They started that a few years ago during the ammo crunch. Such a pain.
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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
- Start date
They started that a few years ago during the ammo crunch. Such a pain.
Self imposing a handicap basically. Do ball powders exist that you could use? Certainly. Does anyone that's looking for the best performance out of those calibers use them? No.
http://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/12/27/best-bullets-brass-primers-powder/
It's not just PRS guys that think so, you can google around benchrest forums etc., that link was just the fastest resource I could come up with to prove my point.
I will say I've seen it said online by a couple folks that H414 is like the ball version of H4350, but H414 is easy to find, H4350 is typically damn hard to find, if that says anything.
allen-1
NES Member
Built a reloading bench/area in my garage and set up the Dillon press that my wife gave me for Christmas/Hannukah...
2x6 Frame with new back "wall".
Oh yeah, I picked up a flat the other night, have to put the new tire back on.
I have to use space creatively in my garage, lot going on in there.
Monitor on shelf, computer on other side of wall, away from sawdust, milling chips, dirt, etc.
Storage inside of bench.
Press mounted.
Elves. Checking OAL of non-primed, non-charged first couple of rounds.
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2x6 Frame with new back "wall".
Oh yeah, I picked up a flat the other night, have to put the new tire back on.
I have to use space creatively in my garage, lot going on in there.
Monitor on shelf, computer on other side of wall, away from sawdust, milling chips, dirt, etc.
Storage inside of bench.
Press mounted.
Elves. Checking OAL of non-primed, non-charged first couple of rounds.
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greencobra
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nice job. got a lot into a small space. in a couple of years show us pics of how your reloading area took over the entire area.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Space! Your bench has more Square feet than my entire reloading area.
allen-1
NES Member
Finished setup...
Five test rounds for tomorrow morning.
115 grn Berry's 9mm FMJ.
Hodgdon's Universal powder.
Data from their site says min is 4.5, max is 5.0.
I set it up for 4.7.
I don't anticipate any issues; I expect to be loading several hundred tomorrow morning after I test these.
It's good to have hopes, right?
Work up a load properly for Safety and then Accuracy.
Just picking a random number to load just because it is in between the #s in the book, is unwise.
I would have very likely blown up my 4" 500 using that approach, over pressure signs waaaay below listed Max.
allen-1
NES Member
Please explain.
I took the min and max from the manufacturer's site for that specific powder, for that bullet weight.
I know I want to avoid squibs.
I know I want to avoid over-pressures.
I checked the calibration of the scale carefully, I checked the weight of multiple "pours" to make sure of what was going into the shell.
4.7 wasn't a "random" number, I chose it.
I deliberately went just under the half way point of the listed "safe range" listed by the manufacturer.
I loaded five rounds instead of fifty, and I'll probably wear gloves, (especially since I managed to catch the tip of my forefinger with a charging bolt during a steel match Saturday - you DON'T want to see pictures of that). I'm NOT trying to be argumentative. This is the first time I've done this and I'd appreciate any advice.
What powder,bullet,primer combo where you using.
If you had over pressure signs way below max did you contact the powder/bullet manufacture. Maybe the data is wrong?
I got sick of using the Lee Auto-Disk and switching the dam disks around or being stuck in between increments, so I picked up an Auto-Drum. What a dream that thing is. Really helps when doing a load test and you are going in increments. I weighed 25 by hand to double check and only two cases were -.1g.
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Im with you. I start in the middle all the time unless the variation is tight. (Titegroup)
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Im with you. I start in the middle all the time unless the variation is tight. (Titegroup)
KMM696
NES Member
You'll note that your powder manufacturers website calls it starting load and maximum load, not minimum and maximum loads. The intent with starting at starting and working up is to allow you to detect overpressure signs before they reach a level that will cause damage. It also gives you a full range of tested powder weights to see what the most accurate in your firearm is.
The load you started with probably won't be an issue. 9mm is a pretty friendly cartridge to reload. At this point Hodgdon would no longer consider your process a safe one, though. They do tend to be very conservative when it comes to how you use their products.
I think the real danger is that if you make your method of load selection a habit, it could get you in very real trouble when you reload a different cartridge that operates closer to the limits such as the 500 S&W mentioned above. Even 9mm can go wrong, though.
