Getting started - got questions.

[Hoser]

Finding FMJ bullets is tough these days.

I bought a couple cases from Black Hills earlier this year. Took about six months for them to come in.

[2ndChildhood]

I shot off the 23 rounds I loaded.
No sign of overpressure according to HunterCo.
3 rounds Chrony'd gave between 2760 and 2880 which sounds like a rather large spread to me.

I'm using the Hornady powder measure and 2230 powder, Hornady 55gr SPSX bullets.
I'll try Hunter's suggestion of filling a bunch of shells, then weighing the charges to see how much variance this measure is giving.
I also got an RCBS powder measure - I'll try that one if the Hornady doesn't give consistent results.

The rounds I shot on my scoped AR were almost all flyers - horrible, sometimes several feet off target at 90 yards.
I don't get it - I'm using quality bullets, powder and frikkin new cases!

Must be some sort of learning curve type of thing.
-2C

[Hoser]

I don't get it

Are you crimping the bullets? If you are, dont. There is plenty enough neck tension holding that bullet in place.

[2ndChildhood]

No crimping Tom, I only have a RCBS 2-die set.
I'll try again now that I have the seating die set so that it guides the bullet straight before it starts seating it.
Maybe when I get the boat tail bullets this problem will go away.

About half of my first 23 rounds I had the seater plug set too low in the die.
Then I raised it up so the die centered the bullet before the seater plug started pushing it into the case.
Is this the correct way to set it up?

Some of my rounds got the bullet a little deformed because of that, but almost all of them were flyers.
Out of 23 rounds I think only 2 or 3 even got onto the paper.

[car-15]

below is a link to reloading step by step, when I started I prinited it out and followed it every time, for quite a while.
http://rcbs.com/guide/printsteps.html

[2ndChildhood]

Thanks! I see my dies and press didn't come with instructions on how to set up the dies.
I think I got pretty close to correct, but My seater die may be putting a tiny crimp on. I'll have to go check.

Edit:
I checked the seater die and it looks good for no crimping. About the thickness of a nickel above the shell plate.
I ran a new case through and looked at it - no marks where the crimp would be.

[HunterCO]

It could be a multitude of things start at one point and work your way down. I gave you my opinion and others have also don't do it all at once try one thing at a time to pin point the problem.

Plus it gives you an excuse to go to the range more.

[2ndChildhood]

Got my bullets in 6 days from Wideners

Postman was wondering what the hell he had that weighed 47 pounds in that small of a box.

[2ndChildhood]

It looks like the new bullets may have solved my accuracy problem.

I took a handful of reloads to the local indoor range, along with some reloads with the SPX bullets.
The FMJBT's shot very nicely - a half inch group - which was similar to the 2 different types of commercial ammo I brought.
The SPX's had 2 in a close group, 1 flyer 12" away, and 2 didn't hit the paper.

Another question - I am going through my saved up brass.
Is it ok to mix different brands of brass?
How much will it hurt my accuracy?

Thx! -2C

[2ndChildhood]

The problem with those bullets (Hornady 55 gr soft points), I think is the 1:7 twist in my Sabre barrel.
The 55 gr FMJBT's tolerate it ok and yield decent groups.
I need to shoot a few of them through my RRA with the 1:9 twist and see how they do.

I guess for best accuracy with the 1:7 barrel I need to go to something like 68 or 75 gr BTHP's.

Sound right? -2C