but there have been plenty of lost brass matches.   We pretty much volunteer at the local shoots, and if you get your hands dirty setting up or tearing down, you’ll likely be able to pick up some brass.    Again, we’ve bought absolutely ZERO casings.

So, CASE CHECK YOUR AMMO.

Especially before a match.   I’ve had a few ‘issues’ but only about 3 and never if I case checked it.    I get in a hurry and sometimes don’t and I’ve had two rounds stick in the camber that had to be pounded out with a squib rod.  WHOLE rounds mind you, no squibs.

I have had 2 squibs this year with FACTORY FEDERAL .22 ammo that we shoot in Rimfire.  Too bad I can’t reload that.  These were show stopping, bullet stuck in the barrel squibs.  From FACTORY AMMO.  So I’m convinced, do it right and you too can have better ammo than factory.

I’ve used Federal Primers exclusively.  We’ve ‘slicked up’ our Glocks and they can be prone to light strikes with CCI primers, so I just don’t use them.  I’ve had 0 failure to fires this year with my reloads with Federal primers.

Powder, still using Alliant Bullseye.   I like it, it works.

So yeah, if you shoot, you should reload.  It’s fun, and far more economical.  We honestly couldn’t afford to do it if we didn’t.

Happy shooting.