Reloading to the Extreme - We’re Doin’ it Semi-Live

Semi-Live! Jimmy and Mark are joined by Ryan Muckenhirn to actually go ahead and reload their very first cartridges on the single stage press. We take you through every step of the process, from taking a once-fired piece of brass, spent primer still in the pocket, to dropping in a fresh, red-tipped Hornady 140 grain ELD Match bullet and adding it to the “Done” bin. No practice rounds were done before this one - this is literally Mark and Jimmy’s first ever reloaded rounds. Let’s hope they shoot!
As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast. #Poventure
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[@bisleyblackhawk1288]

And as a safety measure…only have the ONE powder you are currently using out on the loading bench to prevent the chance of getting your powders mixed up and charging with the wrong one 🤔🤔🤔…excellent podcast Y’all 👍👍👍

[@chipsterb4946]

VERY good rule! Very early in my hand loading I dumped what was left in a powder measure back into a powder canister… and suddenly asked myself “was that powder X or powder Y in that?” The only safe thing to do at that point is throw it away. Which is a good reason to put powder back in the canister/jug when you are done with a session.

[@batmanlovesbassfishin6747]

It's like Ryan is babysitting the reloading rookies. You guys are hilarious and fun to watch. Enjoy your podcasts very much.

[@wdgoings]

Dudes I am absolutely digging y’alls videos. I am not only learning all kinds of awesome stuff but y’all are hilarious. When mark said “by the way I agree with everything in your manifesto” I lost it. Keep up the awesomeness y’all!!! 🇺🇸

[@wassman27]

Tip if you SS tumble. Get a universal decapping die from Lee and decap (no sizing) before tumbling. You get three benefits 1) The primer pockets get cleaned which eliminates one of your case prep steps 2) The universal decapping die pin is stronger which is helpful for crimped primers 3) The sizing die decapping pin clears the primer pockets of debris.

[@dennisgarryowen8885]

Wonderful video. It is amazing how understandable things can be when you have an teacher who doesn't really care about trying to show you how elite he is.

[@georgelza]

Can you share a link to that case trimmer fitted to the green cordless drill.

[@TomKeown]

I agree. I prefer to prime on the press, one at a time. I had a disaster with one of those handheld priming tools and vowed to never put myself at risk that way again. So on-the-press priming, individually, is the route I go.

[@VortexNation]

Yikes glad you're OK and that you've got a method that works better for you now! Takes a bit longer but keeping all your fingers is worth it :)

[@TomKeown]

@@VortexNation Thanks! Yeah, having 40+ primers all go off in an instant chain reaction is pretty scary. Fortunately I escaped with a bruised and cut hand. But the priming tool was blown to bits. So now it's "slow and steady" with press priming.

[@chipsterb4946]

I use a handheld pan type primer for pistol cartridges and a bench mounted Forster Co-Ax priming tool for rifle. Unlike other tube fed priming tools, the Forster stacks primers sideways in the tube instead of top to bottom. It gives me more leverage for large primers but still has the “feel” I want. Plus I can check for primer depth with every case as I go. That’s important, especially with rifles that use a floating firing pin (M1 Garrand, M14/M1A, ARs, etc.)

[@gunslinger8718]

Ryan is a very paitent teacher. Seems like a nice guy!

[@davidschmidt5810]

If you are seating bullets while measuring powder, it can throw the scale off because you are doing both on the same bench. The scale can’t handle the vibration while dispensing powder. As you noted even air can affect the scale. FYI

[@aaawman2280]

On the topic of fire forming, fire forming is a practice that every reloader should practice, any factory round is generally made to sammi min spec, so if you measure say a .223 unfired case or any other it's several thousandths less, or shorter from the datum on the measured point. When you fire that case in your rifle it is now fire formed to your individual chamber, when you reload it and only bumping the shoulder back. 002 or .003in can aid in case life, and possibly accuracy due to the fine fitment to the chamber. Fire form for reloading life of brass and better accuracy, but the big catch is not to set the die like most instructions say, it seems to set the shoulder anywhere from .007 to .011in, way to much, will cause a case body separation sooner than it should.

[@chipsterb4946]

I just realized that you guys skipped talking about using a case gauge. That is a vitally important tool for measuring headspace and case length.

