Bullet check

[Greg Curci]

I'm relatively new to reloading ( about 8 months in), I'm using a lock n load AP press with a Lee auto measure die. I check and double check my loads every 10 to 12 rounds ( powder grains, OAL ect..). My question is an I checking to often or not often enough? I haven't encountered any dramatic changes in powder ( 0.1 to 0.3 grains) and OAL (.001 to .004). Should I load more before checking?

[Elgatodeacero]

You should check things like powder charge, primer depth, bullet depth, etc. as often as you need to so you feel confident in the quality and safety of the ammunition you are reloading.

[tabascoz28]

I would do every 100 after you know your process is locked down. I do it because if I don't I get into a rhythm i forget to load powder. Every sleeve of primers and spot check and refill.

[baranski]

There is no such thing as checking too often.

At some point you may decide to trust your equipment's accuracy based on what you find moving forward.

[tabascoz28]

But maybe the first few of a batch to make sure it didn't change from last time you used the rig. I find that sometimes I don't screw the auto disk dropper to the right depth after clearing from the last session.

[noylj]

Sleeve of primers is 5000.
I run an RCBS Lock-Out die.
If you can hold COL to +/- 0.006", you have a great bullet and press.

[Donny1]

There is no such thing as checking too often.

At some point you may decide to trust your equipment's accuracy based on what you find moving forward.

This is the natural progression.

At first I was so paranoid I weighed every charge and put the Caliper on ever round. I still don't like to let others shoot my reloads, just because. Now I still do look in every case to verify powder and throw a charge on the scale every 15-20 rounds.

You absolutely cannot be to safe.

[divingin]

I'm relatively new to reloading ( about 8 months in), I'm using a lock n load AP press with a Lee auto measure die. I check and double check my loads every 10 to 12 rounds ( powder grains, OAL ect..). My question is an I checking to often or not often enough? I haven't encountered any dramatic changes in powder ( 0.1 to 0.3 grains) and OAL (.001 to .004). Should I load more before checking?

You should do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

I've had relatively few problems with my AP, and have loaded probably over 50K rounds on it with no press-caused problems slipping through (I have failed to seat primers, set the measure incorrectly, and crushed a few cases, but those are on me, not the press.)

I typically check powder charge at the beginning of the session (after changing from one caliber to another), and call it good for the hundred rounds until the primer tube empties. If continuing, I don't bother to recheck. I will say that I am running target loads, so a bit more powder isn't going to hurt much (if you're closer to max, that becomes a little more critical.)

I find that, using Hornady dies, the only OAL variance I get is from lube packing into the seating die (OAL gets shorter as crap builds up on the face of the seating plug. Takes a while for that to happen.)

Checking more often won't hurt anything though.