BR Shooting Journal - Basic Reloading

A brass cleaning tip from Dirk

2011-09-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

"I have a good trick to clean your brass. Go to Walmart and get some Lemonshine in the dish soap section. Take about two .380 cases full of the powder per gallon of water and soak for a hour or two before you tumble. Works great."

Thanks Dirk!

Commercial .44 Magnum Case Failure

2011-07-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

My buddy Mike Adams from The Up North Journal contacted me recently because he had a case failure like I've never seen before from a commercial .44 Magnum round. We worked together on a letter to send to Winchester to try to get this issue resolved. I think you'll be interested in Mike's story.

Which primer to use with Accurate #9

2011-07-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

I found this article very interesting in this month's Handloader magazine (Aug 2011 No. 273). This is news to me. I'd be interested in your comments.

"...No. 9 is an excellent choice for traditional magnum revolver cartridges... it has become one of my favorite powders for .357, .41 and .44 Magnums. It offers low muzzle flash and is clean burning. It does not require a magnum primer for ignition. (Note that ...AA-9 do not require a magnum primer, and neither are they suggested, to obtain correct ignition... If a magnum primer is used, the maximum charges should be reduced..."

Hornady recommends Small Pistol Magnum Primers for .357 Mag. and Large Pistol Primers for .44 Mag. in their reloading manuals. This is good to know, especially since magnum primers can somethings be difficult to locate.

A RESPONSE FROM RAMSHOT (ACCURATE)

Bob,

Below is the reply to your question from our lab...

The loads can actually be used as is for all primers with only one exception, namely the CCI350 for which they should reduce the loads by 10%.

A RESPONSE FROM HORNADY
Bob,

I would say that we do agree with that statement. We did not use magnum primers in our AA #9 loads in 41 Mag or 44 Mag. However, we did use them when assembling loads for the 357 Mag. Thank you!

Did you ever wonder how gun powder burns?

2011-04-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

I once heard on GunTalk's podcast that burning powder (in this case Accurate #9) burns like paper. I'd like to correct that. It burns like a flame thrower! I almost set myself on fire. Be careful with your powder and how you store it.

It appears that about 10% of the powder in these cases went bad. I just emailed Western Powder and sent them photos to get their take on it. The powder was new when the original 1lb container was opened and the loaded rounds have only been on the shelf for a year. I'll let you know what they say.

UPDATE
I sent an email to Western Powder yesterday, and I've been going back and forth with the ballistician throughout the day today. He said that he's never seen anything like this in 40 years, and that modern powders have a shelf life of 30+ years. The only thing he can figure is that it's a chemical reaction with the primers. He also asked me if I cleaned the cases with anything that could have left a contaminant. I checked this bog and it records that I haven't since 3/09, which was 9 months prior to the time when these cartridges were loaded. The primers seem to be the best answer, but I'm going to see if I have any other rounds loaded in 12/09 and if so, I'll pull the bullets and get back to you. I should get a pipe and Holmes hat, but there's no smoking allowed around gunpowder.

PM UPDATE
Pulled 150 more and this time only 3 were bad. I was thinking that these were loaded prior to having a tumbler. Could a dirty case have contaminated the powder?

Western Powder sent me an email today and asked me to send them a photo of the powder. If you click it and look at this photo full screen, I think you'll see that the powder isn't changing color. It's the case that's contaminated and it's coating the powder with yellow/green dust. I'm not sure if that will effect the way the powder burns. I'll let you know if Western Powder has any more thoughts on it.

Johan at Western Powder responded: "As I suspected it appears that some primers are decomposing." Now the question is "Why?"

FINAL COMMENT
"Bob, The worst will be that these primers will not deliver enough or any energy at all. This may result in “misfire” or “hang-fire” or “squib” load which may also result in a stuck bullet in the bore. Although not dangerous by itself, if not noticed in time a 2nd bullet can be jammed behind a stuck bullet. It’s also quite a struggle to remove a stuck bullet (or more) from the bore without damaging the barrel and should only be done by a competent gunsmith. Regards,
 Johan Loubser, Ballistician, Ramshot.Accurate.Powders"

HOW I REMOVE LIVE PRIMERS

NOTE! I am not recommending that anyone do this, nor does Lee, Henry Repeating Arms or any other company who's product is shown on this site. It's a procedure that works for me, but I do realize that it could be dangerous. I always wear safety goggles and keep my face and hands away from the case as much as possible.

Reloading today in prep for shoot in 2 weeks

2011-02-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

In a couple of weeks I'll be shooting the Henry 44 Magnum at my buddy Dirk's range, and since I am out of bullets except for Friendswood 240g LC SWC (thanks again Roger), I figured I'd use them to run a crimp test. Today I'll run off 100 rounds with AA#9 (19 grains), and I'll leave some without a crimp, then apply a few different crimps to the remaining using Consistent Crimp. Check back in a couple weeks for a report on how it works out.

Accurate sent me load data on this bullet which is posted below. They gave a starting load of 18.1g and a Maximum load of 20.2g. 19g seems like a good compromise. I'll see how close I can get to that load with the Lee Auto Disk using a single disk.

'The Consistent Crimp' with 44 Magnum

2011-02-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

'The Consistent Crimp', developed by 'Precision Accuracy', has developed a micro-click torque wrench designed to generate consistent and very controllable crimps. A few weeks ago I set the torque-arm up in about 5 minutes and crimped a box full of .357 Magnum rounds. Tonight I decided to try it out on the 44 Magnum cartridges I recently reloaded. Setting the crimp die up for the first time didn't take long at all now that I have the feel for it.

Regarding the actual pressure applied to the torque arm; I think it's rather relative. Where is the exact zero point? I haven't figured that out yet. I set the arm for 15 ft lbs, then screw the die down until I begin to see a crimp. That's my minimum crimp, which I have assigned 15 ft lbs. So 35 ft lbs is 20 ft lbs greater than the minimum. Is it actually 35? Who knows? That doesn't really matter. As long as I know what the number needs to be set at to get the result I'm seeking, and I don't change the die settings, I'm OK and my results will remain consistent. This may sound confusing, but it isn't. Watch the video and I think it will be clear. For more on the Consistent Crimp, see my .357 Magnum reloading page.

Charging .44 Magnum cases with the Lee Auto-Disk

2011-02-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

I charged 75 rounds of .44 Mags tonight and it still amazes me that I can do in 15 minutes what used to take me about an hour and a half. It's also more accurate than weighing the loads by hand. I turned the camera on to show you the case charging process.

Are these reloading induced rings or is it case head separation?

2011-02-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing that some of my Remington .44 Magnum brass which is just over a year old may be showing signs of case failure... maybe. On a small percentage of my brass I'm seeing a band forming about 1/8" above the extractor groove. If the case wall is thinned in this area inside the case there's the possibility of rim separation from the rest of the case. It could also be something as simple as a ring caused by the reloading process. If the die doesn't reach all the way to the bottom of the case, it could produce a line that isn't a dangerous issue.

I just split a case open and I don't see any thinning or cracking on the interior wall, nor did I detect any internal damage. I'm guessing that these cases are OK to reload, but I'm seeking advice which I will be posting. Please feel free to add your thoughts to 'Comments'.

When in doubt, throw it out. Always error on the side of safety.

Hornady bullet test

2011-01-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

I took a vacation day from work Wednesday and shot at my local range for 5 hours, putting over 330 rounds of centerfire reloads down range. About 1/3 of the ammo fired was 44 Magnum shot through my Henry lever rifle. As you know I had very high hopes for the 300g HP-XTP Hornady bullets, and to tell you the truth, I didn't expect a lot from the Hornady 240g SWC-HP, which is a much cheaper, lead bullet.

300g Hornady 44280 HP-XTP w/ 17g Winchester 296

To make a long story short, the 300g bullet was truly a disappointment (see target above). It was all over the target at 50 yards (and this was a big target, and my 2nd target was worse). I'm not writing off the bullet yet, because it could have been the powder / bullet / load combination, but right now I have no way of knowing. One thing I do know is that the cheaper 240g lead bullet shot great! (see target below). The group size at 50 yards with iron sights was around 2". Considering the ball-type front cowboy sight that's on the Henry, I couldn't ask for better than that. I would really like to see what this round can do if shot with the help of a scope.

240g Hornady 1118 SWC-HP w/ 6g American Select

This target is a lot better than it looks. It basically consists of 2 groups and a few stray shots. The first group was the cluster of 8 holes at the top. I then adjusted my peep sight and shot a group of 8 below it. The random holes were some shots I took aiming low to compensate for the elevation. My second target was similar. I think this will be my all-around 44 Magnum load. Note that when I reduced my load to 5.3g, it shoot good but not quite as good as with the 6g load. I then tested some .357 Magnum loads. See my .357 Magnum reloading page for more.

Lee Auto-Disk

2011-01-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

If you've been following this blog, you know that I have had a problem quickly and accurately charging cases. I think I found an inexpensive solution; the Lee Auto-Disk Powder Measure that sells for around fifty bucks. Watch the video I shot today. The Auto-Disk took me about a half hour to figure out and install, and minutes later I shot this video. Check it out.

I've reloaded 200 rounds of .357 Magnum tonight in the time it would have taken me to reload 50 rounds using a digital scale or scoops alone. The 'Lee Auto-Disk' works great and is very consistent. I weight the load every 10 rounds and it was always within 1/10g. I told you in earlier posts that the 'Lee Perfect Powder Measure' is far from perfect, so I hope you believe it when I report that the 'Lee Auto-Disk' works.

Loaded and ready to test

2011-01-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

Some bullets I plan to test in the Henry's this month (left to right):

Hornady 44mag 300g HP-XTP
Friendswood 44mag 240g LC SWC (not new - for comparison)
Hornady 44mag 240g SWC-HP
Hornady 357mag 125g HP
Hornady 357mag 158g SWC-HP
Hornady 38Special 158g SWC-HP
Hornady 38Special 110g HP
Hornady 38Special 140g Cowboy

Coming next on the 44 Magnum reloading page

2010-12-04T17:21:00.000-08:00

Upcoming .44 Magnum bullet tests

2010-09-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

I was notified by Hornady today that they will be sending me the following bullets to run tests on. Check back in October to see the loads I come up with and how well they group.

