New to reloading

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Voland

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Ok, I finally have everything set up and I am starting to reload...

I have 80 .45 casings, 230 grain bullets, HP38 power and primers.

Ive cleaned the cases, measured them to make sure that they are < max lenth, primered them and i am ready to start loading them with powder. This is where my question comes in...

With HP38 the start load should be 4.2grains. 4.2 grains does not seem like a lot to me. I used the lee perfect powder measure kit and I am checking it on the lee Safety Powder Scale. It just seems that the number is really low and I want some of the SR members to reassure me that this is how its suppose to be. Sorry for the noob cold feet question. I just want to make sure that I dont blow anything up...

thanks all!
V:what:
 
4.2 FMJ/ 4.0 LRN depening according to hodgdon database.

4.2 jacketed in my lee manual. No other hp38 data listed for other bullet types.

Hope this helps,
Brian
 
yep, these are 230 grain fmj. thanks! i guess i am just way too attached to my fingers so i wanted to double check... :)

v.
 
NP, folks here and on tfl have been helping me as i just started not too far back, and im glad to help on anything i know i can safely say.

Just crossreference and youll be GTG.

www.hodgdon.com for their online database, its been quite helpful for me
 
It don't take much to get a lot;). 45acp is a pretty low pressure round anyways, that's why you should be able to get lot's of reloads out of that brass.
 
Thanks everyone! Now if I can just figure out an accurate way to throw the powder... Its always .1 to .3 +-... Frustrating...

Are there better or more accurate powder dispensers?

Thanks!
V.
 
I'm not familiar with HP38(I have never loaded with it), is it a flake or ball powder? I know that the lee powder measures(like most) dont do very well with flake powders. Mine is reasonably consistant with 700x, but I will still get a variation of +/- .1. This, to me, is no big deal as I am loading for practice, and and well below the max load. I have yet to notice accuracy issues either. Now, if the rounds were for more serious business (hunting, etc), I would probably weigh each individual charge anyway.
 
Yep, its flake... Perhaps I should look in to a different powder and just use this for practice rounds. There should still be a better way to get a precise measure... :)
 
Yep, its flake... Perhaps I should look in to a different powder and just use this for practice rounds. There should still be a better way to get a precise measure... :)
Click to expand...

You can definately buy a different powder measure and get better metering with your flake powder, but you will pay. If it were me I would just use a different powder. I am getting ready to switch to bullseye myself. If you do some reading you will find there are many ball powders that meter fantastically in the lee measures that are perfect for .45acp. I believe AA#2 and AA#5 are both good choices. If you search, I started a thread for this exact same purposes and got some great suggestions for powder.
 
yes, it looks like a tiny bit of powder in there, that is normal with that powder. there are other powders that fill the case better, but hp38 is a good clean burning powder. just remember that 45acp is a very mild pressure load. and even with the other powders i have used, none of them that i have tried fill the case to where the bullet sits. no worries.
 
Voland, my first loads were 45acp using HP-38. (It's still my powder for 45 and 380 ammo.) I loaded 10 rounds at the minimum as stated in the Lee Modern Reloading book. My rounds almost skipped off the floor before hitting the target and would not chamber the next round. BUT, they fired :D and I didn't blow up my gun or lose any booger pickers. As for the Lee beam scale: I've been using mine for one year now. I have it set up at eye level. Other than breathing on it or having to turn off the ceiling fan before using it, it works just fine. It will be accurate within a tenth of a grain as advertised. And unless you are already way, way past the "do not exceed" charge, even 2/10ths will not create an overly drastic load. Good luck to you. Let us know how big your smile was after you fire that first handmade round, will you?
 
I just finished loading my first 40 rounds at .2 grain increments in groups of 8. Ill be heading to the range this weekend with the new loads and the new M1A scout (factory ammo for the barrel break in). The purpose of loading is to start doing .308 rounds. I already have the bullets, primers and about three pounds of H4895, just need the brass. I figured the .45 would be the easiest to start with so depending on my results, I will be able to feed my new toy. I am a little worried about trying out the rounds I load my self in my Kimber. It is a Clackamas so I would never forigve my self if I killed it...

Ill let you guys know how it goes!

p.s. I love the part about the round skipping on the ground... :D
 
Went out and shot my reloads. I still have all my fingers! :D

Everything worked out quite nicely. I did not have a single failure but I was shooting about 6" too low :banghead:. I was using 5.6 grains of HP38 so I think I will try to go up to 5.8 grains or perhaps a lighter bullet.

Thank you all for the hep!
v.
 
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