What did you do in the reloading room recently?

[CatSnoutSoup]

More carpentry than reloading

I finished the custom stand for my Redding 3-BR powder measure by applying a few coats of amber shellac after having milled the stand from 4/4 poplar.

 

[DW357]

Continued loading more 9mm.

Mangled a primer when I encountered this Winchester case that had a crimped primer pocket. First time I found one of these....into the scrap bucket it goes.

 

[Dean Crawford]

Some 6mm BR lapua brass with some 108gr Bergers CCI BR primers and 33gr of Varget, and a COAL of 3.4. To say the barrel has been throated would be an understatement. That is the load for those 2" groupings at 600yards, whether I can duplicate it time will tell.



Dean

 

[mac1911]

Some 6mm BR lapua brass with some 108gr Bergers CCI BR primers and 33gr of Varget, and a COAL of 3.4. To say the barrel has been throated would be an understatement. That is the load for those 2" groupings at 600yards, whether I can duplicate it time will tell.



Dean

that's just silly........ nice

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More carpentry than reloading

I finished the custom stand for my Redding 3-BR powder measure by applying a few coats of amber shellac after having milled the stand from 4/4 poplar.

I wish I had the real estate for such a fancy stand,,, nice

 

[Hillx21]

I assembled my work bench from Lowes. Just need to head back and pick up some plywood for the insert (came with that cheapo wood), a caliper and thinking about an external hinge for the top level of the bench to store powder.

 

[Dean Crawford]

By throating the barrel that deep it allows to set the coal "the bullet" that far out of the case and deep into the barrel, it allows 4 more grains of powder in the case, which allows you to load more of a slower powder to get those 108gr Bergers beyond 3000 fps over the standard 2700 fps. Another advantage it has is as you can see the bullet is hardly into the case, so you never have to worry about "Neck Tension" creating pressure, and ultimately gives you more consistent loads. And which is a huge contributor to Standard Deviation and Extreme Spread numbers.

Dean

PS:ES & SD

Thery are both terms from statistics and both are used to indicate the extent of dispersion in a group of values. So, in terms of shooting, they could be used to indicate how big a group was.

Extreme spread would be the distance between the two most widely separated holes on the target.

This is a pretty crude measure since it uses only two pieces of information. Standard deviation is a much more sophisticated measure of dispersion, since it makes use of all the available data.

It assumes a normal distribution - the well-known 'bell curve' - and with such a distribution we can say with confidence that 95% of the items will lie within slightly less than two standard deviations on either side of the centre.

So, going back to shooting a group, the smaller the standard deviation, the tighter the group. If 95% of the holes fall within a 12 inch circle, you have a standard deviation of roughly 3 inches - a 12 inch circle amounting to 2 standard deviations on either side of the centre. Clearly, if you just looked at extreme dispersion, one flyer could give you quite the wrong impression about an otherwise tight group.

Other measures of dispersion are used - the 50% circular error probability measure was commonly used in assessing the accuracy of free-fall bombing, for instance.

 

[mac1911]

Average mean radius can be used also... the military likes to use this method it allows some flex ability also.
Measuring from the center often group and then averaging those shots from the center gives you some decent results. The military (from reading some of the testing methods) would have a certain percentage to drop from the results.
the book Hatchers note book goes over this.
Tons of info out there. It can be confusing I was a bit lost and put off when I first tried the OCW method until I,gun and ammo where shooting better and I actually could shoot well enough to use the results...
Fun fun.... and 2" @ 600 is fun. I'm happy to hit that 36" black bull on the NRA 600 yard target!
Group size is not always the best.
My best 10 shot group was shot sitting rapid fire at 300 yards. Nice sub 3" group.....low 5 ring. NFG at that point.
Now I'm lucky to keep them in the black.

 

[01SVTvert]

I loaded about 130 rds of 45, 230gr pulls over 5.1gr HP-38 when I realized I may have double charged ONE case. Put them all aside and started using my kinetic puller. Broke puller at about 30 rounds pulled.... ugh. Stupid mistake as I tried changing how I handle the brass and bullet into their respective spots into the machine / case. Looks like I don't get as good a view into the case using only my left hand to do both compared to using both hands, one in each.

