How do you Reload?

[seancass]

Are you an extremist, or a minimalist?

I think there are two extremes to to the world of reloading. There is the Benchrest Crowd, as Lee Martin has been so kind to walk us thru a little, and there is the Richard Lee minimalist method. You can see Richard's method HERE.

The BR Reloader measures everything. Twice. Everything must be perfect. Actually, perfect isn't good enough. Must be OCD Perfect(OCD is obsessive compulsive disorder, used in this instance to describe one who is obsessed with perfection). Every round exactly how you want it to be in every way. You can read up more on this method in Lee's thread and it is fascinating!

The Richard Lee Reloader doesn't measure anything. You knock out a primer, throw in a new one, then toss in a scoop of powder, with a bullet on top. Only what you need, nothing you don't. In his book he mentions not cleaning brass or weighing charges.

So where do you fall in? Do you anally/OCD clean, measure, and trim everything and keep everything perfect? Or do you know what works, don't waste any time, get back to the shootin?

Most of us probably fall somewhere in the middle.

I know when i first started I was absolutely obsessive on powder charges. I wanted them as perfect as I could make and measure them. Then I read Lee's book and perhaps relaxed some on that.

I've seen some reloading rooms posted on here that Must be owned by an obsessive person because they are spotless! I can only assume the reloads are equally spotless.

[AxeHandle]

How do I reload? All I can say is, "By the book." Clean, to a point is good. Weighing each charge? Get the best powder measure, for the powder you select, you can afford and get jiggy with it. It warmed my heart to read Warren Page write in his book "The Accurate Rifle" that, for accuracy, there are more productive things to spend your time doing than weighing every charge

A good supplemental question will be "How do your handloads shoot?" "Shoot" in this case is more than good accuracy. Your gun must be extraordinarily reliable with your handloads also...

[seancass]

Good supplemental question! I'll add another. I've written about my hunts for accuracy and knowledge elsewhere but i can say I've never had a misfire.

My question to any experienced loaders, have you experimented with increased or decreased loading prep and compared accuracy?

[Lee Martin]

Neat topic I’m eager to hear about others reloading techniques. Mine are pretty scattered, it really depends on the gun.

Benchrest dictates absolute attention to detail. Assuming the rig is set-up correctly and the shooter is on they’re capable of sub-0.1” MOAs. I measure many components to include:

1) Brass weight
2) The bullet
3) The bullet’s bearing surface length
4) Neck thickness
5) Calculated neck tension
6) Case concentricity – neck and shoulder
7) Bullet jam or jump
8) Primer pocket depth, uniformity, and ultimately cleanliness
9) Flash holes
10) Shoulder bump

There are others but I’ll leave it at ten. Notice how individual charge weight isn’t listed? Most short-range point blank shooters throw their powder instead of weighing. Meaning they go off of volume as opposed to nominal weight. I’ll do a write-up on each technique later in the benchrest thread. But for my own precision work I pour from an old Culver conversion. Using a GemPro 250 scale (accurate to 0.02 of a grain) I test 2 - 4 charges. As long as I’m within 0.1 grains up or down I’m good. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Most assume we trickle one kernel at a time to come-up to weight. Surprisingly, at 100/200 yards a couple of tenths on 30 grains makes no difference. The Houston warehouse days, which were heavily controlled trials in the 70’s, proved just that. Move to longer distances like 600 – 1,000 yards and they scale and drop-tube every charge. It probably pays off at those ranges. They also weigh primers but I won’t delve into that here.

