Any last bit of advice for me?

[vaalpens]

After months of preparation, I am finally going to load my first rounds over the weekend. Outside the normal buying of reloading equipment, following are a few things I did in preparation of my first load:
-Joined THR and read/learned a lot
-Deconstructed some live rounds and reused the bullets and primers to practice the process.
-Created plenty dummy rounds including crimping to determine a working OAL and practice the process
-Prepared my brass up to and including cleaning, decapping, resizing and brushing inside of body and primer pocket
-Selected one head stamp brass (total 100) for first load and flared and primed the brass
-I will be loading: Caliber: 40S&W, Case: WIN, OAL: 1.125”/1.142" Crimp: 0.421”, Bullet: Xtreme, Weight: 165gr RNFP, Powder:Winchester AutoComp, Weight: 6.3/6.5/6.7/6.9/7.0gr, Primer: WSP. This will be a total of 10 different loads of 10 rounds each for a total of 100 rounds.
-My plan to test these will be:
-First Round: Starting with a control load of Winchester White Box and then from low 6.3gr to high load 7.0gr, I will shoot 5 rounds each, standing, to verify that the load cycle and get some idea on the accuracy and feel of the load. If the load does not cycle, then the load will not go to second round. If I feel/see any pressure issues, then the remaining higher load will not be tested. Real bad accuracy or feel will also disqualify this load for the next round.
-Second Round: Will start with the control Winchester White Box and then any remaining loads, low to high again. I will shoot 5 rounds from the bench with some support to get a better idea of the accuracy of the load. Remaining loads will not be fired if I see/feel any pressure issues again.

Hopefully at the end of the shoot I will have some idea which loads need some more refinement to get to the load I prefer. Refinements will be .1gr increments and maybe a small change in the OAL.

 

[Magnum Shooter]

Sounds like you have covered all the bases.

 

[rcmodel]

Only advice I have is,
Don't shoot your eye out.

(I didn't check your load data.)

And don't wear yourself out testing 100 rounds in one long drawn-out shooting session.
You won't be able to tell anything much at all about accuracy after 10, 10-round strings.

rc

 

[vaalpens]

Only advice I have is,
Don't shoot your eye out.

(I didn't check your load data.)

And don't wear yourself out testing 100 rounds in one long drawn-out shooting session.
You won't be able to tell anything much at all about accuracy after 10, 10-round strings.

rc

Thanks for the comments and advice.

The load data min/max is from Hodgdon's site, with the additional higher OAL just to see if it makes any difference.

This is all new to me and I think part of the learning experience is finding your limits. The first 50 rounds will be purely just feel and cycling. I will probably do it a 5 yards not to put to much emphasis on the accuracy. The second round of 10, 5 round strings (or less) will be more for accuracy and probably be at 10 yards. I will be just glad to get away with a better understanding of the process of refining a load, and hopefully be left with a few loads I need to further refine. These are exciting times.

 

[vaalpens]

Sounds like you have covered all the bases.

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[1KPerDay]

Sounds like you have a reasonable plan. My first round was a .40 also. Still one of my favorites to load... the cases and bullets are the right size for easy manipulation.

I use mixed/range brass and keep my loads on the lower end. They're more fun to shoot also... don't beat you up.

 

[gonoles_1980]

Make sure you have youtube video's of each step of the way if you get unsure of a step. Take your time go slow. Check, double check, triple check.

 

[vaalpens]

Sounds like you have a reasonable plan. My first round was a .40 also. Still one of my favorites to load... the cases and bullets are the right size for easy manipulation.

I use mixed/range brass and keep my loads on the lower end. They're more fun to shoot also... don't beat you up.

Thanks for the feedback. I have to start somewhere, and my thought was that .40 would be easier to handle until I am comfortable with the process. Also .40 is more expensive to buy, so it make economical sense to reload .40 vs 9mm. I also wanted to focus on one caliber first, just to make sure I don't mix any data between the different calibers.

 

[vaalpens]

Make sure you have youtube video's of each step of the way if you get unsure of a step. Take your time go slow. Check, double check, triple check.

