Help for a reloading newbie requested

[AngryBaker]

First a little background, I have been shooting for about 4 years now and I just got into reloading. I just got set up about 2 days ago.

I have equipment for the following calibers, 9mm Luger and .223 Rem

Here is my list of equipment:

RCBS Partner Press
RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure
Hornady electronic scale
Hornady electronic caliper
RCBS universal hand priming tool
Lyman turbo pro 1200 tumbler
Lee steel .223 die set
Lee carbide 9mm Luger die set
RCBS Case lube kit
Lyman #49 Reloading manual

In order to familiarize myself with my equipment I decided I would start with the 9mm Luger. I hear straight wall cartridges are easier to reload for a beginner.

So resizing went fine as well as priming (priming with the RCBS hand priming tool is a breeze), the primers look like they are seated just fine when compared to factory ammo of the same brand as well as others

So now the problem has come down to two things.

1. When using the flare die how much flare am I suppose to put on the cases to allow proper bullet seating?

I have many cases and I have practiced on a few, I really am lost. The Lee instruction manual is vague and says "for maximum case life, use only enough flare only enough to easily accept a bullet." I am not sure what they mean is the flare only for ensuring the bullet goes into the bullet seater without falling off the case? I supposed to measure something to ensure there is enough flare?

Problem two is I have decided on my starting load (it is a published minimum load developed by Lee) and I have made a few mocked up rounds (no powder or primer) just to get my seater set up as well as finding a nice OAL close the recommended minimum

Here is the load I am planning for reference

Bullet: Suters Choice 9MM 125 GR RN
Case: Winchester/Federal/S&B 9mm Luger
Powder: Hodgdon HP-38 Pistol Powder
Primer: CCI Small pistol Primer

Min allowable OAL for maximum charge: 1.125
I was planning to set them out a little longer at about 1.130 or 1.128

Minimum charge: 3.9 GR
Maximum charge 4.4 GR

Enough with data, like I said before I have mocked up some rounds to test my seater and establish feeding function as well as OAL.

I flared only slightly so that the base of the bullet can sit comfortably in the case while being run up to the seater die.

So next I took 2 rounds and slowly adjusted my die down to an OAL of 1.128

both mock rounds fed and chambered in my Ruger SR9

Then the main problem occurred I noticed a bulge in the case at the end of where the bullet was seated. This concerns me as I am a new reloader and and very nervous about messing up. I compared this to factory rounds and saw no such bulge on factory rounds.

I am at a loss, did I do something wrong? If you gents have any suggestions I would appreciate any help you can give, and I would be happy to give more information or post some pictures of these mocked up rounds.

As always I look forward to your responses

Thanks
Angrybaker

 

[Scimmia]

1. When using the flare die how much flare am I suppose to put on the cases to allow proper bullet seating?

Just enough to get the bullet started. The bullet should sit down into the case, but only very slightly. In other words, the mouth of the case needs to be ever so slightly larger than the bullet. If the bullet won't sit straight on the case after flaring, it's probably catching on the mouth somewhere, so you may need to flare a little more. You'll get a feel for it, if you don't flare enough, you'll shave lead off the side of the bullet while seating it.

Then the main problem occurred I noticed a bulge in the case at the end of where the bullet was seated. This concerns me as I am a new reloader and and very nervous about messing up. I compared this to factory rounds and saw no such bulge on factory rounds.

Nothing to worry about. You'll see less of it if you use jacketed bullets (lead bullets are slightly larger than jacketed bullets), but it's still not uncommon.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Most reloading manuals have their early chapters devoted to the "how-to" and "why" of reloading. Your current questions and probably most of your near-future ones are addressed in most of those manuals. "The ABC's of Reloading" is particularly good (but has no load recipes).

I recommend you check your local library for "ABC's", re-read the early chapters in your Lyman manual (a particularly good one, in my opinion, by the way)

To answer the questions you asked,

1) You actually didn't ask, but mentioned primer seating. The primers should be just BELOW flush. I don't know why they make them that way, but that's the way they make them.

2) Expand (bell) the case mouth just enough that you can get the bullet started into the case with your fingers at least between 1/32" to 1/16". Less if you can get away with it. When you wind up catching the lip (mouth) of the case on the base of the bullet during the seating process and crushing the case, that is the point where you are not getting away with it anymore.

3) The bulge in the brass case is to be expected. Lead bullets are usually sized slightly larger (since lead is softer than copper jacketing it swages down to bore size easier. A close fit to the bore and rifling is good for shooting for a number of reasons. The brass has to be a tight fit on jacketed bullets. That same brass (sized to the same dimensions), when you shove a slightly larger lead bullet into it, has a slight bulge.

Nothing to worry about as long as it chambers easily. Take your barrel out of your gun, drop the round in and if it falls in with a nice, firm "clunk", that is right. Then point the barrel up and if the round falls out by its own weight, that is right.

The grip of the case mouth (neck) on the bullet (jacketed or lead) has to be tight so that as the round cycles through the action, it does not get pushed deeper into the case. If this happens, you can get overpressure and maybe feeding problems.

Welcome to reloading, Angrybaker (What's the source of your nickname, anyway?)

