Reloaders a question

I am looking for one powder which can be used for most if not all of my reloading needs. I don't want to have multiple powders sitting on the shelf. I want one at max two powders to be used for all of my reloading needs.

Now the calibers I will be reloading for:

.38 Special this is the majority caliber with some .357 Magnum

.45 ACP I shoot standard FMJ's with some JHP's from time to time

20 ga.

12 ga.

7.62X39

7.62X51

I know that many people who do a lot of reloading that I cannot use just one or two powders to reload all of these. I want to stock at most 2 powders, but I'd prefer to stock just one. I think it's bad enough I'll have to stock 3 or 4 different types of primers. I want to make this as clutter free as possible.

NOTE: I will be using Lee Loaders for these calibers, not a press. Yes I know a press is affordable, yes I know it would save time. I know all that already. Saying that I will still be using plain jane Lee Loaders. Yes even for the 12 ga and 20 ga I will be using old fashioned loaders and a roll crimper. I am looking for minimal foot print and storage.

UPDATE: Commenter Steve, over at Uncle's says - "I could be misjudging the guy but based on what is in that one post I’d say that he lacks sufficient committment to be making little bombs that will be exploding inches in front of his face. I’m not going to help him blow himself up."

Ummmm, No. I have reloaded .303 British and 12 gauge in the past. the .303 with a Lee Hand Press the 12 ga. with simple hand tools. I want a minimalist reloading setup. That is one of the reasons I intend on using Lee Loaders for each caliber. It's hard to screw things up when you are only loading 1 full cartidge every 2 minutes. I just don't want to have multiple powders taking up room in my limited space. Also I want reduced costs, 1 or 2 powders for all calibers instead of a different types of powder for each. I want to be able to put all of my reloading equipment and supplies in in 1 of my rubbermaid totes so I can take it to the range with me if I want. Lets face it a reloading bench with multiple sets of dies, and powders is hard to move easily. A complete set of Lee Loaders and shotgun loading tools for all of the calibers I shoot, takes up a little less space than a shoe box for a pair of work boots. Add in the powder and primers in separate ammo cans and there is a complete reloading setup which is portable, light weight and easy to use. The ammo cans I use to store the powder(s) and primers weigh more than the rest.

Now from the comments Robb, I don't intend on using hot loads. My kids, and other family members who are not used to shooting will be using these reloads. I want standard velocity if not slightly under standard loadings. As long as they shoot properly within tolerance, accurately and allow the firearms to operate reliably, that is my concern. Jumpthestack and Chaplin Tim Thank you about the Unique, I'll start looking into loads for the pistols and the shotguns using it. Now I just need to find a powder for the rifles.

Gun Walker Update

over at Dave Codrea's site The War On Guns I linked to the updates before. I will be linking to them again now.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Right click on these and click open in a new tab or open in a new window, then click over and read the time line and the rest of the story.

Fasting

I am fasting at the moment. In the morning I need to present myself to the local lab for various blood draws, urinate in the little cup and other assorted indignities. My Dr is concerned since I've lost 42 pounds since last year and I haven't been on a diet. However diabetes does run in my family. However again, I believe the answer is very simple. When you are in pain, you don't eat. As a sufferer of several herniated discs in my neck, middle and lower back I am in moderate to severe pain at all times. Therefore, I've gone days with just drinking water and diet coke and eating saltines to stave off hunger pangs. It's not too hard to understand. However in the a.m. I will start the process to determine if that is, in fact the case. I think afterward if Taco Bell is open I'll go pig out on a few 5 layer burritos.

I feel that conflict is coming

A major conflict. A world changing conflict. A conflict that will change everyone's lives and not for the better. Read the news with what is happening in the middle east, Washington D.C., our country's schools. And you start looking around for the little handbasket.

I am going to post some links here. A few of them are posted over on the side bar under Special links. These are sites I recommend you go to and read up on how to prepare your homes and families for what I pray is NOT coming in the near future. However to be completely honest, I feel that with the current political situation, coupled with person and businesses taking cruel advantage of the so-called "End of the Mayan Calendar", things are going to go sideways in a hurry. For the record. I DO NOT believe this end of the world theory borne out by the "Maya" calendar or Nostradamus or any other "Prophecy" There are many people who do however. And in their haste they could create a self-fulfilling prophecy. and THAT is what I am concerned about. Also for the record. I have been involved with Emergency Preparedness since the late 1980's, back when people who tried to prepare for natural disasters were labeled "Evil Survivalist's" I am not a Survivalist. I am a realist. Natural Disasters happen. Wars happen, Terrorism happens and losing your job or the collapse of the financial markets happen. I'd like to have my family prepared so that when one of the above DOES happen, I can feed my family good food, clothe them in clean clothing, and be sure that we are still able to live mostly as we do before an incident happens. The people of Occupy Wall Street would call me a 1 percenter because I don't intend to wait on charity or the government to come along and hold my hand like many residents of New Orleans did after Katrina. Sorry, but I'd rather help myself. That way if something goes wrong, I know who to blame. ME.

