Success!

[Zaydok Allen]

Today I finally got to shoot my first batch of reloads.

50 rounds of 230 gr FMJ's over 6.1 gr of Unique. 50 rounds of 230 gr FMJ's over 6.2 gr of Unique. And 50 rounds of 230 gr FMJ's over 6.3 gr of Unique.

All 150 rounds fed, fired, and ejected properly. Brass all looked fine though the lighter loads looked a little sootier on the outside of the cases. The warmer loads looked cleaner. Not unexpected.

All rounds were fired from an HK45 and the gun seemed to really prefer the 6.3 gr load. There was one ragged hole the size of a lemon in the bullseye after two magazines.

No flattened primers and all looks well. The one modification I may make is to drop my OAL from 1.275" to 1.265" or 1.270". While loading the magazines the nose of the rounds seemed to catch the edge of the mag. All fed fine though.

Time to hit the press!

 

[Scooter22]

Congrats! I remember my first ones back around 1975. 7x57 Mauser and 30-30. All went bang and nothing blew up!
Hit the target too!

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Congrats
I started reloading a few years ago and remember that feeling. So I’ll offer a few things.

One, savor it. It’s cool to be able to say you made your own ammo.

And two, BE CAREFUL Soon you’ll become an ammo snob and won’t want to shoot anything you haven’t loaded yourself!

Finally, keep telling the SO it’s to save money. Just don’t forget that you’ll be loading more and shooting more. So the “savings” well ....

Enjoy.
And again. Congrats and enjoy another aspect of this hobby.

 

[Walkalong]

The one modification I may make is to drop my OAL from 1.275" to 1.265" or 1.270". Whole loading the magazines the nose of the rounds seemed to catch the edge of the mag.

I had the same issue years back and settled on seating RN to fall between 1.260 and 1.265. Some mags just don't like 1.270.

Congrats on a successful range trip.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Could too lite of a crimp be causing the excessive sootiness on the outside of the cases with the lighter loads, or is it safe to assume that it's just that the load was a little lite?

 

[1KPerDay]

Probably just light plus unique isn't particularly clean. Crimp to .470"-.472" and call it good. I also load .45 acp RN to 1.25"-1.26" to start. Obviously check the plunk test and feeding tests. P

 

[buck460XVR]

Sootiness @ 6.1 does not surprise me. Shortening your OAL to 1.265 may reduce it if there was little or no sooting @ 6.3. I run 6.3 under a 230 FMJ @ 1.230.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I wasn't real surprised by it, and I know it can happen with any lite load. I might increase my crimp ever so slightly and shorten them up a touch and see how a 6.1 gr load looks with that.

 

[Walkalong]

Could too lite of a crimp be causing the excessive sootiness on the outside of the cases with the lighter loads

Works with roll crimps on revolvers, but a proper taper crimp on an auto caliber makes little difference.

, or is it safe to assume that it's just that the load was a little lite?

Yep.

 

[Demi-human]

An excellent gift to your self. Congratulations on a successful first outing.

And Merry Christmas!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Well I'm officially hooked. Today, on Christmas Day, what did I do? I ate some food, relaxed with my GF, tweeted my dies, and loaded 100 rounds. The addiction begins.