How many do you make?

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Seedtick

Seedtick

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I have just about gathered up enough stuff to start reloading for 9mm and 380 auto. I'm not a complete greenhorn although I've done very little reloading over the last 10 years or so. Actually, I loaned out my Rock Chucker and have just been going to visit it enough to keep me in ammo for deer season each year. When I work up a load for a rifle I generally load 4 alike and change something up and make 4 more and so on, trying to home in on what my gun likes the best. The only pistol I've loaded for was a 44 magnum revolver and I always loaded six for testing on it.

Finally, my questions - how many rounds do you guys make up when you are working up a load for a semi-auto pistol?
And, I realize that before you set up production and punch out a few hundred that you will also need to run up enough to prove reliable function in a particular pistol. How many do you recommend for doing this?

I've really enjoyed the forum the past few months. You have already answered a multitude of questions without me even asking. I appreciate the contributions you've made to make this such an informative and fun site.
Thanks.

ST
 
I load 5 for each different load for rifle and shoot a group when working up a load. Maybe 20 for pistol to check for function.
 
I load 10 of each load for pistol then I take the 2 best groups and load 20 more for each of those loads and try it again.
 
Developing a new handgun round, I guess I may be a bit different. I generally have a pretty good idea what to expect from a load as far as cycling and function go so, I'm primarily interested in how the load "feels" in shooting and in it's accuracy potential. I generally load 25 rounds...5 just for close-range familiarization with the new load and the other 20 for (2) 10-shot benched groups. "Best" ones go in the book, "OK" ones may get tweaked for a re-shoot and poor ones scrapped & move on. To me, some loads are just a joy to shoot...pleasant and accurate. I've ran across a few that had tack-driving accuracy but also had gun-wrecking recoil (and nerve-wracking muzzle blast & recoil). Some shoot and function wonderfully but no matter what, just don't group. The joy of reloading is to finding the one you want and going about your developing in a way you're comfortable with that fits you.
 
I usually load enough "workup" loads to fill 2 magazines.

My Lee Carbide 380 dies are not for sale.
My Small Pistol Primers are not for sale
My 102gr Remington Golden Saber Bullets are not for sale

Sorry :eek:
 
I will start at the starting charge and load batches of ten and every .2 or .3 grains of powder and stop just below max. Shoot those and take the best two and try to improve those.
Rusty
 
I loaded some 40 Gr V-Max's and Lil' Gun powder last night. I have never tried that powder in anything, and have never tried those bullets in .22 Hornet.

I just put a new Nikon Buckmaster 6 to 18 X scope on my Ruger 77/22. I need a few rounds to get on target at 100 yards, and then some to shoot some groups.

I loaded 40. I want to fire all of my test brass to get it started, then trim again if needed before really tweaking a load. Like I posted earlier, no set number.

400 new brass is waiting the outcome. :)
 
My XD-40 is not picky about powders or loads, so I just load up a box of 50 with whatever I've decided to use, normally it works out just fine. I tend to run moderate charges of Universal or Unique, always had good luck with these.

My .308 is a different story, I'll load 10 rounds, see how they group, if I'm not happy, then I go up or down in .2 grain increments until I find the sweet spot.
 
Keep it up....

Ya'll are doing good. This is good stuff. It really does help to hear the different routines. It would be hard not to learn something.

Thanks a lot!


benzuncle - My Lee Carbide 380 dies are not for sale.
My Small Pistol Primers are not for sale
My 102gr Remington Golden Saber Bullets are not for sale

Sorry:eek:
Click to expand...

I may have gotten lucky this afternoon on the die set. I got an email notification that Able Ammo had some in stock and I ordered a set. So, if I was quick enough I'll have some in a few days. :D

ST
 
Rifle = 5 rounds
sidearm = 10 - 20 depending on which caliber and what type of sidearm.

but it's not written in stone. Kind of like a guideline. Depends on what I am feeling.

LGB
 
I like to make up ten at a time to test, I try for 5 in the chorno, and 5 for a group, then I can look at the results and adjust from there.
 
Just a note, it takes time to get a good load that works for Idpa platfourm and still fires and ejects,
I have a solid Recipe for 9mm that has tight groupings, and will pass IDPA in a fmj, I'm still working on one for Lead round point, and need to start in on some for both Fmj and Lcd in 45 with a 230 gr Bullet.
 
I've been loading 10 min/test load - usually 4 loads. I set up a 25yd target lined up with the chrono and shoot from a rest seated.

I paste 4 small red stick-ons on a large sillouette

No, I haven't shot the chrono.
 
I run 5 rounds based on what the manual says working up loads. I also stay under the "max" load for the particular bullet/powder combination. I don't have a crono so I have no idea how fast the bullet is moving, but I do test my rounds off a pistol rest, at 25 ft. I guess when I reach the right load it just "feels" right and that's when I stop. :)
 
I like lots of 10 - easy to segregate in the ammo box - I'll shoot two five shot groups and see how they look - off of sandbags, and usually at 7 yards. My guns are SD oriented, not target.
 
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