.50 BMG Reloading

Workbench

This is where the magic happens.

RCBS ALL THE THINGS!

I use an RCBS Rockchucker Supreme and Ammomaster. My scale is a ChargeMaster. Pretty much everything is green.

Spent shells

Here is where we begin. Just some dirty, once fired .50 BMG brass.

It's big

.50 BMG next to 5.56 for scale.

First step, decapping.

That beefy rod will pass through the primer hole and punch out the spent primer.

Decap rod

Decapping

This really took a lot more force than I was expecting as the LC Brass has that 'ole trusty military crimp. The little hopper to the right catches the primers as they fall down the partially hollow ram.

Daylight

Once decapped, I can inspect the primer pocket and flash hole.

Scale

The 5.56 brass can almost fit inside the .50's primer pocket.

Primers

.50 BMG primer vs small rifle primer

Primers

.50 BMG primer vs small rifle primer

Tumbling time

All the decapped brass goes in the Thumler B with SS pins, water, Dawn dish soap and a bit of Lemishine

Shinny!

After rinsing them off and making sure the pins say in the tumbling drum, I but the brass on a broiler pan and it goes into my dryer on the shoe rack for an hour at high heat to get rid off all moisture.

Bright Brass

Ok, now it is time for brass prep.

Lyman .50 BMG tool

I use this to cut away the crimp on the primer pockets and chamfer the edge of the pocket. The swage and chamfer tools can be unscrewed to attach neck chamfer reamer and deburring bits as well.

Lyman .50 BMG

Another pic with less camera flashback.

Prime Time

This is how the ram primer on the Ammomaster is set up. Completely different than my Rockchucker. It took me quite a bit of trail and error before I got the primer depth right.

Ramming speed

priming ram fully extended.

Shellholder and primer

This is how the ram shoves the primer into the primer pocket.

Ease it in.

Brass waiting to be primed.

CCI 35's

Oops.

Trial and Error

I smashed seven primers in my batch of 60. I think my problem was that I needed to chamfer the primer pockets more on some of them.

All primed and ready to go

Primer depth

My reload data said to seat the primers 0.002-0.004 inches below the rim. This took a bit of time.

Mine vs Factory

My primer seating compares favorably with the factory.

Boolits!

660 gr FMJ. They look to be from deconstructed ammo as I can see puller marks on some of the bullets.

Heavy

My UPS guy was bitching about this package. It weighs around 56lbs.

Scale

L-R: 660gr .50 BMG, 180 gr .308 SST, .308 150gr spitzer, .308 125gr, .224 69gr, .224 55gr.

Time for powder

I was worried that I might have had to do multiple runs, but the 245grs of H50BMG fit my pan with room to spare.

Filler-up

The H50 is pretty big and filled the case almost all the way up to the shoulder.

Bullet seating

Charged case with bullet ready to be seated.

Ta-DA!

Nice, shinny new .50 BMG ready to go out and make some noise.

Full batch.

This is how many rounds I get out of a pound of powder. 27. So depressing.

Not so depressing.

Good thing I have 7 more pounds. Every time I go to Scheels or Cabelas, I will buy a pound or two, as they always have it in stock.