First time reloading

[tisme]

Today I had a go at reloading. Weather being bad, my help was unable to get here. I don't blame him though with all this snow. I went down to the shed to just have a look at the kit, but while sitting there I though, I once taught myself to fly so reloading can't be that hard!

Setting the dies up was the most difficult thing, I'm still not sure it's right. The set I used were FL RCBS dies, with a lee press and the instructions say, set to the ram and then turn down 1/4 to 1/2 a turn. I did this and squashed a case! Then I reset to just kissing the ram and all seem well. The primer removing pin was just over 3/16" out. The cases looked resized.

Alan has suggested 13grs of Lil gun and 35gr V max for my Hornet so that's what I have done. The lee scales seem to be a bit difficult to use and I think I will change them for a digital set. The rear slider kept moving as I adjusted the brass screw to set them at zero. The bullets were set to a COL of 1.725 but it left a small mark in the bullet, so with I backed the die off a nats and they came out just over 1.73... no mark. Maybe I should have waited until I got a case length trimmer as I can only think they have stretched.

I only made four but they all shot well, more testing in better weather now needed.

Sorry to bore you all with this but telling my wife or kids is just a waste of time :roll: and I feel happy that I managed to make them.

Just one note, when I bought the kit the v max bullets were sold to me as heads by Chris Potters !

Pete

[Ovenpaa]

Firstly....... Brilliant news you have loaded your own, well done and welcome to the 'club' so to speak. Good you also shot them, and they went bang, and you are here presumably typing with all fingers?

I can still remember reloading my first but not so much actually shooting them, the instructions were frustrating and I anguished over the amount of powder to load, bullet to use (Ermm... we don’t say head here, well OK we do but we mostly try to get Christel to say it) primers etc.

Yes you are going to damage cases occasionally however as long as you know why that is quite acceptable and means you can learn from it. Don’t throw the case away, I have a little row of cases on a shelf in the workshop to remind me of such things. Take care with OAL - shortening back a few thou can make a big difference to pressure and measure a few built rounds to get an average length. Beg/borrow/buy a COAL gauge or make one with a fired case so you know what the maximum length you can build to is and if it will load from the magazine as well.

Measuring powder accurately can be a problem until you get your head around it, don’t worry though as we all have views on the best way to throw powder. A subject for a new topic I think...

Now you need to post some pictures of your reloads and target for encouragement, tutting, nodding of heads etc.

[Robin128]

Well done mate...no such thing as a stupid question.

Hope you are using a manual and recording all the weights and measures in a wee book.

Rob

[tisme]

Yep keeping all info, just need a bit more time to do some more and see how they shoot. I've sorted out a good set of scales now, they are in grams but thats easy to convert. Length cutter is ordered as well.

One (silly) question how do you know if you should crimp them or not? I know some bullets have groves to crimp, is it just them you crimp or others as well?

Ta
Pete

[The Gun Pimp]

Never crimp a rifle round for jacketed bullets - unless you are loading for a machine-gun!

Cheers
Vince

[alan108]

Pete, the hornet cases were resized and cut to length,so the problem with the crushed case was operator error :lol: ,it's something we all (and me included) have done when first reloading .
If you are free tomorrow around 12-1pm I could get down to you now the roads are clear.
I'll wait to hear from you.

Alan :)

[Ovenpaa]

Never crimp a rifle round for jacketed bullets - unless you are loading for a machine-gun!

Sound advise! Also if you do ever have a need to crimp never, ever assume the groove in the bullet is where you should crimp to. (I was going to say cannuler but I have probably spelt it incorrectly)

[tisme]

Thanks for the replies.
Alan I didn't use the cases you gave me as I wanted to start from the beginning. It would be great to see you anytime, I think the roads might be bad this afternoon though and I would hate for you to get stuck this close to Christmas.

As for crimping, I did say silly question we all have to start somewhere.

Thanks again chaps

Pete

[woody_rod]

Great to hear another reloader is born! It is a very interesting hobby, let alone shooting them.

The Hornet is one of the tougher cases to learn on for sure. They are very thin at the neck and are easily damaged, new reloader or not!! I still squash mine now and then after doing thousands.

Another tip I have recently learned is to use pistol primers in the hornet, not small rifle primers as such. The reason I was given is most rifles chambered for hornet rounds are rimfire actions, with firing pin springs to match. This is the case with my own rifles, all being Anschutz models. I now use pistol primers, which work MUCH better than SRP's, they fire cleanly and with no misfires which were common before.

[FredB]

Most users of single shot rifles don't crimp: all it does is fatigue the brass and lead to premature splits at the case mouth. magazine rifles have a potential problem which can be resolved by crimping. Many calibres have surplus space in the case and, when feeding from a magazine, the bullet can be pushed back into the case which causes a substantial increase in pressure. The only calibre that I crimp is 44-40 for my old '92 Winchester. It is used for rapid fire shooting on turning targets and I dont want a it to jam. In this instance, the increased pressure risk is minimal as i only use 5 grains of Bullseye. If you need to crimp a jacketed bullet, then a minimal amount of crimp applied with a tapercrimp die (separate operation!) is best. I do sometimes use the mag on my 71/84 Mauser, but the case is full of compressed black powder so the bullet isn't going to be pushed in any farther.
Fred