New to reloading

[jnyav8r]

Just a couple of questions while I'm waiting for my manual to arrive. !st is how many grams in a grain? Second, I chose Bullseye as my first powder along with CCI 500 primers and 158gr lead round nose for my first batch,is bullseye a a bad choice IE "unforgiving"? Any advice would be great!

 

[contender]

I don't have my conversion charts handy, but most of us just use grains. In powder, there is 7000 grains of powder to 1 lb. You can use that number to get an idea of how many rounds a pound will load. (My digital scales will read in either grains or grams, and I never use grams.)
As for Bullseye as a first powder. It's a fast burning powder, so it'll only need light charges. You mentioned 158 grn bullets, so I'm assuming it's either 38 spl or 357 ammo. I'd stick with 38 spl cases using Bullseye as it can leave a lot of air space in the case that sometimes can cause pressure problems.
Get your manuels, and study them. A good rule of thumb is to use a powder that will fill 90% of the case space not filled by the bullet.

 

[jnyav8r]

the scales for sale on ebay dont list if they measure in grains even tho there in the "reloading" section. Thanks for the advice!!

 

[Rick Courtright]

the scales for sale on ebay dont list if they measure in grains even tho there in the "reloading" section.

Hi,

A couple of ideas about an eBay scale:

Look at the current "big" online retailers, such as MidwayUSA, Graf's, Natchez Shooter's Supply, and a few others to see what brands they carry. Then note the model numbers they handle. If you wish, you can go from there to the mfr's websites, such as RCBS, Lyman, Dillon, Lee, Redding and others you may find to see what their current catalog items are.

So, if what's on eBay is "current" you're probably ok... but you'll find a lot of "vintage" stuff there which might not be the best bet for a beginner to the hobby.

Also, is it new or used? New should be no problem, but "used" could describe any of my five scales. Were I to sell all of them, three people would get one that looks and works like the day it was new, one would get a scale that, in conjunction w/ a set of check weights, is usable, and the last poor guy would get one that needs repair. I'll let you guess which three I bought new myself!

And I might be more conservative in my glowing descriptions than some online sellers...

Speaking of check weights, it's a good idea to allocate about $25 to get your own set, and learn to use them religiously. You can't be TOO safe when playing w/ stuff that goes "Boom!", you know?

BTW, "grains" is the default measurement unit on every beam style "reloading" scale I can think of right now, and, if it's not the default, it is one of the settings on every digital "reloading" scale I've played with. But if you really want to give your calculator a workout, there are 453.59237 GRAMS per pound, or 7000 GRAINS. You can take it from there!

Rick C

 

[metweezer]

Just a couple of questions while I'm waiting for my manual to arrive. !st is how many grams in a grain? Second, I chose Bullseye as my first powder along with CCI 500 primers and 158gr lead round nose for my first batch,is bullseye a a bad choice IE "unforgiving"? Any advice would be great!

Your question is backwards. It should be grains in a gram. 1 Gram = 15.4323584 Grains. So a little less than 15 1/2 grains in a gram. A lot of people use Bullseye. Wait until you receive and have read your manual and follow the recipes therein, including the manual's recommended primers. You might want to start with a smaller bullet than 158 gr. Once again follow the complete recipe that is in the manual.

 

[A. Wayne]

Just a couple of questions while I'm waiting for my manual to arrive. !st is how many grams in a grain? Second, I chose Bullseye as my first powder along with CCI 500 primers and 158gr lead round nose for my first batch,is bullseye a a bad choice IE "unforgiving"? Any advice would be great!

I am guessing you are loading .38's or .357 mag's. Post your entire recipe and I would be glad to look it up for you in my speer reloading manual #13, to confirm the info contained in it-to be used as advice only. I can't really see any bad choice in powder,primers,bullets, or cases, as long as you follow an established recipe and use basic proper and safe loading procedures. I would not mess around with trying a conversion of wieghts when loading bullets.