Joshua M. Smith
Member
... or a report from a first time reloader.
My powder dippers arrived today, and I took a rifle I never shoot out to do some horse trading for the other reloading supplies I needed.
To say they've dried up around here is an understatement. I had to buy some 230gr XTP bullets because everyone was out of everything. That was more money than I wanted to spend, but that's OK.
I scraped up a pound of Accurate #5 (thanks for the tip, Les!), and there are plenty of CCI large pistol primers around.
The thing that really irritated me was that I had to buy a Lee hand press to get a priming ram - I was wanting the priming tool, but they've sold out and can't keep them in stock. So I have an extra (backup) press and a priming ram.
My reloading manuals still haven't arrived, so I was able to borrow a Lee manual from the gunshop (It's not for sale - for their reference).
I also found reloading data on Accurate's website. I found that to be more useful than the manual.
(Click the thumbnail) This is my temporary reloading station. I'm cleaning out the room I intend to use and looking for a nice, heavy duty desk, but this works for now.
Everything is shown as I laid it down on the table. It got arranged in a safer manner later on, but I figured this was better for a pic, just to show the stuff. Nothing was open yet. Not shown is my beam scale, which I don't have use for yet.
Anyway, I loaded 10 rounds. Two rounds crushed, and I increased the mouth flare a bit, which cured that problem.
So I had 8 rounds. I shot them off, and the recoil was pleasant. Accuracy was good even using the Lee powder measures instead of a weighed amount. While I've not always had the XTP expand in water, even when loaded by the factory to 950fps, I've always thought they were a bit more accurate than others.
Here are the loads I worked up:
(Click the pic)... After some trial and error, I worked this load into something that is very shootable, accurate and reliable.
The load, in its end form, is thus:
8 grains (or .5cc dipper) Accurate #5
CCI Large Pistol Primers, #300
230gr XTP
COL 1.250" +/-0.008"
As well, I found I really like Winchester brass over the other stuff I had (Hornady, military, CCI Blazer, Remington, and some old stuff I couldn't identify).
A problem I ran into while priming: Twice that priming ram seated the primer in sideways. I know it was nothing I did - could have been the brass. I just tossed it instead of attempting to remove the primers.
I was warned that the rams which fit on presses are junk, and I kinda' see what was meant.
Here is the procedure I'm comfortable with:
1. Prime clean cases and put them it one tray, primer up.
2. Put the primers away, get the powder out and pour into a small container. Rotate the turret to the flaring die and flare the case mouths: Put the primed case on the ram and pull the lever down. As the case is in the up position, pour a measure of powder into the funnel, through the die and into the cases.
3) Put the cases in middle tray, mouth up.
4) Turn the turret to the bullet seating die, run one trial to make sure it's set correctly, measure COL with a caliper.
5) Seat bullets in each case. Loaded cases go into a third tray.
6) Turn turret to the factory crimp die (I really like this thing). Run cases through, putting finished cases into a plastic storage box.
I like to stick with doing 10 cases at a time; I feel my chances of a mess up are less than if I were to try to do 50 at a time.
Just to clarify, I'm not writing this because I'm suddenly an "expert." Rather, I approached this with quite a bit of trepidation, and I received help and advice from several folks on several boards, and in real life. I now feel competent to manufacture basic practice ammo - and that's all I was ever really after! If you're thinking about getting into reloading, folks, it's not as hard as it sometimes sounds. Just be careful and cautious, and you'll do just fine!
Thanks again folks, for all the help! You're great!
Josh <><
My powder dippers arrived today, and I took a rifle I never shoot out to do some horse trading for the other reloading supplies I needed.
To say they've dried up around here is an understatement. I had to buy some 230gr XTP bullets because everyone was out of everything. That was more money than I wanted to spend, but that's OK.
I scraped up a pound of Accurate #5 (thanks for the tip, Les!), and there are plenty of CCI large pistol primers around.
The thing that really irritated me was that I had to buy a Lee hand press to get a priming ram - I was wanting the priming tool, but they've sold out and can't keep them in stock. So I have an extra (backup) press and a priming ram.
My reloading manuals still haven't arrived, so I was able to borrow a Lee manual from the gunshop (It's not for sale - for their reference).
I also found reloading data on Accurate's website. I found that to be more useful than the manual.
(Click the thumbnail) This is my temporary reloading station. I'm cleaning out the room I intend to use and looking for a nice, heavy duty desk, but this works for now.
Everything is shown as I laid it down on the table. It got arranged in a safer manner later on, but I figured this was better for a pic, just to show the stuff. Nothing was open yet. Not shown is my beam scale, which I don't have use for yet.
Anyway, I loaded 10 rounds. Two rounds crushed, and I increased the mouth flare a bit, which cured that problem.
So I had 8 rounds. I shot them off, and the recoil was pleasant. Accuracy was good even using the Lee powder measures instead of a weighed amount. While I've not always had the XTP expand in water, even when loaded by the factory to 950fps, I've always thought they were a bit more accurate than others.
Here are the loads I worked up:
(Click the pic)... After some trial and error, I worked this load into something that is very shootable, accurate and reliable.
The load, in its end form, is thus:
8 grains (or .5cc dipper) Accurate #5
CCI Large Pistol Primers, #300
230gr XTP
COL 1.250" +/-0.008"
As well, I found I really like Winchester brass over the other stuff I had (Hornady, military, CCI Blazer, Remington, and some old stuff I couldn't identify).
A problem I ran into while priming: Twice that priming ram seated the primer in sideways. I know it was nothing I did - could have been the brass. I just tossed it instead of attempting to remove the primers.
I was warned that the rams which fit on presses are junk, and I kinda' see what was meant.
Here is the procedure I'm comfortable with:
1. Prime clean cases and put them it one tray, primer up.
2. Put the primers away, get the powder out and pour into a small container. Rotate the turret to the flaring die and flare the case mouths: Put the primed case on the ram and pull the lever down. As the case is in the up position, pour a measure of powder into the funnel, through the die and into the cases.
3) Put the cases in middle tray, mouth up.
4) Turn the turret to the bullet seating die, run one trial to make sure it's set correctly, measure COL with a caliper.
5) Seat bullets in each case. Loaded cases go into a third tray.
6) Turn turret to the factory crimp die (I really like this thing). Run cases through, putting finished cases into a plastic storage box.
I like to stick with doing 10 cases at a time; I feel my chances of a mess up are less than if I were to try to do 50 at a time.
Just to clarify, I'm not writing this because I'm suddenly an "expert." Rather, I approached this with quite a bit of trepidation, and I received help and advice from several folks on several boards, and in real life. I now feel competent to manufacture basic practice ammo - and that's all I was ever really after! If you're thinking about getting into reloading, folks, it's not as hard as it sometimes sounds. Just be careful and cautious, and you'll do just fine!
Thanks again folks, for all the help! You're great!
Josh <><
