What did you do at your reloading bench today?

[wpage]

Doing some research on black powder reloads for 12 ga. Cleaned up some hulls and will size up for testing on my old Damascus barreled sxs.

The videos showed trimming and methods for hand loading simple.

 

[smdub]

Worked on step 3 over Friday, Sat night, and today: load some 300 AAC BLK. This batch is 125gr FMJ backed by Lil Gun

I bought some reloading supplies from a fellow member recently and it included a box of ~280 Speer TNT Varmint 30 cal 125 gr.

Buy TNT Bullet for USD 30.99 | Speer

Shopping for the TNT Bullet - Learn more about the latest TNT Bullet and other hunting, shooting or reloading gear at Speer.

www.speer.com

I don't use 300blk supers so its the one thing in the lot I'll probably never use. PM me if you're interested.

 

[skooter525]

Give it a try. Most of my experience is comparing regular and mag primers in rifle rounds. I've done a little in handgun rounds. I'd expect slightly higher velocities, maybe 5-15fps. Your accuracy and SD could be better or worse depending on what powder and what powder charge. Just the usual reminder, if you are close to max pressure, back off the powder charge for sure, as a mag primer WILL increase it.

In rifle rounds I found, for example, 6.5 Grendel and CFE 223 it seems to reduce SDs, but decrease accuracy. In 223, CFE 223 and mag primers seem to slightly increase SDs, but slightly increase accuracy. *shrug*.

Ok Thanks, I think I'll be ok then. I have mostly Lg pistol mag primers. I am low on regular lg pistol

 

[Squaregrouper]

My thumbs hurt just thinking about converting .223 to 300ACC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I paid this guy to do it for me and it was a hundred bucks well spent.

.300 Blackout Conversion Processing Service (1,000 ct.) - M&S Processed Brass

msprocessedbrass.com

 

[lazarus]

Ok Thanks, I think I'll be ok then. I have mostly Lg pistol mag primers. I am low on regular lg pistol

One other thought, be careful with some of the very fast powders that have "do not reduce" warnings on them if you are close to or at the minimum charge. A mag primer might be enough to cause a detonation of one of those small charges. For example, Bullseye in a large case tends to have DNR warnings. I can't recall ever reading or hearing of anyone having an issue there, just thinking I could see there being one.

 

[skooter525]

One other thought, be careful with some of the very fast powders that have "do not reduce" warnings on them if you are close to or at the minimum charge. A mag primer might be enough to cause a detonation of one of those small charges. For example, Bullseye in a large case tends to have DNR warnings. I can't recall ever reading or hearing of anyone having an issue there, just thinking I could see there being one.

Thanks

 

[akalma]

Be careful with some brass you pick at the range!
These 5.56 have too narrow flash hole so the decapping pin stucks and gets pulled from the decapping stem. The diameter of Lee's decapping pin is .06" and it is too large.

 

[4g64loser]

Be careful with some brass you pick at the range!
These 5.56 have too narrow flash hole so the decapping pin stucks and gets pulled from the decapping stem. The diameter of Lee's decapping pin is .06" and it is too large.
View attachment 393874

Watch out for the newer norma 9mm currently flooding the market too.

What you have there is Igman, I believe. Known trouble. Unless you own mighty armory decap dies. I paid full price for them and I'm still happy to advertise their quality. It will decap all those reject cases. You may want to toss them on inspection but if they make it into your process pile they won't cause trouble during decap. I tried specifically reloading some of the damn norma 9. The MA decap die sprued a good amount of brass out of the way to decap them. Some would take a primer ok others the primers wouldn't seat. YMMV.

 

[John from MD]

Thanks for the headsup.

 

[akalma]

Watch out for the newer norma 9mm currently flooding the market too.

What you have there is Igman, I believe. Known trouble.

Indeed it is Bosnian ammo "Igman Konjic". The Lee die was able to semi-deprime it, I mean the spent primer was pushed out. But depriming pin is too thick and was left inside the flash hole. Thinner pin will probably work better.

 

[davsco]

100 rds of 223 69 smk's. used new brass so avoided most, but not all, of the suck.

