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Joined: 07 Oct 2008 Posts: 74 Location: MO Ozarks

I posted this on another forum earlier, so it you have seen it there please disregard.

How do you deal with handling your wads during reloading? I have just been getting out a double handfull and placing them on the bench next to the loader, then grabbing one as needed. This can be a little cumbersome and messy however. It seems like I'm always reaching one arm over the other when getting a wad.

This system works OK for my single stage loader, but it seems to me that progressive loader users must have a better system. I don't see how they could maintain the necessary speed otherwise.

Comments/ideas?

Thanks,

Bruce

*Last edited by skeettx on Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:01 pm; edited 1 time in total*

Hello
Merry Christmas

I use Texan M reloaders so I feed cases on the right and wads on the left. The press ejects the loaded ammo. No crossed hands with this press.

For special projects, I have MEC, Pacific and Hollywood presses. With them speed is not the issue, but I have a tall bar stool that I move over near to the loading station to provide for wads or cases as the need arrises

Enjoy the day
Mike

When I buy a case of shells I cut the flaps off the box and save it to store the reloaded boxes of shells in. I use the same boxes on either side of the press, to hold wads on the right, empties on the left,and finished shells to the left of the empties. I'm using a MEC progressive. Guess it depends how much bench space you have. Works for me!

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Same here with my progressives wads on the right empties on the left.MEC sells a cardboard box for ten bucks or so Rolling Eyes

Would rather spend the money on something that saves me problems/aggravations than causes one Twisted Evil

I've been using plastic food packing tubs for all my componant dispenser duties for years now. I use a one gallon size tub for 12 through 20 ga hulls on the left side of my MEC grabber and to the left of a pair of shell stackers of the proper gauge. I use a 1/2 gallon tub to hold 12 through 20 ga wads on the right. for 28 and 410 hulls, I use the 1/2 gallon tub and a quart tub for the smaller gauge wads. I use a 1 pint or 1/2 pint tub for filler wads or spreader inserts in front of the wad tub.

My system puts all the needed componants close at hand in the correct order to allow me to load with a minimum of moves. The shell stackers allow me to load 50 shells at a time before I need to stop and box them. This takes about 30 seconds tops. The 50 count pause also ensures I check the powder and shot bottles and primer count before things run out. I also refill the tubs as needed during the same pause. The boxed shells are neater and easier to store and identify. They are also handier for use on a skeet or trap field as well. I have no need to count out the correct number of shells out of a box of loose rounds every time I sign up for the next round. I also usually (but not always Rolling Eyes

) end up with the correct ammo as well. Age has its foibles. Laughing

Since developing my system over 20 years ago, I have not outrun my shot, powder, or primer supplies. I've not had to open any shells for lack of same as well. Nothing is more exasperating to a reloader as having to open a 100 or so shells because the powder or shot bottle emptied without notice. No primers means a general clean up due to spilt powder in the works. I hate this as well. It is all so easily avoided by a scheduled check pause in the process. the two full shell stackers ensure I get that needed pause.

I have MEC loaders, all progressive, that screw down to my loading bench. I have bagged wads, and I just roll down the top and set them off to the right side. They load into the MEC on that side. Hulls go on the left side, as well as the stacking tray, as they go in and out at the same position on that side.
Pull the handle with the right, looking at the dropped primer, then looking at the powder bar as the handle hits the top. Rotate the plate with the left while the right is picking up and placing a wad, left pulls out loaded hull, right is back up on the handle, left picks up empty hull and places it, pull handle, repeat. Goes pretty fast.
When I load my hunting rounds I hand measure the shot, pulling the hull after wad, then placing it back in.

Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 9

I have a high speed, hydraulically powered loader, so speed of operation and the ability to manage fairly large quantities of components is important for me to maintain speed of loading.

I tried the cardboard dispensers offered by Ballistic Products. They come as a pair, one for hulls, one for wads. They feature a large bin with bafles to restrict dispensing a few hulls/wads at a time.

A great idea, but the weight of more than 500 hulls caused buckling of the hull dispenser. The wad dispenser, which holds more than 500 wads. was not affected.

I had a sheet metal shop bend up a couple of copies of the BP dispensers in galvanized sheet steel (I think it's 18 ga, but I'm not sure). Work great. If all you want to do is manage wads, I'd get the BP dispenser.