My journey to reloading excellence.

[five.five-six]

[five.five-six]

Handgun loads

Starting 8/18/2020 with .45ACP 3 each 230grain extreme plated RN seated to 1.760
Bullseye
Grains
4.0
4.2
4.4
4.8
5.0

[five.five-six]

[BajaJames83]

Another suggestion that you may or may not already do.

I have a green monster log book and separated it into sections for each caliber and log all the info for each load I make in there mainly for reference

[five.five-six]

Another suggestion that you may or may not already do.

I have a green monster log book and separated it into sections for each caliber and log all the info for each load I make in there mainly for reference

[LynnJr]

Lapua brass match primers powder charges measured to the kernel and seating your bullets to 0.001 variation will get you some very small groups.

[JackEllis]

I have always wanted to make the best rounds possible,

Not trying to be sarcastic but exactly what does this mean? That they're consistent (shoot small groups)? Reliable (no KBs)? How will they be used? How much would any variations really matter for the type of shooting you do? What's the standard?

I realize that for some people, it's about the journey as much as it is about the results, and maybe that's what you're after but without some objective standard, how do you know when you've succeeded?

[anonymouscuban]

I admire the patience and attention to detail of you rifle cartridge loaders.

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

[sealocan]

Great thread so far. I'm sure a lot of people can learn something from it.

[five.five-six]

Not trying to be sarcastic but exactly what does this mean? That they're consistent (shoot small groups)? Reliable (no KBs)? How will they be used? How much would any variations really matter for the type of shooting you do? What's the standard?

I realize that for some people, it's about the journey as much as it is about the results, and maybe that's what you're after but without some objective standard, how do you know when you've succeeded?

[baih777]

You need this. And the modified case to go with each caliber your reloading.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012747079?pid=570611

[Full Clip]

The old truism: Easy to learn, difficult to master.
I'm on the same path, but trailing behind by a few paces at least.

[five.five-six]

Lapua brass match primers powder charges measured to the kernel and seating your bullets to 0.001 variation will get you some very small groups.

[five.five-six]

You need this. And the modified case to go with each caliber your reloading.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012747079?pid=570611

[ghilligan]

Not trying to be sarcastic but exactly what does this mean? That they're consistent (shoot small groups)? Reliable (no KBs)? How will they be used? How much would any variations really matter for the type of shooting you do? What's the standard?

I realize that for some people, it's about the journey as much as it is about the results, and maybe that's what you're after but without some objective standard, how do you know when you've succeeded?

This ^^^^^^

I'm relatively new to reloading, but not new to precision measuring, with a background in fabrication and mechanical things.

I've read zillions of posts and books and manuals on reloading before starting, and continue to do so. I love geeking out on all the cool tools and logging variables and graphing results for analysis.

For handgun rounds, with my average shooting skills, I've found no benefit in reliability or observable accuracy to measuring powder closer than +/- .2 grains and seating depth to +/- .005" (yes, I know that's a lot). Especially for a sport like USPSA or action pistol, where the shooter running around is the biggest uncontrolled variable!

For "precision" rifle rounds and 1,000+ yard shooting, I've found no real correlation between rounds loaded to within 1 kernal of powder and +/- .000" seating depth and matched chamber volumes and all that stuff and any measurable accuracy gains downrange. Sometimes they shoot with an ES of 10 or 15 fps and and SD of 5 or 6 for a 5-shot group, but most of the time at a variation of 30 fps or more. Some of my lowest ES and SD numbers and smallest groups (like 1/2 MOA at 500 yards) were achieved with 175g SMKs (which have a factory variance of +/- .0025" base-to-ogive) in Federal brass that is +/- a few .1 ml in volume, and seated +/- .0025" cartridge-base-to-ogive. And that's from a batch that was shooting +/- 20 fps that day!

My shooting skills, execution of fundamentals, and of course wind, have (in my experience) way more influence on downrange accuracy than loading rounds to +/- .000" and +/- .000 grain tolerances.

I'm saying this as much out of frustration as anything else.
I love your setup, and hope to have something as nice some day. And I'm following your posts.

I still love measuring and recording and trying to build precision rounds, but I'm not seeing a correlation between that and accuracy "in the real world".