44280 44 CAL .430 300 GR HP/XTP®

Here's the load data I'll be using:
.44 Magnum / Powder: 2400
14.8g---15.6g---16.3g---17.1g

.44 Magnum / Powder: Accurate #9
15.0g---15.7g---16.5g

11118 44 CAL .430 240 GR SWC/HP

Here's the load data I'll be using:
.44 Magnum / Powder: American Select
5.39g---5.9g---6.5g---7.0g---7.6g

.44 Special / Powder: Unique
5.7g---6.2g---6.6g---7.1g---7.6g

*Orange indicates the loads I'll be working up

Load data for 44 cal 240gr SWC w/ Winchester 296

2010-06-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

I've been searching the web trying to find some reliable load data for Friendswood 240gr SWC w/ Winchester 296 powder. What I've come up with is dangerously conflicting.

First I went to reloadingammo.com and they gave a load of 25 g.

Next to data.hodgdon.com and theirs shows a starting load of 23 g and a maximum of 24 g. That means that reloadingammo.com's data is above maximum if Hodgdon is true.

I went to Winchester's site and emailed them for the correct data. If they get back to me I'll post the data. This shows how you can get into trouble getting data off a website. If you have data for this load, please post it to Comments. As always, use anything that you read on this site at your own risk. Thanks!

Load data for 44 cal 240gr SWC w/ Accurate #9

2010-06-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I sent the Accurate Ballistician an email asking for load data for the lead bullets that Roger gave me at the range a few weeks ago. I was able to locate the bullet and manufacturer on the web and I emailed that info to Accurate. They got right back to me as always.

Here's the bullet info I located:

Friendswood Bullet Co. 44 MAG 240grain SWC
CLICK HERE for the link
$42.25 for 500. That's a LOT cheaper than anything else I've been buying.
'SWC' stands for 'Semi-WadCutter'.

...and the letter from Accurate:

Click chart to enlarge

Joe left a great comment. He also emailed me this link to a supplier of cast bullets that he said are "Not quite as cheap as yours but less taxing on the biceps when cleaning the barrel lol." Joe will be hunting soon with his Henry Big Boy 44 magnum, and if he bags a deer he said he'd send me a photo to post. Thanks very much Joe and good luck! Here's the link to that bullet web site: CLICK HERE

"I just found this site called "Master Cast Bullets" that seems reasonably priced. They claim their hard cast bullets are "a 2% Tin,6% Antimony with the balance Lead. Using an LBT hardness tester, our bullets are 18 to 20 on the Brinell Hardness Scale." The .44 cal 240gr SWC's are $38.50 for a box of 500 and $73.00 for a box of 1000. Looks promising to run these bullets a bit hotter Bob and the price is right. Check it out. ~Joe"
http://www.mastercast.net/cast_bullets.htm

Scale Test

2010-06-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

I received an email today from a guy in the FaceBook Henry Group who had a bad experience with digital scales. He suggested that I repeatedly weigh something to see how consistent it is. I thought that was a good idea, so I gave it a shot before I began reloading tonight. You might want to try the same test with your scale. Here's my results:

(5) 83.6

(4) 83.7

(2) 83.5

(1) 83.4

That's 3/10 of a grain difference, which I don't think is bad. I assure you that if I were to use a beam scale, it would take so much longer to take the measurements that if I were 3/10 grain off, I'd be saying "Good enough". I'm sure some of you demand that the scale be perfect, but I'm not there yet. Maybe someday, but considering that lever action rifles aren't designed to split pubic hairs, it doesn't make that much difference to me. Run your own tests and post how you make out in the Comments area. Thanks.

Reload Test: H&G 107A Wadcutter w/ 5.0g Unique

2010-05-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today I tested Tom Dugas's H&G 107A Wadcutters charged with 5.0 grains of Unique powder and shot at 50 yards through a Henry Big Boy 44 Magnum rifle with a peep sight. As you can see, the group was excellent, but I did experience a major jam due to the minimal case length. This bullet / powder combination proved to be excellent, but not through the Henry, unless you plan to hand feed the round. The reloading expert at Henry warned me of this, and I proved him to be right. It took a gunsmith to free up the action today.

NOTE: The 2 fliers you see above the target were the result of originally having my sights set at 100 yards.

Loaded some H&G #107A wadcutters

2010-04-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

If you read my previous posts and last night's post on my 38 Special reloading page, you'll see that I've come to acquire a digital scale and a box of 75 H&G #107A wadcutters. I think you'll find it an interesting story, and tonight I decided to reload 25 rounds with these bullets. The following will cover what I've discovered and some problems I ran into.

A PERFECT 5 GRAINS IN THE CASE.
First of all, I calculated that the average weight of the 240g wadcutters is closer to 235.24g. Not a lot of difference, but I thought I should put it in the record for you guys who are into details. Tom Dugas set the starting load at 5.0g of Unique with a Max load of 6.0g. I loaded at 5. I weighed all but a few cases and found that they differed in weight by a couple of grains, so I zeroed in the scale with every case I charged.

UNIQUE POWDER
At first I had a bit of a problem getting the bullets to fit easily into the case mouth. In fact, I crushed my first case and destroyed a bullet trying to seat the first bullet (sorry Tom). The bullet got stuck in the die and I had to take it apart to get it out. I checked the case diameters and they don't appear to be any bigger than a commercial bullet. I'm guessing it has to do with the waxy lubricant. I ended up maximizing the flare on all the cases, and even then, I had to be extra careful to get the bullet to seat correctly. That may be normal for this type of cast bullet, but this is new to me, so I don't know. I have a feeling Ronnie will be commenting on this one. Once the bullets were all seated, I gave them all a firm crimp into the small upper groove. So they're all set for Saturday's shoot.

EXACTLY 5.O GRAINS EXCLUDING THE PAN
If they shoot well, I'll up the load on the next 25 to 5.5g. The only problem with this is if I find that I love these bullets (which I think I will), there's no longer any place to buy them and the molds are no longer available. If I can locate some load data on the H&G #107B's I pulled from the cartridges that Roger gave me, I'll load those as well. Since there are one groove smaller than the 107A's, I'm guessing I'll need a bit more powder because there will be more room in the case with the shorter bullet which will create less pressure. I won't guess at it though. That's it for now, and if all goes well, I'll be here typing out the results of Saturday's shoot that evening. Until then.

'Using a bullet puller' turned history lesson

2010-03-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last year a guy at the range gave me hundreds of 38 Special and 44 Magnum cartridges that he loaded some 30 years ago. The reloads were unmarked and filled coffee cans. This guy experiments a lot, including trying his best to load the lightest round he can without having the bullet lodge in the barrel. I didn't feel comfortable shooting them, so they've been hanging around since the Fall. Money is tight and I'm out of brass and bullets, so I finally got around to giving that bullet puller a try. Once I realized I wasn't going to kill myself, I quickly became addicted to hammering out the bullets and ended up pulling around 300 rounds over two evenings. Now I have plenty of brass and lead bullets to experiment with in both 44 Mag and 38 Special. I'm guessing I saved myself at least $150 considering brass goes for around $.35 a case. There's also a letter below from a bullet mold collector that you should find interesting.

The end result of the first evening

FYI: There was 5 gr of powder in each 44 Magnum case.

I knocked out 100 primers tonight without a single one going off by using the reloading base that comes with the Lee Classic Loader kit, an icepick and a rubber mallet. The pin broke off my depriming rod some time ago, but an old icepick did the trick (if you have a better method, I'd appreciate it if you would pass that info along). It appears that if you hit the primer dead center from inside the case it won't go off (at least that was true today). To be safe, I wore safety glasses over my regular glasses and leather gloves. To destroy the old primers I put them in an oil bath which they will sit in for a few weeks. 100 done, about 150 to go. My next step is to find loading data on the wadcutters. There was something rather cryptic written on the bag the bullets were in, so it will give me a place to start.

I looked closely at the 41 caliber cartridge that was mixed in with the 44 mags, and I noticed that a standard 44 mag bullet was jammed into the 41 cal. case, causing a bulge in the brass. Don't forget to inspect your cases and finished loads carefully. I guess even experienced reloaders can screw up. A 41 Mag has a case dia. of .434. A 44 Mag has a dia. of .456. The 41 Mag's bullet dia. is .02" smaller. Thus, the bullet resembles Dolly Parton stuffed into a tight jacket.

I think I've tracked those bullets down: Hensley & Gibbs 107B, 185 gr wadcutter.

AMAZING! I just shot off an email to Hensley & Gibbs and within an hour I received the following letter. Thanks so much Tom! ~Bob

Bob,

You need to run out and buy a lottery ticket because you are incredibly lucky.

My name is Thomas Dugas, I own the data and website you found on the Internet, but I don't own the Hensley & Gibbs brand name. I am just the curator, so to speak, as Hensley & Gibbs closed their doors in 1999 and retired the company name.

I correspond with Wayne Gibbs, the son of James Gibbs, who was the Gibbs part of "Hensley & Gibbs". Wayne is in his 80's now and retired living in Oregon.

I created the website because Hensley & Gibbs information was sparse, or non existent when I first started collecting their moulds in the early 90's. After a year of diligent effort, I was able to get Wayne Gibbs to return my phone calls and emails. We correspond about two or three times a year.

The website has been a labor of love and done for the benefit of casters and shooters worldwide. On average, I receive about two to three emails per week from all over the world asking about moulds, or this and that as it relates to Hensley & Gibbs. You would be amazed how many of those moulds made it to Australia and New Zealand, among other far flung places on this planet.

Anyhow, here is why you are lucky today. For 10 years I have been trying to get my hands on a #107 mould. I finally managed to buy one just last month and I have been having a ball with it.

There were three options (weights) available for #107. A, B or C. The A was the heaviest at 240 grains, the B and C were progressively lighter by one lube groove (The A has three, the B has two, and the C has one if I recall correctly).

