Boring and tedious

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(Edited)

I'm not a huge fan of boring and tedious things; It's no fun you see. I can think up hundreds of things I'd rather do than boring and tedious activities because, well because they are boring and tedious! Here's the thing though...I do boring and tedious stuff all the time.

I shoot hundreds of rounds each month; I usually shoot every week and between my rifle and handgun shooting would send somewhere between 200-300 rounds down-range each week. Over a year that's almost 16,000 rounds. I'd probably say more because when I'm working up for a competition the 300/week is probably more like 500! It's a lot of rounds.

I make my own ammunition for rifle and handgun and, due to the volume of rounds I shoot, I tend to be doing one element or the other of the reloading process every few days just to keep up with my ammunition requirements; I am a bit of a prepper also so don't like my stock of completed ammunition to dip below a certain level. I have...A lot - But always need more of course.

I don't mind the reloading process, in fact, I find it relaxing and am very fussy with my rifle ammunition, being a marksman and all; I am very precise with the process to ensure the rifle ammunition is constant from one to the other and meets the stringent tolerances I require to shoot accurately at great distance. The process for handguns is similar, but I'm not as particular; I need to punch out volume.

The process of making ones' own ammunition isn't difficult, it just requires a lot of care and attention to detail. Getting it wrong can be catastrophic so one must take care to get the equipment and process set up correctly and to check and recheck the work.

There's three phases of the process: Preparation, reloading and quality control. Of course, those three stages have multiple elements within them. Getting any element wrong can prove very dangerous when shooting so I do each with a lot of care...Which brings me to boring and tedious.

Because I reload my ammunition I have to collect the spent brass, the case that holds the primer, powder and projectile, for reloading purposes. They don't just get reused though; They must go through the preparation phase first, a process of many steps, the first of which is checking for damage.

Boring and tedious.

Above you can see me holding a handful of spent 9mm brass. You can see the inner section where the gun powder get's put and in a few you'll be able to make out the primer, the little silver thing with the dot in the middle. On pulling the trigger the primer is struck by the firing pin which ignites throwing that explosion into the case and the gun powder that awaits it. As that gun powder explodes gases expand and as there's only one way for the gasses to go, down the barrel and out of the muzzle, it pushes the projectile in front of it...Simple really.

As cases get used and reused they wear and sustain damage. There's a lot of forces involved in the firing process and it takes a toll on the brass. Essentially it stretches and the metallurgy make-up of the brass changes over time too; The heat cycles it goes through changes it, weakens it. Every time I reload a case it is resized back to factory specifications in a die which further manipulates the metal so over time they crack and split.

If I was to reload then fire a case that was split any number of things could happen, none of which would be very enjoyable, and most of which could end in damage to the gun, severe injury or even death...And so I do the boring and tedious thing.

Every single case goes through the process of being completely checked visually. I do this after the cleaning process which means I stay cleaner and am more likely to see any damage to the case. Checking each one only takes a couple of seconds but I can't do anything else at the same time like watch TV or have a chat. I usually listen to music though, and do a few thousand at a time. I hate it, but it's a necessary aspect of the reloading process.

When I shoot handguns I'm not standing still and shooting at paper targets; I shoot IPSC which is a dynamic and practical form of shooting that simulates military and law enforcement scenarios that the shooter needs to strategise and shoot accurately and quickly. So, there's a lot of shooting.

A stage might last for only 10-20 seconds but 30-40 rounds might be shot in that time with running, climbing, opening doors and stuff like that in between. It's pretty hectic and there's a lot of trigger-pulling. Should I have a bad round in the magazine...Well, all sorts of things can go wrong. That's why the process of reloading starts with the boring and tedious process of checking the cases for damage.

My rifle rounds generally get 4-6 reloads each. I run a lot of powder in them, a precise and tested amount, to maximise accuracy through a constant standard deviation (SD) of muzzle velocity (MV); My rifle rounds run a tolerance of under 10 feet per second (fps) in muzzle velocity. That means all of my .243 rounds, for instance, which run at 2914 fps at the muzzle deviate only +/- 10 fps. It's important for repeatability and knowing what's going to happen as the MV is critical to the calculations required to place the round on the target.

Because I run them so fast the cases wear pretty quickly but because I'm not shooting hundreds at a time it's not so boring and tedious to check them. The handgun ammunition is different and lasts a little longer, but then again I shoot so many so the process to check them takes longer.

