I just started reloading and that’s almost the exact load I started with except I started with 4.2gn as I’m always subconsciously worried it will blow up in my hand as irrational as it might be. Also not sure how much my Shield 9mm can handle
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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
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hijinx
NES Member
Ordered a mechanical powder scale. The electronic one that I had started having a swing of .6 grain. It had been pretty solid for the almost 3 years I've had it. Oh well, guess I got my money's worth out of it.
Which one was it, if you don't mind me asking? I have one that drifts over the course of an hour or two while idle, but is spot on while in use.
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hijinx
NES Member
The electric was a Hornady. Replaced it with an RCBS beam scale. Tried to calibrate it with the weight they give but it was reading .5gr over.
i have electric blue dillon - first one was a dud, i have managed to exchange it, and the second one so far is very accurate, 0.1gr accurate. will see for how long it will last.
hijinx
NES Member
Midway already shipped the new one so hopefully I'll have it next week. Was dialing in the powder drop for a new load when the old scale went tits up.
I only have unique and h110 as viable powders for 44 mag. H110 with 180 grain jsp is just insane through the 4 inch 629. Unique makes a mid range magnum load......I'd like to find a powder that's on the higher end of magnum scale but without the fire balls from h110.
From what I've read, AA9 might fit the bill. We shall see.
Modeling it (180 grain XTP, 35K psi) with Gordon's confirms my suspicion. Accurate #9 is too slow for the 4" 629--lots of unburned powder, which probably translates to flash. You can get higher velocity with Accurate #7 in that length barrel, apparently, but still with unburned powder. My recommendation is HS-6, which I think you can actually find right now. At 35K psi you'll get a compete burn and beat the best velocity Unique can do at 35K psi by 100fps. I think HS-6 can also outrun Accurate #7, Accurate #9, and H110 on that short 4" drag strip. I have observed this first-hand, HS-6 versus H110, in my model 69.
xtry51
NES Member
I can tell you through an undesirable experience that for 9mm brass FC and Corbon have the worst quality control based on the high weight variance. Aguila has the heaviest brass followed by Blazer. I was surprised to see Star has lighter weight brass, though very consistent weight.
I had issues with my 125-130PF IDPA loads not cycling my shield, so keep that in mind as well.
gerrycaruso
NES Member
The Trailboss worked OK in the .43 Spanish but not any better than AA5744. I loaded a few rounds of .45acp with a 200 grain SWC and 4 grains of HP38. A very soft shooting load out of the CZ97.
Leezway
NES Member
Was feeling a little down as I had a surgical procedure this week and it’s going to keep on the sidelines for about a week or so… So I figured this would be the only way to help cure the “Blues”….. I might not be able to shoot for a bit, but I can still pump em’ baby! 
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bottle-cap
NES Member
Some good looking Blues ya got there.
What is the cal and load?
What is the cal and load?
Leezway
NES Member
9mm, 147g The Blue Bullets with Alliant sport pistol 3.5 grains with COAL of 1.135
They shoot very well… I have very good luck with them…
The Blue Bullets
thebluebullets.com
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Of all the cartridges I reload, I'm only down to my intended stock level (a few hundred rounds) of assembled reloads with 44 magnum. I shot about 100 rounds of it last week, so I decided to load up 100 rounds to replace them.
N110 doesn't drop accurately for me, so I usually set up my powder drop to come in just under and trickle the last few tenths by hand. It's faster than waiting on the RCBS chargemaster. But since I was only doing 100, I thought, why not just let the chargemaster do all the work. One hour later... Oh well.
I had neglected to follow through on my plan to discard some of my older cases, and the GFLs were ready to go, so I decided to load them and this time to really get rid of them. Really. One of them split a few mm when I loaded it, which became a hassle to disassemble without losing the powder. Pretty sure that's how it's going to be with this brass from here on out, and I have plenty of brass. Don't need the hassle.
One of the things I hate about GFL 44 magnum brass is how it has to be forced through the resizing ring on the Lee FCD when loaded. I guess it's just a little thicker, but you can see on the case where the resizing ring has gone over the case where the bullet is seated. This can't be good. I finally figured out how to use the Lee FCD with this brass, sort of. I put the crimping collar from the 44 magnum FCD in a 45 Colt FCD and then used the latter. Voila! FCD crimps with no resizing ring. I just dropped the cartridges in my case gauge to be sure they were kosher.
N110 doesn't drop accurately for me, so I usually set up my powder drop to come in just under and trickle the last few tenths by hand. It's faster than waiting on the RCBS chargemaster. But since I was only doing 100, I thought, why not just let the chargemaster do all the work. One hour later... Oh well.
I had neglected to follow through on my plan to discard some of my older cases, and the GFLs were ready to go, so I decided to load them and this time to really get rid of them. Really. One of them split a few mm when I loaded it, which became a hassle to disassemble without losing the powder. Pretty sure that's how it's going to be with this brass from here on out, and I have plenty of brass. Don't need the hassle.
