Need advice about reloading.

[greener]

I bought the ~$30 Franklin electronic balance. It's ok for checking bullet and powder weights, but if I were trying any kind of precision reloading, I'd drop the bucks on a better balance. I have a Lee Pro 1000 with their autodisk powder measure. I use the scale to check a few powder weights. Bullseye and Win 231 seem to be pretty close to Lee's chart. Unique loads are light. Lee has said they have problems with Unique.

If all you are doing is checking weights versus a volumetric dispenser, then a beam balance or the low-cost Franklin balance will do ok.

[Georgezilla]

I was looking for a fair amount of precision with a price range up to $60.

[greener]

The Franklin balance seems to do well enough reproducing known weights. It seems to respond to small powder additions. I don't have a second reference for checking small increments in weight. Part of my misspent youth was as an analytical chemist, so I may be looking at the balance with a jaundiced eye. I think you will have to go 2-4 times the price to get better, unless you want a mechanical balance beam type balance.

[bearandoldman]

The Franklin balance seems to do well enough reproducing known weights. It seems to respond to small powder additions. I don't have a second reference for checking small increments in weight. Part of my misspent youth was as an analytical chemist, so I may be looking at the balance with a jaundiced eye. I think you will have to go 2-4 times the price to get better, unless you want a mechanical balance beam type balance.

Rob, just how much precision do we need, the ammunition is already better and more consistent than this shooter.

[greener]

The Franklin balance seems to do well enough reproducing known weights. It seems to respond to small powder additions. I don't have a second reference for checking small increments in weight. Part of my misspent youth was as an analytical chemist, so I may be looking at the balance with a jaundiced eye. I think you will have to go 2-4 times the price to get better, unless you want a mechanical balance beam type balance.

Rob, just how much precision do we need, the ammunition is already better and more consistent than this shooter.

Len, as usual you are absolutely right.

I've only found one or two times I could blame the ammo. The last one was 50 rounds of .38 loaded with a light load of Unique. I set up the autodisk for Bullseye and picked up the Unique instead and said "what the heck, I wonder how this shoots." The Lee autodisk was not good for consistently loading the unique. Didn't shoot bad, but about three rounds went "pop" instead of "bang." Since the Lee equipment is volumetric, all I really care about is checking to see if the load is close to their table. A tenth of a grain or so isn't going to make a hill of beans difference in the way I shoot. I'd sure like to blame the ammo, but I can only do it when there is no one around who has seen me shoot.

[bearandoldman]

The Franklin balance seems to do well enough reproducing known weights. It seems to respond to small powder additions. I don't have a second reference for checking small increments in weight. Part of my misspent youth was as an analytical chemist, so I may be looking at the balance with a jaundiced eye. I think you will have to go 2-4 times the price to get better, unless you want a mechanical balance beam type balance.

Rob, just how much precision do we need, the ammunition is already better and more consistent than this shooter.

Len, as usual you are absolutely right.

I've only found one or two times I could blame the ammo. The last one was 50 rounds of .38 loaded with a light load of Unique. I set up the autodisk for Bullseye and picked up the Unique instead and said "what the heck, I wonder how this shoots." The Lee autodisk was not good for consistently loading the unique. Didn't shoot bad, but about three rounds went "pop" instead of "bang." Since the Lee equipment is volumetric, all I really care about is checking to see if the load is close to their table. A tenth of a grain or so isn't going to make a hill of beans difference in the way I shoot. I'd sure like to blame the ammo, but I can only do it when there is no one around who has seen me shoot.

I totally agree with you, tried some yesterday in the 50th Ann Blackhawk in .38 Special, 3.5 grains of Green Dot, because we just happen to have a lot of it for shot shells, 158 grain Hornady LSWC and they shoot as good or better than the shooter, also use Green dot in the .45ACP, 12, 16, 20 and 28 gage shot shell. That way I just need 2 powders in stock, use Win 296 for the .410, do have 2 pounds of Unique that I could not turn down for the price, using that in the 28 at this time.

[Georgezilla]

Thanks a lot for sharing all of your experience. This morning I looked on the web for a few minutes at the prices of scales. Much like was pointed out to me they seemed to go from $70 all the way up to $150+ rather quickly. I think I'm going to get a Lee or RCBS.

I was wondering how much of a difference I would be able to feel as far as powder throws. All I have to compare it to is that I can tell the difference between most of the standard velocity .22s. I think thats more because the difference between those is more than 1/10 of a grain, I assume Federal, Winchester and CCI all use different powder, primers and bullets -- I guess each difference by itself is unnoticeable but all of them together are.

[bearandoldman]

Thanks a lot for sharing all of your experience. This morning I looked on the web for a few minutes at the prices of scales. Much like was pointed out to me they seemed to go from $70 all the way up to $150+ rather quickly. I think I'm going to get a Lee or RCBS.

I was wondering how much of a difference I would be able to feel as far as powder throws. All I have to compare it to is that I can tell the difference between most of the standard velocity .22s. I think thats more because the difference between those is more than 1/10 of a grain, I assume Federal, Winchester and CCI all use different powder, primers and bullets -- I guess each difference by itself is unnoticeable but all of them together are.

Depends on what you aare goiing to reload, as far as pistol loads a couple 1/10ths of a grain will most likely not make a difference in accuracy or felt recoil. If you are loading some really hot super accurate rifle loads, yes it will effect the accuracy.

[jaeger45]

Thanks a lot for sharing all of your experience. This morning I looked on the web for a few minutes at the prices of scales. Much like was pointed out to me they seemed to go from $70 all the way up to $150+ rather quickly. I think I'm going to get a Lee or RCBS.