Now below is a few links with some explanation.

http://www.alpharubicon.com
I am a member of this website. I have been a member since 2003. I have written some of the articles on this web site. Just look for articles written by "GreyLocke" and that's me. I am one of the few members of the site who actually "outs" ourselves and lets people know who we are. In fact I am on many different sites under the name greylocke. I won't list them as a few don't need to be harassed by people looking me up. And if you are wondering what greylocke means, it mean gray hair or gray beard. If you've seen my profile picture you know I have both.

About.com LDS Food Calculator
Calculate your food storage needs.

Food Storage Guide FAQ .PDF
A FAQ about your food storage

Backwoods Home 7 most common Food Storage Mistakes

LDS Food Storage page

I had a few links over there that dead ended but I've removed them now.

Now for a few links of very useful information.

Third World Technology files
Get Bit Torrent install it then download the torrent of ALL the files from this web site. I have and I have made backup copies of it across 3 external hard drives. It is over 14 GB of compressed files, after uncompressing there is over 20 GB of information. Also I seed the files through Bit Torrent and I urge you to do the same to disseminate the files as widely as possible.

Bit Torrent
If you don't already have it

7 zip
The program I use to compress and decompress archive files

Appropedia
An alternative Technology/Living web site.

A Compendium of Useful Information
Bob is a little more concerned with the Peak Oil scenario but he does have useful information.

Primitive Ways
Just what is says, but my kids have enjoyed trying some of the things written here.

Green Trust Free E-books Download Page
Many useful files/texts on alternative energy

No Tech Magazine
Just what it says. A very thought provoking and interesting read.

Evenfall Studios Wood Working Library
they have many free wood working texts available.

Practical Action
Practical Technology answers for fighting poverty

Low Tech Magazine
What it says. Not to be confused with No Tech Above.

Tech Library
A library of technical projects

Agrarian Nation
A very nice blog about old fashioned farming techniques.

Survival Spot Blog
They have links to many informative videos and a lot of useful information.

Hesperian Health Guides
Free Downloadable and purchasable bound medical guides.

I just went through my various bookmarks and I have over 100 sites that I browse for information. these are just a few. I realize that many are for a low technology lifestyle in case of a Major disruption. However I honestly believe that with our current situation, it may actually come to that. I pray it doesn't, however as the saying goes, "Pray for the best, Prepare for the worst."

Note to self

After applying bengay muscle rub to neck and shoulder that are being afflicted by the herniated disc in your neck, wash your hands. Do NOT rub you eye or the bridge of your nose. Thank you.

Interesting search term

Shotgun on top with 22 on bottom.

Honestly I don't know of any firearm like that. Most combo guns will have the shotgun barrel on the bottom with the rifle barrel on top. I point you towards the Savage Model 24, the Springfield M6 Scout and I've seen a Belgium made gun, not a FN gun, that has a .22 on top and a .410 below but for the life of me I cannot remember who made it. It's been over 20 years since I've seen it. If you don't need it to be a double barrel there is the Rossi Matched Pair rifle shotgun combo of which I have one with a 20 ga barrel and a .22 barrel. I paid $169.99 for it brand new with a black nylon carrying case. My kids and I enjoy shooting it. If you go to the link I put in for the Savage it will show you about combo guns with multiple barrel configurations. But I personally don't know about them other than what I have posted plus I many years ago shot a Drilling which they talk about in the Combination Gun entry on Wikipedia. The one I shot had British makers and proof marks and was an S/S .450 Nitro with a .303 British underneath. I loved that gun, but the recoil with the .450 Nitro was a bit stiff for me.

As always you can use the e-mail link at the top right to get a hold of me if you have any questions or you can leave a comment.

Hey Google, Microsoft and all you other Web Developers

Quit tracking me.

Quit trying to target adds to me based on my browsing.

Quit making your privacy policies so obtuse and convoluted that I need 2 lawyers to check over them and another lawyer to check them.

Quit keeping my search term entries and try to generate some more money by sending me targeted adds.

Quit trying to slip a tracking cookie into my system, even though you say it contain none of my personal identity stuff stop it.

In short what I do is "MY" business. NOT yours.

I shouldn't need to use multiple add ons in Firefox to block your cookies and tracking objects. I shouldn't have to clear my cache every 30 minutes to be sure you cannot track me. Just STOP IT!

You have no reason to be trying to track what I do or where I go on the internet. If I want to buy something I'll search for then. Your targeted adds do nothing except annoy the heck out of me.

