paranoid new reloader

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jakeandpinky

Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
6
All,

Very new to reloading and I have just reloaded my first 10 38 special cases. Now that I can't look in there, I am of course concerned about double charges.....does anyone weigh the completed cartridges to check the weights? Is this an effective way for rooting out any mistakes. Loading with 4.8 grains of Accurate #5 with a hornady 158 grain swc. Basic load, but a good place to start I guess. I'll be shooting them in a 357 revolver.

Would a good digital scale be accurate enough with the variation in case weights, bullet weights, etc to detect a double charge???

Any info would be good.

Thanks.
 
I think weighing loaded pistol rounds is pretty much an exercise in futility...bullets and brass can vary more in weight than a charge weight as low as yours. If you have serious cause to worry if you double-charged (and I suspect you know whether the possibility exists) then pull them. If it's just first time jitters, do the "cup and turn" and light them puppies. Confidence is a good thing and it comes with practice...caution is also a good thing that you want never to lose.
 
New to Reloading

Two things that I can suggest that will ease your mind. First, 20 cartridges don't take long to produce, right? So, why not start over if you're sweating double charges.

1. Digital scales are fine, start out by weighing each cartridge's charge as you load. If you like, place a Roosevelt dime on the digital scale, and it should weigh approximately 2.27 grams or 35 grains. Then, you know that your scale is very close. If you have check weights, then use those to verify the accuracy of your digital scale.

2. Before placing bullets on top of each charged (with powder) cartridge, view a group of brass cases with powder charges from above that each has the same amount or approximately equal powder. If you've got a double charge then it will appear much higher in the brass cartridge for that one, it will be a reject. This will not work if you're seating each bullet after throwing the charge as in a progressive, or turret arrangement without other charged cases for comparison. If you're only loading 10 cases or few number to start, you may be able to organize things for these two steps at first, build confidence, and enjoy a controlled 'paranoid' process going forward.

John
 
Develop an orderly scan of your loading block, row by row just as if you were reading, do it twice every time, even use a straight edge to mark your place. Purposely double charge one so you know what it looks like, don't forget to dump that one out!
 
When you check each case for powder (in the loading block, before seating the bullet) use a flashlight, it'll make the job much easier.
 
jakeandpinky,
Welcome to reloading and the forum...

If you were careful when you loaded those 10 rounds you are being paranoid just because after you seated the bullet you can no longer see inside the case. Relax and have fun shooting the ammo YOU made!! If anything that charge of 4.8gr is a little low.
 
Check to make sure that your digital scale is weighing correctly. I use a beam balance scale for that. The idea of weighing a dime is not a bad idea either if you don't have a beam balance scale. Never load maximum loads. Always drop off to somewhere between light loads and medium loads. Visually look into the brass and see where 4.8 grains comes up to. You do have a lot of latitude and a few 10ths isn't going to make that much difference. Enjoy your reloads. Mistakes happen from not paying attention to detail. Just keep your mind on what your doing and reloading is a safe and satisfying hobby.
 
I know how you feel, it's a real case of jitters, if you have a real concern , PULL THEM!

Then on the next go round, set up a paper check sheet as you progress, once the steps become ingrained you won't need it.


After the first six rounds of your new roll your owns that jitterrey scowl:confused: will be replaced with one of these:D
 
Old handloaders, and bold handloaders, but no old bold handloaders

What Chawbaccer is telling you is to use a bulky powder, which sufficiently fills the case that a double charge will at least be immediately evident, or will overflow. Go slow. Do not tollerate distractions. For single station loading, set up a flow pattern that makes it hard to screw up. Multiple times, examine the level of powder in the cases and make sure the levels are equivalent. If the lighting in your loading bench area is not comparable to an airport runway, get a pencil light for a baseball cap and wear that.

A certain amount of paranoia is a good thing for a handloader.

If your powder charge is only a couple grains, weighing cartridges, especially those using cast bullets, will tell you nothing.
 
Did you check the level of powder in each case when standing in the loading block?
If you don't remember,pull them.
If you did,shoot them.

weighing them will be futile.

next time you relaod,double charge a case so you will know what it looks like,and IMMEDIATLY dump it back out into the powder jug/hopper,etc.
 
I think weighing loaded pistol rounds is pretty much an exercise in futility...bullets and brass can vary more in weight than a charge weight as low as yours.
Click to expand...
D. Manley is correct.

The advise to use a bulky powder/charge weight that will overflow the case on a double charge, or at least be very obviously different, is always good advise for the beginning reloader.

That said, a missing charge can cause problems as well. It can potentially stick a bullet in the barrel with just the power of the primer. Then, if one does not notice the bullet did not exit the barrel, when we fire another round with powder the stuck bullet runs up the pressure and can cause damage to the barrel or even blow up the gun, depending on several factors.

I eyeball every single charge I seat a bullet over. I take my time, even reloading with a progressive, and load without distractions. If I am just not in a focused mood, I won't reload.

I drilled an extra couple of holes in my Projector. I have a Fenix E1 LED flashlight in there shining down into the case so I can really see the powder well.
 
