First time reloading

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You didn't say what kind of tooling you are using? Lee, RCBS ??? www.buchananprecisionmachine.com ???

I remember my first loads for my Sako .243 in 1971.. I was so scared that I was shaking. After the first 5 rounds went off ok I was good to go. It happened again when I started loading .44 Magnums a few years later. after the first 6 rounds I was good to go.. It happens to me again with every new caliber I load.

After a while you will learn to look for the warning signs after the first few shots, then since you'll know what you are looking at you will know if you are safe or not. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Good Luck and go to my website and have a look.

Randy
 
I've seen it written here that W231 is a poor powder choice for starters and it has,a very small charge range, not true on both counts. W296 is the powder you are thinking about not W231. The reason why the charge range is small in this application is the small volume in the .380 case. W231 is a good choice for this application.

Additionally, the big difference in felt recoil from only .1gr of powder is again due to the very small volume in the .380 brass.

The OP mentioned changing the seating depth. Be careful if you are charging at the top end of the powder range. The small case we are discussing could cause big jumps in pressure for a very little change in bullet depth. Don't guess on the seating depth, use the Plunk Test to check for proper bullet seating. With only one feeding problem I would not make changes too quickly. It's possible the round was at fault, not the seating depth.

Just remember, it very small cases pressures with increase treating with small changes in bullet depth because of the change in case volume.

Welcome to the forum.
 
I made the comment that I've seen W231 is a bad powder for a beginner. I wasn't saying that's the case, but that it's something commonly cited. In fact I I then stated the reasons you cited. I also said it was the first powder I used. So with small charge ranges one has to be extra careful.

IMHO anything can be safe if handled correctly, proper procedures followed and being extra careful. Likewise even the safest things can be very dangerous if you're not careful, sloppy etc.

I personally like Win231. But I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner without a warning. Basically a variant of what we're both saying.
Personally I'd love to see more threads about all of the various powders. Maybe a separate forum?
I'd love to get reviews of them, their pro and minuses. What they're best for, what they do ok and what they do but not so good. To me it would be really nice to learn about powders that aren't as common. I'll admit when I started I bought the Lee book and was blown away with all of the powders and bullet choices. As I'm gaining experience I'm trying some things but I'm also trying to use up powders I have before I try others.

So the balance of finding something that works and staying with it and trying new stuff is a tough one to me. Personally, I guess I'd like to have a few loads. One I like and use often. One or two that are backups in case of another shortage. And maybe a few specialty loads.

Like OP I was happy I created safe loads when I started. Now I'm slowly trying things and learning. So conversations like this are very helpful to those of us who are not super experienced and still have a lot to learn.
 
W-231 is a great choice for beginners. It plays well in a great many calibers and is generally easy to find a good load with. Today with so many options out there we have a lot of good choices for beginners, but W-231/HP-38 is still one of them.
 
Walkalong said:
W-231 is a great choice for beginners. It plays well in a great many calibers and is generally easy to find a good load with. Today with so many options out there we have a lot of good choices for beginners, but W-231/HP-38 is still one of them.
Click to expand...

I agree, It's one of the best for starters and it meters accurately too. cant say that about some of the flake powder.
 
Walkalong said:
W-231 is a great choice for beginners. It plays well in a great many calibers and is generally easy to find a good load with. Today with so many options out there we have a lot of good choices for beginners, but W-231/HP-38 is still one of them.
Click to expand...
I currently load for about 10 handgun cartridges and I can do that with W231 for call of them. But for the magnum cartridges W231 does all the others very well. There are few powders on the market, even with all the new powders that can do that. W231 is my primarily powder for the .32 ACP, .380 ACP, 9x19mm, 38 S&W, .38 Special, the .45 ACP and maybe a few others too.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
I've seen it written here that W231 is a poor powder choice for starters and it has,a very small charge range, not true on both counts. W296 is the powder you are thinking about not W231. The reason why the charge range is small in this application is the small volume in the .380 case. W231 is a good choice for this application.

Additionally, the big difference in felt recoil from only .1gr of powder is again due to the very small volume in the .380 brass.

