Adventures of a Rookie Reloader

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Kentucky Colonel

Well-Known Member
*
Joined
Oct 28, 2015
Messages
1,645
Reaction score
8
After years of resisting, I am finally doing this: Reloading. :bom:

My new text book arrived today!

Book_zpsgecanfdc.jpg



These are the adventures of the rookie re-loader. Feel free to ignore this if you wish. 
But, if you are skilled? Try and keep me from blowing key body parts off? 

If you are not skilled and have never tried, maybe this will give you hope. I am very good 
at macro stuff and not so much the micro. If I can do it and not be particularly talented, maybe 
you can, too?

I have set up my work table in my garage. There is no excess heat from the water heater and air exchange. 
The view stinks, but I really do not want distractions. As advised, I am reading the Hornady Handbook of 
Cartridge Reloading before placing a lot of orders. So, the table only has some lead ingots and the one die 
set I was given some time ago. I will build it and share.

Table_zps0uzjqdl4.jpg

Oh, that is not a shell. It is an ink pen! Ignore my cheap 'lead sled.'

I was told that the Handbook would be dull reading. I am actually enjoying it, but it is like studying for a tough exam
I am out of practice. And, I wish I had an in-house adviser. 'Head space' took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out. 

And, the text is clear: bad head space equals 'rupture' allowing the gas to 'endanger the safety of the shooter.' Oh, and 
poor bullet seating? This leads to 'dangerous pressure.' Oh, and leave the neck re-sizing too long against the throat and 
'Dangerously high chamber pressure will occur.' 

:cherry:

It is all this that put me off reloading before. I am not alone. The book indicates that some of these decisions can, 
'plague and confuse many reloaders.'

But, this time, I am determined. :scratch:

I will go slowly and know I am safe. Others do it all the time. I just need to be 
accurate and complete in a step by step approach. And, I have a lot more reading to do.

Wish me luck!
 
Good Luck.   :Hide:


If it were as difficult and dangerous as your imagination thinks it is, the suburbs would be scattered with body parts and I would have been blown up decades ago.
The lawyers have to keep these companies safe from lawsuit-crazy types.
 
Reloading is a fantastic past time 'Colonel, and the payoff is big-time on the bench with custom loads. I always enjoyed reloading and started when I was a teenager. Like you I pretty much took it on myself to book-learn, and I did it by reading several books at first on the subject.  Here are two reloading manuals that I use, but there are many on the market.
20160203_075814%20-%20Copy_zps98o3evml.jpg

 
Cleaning primer pockets, trimming/resizing brass, seating and selecting bullets is all part of the fun, and it's not as complicated as one may think.  My biggest concern was making sure I grab the right powder canister, so I always kept all of my powders out-of-sight other than the one I was using.

Even at 107 'Colonel it's never too old to learn. :lol:    Good luck with your new hobby! ;)
 
I have been re-loading for years. Pam reloads her 20 gauge shotshells. Read, practice and focus on what you are doing. I don't have a phone or even music in our reloading room. Be safe and have fun.
 
hey, if i can reload for our multiple cal rifles, you can too! :lol: I hate it though. To damn slow for my liking.
 
Thanks patocazador, FG, Jerry, and Marty!

Guess what came today!

IMG_1360_zps1zfyee9e.jpg



.348 Win brass from Graf & Sons. 

IMG_1361_zpst2eujtgj.jpg



And, on the table. 

IMG_1365_zpsft8oahbw.jpg



Nice to have them here. But, since I have no additional equipment, I can't really do anything else. 

I am considering this combo: IMR 4320 (46.6 gr), 200 gr. Hornady FTX bullets, Federal 210 primers = 2200 fps. Assuming I can find it all for sale.


PS. All my known sources of Federal 210 primers are out of stock. Is there a substitute? 

PPS. I have ordered a die set and bullets from Midway.
 
I wouldn't sweat not finding the a Federal primers, I have used several types with the same load without issue with 1 exception. In AR15 platforms the firing pin dimples the primer when the round is chambered. Chamber in the same round multiple times with Federal primers can cause it to ignite. Also not seating your primers below the base can cause the same problem. I don't see this being an issue in the old lever gun. 

Also it looks like the 348 Winchester can be loaded with several different powders. That is good with the lack of availability of certain powders.
 
Federal 210 primers seem to be a little hotter than CCI 200, just my opinion only.
 
I sterted loading in '72. Bought a guys whole reloading set up.  There were 2-3 manuals included i now have at least 10.   A manual by a powder manufacturer only lists their powders with multiple bullets.  Bullet manufacturers list only their products with multiple brands of powders.  Lots of stuff on line including all of the major reloading suppliers but dont trust everything online especially by an individual. 

When loading a new to me caliber I like to look at 3-4 different manuals and get a broad look.  Keep it simple as possible. I've narrowed my on hand powder inventory to 2-3 for rifle and 2-3 for pistol. Then i select the bullet based on my parameters for use of that load. IE a .30-06 for whitetail and mule deer i may choose 150 gr Nosler Partition. If i have a powder on hand that is in 2-3 manuals that is the combo i start working with. 1-2 rounds with the low charge shown and then increase the powder charge .5-1 grain at a time looking for pressure signs then experiment for the most accurate in that safe range. dont over load and if you want to get higher velocity with a particular bullet get a different caliber - in the example above if i want that .30 cal bullet going faster get a .300 Mag of some type. Believe me a deer wont know the difference in that bullet going 2700 fps from the muzzle and one going 2900 fps and 3400 fps really only flattens trajectory and long range energy. 

Be aware that there are a couple of powders with similar names/numbers.  H4895 and IMR4895 are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. A charge of powder that is safe with H4895 can be excesive withIMR4895. 

