Success!!!

[Rushthezeppelin]

Well I loaded up 100 rounds over the weekend. Was supposed to be fifty but I think my first batch might have some soggy primers, got to anxious after handwashing (classic nra recipe and patches on some hemostats) and just started cranking the through the Lee 1000. Only after I finished washing the rest of my brass did I find out after just sizing a few that the primer pockets were wet on about half. So I set the first batch aside for when I get a puller and get to work again.



After as tad more fine adjustment (sizing die was a bit too low and causing my last two rounds to seat deeper) I crank this batch out. 4.4gr +-.05 w231, the autodisk was throwing hella consistent according to my Lee safety scale. 124gr Berry's plated seated for OAL of 1.149"-1.155". Crimp 0.377" with a nice barely noticeable bottleneck, they all passed the bench/thumb setback test as well as the bark plunk test.



Even better they seem to shoot a decent bit better than my favorite 124 factory loads. This was my second full mag (after a few single loads) resting on the uncomfortable benches at reds. The first one was a bit better after a few offhand shots but that target was polluted. Add that I'm not that great of a shot and these are amazing lol.

Every round felt very consistent, fed and ejected well (didn't throw my brass as far either) and the fired brass is indistinguishable from fired factory. No split cases or bulging primers.

Got to admit I was real damn nervous for about the first 6 round, but my first satisfactory batch came out great, I'm hooked

Thanks for three advice some of y'all have me, couldn't have done it without y'all.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[12guns]

Fun stuff huh? Glad you are having fun. I just started myself and after .45's were a success, I moved on to .308. Working on the right load now.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Crap forgot to mention, that target was at 7 yds.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Well done and congrats!!

VooDoo

 

[Conservidave]

Awesome job! I remember the feeling of complete satisfaction knowing that I could produce my own ammo.

 

[Osageid]

Very nice! I bet you are already thinking about what caliber to load next, it's ok we ALL do it.


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[mstreddy]

that the primer pockets were wet on about half

There might not be a need to pull those. Try a couple out and if they fire, then good to go. Primers and even powder can survive a little water, they just need to dry out.
And congrats on your fist batch.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Tell the truth, when you pulled the trigger on the first round you held your breath, closed your eyes or both, right?

Good job, well done Sir. That ammo looks accurate enough.

I was thinking the same thing as above, you might not have to pull those bullets. Getting primers damp doesn't ruin them, they only need to dry out. When making primers the compound is very wet and only becomes active when they dry it. Granted, because the primer is in a sealed case it might not dry quickly but if they were only damp I'm sure they will dry out enough to fire... It's at lease worth a try before you pull them, no?

 

[gamestalker]

I can still remember my first, was 44 mag.. Expecting the worst, I held the firearm out around the door of my truck, and then pulled the trigger. But the feeling I got knowing I had successfully made my own ammo, was incredible.

Welcome to THR, and congrats !

GS

 

[Slinger]

My first loads were .44 Special, all done one at a time on an old Lee Loader. Lord, that was tedious work.

 

[lauderdale]

45acp on the square deal B Dillion. iam learning so much off of this cite Thank u fella's! Come from a long line of. But safety is always! Used 2 bullet styles swc 185 horn., jhp 185 horn. 2 types powder hi skor 800, bullseye. found my Favorite. Next berrys 185s 40 s&w I like to start w/what I can procure hi skor 800 cuase I can keep a more of an eye on it! Bullseye iam careful with. thanks Guyz!

 

[Beanie-Bean]

Congrats on the new loads! It was a great feeling to get those first reloaded rounds downrange without any incident...I remember that well!

How are you able to keep your brass at Red's? Last time I shot there (maybe over two years ago now) there was a guy there with a broom sweeping up as I was shooting! I just hit BotW and ARC nowadays, and I go home with most of the brass I shot, except for the ones I couldn't see.

Enjoy your new reloading rig--you'll never look at commercial ammo quite the same, especially with the way prices are today.

-BB

 

[osteodoc08]

It's addictive. I promise you that you won't "save" any money but you sure will shoot more!

 

[Bush Pilot]

You're hooked, don't bother trying to resist. BTW, is that boo boo in the steel on the bottom of the second picture one of your rounds? LOL

 

[jwrowland77]

It's a rush ain't it? Welcome to the addiction. Soon, you'll be buying a new gun, just to have something new for...which I recently did in a .308 and started shooting comps with it. .