 

[Sticky]

I've picked up a fair amount of that norma 9mm.. I just put it in the scrap bin.. lol

 

[4g64loser]

Indeed it is Bosnian ammo "Igman Konjic". The Lee die was able to semi-deprime it, I mean the spent primer was pushed out. But depriming pin is too thick and was left inside the flash hole. Thinner pin will probably work better.

I still have a lee decap die (I've literally broken or bent over a hundred pins in a decade) but I only use it for long action cases that I'm prepping for friends. My MA shorty bull decapper will handle up to a 308 length case. I use it for all the bulk stuff. I ordered a couple spare pins. Wayne told me I would not likely need them but I insisted. So far he's been right. My friend is also running his 50bmg decap die. I absolutely kick myself for waiting as long as I did to buy his stuff.

 

[4g64loser]

I've picked up a fair amount of that norma 9mm.. I just put it in the scrap bin.. lol

I can decap it with the MA die. Haha. Whether you can reprime it is another question!

 

[Sticky]

I can decap it with the MA die. Haha. Whether you can reprime it is another question!

It don't help it I can't shoot it again.. lol

I may have to look into a MA decapping die. I'm sure it's worth the investment if you decap a lot of brass and I do, typically I decap it and tumble it one way or another before processing it.

Went to the range today to test out the new Sig pistol, see if it works, I can shoot it and carry it from here on out. It passed with flying colors. I also ran a few more Glock or variants, all in 9mm so I have a bunch of 9 brass to prep. The Dillon is setup for 308 waiting for my trim die that's on the way so I can setup the Power Trim, so... Just a quick dry tumble, not even decapping the 9 brass that I picked up. I'll setup and run in through the Dillon to finish prepping it once I get done with this batch of 308 brass.

 

[4g64loser]

It don't help it I can't shoot it again.. lol

I may have to look into a MA decapping die. I'm sure it's worth the investment if you decap a lot of brass and I do, typically I decap it and tumble it one way or another before processing it.

Went to the range today to test out the new Sig pistol, see if it works, I can shoot it and carry it from here on out. It passed with flying colors. I also ran a few more Glock or variants, all in 9mm so I have a bunch of 9 brass to prep. The Dillon is setup for 308 waiting for my trim die that's on the way so I can setup the Power Trim, so... Just a quick dry tumble, not even decapping the 9 brass that I picked up. I'll setup and run in through the Dillon to finish prepping it once I get done with this batch of 308 brass.

It is worth every dollar.

The norma stuff, some will reload, some won't. I suggest buying a primer pocket gauge. The Turan stuff (Turkish) is dicey too.

I decap first, then wet tumble. You can usually spot the ones that won't take a primer at that point. If you are in doubt, check them with a gauge. Ballistic products is the one I use. Handy for checking crimp ream too.

 

[lazarus]

Indeed it is Bosnian ammo "Igman Konjic". The Lee die was able to semi-deprime it, I mean the spent primer was pushed out. But depriming pin is too thick and was left inside the flash hole. Thinner pin will probably work better.

Any idea if the Hornady pin is thinner? Actually, I can just go check. I've got a Lee decapping die and Lee .223 resizing die, but my regular resizing die and seating die are Hornady match. I'll just grab my calipers. Not sure I've resized any IK, though I am 100% positive I've picked some up in my range gleanings the last few months, but I haven't tumbled, sized, and trimmed anything in a year.

 

[Muleskinner]

Finally got to take my 357 Henry and my reloads to the range yesterday. Crappy pic but 5 rounds at 100 looks pretty good

 

[lazarus]

So I have been struggling with RMR 69gr BTHP in my new Howa Mini 1500. It is a 22" standard profile barrel. I think it shoots well, but I haven't tested a lot yet. My 62gr Armscor FMJBT running RP used brass seems to be running about 1.5-1.8MOA. In my 20" AR, it is running somewhat over MOA (the RMR). a little under 1.4". All 5 shot groups. The AR can do better than that, but I did not massage all the things to get the best group possible out of my AR, I just shot the same initial ladders with my Howa and my AR and they both liked 26.4gr of CFE223 the best. In my Howa, I can get it to around 1.8MOA, hand weighing bullets, 2.260" (shorter doesn't seem to help), running a tenth grain ladder, trying different primers. 26.5gr in the Howa was a little more accurate with 26.4gr showing 2MOA and most everything else around 2.5.

