[Anachronism]

I'm new to the whole reloading thing (well, I helped my dad when I was a kid but that was 25 years ago). I've read the Lyman, Lee, Hornady, Speer, and Sierra manuals and have set up my bench and played with the stuff enough that I'm pretty comfortable with the idea now. I decided to start by working up a load for my 336A 32 Win Special using IMR3031 and the Hornady 170gr bullet. Starting at 30.5gr and working my way up by .5gr increments to 35gr with 5 rounds at each level gets me a box of 50 rounds to start testing with. Its probably not that impressive, but I'm actually pretty excited to have made my own rounds and anxious to get out and try them. Now if I can just get the weather to cooperate.





And of course, the notebook for the results...



Hopefully before too long I'll have some results to post!

Up next, working up loads for 35 Rem and 30-30, and maybe a match load for my Garand.

 

[hub]

Nice looking loads. Your hooked. Let the fun begin ;D ;D

 

[Nightfisher]

Yep you are hooked all right. Nice looking loads you have made up there. I hope they turn out good for you. What took you so long to get started back to reloading?

 

[Anachronism]

What took you so long to get started back to reloading?

You know, I keep asking myself the same question.

I toyed with the idea back during the great ammo crisis of '09 and again when I saw the price of 35 Remington factory ammo, but for some reason I kept coming to the conclusion that it was either too expensive or too much trouble. Of course after doing some research here and in other places around the 'net I discovered that you really don't need all that much to get started and the more I read the more curious I get. What I really like is that now I can pick my combination of bullet and powder and case. For example, I have a bunch of 200gr Core-Lokt bullets for 35 Remington but I'm not restricted to Remington's relatively tame factory loads any more. Another example, I have some Speer 170gr bullets for the 32 Special with a higher BC than the Hornady that I can work up if I want a longer range load for that gun. Its the freedom to experiment and tailor the load to the situation that has me hooked, I think. Plus it gives me even more excuses to go and shoot more! ;D

 

[Barenjager]

Just a suggestion...one I learned the hard way many years ago. :

It would be a good idea to use a sharpie and mark each case with the charge weight. If you knock that box over or drop it and it pops open, all that careful weighing and measuring will be for nothing. With the slight variances in case and bullet weight, trying to resort loaded cartridges with half grain increments will prove impossible.

The ink will be removed when you tumble your cases, or with a touch of solvent on a rag, before the next reloading.

Welcome to the fold and good shooting.

Roe

 

[Nightfisher]

Just a suggestion...one I learned the hard way many years ago. :

It would be a good idea to use a sharpie and mark each case with the charge weight. .

Roe

That is definately a good idea. I mark all of my load numbers on the case. If it is a long time before you shoot them you may forget what they were.

 

[Roan444]

Congratulations, your shooting will have a whole new meaning!

You'll never be the same. Brass,bullets, powder is all you will think about for a while!

 

[GJinNY]

You'll never be the same. Brass,bullets, powder is all you will think about for a while!

Amen to that! Added a 25-06 XL7 to the collection a month ago and started all over again!!!! WEEEEEEEE

What a ride! ;D

 

[Halwg]

What's so great nowadays is the fact that most anyone can afford a chronograph. When I first started handloading you just didn't see them. It really helps when developing a load, and can open your eyes when you see what you actually get from your particular gun & load.

 

[44-40 Willy]

I can't recommend getting a chronograph enough myself.

 

[DWB]

Let the addiction begin... ;D

Handloading is as rewarding as shooting, even though the two go hand in hand. The real reward is seeing what your handloads will do for a rifle (or a handgun, for that matter) that factory ammo may never duplicate. Just wait until you have the opportunity to take your loads hunting. For some reason, I feel more pride in taking a critter with my handloads than I ever felt in taking one with factory loads.

Halwg is spot on with his assessment of the chronographs, too. What the manuals say, and what the chrony will tell you about your handloads are often as different as night and day. Sometimes, the manuals are on the money, but more often than not, verification with a chronograph will make you sit up straight and pay attention. I reloaded for about 30 years before I spent the money on a chronograph, and can honestly say it was one of the best investments I made with regard to handloading.

 

[Anachronism]

Just a suggestion...one I learned the hard way many years ago. :

It would be a good idea to use a sharpie and mark each case with the charge weight. If you knock that box over or drop it and it pops open, all that careful weighing and measuring will be for nothing. With the slight variances in case and bullet weight, trying to resort loaded cartridges with half grain increments will prove impossible.

I'll get that done tonight - don't know why I didn't think of it before... Thanks!

What's so great nowadays is the fact that most anyone can afford a chronograph. When I first started handloading you just didn't see them. It really helps when developing a load, and can open your eyes when you see what you actually get from your particular gun & load.

I've got a ProChrono digital that I plan on using for evaluating my loads. I'd been using a Shooting Chrony F1 with airguns for a couple of years but I always had problems getting it to register every shot - so I wasn't all that disappointed when I shot it last fall. I know what you mean about the chronograph, I'd have a really hard time working up a load without one, like I was driving with no headlights or something. I've got a velocity/accuracy goal in mind that I'm trying to achieve with each load that I'm thinking of working up so I need that chronograph to let me know if/when I meet my goal or if I need to try something different.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement fellows! When the weather finally lets me get out there and fire these rounds I'll come back and post what I find. Maybe this Saturday (when the weatherman is predicting rain again ) I'll load up some practice rounds for the 45ACP. If I can't shoot at least I can load 'em up!

 

[jayghmi]

Nothing like that fist hand load shot. Mine was only a couple of months ago. The second shot is a ... is....well fun too because you know your going to live through it