Now for the other side of the coin. My handgun reloading, primarily revolvers, is very simple. Contrary to what you’ll read on certain forums there’s no need to be overly scientific. Excluding extreme cases, the gun and shooter far offset the component deltas. Assume correct dimensions on the revolver, meaning proper throats, forcing cone, bore alignment, and barrel specs. With that out of the way, I want the following:

1) A quality cast or jacketed bullet (I’ll let you guys define what else constitutes quality but the diameter must be matched to the gun)
2) Good brass elasticity and firm primer pockets
3) Good neck tension. Firm for ball powders like 110 & 296, less so for fast propellants such as Unique, Herco, Green Dot, etc.
4) I crimp only to hold the bullet. I’m not convinced it does much beyond that with strong tension

I start by mic’ing a few cases to check length and trim if needed. From there I tumble them because I like shiny, full-length size, and slightly bell the mouth. Primers are always hand-seated but that isn’t an accuracy play; I just want a feel for the pocket’s grip. I ensure the cup is sunk a thousandth or two with decent resistance. Once the brass gets work-hardened and the pockets start to give they get tossed. My measure is an old Redding 3 and I weigh one or two charges to spot check. Beyond that I fill the cases and visually inspect the line. Seating is last and I focus on getting the heal entry straight.

Somewhere in between those ends lie my treatments for everything else. Varmint rounds and my 50 BMG lean closer to benchrest procedures. Express cartridges, magnum rifle, and medium caliber long-guns and I’m less OCD (not saying I should be, just that I am with those types of rounds).

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
"Building carpal tunnel one round at a time"

[curmudgeon]

Don't do much Rifle shooting anymore, Probably less than 1000 per year the past 5 years, mostly big bore handgun. 44Mag, 45 Colt, 475 and 500 Linebaugh, just enough 45 ACP to stay reasonably proficient for Personal carry gun. My thoughts on reasonably proficient mean less to me as I close in on age 80 than they did 25 years ago when I was a world traveler. I realize they should not change the world as a safer place sure has.
As to loading, I still use single stage tools, with attention to detail pretty much following Lee's above mentioned traits. FWIW dept

[Encore64]

I am with Lee on everything except I don't weigh cases.  To me, handloading is more of an art than reloading is.  I know a lot of folks use the two terms as the same when in fact they are very different.  I like to match the different brands of brass to most closely fit the chamber.  

Started loading when I was 15 when I purchased my first centerfire revolver, a Ruger Security Six.  Followed closely by a Ruger Blackhawk 45 Con't.  I learned a lot about shooting, carrying and loading from those two guns. 

Today, 34 years later, have two reloading rooms with 8 presses set up.  Roughly load for 100 different calibers, but have started to downsize a little. 

[seancass]

Mar 4, 2014 17:33:14 GMT -5 Encore64 said:

... To me, handloading is more of an art than reloading is.  I know a lot of folks use the two terms as the same when in fact they are very different. ...

I had never thought of that distinction, but I like it!

[Encore64]

I read and collect EVERYTHING that Ken Waters has ever written.  I don't mean to start a debate, but as far as I am concerned he will go down in history as the dean of reloading.  Also have multiple copies of Phil Sharpe's reloading book originally published in 1937.  So many things he learned then still apply today.

I am a born and bred handgun hunter, so along with my library of reloading books (about 350) there are many handgun hunting and shooting books.  To me gunwriters just aren't the same today.  J.D. Jones, Larry Kelley, Hal Swiggett, Lee Jurras, Skeeter Skelton, along with the Godfather Al Goerg, are still in fashion today. 

Also, been buying a few books by some guy named Max Prasac.  I intend on sending him a bill soon as he has cost me a fortune this last year.  Every dollar well spent...

[serialsolver]

I'm a minimalist. I started out with one of those lee loaders back when I had only one gun. It was a 41 blackhawk. I still gather up those lee loaders for calibers that I have even though I reload on a single stage press. Back in the day when I used that lee loader I didn't even size the case. just prime, flare, powder, seat and crimp the bullet.