Enough typing on a phone!   A great hobby. Read a lot and go slow.
TC
 
The trouble is only Hornady and Barnes offer bullets in .348. Therefore, those are the only sources for info.
If you are loading common calibers like .30 and 7mm, you have dozens of sources for info. The Nosler handbook almost always give me the loads that are the most accurate in my rifles.


******************************************************************************************************************
@ Kentucky Colonel:

Evidently, there is a sale right now on RCBS equipment. Midsouth Shooters' Supply and Natchez show promotions:

http://www.natchezss.com/promotions/rcbs-mail-in-rebate.html?trk_msg=0UMSQCVQASS454B01N0O6JOSI0&trk_contact=8JJOOIKE6B1SSB494OU33SM5ES&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.natchezss.com%2fpromotions%2frcbs-mail-in-rebate.html&utm_campaign=Feb_02_2016_RCBS&utm_content=Feb_02_2016_RCBS
 
Yea .348 bullets selection is limited.  My Hodgdon book (1988 3rd printing so its about 30 years old)
Shows data for 180, 200, 220 and 250 grain bullets w H450, BL-C2, h4831, and H4895.  Pick your bullet and include data from powder manufacturers in your homework. 

I know this is about .348 but the Col's earlier post mentioned other calibers and this could help readers. 

A great source for Nosler products is http://www.shootersproshop.com   They have seconds, blems and over stock cases, bullets etc at good prices.
 
I am getting a lot of good from your posts. Thanks.

Bob, I am likely gonna move on that kit you linked tomorrow. That is a good price AND I get a rebate. Thanks for finding it!

Federal Primers 210... None to be found. WHAT is a substitute? Will Winchester large rifle primers do it?
 
Winchester LRP, CCI 200.  There should be a chart in your book. Try "Primers" in the index.
 
Any large rifle primer will work with an extruded powder. IMR 4320 IS an extruded powder so a normal LR primer will work. I use CCI 200, CCI BR (bench rest), and Rem. 9 1/2 mostly but Win. LR will work just as well I presume.
 
Standing Bear said:
Winchester LRP, CCI 200.  There should be a chart in your book. Try "Primers" in the index.

Great! Thanks! I saw that earlier and bounced it from my mind. 

Soon... very soon... I will have my mad scientist lab complete! :Shh:
 
In any kit from my experience I would get a different brass cleaning method and a different case trimming method. I started with a Hornady Ultrasonic cleaner and it was ok but a pain to babysit when cleaning. I have switched to a Frankford Arsenal SS tumbler and get much better results for a lot less time and effort. 
I also have a Hornady mini lathe type trimmer and find it time consuming to trim with and setup can be a little dicey. Then I have to run it through another tool to deburr and chamfer. For smaller batches and one chamber it isn't bad but when you look at switching it over between different cases it gets time consuming. 
I also would suggest an RCBS decapping die so you can take out the old primers and clean before sizing. I have used mine which is the small rifle version on large primer sized cases without issue. But if you only run large primer cartridges it wouldn't hurt to get the right size.
 
I hear you biddler2. I am moving a bit at a time. 

I got a bunch of stuff in the mail. My mad scientist laboratory is coming along nicely!  :alien:

RCBS%203_zps6lm4pegg.jpg


RCBS%201_zps5ucv4fdz.jpg


RCBS%202_zpspsvvlbbf.jpg


And, I got a new book by Nosler. :study:

I may have enough stuff to get in trouble with and start playing. :affraid:

I got the Explorer Plus kit from RCBS via Natchez and I will be able to use a 75.00 rebate with the sale price. 
I got bullets, primers, a die, and powder, too.

PS. I spent some time unpacking the stuff. Oh, my! This is a bunch of puzzles to be put together.
 
Update:

Alchemy_zpsop9fo5x7.jpg

Me using the books to conjure mystical powers in pursuit of the magic .348 Win bullet

In my attempts to start, my first challenge was to assemble my reload table from the contents in the many, many boxes the
equipment came in. The instructions provided were worse than useless and often confusing as well as being incomplete. The 
few drawings provided were so poor that they led to further confusion. 

The assumption became clear: buying this? You must already have seen these tools in action or know someone close that 
could help. Bad assumption not designed to widen your product's appeal.

I got a RCBS DVD so I could see how all these gizmos worked together. They are pushing a lot of upgraded gear. But...

It worked! Things started coming together at last. (Except, what the heck does "wait till the linkage cams all the way down" 
actually mean? I'm looking at it and it is not clear.)

And, it turns out I still need some stuff to make all the magic. Namely, a <a href='/tags/25' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #25'>#25</a> Shell Holder to start. (Yay, books) Also, 
ordering a case trimmer, and a brass tumbler since I have to wait anyway. The Frankford Arsenal Quick N-EZ Case Tumbler 
110V, using Frankford Arsenal Treated Walnut Hull Media, RCBS High Capacity Case Trimmer Kit, and RCBS is providing the 
<a href='/tags/25' rel='nofollow' title='See all tagged subjects with: #25'>#25</a> Shell Holder.

These are going to be the most expensive cartridges I have ever bought.
 
Fortunately, you can reload any shell just by buying a die set, shellholder, and components and you don't have to stick to manuals for data since you are obviously an alchemist. (I like that print.)

I would strongly suggest buying additional die sets used. You save a bunch of $ without sacrificing anything. I reload for 39 different cartridges and two shotgun gauges. In most cases my ammo is more accurate than factory stuff and I can load combos that don't exist commercially.
 
One thing I forgot, don't just neck size your .348 shells after firing the 1st time. Lever action guns require full length resizing to assure feeding without jamming.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top