Reloading issues

ash243

Well-Known Member
After reason high pressure problem I have been analyzing my reloading and the way I approach it. 10 years ago when I started reloading I had one bullet and powder combination and it worked never had a problem shot every day at either vermin or deer with good results. Now I have retired and I have had some time on my hands I have been playing the more I play the more I start to think and the more problems I see. Noticed on a resent ladder charge I had a high pressure sign a flat primer and black ring around the primer. So I backed it off. I sat and wondered why and decided to set up and experiment
I wanted to check the scales and weights so I got a pair of Lee perfect a set of Lyman Pro550 and a set of cheapish Digital scales from eBay. I used the same powder in each
I set up to load 30 rounds with Hodgdon 1000 with a RCBS powder tickler and used each set of scales
I all the scale were zeroed as per manufactures instructions and set to 44 Grains. I use a dipper to throw around 42 grains and then trickle in the balance up to 44. I started with the lee scales and loaded ten cases I then did the same with the Lyman and the scales from eBay.
Since my problems I have managed to purchase a set of RCBS Digital Scales I also borrowed s set from the local gunsmith to check the results I measured all the charges on the two Digital RCBS sets.
The lee results out of the 10 charges I measured on the lee 3 were +1 grain 4 were -0.9 of a grain and 3 were correct and 1 was
The Lyman results again ten charges thrown in the same way 6 were up to 2 grains above 3 were spot on and 1 was weak buy 0.05 of a grain.
The eBay specials only measure in grains to 0.0 again ten charges thrown in the same manner 8 out of ten charges were high by up to 0.75 of a grain. 1 was correct and 1 was 0.03 light
Both sets of RCBS digitals were calibrated using the same weights and all the conclusions were taken from measuring both the samples one after each other.
I did notice on the balance beam scales that the magnetic damping made a huge difference as the scales did not move for quite a while and when it did it was a large movement and very easy to go over balance
The best was the Lyman Pro 550 though the magnetic damping was very strong and made it easy to go over the set weigh the best was the digital RCBS scale and they proved to have a more constant measurement as they measured all 30 samples at the same weights. my be I’m looking too far into this but I will only keep the Lyman as a back up all of the rest will be scrapped as I just don’t trust them at all now as one load was nearly 2 whole grains over . If 44 was max load then I would have been in trouble.

all the best ash
 
Interesting that the Lee scale measured the most accurately. I wonder if you did this, if the results would be different. Try setting the tare to the weights. Not a set of weights, but a single weight. Say the check set came with a 250 grain weight. Set that in the pan, set the scale to "250" gains, and then zero the tare. I wonder if the results would have been different?? Interesting though...~Muir
 
Just as a matter of interest, I recently weighed a box of Hornady bullets 6mm 100gr. very few of them weighed exactly 100gr.
most were only a few tenths of a gr. out but a few were as much as 2gr. + or-

Wonder how much difference this will make especially as I take great care in with my powder, don't use a measure. I weigh
every charge.
 
Just as a matter of interest, I recently weighed a box of Hornady bullets 6mm 100gr. very few of them weighed exactly 100gr.
most were only a few tenths of a gr. out but a few were as much as 2gr. + or-

Wonder how much difference this will make especially as I take great care in with my powder, don't use a measure. I weigh
every charge.

I weigh all my bullets and "batch" load them in matching weights - and this has made a huge difference to my groupings.

I'm a fan of Sierra bullets and (typically) out of a box of 100 you will get 60 (ish) bang on the weight, 12 to 15 plus .1, 12 to 15 minus .1 and then the rest (say 5 of each) either plus .2 or minus .2 - and these are Varminters or Gamekings, not matchkings.

Definitely worth doing (as is weighing your cases after prepping?).
 
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