Labeling reloads

444shooter

444shooter

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I use the MTM ammo boxes, and was wondering if anyone uses a label maker for marking the caliber or just a felt marker on a piece of masking tape.
 
I put full length of piece of masking tape on the box, and write some pertinent info - batch number, bullet/charge weight, and date. A typical box of ammo might say "345 L154/45.0V 24-June-2009", which means batch #345 (all of the data for it is in my reloading book), Lapua 154 grain bullet with 45.0 grains of Varget, 24-June-2009. I already know it's .308 Win, don't have to write that ;-), besides if I ever got confused I could tell that just by looking.

If I reload the brass and nothing changes except the batch number and date, I'll overwrite them. If the masking tape gets full, I'll peel it off and use another piece. It does pain my Scottish ancestry to throw away a piece of masking tape with a few unused spots on it, but I manage.
 
I buy the 2 by 4 inch labels at the dollar store and just write on what the box contains with a sharpie.
Ie from last week

.40 minor
3.7 231
180 ltc
1.125 coal
29 jan 10
 
I have been lax in my labelling in the past, but I am goign to start fresh this year. I am using the stickers that come in the box to mark the cartridge, but I plan to mark on masking tape the bullet type (using cast and jacketed of different types). With the log book I keep for all cartridges, I should be good.
 
I don't have much of a system, but it does what it needs to. Just some post it notes stuck to the inside of the lid. I tend not to have oodles of reloads sitting around from so far back that I can't remember what they were, so just a few basic details like powder charge, bullet weight. I keep the same chit in the box and just 'up' the number each time I use the brass (one thing too many people seem to ignore imo). If I'm testing, a full sheet of paper goes in with ALL the details so I don't have to look at a notebook while I'm at the range. Also during testing I write the charge or primer type etc right on the brass with a sharpie. After polishing, lubing, sizing it's long gone for the next go-round. But real easy to identify the 'man those sucked' loads.
I have great respect for anyone who has the patience to 'do it right'. Nice neat labels just don't happen with me!:p
 
Labeling

I print paper cards on printer cut and put on top of reloads I reload a lot at a time and always want date and other info in case of problems
when don box throw out card start again
By printing on computer clear to read and fast

supermag
 
I use Excel and Avery labels and print up all the info on the labels. I have a small box beside every grain amount that correspondes to a color that I mark on the primers of every reload when I do load development.

So if I am working up a load for a .357 Mag for instance and I am using a certain powder and lets say my increments are .5 grn and I start at 10 grn then this is what I do.

10.0 Grn I color the primer black, 10.5 gn it is red, 11.0 green and so on. On the laptop that I have next to the reloading setup I type all the info into the excel spreadsheet that I use and print it off and stick it to the box. I use the colored felts to color beside each different loading as I am going.

If by some reason I opened the box at the range and all the reloads fell out of the box onto the ground I would know instantly what I have.

If I am loading a box of a certain calibre that I don't need to work up a load then I just simply do up the same label without the color system on it.

At an instant I can open up my ammo locker and tell what is what and no need to guess. I reload for a lot of calibers and it is amazing how quickly you can forget what was loaded in the box.

I mark every target I shoot at with the info and bring them home with me. I measure with calipers every group and record it in my data base on the computer and the best group target I hole punch and keep in a 5" binder. I have a favorite section in the binder for quick refrence when I reload and every load goes into the computer data bank. I have targets in that binder from 1978 when I started reloading.

I can tell you what my 629 revolver did with a 429421 reload with 2400 powder in Oct. 1986 on the second saturday and what weather it was.
I have the powder, case, primer and my lead composition i.e. Lyman #2 water dropped etc.
 
I think the key is to label. I spent about 2 hours sorting through my reloads last night and labeling what I thought I would remember with ease. I did have my journal and don't vary recipes much once I get it right. I did have some that stumped me for a minute because I had a senior moment.

My point is label everything as you make it so you don't have to waste time when you could be reloading more!
 
An image of my load labels I have on every MTM Box.

load_label.jpg


Case: Brand of brass
Primer: Type of Primer & Brand
OAL: Over all length
Bullet: Brand, Mass & type
New Brass: Checkbox for New Brass/Factory loads (Not 1-F yet)
Powder: Brand & charge level.

Highlighter/marker across boxes to indicate status of MTM Box contents. Full line = Ready to go or ready to be cleaned (Easy check. Open the box if opaque)
All range brass I assum to be 5x reloaded already. After 10x reloaded it gets tossed.

Obviously with pistol ammunition loaded via the progressive press, after cleaning, it pretty much is a one stroke down across all the boxes.
 
I use 2X4 pressure sensative labels with:

Date:............... Cal:
Powder:........... Wt:
Bullet:............. Wt:
Primer: ............Vel:
OAL:................Notes:
 
I use a sharpie and write on the cases themselves. Powder charge, type, Cartridge OAL and bullet weight/type. Sometimes I don't write anything. I only reload for 1 rifle.
 
Dillon used to make labels for reloads, don't know if they still do. The labels contained all the info you would need, there was a spot for every detail. They work well and I usually stick on to the top of my boxes of reloads. They are about 1"x3" or maybe a bit bigger.
 
I use the Avery 2" x 4" labels, and set them up on the Computer to enter the pertinent info: Chambering/Rifle; Bullet maker and weight; Primer; Case; How many firings; How many times trimmed; COL. I mark in the times fired section each time I fire them, ditto the trims.[e.g. 1-4-8] For load development, I color mark the primers of each load and attach a temporary slip with the color code and needed info. Good loads are entered in a database on the Computer. Good targets are 3 - hole punched and kept in a binder with all the important data written on them. Eagleye.
 
Last edited:
Jarlath said:
An image of my load labels I have on every MTM Box.

load_label.jpg


Case: Brand of brass
Primer: Type of Primer & Brand
OAL: Over all length
Bullet: Brand, Mass & type
New Brass: Checkbox for New Brass/Factory loads (Not 1-F yet)
Powder: Brand & charge level.

Highlighter/marker across boxes to indicate status of MTM Box contents. Full line = Ready to go or ready to be cleaned (Easy check. Open the box if opaque)
All range brass I assum to be 5x reloaded already. After 10x reloaded it gets tossed.

Obviously with pistol ammunition loaded via the progressive press, after cleaning, it pretty much is a one stroke down across all the boxes.
Click to expand...

I use a similar method, but like what you are doing more.

I will do the same but will leave boxes to write the number of firings on big bore stuff (don't always fire the entire lot).
Also I will make the boxes big enough to write the powder charge in if I am doing a ladder test or load workup. Mine has the word "Hinge" at the top in tiny letters...Just so there is no confusion.
I bet it takes a while to get it looking right in excel! :D
 
X-fan said:
I use a similar method, but like what you are doing more.

I will do the same but will leave boxes to write the number of firings on big bore stuff (don't always fire the entire lot).
Also I will make the boxes big enough to write the powder charge in if I am doing a ladder test or load workup. Mine has the word "Hinge" at the top in tiny letters...Just so there is no confusion.
I bet it takes a while to get it looking right in excel! :D
Click to expand...

For test load work ups I have a bunch of smaller MTM boxes. (I use only 100's for my mass production pistol and .223 loads, and soon my .30-06 & .300 WM.) Otherwise I usually use several 50 round boxes with 20 rounds of each charge mass. Or even go really basic and put them into zip locks. Either way they have a small label denoting charge level.
 
Jarlath,

Thanks for that label image, I'll use it myself. I have been pretty dillgent about labelling everything well, but this label helps keep things more systematic.
 
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