I've tried just about everything other than a different powder (running CFE223). My last attempt with these bullets and my Howa is to run them LONG. Running it through the chamber yields the bullets hitting the lands at 2.360". In my AR, it is much shorter, 2.286" (obviously that won't fit in a STANAG). I am wondering if that is the issue, is that the bullets don't like that big jump. It is basically a tenth of an inch. Fortunately, my Howa magazines can fit rounds loaded to 2.350" and that is what I am thinking of trying. GRT says if I load to 2.350", I should add about .8gr of powder to equal the same peak pressure as 26.5gr and 2.260". So, I figure I'll start at 26.5 and try 26.9, 27.3, 27.5 and 27.7gr. See what happens.

But what DID make me feel a lot better is I shot some Hornady Black 75gr BTHP (bottom group) and a ladder of 55gr Blitzking reloads (top group, most accurate, 26.4gr CFE223). MUCH better.

For the dispersion, the Blitzkings confirmed for me with the standard profile barrel, the POI walks up as it heats up. It seems to start after about 10 rounds down the barrel and shifts a total of around an inch or so by the time it gets hot enough the mirage is really bad. Around 20-25 rounds. Both the Hornady Black and the Blitzking groups were with the barrel shimmering in the scope hot. The Blitzkings were nice and even with each successive round 3/4 of a bullet diameter higher.

Not the end of my world there on the POI shift, just something for me to keep in mind. I know getting a lighter profile barrel this was possible/likely. My Howa Mini 1500 6.5 grendel with its 20" heavy barrel can definitely put about 50% more rounds down range before seeing the same kind of mirage and POI shift (it also shifts, but it seems to shift slightly less, and slower of course). I think I maybe start to see a little around round 12-15, where as on the .223 standard profile Howa it is maybe around 10-12 that I think I am seeing it. The 223 cools faster, but still seems to take a solid 15 minutes till the barrel is air temp if I put 20-25 down the pipe. The Grendel is maybe 20 minutes, but I can put 30 down the pipe. I am thinking I might get a barrel cooler or make one, just so when I am testing things I can save some time. Otherwise, it feels a lot like I can shot 5 or maybe 10 rounds and then need to rack it for 10-15 minutes to "be safe" that heat isn't throwing things at all. Even if I wouldn't worry that much about it when just shooting at the range, or even shooting at moderately long range. A 1 MOA shift or so, even at 300yds isn't all that much. But kind of hell if it turns the 1MOA group I am checking in to a 1.3-1.4MOA group with the rounds walking some for a 5 round group. It is something I noticed when I ran 10 rounds of PPU 75gr BTHP a couple of weeks ago as fast as I could accurately shoot. I figured at the time it was more me, but there was a more pronounced shift in the group upwards. It shot maybe 2.2MOA, but if I eliminated the vertical shift, it was probably under 1.5 for the 10-shot group (it was shot after maybe putting 25 rounds down the pipe in the 5 minutes before that).

It is also possible there will be less shift and mirage in the summertime, not counting on it though.

I guess I see why in part bench shooters really use bull barrels so they can put scores of rounds down the barrel without mirage and/or shift.

PS My Sako Forester in .308 starts experiencing shift after 3 rounds, and will shift about 2 MOA by the time it gets hot as well as open the groups up about a third. It is very much a wood stocked hunting rifle. Also capable of easily shooting sub-MOA with lighter match ammo (it loves 155gr BTHP, it does okay with 168gr, and 175s and heavier is not so bueno, ~2 MOA absolute best, but it is a slower twist on the barrel). So I suppose it could be worse.

 

[lazarus]

I've picked up a fair amount of that norma 9mm.. I just put it in the scrap bin.. lol

Fortunately, very little of the 9mm I've picked up is. Good to know on it for the future and I'll scrap what I've already grabbed once I go to tumble it later. I doubt 2% of my 9mm brass is Norma. Maybe a couple of hundred cases absolute most.