What did you do in the reloading room recently?

[Uzi2]

Had a couple of rainy days here lately so outside work was not on the schedule. Sat at the press and knocked out 450 9mm. That just about finished up the last of a jug of HPC-18.

Probably switch to .45acp and use up the last hopper full over the weekend, weather pending.

I load on a simgle stage press, 50 at a time.

 

[walter62]

Finally switched the press to 44Magnum. Some load steps of HP-38 under TBB 240FP

 

[Quite_Exasperated]

LOL to me anything before May and after August is winter!!!

I heard Mass. only has two seasons..Winter and Road Construction..

 

[qwik88]

Whippin up a small batch of .41 Mags, the winter reloading season is upon us!

It just got to nice shooting weather don’t give in to winter yet

 

[walter62]

A close shave

 

[headednorth]

A close shave

View attachment 530852

Chronograph? Can't get any closer than that without it ending up in the trash

 

[DW357]

A close shave

View attachment 530852

That’s nothing lol. I’ve posted pics of mine it’s been hit a few times. Lot of loose parts jiggling around inside but it still works

 

[DW357]

Oops. Had my first true squib today. Zero powder. All I heard was a noise similar to removing a cork from a bottle. Locked up the cylinder of course. Thank god the DW has removable barrels otherwise it would have been a PITA to get out. I just removed the barrel and used a cleaning rod to bash it out.

Next issue was the spent primer was popping out so that made opening the cylinder a little fluff but I got it open but slightly rotating the cylinder while trying to open it.

I’m at a loss for how I managed to do this. I can see 2400 powder in the case before seating a bullet but evidently I had a major brain fart.

 

[PL-52]

This will go in the memory bank, listed next to all of your other first time memories. Fortunately no injuries or broken gear. Good teachable moment.

 

[PL-52]

Meant to add it happens to all of us, don’t know how my first one got by my watchful eye, But I knew the minute my Colt Commander lit off that mouse fart I knew I missed something.

 

[walter62]

@andrew1220 Didn't you shoot one in the face recently?

 

[DW357]

@andrew1220 Didn't you shoot one in the face recently?

 

[DW357]

And holy shit are these JHPs loads beyond hot. I think I mentioned earlier this year about the zero JHPs being longer overall than the JSPs and I didn’t know until after I loaded like 1k of them to the same length as the shorter JSP loads…

These were with Fiocchi lead free primers - not sure it matters? Can’t imagine they’re hotter than primers with lead??

I need to see how bad the primers will flatten with the loads using Federal and Winchester primers.
Normally they’re easy to eject but I had to hammer the ejector rod to get them out. I think the DW can handle them but I’m tempted to save them for the Marlin

Fiocchi on left. CCI on right from my light 357 loads

 

[xtry51]

Yikes.

That's why I only use CCI400s for small pistol

 

[DW357]

JHP on left. JSP on right. Shit. That’s a decent difference in length/location of the cannelure. I’m thinking it’s approaching a compressed load which isn’t good

 

[DW357]

Yikes.

That's why I only use CCI400s for small pistol

All of my JSPs are loaded with standard CCI SPP. But at some point I got some federals and Fiocchi’s for a good price and used those for some.

 

[meh]

JHP on left. JSP on right. Shit. That’s a decent difference in length/location of the cannelure. I’m thinking it’s approaching a compressed load which isn’t good

What's your charge and COAL again?

QL says 1.575" COAL and 14.8gr of 2400 is compressed (103.7% Load Ratio). I don't put a lot of faith in QL's calculation of pressure for handgun rounds, but that particular load is coming out as 48785 psi. Gordon's disagrees slightly, reporting 100% LR and 45252 psi. 14.5 grains is still showing compressed in QL at 101.7% LR with 45817 psi. Here again, Gordon's gives somewhat smaller numbers: 98% LR and max pressure of 42546 psi.

 

[DW357]

What's your charge and COAL again?

QL says 1.575" COAL and 14.8gr of 2400 is compressed (103.7% Load Ratio). I don't put a lot of faith in QL's calculation of pressure for handgun rounds, but that particular load is coming out as 48785 psi. Gordon's disagrees slightly, reporting 100% LR and 45252 psi. 14.5 grains is still showing compressed in QL at 101.7% LR with 45817 psi. Here again, Gordon's gives somewhat smaller numbers: 98% LR and max pressure of 42546 psi.

