Grumpy old man...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Texas10mm said:
I lived the first part of my life without the Internet. Now we have all the knowledge of the world at our fingertips and people would rather ask random strangers instead of finding the answer for themselves.
Click to expand...
On the motorcycle boards it's the oil threads. LOL! On some forum somewhere someone is asking a stranger about how to deal with an angry woman. LOL! I see your EGA is the officer model. My trust lever only goes up to O-5.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LNK
Coop45 said:
On the motorcycle boards it's the oil threads. LOL! On some forum somewhere someone is asking a stranger about how to deal with an angry woman. LOL! I see your EGA is the officer model. My trust lever only goes up to O-5.
Click to expand...
What's the matter, don't trust Colonel's and Generals?
 
Iwsbull said:
I beg to differ on that as there are many loads that are dirty, inefficient and with high extreme spreads until you get into the sweet spot. Loaded several powders at book start that I though this is junk and it was until it got the pressure up and turned into a good load. Still at beginning book value it was crap.
Click to expand...

Some full disclosure here before I start. I've built my own precision rifle and I reload for that rifle. My goal is <1 MOA for all of my loads.

Every gun is different. Believe it or not every barrel isn't cut on the same day with the same machine. A load that works well for Joe in PA probably isn't going to be the best load for your gun, even if it's the same make and model. That's why the manuals give you a starting load and a max load. Then you get to find the load that works for your application and your particular gun. You can start with published data or Joe's data from xxx.xxx forum, it doesn't matter. Eventually you're going to have to find the load that works best in your gun. Joe's load data isn't a short cut. I've tried to duplicate someones magic recipe using the same powder, same primer, same bullet, same case and the precision isn't anywhere close to a load that I developed for my rifle. I could have started with a mid range load from a manual and achieved the same results.

But if you think that someone's load data from who knows where is the answer I'm not going to try and change your mind.
 
Last edited:
I will put it this way, I have been here a few years now and I still ask questions and I will be the first to admit that I may not always articulate my questions very clearly. Maybe it is in the way I phrase the question or the way I structure the question that causes confusion.
I also have found that many times by asking a question on the forums I am kind of working through the question in my own mind and trying to understand it. Kind of like talking to one's self. At times I have answered my own question by asking it out loud. Then as suggested there are times I do ask questions just to receive validation for what I am thinking of trying. It helps at times to hear of others experience.
 
I had to learn to reload on my own with a Lyman #45 manual. Safety first, fun second...I like to have paper to refer to. I didn't use 30 different powders, and whatever bullets available in LGS. Don't shoot competition and it didn't take long to arrive at a load that met my need.0

Now, we have folks that want the "Father Knows Best" solution to things.....someone to solve thier problems in 1/2 hr. Data changes, use the i'net to print the pages from all the powder, and bullet mfgr's for whatever you have, and put them in a notebook = loading manual. It's easier to compare that way. When you settle on a powder or bullet, do a specific search for powder/bullet problems or commemts.
 
PWC said:
I had to learn to reload on my own with a Lyman #45 manual. Safety first, fun second...I like to have paper to refer to. I didn't use 30 different powders, and whatever bullets available in LGS. Don't shoot competition and it didn't take long to arrive at a load that met my need.0

Now, we have folks that want the "Father Knows Best" solution to things.....someone to solve thier problems in 1/2 hr. Data changes, use the i'net to print the pages from all the powder, and bullet mfgr's for whatever you have, and put them in a notebook = loading manual. It's easier to compare that way. When you settle on a powder or bullet, do a specific search for powder/bullet problems or commemts.
Click to expand...
I actually have a Lyman 45th manual that I bought off of eBay. It's funny because there's not any oal information in the entire book
 
I qualify as old and my wife says I'm grumpy but...

When I started reloading around 1980 (pre-internet), a friend recommended I try a few powders for the cartridges that I was loading. I spent lots of time reading various gun magazines to see what they said as well as a couple reloading manuals.

All helpful and appreciated.

