DeadLiver
Member
A couple weeks ago, we went down to visit my grandparents and I used my grandfather's reloading equipment to load 500 rounds of .45 ACP.
I used tumbled once fired brass, HSM 230 gr FMJ-FP plated bullets (only bullet I could get more than 100 of locally), 4.8 grs of Titegroup and Federal 150GM primers. The Federal match primers were $4.00/1000 cheaper than the regular ones, so I got them.
I used the Sierra book, edition 5, 6th printing, which specs a COL of 1.270" for a 230 gr round nose bullet. I measured round nose bullets and the flat points that I was going to be using. The flat points measured 0.100" shorter than the round noses, and I set my seating die to give me a COL of 1.200".
I loaded 50 rounds, and shot them through both of my .45's without incident, and without any visual signs of overpressure, so I loaded the other 450 rounds.
Afterwards, my grandfather took a look at what I'd done and told me that the calipers I'd been using had been dropped and probably weren't properly calibrated. He rummaged through his garage and found another caliper that was properly calibrated, and we found that I'd actually created 500 rounds of ammo with a COL of 1.180".
Since then I've shot a couple dozen of these rounds, and they seem pretty hot to me, but that could be psychological from my being worried about seating the bullet too deep and causing high chamber pressures, or it could just be because I had shoulder surgery a month ago and my strong side isn't so strong or stable right now.
I think that I should be ok, the max charge in my book for a 230 gr projectile is 5.2 gr and I loaded each case with 4.8 gr. However, do you think that the bullets are seated deep enough to cause pressure levels that I should worry about? While recognizing that ultimately I'm responsible for the safety of my loads, I'd like opinions from those who are far more experienced than I am. This was my first foray into reloading, and I'd prefer not to break myself or a gun with it.
If there is anything I can clarify, just ask.
Many thanks.
I used tumbled once fired brass, HSM 230 gr FMJ-FP plated bullets (only bullet I could get more than 100 of locally), 4.8 grs of Titegroup and Federal 150GM primers. The Federal match primers were $4.00/1000 cheaper than the regular ones, so I got them.
I used the Sierra book, edition 5, 6th printing, which specs a COL of 1.270" for a 230 gr round nose bullet. I measured round nose bullets and the flat points that I was going to be using. The flat points measured 0.100" shorter than the round noses, and I set my seating die to give me a COL of 1.200".
I loaded 50 rounds, and shot them through both of my .45's without incident, and without any visual signs of overpressure, so I loaded the other 450 rounds.
Afterwards, my grandfather took a look at what I'd done and told me that the calipers I'd been using had been dropped and probably weren't properly calibrated. He rummaged through his garage and found another caliper that was properly calibrated, and we found that I'd actually created 500 rounds of ammo with a COL of 1.180".
Since then I've shot a couple dozen of these rounds, and they seem pretty hot to me, but that could be psychological from my being worried about seating the bullet too deep and causing high chamber pressures, or it could just be because I had shoulder surgery a month ago and my strong side isn't so strong or stable right now.
I think that I should be ok, the max charge in my book for a 230 gr projectile is 5.2 gr and I loaded each case with 4.8 gr. However, do you think that the bullets are seated deep enough to cause pressure levels that I should worry about? While recognizing that ultimately I'm responsible for the safety of my loads, I'd like opinions from those who are far more experienced than I am. This was my first foray into reloading, and I'd prefer not to break myself or a gun with it.
If there is anything I can clarify, just ask.
Many thanks.