Adventures of a Rookie Reloader

[Kentucky Colonel]

Well, despite John Nelson's lock-jaw, due to all the help (especially 
from Bob and Smoke), I have results.

This is a new batch of .348 Win cartridges made with 200 grain FTX Hornady 
bullets, 46.6 grains of IMR 4320, Winchester large rifle primers, and Jameson 
brass. It should travel 2,200 fps.

These 50 cartridges cost approximately 24 dollars a round to build. :shock: 
Almost government level costs! 

Now, to be fair, I will finish loading at least another 150 cartridges with this 
budget. So, that will bring the cost per round down to only 6.00 per cartridge. 
And, I can now build a lot more for a lot less. So, it is all good.

But, my dog was worried. He thought I might need help to fill the dinner table 
so today he went out and caught me this for dinner. He was very proud of himself. 
Good boy, Phoenix.

Now, I learned that the garage gets VERY interesting for everyone else in the house 
when you go in there to do focused work. Powder charging is the most stressful and 
tedious part of the process. I needed my full focus. I did not enjoy interruptions. 
But, I got it done.

Bullet seating was not too difficult for me, but I really feel like I have done my homework 
and completed a semester long course of study. A few questions popped up that my earlier 
work provided the answer to. I seated them at the crimp line. However, I dropped a charged 
shell before the bullet and discovered I spend a lot of time turning over the shells to check 
the primer. I dumped two additional charges onto the floor. 

So, if this happens to you, wait till you finish them all before going back to re-fill them. It 
will likely happen again before you are done.

Crimping was no worry. 

So, I have my finished product. One last question... 

:?:
How do I double check myself at this point? I KNOW I did a quality, quadruple checked, and
patient build. Is prayer my only option left before pulling a trigger?

PS. BONUS 
This was overheard in a period clothing, frontier supply store. 
"That's one of them there flintlock guns. You can't get the shells for those anymore."

 

[patocazador]

Just make sure you wear eye and ear protection when shooting so you won't wind up injured or deaf in case you did something wrong.

I never load all the shells before I test a few and check for signs of excess pressure.

PS: Setters are supposed to point birds and be steady to wing and shot. Yours needs a refresher course. :study:  So does Nyssa.

I had English pointers and Brittanies back when quail existed in Florida. They were steady to wing but breaking at the shot was always a problem. That was before I got an e-collar. :affraid:

 

[Old Smoke]

Good dog, Phoenix!



Test 1:  Feel the bottom of each cartridge.  Is any primer protruding?  If not, good to go. 



In a safe place and pointing in a safe direction

Test 2:  Paint the bullet on one cartridge using a Sharpie.  Let it dry 5-mins.  Ease it into the chamber, being careful not to touch the "paint" on anything.  Keep you finger off of the trigger.  Point in a safe direction.  Close the lever all the way so the cartridge is ready to fire.  Eject eject it into your hand.  Look and see if there are any marks (paint removed) on the bullet where it may have touched the lands. Did it touch the lands?  If so, they are too long.  If not, good to go.

Test 3: Number 6 rounds with a Sharpie.  Measure and record OAL on all 6 rounds.  Load them into the mag.  Cycle and eject into the grass (something nice and soft).  Measure again. Are they all still the same OAL?  If not, then you don't have enough crimp cause spring pressure in the mag compressed the OAL.  If same AOL, good to go.

At the range:  Let your "buddy" shoot it! :Shh:

Seriously, though.  If your load is out of the book and the above checks out, then you have good ammo.  Go shoot 'em up.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Good advice from both of you! Thanks! I will follow it 
and shoot with confidence.

I am already pretty certain. Following this advise will put 
the final touches on my certainty. Thank you both for all the help. 
I really came to rely on it.

Phoenix is a Welsh Springer Spaniel. He could use field 
training. As I lack the skill, so does he. He's all instinct. 

He brought a duck egg back home from a walk to the lake 
without me seeing it or him breaking it. 

