AAR - Reloading Class at a Guntry Club

[QuickDrawMcgraw]

Be forewarned - LOTS OF RAMBLING AHEAD

I've been wanting to get into reloading for quite some time - about a year ago I took a NRA reloading class and although I felt it was a lot of good knowledge, it was mostly stuff I had already read in a lot of the books I had picked up and online forums.  When I asked about polymer coated bullets - the wise old instructor told me they were garbage and left it at that.  I also only got to make 1 rifle round (I don't plan to reload rifle) during that class.  I have a friend her taught herself on a Dillon 650 and figured meh I don't need a class - but for some reason I love taking classes about firearms stuff.

So at the local Guntry Club (not my range) there is a business I have frequented for many years before they moved into the Guntry Club - Colorado Gun Cleaners - They clean guns (duh), Cerakote (what I've used from them), and sell Dillon and Mark 7 (if you have never seen a Mark 7 autodrive with a tablet in action, OMG) reloaders and just about anything you need to reload.  Well since moving into the Guntry Club they have gotten a ton more business than at their last location and there are classrooms at this range for them to use.  So they hosted a free 30 minute spiel about an upcoming reloading class they were gonna offer and I checked it out.  Signed up that day.  Now it did cost more than the last NRA course I took, but I figure they gotta pay rent to this Guntry Club, I had planned to buy my Dillon from them and I was told that the 8hr class would be 4 hours of instruction and 4 hours of hands on reloading.

Arrived at 0900 for a 0930 start thinking because of the price - no one would of signed up.  Well 15 others besides myself signed up   We had 2 instructors for the oral instruction time and 3 instructors for the hands on portion.  (later pictures you will see 3 tables - so 1 instructor per table)

Below are some examples out of the manual and slides they were showing to and talking to.



















LOTS and LOTS of good information during the slide presentation/oral/etc portion of the class - the whole class asked tons and tons of questions and the instructors gave great feedback to all of them.  What was really cool about the entire class - is you know you are taking this class and they are hoping you will buy from their store - but they NEVER once pushed anything they sold.  Just lots of solid good information and great to have 16 students asking questions that I never thought of.  A lot of the class is hunters/long distance shooters here in CO - but about half were just looking to save on pistol range ammo and get better accuracy for a good cost.

We break for lunch and the Guntry Club is having a Car show outside to benefit a local PD to help buy body armor - I go out drop $$ in the bucket and get lunch and check out the cars - it was threatening to rain so not a huge turn out.
Jalepeno, Bacon, Cream Cheese!








I owned a 1970 Chevelle long ago - so the Chevelle has always been my favorite - this is a 68 or 69.  I've also owned a 69 Plymouth Belvedere I had a 340 in and a 71 Mustang Mach 1.  Those days are long gone but I love to admire them still.





During lunch they changed the room around and brought out 3 benches with 2 Dillon 550 Basics on each.  We split up and I had 5 students 1 instructor at my table.  We would be loading cleaned range brass -Remington small pistol primer 1 1/2 - 9mm 115 gr FMJ bullet with Hodgdon Universal powder using Hodgon's reloading data center website. We sorta treated it like a single stage press - each of us got to set up and run each stage individually with the instructor showing use how/why/when/etc along the way.  We made mistakes, we had successes, we learned a lot.  Did I prime a case with a spent primer - sure did Honestly it scared me I thought it was a new primer that I had somehow indented on the machine while pushing it in.  But hey I learned.  TONS of question/answer during this time. 








My first three bullets - BEFORE CRIMPING




I had a great time - I feel I learned a lot and I would of picked up my Dillon 550C that day - BUT 15 other people all went into their store to browse around and a friend had called and asked if I wanted to head to dinner and a free outdoor concert - so next Saturday I will be going in to pick up my Dillon.

This was in the back of the manual they handed out.




