What did you do in the reloading room today?

[Auger]

After spending the last 5 months collecting equipment, powders, primers, bullets...I finally finished my first reloads yesterday, not without learning mistakes along the way.

My first test is for an RRA Varmint A4 20" 1:8.

69 SMK HPBT over .5 grain increments (23.5 - 25) of Varget. (I decided to add two more rounds to each row after i took this pic. Figured shooting groups of 7 was better than 5)



After I loaded these up I headed to the range. I was pretty damn nervous firing the first round. Best group was with 24 grains of Varget. I'm thinking I should probably play around with .2 increment weights around the 24 mark and/or practice shooting more. Feels good to be reloading!

[Great-Kazoo]

After spending the last 5 months collecting equipment, powders, primers, bullets...I finally finished my first reloads yesterday, not without learning mistakes along the way.

My first test is for an RRA Varmint A4 20" 1:8.

69 SMK HPBT over .5 grain increments (23.5 - 25) of Varget. (I decided to add two more rounds to each row after i took this pic. Figured shooting groups of 7 was better than 5)



After I loaded these up I headed to the range. I was pretty damn nervous firing the first round. Best group was with 24 grains of Varget. I'm thinking I should probably play around with .2 increment weights around the 24 mark and/or practice shooting more. Feels good to be reloading!

Nice. I second .2 increments. You could be missing a whole lot of performance in between the .5 mark. Plus saving powder here and there adds up.

[roberth]

After spending the last 5 months collecting equipment, powders, primers, bullets...I finally finished my first reloads yesterday, not without learning mistakes along the way.

My first test is for an RRA Varmint A4 20" 1:8.

69 SMK HPBT over .5 grain increments (23.5 - 25) of Varget. (I decided to add two more rounds to each row after i took this pic. Figured shooting groups of 7 was better than 5)



After I loaded these up I headed to the range. I was pretty damn nervous firing the first round. Best group was with 24 grains of Varget. I'm thinking I should probably play around with .2 increment weights around the 24 mark and/or practice shooting more. Feels good to be reloading!

Great work Auger.

I second what Jim said about .2 increments.

I loaded up some plinking 308 rounds today. Time to start on some 9mm, 147g sub sonic.

[TheBelly]

The first ever loaded rounds from my own hand:




.243 Load Data


Primer: Remington #9_1/2 large rifle
Powder: IMR 7828
Brass: Hornady New Brass
Bullet: Hornady 105gr A-Max
COAL: 2.75"


These are the first part of loading for the bolt gun I'm going to give my father in law. He likes shooting big magnum calibers (his standard go-to is a 300 RUM!), so I thought I'd give Hume something a little less tame, but with the reach out there that he likes for coyotes and SD Speed Goats and the occasional white tail.

[JM Ver. 2.0]

Yep..... Gotta get me one of those.

Sent from my teepee using smoke signals.

[TheBelly]

The first ever loaded rounds from my own hand:




.243 Load Data


Primer: Remington #9_1/2 large rifle
Powder: IMR 7828
Brass: Hornady New Brass
Bullet: Hornady 105gr A-Max
COAL: 2.75"


These are the first part of loading for the bolt gun I'm going to give my father in law. He likes shooting big magnum calibers (his standard go-to is a 300 RUM!), so I thought I'd give Hume something a little less tame, but with the reach out there that he likes for coyotes and SD Speed Goats and the occasional white tail.

now I've started the load development. Started at 40.6 and went in 0.2 gr increments up to 42.0 gr. max load for this powder is 44.0, so I'm not in any danger I don't think of going up to 42.0. Thoughts?

[Zombie Steve]

now I've started the load development. Started at 40.6 and went in 0.2 gr increments up to 42.0 gr. max load for this powder is 44.0, so I'm not in any danger I don't think of going up to 42.0. Thoughts?

Generally when I start load development with rifle, I'll do 1% jumps. In this case .3 or .4 grain increments. You might come back and fine tune, but it should give you an indication of what's going on. As I approach max, I might do smaller increments.

Looking at Sierra data, and cross referencing with yours, I might go up to 43.5 grains. You generally won't find the max load to be the most accurate anyway...

Let us know how they turn out.

[TheBelly]

Generally when I start load development with rifle, I'll do 1% jumps. In this case .3 or .4 grain increments. You might come back and fine tune, but it should give you an indication of what's going on. As I approach max, I might do smaller increments.

Looking at Sierra data, and cross referencing with yours, I might go up to 43.5 grains. You generally won't find the max load to be the most accurate anyway...

Let us know how they turn out.

yeah, I'm not really wanting to go up to max data. .243 is a barrel burner anyways, so by using a slow-ish burning powder and trying to keep the pressures down I'm hoping to keep it as manageable as possible for the old man.

[duke_39a]

Taught a friend to reload for his 300 Weatherby Magnum today on my old Single Stage RCBS Jr press. We put up ladders of 3 different powders using 180gr Partitions and one set of 150gr Ballistic Tips. He's hooked! He's going to Cabelas tomorrow for camping stuff but I bet he comes back with a reloading set up. I've never really taught anyone how to do it till today. But after teaching him I'm amazed at how much I learned from my uncle who taught me 20 years ago and how much I've learned since then doing it on my own, reading the books, and off various forums. Fun day!

[Zombie Steve]

yeah, I'm not really wanting to go up to max data. .243 is a barrel burner anyways, so by using a slow-ish burning powder and trying to keep the pressures down I'm hoping to keep it as manageable as possible for the old man.

Usually find accurate loads on the low end anyway. Good luck, be safe, have fun!