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Amen. 25 years ago I was loading some 44 mags with cast wadcutters. For whatever reason I loaded a few hundred with a charge for jacketed rounds and hot even then. Really damn hot loads, if it was not in a Blackhawk it would have likely ripped a gun apart. Spent a hour with a bullet puller dumping them out that night.
If they were jacketed loads with cast bullets they would have developed less pressure than with the correct bullets & been safe as long as the data was within spec. It takes alot more pressure to move a jacketed bullet down the bore than lead. The reason lead bullet data is generally less powerful is not because full bore loads with lead are dangerous, its because the lead is too soft to grab the rifling at higher velocities & you get alot of lead fouling in the bore.
Anyway as already mentioned, get a couple manuals & read them before even thinking about rolling your own unless you have a mentor. I started with a Lee kit & highly recomend this book, Modern Handloading by Richard Lee: A Comprehensive Guide to Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting :: Guns Holsters and Gear Its more comprehensive than Lyman, Hodgdons, Hornady or Speer manuals and a great learning tool. Alot of folks dont like Lee because theyre cheap. Be that as it may 99% of their stuff is at least as good as anybody elses and some is better hought out. At any rate the manual is top notch & packed with loading data. Its got an entire section devoted to cast bullets with easy to understand info.
Yeah, somewhere in my notes I must have used powder charge from jacketed. I suspected that even at the range.
That is another thing beginners have to learn. You ALWAYS work up a load. NEVER start at the highest load in any manual. Start at the minimum and work your way up. In most books, somewhere in or near the middle is usually equal to a factory load. That is where most of mine are when I used the chronograph on them to check FPS. When using a chronograph to check your load always use the exact same components and always test in identical or very similar weather. That means don't check your factory load in the winter, come up with a baseline number and try to hit that number in the summer without checking again. The FPS and case pressure will be different according to humidity and temperature. For most people trying to duplicate a factory load for a practice load is ideal. If you like say, Winchester white box the best and it works in your firearm awesome, duplicate that! See what I mean? If you change any component in your load you must work up to a load again. If you were using Winchester primers and switched to CCI, you made a change and need to work up. Same with powder, bullets, COL, taper and roll crimp, powder charge etc.... etc... Don't be a dummy. A little common sense and some quality equipment will get you rolling like a pro in no time!
Something else I forgot to mention is squibs. A squib is when the bullet becomes lodged in the barrel rifling and stuck. This is cause by a undercharge, no charge at all (powder didn't drop), bad, wet or weak primer, old funky powder that got damp etc...etc... When this happens immediately stop shooting. You will know it because a bang-bang-bang will turn into a poof or pop! Stop shooting and remove your barrel. Check it against a light and see if you can see through it? If not, you just had a squib and the bullet must be removed by force. The best way is with a small wooden dowel rod slightly smaller the the barrels diameter. You want to be as close as possible to aid in pushing the lodged bullet clear of the rifling and barrel without it fitting tight. Always start from the chamber end first and follow the rifling. Tap with a small hammer or mallet taking your time and work it out very slowly. When it clears the bullet will fall out. Always examine the barrel for any signs of damage such as bulging or cracking before putting it back in to go another round. BTW, wood doesn't scratch the rifling!
Something else I forgot to mention is squibs. A squib is when the bullet becomes lodged in the barrel rifling and stuck. This is cause by a undercharge, no charge at all (powder didn't drop), bad, wet or weak primer, old funky powder that got damp etc...etc... When this happens immediately stop shooting. You will know it because a bang-bang-bang will turn into a poof or pop! Stop shooting and remove your barrel. Check it against a light and see if you can see through it? If not, you just had a squib and the bullet must be removed by force. The best way is with a small wooden dowel rod slightly smaller the the barrels diameter. You want to be as close as possible to aid in pushing the lodged bullet clear of the rifling and barrel without it fitting tight. Always start from the chamber end first and follow the rifling. Tap with a small hammer or mallet taking your time and work it out very slowly. When it clears the bullet will fall out. Always examine the barrel for any signs of damage such as bulging or cracking before putting it back in to go another round. BTW, wood doesn't scratch the rifling!
and if your squib doesn't come out with a dowel? why not just drill out the center of the projectile and then use a small wooden dowel to collapse the rest and let it fall out, rather than force it down the barrel?
and if your squib doesn't come out with a dowel? why not just drill out the center of the projectile and then use a small wooden dowel to collapse the rest and let it fall out, rather than force it down the barrel?
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Just do it very carefully.Wood will not damage rifling but a metal HSS drill bit could in a fraction of a second.
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Just do it very carefully.Wood will not damage rifling but a metal HSS drill bit could in a fraction of a second.
Ok, I'm going to talk about "bullet setback" on carry ammo. Bullet setback is often caused when a round is repeatedly cycled and chambered in a semi or full auto firearm. The best example is when you unload your weapon for whatever reason and then reload and rechamber that same round after taking it to the range for practice etc.... etc... When the bullet contacts the feed ramp and is pushed into the chamber, the bullet will move slightly inward decreasing your C.O.L. or (over all length). It may only be 1 thousandths of a inch at a time but it adds up. The crimp is moved on the bullet and it slides easier and easier the more it moves. This is normally not a problem given moderation of a window of 5 to 10, but some loads as much as 20 thousandths of a inch. If the setback continues, the pressure will rise in the case and could cause a case rupture and failure. The barrel and the firearm are at risk when this happens. Given a perfect scenario, this could cause a blown up firearm and barrel, along with personal injury from shrapnel. Not only could your firearm be destroyed but you could be hurt as well. The best thing to do is rotate your rounds in your magazine each and every time you reload and rechamber. You won't be subjecting the same round to the setback conditions that way. Your carry ammo will last longer, be safer, more reliable and more accurate that way. If your carry ammo has a case cannelure crimp it will reduce the chances and amount of bullet setback. Here is where to buy the tool to do your own.Corbin HCT-1 Hand Cannelure Tool
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You will know it because a bang-bang-bang will turn into a poof or pop!
Stop shooting and remove your barrel. Check it against a light and see if you can see through it? If not, you just had a squib and the bullet must be removed by force. The best way is with a small wooden dowel rod slightly smaller the the barrels diameter. You want to be as close as possible to aid in pushing the lodged bullet clear of the rifling and barrel without it fitting tight. Always start from the chamber end first and follow the rifling. Tap with a small hammer or mallet taking your time and work it out very slowly. When it clears the bullet will fall out. Always examine the barrel for any signs of damage such as bulging or cracking before putting it back in to go another round. BTW, wood doesn't scratch the rifling!