Example of their Cerakote work








Even saw BigFoot in the Pro Shop near the Archery area at the Guntry Club

[Stojanovich]

Learning to reload was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  It opened a whole new world of gun geekiness: chronographs, ballistics tables, (safely) testing various loads and learning how to extract the best performance from every cartridge for its intended purpose.  My only advice is don't go down the bullet-casting rabbit hole because it's a whole 'nother level of craziness and obsession all by itself.  You're liable to find yourself scrounging used wheel weights at your local tire shops and car dealerships, just like I used to do.

Pretty sure that Chevelle is a '68!   

[Wobbly]

Looks and sounds like FUN !

I know you enjoyed your time there and looks like they really went all-out. Those machines are BL550's sitting on top of Inline Fabrication press mounts. I hope you're buying a RL550 with the primer and powder feed, and sit it on top of the Dillon Strong Mount. That will make things much more enjoyable. And the Strong Mount has extra accessories that adapt to it you might want in the future.

So what was your impression of the machine itself ?

[QuickDrawMcgraw]

Looks and sounds like FUN !

I know you enjoyed your time there and looks like they really went all-out. Those machines are BL550's sitting on top of Inline Fabrication press mounts. I hope you're buying a RL550 with the primer and powder feed, and sit it on top of the Dillon Strong Mount. That will make things much more enjoyable. And the Strong Mount has extra accessories that adapt to it you might want in the future.

So what was your impression of the machine itself ?

In my head I pictured I would be cranking down on the arm with the strength of Charles Atlas - in reality it was nothing like that and even made me feel better about the whole experience.  I actually am looking forward to getting everything set up and starting on some reloads - my plan is to reload 9,40,10,45 and maybe 300blk - I think I will start with 9mm first and work on that for a good while until I feel that I am ready to do multiple calibers.

Yes my plan is to pick up the RL550C they had some in stock Saturday - but so many people in there, I'll wait till I'm the only one in the store this weekend.

[newageroman]

That's cool. 20% off is a dang good deal for any Dillon stuff.

[Wobbly]

I actually am looking forward to getting everything set up and starting on some reloads - my plan is to reload 9,40,10,45 and maybe 300blk - I think I will start with 9mm first and work on that for a good while until I feel that I am ready to do multiple calibers.

IMHO, you might do better starting with 45ACP. It's a much lower pressure cartridge (about half the pressure of the others) and with some 185gr RN bullets from Berry load them up to the OAL of the 230gr.

The 9 and 40 will require everything you learn on 45, and then some. So 45 is to 9, like walking is before you run. If you'll order yourself some small primer 45ACP brass, you can use all the same primers and powers on all that follow. Or you can use large primer brass and be set for the 10.

How's that for a plan ?

[aflevine]

I would truly enjoy taking a class like that.  Reloading has been my next mountain on the horizon. 

Anyone know of a class in or near New Orleans that they'd recommend?

[QuickDrawMcgraw]

I actually am looking forward to getting everything set up and starting on some reloads - my plan is to reload 9,40,10,45 and maybe 300blk - I think I will start with 9mm first and work on that for a good while until I feel that I am ready to do multiple calibers.

IMHO, you might do better starting with 45ACP. It's a much lower pressure cartridge (about half the pressure of the others) and with some 185gr RN bullets from Berry load them up to the OAL of the 230gr.

The 9 and 40 will require everything you learn on 45, and then some. So 45 is to 9, like walking is before you run. If you'll order yourself some small primer 45ACP brass, you can use all the same primers and powers on all that follow. Or you can use large primer brass and be set for the 10.

How's that for a plan ?

That is a pretty good plan

What is the advantage of loading 185gr RN to 230gr OAL?

on 45 ACP if using on a pistol or PCC with a suppressor would I want to stay with the 230gr stuff?

[Wobbly]

That is a pretty good plan
What is the advantage of loading 185gr RN to 230gr OAL?
On 45 ACP if using on a pistol or PCC with a suppressor would I want to stay with the 230gr stuff?

• 185gr cost less.

• Not necessarily, the heavier bullet travels slower. It's not only the bang from the gun you need to suppress. A fast bullet also makes a "sonic boom" as it breaks the sound barrier.