I eyeball every single charge I seat a bullet over. I take my time, even reloading with a progressive, and load without distractions. If I am just not in a focused mood, I won't reload
Click to expand...

This is a very good point. Last sunday, I set up the 550B to load up some 357 MAG and once I had everything in place, I started to hand load a couple and quickly discovered that my frame of mind was not where it should have been. Guess what, I stopped and will pull the 7 or so rounds I started to do just because my mind was not 100% on the game.

There is nothing worse than standing at that line and not having total confidence in your ammo when you squeeze that trigger.

Pull the dang things and start over.

Go batch process, S L O W L Y, and double and triple check your work, and then move onto the next process. When it comes to powder charging your cases, there ain't nothing that's going to take the place of weighing and looking at each case. Time/experience/technique will help you believe in your powder thrower. Until then, weigh each charge and line up the charged case so that you can look at each one.

Purposely double charge one so you know what it looks like, don't forget to dump that one out!
Click to expand...
This is not a bad idea.

LGB
 
j'np - A little paranoia is actually a good thing when reloading. Just don't let it take over when you know you've done it right. If you have definite doubts, there are remedies such as pulling bullets and starting over.

You have gotten recommendations here to inspect each and every case after it is filled with powder, and those recommendations come from some old timers with a total of hundreds of years of experience reloading. I'll add mine to that also, but let me give you a little tip on how to do it.

When I have the loading block full of cases with powder, I look inside each one using a bright light just like everyone else, but I look inside the case at an angle so that I can see only the very edge of the powder column. The angle will vary, of course, with the amount of powder. Using that method you can see not only if a case has too much powder, even a little too much, but you can also see if the case has too little powder - the powder will not be visible at the viewing angle. You can quickly go down each row of the block and finish the entire block in just a few seconds. You will know that each case holds the same amount of powder (or is at least within a safe range).
 
Just how careful ?

Jake -
Welcome aboard.

Pinky -
We're not exactly sure about you yet. :D


Boy howdy, you got some great feedback here. Hard to add to anything.... other than to say that if you consider yourself an "extremely careful person", but 12 other people call you "daddy"... then maybe disassembly is the best option!

:)
 
Question:

Since he was loading under .38 specs, what's the max .357 load with AA #5? Is it possible he's still safe, regardless of a doublecharge since it's coming out of a .357 as he stated.
 
My rule of thumb is that you load safely for the caliber you're loading. Whether it would not blow up X gun if it is overloaded should not be a consideration. Getting into the habit of loading each caliber carefully will pay off in the long run.

Perhaps far fetched, but here's a "what-if" to demonstrate why not do that. You're at a range a year later with some of those rounds. You forgot that some of them might be double charged, a fellow shooter with his Airweight snubby asks if he can shoot a few ... well, you get the picture.
 
I dont use a tray or block for this reason.
I also use loads with "bulky" powders like unique so that if I do a 2x charge the case will be nearly full or over flowing with powder.
I see no reason to have any risk of blowing up a gun to save a few dollars worth of powder.
 
I use Trail Boss and 5744 because both 90% fill the case of my 454 Casull brass with my chosen load. Which makes double-charging physically impossible.
 
Jake,

I haven't double charged yet. I am paranoid, I sometimes take the bullet off again to check. I have a VERY bright light shinning into the case at the bullet seat station.

I have however had a squib. I don't think it was a light charge, I think I messed up and there was no charge. When the primer went off it drove the bullet out of the case far enough to jam the cylinder. I'd hate to have one stuck in the barrel.:uhoh:
 
When I load 38 or 357, I weigh every charge and fill up a loading block. All my brass is prepped before hand, deprimed, resized, tumbled, primed, and flared. As I weigh a charge, it goes into a case and is set in a loading block. When the block is full, shine a light in every case to verify 1: powder is there, and 2: enough of it/no double. When I am sure everything is like it is supposed to be, I seat the bullets in a single stage then run the round through a gauge. It takes a little longer my way, but it is very hard to screw up without some serious effort. :eek:


All this talk of loading 38/357's has got me in the mood to load some, C'ya. :cool:
 
I use a single stage press and do pistol, in two stages - size, deprime, reprime and flare in one sitting, followed by powder and seating a bullet. This keeps it simple.I use wooden loading blocks and go in a particular pattern every time. Then I visually check - not so much for double charges, but more so for light charges. In 25 years, (knock on wood), no issues.

Develop a routine that keeps it simple and lets you stay focused. As you do it more and more, you will find what method works best for you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
I dropped my Lyman D-7 Balance Beam scale
Replies
6
Views
467
twofifty
T
M
  • Locked
RCBS 5-10 beam scale Vs. MTM mini digital scale
Replies
13
Views
3K
MNPyro
M
M
  • Locked
Questions about. 357 mag reloading data
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
147
Views
8K
Mixed Nuts
M
D
  • Locked
Accuracy: Spending Time on Things That Matter
2 3
Replies
57
Views
2K
murf
murf
W
  • Locked
New reloader - scale question
2
Replies
34
Views
1K
jcwit
J
Back
Top