In any case, it's your call. I'm not going to say I've never picked a load like you did, either. You should understand the extra risk you're assuming by doing so.
Happy Shooting!
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I start at the maximum and work my way up.
I know this is not new info to you but for others, reading primers is like reading tea leaves, but my 500 does not typically flatten primers (my 44 mags flattens all of them at min loads and up).
This pic is from 350gr bullet 42.6 gr H110 (Left to right, discolored, slightly flattened, very flattened). This is why you work up a load. I am loading 41.7gr for best accuracy and it gives plenty of safety margin.
http://www.massreloading.com/reading_pressure_signs.html
So we have a discrepancy of 4.7 Gr of H110, anyone like playing Russian roulette with a bomb in your hand.
All data based on 8" 500
Hornady 9th edition Max 43.3
Hornady 10th edition Max 44.7
Hodgdon 43.0 gr
Lyman 50th 40.0gr
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allen-1
NES Member
Reading link you posted about "reading pressure signs". Thank you.
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Ah - STARTING <> "minimum".
That's an important distinction, and I missed it.
Thank you.
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My other "hobby" is riding. I know how to rebuild my motorycle, and I've done the ER, ICU and re-hab.
I'm trying to avoid that with reloading if you don't mind...
greencobra
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just spent a fun filled couple of hours cutting and trimming brass to .357 herrett, ready to fire form whenever i get them loaded. kind of almost enjoy it thru the first 10 but after that......![[frown]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/003.gif "Frown [frown]")
Just yesterday I set up my XL650 for .45ACP for the first time. I chose to do it the hard way as far as large primers go. It was definitely a bit of a PITA. I wanted to know what it I'd be avoiding by throwing another $85 at it. When I switch back to small primers I'm thinking it's going to be painless since I won't have my face in the manual.
greencobra
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i'm a little confused on what your trying to say...you mean switching between small and lrg primed .45 cases? what i do is toss the small primer cases in a tub and don't even bother loading them. i won't junk them but when i get a few thousand accumulated i'll reload them all together. oddly, i haven't come accross a small primed .45 acp in a while so life is easy for now. it is a pain to sort them.
Darn you!!. I came across a bunch this past weekend when I sorting. Even the PITA ones with the NT stamp and crimped pocket.
![[crying]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/006.gif "Crying [crying]")
I remember during the ammo crunch a lot of the ammo my buddy shot all had the small primers.
Granted it didn't happen at the work bench, but I tested two different 9mm runs. I'm liking the 147s. The 124s I had some issues with my G34 cycling so I'm going to chalk that up to lack of powder.
Went to range monday and it was FULL. 6 guys to the left of me spam firing their new Xmas AR15s. I ask them if they want their brass and they say no. I walked away at least 1000 once fired .223 cases and some .45.
I'm currently depriming and doing a quick wet tumble of everything before I site down to resize, swage and trim this stuff. Got $200 in basspro gift cards to burn from xmas, too...but think their powder prices suck usually. Maybe primers?
I'm also considering going full retard and building up a .50 Beowulf or a .458 socom from an 80% lower I have and both would be obvious reloading situations. Hearing the .458 might be an overall better option but the .50 almost seems irresistible. Anyone reloading either of these?
I'm currently depriming and doing a quick wet tumble of everything before I site down to resize, swage and trim this stuff. Got $200 in basspro gift cards to burn from xmas, too...but think their powder prices suck usually. Maybe primers?
I'm also considering going full retard and building up a .50 Beowulf or a .458 socom from an 80% lower I have and both would be obvious reloading situations. Hearing the .458 might be an overall better option but the .50 almost seems irresistible. Anyone reloading either of these?
I recently made the choice between the 2, straight wall on the 50 made it an easy decision for me vs bottleneck on the 458. Still waiting on my form 1, so haven't made a round of Beowulf yet.
I would assume both need full resizing and case trimming just like 223, correct? I honestly havent looked seriously into reloading either in any detail.
50 Beowulf Straight wall, like Pistol, this is like loading s&w 500.
458 is bottleneck, like any high powered rifle, like 223
No need to push any shoulder and trim on Beowulf
Oh very nice. For some reason I had convinced myself the only reason I didnt need to trim my .45 reloads was because they were overall so much lower pressure than a rifle round and not just because they were straight walled.
That is a big advantage, to be honest! Thanks!
