I just did it for the first time!

[Lone_Gunman]

I just loaded up my first lot of ammunition, and thought I would post my impressions as a new re-loader. I have been working on this project now for about 2 to 3 months and finally got to the point of actually loading tonight. I tried to do this right, and read ABC's of Reloading, Modern Reloading by Lee, and the Speer Manual. I really found the first two of these very useful, but by the time I read the Speer Manual, most of it was redundant and I didnt really get that much new information.

As for equipment, I am using a Lee classic turret. My dies are the Lee 4-die deluxe set, and I used the Lee Auto-Prime and Lee Pro Auto Disk Powder measure.

The press worked great, as did the dies, though it did take some tinkering to get the bullet seating die adjusted to seat the bullet to the right depth. This was mainly a trial and error situation to figure out how to adjust that die to seat the bullet properly. I had to use a bullet puller a couple of times to correct screw-ups. The Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure worked great, and measured powder very consistently ( +/- 0.1 grains, I guess thats consistent anyway).

The Auto-Prime was OK, but I don't have the hang of it yet. I would occassionaly drop a primer out of it trying to load it onto the priming arm of the ram. The press did a good job seating the primers though.

My load was taken from Lee's manual:

Winchester 45 ACP 230 grain FMJ
Once-fired Speer nickel plated brass
CCI large pistol primer
Winchester 231, 4.8 grains.
Loaded to an overal length of 1.265"

What do you think of my load?

I plan on trying to get to the woods tomorrow afternoon to see how this will do. I will be shooting it out of a Ruger Blackhawk with a 45 ACP cylinder.


I will try to post results tomorrow, assuming I don't blow off my face with these rounds!

What do you think of my load?

 

[Bullet]

I don’t load 45ACP so I don’t know about your load, but congratulations on becoming a reloader. I think reloading is a lot of fun. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Sharps Shooter]

Nor do I load the .45 ACP, but 4.8 grains of Win 231 behind a 230 grain FMJ sounds pretty mild according to my Speer, Hornady and Lyman manuals. They should work ok though especially seeing as how you'll be shooting them in a revolver and not counting on them to cycle the action of an auto. They might print quite high at 25 yards or less.
Congratulations on your first loads anyway and welcome to the devotion.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Yes, the 4.8 grains of 231 was listed as the "starting load" in the Lee manual.

 

[Vitamin G]

Congrats! I remember hoping with such anticipation that i would be able to save my very first loaded round as a small trophy, a "graduation" into serious shooting, if you will. Unfortunately, I set the 40S&W/10mm die in too far (instructions said "two complete turns" to set it to 10mm instead of .40) and the tip of my bullet went just about flush with the brass.
I saved it anyways. Its a good reminded that even when you think you're following instructions correctly, I can blow myself up pretty easy if im not paying attention to the final product.

 

[Zen21Tao]

Congrats. About six months ago I had a story that seems to parellel yours right down to the Lee Turret, Lee dies, and the ABCs reloading manual. Where my stroy diverges is that I loaded 10mm and 500 S&W not .45acp. Let us know how your first load fires. I have to hang my head and admit that due to not paying attention to the powder level in the powder measure I had a squib in my first batch.