 

[bigblue]

I'm planning on starting with 9. From there, 45 auto, 45 LC and 5.56.



Got that right. I was going to take the ride up to Cabelas next week to look at powder and bullets. I got some Bullseye today and just now I'm reading its dirtier than most. HP38 seems to come up a bit when searching though.

I use HP38 for my 147 gr 9mm and they do just fine.

I will say that it doesn't take much powder. Because it would be easy to double charge and still fit the bullet, it isn't generally a common powder to learn on. I'm not saying you shouldn't, just take extra careful in your powder measurements.

 

[headednorth]

I loaded about 130 rds of 45, 230gr pulls over 5.1gr HP-38 when I realized I may have double charged ONE case. Put them all aside and started using my kinetic puller. Broke puller at about 30 rounds pulled.... ugh. Stupid mistake as I tried changing how I handle the brass and bullet into their respective spots into the machine / case. Looks like I don't get as good a view into the case using only my left hand to do both compared to using both hands, one in each.

That sucks. I hate pulling shit.

I did something similar loading a batch of 45 Colt. Realized about 3/4 of the way through I hadnt eyeballed the cases for powder before I started seating bullets. I checked the remaining ones, seated the rest, and then weighed the ones I had already seated. Found 1 that was ~7 grains light, the rest were within a few tenths of each other. Pulled that one and found it was empty.

I know there's variations between cases and bullets. A couple of grains here and there between the bullet and case may add up, I dont know if its enough obscure a double charge or no charge. My charge was a couple of grains heavier than yours so maybe it was easier to weigh and have a mistake show up. I might not go that route if I was loading something smaller with a lighter charge, like say 9mm with a 4 grain charge.

**Im not qualified to give anyone advice, so thats not what this is, just thinking out loud. Curious if weighing a batch is a safe way to handle a possible goof, or if it depends on the charge weight. (a heavier charge would show up as a goof while a lighter charge may be hidden by variations in case and bullet weights.)

Pulling them all is obviously the fool proof way, just curious if weighing is acceptable.

 

[DW357]

I loaded about 130 rds of 45, 230gr pulls over 5.1gr HP-38 when I realized I may have double charged ONE case. Put them all aside and started using my kinetic puller. Broke puller at about 30 rounds pulled.... ugh. Stupid mistake as I tried changing how I handle the brass and bullet into their respective spots into the machine / case. Looks like I don't get as good a view into the case using only my left hand to do both compared to using both hands, one in each.

Bummer. But I've been there and done that. Though I quickly gave up on the kinetic puller when I have to pull lots of bullets as the powder goes everywhere inside and mixes with previous powders etc (so it wouldn't be safe/smart to dump it back into the powder hopper).

So I bought the Hornady cam lock bullet puller die so you can easily pull bullets and then simply dump the powder back into the hopper or powder container. It takes a little tinkering to get it set up right - still haven't quite mastered it yet. They make inserts for any caliber pretty much.

https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-50095-Cam-Lock-Bullet-Puller/dp/B000PCZZO4

 

[DW357]

and 2" @ 600 is fun.

Yeah that is just absurd. I've never shot beyond 120 yards and at that distance I'd be happy with 2" groups haha. But at 600? God damn

 

[josh2600]

I use HP38 for my 147 gr 9mm and they do just fine.

I will say that it doesn't take much powder. Because it would be easy to double charge and still fit the bullet, it isn't generally a common powder to learn on. I'm not saying you shouldn't, just take extra careful in your powder measurements.

this.

 

[josh2600]

**Im not qualified to give anyone advice, so thats not what this is, just thinking out loud. Curious if weighing a batch is a safe way to handle a possible goof, or if it depends on the charge weight. (a heavier charge would show up as a goof while a lighter charge may be hidden by variations in case and bullet weights.)

Pulling them all is obviously the fool proof way, just curious if weighing is acceptable.