As I gained reloading experience, I have my favorite powders. I try new powders once in a while when after some research, I feel they may be beneficial. I've tried powders that I did not like for some reason and stopped using them.

But, as Walkalong said, back in the day, the powder choices were not as great as today.

I do not mind letting someone know what powder I use for a particular cartridge. I just hope they do some more research than listening to this grumpy old man.
 
Texas10mm said:
Maybe I am one, but the constant "what's a good powder", what's the "best powder" threads really rub me the wrong way.

I'm guessing that almost all of these threads are started by new reloaders. People who haven't actually read a reloading manual. They might have one manual...maybe. Most of them are younger people who feel the need for social approval.
Click to expand...
Maybe we should just ban newbies.... or grumpy old men.
 
Olon said:
Especially if you're "teaching yourself" (i.e. no mentor to watch over your shoulder and tell you what to do), it's nice to have input from those who are more experienced. What a powerful resource we have in forums like this; those who are willing can pass a lifetime of lessons onto us and allow us to learn from their experiments.

Imagine what the world would be like if everyone who had experience was too proud to help the little guy get his start... Not that it's his responsibility or our entitlement, but those who are willing to take the time to pay it forward are invaluable to the hobby and life in general I think.
Click to expand...
I spent 6 years as the chairman of an apprentice program in the building trades. Sometimes the hardest part of the program was getting the more experienced/skilled journeymen to work with apprentices.
 
Maybe I am one, but the constant "what's a good powder", what's the "best powder" threads really rub me the wrong way.
Click to expand...

Ah, you don't have to click on every thread; however, I agree. Tight now you could give a dozen decent powder suggestions then the OP comes back and says "I cant get any of those. How about ____?" How about we just start with what you can get?

That said, it would be pretty quiet around here. If people read instruction manuals and load books before posting.
 
jmorris said:
That said, it would be pretty quiet around here. If people read instruction manuals and load books before posting.
Click to expand...

I dunno. I read several manuals and was reloading before I started here. Still, I've asked many a question when I came across something I could not resolve myself. I have no problem asking folk's experiences with a new powder or piece of equipment, before I spend the money on it. Surprising how so many times when a thread with the title, "Newbie with a question" appears, folks come out of the woodwork with comments like "There's no such thing as a dumb question!", yet here some are, whining about "dumb" questions.
 
Last edited:
There are many powders available, and even if you divide them into pistol and rifle powders, there are still many of them in each category. There is not a lot of good information available in the manuals or online or even from the powder manufacturers' websites about what would make a particular powder better or not so better for a particular application. The manuals often have a section with a blurb about each of many powders. Those blurbs are superficial and if you read more than a few of them you start seeing the same wording used over and over again. Go to the websites for the manufacturers and you see the same thing. IMR, Hodgdon, and Winchester all have powder profiles on their websites and none of those really tell you much except rifle vs pistol (or, shotgun -- but then some of those are good for pistol, too) and a general range of calibers that the powder can be used for. Even reloading articles in the various magazines don't tell the readers WHY a particular powder is better or not so better for the applications being described. Loading data in manuals is limited to what the publisher tested for any given bullet size/shape. The Lyman manuals are highly touted but they contain very few lines of load data for any particular application. The Hodgdon loading center online has a lot more data, but not much about what makes a particular choice decent or better, or whatever. For example, I load 7.7x58 Japanese for the T99 Arisaka and the Hodgdon loading center provides powder loads for various powders. But it is only from talking on Internet forums with other reloaders that I was able to find out that just because a powder is listed with a load range does not mean that people have found that to be actually decent in their rifles. An experienced reloader was able to help me steer away from I-3031 and towards I-4064, and my own results confirmed the value of his advice, but he got me to the right answer more quickly and more assuredly than I would have been able to on my own. Another reloader told me about his experience using I-4895 compared to I-4064 and that prompted me to try it. IMR has many rifle powders that have load data for ~.30 caliber ammo. These guys were able to give me the kind of advice that loading manuals never could. Same goes for powder and load selection for 30-30, 223, 9 mm (recently got good advice about that one right here on THR), 38 Special, 357 Magnum. The information online in forums like this one is huge compared to the bare bones powder info available to the reloader in books and manufacturers' sites.
 
