Total NOOB: First batch under my belt

[dpop24]

Finally got my Dillon 650 all set up and calibrated. Ran my first batch of .45 ACP last night with minimum powder charge. I have a range day on the 16th and want to test a few different recipes through my 1911s. What are good options for raising the powder charge incrementally from my starting point?

What I made last night:

• Hodgdon HP38 at 4.4 grains
• 230 grain Berry's Bullets TMJ
• OAL 1.200 (mine varied from 1.197 to 1.206 - I assume this is well within tolerance)
• I ended up with 98 rounds because 2 primers mysteriously disappeared!

Recipe from hodgdon.com. Max charge is 5.3 grains. Do I just jump to 4.8 and 5.3 (increment by .5 grains)? Go up .3 grains to 4.6/4.9/5.2? Or should I stay away from the max charge completely?

[ExtremeX]

I probably wouldn’t have loaded a full 98 rounds of a single charge for my first time reloading… but that’s just me. Last thing I want to do it go home and start pulling bullets if that load isn’t working for me.

You could have easily started bumping up the charge .2gr increments as you were loading those 98 rounds and had a complete test ladder to use.

Most of the time I don’t find a need to approach max loads unless I am making ammo for an application which would benefit from the added velocity like with hunting ammo. For most of my plinking ammo I am generally pretty happy in the mid areas of the charge range.

[Low Light]

I usually go .2 grain increments for 2-3 mags worth of each. Even though the max charge in a manual is probably "lawyered" up and down I tend to stay inside of what each one is.

[Bastard]

^this

when loading a pistol for the first time, I usually load 100 rounds with 4 or 5 different charges, the step that I would use would depend on the difference hi/low. for your range, I would go every .2 skipping the min all together (only because of experience)

OR

I would do exactly what you were thinking about - every .3 for the first set then go +/- .1 off the best the next time.


just be sure the mark & keep separate what you load.

[dpop24]

Thanks guys, I'll make a couple more batches bumping by .2

I went with a full 98 rounds (well, tried to make 100 but those 2 primers escaped) because I have 4 guns to test and figured any left over might be fun out of my .45 ACP revolver. I agree pulling bullets is not fun! Had to do a handful last night because I didn't seat the primer fully. I assumed it's a bad idea to try and reseat the primer on a loaded round!

[ExtremeX]

I usually go .2 grain increments for 2-3 mags worth of each. Even though the max charge in a manual is probably "lawyered" up and down I tend to stay inside of what each one is.

I think a .2gr increment for pistol is pretty ideal… and that’s what I use too, depending on the powder the window can be very small.

With WST I generally use .1 to .2 depending on where I am in in the ladder. With a fast powder like WST I can feel a .1gr increase.

Some manuals are lawyered and some use different components and test firearms… Do additional research; look at more than one manual, and get a feel for what is being recommended and make educated decisions as to how you want to approach your ladder with the components and firearm you have.

Considering you have a 650 OP… I assume bulk loading is the goal, so I would spend more time up front to verify the setup of the dies/press and finding YOUR load, and then going to town on production if that’s the plan.

[stilly]

Finally got my Dillon 650 all set up and calibrated. Ran my first batch of .45 ACP last night with minimum powder charge. I have a range day on the 16th and want to test a few different recipes through my 1911s. What are good options for raising the powder charge incrementally from my starting point?

What I made last night:

• Hodgdon HP38 at 4.3 grains
• 230 grain Berry's Bullets TMJ
• OAL 1.200 (mine varied from 1.197 to 1.206 - I assume this is well within tolerance)
• I ended up with 98 rounds because 2 primers mysteriously disappeared!

Recipe from hodgdon.com. Max charge is 5.3 grains. Do I just jump to 4.8 and 5.3 (increment by .5 grains)? Go up .3 grains to 4.6/4.9/5.2? Or should I stay away from the max charge completely?

Like others have stated, this is why noobs should not start on progressives. I know, it is so hard to STOP making bullets that you just gotta go, ONE more pull of the handle...

I think you should consider getting a single stage or turret press and then making a load ladder on those and then if you like what you shoot, transfer those settings over to the progressive and crank it out. Then life might be happier. I guess you could also add measured powder to each case as well as the regular powder drop to make a ladder too. That would work I guess. :\ THen once you find your load that works and cycles then reset your dropper and crank it out.

[CAL.BAR]

wow! 4.3? You may not be happy with the functioning of the pistol with that load. I started at 4.8 with a 230g. with HP 38 and my HK45 barely functioned at that load. Yes, it worked, but I had some stovepipes. I have found that 4.8 to 5.0 is the sweet spot for HP38 and 45ACP.

Let us know what you think

[ExtremeX]

wow! 4.3? You may not be happy with the functioning of the pistol with that load. I started at 4.8 with a 230g. with HP 38 and my HK45 barely functioned at that load. Yes, it worked, but I had some stovepipes. I have found that 4.8 to 5.0 is the sweet spot for HP38 and 45ACP.

Let us know what you think

Does seem low, but its a starting point...

My load was at 1.255" COAL with a 230gr Xtreme bullet.

I started at 4.5gr and it was very light... and dirty with some visible un-burnt powder...

I laddered all the way up to 5.3gr which I found a bit hot for my 1911.

4.8gr is where I decided to keep it... but I started using other powders I liked more for 45 ACP instead.

[Fishslayer]

Recipe from hodgdon.com. Max charge is 5.3 grains. Do I just jump to 4.8 and 5.3 (increment by .5 grains)? Go up .3 grains to 4.6/4.9/5.2? Or should I stay away from the max charge completely?

Work up a couple/few tenths at a time. Odds are you are going to see your best accuracy well below the max charge.

[krwada]

4.3 grains of HP38 behind a 230 grain Berry's is too low.

You will see what I am talking about when you shoot these at the range.

On the 1911 I load for, the thing did not start operating properly till I got to around 4.6 grains of HP38

[Rwnielsen]

Your lost primers are probably in the pick up tube. They tend to hold a couple.

[ar15barrels]

wow! 4.3? You may not be happy with the functioning of the pistol with that load. I started at 4.8 with a 230g. with HP 38 and my HK45 barely functioned at that load. Yes, it worked, but I had some stovepipes. I have found that 4.8 to 5.0 is the sweet spot for HP38 and 45ACP.

Let us know what you think

5gr of 231 under a 230 is a very common load.
231 is the same powder as hp38.

[stilly]

Did he blow him self up yet? Is he back?

Hope those shots performed. REPORT???

[dpop24]

Nope, still here and got all ten fingers still. Ammo test day is not until the 16th. I'm putting together my other test loads. So far 50 rounds at 4.7 grains and all set up to pull the handle on 50 rounds at 4.9 grains. Thinking I should do 50 more after that. 5.1 grains or stick with 5.0?

Anything that doesn't cycle the 1911's will get shot out of my .45 ACP revolver.