Anyway, this afternoon I've set aside a few hours to check over a few thousand 9mm cases. I'll throw on some country music, Luke Combs today I think, and embrace the boring and tedious side of shooting.

Have you guys ever done something you find boring and tedious but essential? Many cold say their job I suppose, but I mean something like a hobby or some such thing. Tell me about it below.


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This post was awesome. I have a friend who manufactures ammo and he never explained it like this for me. I bet your tedious attention to detail and doing most of it yourself gives you deeper and a more profound appreciation for each round you squeeze off!

Some of the line design artwork i do can be extraordinarily tedious but i never get bored. I try to zone out and focus. You can check out a few of my older posts to see some examples if you like.

I had an idea i wanted to run by you and get your thoughts on. I know brass is not the most valuable metal... but it's not worthless. I had an idea of a humanitarian for profit charity to go into war-torn and ravaged areas. To have the expended casings of said wars collected and repurposed. To give a majority of the profits back to the regions decimated to help support the local people's with whatever their needs may be. That is the basic premise.

I don't know if it would be feasible or possible. Just an idea that has been ruminating for quite some time now in my mind. I saw a video of a firefight in Syria a long time ago. I saw how many rounds they were blowing through and thought... how much brass ends up just sitting in rubble world-wide and how could the weapons of war be reforged into plowshares so to speak. Any thoughts about why that would or wouldn't work? Thanks for the thought-provoking post!

Here is some Americana country music i highly recommend!

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Hey mate, thanks for liking my post, I know so many people don't like guns and so don't respond to my gun-related material, but you have and I appreciate it greatly.

I get a lot of satisfaction from knowing I've created the rounds when I shoot although admittedly, it's more with the long guns than with my handguns. You see, placing a round on-target from a long way off is rewarding and considering the effort that goes into making shots like that...Well, it's nice to know I am responsible for all aspects of that shot from the load development to get the right load to make in the first place, the manufacturing process, determining calculations to make the shot the field firing solution (FFS) and of course, the skills to actually make the shot. I love all of those aspects. It's satisfying knowing it was all on me.

With the handgun stuff I shoot, it's all hectic run and gun stuff which is also rewarding from a different aspect.

Your brass-recycling idea. Yeah, a lot of brass get's used up and pretty much gets left where it lies. I'm just not sure how viable it would be to collect and recycle it; Firstly from the fact it's a war-zone and secondly from an economic perspective. It would probably be easier to simply not have wars and channel the money that go into them to the needy...But that ain't happening either. Wars are too profitable.

Just on that soundtrack...I have it on Spotify. Good tunes. Have you seen the movie? It's kind of cool. I like it anyway. I like many different types of music, not just country, but mostly I listen to modern-country so have generally heard most things. How about you?

!ENGAGE 25

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Yeah, i agree with you about the wars. It would be best not to have them... but i was just thinking how to constructively turn part of the aftermath into part of the solution. I had a feeling it may not be viable though... so thanks for your insights there.

I am from Texas... so country music has been around since my birth, but i never really liked it until recently. I really like the old bluegrass kind which is why i sent the soundtrack. I have seen the movie and have always liked it. It's a retelling of Homer's Odyssey i believe. I used to predominantly listen to Death Metal... but i am trying to ween off of that.

Of course, being Texan, i appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in weapons. I like the longshots myself. The running and gunning is on a whole other level. Have you seen the preparation videos of Keanu Reeves getting ready for his John Wick roles? I would imagine you and your brother doing one of those courses instead of Keanu and his co-star! hahaha

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It's interesting what you say about country music. I used to hate it, but that had more to do with the fact I just hadn't heard the right stuff. I find it to feel more real than the other stuff being put out there, you know...Actual voices and instruments instead if computers. I'm not into the older stuff like Kenny Rogers and co. but I like the bluegrass stuff a lot. My musical tastes are very broad, classical, country, metal, jazz...Basically whatever sounds good to my ears or moves me. I'm happy with that condition.

Yep, seen KR training for John Wick. That's the type of run and gun stuff I do. KR is actually very good at it, but that's not surprising as he trains at Taran Tactical. A lot.

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Yeah, country Usually tells a good story. The new stuff is more pop-rock like... so i am not the Kenny Rodgers type... but i do like the old Country Outlaw stuff. There is a band from Norway that does some mean bluegrass. I will post a video here and let you explore further if you want. I had figured you saw those training videos. He really is a beast when it comes to taking his roles seriously. He is one actor i wouldn't underestimate in any way! hahaha

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Hey thanks! I'm always open to investigating some new music!

