Converted about 300 5.56 cases to 300 B/O.
What did you do at your reloading bench today?
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edrod68
Active Member
PowPow
Where's the beef?
Ran off some more 9mm this weekend and today (coughing my head off between lever pulls). I'm starting to think that I've developed a pollen allergy.
Chamfered and deburred 300 of these, by hand. The first 250 seemed to go quickly by the last 50 were painful.
PowPow
Where's the beef?
I decided to convert the 550 to do .45 ACP today for the first time. RCBS carbide resizer. I was 4 for 4 with getting stuck cases. After the first stuck case, I tried lubing them. Second one sticks. Third, I try a different batch of brass. Still gets stuck. I then completely degreased and brushed out the die, since they were brand new. Still stuck. 4 in a row. So, I looked at what was happening. The shell plate wasn't gripping the case well. Defective? No! I had pulled out the .45LC conversion and not the .45 ACP conversion! It obviously works like a champ with the correct conversion kit. Duh! 
44 mag load
I am working up some .44 mag loads and wanted some input. My load is 240gr XTP, federal brass, federal magnum primer, 24gr of W296 and a decent crimp. The COAL is 1.585, the brass was a little short when I started and I have to seat it to get it to the cannelure.
Its not the hottest load but while rechecking my powder weights (I check every 5 rounds) I noticed that I had bumped the scale and had 26.5gr of W296. So at least a few of my loads have over 24gr and they are all mixed up. Should I weigh each bullet and cull out the heavier ones, or not worry about it and if I get a couple fireballs I'll now why. My biggest concern is blowing up my S&W and my hand. Will this set up with 26.5gr of 296 be a bomb or just hot? Thanks in advance.
I am working up some .44 mag loads and wanted some input. My load is 240gr XTP, federal brass, federal magnum primer, 24gr of W296 and a decent crimp. The COAL is 1.585, the brass was a little short when I started and I have to seat it to get it to the cannelure.
Its not the hottest load but while rechecking my powder weights (I check every 5 rounds) I noticed that I had bumped the scale and had 26.5gr of W296. So at least a few of my loads have over 24gr and they are all mixed up. Should I weigh each bullet and cull out the heavier ones, or not worry about it and if I get a couple fireballs I'll now why. My biggest concern is blowing up my S&W and my hand. Will this set up with 26.5gr of 296 be a bomb or just hot? Thanks in advance.
Chamfered and deburred 300 of these, by hand. The first 250 seemed to go quickly by the last 50 were painful.
This,
https://www.universalmania.com/prod...20-vt-050160?gclid=CI2HopW3odMCFUOBswodBXAHZQ
Mike3888
Mike3888
I don't think I'd take that chance on shooting those. 2.5 grain jump is pretty drastic. I'd think that combo would be a flashy one.
You're dealing with an 11,000 CUP pressure increase with only a 1 grain charge weight increase, when going from 23.0 grains of W296 to the listed MAX of 24.0 with that bullet. Now beyond that 24.0 grain charge weight, what sort of pressure gains are you going to see at 26.5? Well sir, I don't know, and I can assure you that nobody else here knows either, short of having access to a ballistics lab.
ME.....I'd not be weighing anything, given inconsistencies with brass and bullet weights. Not when hoping to find those with the 2.5 grain variants in charges.
I'd be pulling those loads apart. Each and Every Last One of Them. No question, and with the goal of leaving no doubt in my mind.
iH8DemLibz
When All Else Fails.
Yeah, ok. Back to the drawing board. I may just pull the bullets and toss the brass. After renecking, reflaring, reseating, and recrimping I'm not sure if the brass will like it. I have enough brass anyway. Also In order to avoid being on the cusp of over pressure I'm going to go with 22gr of 296, that way if I'm a little over it won't be too bad.
Agree, pull em.. this is one of the reasons that I use a loading tray/block and have a defined method for charging, then seating the boolit. Should I run across the same issue (and yes, I have knocked the scale and bumped the charge weight as well before), I can easily dump all the powder back into the powder measure and start over.. nothing lost but a little time. Another reason why I still load old school on a single stage press. 