I have a 107A at 240 grains and the bullets drop from the mould at .433". I shoot as cast after tumbling in Lee Liquid Alox. I am using two Smith and Wesson Model 29's for my shooting, a Model 29-5 Hunter model with full lug barrel at 6 inches, and a Model 29-3 with a 5" barrel (special order from the factory by me). I do not have any loads developed for the 107B which is the lighter bullet you have. Neither do I have any for the 107C, the lightest design.

I have started load development with ALLIANT UNIQUE. My loads start at 5.0 grains of UNIQUE and max out at 7.0 grains. I have centered on 5.5 as the minimum load and 6.0 as the upper end.

Just today I completed loading 100 rounds each of 5.7 and 5.8 grains of UNIQUE. I don't expect measurable difference between a .1 grain load, but I had time on my hands today as it was raining here in VA, so I was piddling around in my loading room and decided to split the difference between a 5.5 grain load and a 6.0 grain load and thus the 5.7 and 5.8 grain loads.

C.E. (Ed) Harris of Cast Bullet fame (also the guy who created the Ed's Red formula) is a neighbor of mine and he just received 150 of the 107A's from me to test in his 1909 .44 Special Hand Ejector. I will find out what powder he plans to use and pass on to you his load data. But Ed pretty much sticks to Bullseye these days, as he has quite a stockpile from his .32ACP obsession.

Ed did warn me that published data for 240 grain lead bullets, or other weights for this bullet design would be overpressure at the upper end of load weight because so much of the projectile is inside the case as opposed to a semi-wadcutter design. This was borne out by me when I loaded a few 107A's with 9.0 grains of UNIQUE based on a semi-wadcutter load I found in a Lyman manual. That load with that bullet (the 107A) was way overpressure at 9.0 grains. Flat primers and cupped bases with very hard extraction. I backed off the load to 5.0 and started over.

Here is a thread I started over at Cast Boolits reporting my #107 discovery and load development.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=813568

My handle over at Cast Boolits is "Texasflyboy".

As I said, this was your lucky day. You caught me right in the middle of developing the very thing you were looking for.

The only other powder I am thinking of using might be 2400 to develop a "+P" .44MAG version of the .38 Special +P Wadcutter load that I have. I used a Hensley & Gibbs #50 Plain Base wadcutter with 8.9 grains of 2400 to make a tack driving hard hitting +P load. It's a ball to shoot at longer ranges because it really groups well for a long range wadcutter load. I am going to try and experiment with the #107 and see if I can come up with the same kind of load but in .44 Mag.

Hope this helps.

Tom Dugas
Vienna, VA

Here is yesterday's target and load info:

Once again, Thanks to Tom Dugas. He just sent another email and said that he's going to send me off 100 bullets to play around with. I'll see you later. I need to go out and buy a lottery ticket ~Bob

Here's a link to Tom's web page: CLICK HERE

3-15-09 UPDATE
Thanks Ronnie for the tip on using the decapping die to knock out the live primers. I just decapped around 200 and none went off.

A new 44 magnum reloader

2010-01-21T19:01:00.000-08:00

"Thanks so much for the excellent blog! I recently got a Ruger Redhawk in 44 mag. I have reloaded for shotshell for 30+ years but have never loaded pistol. This is a great resource for reloading Pistol calibers. I especially like that your videos are done for someone that is just starting out. It is really helpful seeing all the adjustments for the dies and how to get things right and the little problems one can expect and how you corrected them. I have my own detached garage(wife says it's the Mancave), but I want to setup in the house because the garage is unheated. I don't have a lot of room to setup my bench in the house. So, I am setting it up on a old microwave cart in a closet! It's going to be a small loading area. But, I have found if I have a large loading bench it just fills up with clutter. Here's my "loading bench" just being up together. Maybe your readers will find it interesting for loading in small spaces. I'll try to send another pic when it's all setup. BTW, I really like the small plastic tubs for keeping all the stuff in. This size was less than $1.00 at Target."

Thanks so much for the encouragement Scot! It's nice to know that you are finding this blog helpful. I especially like your photo showing how to reload in a tight space. I used to be a Navy Seabee and our motto is "Can Do". The Seabees have a reputation of making it work with whatever they have, for example, using Coke bottles as insulators to stringing power lines during WWII. I don't have a lot of money to work with, so I use what I have and make it work. Last night I saw a stack of good size scrap plywood left in front of a factory for people to take home and burn or whatever. I took a half dozen sheets to make a small dedicated table for my brass tumbler. That makes me appreciate your small reloading bench. No one has to have a nice expansive area and a lot of money to reload. It can be done almost anywhere using a little imagination. Thanks again Scot for sharing and for sending the photo. Best of luck with your reloading, stay safe and please share your results in the comments area under my posts. Regards, Bob

Case stretch

2010-01-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

I reloaded 150 rounds of 44 magnum tonight from my last shoot at the range. About half the cases were from reloads that I received from Roger, a guy I shoot with during the summer. Everything I reloaded today was lead, and I noticed that when some of the cartridges went through the crimp die, the bullet appeared to be seated too deeply. I was getting thin rings of lead shaved off the bullet that had to be pealed away. I got out my micrometer and noticed that some of the cases from Roger were either at a borderline length or slightly longer. The maximum case length according to the Hornady reloading manual is 1.285" and a few were at 1.3". Since the cartridges were already loaded, I let them slide. I doubt they'll give me a problem, but before I load again I'll have to do some case trimming. I have the manual cutter, but I'll likely pick up a case trimmer (see video) or a case trim die. I've never trimmed a case before, so this will give me something new to try and write about. If you have any experience with case trimming, please feel free to leave your comments below. Check back to see how I make out, but I'm guessing that I won't be range shooting for a month or so. It's bitter cold here now, and I usually hunt on Saturday through the end of February. If you have any suggestions on ways to make the trimming process easier, please consider sharing your knowledge. Thanks! There's already some great comments and suggestions below.

RELOADING SAFETY

Common Sense

Always protect your eyes.
No smoking
Keep your work area clean and organized
Keep kids away
Develop a reloading routine so you'll be less likely to make a mistake.

Primers

Do not use Federal Primers in the Lee Auto-Prime Tool.
Keep primers in original containers. Don't dump them all together in a jar unless you're trying to make a bomb.
Don't mix up small pistol primers with small pistol magnum primers. Keep them in their original packages.

Powder

Only bring out one bottle of powder at a time so you don't mix up what you're using or return powder into the wrong container.
Never mix powders. If you mistakenly mix two powders, throw the entire container away.
Separate powders from primers when you return them to storage.
Never store powder in an ammo box or gun safe. You've made a bomb.
Return powder to their original containers. They are made to keep the powder fresh and for clear identification.
Don't mix powder from different batches.
Keep cool and dry, and if it smells strange, toss it out.

Loads

Don't create a load below the minimum. That is as dangerous as loading too hot.
No reduced loads with Winchester 296.
Identify your loads by labeling everything.
Get your reloading data from a reputable manual and not from the Internet or friends.
Visually inspect your charged cases prior to seating bullets to be sure you didn't miss a case or double charge another.
Keep your loads at least 10% below the maximum.

Clean-up

Sweep up or use a wet towel. Don't vacuum.

Cases

Inspect all cases and discard any that are less than perfect.

If you have any tips to add, please post them to COMMENTS. Thanks!

Firing primer-only cartridge problem

2010-01-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

"Hi. I am just starting to get my stuff for reloading I got a lee single stage press for Christmas and have a bench set up so I am getting ready to try my hand at reloading. I have never reloaded before so on searching the web I came across your site and you have been a big help in getting me started. I've watched your videos a half dozen times or more watching each step you do.

I have not completely loaded a complete shell yet because I could find no primers around the area I am in. I live just outside of ------- and everyone must be hoarding the primers and 44 bullets. Yesterday I did find a box of bullets and ran across some primers. Before I started doing the whole reload I made up some dummy rounds to get dies set for bullet setting. I have the Lee primer tool and put some primers in after watching you one more time they do go in easy with the hand press.

I have new Winchester cases that I have started to prime on doing a few cases I thought I would get my Ruger and snap off some of the primers to get the feel of what they sounded like before loading with powder etc. I loaded the shells and fired off the primer and my Ruger wouldn't cycle to the next cylinder. After getting the cylinder open which took some effort I saw where the primer had fired good but had backed out just enough to keep cylinder from moving. Have you ever done this or have you heard of this happening? I have never notice any type of problem with factory bullets at all either in my pistol or my Henry. I won't take any more of your time really did want to say your site is good and hope you keep putting out your info on your reloading. Have a good new year ~Earl"

Hi Earl. Great to hear from you. It's always good to know that my work is useful to someone. Regarding the case problem, I'm guessing it's because there are no internal pressures in the case. I hope you're not seating a bullet in the case because that would be asking for trouble, possibly getting a bullet stick in the barrel. Since there's no pressure in the case, the brass is not expanding when the cartridge is fired. When the case expands it grabs onto the inside of the cylinder. That's why you always want to be sure your cylinders are oil free. If there's oil there, the case won't grab, will move rearward and could damage the cylinder / bolt. I'm guessing something like this is happening to you. Instead of expanding and grabbing, the case is trying to blow itself out of the cylinder by moving rearward. I'd stop doing that because you could damage your firearms. I think that's a good guess of what's happening.