Yeah, Keanu Reeves is one of the very few actors who look like they* actually know how to handle a gun* in movies. Many probably don't notice just how bad actors are in movies when it comes to this...Shooters notice though. Lol.

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Your 'shooting info' posts are very informative, matey.

As for tedious and boring...
I hear ya.
The labor of love, and and all that...

For me it's painting and making scenery for my table top wargaming..
I made painted this american civil war scenery/house/walls/fences/trees, and then painted up chopstick figures for the soldiers (cast figures are impossible to buy here)

IMAG0004 3.JPG

Monotony.
...I have paid for pre built models, and pre-painted figures in the past (all much better quality than my amateur efforts), but here's the thing - I hate having pre-made/bought stuff on my tabletop.
The enjoyment of the hobby, lessens.

If it's not created from scratch, by me, I don't want it on my table.
Bloody annoying, but that's the way it is..

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I like those scenes people create for role-playing games. I had a mate who did it back in the day...It was very impressive and yep, he got the most satisfaction out of creating his own rather than buying pre-made stuff. He did that sometimes, but mostly did it all himself. I also knew a model train guy who did the same...His set up was off the chain...Immense and very detailed.

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I do boring and tedious from time to time. I used to check shotgun shell carcasses. I didn't shoot Winchesters much because I always felt the Remingtons had 3 or 4 more loads per case. The theory in trap shooting is a little different. You want to get to the bird at the right speed, but just. When you put 500 rounds through a day the less you can make it hit your shoulder the better you like it.

I do boring and tedious on my motorcycles. I visually check the brakes and tires every time I get on. It's just a habit now. But I can ride without excessive worry. Not that I haven't come home on a couple of rear tires that were entirely used up, if there is any doubt about the front I change. Another boring and tedious process that I do with a friend, and our tires are mounted and balanced to a lot tighter tolerances than any shop. It's fiddly, but so good down the road. I check and pack wheel bearings every time they are off.

I can't make motorcycle riding completely safe, but I can make my motorcycle safe.

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I used to do pre-ride checks each time I got on my bikes too. It's not there was much I could do if I found something wrong I guess, but it might have prevented me from getting on. Also, modern sports bikes are all faring so, seeing stuff isn't the easiest either. Still, I'm a fairly diligent guy and so I did it.

Also, firing a shotgun 500 times in a day would tickle a bit. Lol.

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Dishes man... if I'm not listening to a podcast or something like that I just can barely do it.

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Hmm, well I'll not tell my wife Faith this information. She may think she can throw on a podcast and actually get me to do the dishes. 😂

Thanks for your comment man, much appreciated!

!ENGAGE 25

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For me, it's driving around town, my wife does not drive so all the errors and everything fall to my feet. I mean I was actually a little happy when I had a torn tendon in my knee where I could not drive for a few months... it was like a vacation from it

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A vacation from driving...I understand, especially if you're the one doing all the driving usually. I drive most of the time when Faith and I go somewhere together but Faith drives a bit at times too. I don't mind it usually, sometimes it gets annoying.

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Lot's of fine checking on those used case's.

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Since I do enjoy a bit of writing on my free time, the boring and tedious bits come while you're editing and checking grammar. The writing part is exciting, but not the rest. I just wish my brain could make less mistakes, or could compute errors on the fly, that would be nice.

And it's not like I could listen to music or a podcast either, since that would throw me completely off what I was doing. But I like to remind myself that the boring and tedious work is necessary to get back to the exciting stuff, before the cycle repeats. Sigh... 🙃

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That's true, what you said about the boring and tedious work being required...It's in all aspects of life I guess right? Even Kermit has to do it. (He types like me you know.)

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Life is a valley full of ups and downs, as we endure trials and tribulations to get back up, and see the rainbow on the other side. Kermit knows it all too well, given the hardships he had to endure. At the end of the day, assuming you haven't broken your keyboard in half, just sit back, relax... And have a cuppa.

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Uhhh... Yea.

Focus on the highway in front of me. Mostly boring, but if I don't do it I die.

Yes I know. It is my job.

Do you think it is possible to ever shoot so much it becomes more like a struggle than a hobby?

