My First reloads! Updated with AAR!

[Urj]

I wanted to formally thank Bigdaddy45acp AKA "Tiny" for coming by and teaching me the ins and outs of the reloading process as well as getting my new rig up and running. I couldn't have done it without him.

I also wanted to thank everyone on the forum who have helped, and offered their expertise especially Fixxah and E.C. As well as the Mike's at North Shore Firearms.

Thanks to all of the above mentioned folks I loaded my very first round tonight. I'll post an AAR after I get to the range tomorrow.

 

[Fixxah]

Awesome rj. I was wondering when it would come in. Details please. Maybe put a list together for others who are about to venture into reloading.

 

[Urj]

AAR

SO I took my first 100 rounds to the range yesterday. I brought my Sig p220 to fire them from because if they were going to blow up I'd rather lose my Sig than my 1911.

None of them blew up and I still have all my fingers and both my eyeballs still work.

Accuracy was fantastic! I was hitting point of aim at 30' and my groups shrunk exponentially. From minute of Loeb range to just larger than minute of angle. A 16 round string into the bullseye, can't ask for much more than that!

I did experience an issue with about 20 of the rounds where they didn't chamber. Usually a tap would fix the issue and the slide would lock up, other times I had to tap and rack.

What would cause this problem? My two guesses are not enough power to cycle the slide hard enough, or maybe the OAL is too short? I have them set to between 1.196 and 1.210 like the Hodgdon manual suggests. I've noticed that WWB ammo varies but is usually over 1.21 somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.217. Any suggestions?

 

[Urj]

Awesome rj. I was wondering when it would come in. Details please. Maybe put a list together for others who are about to venture into reloading.

I kept holding out for the Hornady LNL even going so far as placing a second order with another company who said I should have it within a week. Needless to say both companies were unable to deliver and I was sick of waiting. i went over to Northshore Firearms and picked up a Dillon RL550B. I'm running it with the Hornady new dimension titanium nitride carbide die set in .45 ACP.

I had trouble (and lots of help) figuring out what exactly I needed to start - a bare minimum set up if you will. Here's a list f exactly what I have.

Press - your choice
Dies - for the caliber you want to load
Digital calipers - vital in setting up the press and loading
reloading scale - also vital
case tumbler - or some other method of cleaning once fired brass
powder, primers, bullets, brass.

I did buy a primer flip tray which is very handy but it is possible you could get along without one. I imagine one could empty their primers onto a paper plate and then flip them over with the pickup tube as they went but that'd be tedious.

 

[Fixxah]

Do I know you? J/K, good luck.

 

[Urj]

Haha sorry. I'll probably get an email saying that they've got LNL's ready to ship now that I don't need one anymore.

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

Urj,

Thanks for the kind words!

Back off your bullet seater to make your oal 1.25.

I'll bring a couple of my rounds over today so we can compare some dimensions.

If you are going to be around, give me a call!

 

[Patriot]

I kept holding out for the Hornady LNL even going so far as placing a second order with another company who said I should have it within a week. Needless to say both companies were unable to deliver and I was sick of waiting. i went over to Northshore Firearms and picked up a Dillon RL550B. I'm running it with the Hornady new dimension titanium nitride carbide die set in .45 ACP.

I had trouble (and lots of help) figuring out what exactly I needed to start - a bare minimum set up if you will. Here's a list f exactly what I have.

Press - your choice
Dies - for the caliber you want to load
Digital calipers - vital in setting up the press and loading
reloading scale - also vital
case tumbler - or some other method of cleaning once fired brass
powder, primers, bullets, brass.

I did buy a primer flip tray which is very handy but it is possible you could get along without one. I imagine one could empty their primers onto a paper plate and then flip them over with the pickup tube as they went but that'd be tedious.

I might add you ought to have a case gauge as well for any caliber you are reloading. It's
one of my inspection tools, along with a magnifier light, that I can not do without.