Regarding the primers, I have the same availability problem. I just picked up my first box of primers in over 6 months of looking. Hope the shortage is ending. It's my understanding that the reason for it is that manufacturers are using most of their primers to make cartridges since they are in high demand. Reloaders get what's left. Most gunshops around here limit the number of boxes any person can buy, so that's been reducing the hoarding problem.~Bob

Case Tumbler

2009-12-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to buying myself a case tumbler for Christmas. I'm planning to shoot early next week, so I'm looking forward to having some dirty brass to clean. It's actually a fairly quiet unit, and I'll let you know how well it works early next week. I bought it at Cabela's and the guy on the floor said that he uses the Lyman model and tried to sell me on it. I went to Cabela's web site prior to shopping at the store and Lyman had some really bad reviews. The reviews of the Hornady models were mostly positive, so I went with that. I'll soon find out if I made the right decision. Oh, the guy at Cabela's said he didn't like anything Hornady made because he had a bad experience with something he bought from them 30 years ago. Most companies aren't using the same manufacturing practices that they used a couple of years ago, never mind thirty! Manufacturing methods are going 'LEAN' and management changes, but many burnt buyers don't. That's something all manufacturers should remember. Let me add that though I didn't agree with him on this, he was very helpful, showing me various types of media and discouraging me from buying polish. He discouraged me from buying the Cabela's unit and the Lyman model was actually cheaper than the Hornady model I chose. I do believe he tried his best the steer me in the right direction and I do appreciate that.

Reloading 44 cal 240gr SWC w/ Accurate #9

2009-12-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago at the range an experienced reloader named Roger asked me if I wanted some 44mag bullets that he had in his truck. I was expecting maybe 20. He gave me 500 commercially manufactured lead bullets (see post below). Thanks again Roger! Unable to find load data that I was comfortable with, I email Accurate and they supplied the data that's in my previous post. Last week I went to the range and blew off 150 rounds to zero in my new peep sight and to free up some brass for reloading. Tonight I began the process by depriming and resizing the cases, then seating the primers.

Once again I stress that I am at the bottom of a reloading learning curve. I've reloaded over 1000 rounds to date, but do not take my word for anything you see on this blog. Consult a reloading manual and verify everything that I say and do. I'm having a lot of fun with this new endeavor, and I hope it wets your appetite to start reloading your own ammo. Just remember to put safety first. Verify all loads with a good manual and always begin with the starting load. Don't experiment by concocting your own loads. That's a recipe for disaster. I hope the movies are helpful, and please bear with me. They'll get better over time.

Part 1 - sizing and primer seating

Part 2 - I loaded around 50 rounds of 44mag tonight with lead bullets and put together this video for you before going to bed.

Reloading Fifty 44 Magnums

2009-11-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a good tip from my friend Dirk who's an experienced reloader: "When you are reloading always leave your brass with the mouth down unless there is powder in the case. Also buy yourself or make a couple reloading trays to keep your brass organized."

Reload info for the Speer # 4428 210 gr Gold Dot Hollow point bullet directly from Speer

2009-10-06T15:39:00.001-07:00

Dear Bob,

For the 44 Mag in a rifle with the Speer # 4428 210 gr Gold Dot Hollow point bullet. Use a CCI 300 Large Pistol primer and a COAL of 1.600 with a firm crimp in the cannelure.

For AA No. 9: Start with 21.0 grs @ 1768 fps to a MAX of 23.0 grs @ 1878 fps.

The velocity reported is from a 20" barrel with a 1 in 38" twist rate and in relation to other powders listed, AA No. 9 is a middle-of-the-pack load, Lil' Gun giving the highest velocity @ 2102 fps.

Thanks, Jason

MY RELOADING PROCEDURE

2009-08-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

First note that I numbered my dies with a Sharpie Marker for easy identification.

1. Install die #1 –
‘Carbide Sizing Die’ to knock out primer and size cases.

Push down lever to move ram to the highest position.
Screw in die until it just touches the shell holder.
Lock down the die.

2. Run cases through die.

3. Clean out primer pocket

4. Prime all cases using Lee Auto Prime

5. Install die #2 –
‘Expanding Die’ to flair the case mouth.

Push down lever to move ram to the highest position.
Screw in die until it just touches the shell holder, then back out 1 full turn.
Rotate screw clockwise to increase the fair.

6. Charge the cases using ‘Lee Perfect Powder Measure’: My load: Sierra 210 gr bullet w/ 20 gr AA #9 Powder

7. Install die #3 –
‘Bullet Seat and Feed Die’ to seat the bullet

Seat a charged case in the shell holder and manually seat a bullet into the case mouth.
Raise the ram until cartridge enters the die, and adjust seating screw until cartridge length is 1.610” long.
Seat all bullets but do not crimp at this stage.

8. Install die #4 –
‘Factory Crimp Die’ to crimp and post-size cases.

Push down lever to move ram to the highest position.
Screw in die until it just touches the shell holder.
Back out adjusting screw.
Load cartridge in shell holder, raise ram fully and turn adjusting screw until it just touches the case mouth.
Back out cartridge slightly and rotate screw:
½ turn for light crimp, or 1 full turn for heavy crimp

The 44 magnum should get a heavy crimp.

Ballistics Calculator and Sierra Bullet Trajectory Chart

2009-07-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are a bit more advanced in reloading, here's a link to a ballistics calculator sent to me by Dirk Files. Thanks Dirk!

http://www.handloads.com/calc/

Here's a trajectory chart for 210 grain Sierra bullets which I use.

CLICK HERE for Sierra Bullets Ballistic Coefficients.
CLICK HERE for Sierra's new Exterior Ballistics page.

Double checking load weight and final loading processes

2009-07-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

Note that I loaded 50 rounds tonight and checked the powder weight 3 times on top of what I've shown in this video. I didn't notice any change between the first load and the last.

Dialing your powder load into the Lee Powder Measure

2009-07-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

THIS WAS MY FIRST EFFORT TO GET THE LEE POWDER MEASURE TO DISPENSE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF POWDER.

How to calculate the number to dial into the Lee Powder Measure

Step 1
Go to a reloading manual or chart and locate your bullet type. On the chart, locate your powder type and the load you plan to use. If this is the first time loading this combination, begin with the minimum starting load. In my case I'm bumping up the velocity a bit by selecting the next load up. I'm using a Sierra 210 gr. bullet with Accurate #9 powder. The chart tells me that I should be loading 20.0 grains of #9.

Step 2
Take out the instruction sheet that came with the powder measure. On the back page you'll find the VMD chart. Locate your powder type and make note of the number next to it. That's the 'Volume Measure Density', which is the average volume of 1 grain of your powder when measured by the average reloader. In my case, the VMD = .0657

Step 3
Multiply the VMD by the number of powder grains from Step 1:
.0657 x 20 = 1.314 cu (cubic centimeters)

This is the number you will dial into the powder measure.

A note from Dirk Files regarding checking the Powder Measure's consistency:
"I check every 25 rounds or so and keep the hopper above half full with powder. I never vary more then a couple tenths of a grain. You can dump 10 charges in a container, weigh it, then divide by ten to give you a average. I some times use 4895 and that stuff is like pencil leads broken in pieces. I don't weigh every charge BUT I am never close to max... Always weigh max charges though. But max loads usually aren't as accurate they say."

A note from John Lee, President of Lee Precision

2009-07-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

A letter from John Lee, President of Lee Precision, Inc.:

"Thank you for the link to your video on using the Breech Lock Challenger press. It was a nice video and technically mostly correct. The only thing I could take issue to was the heaping of the powder charge in the powder measure. The dipper should always be shook level or scraped level with a card or straight edge.

I look forward to future episodes."

Thanks Mr Lee. In the future I'll level off the powder measure, or better yet, get the 'Perfect Powder Measure' up and running.

Sizing and Decapping Die

2009-07-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

I shot 100 rounds at the range today, and the first 30 were created on the Lee Single Stage Press. Every round performed flawlessly and you can see the results on the '2009 Range Report' page.

Tonight I began the process of reloading those rounds. I set up the sizing die, which will decap the cases and size them in a single stroke. To set the die up, you partially screw it in at the top of the press, pull down the handle to raise the ram as high as it will go. Screw in the die until it just touches the ram. Now finger tighten the retaining nut.

When the case is put in the case holder and the ram is raised, the case is pushed into the die and resized. At the same time the primer is knocked out, falls though the center of the ram and out a hole on the left side of the ram. The primer then falls into a trap and drops into a clear capped tube, where they are held until I decide to pull the cap off and let them fall into the trash. This is a very quick process and effortless compared to using the Classic Loader and a hammer.

Post sizing and crimp die

2009-07-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

My buddy Dirk recommended that I crimp the cases at the very end of the process using the 'post sizing and crimp die'. I decided to give it a try tonight, and instead of running 10 rounds through the press as planned, I ended up running almost 400! (Note- Some non-shooters might look at this photo and wonder why anyone would need so much ammo. The truth is that 400 rounds will run out after 2-3 trips to the range. It goes fast!). Most of these rounds were originally sized weeks ago by hammering them into the 'Classic Lee Loader' sizing die. This was their first run through the new press, and here's my observations:

A few of the case rims were distorted from hammering and it took some work to get them to seat in the case holder. This kind of distortion will be eliminated.
The new cases went through the die smoothly except for the small amount of resistance during the crimp.
The cases that had been reloaded a few times had need of post sizing because I could feel the resistance as they were being reshaped by the die.
Though I worked to get a decent crimp with the old method, I continued to get gas leaks. When I looked closely at many of the cases, the crimp was indiscernible. Running the cases through this die put a small, tight crimp around the mouth of the case which I'm hoping will end the gas leak problem. It will be interesting to see the cases next Saturday at the range.

I think the reason I decided to run all 400 rounds through the press tonight was the feeling that I am now sure that the cases are sized correctly and the crimp is now sufficient. Dirk said that crimping the case with this die reduces the possibility of over crimping and case crushing. Next time I seat the bullet, I'll back off the crimping die and crimp during the post sizing step. I'll be shooting at the range Saturday so I'll let you know how I make out.

Made some adjustments and ran off another dozen rounds tonight.

2009-07-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

After reading Kevin's letter, I decided to try out his suggestion when I got home from work today. I reordered my steps, installing the primer prior to flaring the case so I can flare the case and add the powder in a single step.

The first step was to install the 'Carbon Sizing Die' to correctly shape the brass. This step would also knock out the primer were this a reload, but since I'm using new brass, this will simply push the brass into and out of a die that will give the brass case the correct form to chamber properly.

