Question for those that might know...

[Selena]

Thank you all, I had thoughts of trying reloading myself, now I'm not so sure.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Thank you all, I had thoughts of trying reloading myself, now I'm not so sure.

Jump in Selena! Don't let the benchrest stuff scare you off. My son started making perfectly fine reloads at the age of 12... :wink:

 

[wolfsong]

More whining from EGO. Does it ever stop?

In my opinion, reloading is much like many other endeavors. The more attention paid to details, the better the finished product. Reloading for bench rest shooting or plinking or hunting - all can be done with different approaches and still achieve the desired end result. Whipping up some scrambled eggs for a quick breakfast, or making hollandaise sauce to smother a carefully poached egg - both involve breaking some eggs, whipping them, and cooking them. One can be done in scant minutes by virtually anyone, the other takes a considerable amount of time and expertise from a much more experienced person. The end result of both will satisfy your hunger, but one will satisfy your palette in ways the other can't come close to.

It's all about the needs at hand.

Just my opinion, mind you.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Thank you all, I had thoughts of trying reloading myself, now I'm not so sure.

Hi,

Socrates said it first: "Know thyself."

This is an endeavor where it's good to have a mentor, and it sounds like there might be a good one available, but remember we're talking about learning to handle stuff that goes "boom" right in front of your face. Are you willing to park the attitudes expressed in the OP in order to learn well? If the answer's an unqualified "yes," carry on. If it's even a wavering "no," there might be better hobbies to consider.

Rick C

 

[OldePhart]

A certain unnamed idiot that shall remain my brother has a habit of "polishing" (for want of a better word) the primer pockets of brass before he reloads. He claims it gives a cleaner more dependable reload. Is this normal procedure or just one of my brother's many many faulty assumptions?

I think you've received a lot of responses from two "camps" in this thread but what may have gotten lost in the noise is that your question can't be answered without more information about the intended purpose for the reloaded ammo.

If I am reloading 9mm for an IDPA match where I might shoot 300 rounds and where the emphasis is on speed and economy of movement with "acceptable" accuracy at short ranges I am not going to be polishing primer pockets or even weighing individual charges. Any time I spent doing that would be much more productive if spent practicing more with "just good" ammo to improve the skills that the sport emphasizes.

On the other hand, if I was loading for a once-in-a-lifetime African hunt (or for bench rest shooting) I'd be cleaning/deburring primer pockets, sorting cases by weight and volume, trickling individual charges onto my digital scale, etc.

 

[Chief 101]

somebody finally hit the nail squarely. Choose your poison first before you decide on the dosage.

 

[Selena]

A certain unnamed idiot that shall remain my brother has a habit of "polishing" (for want of a better word) the primer pockets of brass before he reloads. He claims it gives a cleaner more dependable reload. Is this normal procedure or just one of my brother's many many faulty assumptions?

I think you've received a lot of responses from two "camps" in this thread but what may have gotten lost in the noise is that your question can't be answered without more information about the intended purpose for the reloaded ammo.

If I am reloading 9mm for an IDPA match where I might shoot 300 rounds and where the emphasis is on speed and economy of movement with "acceptable" accuracy at short ranges I am not going to be polishing primer pockets or even weighing individual charges. Any time I spent doing that would be much more productive if spent practicing more with "just good" ammo to improve the skills that the sport emphasizes.

On the other hand, if I was loading for a once-in-a-lifetime African hunt (or for bench rest shooting) I'd be cleaning/deburring primer pockets, sorting cases by weight and volume, trickling individual charges onto my digital scale, etc.

That's just it, he doesn't really load for any specific purpose because there is no way of knowing what the ammunition might be needed for. The cartridges for my Winnie could easily be used on the range or plinking yet there is the chance of a coyote just inside my skill level range. It's probably my fault as I don't really know enough on the subject to be able to ask the question intelligently.

Considering the pressures involved in that little hole I can't see there being enough buildup to effect ignition of the main charge. If I ask my brother and look like a tulala it follows me, you guys already think I am one so it doesn't matter.

 

[Chief 101]

Selena, I for one think your posts, the few that I have read, are some of the most intelligent and thought out....don't change a thing...

 

[OldePhart]

Then I would start reloading, keeping it fairly simple at first. If you find that you are getting accuracy and reliability that are acceptable for the shooting you do then don't (over) complicate things. On the other hand...if you aren't getting ammo that you find acceptable then it might be time to listen to your brother...

BTW, buildup in the flash hole can definitely have an impact on ignition, precisely because the hole is so small. If the hole was big, the build up would make less (relative) impact on the size of the hole. Also, for calibers that have relatively large cases filled sparsely even a tiny difference in the way the flash traverses the hole can have a pretty big impact on how evenly the powder ignites...and therefore impact on pressures and velocities.

 

[Selena]

Then I would start reloading, keeping it fairly simple at first. If you find that you are getting accuracy and reliability that are acceptable for the shooting you do then don't (over) complicate things. On the other hand...if you aren't getting ammo that you find acceptable then it might be time to listen to your brother...

BTW, buildup in the flash hole can definitely have an impact on ignition, precisely because the hole is so small. If the hole was big, the build up would make less (relative) impact on the size of the hole. Also, for calibers that have relatively large cases filled sparsely even a tiny difference in the way the flash traverses the hole can have a pretty big impact on how evenly the powder ignites...and therefore impact on pressures and velocities.

Just for the record, inside his many areas of expertise it's always time to listen to my brother. Keep in mind that except for one box of 38 Super a year every round I fire has come from his bench. My Winnie and Colt are over a hundred years old, I trust his reloads for them. My Enfield is somewhere between 70 and 80 years old, I trust his skill and judgment. I was just thinking that perhaps it might be wise to develop at least a working knowledge of the process involved. Let's face facts, my brother is going to be 45 soon, that far over the hill is bound to have an effect pretty soon.

As for simple, I've just obtained an ancient RCBS press and a set of dies for 38 special. Combining tears of disappointment with the reminder that the blackberries will be ripe soon and I tend to make too much cobbler a certain merchant dug into his personal hoard and sold me primers and Bullseye powder. My dear hubby has been kind enough to use my uncle's swage and make a good supply of 158 gr semi wad cutter ball for me. (Never mind how I convinced him.) As I type this there is a manual on my desk turned to the page for 38 Spec with the weight of bullseye for that flavor of ball underlined. All I'm missing (so far) is a scale calibrated for grains but there is another auction this Saturday that my contact tells me is such a scale.

Have I forgotten anything?