The OP mentioned changing the seating depth. Be careful if you are charging at the top end of the powder range. The small case we are discussing could cause big jumps in pressure for a very little change in bullet depth. Don't guess on the seating depth, use the Plunk Test to check for proper bullet seating. With only one feeding problem I would not make changes too quickly. It's possible the round was at fault, not the seating depth.

Just remember, it very small cases pressures with increase treating with small changes in bullet depth because of the change in case volume.

Welcome to the forum.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your insights. I think I will load 50 each at 2.8 gr and 2.9 gr with the oal of .980 and see how they function before changing the seating depth.
 
I haven't done a lot with .380. I used to load FMJ at .975/.980 with W-231 or AA #2 (Mostly AA #2), and then got rid of my .380. Now my wife has one and I have loaded some 95 Gr JSPs with W-231, again at .975/.980. Works just fine. I did load some of the Remington 88 Gr JHPs at .940, but they never really shot that well.
 
Walkalong said:
I haven't done a lot with .380. I used to load FMJ at .975/.980 with W-231 or AA #2 (Mostly AA #2), and then got rid of my .380. Now my wife has one and I have loaded some 95 Gr JSPs with W-231, again at .975/.980. Works just fine. I did load some of the Remington 88 Gr JHPs at .940, but they never really shot that well.
Click to expand...
AC, you might want to give the 95gr coated bullet from MBC a try. They work well in my son's girlfriend's Sig P238 and make for some inexpensive shooting @$36/500.

I also don't load much for the .380. The above gun is only shot 50 rounds a month. I'm using W231 with the coated bullets.
 
Well, I bought the on sale Federal 95 Gr JSPs to try in fast 9MM loads, but they didn't shoot nearly as well as the on sale Sierra overruns or the RMR 90 gr JHPs in that application. I bought 500 of them, so I figured I would just use them in .380. Should last me a long, long, time at the rate I/we will shoot it. But no doubt, if I was looking to buy some bullets for .380, coated would be a good choice.

Point being, the OP should be good to go at .980 OAL. :)
 
sbwaters wrote:
A year into reloading, OP, I have become an inveterate notetaker -- first with full page load logs (google ’em for forms), then with homegrown spreadsheets with a row for each load and range results.
Click to expand...

Excellent!

People inevitably shy away from the paperwork since it's not as "fun" as reloading and shooting, but you NEED the information from the paperwork to avoid having to continually re-invent the wheel.
 
Hokie_PhD wrote:
We really need to start a 12 step group
Click to expand...

No!

Twelve Step programs are for people who want to get rid of their addiction. I don't want to "recover" from reloading, I want to further immerse myself in it and perfect my process and technique.

Besides, if you really want to break an addiction, the so-called Sinclair Method using Naltrexone has a better track record than the Twelve Step programs.
 
hdwhit said:
No!

Twelve Step programs are for people who want to get rid of their addiction. I don't want to "recover" from reloading, I want to further immerse myself in it and perfect my process and technique.

Besides, if you really want to break an addiction, the so-called Sinclair Method using Naltrexone has a better track record than the Twelve Step programs.
Click to expand...

Ah silly silly silly reloaded , who said the goal was to recover.
I said that it was cover for the additiction!!!!
Maybe we can get Jake to sponsor our 12 step group!
I'm sure with a bullet pusher in the group our success will be assured. That is if growing the addiction is the goal. After all who said the goal was to stop! Personally I think the goal is to reload more and better ammo! And more better ammo!
 
Hokie_PhD wrote:
who said the goal was to recover[?].
Click to expand...

Well then, we would need to radically re-write the steps; because while I'm willing to admit I am powerless over reloading (step 1), I am not willing to admit to God or man that my reloading is a "wrong" (step 5), that I was ready to be rid of such "defect of character" (step 6), that I want God to rid me of this "shortcoming" (step 7).

Rather than a 12 Step Program, we might want to adopt a "Buyer's Club" model whereby we focus on a few calibers and use our combined buying power to negotiate discounts with suppliers to allow us to reload more for the same money.
 
Because 12 step sounded better and was cover for those who think we have a problem!
I'm trying to have fun with this. But think you're being a bit to literal.

