Primers, Powder & Casting

[45spades]

I am still very new to reloading and I am concerned about the lack of availability of powder and primers. At this point I am trying to consolidate my powders and loads. I primarily load for .45 Colt and .500 Linebaugh. There are a couple of other cartridges but the volume is minor. I am trying to work up two loads for each cartridge. My primary powder is H110 & HS-6 for the 45 and IMR 4227 for the .500. In the .45 I can load a 300 grain bullet to 1000 fps with HS-6 and 1300 fps with H-110. Honestly I don't hav much need for the top end load and it is used only during hunting deer which is even more reason not to use it. 1000 fps is plenty. In the 500 I find 4227 is difficult to double charge and this powder is versitile enough for 1000 fps to 1200 fps with a 450 grain Keith. I can use HS-6 if I want a light load for the 500 but I find 900 to 1000 fps with 4227 a pleasant load for me. This works for me but I want to know if anyone has any suggestions for other powders that provides the loads I want. A single powder would be great.

Bullet Casting - I want a single bullet that will do it all for both calibers. I prefer Keith style bullets just because I like them and they have performed well for me. I haven't started casting yet but I see the need with the current administration in office. I have everything to start. The molds I have are an NEI 450 grain Keith 2 cavity for the 500 and a Lee 280 grain Keith version 6 cavity from and an LBT 310 grain that is Verals version of a Keith.

I want a single bullet that I can count on and I think I will find that in the 450 grain for the 500. But what about the 45? I want a heavy 300+ as my primary bullet. Any suggestions here?

Lead - How much lead should I accumulate? I feel like I need to keep getting as much as possible. I want to build a stock of at least 5 years worth of bullets and keep this as a rolling stock. I want enough to get me through 8 years of any administration.

I have heard those refer to stocking up on components as hoarding. I don't believe that. I call it being prepared. So, how much in powder and primers should a person have on hand at any given time? In other words what is a good figure for a rolling stock?

And finally, including brass, what else do I need to be prepared for future events such as the one we are in now?

Thanks

[Flatlander]

I like a 300 gr LFN or LFN gascheck bullet ... I don't cast, buy most of mine from Montana Bullet Works. They have a similar bullet in 325 or 335 gr. Great stuff. Not sure exactly what the mold is but it may say on their website.

Primers - 15,000-20,000 on hand of each type that you shoot. Anything less makes one start to get a little nervous.

Brass - at least 500 pieces makes me happy, a couple of thousand makes me happier.

[Flatlander]

And I also keep a bag of new brass on hand to build my hunting loads.

[Fowler]

All depends on how much you shoot.?. I will say get all the wheelweights you can get your hands on, they are getting scarce. I used to run into town with 5 or 6 pickle buckets and within 2 or 3 stops at tire shops I would have them full and the tire guys would be tickled to be rid of them. When scrap metal prices rocketed 2 years ago they all thought they had gold. I asked a tire shop if I could buy what he had in scrape as I was pulling my truck in for new tires. (they were lifting it to take the tires of right then). The ahole wanted $4.00 a pound for the scrap weights! Not the $.04 the scrap yards were paying. I told him to stick it and cancel the tire order and left!

The point is get what you can any way you can for lead. As for primers and powder, I buy my powder in 8 pound jugs whenever possible and my primers by the 5K flat. If I get into my last flat of primers I get more, if possible. The next time I find Win LP primers I am going to buy all they will let me buy! Having enough components for 2 or 3 years of normal shootin is not hording, have enough for 50 years is.

I have to say the guys who piss me off are the guys who buy a entire pallat of primers for $30.00 a thousand and then head for the gunshow and sell them for $100. I realize it is supply and demand but taking advantage of people just is not right. At least I am not going to buy from him....

[COR]

IMHO, You already have the molds you need to do anything you want. That Keith Style .45 will kill as well as any bullet made and 450 grains at even 850 will do all a growing boy needs with a .510 bore. Just shoot the ones you got really well and don't worry about the "best" design...shoot em straight and they will kill for you.

I currently have just under 5000 LP primers but I have been shooting my Bearcat and Single Sixes more nowadays. If see primers I may pick up some but I don't see a need for having much more than that on the shelf. I also cast and I have about 75lbs of WW's at any given time but I will admit as another poster said they are a little harder to get.

You questions really come down to how much you shoot. I usually have 300-500 rounds for each sixgun I hunt with and I just have a couple of loads to mess with. I just try to shoot the loads I use most really well. Nowadays I would average anywhere from 200 - 500 rounds a month at the range and a handful in the field. More recently it has been with a lot of 22's.

I plead the 5th on powder as I have way too much of it but I always keep my stand bys like Unique, W231, and Lil Gun in stock as well as W296 but neve more than 4lbs unless I find a good deal on a 8lb keg.

[Lee Martin]

Primers have been bad for a while, but now powder is getting really tough to find. I lucked into 8 lbs of Green Dot and 5,000 small pistol primers yesterday. Never thought I'd be so exited over reloading components.

If nothing else, these shortages have forced me to try other makes. For instance, I used to shoot W231 and Unique for reduced loads. Once those got hard to find late last year, I switched to Green Dot. Turns out to be very accurate, clean burning, and a little goes a long way.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com

[nobearsyet]

For lead you might go to the scap yard, I just bought a couple 5 gallon buckets full yesterday and they gave me a good price, like .05 a pound more than the going rate