NOW... to find that buddy... 
:drunken:

PS. Gratuitous Spaniel pic. We were both a fair bit younger at the time.

 

[patocazador]

My bad, I thought he was a short-legged English setter. Springers are like Boykins, they're supposed to flush not point. Give me 5 lashes. :Scucks: 

Good boy, Phoenix. Now go get another to make Brunswick stew with.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Phoenix is not offended, Bob! 

And, Brunswick stew? Hello? Burgoo, of course. 

GRADUATION DAY:
I went to the range with my hand loads today. I was met by our Range Safety Officer 
of the day. She saw my Browning Model 71 .348 Win and asked if she could fire it. I 
said, yes. She will be back later.

This is a view from behind the rifle. I confess, it was a little spooky to fire that first 
cartridge. There was another reloader there with decades of experience. I had him 
visually inspect the cartridges. They passed.

As I am here writing this, you may assume nothing blew up! :cherry: I AM ALIVE and unscarred! Mission accomplished!

The pic is right after the shot flew. The lift up is from recoil at the end of the shot.

I shot a factory round first. The following is the best I managed at 100 yards with 
factory Jamison loaded Prowler ammunition with flat nose 200 grain bullets. The Prowlers 
were loaded hotter than my hand loads and should have travelled around 200 fps faster. 


Below is the best grouping I could manage with the factory Prowlers.

The next one is the best I could do with my own hand loaded cartridges. Both groupings were standing, unsupported, free hand.

Oh, sorry. This is the new pocket hunting dog option they are selling. :tongue: 
Here is the right pic. 

There is no question that the rifle preferred the slower load. I may also 
owe an apology to FTX 200 grain Hornadys and their polymer pointy tip bullets. 
They seemed to fly a lot better than the flat nosed Prowlers.

These are two fired shells. Can you tell which is the factory load and which is the hand load?

The gold is the hand load at the top.

The hand load is on the left.


And finally, this beauty. Which is the factory load?

Yes, you are quite correct. That is a split in the brass with some rounding on the shoulders. 
THAT WAS THE FACTORY LOAD! Wow. My reloader friend at the range said he thought it might have been 
loaded hotter than the rest.

So, isn't that just a big fat surprise! My hand loads were more accurate AND apparently safer! 
Who knew?

Now a little about the rifle...

I have read moaning and groaning and warning after warning about horrible recoil on the Model 71. 
Not on this rifle. 

'ABANDON ALL HOPE ALL YE WHO FIRE THIS RIFLE!'

Poppycock. My Browning .300 Win Mag is MUCH more noticeable. My grandfather's 12 gauge shotgun is WAY 
worse. Respect it, snug it tight in the pocket and enjoy the boom-boom. 

Remember that tiny lady RSO? She fired it. No big deal. And, she had both hips AND her right 
shoulder replaced. So, all those folks issuing dire recoil warnings? Look, just man-up a little. Please. 
You are embarrassing yourself.

I am more than pleased with my hand loads AND my rifle. Working the lever requires some effort as it is a very tight rifle. It was also fairly dry of lubricants. Once I fixed that with Safari Charlie's? No worries. I am confident that I can kill zone a critter at 100 yards... 150 yards... maybe 200 with practice, just by throwing it up to my shoulder open sight. Yay! And, my hand loads tube fed at least as well as the Prowler factory loads.

I am stunned that the factory load was the poorer product. But, that is the truth of it.

PS. The spent brass is already in the tumbler as we speak.

 

[Old Smoke]

Don't know. I've never fired a factory or reload that spit on the first shot!  

Rewarding. Yes?  You can adjust powder to get the best possible accuracy. 

Well done

 

[patocazador]

The second time you fire the loads they should be more accurate unless you full-length resize your cases. With a lever gun, you may not have an option.
Neck-sizing creates a custom shell made exclusively for your gun.

