Sagely Reloading advice from veteran reloaders

[osok-308]

So I believe that after the site went down, I searched the site, and I believe we lost this thread. [Bang] I liked the advice I was getting from you guys on things you learned over your years of reloading and I'd rather not lose any of those suggestions! So if you guys are up for reposting some of your hints/tips/tricks/words of wisdom please do not hesitate! I know that a new guy like me would greatly benefit from this thread. So the rundown is this. I am currently reading "The ABC's of Reloading" and while the book is fantastic and has more information that I imagined, I know that there are lessons that you veterans learned at the reloading bench that were not written in any book. Please share these lessons so that new and future reloaders can gain more wisdom before even reloading our first round of ammunition. These things could save us time, money, or save us from a gun that may explode if we are improperly reloading. I remember Zombie Steve and a lot of you other guys had a lot to contribute to this thread. Thank you guys for taking the time to repost things a second time!

[Great-Kazoo]

Outside of reading, being able to observe another reloader on their press never hurts. You are able to walk through the process first hand. For someone like myself. I'm more of a hands on / watching then reading. Reading is great, but sometimes things get lost in translation. Hands on you go, Oh that's why you do XXX first. Plus you are getting real time feed back vs books / on line or by phone when an issue pops up.

[Zombie Steve]

I'll re-link to the long Reloading 101 thread I wrote on GT.

http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1343188

Not perfect, but a good start to help the neophytes.

[CareyH]

I'm with kazoo, for me it's a lot easier to learn by watching some one else do it... monkey see monkey do:)

Buy your equipment based on how much reloading you actually plan on doing. If it's a few hundred rounds a year, a nice single stage is plenty. On the other hand if you shoot 10k rounds a year a single stage press ain't going to get it done.

[Zombie Steve]

...unless you're an inch deep and a mile wide like I am.

I use a progressive for .45 auto because I do shoot it quite a bit. I still use a single stage for .223 (yes, you can build a respectable stash on a SS press), .44 mag, .357 mag, .308, .338-06, .45 Colt, 9mm and I'm probably forgetting a few. I can't think of a time when I just couldn't go shooting because I have a single stage... I may have to pick a different launcher from the safe, but I always have something... It would be altogether different if I shot 30,000 rounds of one thing a year.

[Ranger353]

Let me see if I can remember what I posted:

Take your time and weigh the powder three times before loading your first round. Measure the OAL of the first 3 rounds. Then when you are satisfied to begin production for the first 50 or so rounds, weight every 6th to 8th powder drop for consistency, and measure the OAL of every 9th or 10th round. When you get reliable consistency in both powder weight and OAL measurement you can reduce that to random spot checks every 25-30 rounds.

Relax and think about what you are doing. Reloading is suppose to be an enjoyable hobby, but if begin to feel stressed out you should just stop, take a break and walk away from the bench for a few minutes. When you come back remeasure the powder drop and OAL before beginning production again.

Lastly, if you are interrupted during a reloading session by a phone call, someone knocking on the door, etc..., before resuming the process either reweigh the powder from any filled cases, or better yet just dump the powder back into the dispenser and remeasure again. I caught myself almost double filling a case one time after answering the phone. Better to be cautious and safe then casual and sorry later.

[Zombie Steve]

Yeah, if you step away from the press, leave the handle in the down position. That way there's no mistaking the last thing that happened.

[WBAR]

Don't watch TV, listen to the radio, or have other distractions while handloading- too dangerous! Bill

[earplug]

Keep your rifle primers with the rifle bullets. Away from the pistol stuff.

[Jamnanc]

Get case gauges for the pistol rounds. This will save hours of pulling them down.

[Zombie Steve]

I think case gauges are more useful for semi auto rifles. Handguns I just take the barrel out and plunk in the round to see if it sits flush with the barrel hood and drops freely.

[Jamnanc]

Either way, as long as you don't load a bunch without checking.

[cstone]

I like to have a case gauge in anything I'm reloading. Fast and easy way to make certain that dies are set up correctly and that the rounds are at least within spec size wise. 10 to 20, or more of a new load after working it up and settling on what works before I would start churning out any kind of quantity. I hate pulling rounds apart.

[Zombie Steve]

The thing case gauges are missing is freebore and rifling. Sometimes a round that passes a gauge won't run. I have a friend with a Remington R1 that has a really short throat. My rounds gauge, but are too long for his gun. Also once owned a Lone Wolf barrel for a glock that was like that. Almost no freebore / throat and you had to seat them shorter even though they ran in a Brown, a Sig, a Springfield and the original glock barrel. Just saying it can happen.

[Hoser]

I have case gauges for every caliber I reload. They are cleverly disguised as firearms.

I have seen more than one person load up a bunch of ammo that was fine in the gauge but failed to chamber.

Case gauges that are not cut with the exact same reamer as your barrel are the devil.

[Danimal]

Deleted

[Zombie Steve]

I think the last thread was a good one. I'll try to kick in something a few times a week. Hopefully, we'll re-gain the ground lost in the crash.

Today's tip - If you use too much lube on rifle cases, they'll start getting dents in the shoulder. Eventually, you'll find the sweet spot between too much and too little... but for the new guys, dents in the shoulder are far more preferable than getting a case stuck in the die. Don't get stingy on the case lube.

[Tim K]

Write it all down. I have data on every round I ever loaded, at least in broad terms. I can't tell you how many times I've gone back and referenced what I did either for my own purposes or to help someone else.

For precision rifle, I record the following:

Brass type
Load cycle (5th loading, for example)
Shoulder bump dimension
Bushing size used (I use bushing dies mostly)
Whether I trimmed to length that cycle
Whether I annealed that cycle
Primer type
Powder type
Projectile type
Powder charge weight
Seated depth (ogive to base)

I also have a section for notes. I might note that I changed the seating depth due to throat erosion or that primer pockets are getting loose.

I also write down the order of steps I'm currently using. Over the years I've refined the process to try to eliminate extra work, and sometimes I'll stand in front of the bench and forget exactly how I did it the last time.

[Zombie Steve]

When you get your test batch out on the range, cheat as much as possible to remove the human element. Use a good rest and a rear bag. Use targets that give you a good, repeatable sight picture. At 100 yards, you'll lose your crosshairs in a big 6" black dot when looking through your hunting rifle's scope, but the big black dot might make for a perfect "lollipop" hold if you're shooting your lever gun with iron sights. The more you can remove the human variable, the better idea you'll have at what's happening with your handloads.

I shot with a friend last week that is a big hunter, but not a big shooter. He was shooting factory loads (gack!), but his groups went from kitchen sink size to a little over an inch at 100 yards when I had him use some 2" diamond targets I printed out.

[Delfuego]

This is great target for load development. Shoot the diamond or the dot. Keep a blank one with you at the firing position to write your load data on, so when you pull them down, you will not mix up the load data and the actual grouping.
http://accurateshooter.net/targets/targetaccshooter.pdf

Also shoulder bump gauges, bullet comparators, and good calipers helped my reloading a bunch.

[Limited GM]

Whatever powder I have in the hopper, is accompanied by a business card with the powder name on it.

[Great-Kazoo]

Whatever powder I have in the hopper, is accompanied by a business card with the powder name on it.

I use painters tape, with throw and bullet weight / caliber & OAL on powder drop. When i'm done with that run, in to my load book it goes. I have factory (powder & bullet mfg info) along with worked up info, in there.