It's all over with now. No saving money, but you do get to shoot a lot more.

 

[Hondo 60]

Rushthezeppelin - Outstanding post.
Even included some gun porn LOL

I remember my first loads - .38 Special, shot from a S&W Model 10-5 with a 4" barrel.
What a "rush"

Welcome to THR

 

[James2]

Yep! Looks like you are hooked. Enjoy!

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Tell the truth, when you pulled the trigger on the first round you held your breath, closed your eyes or both, right?

Of course, lol. Haven't flinched that bad on my trigger since I first got into firearms a scant 8 months ago : P

How are you able to keep your brass at Red's? Last time I shot there (maybe over two years ago now) there was a guy there with a broom sweeping up as I was shooting! I just hit BotW and ARC nowadays, and I go home with most of the brass I shot, except for the ones I couldn't see.

Called ahead of time and they said I can notify the brass sweeper guy to try and not sweep my brass. He was nice and oblidged the best he could without interfering with his job in general. I marked all my primers on my handloads with sharpie so they were easy to spot. Missed a few firing off 3 boxes of factory the first time but I was picking up after each mag. With the handloads I was firing one a at a time and picking up brass.

That said I'm hopefully never going to back there again. Went to ARC this weekend for my first IDPA match (didn't use my handloads for that but I did manage to come home with about 250 good brass). Not as awesome as best of the west (kinda hard to beat tac bays and 1000yd rifle range) but alot closer to my house, cheap and should be a nice place to test handloads. I'm going to get a membership as soon as I can.

It's a rush ain't it? Welcome to the addiction. Soon, you'll be buying a new gun, just to have something new for...which I recently did in a .308 and started shooting comps with it. .

Lol I have been wanting a 308 since before I got my reloading stuff, looking at getting a Savage FP10 when I have things saved up enough. But given the fact that my press came with 38 special dies (got it nib second hand for a good price) I nearly put a 1915 Colt Army Special 38 on layaway at my local pawn shop lol.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Yes, shooting your first handloads is a joy for sure. I remember it vividly. We're more rifle shooters than pistol so our first ones were .30-06 loads. I still remember the load. 165 grain SST with 52 grains of H414. They actually shot pretty darn good believe it or not.

Then there was that feeling when I killed my first deer with a handload. Now I'm trying to kill one with a lead bullet that I cast. It will never end I hope.

Congrats and welcome to THR.

 

[jwrowland77]

Yeah, I've been trying to sell some guns I don't shoot anymore, just so I can get a revolver, just to reload for a revolver. LOL. Oh well, I love this addiction....there are a whole lot worse things a person can get addicted too.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I've been shooting a long time and loading almost as long. I still get a rush when I find that load a new or new to me rifle just loves! (a very big rush like a kid on Christmas morning)

I was shooting with a good friend a while back and had a new to me Howa 1500 in 30-06 at the range to test some new ammo I made for it. After sighting in a Nikon 3-9X40 scope and a few other test shots I shot a string of 3 for accuracy. I was shooting at the bottom right of a sight-in target and originally though I missed the paper with the 3rd round. When we looked at the target close up my buddy realized I had actually sent the 3rd round through the hole made by the 1st round. That group measured a scant .314" with .308" bullets. My buddy said he never saw such a tight group live. I shot 3 more groups to be sure it wasn't a fluke and all were under .4"!!! (Hornady 168gr Match bullet and H4350)

Note: The Howa 1500 I bought a month later in .223 also shoots .400" groups with my handloads using a 55gr Sierra bullet and Varget. (GameKing Part #1390)

Those 2 rifles make me look good because they shoot better than I can but I'm going to have to claim it's my ammo that's the key! That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I can still remember my first, was 44 mag.. Expecting the worst, I held the firearm out around the door of my truck, and then pulled the trigger. But the feeling I got knowing I had successfully made my own ammo, was incredible.

When I did my first batch of 9mm (god only knows how long ago), I was so nervous I actually put 5 bullets in my hand, 1 was my handload and 4 were factory. I mixed them up then loaded them in a mag and shot it.

Anyway, congrats to the OP and welcome to THR!