[jsh]

Wow. I don't know where I fall. Been reloading for about thirty years. Casting for around fifteen.
Brass has to be clean and shiny.
Powder. I have one measure that I trust 100% and that is an old belding and mull. Best money I ever spent. Weight or volume? That falls into speed or bullet weight argument.
I do a fair amount of case work but most of the time trim, primer pockets is a out it.
After being one over on OCD I was anal. Took me a few years of fooling with excellent chambered guns to figure out you can spend a BUNCH of time making/ building ammo to BR standards and not gain a thing in a sloppy average chambered factory gun.
I don't go to over board anymore unless initial firing shows a lot of promise in return for time spent.
As the saying goes you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
Jeff

[Lee Martin]

Mar 4, 2014 18:00:44 GMT -5 Encore64 said:

I read and collect EVERYTHING that Ken Waters has ever written.  I don't mean to start a debate, but as far as I am concerned he will go down in history as the dean of reloading. 

Ken Waters had a profound influence on my shooting from an early age. As did writers like Warren Page, George Nonte, and our own Lee Jurras.

Close, personal mentors include H.L. Culver, Ellis Lee, and an old Marine high-power shooter by the name of Max Bryant.

And the one thing those gentlemen all possessed? They had an innate ability to frame “what” and follow it with why & how. They led with technical acumen and connected it to real world marksmanship. I walked away from those readings or lessons with knowledge, new found opinions, and increased curiosity.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
"Building carpal tunnel one round at a time"

[AxeHandle]

"Weighing Cases" Now there is an action that is a clear illustration of "It Depends." Outside of pure benchrest shooting I'd have never thought that would have made sense until last year. Traded for a Walther GSP-C 32 wadcutter gun. Looking into how to get this thing to shoot well at 50 yards I find that one of the tricks is to weigh and sort the cases. Standing here looking back, since the GSP-C is a straight blowback, case weight is a logical significant variable. So, with that in mind I'll have to agree about the value of most of reloadings finer points, It depends..

[curmudgeon]

For those shooter/reloaders who think the BR boys go to detail. Different but along the same lines is the old International Free pistols. Not sure about today but, back in the 50's.....it was 60 shots over a 2 hour period. Hammerli dominated the game. Sometimes the shooter would pick up the gun, aim for 30-40 seconds then put it down and start over. Of Course the stock was adjustable as the hand swelled in the heat of the day or the competition was such that you put your hand in like putting on a glove. Many shooters finished the 60 round course of fire only seconds before time was called. The point of this story was the interview with a British shooter in a newsreel. On the shooting table was a pan of water and every 3-4 shots his spotter would replace a hand towel. The shooter would wash his hands between shots, saying that the perspiration would affect his grip ? That fans is cons.entration and attention to detail. The gun and ammo were a given. This was shot with 22 LR the 10 ring was 1/8" inch and the distance was 50 meters. The groups were BR rifle size. I found it hard to hit a squirrels head at 50 meters. Much less an 1/8" circle

[curmudgeon]

For those shooter/reloaders who think the BR boys go to detail. Different but along the same lines is the old International Free pistols. Not sure about today but, back in the 50's.....it was 60 shots over a 2 hour period. Hammerli dominated the game. Sometimes the shooter would pick up the gun, aim for 30-40 seconds then put it down and start over. Of Course the stock was adjustable as the hand swelled in the heat of the day or the competition was such that you put your hand in like putting on a glove. Many shooters finished the 60 round course of fire only seconds before time was called. The point of this story was the interview with a British shooter in a newsreel. On the shooting table was a pan of water and every 3-4 shots his spotter would replace a hand towel. The shooter would wash his hands between shots, saying that the perspiration would affect his grip ? That fans is cons.entration and attention to detail. The gun and ammo were a given. This was shot with 22 LR the 10 ring was 1/8" inch and the distance was 50 meters. The groups were BR rifle size. I found it hard to hit a squirrels head at 50 meters. Much less an 1/8" circle

[squawberryman]

Encore I'd started a post a while back called "Let's se you benches". Not sure if you posted or not. Could you add to that sir? A hundred boxes of dies would be interesting.