The next step is to install the primers into cases with the Lee AutoPrime. This only takes seconds. Slide a case into into the shell holder, squeeze the trigger and the primer is pushed up into the brass case. Remove the case and insert another. It only takes seconds a piece.

Next we remove the 'Sizing Die' and replace it with the 'Powder Through Expanding Die'. With a single pull of the lever the case is pushed into the die and the end is flared. This allows the bullet to easily enter the case. While the case is in the upward position, dump a scoop of powder into the funnel which enters the die and pours into the case, killing two birds with one stone as Kevin suggested. Remove the case and put it off to the side. All that we are now missing is the bullet.

Next we remove the 'Powder Through Expanding Die' and replace it with the 'Bullet Seat and Feed Die'. This die pushes the bullet into the case to the correct depth, then crimps the upper edges of the case to hold the bullet firmly and keep gases from escaping when fired. The bullet is manually placed into the case and when the lever is pulled, the 'ram' (that's the rod that moves up and down under the case) rises, pushing the cartridge into the die to a pre-set depth. If it's set too high, the bullet won't go deep enough into the case and could hang up in your gun's action. If it's set too low, it will push the bullet too deep into the case which will increase internal pressures, possibly to a dangerous level. The objective is to adjust the die so that with a single pull of the lever, the bullet is seated into the case at the proper depth, followed by a crimp. These two adjustments take some playing with to set correctly. Tonight I noticed that when I pulled down hard on the handle, the die crushed the case (see last photo below). When that happened, I unscrewed everything and started from scratch to get the case to crimp correctly after the bullet is seated at the correct depth. It actually only took a couple of minutes to make the adjustments. I'm sure I'll be tweaking the settings over the next couple of weeks.

Some of my finished cartridges prior to crushing a case. I must have pushed the lever down a bit too far when crimping the case of the final cartridge. That shouldn't happen no matter how much pressure I use. A readjustment of the die seems to have eliminated the problem. If you click the photo above to enlarge it, I think you'll see that the crimp on some of these cases is a bit too much.

Here's the mangled case. Ugh! One thing I haven't used yet is the Carbide Factory Crimp Die. For some reason the kit comes with 3 quick-change die inserts instead of 4. That means that if I want to use this die I have to remove a die I have set from its quick-change die insert and I'll lose the adjustments. I need to locate another unit. My friend Dirk says that I should crimp with the crimp die instead of with the bullet seat die. I'll give that a try if it helps eliminate this problem. I'll be at the range Saturday to try out these rounds and I'll let you know how I make out.

Here's Dirk's tip:
"The problem with crimping with the seating die is it is dependent on case length. If you have a case a bit long it will get crushed if short a light crimp. If I am going to crimp I use the factory crimp die it is consistent. It adds a step but worth it for me for better ammo. You will find ways to speed things up with use. I try to do it in batches. When I had just the single press I would size and prime all my brass first

Loading my first 5 rounds with the Lee single stage press

2009-07-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

This was my first attempt to load 5 rounds with the Lee single stage press. My objective was to show you that if I can do it, so can you. Once I get used to cranking ammo out with the loader, I'll post a better video. This one should show you what's involved in the reloading process.

PS: I emailed Kevin Hutchings from the Up North Journal Pro Staff and asked him to review and comment on this video.

"...One thing I noticed, since you're using the hand primer (if you use the module primer, use it before the flare...), when you flare the case, load the powder...all in one step. You don't need to flare all the cases and then come back and load the powder. It'll save you a lot of time. When you drop the shell down you should notice a slight snag before it releases the case... if you drop it smoothly, that snag will make sure all the powder is in the case and no residue is left in the die. I do like the quick change dies! the older version does not have that option..."

Thanks Kevin! Makes sense to me. ~Bob

The Assembled Lee Single Stage Reloading Kit

2009-07-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Assembly of the Lee 50th Anniversary Kit took me a couple of hours. If I was a bit more familiar with the terminology used in the instructions it could have gone faster. You'll need to drill 3 holes into your table top to mount the press and the powder feed requires two. There's an option to use a C-clamp to mount the powder measure or you can screw it into a board (which I did). When I use it for awhile and figure out where it works best, I permanently mount it. Now it's time to begin reloading...

A first look at the Lee 50th Anniversary Reloading Kit

2009-06-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

My 50th Anniversary Lee Reloading Kit with dies for the 44 magnum arrived today. I just finished unpacking the box and was immediately taken by the quality of the press. Unlike many of the presses I've seen, the Lee Breech Lock Challenger Press no plastic parts. The press itself is cast with all steel linkage and a wooden knob. Considering the reasonable price of this press, I didn't expect to see this kind of quality. The kit comes with many accessories, including a scale with magnetic dampening, Lee's Perfect Powder Measure for dispensing powder, a primer pocket cleaning tool, case trimming tools and much more. I'll go into much more detail in upcoming posts.

If you've been following this blog, you know that I've been reloading for my Henry Big Boy 44 magnum with a Classic Lee Loader, which requires hammering the cases in the the die, hammering the bullet into the case, etc. The Lee Press changes all that. For now on I'll be 'pressing' instead of 'hammering'. Since I've never used a reloading press before, we will be learning together from square one. Over the weekend I'll be bolting the press to the bench, setting up the powder measure and figuring out what everything does. As I learn I'll be posting the info on this blog. I have a feeling that if you're not reloading now, you'll want to be as you see me get into this. I really enjoy loading with the Classic Lee Loader, but this should add an entirely new dimension to the reloading experience. My buddy Dirk emailed me and said that this is the system he learned to reload on and which he still uses. This is going to be fun, so check back regularly to see how I'm progressing.

For more information on Lee Precision and the Lee 50th Anniversary Kit, click HERE to visit Lee's website.

Don't be a primer hog!

2009-06-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I received the following today via email from the 'American Rifleman':

"...In conversations with representatives from various mail order companies that specialize in ammunition, we were told that as soon as they unload a truck (not a box, but a truck), the ammunition is entered into their systems and is, literally, gone, often in mere hours. Ammunition is flowing steadily from makers through commercial channels, and it is being delivered to retail outlets. Some larger storefronts have ample supplies, but that can change in a matter of hours..."

When I was a teen, Johnny Carson did a gag on the 'Tonight Show' in which he said that there would likely be a toilet paper shortage. Immediately there was a run on the stores which resulted in an unnecessary shortage. According to this article and others I've read, it's happening all over again, but this time with primers. There obviously is a fear that the Obama administration is going to do something to make ammo and reloading supplies more difficult to obtain, so people are buying up far more than they can use and are emptying the shelves. Sportsmen need to speak up about this. YOUR SELFISHNESS IS ENDANGERING THE SHOOTING SPORTS! I have not seen a box of primers on the shelves in months, which means that I must shoot my centerfire rifle very sparingly or within days I will be out of ammo. If you are one of the people cleaning out the gun shops, tell me what you plan to do with all this ammo and reloading components? Are you readying to hold off the federal government single handedly? My god! Real soldiers in the field don't have this mentality, but instead are not afraid to toss a magazine to their buddies who are running low. Your fellow shooters in the field are low on ammo as well. Be a sport and TOSS THEM SOME PRIMERS AND AMMO! If you do, I think you'll soon discover that the only primer shortage is the one you are creating.

Remember that an ammo shortage means that new shooters cannot be brought into the sport, and when they are, they cannot adequately train. People who need ammo for personal defense have been virtually disarmed and their families endangered. Those without ammo or who have been price gouged are not going to spend much time shooting at their local ranges, which hurts an industry already under attack. People don't buy gun calibers if the ammo it eats is not available. Hunters without ammo don't hunt, and instead of the sport booming, we will begin to see it die out.

We all are well aware of the fact that the Second Amendment and gun owners in general are under attack. We need interest in shooting and the shooting population to grow quickly if we are going to survive the next 4 years. Some are fighting the fight, writing senators, recruiting new NRA members and growing interest in the sport through blogs, websites and podcasts. It's expensive to bring new people to the range, and becoming more difficult due to ammo shortages and skyrocketing prices. These people are becoming sick of pulling the wagon for others, and they sure don't need to be dragging the additional weight ammo hoarders have put on the sport. Simply begin buying in moderation and the supply chain will begin to function properly again. In the end you will be serving your own interest.

A new load: Sierra 210gr w/ AA #9

2009-05-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Ammo is getting increasingly more difficult to find thanks to the surge in firearm and ammo sales since the election of Obama. Today was the first time I have ever seen the shelves cleaned out of 17HMR ammo of all kinds. Hornady bullets were non-existent in 44 cal. and Accurate #9 was gone. It's not easy to get stuck in a reloading rut these days since what you load today will likely not be available tomorrow and we must make due with what's we can get our hands on. I did find quite a few boxes of 44 bullets in various brands that I had never tried, including the box of Sierra that I bought. I was please to see that I was able to find lighter grain bullets in the available brands, including the 210 gr Sierra's I bought today. They had a Sierra reloading manual, so I flipped through it an saw that they had load data for Accurate #9, which I have plenty of thanks to Accurate, which sent me 2 lbs last week. When I got home, I located the same load chart in that $6 reloading book I have with the charts from all the brands in the one book for the single caliber. I suggest everyone get this and you can pick it up on Amazon or at your local gun shop. It's called, 'The Complete Reloading Manual for the .44 Magnum'. It really is a 'must have' unless you're loaded and have the full reloading manuals from each of the bullet manufacturers.

I wanted to develope a light load for the range, staying above the minimum on the chart. Since I'm loading these by hand, one at a time, I needed to come up with a load that I could measure easily and quickly with my Lee scoop set. That wasn't easy. The minimum load with AA #9 is 19.1gr and the maximum 22.7. The closest I could get was to use a slightly heaping 1.3cc spoon, which gave me 19.7 gr. I checked it on the scale multiple times, and it came out 19.5, 19.7, etc. That's over the 19.1 minimum and just under the 20 gr, which would bring the velocity to 1300 FPS. My thinking is that the smaller bullet with the light load should do a job on a coyote between 50-100 yards without ripping it to pieces like I expect the 265 gr bullet to do.

