Reloading bloopers
- Thread starter robert1804
- Start date
HP 38/Win 231 is a ball powder or flattened ball powder that does indeed meter very well.
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I have both the regular rifle rotor and the smaller pistol rotor for my Hornady lock and load measure and it's worth the additional money to get both. The smaller pistol drum is more consistent due to it's smaller diameter - there is less area and volume that is swept as it rotates, so there is less powder to get pushed one way or the other.
I also like the vernier inserts as they make it much easier to adjust the measure to a known charge weight when switching between calibers (although theoretically you could get a separate insert for each load and never change the adjustment between powder lots).
The pistol drum is pretty small in diameter, which improves the consistency, but it also limits the capacity and limits the number of rifle cartridges and powders where it may be useful - as well a limiting the utility with some of the larger magnum pistol cartridges when using bulky powders.
For example, I tried it with BL-C(2) for some .223 loads and found it maxed out at around 22 grains - 3 or 4 grains short of what I needed. It is however great for .22 Hornet loads.
One thing I noted with the Lock and Load measure is that it needed SERIOUS degreasing.
When I initially bought it, I gave it a normal degreasing and then discovered that the charges were very inconsistent. Breaking it down, I noted a fair amount of powder was still sticking inside the measure. There was some turn over from charge to charge and the amount that stuck each time varied by a few tenths of a grain on average - as did the powder charge it dropped.
Consequently, it got re-degreased with 90% alcohol, acetone and mineral spirits in three separate operations before it finally stopped holding on to powder flakes. Ball powders were a little more consistent before the thorough degreasing, probably because they were more resistant to sticking, or perhaps just produced a more consistent coating once all the surfaces were covered.
Given your report of only 50% accuracy, and some truly huge discrepancies now and then with flake powders, I suspect that you may have a similar issue with the powder sticking in the measure below the rotor.
You might try aggressively degreasing it with a brush and mineral spirits and see if that improves the consistency.
One trick to prevent the shiny bits from rusting is to given them a coat of neutral shoe polish, or car wax. It will go a long way to helping prevent any rust on the surfaces with no risk of getting oil contamination of the parts in contact with the powder. The same thing will work fine with the exterior surfaces of your reloading dies.
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Now, that's funny!The Bugle.....handle slipped when setting up a new die set.
The 40-9KO....the stopping power of a .40 in a compact 9mm package.
KO
Thanks for the laugh.
Magload
US Veteran
I hate 380 cases mixed in with my 9mm. Even when i sort them a few sneak in and I don't catch them till a seat the bullet and it just doesn't look right. Also 45 GAP in with my 45 ACP. The State troopers shoot the GAP at the indoor range I belong to so I end you with some of it. Don
kbm6893
Member
I broke it down when I got it and degreased it. I have 500 more bullets to load in 38 before I switch back to 9MM and a hopper full of red dot. I'll break it down again after the 38 is done. But I really don't think that's the issue. The 7625 dropped perfect nearly every time. And it was never off by very much when it was not perfect.
And are you referring to powder sticking to the inside of the plastic hopper or the inside of the metal parts?
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daniel lawecki
Member
I keep everything marked one powder out on bench primers I plan on using. Triple check powder thrower for charge weight check powder cop die. Lock door on reloading room keep everything clean and neat. Never load when I'm tired. I load one caliber till all brass is reloaded then on to the next caliber. All load data is on my computer in a file and every load is proven to be its best per my guns. I've had a squib and I don't want another.
The metal parts inside the powder measure - everything the powder contacts below the point it's cut off from the powder in the hopper.
I thought I degreased mine well enough the first time too, but I discovered I hadn't. It's been a much more accurate measure ever since I degreased the living hell out of it.
Running a large bottle of powdered graphite from Ace Hardware through my powder measure, as recommended by the manufacturer, seems to have made it pretty much trouble free.
Eventually the inner surfaces will pick up a similar coating of carbon from the powder that you use. Graphite just accelerates the process.
novalty
Member
I believe RCBS recommends running most of a hopper of powder through their measures before actually using them. I did this with the Uniflow that I had and it threw very consistent charges.
As for bloopers, I've crushed a couple case mouths in my 550 after checking the powder charge and not sliding the brass back fully into the shell plate Had the typical powder mess after not seating a primer first. Got the primer rod and cup stuck in a piece of brass on my RCBS Automatic Bench Primer when a primer didn't feed into the cup. After I got my tumbler, I started cleaning all of my brass and learned the lesson the hard way about using larger corn cob media with .223 Remington cases.