I was wondering how much of a difference I would be able to feel as far as powder throws. All I have to compare it to is that I can tell the difference between most of the standard velocity .22s. I think thats more because the difference between those is more than 1/10 of a grain, I assume Federal, Winchester and CCI all use different powder, primers and bullets -- I guess each difference by itself is unnoticeable but all of them together are.

Some folks will probably disagree.

I've always used an RCBS powder measure all these years, and nary a complaint about it. Then I got the bright idea of getting another measure for another powder to avoid the hassle of changing/recalibrating, so I got the cheaper Lee. But it leaks powder I have to put a dang tupperware underneath as you would when you got a leak in the ceiling.

NOW I've got a couple Lee powder measures I've got no use for: the second one is a brand-new one sent by Lee to replace the one I complained to them about-- that it leaks W231 flake powder for my .45ACP. They admitted they couldn't do anything about it. But the new one ALSO leaks!... Oh well...

[jaeger45]

Thanks a lot for sharing all of your experience. This morning I looked on the web for a few minutes at the prices of scales. Much like was pointed out to me they seemed to go from $70 all the way up to $150+ rather quickly. I think I'm going to get a Lee or RCBS.

I was wondering how much of a difference I would be able to feel as far as powder throws. All I have to compare it to is that I can tell the difference between most of the standard velocity .22s. I think thats more because the difference between those is more than 1/10 of a grain, I assume Federal, Winchester and CCI all use different powder, primers and bullets -- I guess each difference by itself is unnoticeable but all of them together are.

Some folks will probably disagree.

I've always used an RCBS powder measure all these years, and nary a complaint about it. Then I got the bright idea of getting another measure for another powder to avoid the hassle of changing/recalibrating, so I got the cheaper Lee. But it leaks powder I have to put a dang tupperware underneath as you would when you got a leak in the ceiling.

NOW I've got a couple Lee powder measures I've got no use for: the second one is a brand-new one sent by Lee to replace the one I complained to them about-- that it leaks W231 flake powder for my .45ACP. They admitted they couldn't do anything about it. But I found the new one ALSO leaks!... Oh well...

[bearandoldman]

Almost all my reloading equipment is Lee or Frankford Arsenal. just us old guys trying to save money. My powder measure is i believe they call the Lee Perfect Powder Measure and it seems to work all right for my use. I just reload.45 and .38 so the only powders I use are Alliant Green Dot or Unique and neither one has shown to have any problems. I must have got a good one or the powder is fairly large flake. When loading shot shells using Win 296 for .410 it is very hard to keep from getting any leakage with that finer ball powder.
i do use a powder baffle on the shot shell loaders and it does help.

[greener]

I'm using a Lee Pro Autodisk. Seems to work pretty well with 231, Bullseye and fairly well with Unique. Seems to give pretty consistent charges with 231 and Bullseye, but loads Unique light, at least according to my Franklin Scale. I set up the volumetric measure according to the Lee charts, weigh a few rounds and adjust the disk as necessary. If you want to do 0.1 grain admusments, you might not get it with the Lee Pro. I believe the disk sizes vary by 7%. No leakage that I've noticed. You do have a bit of a learning curve with gettng the chain right.

Works well enough for my uses.

[stork]

"200 grns LSWC
4.1 grns Green Dot powder
Federal #150 Large Pistol primers

I also like
200 grns LSWC
4.0 grns Bullseye powder
Federal #150 Large pistol primers

Could you tell me what weight recoil spring you use with them?

And lastly could someone explain to me the benefit of hard cast lead bullets over regular lead bullets?"

Georgzilla,
If you're using a slide mounted dot I would recommend 11-13# springs. If you're using a frame mount or open sights, a 15-16 1/2# spring should work well for you.

There is little to no benefit using a hard cast bullet at target bullseye velocities. A softer bullet will usually obdurate (sp) and fit the bore much better and give a little better accuracy.

That being said, my cast H&G 68's and H&G 130's are cast on the hard side. Primarily because I have about 2 tons of reclaimed range scrap that I cast with for all my practice and short line loads. I also water quench them that hardens the bullet a little. They normally need a little harder crimp than my loads with the old Star 185's which were a soft swaged bullet .465 instead of .469.

Just an FYI the loads I use are:
Short line & 50': H&G 130, mixed brass, Win LP primer, 3.5 gr Bullseye, crimped to .465

Long line: H&G 68, PMC or WCC 90 match brass, Win LP primer, 4.3 gr WST, crimped to .468.

FWIW
Stork

[Georgezilla]

Could anyone tell me some good hardball loads for EIC matches (.45acp)? I know that your ammo must be jacketed to be legal for EIC, but I was wondering, as far as practicing goes would it be OK to practice with lead bullets? Or would the lead bullets perform much different?

I was also wondering if I should use different loads depending on the distance I shooting at (I.E. Should I use a hotter load for the 50yd line than I would for the 25yd?).

Thanks.

[bearandoldman]

See thaty you like Green Dot also as it is a very versatile powder, used a lot of it and have a lot left over from my shotgunning days. I shot all gages and it reduced the powders I needed to 2. Green Dot for 12, 16, 20 or 28 gage and Win 2966 for the .410. I use it to load for my 1911's and my 50th Anniversary Blackhawk in .357/.38. for the .38, I use 138 grain full wadcutters and 3.5 grains of Green Dot and for my .45 ACP guns I use 5.8 grains of Green Dot and a 200 grain LSWC, because it will fun muy SA Micro Compact and that is my practice load in that gun the A v-10 and the SA loaded. The burn rate of Green Dot make it spread the recoil load over a little longer time period and makes it a sweet shooter.