(Left- casing damage during crimping)
Tonight I loaded 100 rounds and discovered one problem that I want to give you a heads up on. For some reason (likely because of the smaller bullet), when crimping, the die has a tendancy to shift slightly to one side and when this happens, if you hammer on the case like you can with the 265 bullet, you could get a crease in your case. This happened to me 3 times out of the 100 rounds. One round didn't look too bad so I kept it but the other 2 ended up the the oil bath where my bad cartridges are put to rest.

I'm expecting the range to open in a week or so, and as soon as it does I'll give you a report on how well these cartridges perform. Until next time, have fun and stay safe.

The Hornady .44 Magnum LEVERevolution Bullet

2009-05-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

I TOOK THIS PHOTO OF THE TWO BULLETS SIDE BY SIDE

Last week Hornady was nice enough to send me a box of their new Leverevolution 44 mag FTX bullets. Like the bullets I've been loading, these are also 265 gr so I was excited to get these babies loaded up. I bought 100 new cases and set the primers, so I was all ready to go when they arrived.

Upon opening the box I was immediately concerned about their length. It was obvious that they were substantially longer than the Hornady 265 GR FP bullets that I've been using. I learned that even if my cartridge length extended a small fraction of an inch longer than the maximum C.O.L. (cartridge overall length) of 1.610", they don't feed through my Henry Big Boy rifle. I took out my caliper and did a bit of measuring:

The standard GR FP bullet has a length of .87"
The FTX bullet length is 1.42"
That's a .55" difference in length.

How am I supposed to get over a half inch into a case that's only 1.285" long? The bullet was actually designed for a .444 Marlin which has a case length of 2.225". That's a difference in case length of almost an inch. Hornady said that they were interested to know how I made out loading the FTX bullet into the magnum case, but I told them that I'm new to reloading and there's no way I'm going to play around with a load that has never been tested. Pushing the bullet a half inch into the case could cause dangerously high pressures. Recently I was in contact with a prison Chaplin that worked out of a church I was in fellowship with. Another guy from that church was recently seriously injured while shooting a friend's lever action rifle loaded with reloaded ammo. The cartridge exploded, blowing apart the forearm and seriously injuring the guy's left hand. There's no way I'm going to do anything as foolish as creating an untested load; at least not until I become an extremely experienced reloader. I suggest you do the same and stay away from this bullet for your 44 magnum. Hornady has an FTX cartridge made for the 44 magnum but they do not sell the bullets separately. I'm guessing some day they will, but until then, just buy the cartridges off the shelf. If you have a .444 Marlin, this should be one heck of a bullet.

LINK to info on these bullets

A FRIEND'S WARNING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF RELOADING
"____, had a shooting accident last Dec. 27th. He was at the shooting range when a friend offered him a chance to shoot his Marlin 450. It was a reload bullet which for some reason blew up. His left hand was severely damaged but that was all. He has been in recovery since and has presently regained practically full use of his hand. Lots of scars but still able to function. It was a scary thing but ____ is doing fine, in fact I was at his home last night. He has the pieces of the rifle. Since there was not criminal case the police gave him the parts. Just a freaky accident."

Developing a new load

2009-04-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

I worked a lot of hours today and I'm stuck working tomorrow (on my hunting day!), so I at least wanted to accomplish something at home before heading out to work again in the morning. I decided to weigh out a load tonight so the next time I get some free time I can set up about 50 rounds.

I started by deciding on which load I wanted to shoot for. I had my best groups using Accurate #9 with 265 grain Hornady bullets, so I thought I'd start with that but make them slightly hotter this time to raise the shot a few inches at 50 yards. This gets a bit confusing.

First, let me suggest that you purchase a digital scale if you can afford one. I'm using a beam scale and it takes a long time to settle down and my results are a bit inconsistent. I decided to weigh out Accurate #9 in various scoops. Here's my results:

1.6cc scoop 25 gr
1.3cc scoop 19.7 gr
.5cc + .7cc scoops 17.8 gr
1.0 cc scoop 15.4 gr
0.7cc scoop 10.5 gr
0.5cc scoop: 7.31 gr
0.3cc scoop: 4.42 gr

Minimum load is 14.8 gr (1200 FPS). Maximum load is 22.1 (1700 FPS). The middle ground is 17.7 (1400 FPS)

Last week I loaded using the 1.3cc scoop which should bring me a bit above 1500 FPS. That's a bit hot but should still be safe. I'm wondering if I was hitting low due to my cartridges being too long? That would reduce pressures, but enough to drop the bullet a few inches? I don't know. Next time I load I'll keep the same load as last time and size each round to be sure the length is correct and consistent. I'll let you know how that works out.

I'll continue to stress what I have throughout this blog, weigh your own powder (don't trust my numbers) and check them against a good reloading book. I just ordered the latest Hornady book from Amazon for about $28. That almost $10 less than from the gunshops and shipping is free. It's a good and necessary investment.

The Lee Auto-Prime

2009-04-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Kevin and Dirk have been on my case to buy a Lee Auto-Prime since I told them that I had a primer blow while hammering it into place. It doesn't seem to happen much when the cases are new, but I've discovered that 3% of the primers were blowing when installing them in reloaded cases. Well, I listened to my friends and finally coughed up the $20 to buy the gadget. It actually cost $15 and change, plus about $3.50 for the 44 magnum shell holder that slides in. The Auto-Prime comes with two trays, rods and springs so you can use if for both large and small primers. I installed the large primer system for the 44 magnum.

Before seating the primer, you'll need to hammer the case into the sizing die as usual. But this time, instead of hammering in the primer then hammering out the case, you simply hammer the case in then hammer it out. (Top photo: hammering the case in. 2nd Photo: Using the priming rod to hammer the case out)

I sized 50 cases at once so I wouldn't have to do it again once I began seating primers. You'll first need to assemble to Auto-Prime and lubricate the moving parts. You can use grease or Vaseline for this. If you skip this step you'll void the warrenty. Next you fill the tray with primers and shake it around until they are all facing the correct direction. I found it quite amazing that they all rotated themselves so the flat side was down. Next snap on the clear plastic cover, then tilt the unit 45 degrees and give it a shake until a primer slides into position to be seated. Now slide your sized case into the case holder and squeeze the handle. The primer moves right into place and that's it. Now remove the case and repeat. This was the first time I used it, so I was really careful that each primer was sitting correctly on the rod ready to be pushed into place. Be careful that there are not 2 primers in position to be seated or you'll set them off. They say to treat the case like it's in a loaded gun, being sure it's pointed in a safe direction. Always wear eye protection and I keep a leather glove on my right hand. From what I hear, it's unlikely, but still possible to set the entire tray off. In such a case I want to be sure I have some protection on my hand. DO NOT USE FEDERAL PRIMERS with this unit. From what I'm reading, Federal primers explode with a greater force which could cause injury. They give you a list of primers you can use and they say not to use a primer that's not listed. The Winchester Large Pistol primer that I've been using is on the list.

Thanks Dirk and Kevin for getting on my case to buy one of these. I think it will make the procedure much faster, safer and more enjoyable. And as usual, use it at your own risk. Study up on it and carefully read the instructions before using. Then have fun.

Later in the evening I decided to find out why some of my cartridges were hanging up the the rifle Sunday. I went to Home Dept and bought a caliper for $9.00, then went to my reloading manual. It said that the max. cartridge length is 1.610". As close as I can figure, that equals near 1-10/16 +/- which equals 1.666". So I set the caliper to 1-5/8", which should be a hair over max. I have a lot of leftover rounds from Sunday's shoot, so I measured each cartridge. The 200 gr Speer were fine; a little short if anything. The 200 and 240 gr Hornady mostly passed, and the 265 gr, which shot the best Sunday, were all at least 1/8" long. That must have been why so many gave me a problem feeding. I hammered the bullets a bit deeper into the cases and recrimped them. On the 265 the bullet groves must be set below the top of the case, unlike the others where the groves slightly show. I learned some new things today!

Reload test at 50 yards

2009-03-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

My objective today was to find the best load for my Henry BigBoy 44 magnum rifle at 50 yards. I brought 150 rounds that I hand loaded and ended up firing 94. All the ammo fired nicely, though I did have a problem with some of the rounds not feeding properly. It appears that I need to seat the bullet a bit deeper next time, and Bill says he has a gauge I can have to measure the cartridge length. I shot six rounds of a specific load at each target and kept a record of which load was used on which target. The target frame was set up 50 yards out. I originally started at 100 yards, but the target was so small that I felt lucky just to hit it, never mind comparing groups. 100 yards is too long to test this rifle with iron sights using small targets. Next time I plan to bring a 200 yard target to make it easier to see what I'm shooting at. Bifocals are a major pain when aiming at a small, distant target. Either I mount a scope or get a bigger target. Since most coyote hunting in CT is up close and personal, I'm keeping the iron sights. I wish I could have locked the rifle down to take myself out of the loop, but since that's not possible today, at least the equation is skewed equally for each load.

I was amazed to discover that the lightest bullet (200 gr Speer) gave me the lousiest groups, and the heaviest bullet, the Hornady 265 gr gave me the best. I never expected these results. I know I loaded the 265 cartridge light, so I'm hoping that if I load it just a bit more, it will bring the bullet right in consistently. The final target with the 200 gr Hornady seems to have great potential, but I just about ran out of rounds before starting the test. I was just having fun blast'n when I realized I'd better stop and do some testing... a little too late. I'll load more for next time. Target 5 wasn't bad either. Note that the best results were all achieved with Accurate #9.

TOP ROW, left to right:
Target 1 - Powder: Allient 2400 / Amount: 21.4 gr. / Bullet: Speer 200 gr.
Target 2 - Powder: Accurate #9 / Amount: 1.3cc / Bullet: 265 gr Hornady
Target 3 - Powder: Accurate #9 / Amount: 1.3 cc / Bullet: 200 gr Hornady

BOTTOM ROW, left to right:
Target 4 - Powder: Winchester 296 / Amount: 1.3 cc / Bullet: 200 gr Hornady
Target 5 - Powder: Accurate #9 / Amount: 1.0 cc / Bullet: 265 gr Hornady
Target 6 - Powder: Accurate #9 / Amount: 1.3 cc / Bullet: 200 gr Hornady*.
*only 2 rounds fired at target

I just noticed something: How come Target 2 used 1.3cc of Accurate #9 and Target 5 only used 1cc? Target 5 was consistently higher! How could .3cc less powder cause the shot to hit higher? How is that possible?

