I am thoroughly happy with the new Patriot reloader.

I spent some time today setting it up, not necessarily the reloader, but making a couple of bushings that threw exactly 16 grains of Promo. The reloader ships with the normal "H" and 1 1/8 ounce bushings, but I had the 800 Plus set up with a "G1" powder and a #5 (1 ounce) bushing. I didn't want to remove these from the 800 Plus, so I ran a couple off on the lathe a while ago, and tweaked each bushing to throw 16.0 grains and 1 ounce of 8½ shot.

I also mounted it on a 3/8" thick steel plate, using some old exhaust header bolts that I taper cut in the lathe to fit in the tapered area on the reloader. When you buy a new reloader from me, I give you some specially hardened hex-head tapered bolts, washers and nuts.

The only adjustment that I felt I needed to attend to was the wad ram. It was fine right out of the box, but I like to seat my wads on the side of being too high, and then let the final crimp station shove things down to their proper height. This ram is a short shaft that screws into the underside of the crosshead. It is no longer that long, long shaft, with the knurled nut on top. This new ram is short, like maybe 2"-3". It is cinched tightly on the underside of the top toolhead with a 7/8" hex nut. Very easy to adjust, if you feel the need.

I did not touch either the brass primer seating assembly with its externally adjustable knurled sleeve, nor the shell seating post. The new shell seating post also has a knurled sleeve that is used for easily changing its height. You no longer have to raise the crosshead, loosed the 1/8" Allenhead set-screw and remove the entire shaft. Then you'd have to loosen the lock nut on the slotted-head screw and play around with raising/lowering the seating post. Put it back, try it, remove it, etc, etc, until you got things right. Now, if you feel the need to change the shell insertion depth (YOU SHOULD NEVER HAD TO DO THIS!!!), you simply loosen the Allenhead set-screw and turn the knurled sleeve to either raise or lower the seating post and retighten the set-screw.

Also, this new shell seating post is now a two-piece unit (three counting the cup). I wanted to machine-in a small magnet, but can't. The factory now has a tapered hex screw in that vicinity. This is so you can easily change seating post platforms when you change gauges. They were thinking on this one.

I reloaded several once-fired AA old style and new style hulls today, but I used the standard AA12 1 1/8 white wad, not the expected pink wad. I really needed to get off my duff and use the pink wad, because 1 ounce of shot in the AA12 wad just does not fill the shot cup to my satisfaction. When I get done reloading, I want my reloads to look exactly like factory loads.

It snowed a couple of inches here last night, so I didn't get out much today. I needed to get to the storage unit and grab some AA pink 1 ounce wads.

I ran several hulls through the machine, and found that I did not need the flapper hitting the primer tray as often as it did, so I simply turned the rubber flapper up to 12 o'clock to stop that. I have just never experienced a primer feed problem. What I do do, is raise the tray up as high as I can get it to increase its angle. I also did not install the extended primer tray that comes standard with the machine. Don't know why, but I was not going to "manufacture" several cases today, so it was not a necessary item. I found a standard plastic tray cover in a cabinet and used that.

One really, really nice thing about this machine is the no-shell-no-drop-shot-or-powder system. Man, what a beautifully engineer setup this is. WAYNE YOU DID GREAT!! At the 9th hull I decided to test this out. Normally, I would have had to have the vacuum handy, but with the new feature, WOW what a joy to eliminate the mess and PITA when you make a mistake. I will NOT drop anything is a hull is not present.

Changing bushings is absolutely simple. After my 4th or 5th hull, I decided to change out the "H" bushing because I weighted each reload, and the ”H” was throwing more than I liked. I shoot extremely fast, so I really don't need either 1 1/8 shot or a super fast shell. I wanted 16.0 grains, and the “H” was throwing closer to 18.

Here's how simple it is to change bushings:

1. I pulled the handle down to the stop block to drop shot and powder.
2. Reached around the top reservoir unit and remove the top clevis pin and pin.
3. Then I tapped the rectangular charge bar toward the front of the machine, and removed the aluminum removal hole cover plug (these are neat).
4. I took their brush, stuck it in the powder bushing, lifted it out and dropped in a G1 that I had just run off on the lathe.
5. Replaced the aluminum cap plug, reinserted the linkage pin in the rear and continued on.

This took me what, maybe at most 30 seconds. It should probably take less time, but I was being methodical and careful. There was not one glitch in the reloading process, so I simply picked up where I’d left off.

I then weighed the next reload and several following, and presto, I was dead on 16.0 grains of Promo. I am going to load some 27 yard shells later, probably tomorrow with WST. I try to duplicate the fps of the Nitro 27 shell, or the Federal Paper Handicap.

I normally shoot 8's from the 27 because I shoot quickly. I rarely us 7½'s, and only if there are no new 8 handicap shells available. I've been on the 27 since 1975, and do pretty well staying there. I firmly believe in NOT over-killing with 7½'s. Yah, I know, some of you shooters would beg to differ. I did shoot a 99x100 in the Vandalia Handicap at the Grand my first year I shot. I shot from the 23½ with RXP 8½'s. Consequently, I have stayed with that way of thinking.

Another thing I like about this machine is its newly designed handle. It really fits your hand and is very comfortable. Wayne you did good again. The knob is no longer a knob, but a triangular shaped sleeve that rotates on the "L" shaped metal handle. I had designed several of these two years ago but when I was at a friend’s (Tim Burke) metals manufacturing plant to have some bent at 90º, the worker messed up the area I had machined on the lathe. Consequently, I didn't pursue them, but intended to. P/W must have read my mind, because this is exactly the same design. I am going to make some of these handles for the Spolar reloaders this summer.

I like the new primer catcher. It stays put because of a clip in the rear that hugs the main cross-shaft… AND IT’S METAL ... CORRECTION: Sunday (just moments ago) I received an e-mail from the factory stating that the spent primer box will be plastic, not metal, as I previously posted. My Patriot has a metal box, but they fabricated and powder coated it there at the factory. Wayne's e-mail stated that they are araiting the completion of the mould to cast the boxes. I assume they will have an attachment hook to keep them in place.

I have yet to try out the Indexing Shaft over-ride because I have not forgotten to insert any wads.... yet. I will. The phone will ring, and I'll make a mistake, that's for sure.

I want to thank Dick, Bruce, Wayne and Tania at P/W for really improving on an already proven design. My machine is #0003, and I think within a couple of weeks, they will be shipping them. I have several sold already, so those guys will keep after me.

I think the aluminum top powder and shot drop system is fantastic. I have yet felt the need to make use of it rearward slide, but I am sure I'll screw up soon and need to "test" this out.

I’ll take some pictures tomorrow and add them to this diatribe. Right now it’s March Madness and I want to sit and sip a glass or two of wine and watch college basketball.

Here's a pic of my spent primer box regarding the change I was notified of today, Sunday:

Give em' Hell, Whiz.... The 99.999% of us have your back !!!

Mark Schneider