Anybody reload at the range?

[del2les]

I never have but the idea of using a RV or trailer set up is interesting especially for some big events or prairie dog excursions.

When I a much younger guy, there was an older gentleman who would load and shoot at the range. He was shooting a vintage lever action with some straight wall rifle cartridge. I don't think it was thick as a 45/70. He would literally dip the case in a big can of power, tap the case on the bench to settle the powder, and then seat a bullet. He had both cast and jacketed bullets, and would set up and shoot in 5 shot groups. He was using a Lyman/Ideal style hand loader.

I REALLY wish that I had been SMART enough back then to pay more attention and ask him a few questions...

Back in the hey day of the Varmint Hunter's Association, VHA, the large Jamborees and other associated P-dog shoots, we saw all types of rigs designed for loading and a few for shooting from. Trailers, RV's, vans, truck mounted campers, tents, even a small converted school bus. Some of these were very ingenious, and I most envied the travel trailers that were pulled onto the P-dog towns for living in and shooting from. They had converted windows that open upwards and a fold out shooting bench that allowed the shooter to stay in the trailer and shoot from the shade and comfort of the room.

One gentleman simply had to turn from his indoor bench to use his load station for his 6BR's and 223AI. In those days, it was not uncommon to shoot several hundred rounds a day, so unless one wanted to load an bring a few thousand rounds, which we often did, these guys just reloaded their couple of hundred brass onsite.

 

[Pro2A]

Load development is a pain. I don't mind the process, but I am not a huge fan of the driving. 1:30 drive each way and a minimum of 4 trips (if everything goes well). Does anybody bring their press and scale out and reload at the range?

Trip 1… ladder
Trip 2… Ed/sd test on best nodes
Trip 3… bullet seating depth test
Trip 4… final test and start to doping.

Would sure be nice to find that mode then load up a couple 5 shot groups, then play with some seating depths all in the same trip! Would make for a long day but it's spring in Colorado. It's beautiful outside!

Ala Nike.....Just Do It. Very common to reload at shooting ranges. I belong to a premier bench rest shooting club (personally not a bench snob). The members very commonly reload at the range for actual competition load adjustments for daily specific parameters, or for load development. Members will reload in the air-conditioned club house, or during large competitions (we hosted the Nationals and World Events) there is a loading pavilion.......large metal building with continuous garage doors which can be closed in cooler/windier conditions or opened for pavilion effect in warmer times. Some competitors have elaborate gear/reloading facilities in "Greyhound Bus" style motor coaches or enclosed trailers that they travel with to events. Some local members "move" to the range in their coaches (we have ~60 coach sites with electric services) for several days of load development/shooting......get away from wifey/crumb crunchers. Others lug their equipment piecemeal from their vehicles into the clubhouse/pavilion and clamp to available tables.

 

[436]

I am not going to reply to your question with an irrelevant answer bragging on one of those 1000yd ranges 5 steps out my shop, which you do not have.
It is simple to do what you need with hand tools and a small plywood box made to set your electronic gem scale inside. Frankford arsenal makes a blue powder trickler with rubber cap that seals the reservoir. You drill a hole in the side of the box so the spout pokes thru the sidewall and ends above the weigh pan. You do the primary charge with lee powder scoops or thrower, depending on powder type, and then trickle the rest in from the outside. Its not production fast but works well. The 'lid' to the box is a piece of plexiglass type material that slides in and out.
The rest you do with an arbor press and die in the breeze. You can use a lee seater die ( cheap and plenty precise) or whidden or wilson (more expensive).
+caliper mic + bullet comparator + bag of prepped brass and you are set!
If you want to do the works out there then the best portable press hands down is the Buchanan. pic attachedView attachment 361638

Now that's how it's done.

 

[HunterMann]

Back in the hey day of the Varmint Hunter's Association, VHA, the large Jamborees and other associated P-dog shoots, we saw all types of rigs designed for loading and a few for shooting from. Trailers, RV's, vans, truck mounted campers, tents, even a small converted school bus. Some of these were very ingenious, and I most envied the travel trailers that were pulled onto the P-dog towns for living in and shooting from. They had converted windows that open upwards and a fold out shooting bench that allowed the shooter to stay in the trailer and shoot from the shade and comfort of the room.

One gentleman simply had to turn from his indoor bench to use his load station for his 6BR's and 223AI. In those days, it was not uncommon to shoot several hundred rounds a day, so unless one wanted to load an bring a few thousand rounds, which we often did, these guys just reloaded their couple of hundred brass onsite.