An in-law of mine that I got set up for reloading had watched my father-in-law reload for awhile before he got set up and knew the basics pretty well. So when he had his equipment he started cranking out 45's--probably 500 rounds. Man was he excited....until his first range trip when they kept jamming. He calls me up asking what he did wrong--which lead into a discussion on the "plunk test."
As for bloopers, I've crushed a couple case mouths in my 550 after checking the powder charge and not sliding the brass back fully into the shell plate Had the typical powder mess after not seating a primer first. Got the primer rod and cup stuck in a piece of brass on my RCBS Automatic Bench Primer when a primer didn't feed into the cup. After I got my tumbler, I started cleaning all of my brass and learned the lesson the hard way about using larger corn cob media with .223 Remington cases.
An in-law of mine that I got set up for reloading had watched my father-in-law reload for awhile before he got set up and knew the basics pretty well. So when he had his equipment he started cranking out 45's--probably 500 rounds. Man was he excited....until his first range trip when they kept jamming. He calls me up asking what he did wrong--which lead into a discussion on the "plunk test."
kbm6893
Member
Powdered graphite? Never heard of that. I've reloaded probably 2000 rounds already. Would it be too late to do that since the hopper has already been coated with reloading powder? Do you discard the graphite or reuse it as it comes out of the thrower?
I used to do a plunk test, but I wouldn't crank out any quantity until I tested 6 bullets in every 9MM I own. Once they all functioned fine I stopped with the plunk test. The dies are set already so why check every completed round?
Bkreutz
US Veteran
I used to occasionally check my 9mm rounds with a single case gauge, that worked for the most part but I'd get random malfunctions for various reasons. Starting this year I started checking all my rounds with a 100 round gauge, no malfunctions. The gauge is $100, but it's worth it to me to eliminate malfunctions at a match. It also makes marking my brass easier.
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After 2000 rounds, it would make sense that your hopper and other parts that come in contact with the powder are already coated well enough to eliminate static cling. If not and you are still experiencing some static cling, running graphite through the next time it is convenient will probably help. YMMV
The bottle I bought contains 1.13 ounces, has cylinder about an inch and a half in diameter and three inches tall. That's probably a life time supply of graphite for this old guy. So, I returned the portion I used to the bottle for reuse if I ever buy another powder measure, as well as possible household uses.
Whenever cleaning your 550 powder measure with the small charge bar be sure to inspect the spacer bar when you reassemble it. It can be put in backwards. Then the little derlin won't catch properly and retract the powder bar. Only took me 2 squib loads to discover that. Thank goodness I was just loading a small batch of test loads. It is the only time I actually had to use the brass squib load rod I made up years ago and carry in my shooters bag.
confession time
As long as we're fessing up here's my first blooper. I'm a new reloader and loading on a single stage and weighing each load.
I went to shoot some new loads and up to this point have not had any issues with any of my loads. Worked up some .45 185gr FP Xtreme over 5.0gr. of CFE, testing two different COL's with the same load. 5 shot @ 1.140, 5 at 1.150.
First impression was, damn that's a soft shooting load and accuracy was awful. Even I don't shoot this bad. Picked up the cases and they were filthy. Made notes and finished shooting some other loads.
Get home and pull out loading data and realized I had loaded the CFE with Tite Group data. The starting CFE load is 7.1 vs the starting TG of 5.0. No wonder it was soft shooting! Problem was I had printed out loads of four different powders and just looked at the wrong data. No harm no foul but...
what if I had done the reverse and loaded Titegroup at CFE data! Max TG is 5.5 and starting CFE is 7.1 I don't know the answer but I'm glad I didn't find out. LESSON LEARNED.
As long as we're fessing up here's my first blooper. I'm a new reloader and loading on a single stage and weighing each load.
I went to shoot some new loads and up to this point have not had any issues with any of my loads. Worked up some .45 185gr FP Xtreme over 5.0gr. of CFE, testing two different COL's with the same load. 5 shot @ 1.140, 5 at 1.150.
First impression was, damn that's a soft shooting load and accuracy was awful. Even I don't shoot this bad. Picked up the cases and they were filthy. Made notes and finished shooting some other loads.
Get home and pull out loading data and realized I had loaded the CFE with Tite Group data. The starting CFE load is 7.1 vs the starting TG of 5.0. No wonder it was soft shooting! Problem was I had printed out loads of four different powders and just looked at the wrong data. No harm no foul but...
what if I had done the reverse and loaded Titegroup at CFE data! Max TG is 5.5 and starting CFE is 7.1 I don't know the answer but I'm glad I didn't find out. LESSON LEARNED.