Next time out I take this load: (Powder: Accurate #9 / Amount: 1.3cc / Bullet: 265 gr Hornady) and make sure my cartridge length is correct so the rounds are not under pressured...MORE

Homemade case cleaner

2009-03-30T18:31:00.001-07:00

NOT TOO SHABBY!

I shot just under 100 rounds yesterday, so before I reload the cases, I want to clean them. I don't have any case cleaner at home, so I thought, "Someone must have a recipe posted online". Within seconds I pulled up some recipes. This one looked like the best so I tried it out:

1 quart of water
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup laundry or dishwashing detergent
1/8 cup salt

Agitate every few minutes for 15-20. They say it gives a pinkish hue to the brass, but the color didn't seem to change at all as far as I could tell. I dried them in my oven set at 200F for about 10 minutes. I was amazed at the results.

Trying a new coyote load

2009-03-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

Ammo and reloading supplies are becoming more difficult to find, so we have to be willing to try new bullets and powder combinations. I haven't been able to locate a Hornady bullet under 265 grain, and I've been looking for weeks. Today I decided it is time to try another brand of bullet, and I came across a 200 grain hollow point made by Speer. I'm happy to report that these bullets are high quality, and should be perfect for coyote hunting. With a minimum load, the bullet should travel at 1748 FPS, compared to the 265 grain Hornady that travels at 1400 FPS. The 265 grain bullet is reported to be a good deer slug, but for yotes I want a smaller, faster bullet with a longer reach. Dirk invited Bill and I to his range on Sunday, so tonight I packed up 5 or 6 bags of cartridges, each holding 20 rounds of a specific load. Each bag has a sheet in it describing the bullet weight, powder brand and load. I'll be looking for groups and elevation, and will be writing everything down, so check back early next week or results as well as photos and movies if the club doesn't object. Hey Hornady, Lee, Speer and the rest! With all the free plugs I'm giving your companies it would be nice if someone would spring for a box of bullets or something. Hell, ammo is in such demand these days that most companies could care less about the individual comsumer. Go to Ruger or Winchester's website and try to find an email address. You won't. Their products are in such demand that you can forget about customer service. The only company that still seems to believe in it is Henry Repeating, where every email sent is not only answered, it's answered by the company president, Anthony Imperato.

Tonight I began by experimenting with Lee scoop sizes and weights. I filled a scoop with 2400 and dumped it into my scale's pan; the goal being to hit 22 gr. The closest I could get was a combination of 2 scoops: 1.00cc and .7cc. Those two scoops together totalled 21.4 gr., which is just under the 22 gr. minimum load. I loaded 20 rounds to see how that works out. I'll need to start making some custom cups out of empty casings get more easily measure loads that don't conform to the LEE cup sizes.

Again, here's the load:

1.00 cc scoop +
0.70 cc scoop =
21.4 gr.

Minimum load: 22 gr. = 1748 FPS
Maximum load: 24 gr. = 1878 FPS
This load should be a little light.

I'll let you know how I make out on Sunday.

Basic Reloading by Bob Rich

2009-03-22T16:31:00.001-07:00

The following is the step by step method that I'm using to reload 44 magnum. I've only been doing this for about a month, so don't look to me as an expert. Proceed at your own risk and consult a good reloading manual. Now that I'm no longer responsible for blowing you up, let's get started. I'm starting with new brass, so there's no need to knock out the old primer, clean out the case, etc. Let's assume you just bought a bag of brass as I just did. 100 cases go for about $25 and Lee claims you can use them up to 100 times! The Classic Lee reloading kit sells for only about $25, so you can't beat that to get started in the hobby.

Today I loaded 20 rounds, taking these photos along the way. The first photo shows the components required to load 20 rounds: 20 brass cases, 20 bullets and 20 primers. Click the photos to get an enlarged view.

Stop and PUT ON SAFETY GLASSES!

STEP 1 - Size the case: Put the brass case in the 'sizing die'. You'll need a mallet with a plastic end for this. I've tried it by putting a piece of wood between the die and the hammer, but it's a pain so don't even bother. Go to Home Depot and buy one. I found that hammering on a table vice or a chunk of steel is much easier that hammering on a flexible surface like wood. I've been living in my house for ten years, and last week when I was going through some old cubby holes in the basement, I stumbled across a perfect block of steel to hammer on. The guy who used to own my house made wine here and had a press in the basement. This looks like part of it. It's been recruited into service on my reloading table.

Take the plastic mallet and hammer the case all the way into the die. It takes about 5 good hits.

STEP 2 - Seat the primer: Pick up the 'priming chamber'. It's a cylindrical gizmo with a screw in one end. It has 2 functions; the first being to set the primer into the brass case. Put the priming chamber on your working surface with the silver disk facing up. Now take a primer and drop it into the hole in the center with the flat side down. I'm using Winchester WLP large caliber handgun primers.

Turn the die over so the side with the back of the brass case is facing down. Place the die on top of the priming chamber. We are now going to hammer the case down onto the primer to the primer fits into the back of the brass case. There's a steel rod that comes with the kit called the 'priming rod'. Put the rod into the die (or 'body') and let in sit over the primer. This will seem a bit scary the first couple of times, but it's no big deal after that. It the rod about 5 times until the case starts coming out of the die and the primer is pushed into the case so both the base of the case and the primer are flush with each other. You'll likely need to pick it up and examine it, then put it back and hammer it some more until it's seated properly. You quickly get the feel of this and it will be 3 whacks and it's in. This step works MUCH better if it's done on a solid surface such as a table vice or a slab of steel. The more solid the base, the easier it is to feel the primer seat into place. You really can't feel it if your work surface is flexing. You might want to wear leather gloves for this in case the primer blows. I had one go off in 120 cartridges, and I believe it was my error since it was during my first 50. It made a bang that no one upstairs heard and made my fingertips black. Don't put your face over the case when hammering, just in case.

Step 3 - Remove the case from the die: Once the primer is flush with the case, get the 'decapping chamber' that's in the kit. It's a cylinder with a hole on the middle. It allows you to hammer on the cartridge without the primer coming in contact with anything. Now put the die with the brass case in it case down, resting on the decapping chamber. Now put the Priming rod into the case as you did when you set the primer and dive it a few whacks with the mallet. The case will fall out of the die and will stay in the decapping chamber.

Now put the die back over the brass case. notice that one side of the die has a ridge circling the tube. That's the crimping end, so keep that side up and put the die once again over the case.

Step 4 - Add the powder: Now here's where it gets complicated and where you should do your own studying. I have a reloading manual called 'The complete reloading manual for the .44 magnum', which is part of the One Book / One Caliber series. You can buy this for about $7 and it includes info only on your caliber from various reloading manuals. I've been using Hornady bullets, and in this case, 265 grain. The powder I want to use today is Accurate No. 9, and to achieve 1400 FPS (which is a moderate load), it requires 17.7 grains of powder according to the manual. Now it gets confusing. I bought a Lee scoop set and it comes with a sliding powder chart. This chart has all major brands listed and how many grains of powder each Lee scoop holds. Here's what the chart says:

The 1.00cc powder measure holds 15.2 grains of Accurate #9.
The 1.30cc powder measure holds 19.8 grains of Accurate #9.

To double check this, I put one 1.30cc scoop of powder on my scale (thanks again for the scale Dirk). Instead of the weight being 19.8 grains, the scale reads 21.1 grains. That's a moderate load at 1700FPS with a 200 grain bullet, but with a 265 grain bullet it's in the range of a maximum (and possibly dangerous) load. Maximum load is 22.1 grains; only 1 grain difference.

Next I weighed the contents of the 1.0cc scoop, which the chart says holds 15.2 grains. The scale read it at 15.4 grains, which is close. 15.4 is halfway between 14.8 (the minimum load) and the next load up - 16.3 grains. That sounds like a good place to start, so I'm going with that. The moral of this story is DON'T TRUST THE LEE CHART. Use a scale to verify the Lee figures.

I find it interesting that the larger the bullet, the smaller the amount of powder is required. Example: here's 3 bullets using the same powder. Note the bullet size and the powder required to achieve a starting load:

200 grain bullet 19.7 grains of powder at 1600 FPS
240 grain bullet 17.2 grains of powder at 1400 FTP
265 grain bullet 14.8 grains of powder at 1200 FTP

Big bullets travel slower and require smaller powder loads to stay safe. Keep this in mind.

Now that we know how much powder to add (one level 1.0cc scoop), put the decapping chamber on the table with the primered brass case sitting in it. This assured that no matter how much you hammer on the bullet, the primer has only air under it. Now slip the body or the die over the case. The case now fits the die so well that when powder is dumped into the die, it only falls into the case and nothing falls to the sides onto the table. Now fill up the yellow scoop with powder, then take a business card and run it across the top of the scoop so the powder is level and not piled over the scoop. Don't pack the powder down! I find it's easier to pour the powder from the bottle into a soft plastic container such as a cottage cheese container. That way you can dip in the scoop and keep it level as you pull it up and out. Now carefully pour the scoop of powder into the die so it pours into the brass case.