One of the things I hate about GFL 44 magnum brass is how it has to be forced through the resizing ring on the Lee FCD when loaded. I guess it's just a little thicker, but you can see on the case where the resizing ring has gone over the case where the bullet is seated. This can't be good. I finally figured out how to use the Lee FCD with this brass, sort of. I put the crimping collar from the 44 magnum FCD in a 45 Colt FCD and then used the latter. Voila! FCD crimps with no resizing ring. I just dropped the cartridges in my case gauge to be sure they were kosher.
Once again scored some nice 357 mag brass today at the range, 36 Creedmoor cases. I wonder who makes brass for Creedmoor. I’d imagine it’s good quality. Definitely from the CMP
pastera
NES Member
Setting up for a second feeder
New Case/bullet collator
New Case/bullet collator
Organized and cleaned up after a trip to the range with some friends yesterday. I’m the only one who reloads and always get to come home with goodies. Sorted and ran everything through the tumbler as well as inspected the 40 rounds of .357 I had loaded and got to shoot finally.
Also reorganized everything for the third time as the amount of stuff I’ve acquired has grown a lot, unbeknownst to my wife…
Also reorganized everything for the third time as the amount of stuff I’ve acquired has grown a lot, unbeknownst to my wife…
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Your shelves have floor space in front of them , not enough stuff lol
Work in progress lol. I started reloading a few months ago after getting the press, .357 dies, brass, bullets, and old cans of Unique and 3031 from a widow I had done work for and she had no use for. Got a bunch of primed 9mm cases from my brother and went to town after that.
Still trying to figure out rifle cases though.
xtry51
NES Member
Rifle is 90% brass prep. The loading part is identical to pistol in execution. No one likes bottleneck brass prep.
i like it, when it works out.
You're making me wonder. My only bottleneck cartridge rifle is a 7mm Rem mag model 70 (go big or go home). I have several hundred rounds of factory ammo for it, but I recently polished off the last of my 150 grain Winchester Power Points, which this rifle seemed to like a lot. With a cold barrel (26" sporter) I got 1" and sub moa groups. At worst 1.5" or so.
So I moved on to the Federal Powershoks and re-zeroed. It doesn't like this ammo. I don't remember exactly, but it made an impression on me, say 2" groups at 100 yards. I have 90 of them left. I'm not a hunter (and probably wouldn't choose to lug this rifle around if I were).
I don't have any large magnum primers. I don't have any rifle powders. I don't even have any 7mm Rem Mag dies yet. But I was thinking, maybe I can get some dies, find a decent powder, and use a kinetic puller on this crap Federal ammo. Assuming the bullets will fly straight, I can get into a little rifle reloading, tuning for this rifle, without a lot of brass prep. Good idea or just crazy to sacrifice factory ammo? I guess the other thing I could do is stop shooting the Federal Powershoks and move on to a different type of factory ammo that I have, saving the Federals for last when the barrel is more worn.
xtry51
NES Member
If the ammo sucks, go ahead and pull it, run it through a sizing die without decapping pin installed and load it back up.
Mudflap621
NES Member
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With the same bullet? Seems like a waste of time to me. Gather supplies, get a decent target bullet than start playing. Shoot this in the mean time and than save the brass.
Once you pull it down I’d recommend resizing it at that point so your not really saving much prep.
xtry51
NES Member
Sorry I meant with diff bullets. Just recycling the brass and primer
So after coming out of a chronograph induced rage, I realized that I may finally have loads that work.
5.3 True blue over coated 124 CN FB at 1.105 gave ~132PF
5.3 Silhouette over coated 124 CN FB at 1.105 gave ~138PF
4.1 of N320 over coated 124 CN FB at 1.141gave ~130PF
Tonight I dropped 0.2 grain on silhouette, 0.1 on true blue, and loaded 10 more of the N320 to verify. (sorry NStassell). Also loaded 4.3 silhouette over 147 FMJ at 1.130
Now I just need a chronograph.
5.3 True blue over coated 124 CN FB at 1.105 gave ~132PF
5.3 Silhouette over coated 124 CN FB at 1.105 gave ~138PF
4.1 of N320 over coated 124 CN FB at 1.141gave ~130PF
Tonight I dropped 0.2 grain on silhouette, 0.1 on true blue, and loaded 10 more of the N320 to verify. (sorry NStassell). Also loaded 4.3 silhouette over 147 FMJ at 1.130
Now I just need a chronograph.
Had a quiet evening in the basement catching up on some loading.
100 45qcp 185grain clswc with 4.6 bullseye (steel plate bangers)
50 44 mag 180 grain jsp with 26 grains imr4227 (gonna test these in the ruger carbine and the 629 to see if I can find a load that works well accuracy in both)
50 44 mag 180 grain jsp with 29.5 h110 (gotta have some flame throwers in stock)
100 45qcp 185grain clswc with 4.6 bullseye (steel plate bangers)
50 44 mag 180 grain jsp with 26 grains imr4227 (gonna test these in the ruger carbine and the 629 to see if I can find a load that works well accuracy in both)
50 44 mag 180 grain jsp with 29.5 h110 (gotta have some flame throwers in stock)