Anyway, if someone were to setup group buys, or a "buyers club" I'd consider it if the benefits were worthwhile.
 
Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed is thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in the reloading room, as in Heaven. Give us this day our daily brass. Forgive us our misses, as we forgive those who do not handload. Lead us not into the temptation of factory ammunition, but deliver us from the massed produced and inaccurate. For thine is the kingdom of the ten ring, the power of self sufficiency, and the glory of the finely crafted, for ever and ever. Amen. {RC model 6:9-13}



8)
 
Thou shall keep thy reloading bench clean.

Thou shall not take thy neighbors brass.

Thou shall clean thy brass and pockets.

Thou shall not mix thy pistol or rifle primers.

Thou shall always make notes.

Thou shall do ladder test.

Thou shall not overwork thy brass.

Thou shall not over crimp.

Thou shall keep thy range clean.

Thou shall have more brass come home, than shot on range day.
 
That nasty thing called a job keeps getting in the way of fun.

We are going to the range tomorrow to do some accuracy testing with some fresh hand loads.

And oh yes, we still have all our body parts so far. With all the great support from everybody here I have faith it will stay that way.
 
I recommend a chronograph. There is no free lunch, and if a pistol load is giving much higher velocities than listed, then the pressures are above safe levels. The 380 and 9mm are sensitive to cartridge overall length and also to the primer in ways that can bring unsafe pressures at powder charges well under max listed.

On a recent range trip, I saw three 9mm loads (identical except for the primer) at a velocity too low to cycle the slide reliably (very mild), at a nice velocity for the bullet and exactly as expected for the powder (safe range), and at a velocity that suggested +P+ pressures. The powder charge was the STARTING load (minimum) for the specified bullet and powder. Without the chronograph, I'd have only been guessing what was happening.

RMH said:
Good afternoon to all,

I am new to reloading and would like someone looking over my shoulder. I have spent the last 3 months reading everything I could get my hands on, The ABC’s of reloading, Hornady, Lyman, Speers and many web sites and forums.

What I have is a Taurus PT638 380acp which is a medium frame lock breach. It has a 3.2” barrel and a 15 round double stack mag.

Right now all I want to do is load some safe range ammo for my wife and I to practice with. I am planning this to be my retirement hobby so I would like to keep Eyes, ears and all ten of my fingers.

As all of you know, the load data for the 380 is all over the place so I would like some of you to double check my work.

This is what I have done.
Winchester brass
Winchester wsp primer
Winchester W231 Powder
.980 oal
Berry's 100 gr FBRN plated

10 rounds each
2.8 gr
2.9 gr
3.0 gr
3.1 gr

Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...

For that bullet, powder, and pistol, I'd expect velocities between 800 and 900 fps. If you had 900 fps at one of the lighter charges, you should stop and not shoot the heavier charges.
 
Hokie_PhD said:
Personally I'd love to see more threads about all of the various powders.

I'd love to get reviews of them, their pro and minuses. What they're best for, what they do ok and what they do but not so good.
Click to expand...
Like these?

Pistol powder comparison - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/pistol-powder-comparison-pictures.744995/

Same/comparable powders - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-different-labels.797388/page-5#post-10557833
Hokie_PhD said:
it would be really nice to learn about powders that aren't as common.
Click to expand...
Like these?

IMR Target/Red/Green, Vectan Ba 9/Ba 9.5/AS - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/imr-target-red-green-and-vectan-ba-9-5-ba-9.817796/

Alliant Sport Pistol - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/new-alliant-sport-pistol.816514/page-4#post-10559773

Shooters World Clean Shot/Auto Pistol/Ultimate Pistol - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/new-alliant-sport-pistol.816514/page-3#post-10555346

Herco for 40S&W - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/40s-w-and-herco-for-lead-plated-bullets.743416/

Herco for 9mm - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/9mm-and-herco-for-jacketed-lead-plated-bullets.745656/

Promo for 45ACP - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/alliant-promo-reloading-range-test.578444/

Promo for 9mm/40S&W - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/alliant-promo-reloading-range-test.518185/
 
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