Step 5 - Drop in and seat the bullet: Next drop a bullet into the die so it follows the powder into the brass case. Remember that priming chamber you used at the beginning to set the primer into the case? You are now going to use that screw thing that sticks out perpendicular to the cylinder. First, I suggest bringing out a store bought cartridge that you can use as a model. You are about to hammer the bullet down into the case so it makes the cartridge the correct length. Take the rod/screw end and drop it into the die so it touches the top of the bullet. The cylindrical priming chamber is now on top of everything. Take your plastic mallet and give it a few taps so you feel the bullet being hammered down into the case. Stop and check the bullet depth. There are grooved rings that run around the bullet. You want to hammer the bullet down until you can just see a bit of that ring sticking above the top of the case. Once you get near the correct height, but your cartridge next to the store bought one and see if they are the same height. Once the correct bullet depth is achieved, put the rod back into the die and adjust the locking ring so that the depth of the next cartridge will be preset. Then all you'll need to do is drop in the bullet, drop in the bullet seating rod and hammer away until it stops. The bullet should be set to the correct depth. Be sure to check this on every cartridge since it will slowly move out of position and will require a tiny bit of adjusting. Seating the bullet too deep will cause increased pressure in the cartridge and can be dangerous.

Step 6 - Crimp the case: Next, crimp the case by lifting off the die, turning it over and once again dropping it over the cartridge. This time it will stop at the neck of the case and won't travel down to the decapping chamber. Now give it a few whacks, but be sure the cartridge is in the decapping chamber and not sitting directly on the table!! You don't want that primer going off when you're hammering. You now have a completed cartridge.

I've found that it goes faster if I set all the primers at one time, then load the cases. You'll also have a bunch of primered cases ready to go if you want to quickly make a new load. Keep your cartridges in a plastic case made specifically for that caliber. You can find these boxes wherever reloading supplies are sold. Most hold 50 rounds. Be sure to label the box with the bullet type and weight, type of powder used and the amount of powder. Now have fun comparing one load to the next at the range to see which load works better for your firearm.

The next time around you'll need to knock out the old primer first and clean up the case. Here's a few photos of some really inexpensive gadgets to clean out the primer pocket, and trim the case. I'll save that for another time. Have fun and stay safe.

Regarding underloading W296

2009-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here's some great info from Kevin on a question I posted for him (see my previous post):

Bob,

Mike just got a hold of me about your concern for W296. W296 is identical to Hodgens H110 which I use. H110 was sold by Hodgen when they didn't own Winchester Powders...if you look at the load charts they are identical. only difference is that on volume H110 is .00005 gr less... A safe rule of thumb is to never load less than a standard reduced load to start. Reduce load is generally 10%. H110 and W296 can build up some heavy pressures when the case load is reduced too much. Remember, Heavier the bullet the less the powder volume... your Lee 1.3 dipper loads 19.8 grains which is above the reduced load limit of 19.35. You're fine even if your COL is a little long. Just double check if your unsure and seat your loads at or slightly below the COL.

From what I remember, you must be loading around a 270 gr bullet right? anything lighter you need more powder in H110 or W296. you will notice that they make more noise...

If you were loading an OLD 44 mag, I would say don't get close to the starting load...just in case. with a modern firearm you should be fine even at the starting load.

270 GR. SPR GDSP Hodgdon H110 .429" 1.600" 19.5 1502 29,300 CUP 21.5 1637 37,700 CUP Rifle load
270 GR. SPR GDSP Hodgdon H110 .429" 1.600" 19.5 1295 29,300 CUP 21.5 1421 37,700 CUP Pistol load
270 GR. SPR GDSP Winchestr 296 .429" 1.600" 19.5 1295 29,300 CUP 21.5 1421 37,700 CUP Pistol

FYI ... Reduced loads are some times used to reduce the recoil of a round but it doesn't always work that way. I think the warnings are more to keep someone from under loading a round to help a new shooter or one that is afraid of recoil... We're Men, we can handle a teenie ol 44 Mag. Reducing loads can also be used on ammunition that is not rated to velocities that max loads would push them. XTP mag loads are designed to handle the stress. plain lead could deform from a heavy load and would not be accurate at longer distances.

hope that helps.

-Kevin

Important WARNING on Winchester 296 powder

2009-03-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

I just purchased a Lee measuring cup kit, and it comes with a sliding measuring calculator. Printed on it there's a notice not to use Winchester 296: "Do not use powders that cannot be reduced such as Winchester 296". "Wonderful", I thought. I just bought a container of it last week and loaded 25 rounds. What does 'cannot be reduced' refer to? Does that mean that you can't create a load with less than the minimum load? Are these rounds safe to shoot?

The chart says that the 1.3cc scoop that comes with the 44mag Lee classic loader kit equals 19.8 grains. According to my reloading manual, the minimum load is 16.1 grains and the maximum is 23.8. That puts me a bit on the low side but somewhere in the middle. I shouldn't have to worry about the load being too low, but you should be aware of this info.

I wrote Lee about it yesterday and I just received a response from their tech department:

"My understanding of that warning is Winchester 296 is sensitive to reduced loads. If not enough pressure is developed, 296 will not burn completely or even squib, in which it is possible to stick a bullet in the barrel. If you didn't notice it and tried to fire another cartridge this could obviously create a dangerous condition."

I'm guessing this would only be a catastrophic problem in a semi-auto pistol, because I can't imagine shooting a squib in my lever gun and not knowing it. In a semi, you could do a double-tap and have the second round blow the gun apart in your hand. I'm sure it would be a major problem to have an underpowered bullet get stick in the barrel of my rifle, but it shouldn't be a life-threatening failure. I sure wouldn't use it in any firearm that cycles quickly, which could even include a revolver.

Some reloading observations

2009-03-09T19:49:00.001-07:00

As you know, I'm new to reloading as you might be, so as I come across something that works for me I'll pass that info onto you. I have 100 rounds that I need to reload after last week's shoot, so yesterday I hammered out the primers all in one step. This is my new method of production line assembly. Instead of reloading the cartridges one at a time, I'm doing each step 100 times. It requires that I juggle tools less and allows me to get into a rhythm. When I'm doing something messy like lubricating the cases, I only have to wipe my fingers off once instead of 100 times... MORE

Trying a heavier bullet

2009-03-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

I loaded another fifty 44 magnum rounds yesterday which exhausted my bullet supply, so after work I had to pick up another 100. I was hoping to find 240 grain Hornady, but could only locate 265 gr. That's OK because the load is similar. Using 1 Lee scoop of Accurate #9 (equal to 17.5 gr), I'll be very close to the center velocity in the chart which is 17.7 gr = 1400 FPS. That's 200 FPS slower than the 200 gr bullet I was shooting... or maybe not. Don't forget that I was loading those cartridges light, so the velocity might not be all that much different. I'll be using the same amount of powder since the 200 gr bullet required a minimum of 19.7 gr and I loaded them light at 17.5 gr. That could have brought the velocity down to around 1400 FPS, which would match the 265 gr bullet. This cartridge is going to kick butt when it meets a coyote... MORE

First shoot with the Henry Big Boy and my hand loaded ammo.

2009-03-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I took today off from work and hit the Blue Trail Range* with 125 rounds of 44 magnum and my new Henry Big Boy. This was a first time shooting the Big Boy and my hand loaded ammo. If you read the posts below, you'll see that I've been loading with Accurate #9 and Allient powder with 200 grain Hornady hollow points... MORE

A new load and a range date

2009-03-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Today I went to buy another bottle of Accurate #9 and guess what? They're all out. I flipped through the gunshop's Hornady book, located my 200 grain bullet and found another powder. '2400' has almost the same burn rate at #9 so I picked it up. The manual says that it takes 20.5 gr. of powder for a velocity of 1600. #9 takes 19.7 gr. I measured 20.5 on the scale and it's slightly more than the Lee scoop. Since it's the first time firing the load, it wouldn't hurt to be a bit under, so I loaded a single scoop... MORE

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Evening three. Reloading one round per minute.

2009-03-09T19:41:00.001-07:00

I've been spending about an hour a night for the last three evenings learning to reload. The more I do it, the faster and easier it becomes. I've discovered tonight that I don't need to lube or flare these new cases, and that's saving me seconds per round. I wasn't trying to race against myself, but developed a natural rhythm which makes the process move along faster and easier. They're taking somewhere around a minute per cartridge, so I decided to turn the camera on again to show you how simple the process is. If you're not reloading you really should consider doing so. Especially for expensive rounds like the 44 magnum... MORE

I'm reloading!

2009-03-09T19:39:00.001-07:00

It's a lot easier than I thought. I shot this movie after reloading less than a dozen 44 magnum cartridges. Thanks Dirk, Kevin and Mike for sharing your reloading knowledge with me. This movie was created to show how long it takes to load a cartridge. I posted a good movie below that actually explains the steps... MORE

My first 6 hand loaded cartridges

2009-03-09T19:36:00.001-07:00

I just loaded my first half dozen 44 mags with my 'Classic Lee Loader', which is the kit that goes for around $25 (which is an amazingly low price in my opinion). As I began loading I discovered what I didn't have; case lubricant and a plastic mallet. I made due with candle wax, a block of wood and a regular hammer. I'll buy a mallet tomorrow. Figuring out the correct amount of powder was a bit confusing. The sheet that comes with the loader says to use 1 scoop of powder (1.3 cc's), but it also shows in grains how much powder to add. Every bullet/powder combination listed a different amount of grains, but they all say one scoop. Is the single scoop the starting load for all component combinations? The chart listed 19.8 grains for a 200 grain jacketed bullet with Accur #9 powder. I set my scale for 19.8, filled the scoop, dumped it on the scale's tray and it didn't balance. I had to add another 1/3 scoop to make it level. I've been watching YouTube videos and they all show that I should be using 1 level scoop so I wasn't comfortable adding more. The second time I weighed a scoop it came very close and I'm not sure why. Who knows, it's an old scale and it could have gotten stuck. With these light weights I'm sure it doesn't take much to hang it up. Once I got this settled in my head, I was ready to load... MORE

Bought reloading components for the 44 magnum

2009-03-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

OK guys. I've been trying to figure out this reloading thing and it sure isn't easy. I bought a book from Cabela's 'One Book / One Caliber 'The Complete Reloading Manual for the .44 Magnum'. The bullet powder combinations in this book do not match the charts on the manufacturer's web sites I've been checking. I'm guessing that the info in the book is correct but the new info is more up to date and possibly has more refined component combinations... MORE