Least Enjoyable Task in your Reloading Routine ?

[Munkey1973]

It used to be case trimming. Now I have a Giraud so that step is no big deal. I suppose it's primer pocket cleaning. It just so hard on my delicate fingers, LoL.

I've never seen a Giraud, but a guy I compete has one and he said that trimming and chattering is something he looks forward to -because he gets to use the Giraud.

I kind of feel that way about my 21st Century 3 way trimmer (even though it probably nowhere near as fast as a Giraud).

 

[kawicrash]

Primer pocket uniforming.... ugh..

 

[9.3mauser]

case trimming... about as much fun as sticking a pencil in your ear.

 

[maynard]

I am maybe a little lazy in some ways when it come to loading, so I mind spending money tools to make life easier. I only shoot 1000-1200 rounds of .308 a year for competition.
I only use Lapua brass and have a couple thousand on hand so a lot of steps are not required. I do sort them into .5 grain batches. I do not sort projectiles or primers. I shoot Sierra 2156C match bullets that are already pointed at the factory. so no meplat work needs to be done. No need to deburr or uniform primer pocket. I use spray lube as I find it quick and uniform way to lube cases. Deprime using a Redding Type S bushing die. Clean the lube off the cases by throwing back into the tumbler with extra fine untreated corn cob media.
My annealing machine can do a about 300-400 hour. I use a Gracey Trimmer the cuts to length, and deburrs the inside and outside all in one shot. Think electric pencil sharpener, about 2 seconds per case.
I don't clean primer pockets unless I see a big piece of crud in the primer pocket before seating the primer. I have found no advantage with cleaned primer pocket over ones that have a little soot in them.
Powder is thrown with an RCBS Chargemaster then reweighed to +.02 gr, -.00 gr on an Acculab Vic123. Power and bullet seating take the longest and is probably my least favorite task in the whole process.

 

[road.ripper]

I reload various calibres with my son,
Arthritis sucks for most case prep tasks. Walnut tumbling cases then using a Dremel with a stainless brush to clean primer pockets but my hands hurt after 40 or 50 cases.
Just got a Lyman prep centre and a Frankford Arsenal stainless media wet tumbler system yesterday. hopefully it will help.

 

[leadchucker62]

But wait! I reload for 9 different calibers, 6 of them using my own cast projectiles. I really hate putting gas checks on and crimp/sizing 1 at a time.

For me that is the worst.

Z

 

[Standardvel]

I enjoy reloading, but if I was meticulous enough to go through every step on the list I am sure one or three would not appeal to me.

 

[Onagoth]

All of it is unenjoyable to me....which is why I sold all my gear and simply buy ammo now

 

[TheNatural21]

Trimming is my least favorite part. It seems to drag on forever and the noise of powered trimmers kills the zen atmosphere of the reloading bench. I got a Lyman case trim Xpress for Christmas and that seems to be speeding things up and producing good results. It's still probably my least favourite step, but I like it a whole lot more than I used to.

I have not invested in annealing equipment yet. The cheaper machines/methods look like I would hate doing it so I've been avoiding them. The AMP is on my shopping list so I can get my stockpile of 4x fired brass back in rotation in the simplest looking way possible, but the price has kept me from actually buying one so far.

 

[EC]

I despised trimming cases. A Giraud Power Case Trimmer solved that problem. Trim, chamfer, and debur in a matter of seconds.

 

[ted_dent]

I hate cleaning the lube from sized cases the most. Not an option so i did not vote.

This because it is messy. Lube, size, remove lube. Pain in the a$$. Stuff like primer pocket swaging & flash hole deburring doesn't bother me because I only have to do it once per case. Lubing never stops.

 

[Munkey1973]

Powder is thrown with an RCBS Chargemaster then reweighed to +.02 gr, -.00 gr on an Acculab Vic123. Power and bullet seating take the longest and is probably my least favorite task in the whole process.

When I had a Chargmaster, I enjoyed the powder charging and bullet seating right after. I.e. seat a bullet while the next charge is coming.
I was a loud after a long while at midnight hour (loading ammo a day or two before a match) but I could live it.

But now that I got a FX120-i and a V3 last spring ... the powder charging is my favourite step.

It is absolute joy watching that thing work !

 

[Munkey1973]

I have not invested in annealing equipment yet. The cheaper machines/methods look like I would hate doing it so I've been avoiding them. The AMP is on my shopping list so I can get my stockpile of 4x fired brass back in rotation in the simplest looking way possible, but the price has kept me from actually buying one so far.

Agreed.. the cost of an AMP is a turn off.
The older ones (prior to the ##### system) I believe were about $1,000 to $1,250 .... but I don't think they sell them anymore.
If a guy wants one, then you have to now get the ##### which is about $1,900!

A friend of mine gave me a homemade induction annealer that cost about $250 - $300 in Amazon Parts and about 12-14 hours of his time.
Programable to the millisecond.
Sure, I have to use Tempilaq to figure out the run time for each batch of different cases, but once its figured our that, its is very satisfying to do.

As I write this, there are 2 votes for Annealing.
I have to wonder if they are doing a Salt Bath method.

 

[RifleDude]

I hate it when a primer goes in sideways, fortunately, not very often. It's always a bugger to get the jammed case out of the primer tool and then remove the twisted primer. Everything else, I'm fine with.

 

[maynard]

I hate it when a primer goes in sideways, fortunately, not very often. It's always a bugger to get the jammed case out of the primer tool and then remove the twisted primer. Everything else, I'm fine with.

The sure is a PITA, I use a press mounted LEE auto prime II and used to get a sideways primer about once or twice every couple hundred rounds when I used Federal Match primers. After switching to CCI Benchrest primers I have not had one primer not seat properly.

 

[Ganderite]

I had to think real hard to come up with something I do not actually enjoy.

Case lube is the "shake and bake" so it is fast and painless.

I clean the lube with the tumbler. Easy peasy.

The only thing I don't like is changing caliber on the Dillon, especially if I have to change the charge bar in the thrower.

 

[Kevin M.]

Sorting out the damn small pistol primer cases from the large pistol primer cases.

Damn the man that decided that .45ACP needed to be updated to a small pistol primer.

 

[Ganderite]

^^ Yes!!

 

[Munkey1973]

Sorting out the damn small pistol primer cases from the large pistol primer cases.

Damn the man that decided that .45ACP needed to be updated to a small pistol primer.

LOL... agreed.
Been about 5 years since I reloaded pistol... forgot what a royal PITA it was to buy mixed 45 brass and deal with that !

 

[ShootingNewbie]

Powder charging wouldn't actually be too bad, if it weren't for the trickler occasionally sending out a cluster and causing the whole load to go back into the hopper (or remove a few from the pan, which is almost as bad). Going back and starting from scratch kills me, as it seems like I've just wasted time.

In terms of tasks that are consistently annoying (as opposed to randomly/intermittently annoying), trimming and neck-turning are right up there - trimming just seems to go on and on and on, and neck-turning always has an element of "now don't mess up here..." at the back of my mind while I'm doing it.

If anyone has a suggestion for how to improve the behaviour of a Redding #5 manual trickler in terms of not splooging out multi-kernels at once, I'd be eternally grateful... maybe tilting it at a slightly shallower angle?