That’s exactly my charge (~14.7) and OAL…shit

 

[meh]

That’s exactly my charge (~14.7) and OAL…shit

According to Gordon's, you're at 44333 psi, which is just over the CIP limit of 43511 psi. Not especially scary, but if you're having trouble with extraction, it's a foregone conclusion that you should relegate them to rifle use. No need to beat the crap out of your nice revolvers.

 

[DW357]

According to Gordon's, you're at 44333 psi, which is just over the CIP limit of 43511 psi. Not especially scary, but if you're having trouble with extraction, it's a foregone conclusion that you should relegate them to rifle use. No need to beat the crap out of your nice revolvers.

Damn. Well thanks for crunching the numbers for me.

 

[meh]

Damn. Well thanks for crunching the numbers for me.

No trouble at all since I have that bullet in my user database for both programs.

 

[daekken]

First rounds of 38 S&W made, using cast for the first time. We'll see how they do, did two cylinders worth for testing.

Also sized/primed all of my 45 ACP, separating the large primers from the small primers.

 

[Leezway]

Punched out a few for the this weekends Steel Match.

 

[xtry51]

Just banged out 100 9mm. Gonna try to keep to at least 100 per day for a while

 

[DW357]

According to Gordon's, you're at 44333 psi, which is just over the CIP limit of 43511 psi. Not especially scary, but if you're having trouble with extraction, it's a foregone conclusion that you should relegate them to rifle use. No need to beat the crap out of your nice revolvers.

So I shot the JHP rounds loaded with Federal, Winchester and the Fiocchi primers today. Only the Fiocchi lead free primed loads were fairly sticky to eject but not horribly I suppose.
From what I’ve read the lead free primers are “hotter” due to the other chemical they use aside from lead styphenate? Dunno.

Fiocchi-Winchester-Federal:

 

[DW357]

Also shot a laundry detergent bottle that I filled with water and it actually caught part of the jacket and lead core which I found interesting. The last time I shot these through water jugs it took 3 jugs to catch the bullet. I don’t think I’d use these for hunting but then again these are target bullets.

 

[DW357]

Busted out the Henry all weather 44 mag rifle today to do some practice for deer hunting in Maine. I shot some 240 gr loads with H110 and 180 gr loads with H110. Neither were as stout as the new 270 gr Hammerdown ammo from Federal. It will definitely be more than adequate to put down a deer I think. Super expensive ammo.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Busted out the Henry all weather 44 mag rifle today to do some practice for deer hunting in Maine. I shot some 240 gr loads with H110 and 180 gr loads with H110. Neither were as stout as the new 270 gr Hammerdown ammo from Federal. It will definitely be more than adequate to put down a deer I think. Super expensive ammo. View attachment 531411

You shooting armor plated whitetail?

Get yourself some ballistic gel and see what a solid 250 grain bullet does. 32” of gel no issue. Then the deer is leaking out of 2 holes. They don’t last long like that.

Those will definitely do the trick but I bet your JHP bullets slowed down enough to hold together will drop a whitetail like a sack of potatoes.

 

[meh]

So I shot the JHP rounds loaded with Federal, Winchester and the Fiocchi primers today. Only the Fiocchi lead free primed loads were fairly sticky to eject but not horribly I suppose.
From what I’ve read the lead free primers are “hotter” due to the other chemical they use aside from lead styphenate? Dunno.

Fiocchi-Winchester-Federal:
View attachment 531406

Makes sense. You said you had like 1000 loaded. Are they all with the lead free primers or just some? Frankly I’m not super impressed with the primer signs. The mild cratering on the Fiocchis would make me want to back off, but the others look pretty normal to me for a full magnum load.

 

[DW357]

Makes sense. You said you had like 1000 loaded. Are they all with the lead free primers or just some? Frankly I’m not super impressed with the primer signs. The mild cratering on the Fiocchis would make me want to back off, but the others look pretty normal to me for a full magnum load.

Fortunately I only have like 100 left that are loaded with the Fiocchi’s.