I miss the VHA. Never made it to any of their events.

 

[kirt]

I've seen a guy at my range with a mobile setup at the range. Sure looks convenient.

Yes I have and do. at hunter benchrest matches most all shooters load at the range. I would do nothing else.

 

[kirt]

Load development is a pain. I don't mind the process, but I am not a huge fan of the driving. 1:30 drive each way and a minimum of 4 trips (if everything goes well). Does anybody bring their press and scale out and reload at the range?

Trip 1… ladder
Trip 2… Ed/sd test on best nodes
Trip 3… bullet seating depth test
Trip 4… final test and start to doping.

Would sure be nice to find that mode then load up a couple 5 shot groups, then play with some seating depths all in the same trip! Would make for a long day but it's spring in Colorado. It's beautiful outside!

Yes I have and do. at hunter benchrest matches most all shooters load at the range. I would do nothing else.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I have a 385yd range out the door of the garage and my 1000yd is 20 min away at the farm. I truly feel for guys that have travel any distance to shoot. I would most definitely have a setup to load at the range if I where in that situation. There are days when I load 5 shoot record my results load five more with any changes shoot them etc it makes for a very enjoyable afternoon.

 

[patross79]

Given my range is 30 feet from my reloading bench I guess I could say I always do.

 

[Garry J]

I've definitely considered getting a small press to take with me, my beam scale, trimmer, etc. basically everything I would need to do load development at the range. Would be nice to shoot 3-5 rounds, go load some more while the barrel cools and do it again. We have an office/shack at the range that I could set everything up in if I wanted to. The range is only 20 minutes away though. I'll usually do load work up for more than one rifle at a time. Bring some pistols and/or rifles that already have loaded developed for them to shoot while barrels cool. When I'm done with the data gathering, which can take the majority of the day when you're doing it for 2-3 rifles, I'll load it all up and go home. Clean brass, prep brass, load it all up based on the data I gathered and spend the majority of the day shooting the next time too. If I was doing one rifle at a time it might be beneficial to just have stuff there but I try to make sure I have enough new blood in the safe that I always have something to work on. Or, with components the way they are now I might have to work up a new load for an existing rifle because I can't get a bullet or powder for it. Before I got married (again) and had a baby I'd be at the range at least once a week over the summer. Now I have to fight just to get time to load.

We also have a clubhouse and had three benches inside where we can open the window and shoot from inside the building in the winter time with a nice wood roaring fire in a stove. I usually take a small turret press so I can set up to 3 calibers at a time. I'm lazy I take my digital scales with me to the range. Hope your new child grows up and wants to shoot that way you can always claim you bought the new gun for the boy or the girl and tell the wife they want to go to the range and shoot. Wife and I never had any kids and she's always been game to go do whatever I want to do. She's got me spoiled. We have five pistol ranges two 25 yd ranges and three 100-yard ranges and one 300-yard range.

 

[Paladin300]

I built a small 2x3 table that loads in the back of my truck and sits on the tailgate with a RC press on it just for the purposes of loading at the range. I tend to still do most of my load development at home, easier to just load up several different rounds and test that way. By the time I chronograph everything and gather all my data it is just easier for me to review everything at the house, plus most range trips are half day affairs anyway and loading at the range is quite time consuming, of which I have little. I do take the press with me but unless I just happen to see something or need to load a few extra rounds of a particular load I don't use it much.

 

[chav0_12]

We also have a clubhouse and had three benches inside where we can open the window and shoot from inside the building in the winter time with a nice wood roaring fire in a stove. I usually take a small turret press so I can set up to 3 calibers at a time. I'm lazy I take my digital scales with me to the range. Hope your new child grows up and wants to shoot that way you can always claim you bought the new gun for the boy or the girl and tell the wife they want to go to the range and shoot. Wife and I never had any kids and she's always been game to go do whatever I want to do. She's got me spoiled. We have five pistol ranges two 25 yd ranges and three 100-yard ranges and one 300-yard range.

Yeah, I take my other daughter shooting when I have her too. She's 6 now and I get her to hang out in my reloading room with me and then we get to go shoot sometimes. Still not as much as I'd like but it turns into a good excuse. My wife has also said that I just want to take the girls hunting so that I can hunt more. I can't deny it, but at the same time I love spending time with them outside. This was my, now 6-year old a couple years ago when we went duck hunting.

 

[RockyRandy]

I'm blessed to be able to load in my office that is inside my shop and then walk across the road and shoot from100 yards out to 1400 yards.