Am I nuts? My Friends think so.

[Nhilar]

So I have been reloading for a few years...but...

1. I only reload on a single stage Co-Ax
2. I weight bullets, primers, cases and group them (BTW Starline brass has the most consistent weight in my experience) - bullets are a mess, Sierra has the most consist weight in my experience but that is not saying much - and primers vary without any discernable pattern - it appears all the primers in one 100 count sleeve do not come from the same lot..weird...
3. I don't use a reloaders scale, I use a gem cutters precision certified digital scale good to 1/100 of a carot or ~.0308 grains
4. I use a power drop to get to 75% load then trickle each charge by hand to the precision of the scale, the 4th decimal place is a 0 or 5, I go for the 0 each time so for 4.1 grains it be 4.1000..btw this is very hard with powders like trail boss
5. I have a system set up where it is nearly impossible to squib/overcharge fail to crimp, etc. (each step is separate and logged)

Truthfully, I am not a very good shot and require tons of practice, I load for 45 colt, acp, 327 FM and 380 for the wife - those who are good say my ammo is better than any factory they have shot, including the wife who is a much better shot than me...

Here is the question, is this just to much? An after work loading session might produce 3-4 50 round boxes ..my friends say I am being freakishly anal about it....and here I am thinking about adding concentricity to the mix!

-Nhilar

 

[Duvel]

A bit overkill for pistol fodder, but if you enjoy the process, and it gives you confidence in the ammo you produce, then why not!

 

[plexreticle]

I suppose it depends what you want out of your ammo. I could see doing this for rifle ammo. Pistol ammo? Not for the kind of shooting I do.

 

[P5 Guy]

The joy in the reloading hobby is when one becomes a 'hand loader' and not just a reloader.
What you are doing many will see as over kill, but if it gives you pleasure why stop?

 

[cfullgraf]

S
Here is the question, is this just to much? An after work loading session might produce 3-4 50 round boxes ..my friends say I am being freakishly anal about it....and here I am thinking about adding concentricity to the mix!

-Nhilar

If you are enjoying your reloading, like Duvel said, why not.

Never under estimate the psychological factor. If you feel good about your reloads, you will shoot better.

 

[SARuger]

To each his own, I won't judge you.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Life is too short to spend all that extra time doing things that won't make a difference on target. I load in batches of 1,000 most of the time. If I were doing what you're doing, it would take me a year to get a thousand done, instead of the 8,000 to 12,000 rounds in various calibers I now load annually. I've been reloading for almost 53 years, and as I get older, time becomes more valuable to me.

Of course, that's just my opinion, and it's your shop, so you get to make the rules.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[luzyfuerza]

Only you can answer your question. I suggest:

Take a caliber that you currently load and deliberately introduce some error. For example, you could load a box of 50 cartridges with a range of different powder charges (say +/- 0.1 grain), randomize the resulting cartridges, and see if that changes your "shooting experience".

Another approach would be to use a standard powder drop to fill 50 cases with your target powder charge. Carefully measure each as-dropped powder charge to the 4th decimal place as you are doing now. Record the measurements and analyze the variations. Randomize the cartridges, and see if the variation affects your "shooting experience".

Adjust any of the significant variables in the reloading process in the same way, as much as you want within reason. See if it affects your shooting in any way. I'd be interested in hearing about what you learn in this process.

Remember, though, that each of those who come here have his or her own priorities in reloading. Some of us reload as an outlet for obsessive tendencies. Some to try to achieve the most lofty of goals (lowest SD or best accuracy). Some just want to make reliable, serviceable ammo that costs a lot less.

Only you can answer the question you asked in your post.

 

[Spade5]

Sounds like you have a system

I am not quite as meticulous as you are but kind of do the same thing.

I am a low volume mostly hand gun loader so to to me, hand loading is therapy time and by doing one round at a time, you pretty much eliminate no charge or double charge.

As others have stated, doing these extra steps probably does not add any accuracy or reliability. At least it didn't for me but it also showed me that any fixing that needed doing had to come from me. The old adage that the craftsman should not blame the quality of his work on the quality of his tools.

Do it the way you want and don't look back.

 

[murf]

consentricity in short and fat pistol rounds is not an issue like it is in long and skinny rifle rounds (i checked).

consistency begets accuracy. keeping everything the same is a challenge.

luck,

murf

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Truthfully, I am not a very good shot and require tons of practice, I load for 45 colt, acp, 327 FM and 380 for the wife - those who are good say my ammo is better than any factory they have shot, including the wife who is a much better shot than me...

Here is the question, is this just to much? An after work loading session might produce 3-4 50 round boxes ..my friends say I am being freakishly anal about it....and here I am thinking about adding concentricity to the mix!

-Nhilar

You would get a lot more practice in if you weren't spending so much time on loading. Weighing everything and trickling every handgun charge from 75% is way overboard IMO. I'm all for carefully crafting ammo but the words diminishing return come to mind.

 

[JO JO]

NUTS I dont think so, I think we are all a bit OCD with this hobby and I feel slow steady
and quality product far beats out the fast , rush, KABOOM product.
If thats the style you prefer stay the course its supposed to be an enjoyable,relaxing hobby!
Like said before you fall into one of two groups 1) shoot to reload 2) reload to shoot
I am guessing you fall into group 1.

 

[jwrowland77]

I do stuff like this for my match rifle Ammo.

Pistol Ammo, I load on my progressive. I love my powder measure. It's stays on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ljnowell]

Beyond overkill. If it makes you happy, do it, but it's not needed. Myself and most bullseye shooters I know load our match ammo on a progressive.

 

[Grumulkin]

So I have been reloading for a few years...but...

