Process and Prevention

[SuperNaut]

Since I'm new to this reloading thang I'm interested in process. A buddy of mine seats the bullet right after he drops the powder in the case, that way he knows that he has thrown a single charge and he can't throw a double. Another buddy charges all of his cases then does a flashlight check and then seats his bullets.*

I've been using the latter method, but since I'm using 700x I have ton of room in my cases and it makes me worry. Additionally , I've been using mixed brass , so I don't have a baseline weight I can check against. Any thoughts, and what method do you guys use?

*Both single-stage presses.

 

[Walkalong]

When I use a single stage, I fill a loading block full of cases, use a good light to help me visually check each one, and then seat bullets. Use great care and attention when dropping powder in the cases. Be OCD about the pattern, and then check em real good. Either method is fine as long as great care and attention are paid to what you are doing.

I usually load on my LNL though.

 

[Hondo 60]

For rifle, I use a single stage, a loading block & a bright light to check every charged case.


For pistol, I use a progressive & seat the bullet immediately so I can't dbl charge.

 

[rfwobbly]

Per the comments above, the exact process depends largely on your equipment.

What you want to define is YOUR process. See what works for you, then stick to it.

 

[qajaq59]

Either way is fine so long as you're paying attention to what you are doing. Myself, I prefer the flashlight method for rifles.

 

[Tilos]

Try This

Have a handful of bullets while checking the powder charge in the loading block.

After checking a case for powder, drop a bullet in THAT case UPSIDE Down.
This allows continuous bullet seating later by simply putting case in the shell holder, turning the bullet over, and seating it.

You can take another look for powder at bullet "turn-around" too.

 

[oneounceload]

I have never found it that hard to keep track of a loading block of 50 cartridges - whether 32 acp or my 7mm mag, or anything in between. I load in batches - first is size/deprime/reprime, second is charging and seating bullet. For pistol I do reprime and flaring in between. Blocks of 50 keep the round count easy, as my plastic ammo boxes are also 50 count.

Do ONE cartridge (some call it caliber) at a time so you don't mix brass or powder anything else

 

[SuperNaut]

Good comments and suggestions guys!

 

[oldreloader]

I use two loading blocks, One RCBS green and the other is an old Flambeau yellow. I bell and charge the case then I move it to the other block.

 

[Publius1688]

You'll have to work out which process works best for you. We're all different.
Whatever you decide upon, be utterly and unashamedly anal about it. My sweet wife calls me Rain Man the Reloader.

 

[Steve C]

When using a single stage press I always set all the charged case in the loading block and do a visual check to make sure there's powder in all the cases and that the levels are consistent. You can easily detect a relatively small variation in charge weight by visually comparing the height of the powder in the cases. Pull and weigh any suspicious charges to see if the charge is correct. I also do a semi random QA check of about every 10th case for charge consistency. Occasionally I've found issues with the powder throws and had to correct them or recharge the entire batch due to too much variability.

When I load with my LNL progressive I pull about every 10th round after the powder drop to check charge consistency until I'm convinced that each charge is uniform.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I use both methods...For handgun I drop the powder charge and seat the bullet. For rifle I use a loading block and charge all cases then seat the bullet. Not a bit worried about double charging a case as I weigh EVER charge that I place (drop) in each case. Besides, I pay particular attention to what I'm doing and allow no disturbances or interuptions. Sign on outside of door to "man cave"..."This better be a life and death emergency"...

Both single stage and turret press.

 

[SuperNaut]

I've been weighing every charge too, aaaaand every charged case, aaaaaaand every finished cartridge...

LOL, I'm chalking it up to trying to understand every process in its entire, but I suppose paranoid applies as well.

 

[rcmodel]

I use loading blocks, and visually inspect charged cases in lots of 50, 100, or 200.

Yes, I made some BIG loading blocks!

I don't care how careful you are, there is always the possibility of a double charge, or an undercharge squib followed by an overcharge when you drop the powder and seat the bullet one at a time.

I have on more then one occasion found over or under filled cases in a loading block while inspecting lots of 50 charged cases.

That can be due to bridging in a powder measure short changing one case, then dumping a full charge plus part of the short charge in the next one.

Use loading blocks!!!
It's the safest way there is to do it.

BTW: Weighing complete rounds after they are loaded is a total waste of time.
There is too much variation in cases to make weighing meaningful when it comes to finding a 1.0 - 2.0 grain overcharge of powder in a loaded round.

rc

 

[Mal H]

I agree with rcmodel and those who inspect in loading blocks if using a single stage press. If you drop a bullet on a case you have just added powder to, even though you may know there is powder in it, do you really know how much?

I have added a slant, literally, to my inspection process a few decades ago. I use a light like most, but I hold the loading block such that I am viewing only the edge of the powder in the case. If you go down the line and always see the same amount of powder at the edge, then you know the cases are filled consistently. If you see a case with more powder, it is obvious, and if you can't see the edge of the powder then you know that one didn't get enough (or could even be empty).

That procedure works very well with all handgun cases, and even with rifle cases if the powder is almost to the neck.

 

[dagger dog]

I don't load for volume, but I usually load 20 - 100 at a batch, when dropping charges from a dispenser I like to drop the charge directly into the case then place it in the loading block and place the bullet on top of the case, then I'll look into each case before I place it into the shell holder to seat the bullet.

 

[oneounceload]

I've been weighing every charge too, aaaaand every charged case, aaaaaaand every finished cartridge...

LOL, I'm chalking it up to trying to understand every process in its entire, but I suppose paranoid applies as well.

Well, for my rifles, I weigh every charge, but then, I'm NOT loading a bazillion rounds, maybe 20 or 40..................otherwise for pistol, you're being a LITTLE anal or OCD...........check pistol rounds every tenth or so (why using the 50 round blocks work well, when you get to the end of a row, check the weight)

I appreciate folks who are cautious, for those of us who started eons before the internet, sometimes we might seem a little cavalier, but time and experience has shown us shortcuts and routines that easily work all the time to prevent double charges and squibs

If you're new, go slow, learn the process (I wish everyone would learn on a single stage first) and then proceed with speed as you get more comfortable.........

 

[Clifford]

On my Dillion I have a led light mounted so it shines down into the cases on the powder/flare stage and the bullet seating stage. I look to verify powder as I'm lowering the ram from the powder/flare station and once again as I put the bullet on top of the case.

When I load single stage I throw my powder charge and put all the cases in a loading block to check the level with a flashlight. I also check again as I put the bullet on the case before seating.

 

[NotSoFast]

My process, if I'm concerned about getting the right charge is to zero my electronic scale with the case sitting on it. Then I load my powder charge and reweigh the case. There should be a difference of about the weight I am aiming for.

IF the load is substantially different, I will try to figure out what went wrong and correct it, then dump that charge and repeat the above steps.

I always weigh every load when I am working up a new load, when I am changing loads or cartridge size, say from 9mm to .40 S&W, and 1 in somewhere between 10 and 20 cases during a regular run. Also, if I stop in the middle of a process, using my turret press, I will dump the charge and start over from the beginning so I am sure I don't make a mistake.

 

[SuperNaut]

BTW: Weighing complete rounds after they are loaded is a total waste of time.
There is too much variation in cases to make weighing meaningful when it comes to finding a 1.0 - 2.0 grain overcharge of powder in a loaded round.

I'm figuring that out for sure. But, that said, I did learn about the range of variability between cases. Also since I can't get my powder thrower to consistently throw flake I'm doing everything by hand and I figure that I might as well get a feel for everything along the way.