Thanks for the good advice. I have been going slow and everything is broken down into batch processes. This is why it is taking me a while to get to this point.

What also took a while for me was deciding on how everything should be labeled. This forum has been a great help in research what data other re-loaders capture.

 

[NGIB]

I reload .45 ACP only on a Lee Classic Turret. I removed the actuator rod and run it like a single stage press - I'm not in a hurry. Just go at a reasonable pace, check everything frequently, and enjoy shooting the first rounds you load...

 

[vaalpens]

I reload .45 ACP only on a Lee Classic Turret. I removed the actuator rod and run it like a single stage press - I'm not in a hurry. Just go at a reasonable pace, check everything frequently, and enjoy shooting the first rounds you load...

Thanks for the advice. There is no hurry here. I do everything on a single stage press, even priming. I am looking forward to shooting my first rounds.

 

[readyeddy]

Keep a written log with useful info like day, time, temperature, elevation, shooting distances, group sizes, charge weights, OAL, signs of pressure or lack of signs, etc. Stuff can come in helpful in the future.

 

[1KPerDay]

Label everything, every time. You'll be surprised how much you can forget in a couple of weeks.

 

[rskent]

I have to agree with just about everyone on the labeling. I wish I wasn't still finding partial boxes of ammo that I have no idea whats in them.
Also, don't forget to have some fun.

 

[vaalpens]

Keep a written log with useful info like day, time, temperature, elevation, shooting distances, group sizes, charge weights, OAL, signs of pressure or lack of signs, etc. Stuff can come in helpful in the future.

Good advice, thanks!

I should have all the data except for temperature and elevation. For temperature I will just say around 100 since this is Phoenix. I will add these since it does/could influence the results.

 

[vaalpens]

Label everything, every time. You'll be surprised how much you can forget in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the advice. I label from the dirty brass throughout the process. Every time I repackage, I label again. My problem is that maybe I need bigger labels to contain all the data I am trying to track.

 

[vaalpens]

I have to agree with just about everyone on the labeling. I wish I wasn't still finding partial boxes of ammo that I have no idea whats in them.
Also, don't forget to have some fun.

That is probably one of the best pieces of advice, have some fun. Even before reloading I always liked to work on certain things at 5 or 6 rounds a time. This is now just an extension of that and I am planning on having fun.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Yup...have fun and enjoy the experience of shooting your very own first batch of "home brew" ammunition. After your first session, the way you view ammunition will forever be changed.

Enjoy it - you earned it with diligence and study to make better-than-factory ammo.

VooDoo

 

[Artofgolf]

Enjoy, enjoy! You'll probably become addicted to this hobby, just like the rest of us

 

[splattergun]

Careful with your charge weight. Be certain that you're familiar with how your powder dispenser and scale operate, their variables and foibles. be sure to use a consistent throw method. You will be well rewarded for it.

 

[vaalpens]

Enjoy, enjoy! You'll probably become addicted to this hobby, just like the rest of us

I am a process type of guy and so far I enjoy the process of loading. I think I will enjoy it for a long time as long as it stays a hobby. Thanks for the nice words.

 

[vaalpens]

Yup...have fun and enjoy the experience of shooting your very own first batch of "home brew" ammunition. After your first session, the way you view ammunition will forever be changed.

Enjoy it - you earned it with diligence and study to make better-than-factory ammo.

VooDoo

The jury is still out on me making better than factory ammo. I am looking forward to shooting that first round since I know what it took to get to this point. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[vaalpens]

Careful with your charge weight. Be certain that you're familiar with how your powder dispenser and scale operate, their variables and foibles. be sure to use a consistent throw method. You will be well rewarded for it.

At the moment I am using a Lee powder dipper, trickler and beam scale. With the beam scale I checked and double check before starting to measure. Thanks for the sound advice.

 

[witchhunter]

Range report!

 

[Pentrite]

I like to color the primers with sharpies to indicate different loads. If you accidently drop your box or they get loose somehow it makes it easier to continue shooting without having to worry about it.