Painless load development (mine)

[TimberHunter]

H4350 thrown 40.0g
140 mb
Cci450
15 shots
Avg 2660
ES 29
SD 8.8

Something to note is that when I loaded these, I did weigh each charge after throwing it and dumped extreme outliers back into the hopper. That method is still wayyy faster than hand scooping and weighing each chArge. I have no idea what the ES is for the powder charges thrown into these rounds, but it was probably like 39.80 low end to 40.20 high end

What’s your brass sizing process?


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[HighUintas]

What’s your brass sizing process?


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I've been trying to slowly remove items to make it faster.

Use grey 3m pad or steel wool to remove carbon on outside of neck
Anneal every other time
Brush inside neck
Put 25 cases into quart Ziploc bag with a pea size dab of Lee lube. Shake around for a minute
Pull cases out and rub lube off neck and shoulder
Size w Lee FL sizer
Wipe off lube
Prime case

 

[Forrest84]

When switching from Lead to Copper I have found I have to give my barrel a good cleaning to get the copper to shoot. It might be the same when going the other way from your hammers to lead. At least worth a shot anyway

I’ve heard this but never had anybody able to articulate why this is the case. I’m starting to turn some of my focus from target shooting to hunting and am probably going to work on solids so I guess I’ll find out first hand myself this year

 

[Forrest84]

So hear me out before flipping chairs, but:

Have you tried doing none-of-that?

I'm mostly dumb, but I'm smart enough to tell you know your stuff, and are squared away. To me it would be interesting to see the contrast between all of the things/steps you're doing here, and a "None-of-that" batch.

In other words, take 20 once-fired (or 6x-fired, whatever) brass, put some primers and powder in them, seat a bullet, and go shoot. No moly, lube, mandrels, brushing, tumbling, cleaning. Do your Step 3 and Step 5, and that's it.

It would be nifty to quantify the difference (if any) between the "Super-Sterile" and "Bubba" reloads.

Full disclosure: I've done this. There wasn't any difference in my groups, but I'm also dumb and not the best shot, and was field shooting. I'd love to see someone who IS a good shot, and who is particular in the reloading room, do this A/B test. (Someone other than @Formidilosus, cause he's just an anonymous internet nobody cult leader pretender. /s )

This is how I simplified my process actually lol. I hate reloading but I shoot quite a bit year round and only shoot my own hand loads so I’ve never really been prone to creating work for myself.

 

[Bluumoon]

Tried the .223 75 gr black tips from Midsouth , 2.5” groups. Would you all recommend trying a different powder, or just put these away for emergency use? Second group was checking zero w my regular load.

Also the Harrels powder dispenser is indispensable. Dropping powder is now the fastest part of the reloading process.

 

[Axlrod]

Tried the .223 75 gr black tips from Midsouth , 2.5” groups. Would you all recommend trying a different powder, or just put these away for emergency use? Second group was checking zero w my regular load.

Also the Harrels powder dispenser is indispensable. Dropping powder is now the fastest part of the reloading process.

I always give each bullet a couple powders to try. Then dump them if that doesn't help.

 

[HighUintas]

Tried the .223 75 gr black tips from Midsouth , 2.5” groups. Would you all recommend trying a different powder, or just put these away for emergency use? Second group was checking zero w my regular load.

Also the Harrels powder dispenser is indispensable. Dropping powder is now the fastest part of the reloading process.

I agree. I'm loving my Lee powder drop for ball powders. It's super accurate and fast. Even with h4350 and weighing each throw and tossing out the extreme outliers, it's still faster than hand scooping and weighing each charge.

 

[Moose83]

I agree. I'm loving my Lee powder drop for ball powders. It's super accurate and fast. Even with h4350 and weighing each throw and tossing out the extreme outliers, it's still faster than hand scooping and weighing each charge.

Which lee are you using for ball powders? I'm using the cheap one that came with my kit which actually works really good with stick powders, but it sucks with ball powders.

 

[TX_Diver]

Tried the .223 75 gr black tips from Midsouth , 2.5” groups. Would you all recommend trying a different powder, or just put these away for emergency use? Second group was checking zero w my regular load.

Also the Harrels powder dispenser is indispensable. Dropping powder is now the fastest part of the reloading process.

What powder did you try?

 

[Bluumoon]

What powder did you try?

LeveRolution for both bullets shown

 

[Bluumoon]

I agree. I'm loving my Lee powder drop for ball powders. It's super accurate and fast. Even with h4350 and weighing each throw and tossing out the extreme outliers, it's still faster than hand scooping and weighing each charge.