Lost Sheep

 

[AngryBaker]

@Scimmia Thanks for the prompt response, good to know I didn't screw something up

I guess I assumed correctly with the flaring, it was just enough so the bullet would not fall out of the case on it's way up to the seating die.

Any thoughts on my load data or choice to seat slightly above min OAL, is this safe? are there any advantages or disadvantages to this

@Lost Sheep- Good info man thanks again

The primers I have seated thus far look to be just below flush as you stated I tested a few (firing just primers in a safe direction and triple checking for live rounds) They functioned just fine. I have a friend who reloads and I have occasionally helped him in small things like primer seating.

As for the flaring I believe I assumed correctly from the instructions. I do not think I put too much flare in the cases, the mock rounds I loaded went into the seating die just fine and did not fall out of the cases on their way up.

The bulges in the cases really had me worried thanks for putting my mind at ease.
I am still a little nervous about the whole operation, it is definitely a new experience in shooting

I did as you said and the round dropped into and fell out of the barrel just like a factory round.

So far I am impressed with these lead rounds I ran my mock rounds through the gun about 10 times and so far I have ZERO bullet setback. I have had some factory FMJ rounds set back .002IN or even.004IN in 2 chamberings.

If anyone has any feedback on my 1st load data I would appreciate hearing it especially regarding how to choose the best OAL, I am still a little confused on how to choose the best OAL for a load.

Again thanks for the great info and for putting my mind at ease. This is exactly why I love this forum a great educational resource with great people

 

[Scimmia]

I can't help you on the load data, I haven't used HP-38. For OAL, longer rounds tend to cycle easier, but they have to be short enough to fit your magazine and not to hit the lands in your barrel. Loading shorter will spike the pressure and actually get a bit more power out of the same amount of powder from reduced case volume, but loading longer will allow you to get more power with lower pressure. You can generally go longer than the specified OAL, but don't go shorter!

 

[Bovice]

Originally posted by AngryBakerSo far I am impressed with these lead rounds I ran my mock rounds through the gun about 10 times and so far I have ZERO bullet setback. I have had some factory FMJ rounds set back .002IN or even.004IN in 2 chamberings.

This is another reason why reloaded pistol ammo is so nice. Usually, the resizing die sizes the case down slightly more than it was originally, and when you load it up with a bullet, you have a "coke bottle" appearance on the finished round. This gives you more case neck tension, which is critical for safe functioning ammo. It makes bullet setback much more unlikely. The full bearing length of the bullet is pushing against the case wall.

 

[LiveLife]

Any thoughts on my load data or choice to seat slightly above min OAL, is this safe? are there any advantages or disadvantages to this

Published load data/OALs often used test barrel fixtures and not actual pistols so reloaders must individually determine the OAL that works in their pistols/barrels/magazines (see picture below of different OALs for different bullet nose profiles/ogive).

Once you determined the Max OAL/Ideal OAL, then you should conduct full powder charge work up from start charge to max charge to identify which charges reliably cycle the slide and produce accurate shot groups.

I typically load 10 rounds of each .1-.2 gr powder charge increments from start charge towards max charge. Once I reach the charges that reliably cycle the slide, then I focus on accuracy trends of higher powder charges. Usually, accuracy improves as you transition from start-to-mid/high range load data as chamber pressures produced increases. With faster burning powder like W231/HP-38, often accuracy is produced even at lower target load charges (slower burning powders tend to produce greater accuracy at near max charges).

To me, consistent accuracy comes from consistent chamber pressures (Accuracy is everything) and end up using the powder charge that produces the smallest of the shot groups.

Agree with other posters on "coke bottle" look as 9mm is a tapered case (base rim is wider than case neck) and slight bulge from bullet seating. Especially with larger diameter lead bullet (.356" vs .355" for jacketed), the bulge shows good neck tension (as you found from your bullet setback test).

 

[fehhkk]

I started reloading 9mm a week ago, and its a little tougher than, say, 45ACP. Mostly because the 9mm cases need to be lubed a little when resized, even with carbide dies. Just an extra step that you have to deal with.

 

[LiveLife]

fehhkk, I tumble my brass in fine walnut media treated with NuFinish polish and the residual polish on the surface helps with resizing (acts like case lube). I am using Lee carbide pistol dies and I do not need to use any lube to resize pistol cases, even for 9mm cases.

For new media, I add 2 capfuls and stir/run vibratory tumbler until all the clumps are gone. I usually add another capful every 2-3 batches.

 

[AngryBaker]

@ bds My cases look exactly like those just a slight bulge good to know it's not a problem

I always knew not to go under the MIN OAL. The data in my manual says the published OAL is the minimum for the maximum load published. So I assume using near that OAL even for higher power loads will be fine, please correct me if I am wrong.


Keep in mind I am just a newbie but, I ran about 350 9mm Luger cases through my carbide dies and they all re-sized and extracted just fine I always thought using no lube was the whole point of carbide dies.

Again thanks for all your help and I greatly appreciate it, I hope to get to the range with some of my reloaded ammo soon I will post a report when I do.

Thanks
AngryBaker