"I have read moaning and groaning and warning after warning about horrible recoil on the Model 71. 
Not on this rifle."


Those Japs do pretty good on copying things. Your Browning is a new gun made in Japan copying the older Winchester.

Split cases can mean lots of things not just heavy loads. The worst case scenario would be that you have an irregular chamber. That is rare. With those "made to order" specialty cases, I'd bet on a manufacturing problem and poor quality control with the brass.

You'll like rollin' your own so much that you'll be doing the .45 acp next. After a while it's just like refilling your gas tank.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Don't know. I've never fired a factory or reload that spit on the first shot!  

Rewarding. Yes?  You can adjust powder to get the best possible accuracy. 

Well done

1. Me either!
:shock:

2. Yes. Quite rewarding. I am very glad I took it up! I never thought that it could be this fun.
:cheers:

3. Thanks! I live for applause!
:lol!:

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

The second time you fire the loads they should be more accurate unless you full-length resize your cases. With a lever gun, you may not have an option.
Neck-sizing creates a custom shell made exclusively for your gun.

"I have read moaning and groaning and warning after warning about horrible recoil on the Model 71. 
Not on this rifle."


Those Japs do pretty good on copying things. Your Browning is a new gun made in Japan copying the older Winchester.

Split cases can mean lots of things not just heavy loads. The worst case scenario would be that you have an irregular chamber. That is rare. With those "made to order" specialty cases, I'd bet on a manufacturing problem and poor quality control with the brass.

You'll like rollin' your own so much that you'll be doing the .45 acp next. After a while it's just like refilling your gas tank.

1. I have to resize the book says. Every time. :study:

2. Sweet. But, if it improved, is it still copying? Browning model 71s and Winchester 71s do not exchange parts. 
I thought that was because Browning did it's own engineering thing with it based on the original. 

3. Despite that weird 'salt wood' incident decades ago, Browning has a very strong reputation and as Smoke says, the Japanese 
are very good at production. Given that and my experience today, I would be surprised if the chamber was irregular. I think I would see some sort of consistent issue- not just a one off. I think you are correct. I strongly suspect the brass. If you look, the neck is much longer than the other shells. Something unique happened to this one.

4. I just might do the .45s. 
But, I already have a .303 British die. My friend gave it to me as a gift when I bought the rifle he personally sporterized thirty years ago. That .303 British Enfield was given a re-blued barrel and high quality walnut stock. I gave away my boxes of bullets and casings (My friend also gifted me with those) a year and a half ago. 

But, the gent I gave it to is a black powder buddy at my range. When he learned I was learning to load, he offered to give the Speer bullets and .303 casings back. I was surprised he had not used them. I told him I would like that but would only accept half if he was determined. Nice guy. Gifted with his hands. I buy other stuff from him from time to time.

So, after I have built ALL the .348s on hand, I will likely do some .303s next. I ought to. I have carried that die all around the country for decades! Fortunately, that die is an RCBS, too. 

Very fun. I am looking forward to it. :cools:

 

[patocazador]

Look up the "trim to" measurement in your manual and then measure the length of that split case. If it's longer, that's probably the reason .. poor quality control.

I don't know if the Browning is a "copy" of the Winchester or just a rechambering of their model to the .348.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

It has been a while since I revisited this thread. 
I came back because I committed a sin. 

I failed to adequately record the load! 
Fortunately, every step was recorded here. 
I have added stickers with the data to the boxes. 

I did find this a helpful review as I am at it again. 
As I like the last load, I will duplicate it. But, I will 
also add a 250 grain Woodleigh load using 45 grains 
of IMR 4320. 

Wife is visiting her sister. So, it is a good time.

PS. All new 200 grain Hornady FTX's are done for now. 
The 'seat' of the bullet is noticeably different upon close 
inspection, but I doubt it will change anything. Just in case, 
the loads are labelled and stored differently.

I have used all my Hornady bullets. 