[@michaelhaseltine9750]

Sorry I'm way late in finding this series... I think you should have looked at another stage of loader between the one you chose and the full-on Dillon. Lee has a Classic Turret loader that is another good choice because it does all the steps that the Dillon does, but without the automation. It does all the steps for one cartridge at a time, rather than one step for all the cartridges at a time for the one you've chosen. Check it out.

[@brenn330]

Great video guys

[@VortexNation]

Thanks Trent!

[@HikeHuntHaul]

Awesome content for us that are getting into reloading; terrible camera angle. Y’all’s camera did this podcast no justice; it was like being in a deer stand trying to watch and learn about reloading.....lmao!!!

[@soreloser6018]

Yes please, 2.5 hr b-roll of the tumbler. I need it.

[@bisleyblackhawk1288]

Yep!…Reloading ASMR 😆🤣😆🤣

[@digitalshooter2905]

So a couple of things. The camera angle was bad. It should been at the level of the press and closer to it so people could really see what was going on at the press. You should've also shown the setup of the dies and not had them already set up. Most of the people watching this are going to be new reloaders and could have benefited from seeing that process as well.

[@DTWCT]

@1:04:53 your primer is 3 cents. LOL

[@dougfields23]

that retro subaru shirt!

[@justice1327]

Good video,but should have put more thought into the camera angles

[@carterthiessen2664]

1:04:52 I miss the 3 cent primer days

[@christopheroleary2512]

LOL… Need a shirt for the comment that says “Vortex Nation - BTW I agree with everything in your manifesto”

[@randall3785]

Does Subaru approve of the endorsement? If so, I’ll be checking them out.

[@wafflbonkr]

Cringed when Mark put his head right over the press as he seated that first primer. Wear safety glasses guys. And I dig hand priming with the Lee tool. It takes less time than on the press, feels more consistent to me and the primer you’re seating is segregated from the tray holding all the other primers. I also don’t put more than 50 in the tray at a time. Nitrile gloves and safety glasses. Highly recommend.

[@VortexNation]

All great points - still beginners here and definitely have a lot to learn - safety is extremely important!

[@scotttemple4410]

Do you guys prefer the Hornady lock and load press over the Lee press shown in the earlier video? Thanks in advance.

[@UrNotThatGuyPal]

Not the best choice for camera angle boys

[@yabba5696]

Speaking from experience I hand prime over press prime one. It's not that hard on your hand so maybe if you were doing thousands I could see that. But I can hand squeeze 200 -556 bullets in the same amount of time. It takes me to press 120 and it's easier to reload the hand primer versus the tube on my press I'm a hand primer all day

[@dankcincy]

So which one of those powder bottles is that powder going to end up in? Lol

[@carterthiessen2664]

Yeah I only have 1 bottle on the bench when I'm loading. Hopper gets emptied and the bottle gets put away before another bottle comes out.

[@drice847]

Now we need a series of videos melting scrap lead into ingots and casting bullets for 6.5....

[@1979Iceman]

Did I miss the part where they said the bullet weight?

[@BRADASSOFFGRIDHOMESTEAD]

You chamfer the case BEFORE you full length resize, so you square up the neck.

[@johnwallace7694]

What bench{es} are those ?

[@calebsyswerda]

Is this fully semi-live? 🤔

[@robspath4203]

I do the rotation thing too!

[@dannysapp5559]

safety glasses? when reloding

[@MrBeltaine]

38:22 😂

[@alaska1andy959]

A Subaru t-shirt?

[@VortexNation]

Not just any Subaru - the Subaru Brat!

[@young_of_the_mill9560]

Reloading shotshells are more interesting

[@ryanbrand3946]

They just made it so boring.

[@johnnydawson7675]

Say "Join Mark and me" instead of "Join Mark and I."

[@10ring]

Love this series. For future reference, when you frame a shot, don't have something like a moving clock in the foreground. It's super distracting for the viewer and your information is diluted.

[@Nostradamus_Order33]

You are so so slow. Get to it. I can’t take it anymore. I am out.

[@VortexNation]

Sorry to hear that, Mr Troll Master

[@thomastourville1674]

You guys talk to much about other things than the point of the show making it hard to flow the main subject of the show.