Agree, pull em.. this is one of the reasons that I use a loading tray/block and have a defined method for charging, then seating the boolit. Should I run across the same issue (and yes, I have knocked the scale and bumped the charge weight as well before), I can easily dump all the powder back into the powder measure and start over.. nothing lost but a little time. Another reason why I still load old school on a single stage press.
Yeah, I'm using an old rock chucker. That's a good idea about doing all the powder then seating all the bullets. I have an old AMT autoscale and I usually hit the button and while it dispenses I'm seating the bullet. It would take longer to do all powder then all the seating but at least I could dump the powder if I make a mistake instead of having to guess how many I fudged... New to reloading so I don't quite have my rhythm down, plus this is my first time to .44 mag. The crimping part and seating depth are a little more confusing that with .308.
iH8DemLibz
When All Else Fails.
You keep going back to being over.
You need to find a way to keep from being over.
A quality electronic scale and accurate powder hopper will go a long way in helping you achieve this.
I have a digital scale that I verify every 5th charge. I accidentally bumped the scale and didn't realize it until I double checked on round 5. Usually I don't have an issue. If I'm more careful and don't bump the scale all is good. I just didn't realize it in time before the cartridges all got mixed up, which was dumb too. if it wasn't such a large difference 2.5gr I wouldn't care. The powder hopper is in the AMT autoscale which once set works really well. You set your desired charge press the button and the bulk spindle turns. There are two light sensors in it when it gets the first its starts the trickler for fine powder and the second stops it. You can adjust when the fine tuning starts to get more accurate pourings but it takes longer. I verify it, adjust, verify, then start loading. Like I said if it wasn't over the already top of the pressure I wouldn't mind. I read on another forum that they use 27g of 296 but that must have been wrong. The most I saw on other sites was 24gr. I just wanted some clarification if I was making a potentially dangerous mistake in shooting them anyway, but always best to err on the side of caution with firearms. I might get a powder dispenser if it'll makes things easier.
Last edited:
iH8DemLibz
When All Else Fails.
An RCBS Uni-Flow will allow you to set the charge weight to within 10ths of a grain.
After it's set you can throw many hundreds of charges straight into the case without having to check the powder weight all the time.
I check after every fifty rounds, but it's not required. Cuzz it never changes.
PS: That's a big sumb!tchin scale you got there. How old is it?
After it's set you can throw many hundreds of charges straight into the case without having to check the powder weight all the time.
I check after every fifty rounds, but it's not required. Cuzz it never changes.
PS: That's a big sumb!tchin scale you got there. How old is it?
That is why I use a loading block and throw the charges, set the charged cases in the block and after I have the block/s full, I seat. I use a Uniflow powder measure and it's accurate. I use a balance beam scale (had too many issues with electronic scales over the years) and on occasion, I have bumped the .1gr slide and knocked it out of whack a tenth or two.. Since I check every 10 or so rounds, I usually only have to dump a handful after realizing it was the scale, not the powder measure, and even though it is only a tenth or two, I want my charge weights consistent, so I dump the last row or so of cases back in the measure and reset the scale and verify that the measure is correct and the operator erred.. lol
I have loaded pistol and rifle for a long time, but mistakes happen and I hate to have to go back and undo all that work (pull bullets etc.. .)
Pistol isn't too hard, you just need to find the proper process and verify each step. I use dummy rounds to setup for most cartridges and it speeds things up a bit.
I'm guessing it's from the 70s-80s? My grandfather gave it to me. It was made under the brand AMT, Arcadia Machine and Tool. The used to make Ruger copies in SS, Lightning, Hardballer .45, and 44 automag etc. They went out of business when Ruger sued them for patent infringement. Its a pretty nice scale but when you knock it out of alignment it doesn't work right...pretty much like everything.
Got some time to finish up my 200 rounds of 6.5 for Ed's LR class next wk.
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