It is for rifle rounds and probably handgun loads with large charges, not so much with 9mm though, when the difference in case weight could be more or less than the 4gr. of powder you're loading with. Or at least close enough to get sketchy.

With that said, I certainly wouldn't recommend a rookie depend on this method to avoid squibs. (Not calling you a rookie, just speaking generally) Just pull it if unsure. With rifle, even 223, if you're not compressing loads, you can shake the round and hear if it has powder.

 

[josh2600]

Bummer. But I've been there and done that. Though I quickly gave up on the kinetic puller when I have to pull lots of bullets as the powder goes everywhere inside and mixes with previous powders etc (so it wouldn't be safe/smart to dump it back into the powder hopper).

So I bought the Hornady cam lock bullet puller die so you can easily pull bullets and then simply dump the powder back into the hopper or powder container. It takes a little tinkering to get it set up right - still haven't quite mastered it yet. They make inserts for any caliber pretty much.

https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-50095-Cam-Lock-Bullet-Puller/dp/B000PCZZO4

Still a pita but if you find a way to pull the sponge out of the kinetic puller, you can clean all previous powders out. I can with the rcbs one i have anyways.

 

[DW357]

Still a pita but if you find a way to pull the sponge out of the kinetic puller, you can clean all previous powders out. I can with the rcbs one i have anyways.

Yeah you certainly can but I don't bother, especially if there's a fair amount to pull. I use the kinetic puller when I only have a few to pull.

 

[Dean Crawford]

Yeah that is just absurd. I've never shot beyond 120 yards and at that distance I'd be happy with 2" groups haha. But at 600? God damn

The guy I got the rifle from has a lot going on in his personal life right now that is why he sold it, but he was also telling me he would have sold it anyway since he was not competitive any more, he was tired of getting beat by guys who are shooting groups of 1.75" and even 1.50" @ 600Yds which is now is now the norm. The current record is .890" which is basically 7/8" @ 600yards, that's insane I often have bad days at the range and can't seem to get my act together and get that @ 100 Yards.

Dean

PS: These are guys from the OK, AR, LA, and East Texas area what the hell is in the water down there.

 

[mac1911]

The guy I got the rifle from has a lot going on in his personal life right now that is why he sold it, but he was also telling me he would have sold it anyway since he was not competitive any more, he was tired of getting beat by guys who are shooting groups of 1.75" and even 1.50" @ 600Yds which is now is now the norm. The current record is .890" which is basically 7/8" @ 600yards, that's insane I often have bad days at the range and can't seem to get my act together and get that @ 100 Yards.

Dean

PS: These are guys from the OK, AR, LA, and East Texas area what the hell is in the water down there.

These guys probably have 600 plus yards of plinking space in thier back yards.
Growing up we spent time where we had access to 1000 yards . used to shoot at a old dumpster.

 

[Hillx21]

I use HP38 for my 147 gr 9mm and they do just fine.

I will say that it doesn't take much powder. Because it would be easy to double charge and still fit the bullet, it isn't generally a common powder to learn on. I'm not saying you shouldn't, just take extra careful in your powder measurements.

Are we talking in general or about the specific powder brand (Bullseye, HP38)? If in general, I have no plans on rushing. My goal is to have 50 rounds ready for my upcoming range trip.

USPS ****ed up my delivery yesterday. Ended up calling the 1-800 number, lit them up followed by the local AO Postmaster. Claiming a package was refused when nobody was home is absolutely unacceptable. They didn't even try to help (locally) until I said I work for the PO. Kicker was my tumbler media showed up 5hrs later via USPS.

 

[bigblue]

Are we talking in general or about the specific powder brand (Bullseye, HP38)? If in general, I have no plans on rushing. My goal is to have 50 rounds ready for my upcoming range trip.

USPS ****ed up my delivery yesterday. Ended up calling the 1-800 number, lit them up followed by the local AO Postmaster. Claiming a package was refused when nobody was home is absolutely unacceptable. They didn't even try to help (locally) until I said I work for the PO. Kicker was my tumbler media showed up 5hrs later via USPS.