I think you're a little grumpy. Lol.
All the newbies aren't young whippersnappers. I didn't start reloading metallic cartridges until a few years ago and I was over 50. I had experience with shotgun reloading growing up but I just did what Dad told me back then.
I read at least 3 different manuals and everything I could find on line including lurking on this forum before I started.
Choosing a powder for my first loads was difficult due to the sheer number of powders out there. I'm not complaining but if I started in 1970 picking a powder may have been a little easier. Here's an example. .38 special 158 gr. jacketed. First pic is Lyman 45th from 1970, second pic is Lyman 50th.
20200413_095155-1-1.jpg 20200413_095524-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure what I would be asking or doing in this day and age if I just started reloading with the wealth of good and bad info available. I got started watching my dad who is a basic reloader, read the Speer manual a few times, purchased a manual or two and picked up things out of a few magazines. Sure didn't have the internet or social media back then. Our component choices were limited by manufactures and even more limited by the retailers, ordering was out of the question for a young reloader due to higher shipping costs at the time and never having enough cash to purchase more then a pound of powder or a couple hundred primers at a time.

All the info available currently is great but some of the questions that get asked and re asked still amaze me, even me with my limited computer skills can figure out how to type a question in a google search and end up with a bunch of results with many links to this forum itself so every time I see the same old questions or which powder question I wonder why they just didn't ask google and get more info they they probably wanted.

One scary aspect of this information age I have found are the Facebook groups, I have joined a few over the last few years but end up leaving them as I tire of all the miss information and down right scary stuff posted on them. I assume the groups are full of 20 something know it all's that just have to type something even if its wrong. I find forums like this one and a few others have way better info, I assume because they are made up of older individuals that aren't afraid to call bull on bad info.
 
Muddydogs said:
e.

All the info available currently is great but some of the questions that get asked and re asked still amaze me, even me with my limited computer skills can figure out how to type a question in a google search and end up with a bunch of results with many links to this forum itself so every time I see the same old questions or which powder question I wonder why they just didn't ask google and get more info they they probably wanted.
Click to expand...

This is like telling folks that ask a redundant question to use the "search" feature on the forum. As I said before, there ain't a whole lot of questions that have never been asked before. Sometimes it's easier to ask and get a quick reply/answer, than it is to wade thru 200 threads and 4000 posts. Google gun powder and you get this on the top of the page
About 219,000,000 results (0.76 seconds) . Yeah, lets all wade thru that, eh?

Few years back I saw a young man on a fishing dock asking his dad to help him untangle some line on his open fac spinning reel. It would have taken his dad, experienced with fishing reels about 30 seconds to show the young man how to disassemble and fix. Instead he gave the "grumpy old man" reply of, "you gottya start figuring this stuff out for youself!". Next thing I saw was the spool and a coupla other parts rolling off the end of the pier and into the water. Not only was the young boy's day of fishing gone, but so was his reel forever. All because of a Grumpy old man. I often wonder if the young boy ever went fishing with his dad again with the same innocence and expectations.

As i and many others have said several times. No one is forcing anyone to click on a thread that asks "which powder". Like with telemarketers, we all have the right to ignore them. If you answer the phone and get roped into taking a "quick" survey, it's your own dam fault and no one wants to hear you whine about it.

Just sayin'.......
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
new to reloading
Replies
6
Views
427
gdcpony
G
x_wrench
  • Locked
optimal pressure range
Replies
1
Views
304
ranger335v
R
T
  • Locked
Reloading start-up
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
AJC1
AJC1
AJC1
  • Locked
Shooters world load data.
2
Replies
45
Views
4K
Bearded Phil
Bearded Phil
D
  • Locked
What powder for .25 acp?
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
139
Views
7K
Darth-Vang
D
Back
Top