I am a writer, therefore I will at times look for things while making no sense to other people are pertinent to what I am doing. So quit sending me adds for sex bondage gear when I try to find a picture of a "Slave Collar" which I had to go through 7 pages to find a picture of a slave collar used on slaves before the civil war. I don't want nor need adds for PVC Vacuum Bondage. I shouldn't have to sign out of my account to search for something related to a story I'm trying to write because you are trying to be "Helpful" and make a buck. Your Opt-out policy is very obtuse and no matter how many times I try to opt out your system tries to set ANOTHER cookie on my computer. NO! NO! NO!

You don't need to shove a cookie down my computers throat for me to be able to "Opt-out" You need to change your policy to an "Opt-in" you can tell me about a service you have and if I want it I can click a link. You are relying on the fact that most people don't really read the TOS and Disclaimers on your service. I've tried to read them. And I STILL don't know what exactly they mean. And you make it Dang near impossible to "Opt-out" unless you can put a cookie on my computer? Uh, NO!

Change your policies, everything should be "Opt-In", if someone wants your service they click a link, if they don't want your service they don't click a link. SIMPLE RIGHT?

Evidently not.


Google might have tricked Apple. Read HERE Something like this should NEVER happen. You want to make it easier for your users? How about you make it that "WE" the users don't have to be bothered with this garbage unless "WE" want it. That is how thing like the Sony Rootkit endangered thousands if not millions of users. They put in something without "Telling" or "Asking" if they could do it.

Also how about making it so when we have a problem I don't have to spend hour upon hours trying to get in contact with a REAL person?

Someone hacked my Yahoo Account about 3 years ago. It took me a WEEK to get to speak to a real LIVE person to answer the security question to get my account back. Why did it take that long? Yahoo asked for the answer to a security question but wouldn't let me know what the question was. I'm sorry, I have over a dozen different accounts all with different information and security questions. It took getting a tech support person on the phone to ask me the security questions before I could get my account back. Why did it take me actually contacting the California Secretary of State to get a real phone number answered by a real human being?

And you people wonder why users don't trust you?

Try getting ahold of your own tech support without using your internal directory.

Dining in St. Louis

For those bloggers going to the NRA Convention, there are some very good restaurants within walking distance of the convention center. I'll post the ones that I have personal knowledge of.

Mike Shannons is just 4 blocks south of the convention center across from Kiener Plaza

Ruth's Chris Steak House 315 Chestnut St you can see the Riverfront, the Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Just north of which is the Riverfront shopping district a series of shops and restaurants and a few taverns/nightclubs. there is also another Metrolink station inside of Eads Bridge, which you can ride back out to the airport hotels.

There are quite a few smaller dining establishments all around the downtown area within easy walking distance of the convention center, but those 2 I have very personal experience with.

I asked my kid brother the Chef who still lives in St. Louis for recommendations and his list is the same as mine. Mike Shannon's and Ruth's Chris.

Now if you don't mind a little walk, you can take the Metrolink to the Delmar Loop in University City/Central West End, and walk about 1/4 mile west to Cicero's. they have moved since I was last in St. Louis, but they only moved a block east and now take up almost a full block of the one side of Delmar. They have great Italian food/Pizza, a good bar and on most weekends great live music. Just be sure to leave before the last metrolink train runs or call a cab. Throughout the entire Delmar Loop/Central West End area are literally dozens and dozens of good restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and bars.

If you are planning on doing some sight-seeing while you are in St. Louis, I recommend seeing The City Museumwhich is within walking distance of the convention center, but it's about a 20-30 minute walk. There is a charge for The City Museum. Just a few blocks over from The City Museum is the St. Louis Veterans Memorial, I recommend looking in. If you have a car I recommend going out to Forest Park and seeing The Science Center and the St. Louis Zoo. They are both free, but do have exhibits which are fee based. Also while in Forest Park, you can go to the Natural History Museum, also free with some paid exhibits and the St. Louis Art Museum, Free with paid exhibits.

If you'd like some night life, there are the casinos out on the Missouri river with the WestPort/Riverport area, there used to be a shuttle from the downtown hotels out there, I don't know if there still is. They do have some nice shows and restaurants at the casinos though.

My mind is a little tapped out at the moment. But if you are staying in a particular area or interested in a particular type of restaurant or entertainment you can either leave a comment or send me an e-mail through my e-mail link at the top right.

For those going to the NRA Convention

A piece of advice. DO NOT GET A HOTEL ROOM IN THE CITY. Get one out in the county by the airport and take the Metrolink to the Convention center. The metrolink will let you off less than 20 yards from the convention center. It is safer, and you won't have to pay the St. Louis city hotel room tax. Most of the hotels by the airport have a free shuttle which will take you to and from the airport metrolink station and the airport main or east terminal. Also if you want to know a few good places to get grub there in St. Louis drop a comment or an e-mail to me, and I'll be glad to expound on it. I do know the JayG and LawDog are going, so if you are a blogger and are going to convention and wish to ask a few questions about St. Loo please ask. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Mark