I only reload on a single stage Co-Ax

The only progressive press I have is for shot shells. All of my metallic reloading from decades past has been on single stage presses. There is nothing wrong with that.

I weight bullets, primers, cases and group them (BTW Starline brass has the most consistent weight in my experience) - bullets are a mess, Sierra has the most consist weight in my experience but that is not saying much - and primers vary without any discernable pattern - it appears all the primers in one 100 count sleeve do not come from the same lot..weird...

I very much doubt that any of those things you're doing actually makes a difference in group size on a target with a pistol cartridge. If you're going to be that compulsive with pistol cartridges, you should do your testing on a Ransom Rest if you're not good enough to test them yourself (sorry, I guess I just suggested another piece of equipment). If you were reloading for rifle cartridges, perhaps sorting the brass by case volume (not case weight) might help.

I don't use a reloaders scale, I use a gem cutters precision certified digital scale good to 1/100 of a carot or ~.0308 grains

There's nothing wrong with that though a bit of overkill. Do you really think that one granual of powder will make a difference? If you're going to be that compulsive about your scale, be sure you have some check weights to confirm the calibration periodically.

I use a power drop to get to 75% load then trickle each charge by hand to the precision of the scale, the 4th decimal place is a 0 or 5, I go for the 0 each time so for 4.1 grains it be 4.1000.

I also weight powder charges individually for most cartridges and use a trickle charger for the last few tenths of a grain. To 4 decimal places? Yea, that's a bit much and unecessary.

5. I have a system set up where it is nearly impossible to squib/overcharge fail to crimp, etc. (each step is separate and logged)

I also do each step separately but don't log each step. It's important to have a system to ensure no double charges, etc. Whatever works for you.

I'm surprised you say nothing about your case cleaning technique. Not that it makes any appreciable difference on paper, but I like shiny cases inside and out so clean with stainless steel pins.

 

[GBExpat]

Am I nuts? ...

Well ...


Whatever your process is, it is your process and it, apparently, makes you happy. IMO, that is all that really matters ... unless your are seeking to streamline your operation and I do not see that in your OP.

 

[Jmoreno88]

My opinion is yes overkill by far for pistol but I could definitely understand if it was for match rifle. I reload on a progressive and never had a squib but i carefully check each case before laying the bullet on. I too get far better accuracy than factory and my friends all prefer my ammo to their factory. Im not sure how much time yours take but I'm doing about 600rds an hour with what seems to be the same results

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

 

[Walkalong]

Well, if you have to ask.......

As posted, a bit of overkill, but as Fred said, your shop, your rules. Are you having fun? Does your ammo shoot well? Are you happy with the way you do it? If the answer is yes to all of those things, well, you might still be nuts, but who cares if you're having fun.

 

[Reloadron]

Whatever trips your trigger. Do I think what you are doing is overboard? Yes, but that matters not. It's your boat.

Ron

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Here is the question, is this just to much? An after work loading session might produce 3-4 50 round boxes ..my friends say I am being freakishly anal about it....and here I am thinking about adding concentricity to the mix!

-Nhilar

And I thought I was an anal-retentive SOB. But that doesn't make us nuts. Crazy, maybe. But not nuts!

 

[Owen]

Originally Posted by Nhilar
I don't use a reloaders scale, I use a gem cutters precision certified digital scale good to 1/100 of a carot or ~.0308 grains

Well, I'm pretty sure that .3 gr is less precision than most powder scales.

I also think you will find that most competitive benchrest rest shooters don't weight their charges...

 

[Nhilar]

RE:

That's ~.03 gr not .3 gr, 1 ct = 1/5 gram, 1/100 ct resolution = 1/100*1/5 or 1/500 of a gram resolution. (It is a "legal for trade scale" so to preserve its value I get it professionally calibrated every year)

In response to previous question about case cleaning; I bought a huge quantity of new brass when I started - I haven't actually loaded a fired brass yet, just shinny new stuff, I have not yet considered the purchase of a tumbler.

However, I do own a rather large ultrasonic cleaner that I use for other things, I am wondering if that would be suitable.

Yea okay I may be taking it a bit far - however, you guys would be amazed at the variation of commercial products - I have noted as much as 10% variation in commercial pistol bullets...that can't be good for consistency.

 

[WessonOil]

As posted elsewhere, it's overkill for pistol. but if you're having fun, why not.

Do please bear in mind that your pistols may not be "up to the standards" that your ammo is.

 

[TfflHndn]

For my handgun shooting, more precision than I get now with "normal" loading procedures would be unnoticeable. I don't shoot from a rest, so my natural wobble area negates any extreme consistency in the ammo. I have no problem hitting close enough to center for my purposes and I win my share of club shoots. I would not spend the time on trying to get the kind of consistency you get, because I am not convinced it would have any visible effect on my groups. I'd rather spend the time shooting or doing something else. But if you value that time spent on exactness and are not wondering what else you could be doing with that time, you've found your niche.

 

[RandyP]

The first step to recovery is recognizing you have a problem......... it seems your friends recognize that situation? lol

You asked a question and my answer is that I'm not a shrink but I DO reload as a pleasant pass-time hobby and wouldn't if I had to follow your routine. Almost none of your steps will result in ammo any better than store bought or that made on a turret or progressive NOT following your methods.

At the end of the day however it's YOUR time some might view as wasted so it doesn't change my life one iota.

If it makes YOU happy? Giddy-up!

From a 'practical' standpoint - there are many other factors involved that affect handgun 'accuracy' that ammo is down near the bottom of the list IMHO. For reference I follow the hickok45 definition of 'accuracy'. And he IS a darn good shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVzSAm5VhfE