My comment was specifically directed at using HP38 as a beginner. It would be ideal to learn on a powder that took more volume and was "more difficult" to double charge. JMHO

 

[josh2600]

W231 is the same as HP38 for anyone unaware of that. I run 231, but its literally the same powder. Especially if you're loading lead, 3.2 gr barely fills a third of the case. Very easy to miss a double charge.

 

[NavelOfficer]

Although the .38 Special is one of the most widely used cartridges out there, it is potentially the most dangerous for the reloader. I always tell new reloaders to be mindful of this. Take a small 148g HBWC charge of 2.4g of Clays and charge it five or six times... you still have to look directly down the case mouth to see the powder. I think it will finally overflow on the seventh or eighth charge.
You'd never notice a squib, double, triple charge..., if distracted.

 

[Hillx21]

My comment was specifically directed at using HP38 as a beginner. It would be ideal to learn on a powder that took more volume and was "more difficult" to double charge. JMHO

What would you suggest for starting out? I'm open to all suggestions.

 

[DW357]

What would you suggest for starting out? I'm open to all suggestions.

Power Pistol is a great powder for 9mm (and 45 too I'd imagine) and will be obvious if there's a double charge. That being said, it's a slower burning powder with a good amount of flash - if that matters to you.

Honestly, I wouldn't go buying extra powders when you already have Bullseye and HP38 on hand which are very good powders. Though I do agree with bigblue that you can easily double charge these cases but as long as you don't reload with any distractions around you, I think you'll be fine.

I started out using Titegroup (which is another powder that is easy to double charge) for 9mm and loaded thousands and thousands of rounds with no problems.

 

[noddaduma]

Not so much reloading, but turned a new firing pin for my Swiss Vetterli. I had converted it to centerfire long ago, but the pin I had made was a bit short and would strike lightly. It would not fire deeply seated primers. The pin only stuck out about 0.015" and needed to be replaced.

I tried turning a new one out of a hardened screw, but the 0.070" required size shaft of the pin would bend and break very easily. I had bought a bunch of round stuck at a liquidation sale a couple years ago, and so I grabbed some random 1/4" round stock in my stash that looked like stainless and successfully turned that down. Works great with 0.045" protruding past the bolt face when fired.

Funny thing though. The stainless steel cut very nicely at high spindle speeds but was very stiff without being brittle. When I looked to see what type it was, the label said "titanium". Didn't realize I had some! Moral of the story: Titanium is way easier to turn when you don't realize it's titanium!

So now I have a titanium firing pin in a 138 yr-old rifle!

I'll take it to the range at lunch on Wednesday. First time I'll have fired it in ~3 years.

 

[45collector]

Pretty sure the wife got me a Lee .45LC carbide set for Christmas. Now I have to source .45LC brass as I only have like 50 once-fired pieces.
I'm guessing I can use the same plated 230gr bullets as I use for .45acp but I need to look into that further. Thought I read somewhere I need to pay attention to the difference between .451 and .452 plated bullets.

 

[DW357]

Pretty sure the wife got me a Lee .45LC carbide set for Christmas. Now I have to source .45LC brass as I only have like 50 once-fired pieces.
I'm guessing I can use the same plated 230gr bullets as I use for .45acp but I need to look into that further. Thought I read somewhere I need to pay attention to the difference between .451 and .452 plated bullets.

Not sure if you're on Facebook much, but they have a group called "The Brass Bank" with almost 13k members. Always selling/buying/trading brass on there. Or post WTB ads here.

 

[45collector]

Cool. I'll check that out.

 

[bigblue]

Not sure if you're on Facebook much, but they have a group called "The Brass Bank" with almost 13k members. Always selling/buying/trading brass on there. Or post WTB ads here.

Believe it or not, Etsy also has people selling brass and some of the prices were even reasonable.

 

[Hillx21]

I got a 9mm case stuck in my decapping die. So far I haven't been able to remove it. We're off to a good start lol.