The Harrels is next level. I weighed like the 1st hundred and quit, good enough for the .223 loads.
With the Harrels I hold 4-5 rounds in one hand lined up and fill one after another. It operates super smooth, no resistance, the Lees get gritty.

 

[HighUintas]

The Harrels is next level. I weighed like the 1st hundred and quit, good enough for the .223 loads.
With the Harrels I hold 4-5 rounds in one hand lined up and fill one after another. It operates super smooth, no resistance, the Lees get gritty.

What's the charge weight yes and sd on that harrells? Yes the Lee needs cleaned every once in awhile but it's ges it done and saves me a couple hundred for components

 

[HighUintas]

Which lee are you using for ball powders? I'm using the cheap one that came with my kit which actually works really good with stick powders, but it sucks with ball powders.

The cheapest. The plastic Lee perfect powder measure. I found that it works better with ball powders keeping it fairly snug and cleaning the internals every once in awhile

 

[Moose83]

The cheapest. The plastic Lee perfect powder measure. I found that it works better with ball powders keeping it fairly snug and cleaning the internals every once in awhile

OK. So just snug up the tension screw in the middle of the dial? I do run mine fairly loose with stick powders as it feels really sticky when its tight. After how many rounds do you give it a cleaning?

 

[Castle Rock]

Tried the .223 75 gr black tips from Midsouth , 2.5” groups. Would you all recommend trying a different powder, or just put these away for emergency use? Second group was checking zero w my regular load.

Also the Harrels powder dispenser is indispensable. Dropping powder is now the fastest part of the reloading process.

I believe that bullet is a clone of the 75 grain Hornady, which is very particular about seating depth
Are you limited to magazine length?

 

[HighUintas]

OK. So just snug up the tension screw in the middle of the dial? I do run mine fairly loose with stick powders as it feels really sticky when its tight. After how many rounds do you give it a cleaning?

Yes. It does feel somewhat tight when operating the lever when I have it tightened to my liking. It seems to throw ball powders accurately just as well when it's looser, but you'll have to clean it more frequently.

If you remove that screw, you'll find you can take it apart to clean. You might find some kernels stuck in there between the two halves.... Looks closely for the tiny ball kernels. Keeping it clean seems to help keep it functioning well. I think I've probably cleaned it every hundred or so.

 

[Moose83]

Yes. It does feel somewhat tight when operating the lever when I have it tightened to my liking. It seems to throw ball powders accurately just as well when it's looser, but you'll have to clean it more frequently.

If you remove that screw, you'll find you can take it apart to clean. You might find some kernels stuck in there between the two halves.... Looks closely for the tiny ball kernels. Keeping it clean seems to help keep it functioning well. I think I've probably cleaned it every hundred or so.

Sounds good. Thanks. I tightened it up and tried it this evening. Seems to work great. The tight throw is a bit annoying but I'll get over it...lol. This will definitely save me some money until I upgrade to a harrells.

 

[HighUintas]

Sounds good. Thanks. I tightened it up and tried it this evening. Seems to work great. The tight throw is a bit annoying but I'll get over it...lol. This will definitely save me some money until I upgrade to a harrells.

Another thing I think I found is that it might give a more consistent throw when at least half full. I loaded 50 40gr charges tonight starting with a nearly full hopper of h4350 and by the time I got to the last 20 and the hopper was mostly empty, it seemed to throw heavy charges more often. Most of the 50 charges were within a 0.20gr spread, but it wanted to throw 40.16-40.24 more often when nearly empty.

And, it seems rather than the cadence, how hard you hit the stop when lifting the lever up affects the weight. Hitting the stop harder seems to give a heavier throw than when lifting up more controlled and coming to the stop without "bumping" it... If that makes sense

 

[Moose83]

Makes total sense... I'll keep an eye on that. Thanks!

 

[Bluumoon]

Another thing I think I found is that it might give a more consistent throw when at least half full. I loaded 50 40gr charges tonight starting with a nearly full hopper of h4350 and by the time I got to the last 20 and the hopper was mostly empty, it seemed to throw heavy charges more often. Most of the 50 charges were within a 0.20gr spread, but it wanted to throw 40.16-40.24 more often when nearly empty.

And, it seems rather than the cadence, how hard you hit the stop when lifting the lever up affects the weight. Hitting the stop harder seems to give a heavier throw than when lifting up more controlled and coming to the stop without "bumping" it... If that makes sense

Someone else did a whole chart earlier in the thread about consistency for the Harrels.
I threw 100 rounds w ball powder and didn’t need to add or subtract powder on any of them for my purposes. I don’t want to make up numbers, but there is very little variation.

The Harrels will make you want to throw the Lee in the trash. There’s no half full, tighten screws, weigh, trickle, yada yada. The thing just works.