So, all that are left are the Australian Woodleigh loads.  
Very much fun.

 

[Buck Conner1]

KC do you still have all your body parts .... :affraid:   :face:

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Yes. But, I did crush a few cases on the next reload by mistake. 
Learned how to use the bullet puller. :x 

Still worth it.

 

[patocazador]

Yes. But, I did crush a few cases on the next reload by mistake. 
Learned how to use the bullet puller. :x 

Still worth it.

I did the same thing last week reforming 7x57 brass to 7.65 Argentine. I forgot to trim the necks to the correct OAL. When I tried to chamber them in the gun, they wouldn't go so I forced one. I wound up with a jammed rifle and a crushed case. 
CRS is hell.  :scratch:

 

[BigAl52]

I think thats kinda like not getting enough case lube on a shell your resizing and getting it stuck in the sizing die. Wait till you do that the first time. Its alot of fun getting one out. Colonel been following along with interest. One thing I have acquired in the last few years was the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 scale and powder dispenser. Ya I know there close to 300.00 but let me tell when you use one you will love it. Speeds the process way up. Have you had to trim any brass yet? Another item I like is the Lyman Case prep express. If your patient and keep looking you will catch them on sale. I bought the case prep machine a while back for 90.00. Its a great addition for cleaning pockets. I also use the lyman  to inside ream the flash holes of the primer pockets with there reamer that screws into one of the stations. These items  are just thoughts for additions to your new hobby. Al

 

[Marty1]

Yes. But, I did crush a few cases on the next reload by mistake. 
Learned how to use the bullet puller. :x 

Still worth it.

I did the same thing last week reforming 7x57 brass to 7.65 Argentine. I forgot to trim the necks to the correct OAL. When I tried to chamber them in the gun, they wouldn't go so I forced one. I wound up with a jammed rifle and a crushed case. 
CRS is hell.  :scratch:

Pat', were you able to un-jam the rifle yourself :?:

 

[Buck Conner1]

I think thats kinda like not getting enough case lube on a shell your resizing and getting it stuck in the sizing die. Wait till you do that the first time. Its alot of fun getting one out. Colonel been following along with interest. One thing I have acquired in the last few years was the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 scale and powder dispenser. Ya I know there close to 300.00 but let me tell when you use one you will love it. Speeds the process way up. Have you had to trim any brass yet? Another item I like is the Lyman Case prep express. If your patient and keep looking you will catch them on sale. I bought the case prep machine a while back for 90.00. Its a great addition for cleaning pockets. I also use the lyman  to inside ream the flash holes of the primer pockets with there reamer that screws into one of the stations. These items  are just thoughts for additions to your new hobby. Al

Have the Lyman Case Prep Express setup also, nice addition.

 

[patocazador]

I did the same thing last week reforming 7x57 brass to 7.65 Argentine. I forgot to trim the necks to the correct OAL. When I tried to chamber them in the gun, they wouldn't go so I forced one. I wound up with a jammed rifle and a crushed case. 
CRS is hell.  :scratch:

Pat', were you able to un-jam the rifle yourself :?:

Yes Marty. 
I had to take my leather mallet and hit the bolt handle several times to open the action. Then I used a cleaning rod with a flat jag in the muzzle and tapped the cartridge back into the open action. I tapped hard enough to knock the bullet into the case but it all worked out. I cut the mangled case in half to salvage the bullet.

 

[RonRC]

The only cartridge I reload, now, is .45 Colt.
9mm has been inexpensive enough locally and online that it just doesn't pay (time, price and energy) for me to reload. 45 ACP might be beneficial to reload after balancing out the cost of casings, bullets, caps and powder, but ignoring the time cost.
I have reloaded 30-06, but my pre-occupation with black powder has displaced my 30-06 shooting so there is no need for me to reload more.
If I start to shoot 7.5 x 55 and 6.5 x 55 more, then I might get back to reloading those calibers.
Ron