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Posted: 1/13/2009 7:17:00 AM EDT
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Ok maybe this is a toss up between being OCD and being a perfectionist. I am getting ready to reload my first .45 rounds this weekend and that is after being ready to reload for 2 months. My problem is that I am a perfectionist with no +/- tolerance level.
Just to give you an idea: when a friend and I built his house we spoke in increments of 1/16" during framing. I am sure we have more perfect corners in that house than some builders have in entire developments. My issue is that when I start running rounds through my press I need to know the acceptable tolerance and where my practical ranges start butting against my theoretical expected maximums. I am planning on loading 4.8gr of Bullseye under a 230gr Precision Delta RN jacketed bullet. I have my Lee turret press with the pro auto disk measure. What +/- on the charge is still safe and within the reasonable tolerance level of the equipment ? I could see myself running at a pace of about 10 rounds per hour if I don't check my need to be 100% spot on. I'll be punching paper with this load in an XD-45 and Taurus PT-145. I anyone could chime in with what they would consider acceptable for my setup it would give me that final push to pull the lever and get things moving. Thanks in advance. |
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Depends on how well Bullseye meters through your particular powder measure.
I've never used Bullseye. If you're not near max (and you shouldn't be, you haven't loaded yet, you always want to WORK UP a load...............), a slight variation is safe, say +/- .1 grains. Really depends on your powder measure. One way to help keep charges dropping consistently is to keep the powder level in the measure the same, i.e. keep filling it every so often so the level of powder doesn't drop way down. |
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If you wanna be anal, get a Harrell's measure, or a RCBS Chargemaster dispenser.
5 grains of Bullseye is max under a 230 FMJ loaded to 1.270". Like our friend said, it depends on the accuracy level of your measure. Half a grain over won't blow-up your gun, so you'll be safe with a 4.8 setting. Still, watch every case cuz the powder may bridge in the measure and dump a whole lot more than you need into one case, and not enough in another. |
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If you've done a load work up, then you know that reasonable charge weights lower than your target are safe.
If you've developed a robust load with the charge weight in the center of the range of charge weights that give essentially identical performance on the target, then you know any charge in that range but over the target weight is safe. Just about every measure will throw powders like RE-15 or H322 to +/- 0.2 grains if a baffle is used and the powder level held fairly constant. Powders like Unique, Universal, and Bullseye need a little extra help by keeping static charges off the measure, in my experience. Multiple sources of load data will help paint a picture about where the upper safe bound lies. If you push that bound, you should probably be more diligent about controlling powder charge and seating depth in straight wall cases. Part of the job here is understanding the precision with which your measure and your methods will throw a charge, and you either have to compensate for that or make a change that improves the variation. Start with developing a consistent pull on the press handle (or measure handle), baffling, and elimination of static charges on the measure. |
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I've been loading 4.8 grains Bullseye under a 230 grain FMJ for thirty years, for what it's worth.
I'm still using that same 30 year old RCBS powder dumper. It'll throw charges so close, my old beam scale won't know the difference. I set it up, throw about ten test charges, measure––there never is any drift in the charge weights––and start filling cases. SE TX humidity keeps serious static charges from building up. But I check about every 20 cases anyway, just to make sure. I don't know what the tolerance is. If I saw anything that measured .1 over 4.8 grains, I'd toss that charge, and re-check my powder dumper. 4.8 grains more or less duplicates the factory mil spec load, and I consider it the most I want to use. Being OCD is good for one thing: you DON"T want to get a DOUBLE CHARGE in that .45 case, or you'll Kaboom. So direct your OCD tendencies towards avoiding that unfortunate result. |
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I use 5.0g Bullseye under a 230g cast lead RN and my old RCBS will hold to +/-.1g.
I use the baffle in the thrower and keep the hopper topped off. I was very anal about charge weights too in the beginning, but found that weighing every 5th charge was excessive. Once the thrower is set up and "settled" I check the first 50 at every 10 rounds, then every 25 unless I feel something odd or miss a "tap" at the end of the stroke. I use a single stage press, so my charges get 2 visual inspections before a bullet is seated. I look at them in the loading block after they are charged where a double charge/undercharge will be obvious compared to the others in the block. Then in each one as they go into the press. |
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Well, I was able to do my first set of rounds today on the press and I was able to do so without blowing myself up :)
I feel much more comfortable after dialing in the Lee powder measure. I had to make one little fix to it since I am stacking a disk with the micro disk. A trip to Lowe's and $0.59 fixed that problem and now it drops between 4.70 and 4.88 grains of Bullseye. It was strange shooting my own handloads for the first time today. I was very happy with both the accuracy of the rounds along with the lower recoil on my PT-145. It's much easier on the hand. Too bad it was 17 degrees in the range today. Hopefully it will warm up soon. Thanks for all of the feedback. |
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