My yard work. 11.75 acres of never ending Tropical Growth has become what you say. "boring and tedious but essential?"

It used to be like a hobby that we enjoyed.

I could say cat care. But I still love them so it is a labor of love to clean up after them and that never ends...

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Good point in the shooting too much thing.

I used to be a sponsored long range shooter so results were required and I had to shoot a lot to achieve them. I wouldn't say I hated it, but it was a lot of pressure. I still compete but have removed the sponsor-pressure, heavily reduced it at any rate. Makes it more enjoyable. Good point you raise though.

We all do boring things, but I guess a mindset is required to add perspective.

Thanks for weighing in on the topic.

Drive safe you!

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Hm boring and tedious. Washing and detangling my curly hair. Has to be done. I hate the process, love the result lol.

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Ah yeah, you got some curls there. How long does it take? I'm guessing 40 minutes...10 hive to me if I'm right! 😂

(Joking about the hive.)

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Oh make it 1 hour easy. Depends on how tangled it is. My neck hurts when I'm done after sitting with my head down to dry it. I get a feeling of terrible pain when I just think about washing my hair. It's a chore. Chore 😣😣😣But at the end, when I look in the mirror I smile to myself " uhhh now I'm so pretty" 😂😂😂😂

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Not sure how I missed this post. But found it now. Servicing scuba regulators ( and other gear) I would say falls into this category. It used to bore me senseless ( as does filling tanks). For the breathing regs I used to look for staff that loved tinkering with stuff and fixing stuff then send them on courses as much as possible so i could get that out of my way. picking the right person is key as it needs to be done correctly. Even if it was a different model reg if there was a course coming through i'd send them as it helps to have a rounded knowledge and see how different designs approach the same task. They love the certificates as well. Sense of achievement is also good for moral and self esteem. Little did they know I just needed the boring shit done

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There's always someone that loves the boring shit, or has no choice but to accept doing it. That's me when it comes to inspecting spent cases...I haven't quite got to your level yet, out-sourcing it. Maybe someday...Want a job? Lol.

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not sure that jobs going to be as stimulating as I would need it to be haha

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No, I'd say not...It was worth a try...Back to the old drawing board.

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haha. You secretly love it really

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Shh...Don't tell anyone.

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lol ok. oksecrets safe with me and the whole block chain. So should be fine ;)

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I try to pick my powder so that if it is double filled, it overflows the case. If I can't, I take a lesson from my muzzle loaders and make and Mark a dowel for proper powder level. I have found one over fill in two decades, but well worth the trouble!

I also like to use a bent paperclip as a feeler to check for internal base cracks in the casing. They seem to crack there first.

When I cast the pistol ballistic Points, I coat them in Alox lube; then push them through a sizing die I made here. I have done 2000 in one afternoon this way.they end up perfectly round (Nopld sag) and to exact size.

Sure beats washing dishes, ROFLOL!

:)>

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Haha, yeah I think the washing of dishes can't compare to the legitness of tinkering with firearms and stuff. It's great that you always have something on the boil, multiple things probably.

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That powder cheat is fast, and better than weighing the sub assembly for powder overcharge. That trick using the paperclip for a feeler guage, was shown to me by an old guy teaching reloading at the gun club. It is best for heavy loads, and 100% needed on my 300 Win Mag. I have heard of using a bore scope to check the brass inside.

I just buy foam plates and we 'picnic', LOL!

Too many projects! I try to limit the nimber I work on, so I can finish some....

I want to build a caseless bolt action rifle. Got it sketched up, should work!

♡♡♡♡

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I like the paperclip idea; It's always smart to talk to the old guys and amazing what little tricks on learns. You should do a post on it actually.

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It is a most amazing test, quick, and inexpensive. Sure give a good feel of the case, down close to where the primer lives!

I'll put it on my list of projects, LOL.

♡♡♡♡

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Another project to add to the other 47,413 you have on the go already.

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You've seen my list, ROFLOL! I have about 70 projects, that need a patent search. Working on three of those right now....

:'(

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Haha, well there's something to be said about keeping busy and with all your projects and your family, your wife to take care of...Seems like you have plenty to keep you going.

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I will need to live until I'm 298, just to catch up with myself, ROFLOL!

But, we shall continue with style....

♡♡♡♡

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They say juicing is good, you know greens in the blender and all...Get onto it mate, you'll make 298 easy!

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I use a champion juicer, love veggie juice!

♡♡♡♡

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