Nope - white powder. Typically 1-2% by weight.Originally Posted by SecondsCount
No, I didn't know that.
Is that stuff yellow? There is a yellow substance in Ramshot Silhouette that is supposed to help reduce flash.
The yellow stuff might be a urea of some form or another.
FYI - all flash suppressants increase the "corrosiviness" of the powder.
I definitely load my own since the majority of my shooting encompasses precision rifle work. I load .223 (82 berger, pointed, at 2900), 223ai (75 amax at 3050), 6x45 (just waiting on the reamer for this one), .260 (140 amax at 2800), and 243 (107 smk, pointed, at 3050)...and all of it is done on a Forster Co-Ax via Redding and/or Forster dies. Consistent precision is the name of this game, and I've set myself up to load accurately as fast as I can...and these are the tools that I use:
- Prometheus Gen. 2 powder measure - throws to the kernal of powder, every time, in about 6-10 seconds per charge. Since I run stick powders exclusively, this has been a godsend. My ES/SD's have been cut in half as well..which means less dispersion at distance. I love this machine.
- Giraud Trimmer - Chamfer/Deburr, accurate to within .002" from case to case, and I can trim 10 cases in less than 45 seconds...and that is slow.
- Stainless tumbling media
- Redding and/or Forster bushing dies - I FL size every time, and good dies provide consistent neck tension and case sizing. The micrometer seating dies make OAL changes a breeze…very helpful if you are chasing lands on a barrel burner.
- RCBS Case Micrometers - accurately measures shoulder bump (goal of .002" per sizing). Helpful to ensure that I am not oversizing.
- Oahus M5, tuned by Scott Parker - to verify what my prometheus is dropping, sensitive to the kernel of powder
- RCBS hand primer
All in all, this is an expensive hobby, no doubt. But, I can make ammo that has been tuned and hot rodded for MY rifles to give me the best performance possible. If I was to shoot a .308 (god forbid), I can load my ammo for literally less than half the cost of buying factory ammo.
While I have a 550B for other stuff, I have only used it ONCE in two years. I am thinking of selling it, buying a Square Deal, and taking to loading pistol ammo on that machine. I find 45 ammo to be, ahem, not cheap...and 9mm ammo isn't that far behind. I love my Michiguns 1911, and would shoot it more if I had a good loading set-up, and access to cheaper components....
I've been reloading since 2008, when I couldn't find ammo at all!
Started with a Lee single stage kit, then to a LeeClassic turret, to a Dillon 550b, and now to a Dillon 650.
I load mostly 9mm,.223 for the Ar15s, and 308 for my bolt gun.
It's nice to have ammo to shoot!
I started loading in 1976 and haven't bought factory ammo since. I bought a Dillon 550 in 1991 and haven' looked back. I enjoy reloading.
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