How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

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Trigger1212
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How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Trigger1212 »

Gents,

Another question, what do you use (specifically) to carry your loaded ammo? Woody makes some super nice ammo boxes and hopefully some day I'll have an example or two, but in the meantime looking for something cheaper and that takes up less space until I get the hang of all this gear!

1. Do you transport your rounds nose up or nose down? With some of the finger seating and PP rounds just barely being in the case I would think you gents go nose up?

But then I think of all that weight at the tip of the case bonking back and forth on a long trip and wonder if that jostling will loosen it in the case? Dunno!

Greasers seem to be seated a little deeper, unless you have reduced band bullets. Is the idea to carry them nose down to mitigate any lube flow into the powder when it's really hot or stored in a vehicle during a trip?

2. With Woodys ammo boxes being the gold standard what other ammo boxes to you guys find that work? 40-65 and 45-70, specific brand and models.

Thanks!

Wade
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by SSShooter »

MTM 100rd boxes, base down or up. I go base-down, but my spotter goes base up. Whatever works for you.
I don't like them rattling around, so put a piece of soft foam in the top. When the lid is closed it keeps them in place without adding any pressure.
Glenn
Kurt
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Kurt »

Well until you get a Woody box you can use the MTM that Glenn said or you can bore a bunch of holes in a wood block like I have inside the box I build and put it in a .30 or .50 cal tin ammo can or if you still have a old tin lunch pail that the lid looks like a gambrel roof :) I used one like it for a long time :)
The thing with the wood block, if you only have one box you can make a second block for a larger diameter based bullet that the .44-77 has over the .45-70.
I don't like my ammo bullet down in the box either.

Glenn what is the number on those MTM boxes? I never found a 100 round MTM box.
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parkergunz
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by parkergunz »

Both. I prefer the MTM R100 boxes.
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charlie young
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by charlie young »

If you've ever had the handle come off or the box open up on those plastic cases, you will wish you would have something different. Mine did at the Quigley one year. I still use them, but it's 2 hands on them at all times. Carry one in my shooting carts and then transfer to my wooden box from them, and never carry more than 40 in the wood one. Mainly to keep them out of the dust and grime. Especially when I have rounds with lube rings exposed.
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Kurt »

Like Charlie I had the handle come off my MTM 100 loaded with .50-2.5 at the Quigley also. I been making wood boxes since with good locks and handles.
I have several of the R-100 and the mag but I wrap duct tape around then since redoing 100 rounds.
My problem with the MTM boxes is they are not deep enough for my PP .45-90bns as well as the .45-2.6 PP. cant shut the lid.
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Lumpy Grits »

Bullet down.
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Trigger1212
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Trigger1212 »

Nice pics, which of course leads to ANOTHER question! interesting looking blocks for holding the bullets before loading, some are PP and some lubed. Purchased or make your own? If self made, out of what material?

Wade
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by MikeT »

I carry my cartridges bullet down in MTM boxes. I also use a length of web belting and a snap-together buckle as a safety strap around my 100 count boxes. McMaster-Carr has the materials.

Keep on hav'n fun!
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by mdeland »

I always like a bit of crimp on my cartridges wither PP or GG so it doesn't really matter and depending on the case/box I am using they are carried both ways.
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Woody »

I shoot greasers, and carry my bulk ammo in the green MTM 100 round boxes nose down, for traveling to and from matches. They will arrive undamaged even after bouncing around in the bed of my truck for several thousand miles between Indiana and Raton. They are cheap and will last for years. I pull the inserts and pressure wash as needed. They do have two weaknesses. They can and will open at the most inopportune moment and the hinge is flexing plastic and will eventually fail. Several years ago, I started wrapping each box with a nylon strap with Velcro closure.

My first line boxes were bullet down. Due too popular demand I switched to bullet up. Bullet up has several advantages. Your bullet will not be damaged by coming into contact with the hard wood bottom of the hole, and will stay clean by not coming into contact with any bullet lube or dirt.

There is one problem that I and others have experienced with wooden ammo storage boxes. Wood is not a solution for long term storage. Rounds when left over several months will show a slight oxidation of the exposed lead. I don't know if the bullet lube is the culprit, or something off-gassing from the wood. The good news though, the slight oxidation does not seem to effect accuracy or leading.

I transfer rounds from the bulk storage plastic boxes to my wooden line box once I arrive at the range.

Woody

PS: Thanks for the kind words about my line boxes.
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Kurt
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Kurt »

Woody, I found a 1" thick blanket of soft memory foam under the lid reduces that gray on the bullets. Also it holds the rounds snug in the box.


Wade if your asking me about the loading blocks.
I make all my own wood blocks and the yellow tray is a .40 caliber bullet tray that I pick up at the range to store my cast bullets in. No greasers in my photo :)
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by TexasMac »

If you are fortunate to own a Woody box & like your cartridges stored nose down as I do here’s an option. Since the hole diameters are made to hold ammo rim down I found that PVC vinyl tubing fits perfectly to sleeve the holes & reduce the diameter. Just push the tubing down firmly in the hole, shear off the tube level with the top of the hole with a sharp instrument & move on to the next hole. It works great. The vinyl sleeves stay in place and are easy to remove with needle-nose pliers to convert the holes back to the original nose up configuration. See the photos.

BTW, the 5/8” OD, ½” ID tubing is available at Home Depot (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-5- ... /207144408)

Wayne

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Woody
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by Woody »

I think Wayne must have watched the "Villain" once too often. He has a seven shooter.

Woody
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Re: How do you carry your rounds? Nose up or nose down?

Post by John Bly »

I carry mine nose down in the MTM boxes. I transfer them to the Woody box for shooting. I like to mark the primers with a sharpie to denote things like older rounds, bullets lighter or heavier, practice rounds, foulers, etc. Sometimes I have several colors in one box. Last summer when we opened the vehicle on the trip to MI one of my ammo boxes fell out and the lid busted off and ammo went everywhere on a concrete driveway. I spent some time that night cleaning the bullets to get rid of any abrasive stuff on them. They shot OK. The new MTM ammo boxes have a real hinge instead of the integral lid with the flex hinge. Big improvement. Several years ago the owner of MTM told me they were redesigning the box and he came thru on his word.
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