njl

The Hi-Tek coating seems tougher. I went through a few boxes of Precision bullets and was happy. Then I started buying them by the case and started finding what looks like bullets stuck to each other and then separated. Some will be missing a patch of coating. Others will have those patches stuck to them as a second layer of coating. Seated long enough, my .45 chambers will cut through the Precision coating on the way into the chamber. I haven't seen that with the Hi-Tek coating...but that may just be because I'm seating them short enough. In 9mm, I think Hi-Tek coated bullets have less smoke and smell than any of the moly/poly type bullets using Universal Clays. Maybe Precision will switch over to Hi-Tek and I'll get the best of both in one. Everyone else seems to be jumping on the Hi-Tek wagon.

What about these: http://www.snscasting.com/45-acp-45lc-200-grain-round-nose-flat-point-coated-1000ct/ I asked about these in another thread...but since you're here...maybe we can get an answer direct from the source. My .45 shooting is primarily Glocks, and includes a 30S. Glock 30s are kind of notorious for not feeding SWC or any perhaps any bullet with an exposed shoulder for ejecting cases to get snagged on. I really like Precision's 200gr RNFP, but like the hi-tek coating better than his moly/poly coating. On your 200gr RNFP, there's a lube groove and a higher groove that looks to me like a crimp groove (to be used in .45LC loads?). In the other thread, someone said it's another lube groove. Regardless, if these are used for .45acp, what's the proper way to set OAL for them? Case mouth just below the top of the upper groove? If so, what OAL does that result in? Do you have any idea if these: http://www.snscasting.com/45-acp-200-grain-round-nose-coated-1000ct/ will feed in Glock 30s? The shoulder where the round nose meets the bearing surface worries me that they might not. Well...I went ahead and got the answers to these questions by buying some Bayou 200gr RNFP. Seating them to 1.200" results in the upper groove (which I assume is a crimp groove for .45LC) being right about fully covered by the case mouth. They fed fine in my Glock 21, 30S, and 41. It's a bit shorter bullet than Precision's 200gr RNFP.

GSSF is probably more like Bullseye than most other pistol competitions. There's no movement. There's no reloading on the clock. Targets are a mix of cardboard (NRA D1) and steel, some as close as 5yds, some as far as 25yds. Score is time + inaccuracy penalties that increase with decreasing accuracy. I've used MG 147s (and their 124CMJ and 124JHP), and they're all fine for GSSF...but Bayou would work just as well for less $.

That seems awfully expensive for MG. I'd go with the Bayou suggestion before paying that much for jacketed. BTW, with the aftermarket conversion barrel, I hope you're intention is to shoot in Unlimited. That's the only GSSF division in which aftermarket barrels are permitted.

I think for this purpose, you might want to use a fresh (unused) dryer sheet.

I haven't really noticed this problem metering WST, but it is a "sticky" powder in that it seems to be far more susceptible to static cling than any of the other pistol powders I use. Have you tried rubbing the outside of the powder hopper with a fabric softener sheet?

I haven't found it to be especially dirty. I've read that the "newer" Red Dot is cleaner than it used to be. As far as charge weight required, I find it's in between Clays and WST...with Clays requiring the lightest charges.

http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=9%20mm&Weight=147&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

I got there before the WST was gone. I put 2 4lbs in my cart and then decided that between what's left of my open jug of WST, a near full 8lb of Clays, and nearly 16lb of Promo, I just don't need more WST right now. I don't think it does anything I can't do with Promo other than meter better. (null)

Out of production until they rebuild. If you don't have any, or haven't found any, get familiar with other powders. WST seems to be a pretty good alternative (though you have to use more). Promo / Red Dot, and Clay Dot are probably also worth consideration.

That's the high-price version. To really economize, use Promo with Red Dot data I bought my first Promo to load .380, but have started experimenting with it in .45 and .38spl. I think every handgun powder I've used is actually a shotgun powder.

The good news is, if you're already loading .223 and 9mm on a Dillon (at least on the 550B), all you need to buy is dies. The caliber conversion parts for .223 are used for .380, and the powder funnel from 9mm handles .380.

It looks like you can order them online. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-5-16-in-White-Round-Plastic-Knob-77998/202210066?keyword=561671

Were you trying via the web site or smart phone app? The ones I got via the phone app are the round white, model 77998, sku# 561671. $1.10 each.

I recently got another powder bar and wanted one of the press-on dials to make it tool-less. I'd previously found them at one of the Home Depot's in the area, but they no longer stock them I did however find that using Home Depot's IOS app, I was able to scan the bar code from the bag one of my old ones came in (yeah...I'd kept the bags in one of the drawers of my reloading bench), and order them with free shipping to store. They're about $1 each, so with tax, I bought 5 for $5.86. It only took a few days for them to be ready for pickup.

Does this steel match have any requirements/guidelines on minimum bullet velocity? The slower the bullet, the more elastic the collision. I wouldn't want to be around steel being hit at 650fps. For paper, I wouldn't be concerned...but for hard targets, I'd want the bullets running faster...like 750fps or more. 185gr @800fps is plenty soft.

Measure your brass thickness at the mouth. 9mm tends to be around 0.011" to 0.012". Measure your bullets. 9mm is generally 0.355-0.356". If your crimp measurement on a finished cartridge is less than 0.356 + 0.022 (0.378"), you're almost certainly overdoing the crimp. I tend to aim for 0.379-0.380". There's a commercial reloader nearby that people have given me samples of ammo from. They crimp their 9mm to 0.369" and their .45acp to 0.465". You should see the crimp rings this leaves on the bullets...just not in your own ammo.

I find a pretty good % of my range pickup brass has burrs/nicks on the rim sufficient to stop them from going into the gauge backwards. It doesn't seem to affect reliability, but I have filed them down if I was really worried.

I've been down this path (used to shoot pins regularly...tried it with 9mm, .40, and finally .45). JHP will work better than FMJ...but you're so much better off with a .45, it's really not worth all the effort to work up a heavy duty 9mm load. Shooting pins is all about momentum (and transfer of that momentum). A light (not quite major) .45 load will push the pins better than a stout 9mm load, and the recoil will be easier to handle. OTOH, use slow .45 loads on pins at your own risk. I think minimum recommended safe velocity is 750fps. I caught my own 230gr JHP between the eyes a couple years ago after hitting a pin with it. It was a light load, probably a bit slower than 750.

Mine too, and I never leave powder in the measure. I bet they stain a lot faster if you do.

It's hard to tell from his picture, but maybe it's way too far in, is getting caught by the shell plate, and is unable to do its job? bowenbuilt, yours looks like you bent it up to avoid that problem? Mine sits against the ramp/funnel (the manual is upstairs, so I can't look up the part name/number).

Your 13926 is awfully strange looking there. Are you using some kind of aftermarket replacement...and is it out of adjustment?

This is very true. I've loaded a lot of Clays on a 550 and you have to be consistent pulling the handle. A fairly stern downward stroke to actually shake the powder out of the measure. At least thats sort of how I think of it because the size of the powder flakes. I can't say I remember having trouble with Clays metering on my RL550B. I am having trouble with small charges of Promo, which looks like a darker version of Clays.

Loading 7 grains of clay's into a 9mm and shooting it would be.....exciting to say the least. Is that physically possible (without it spilling)?

I guess I'll order the x-small bar and maybe look into something to vibrate the hopper. Loading the little bit of .380 I've done so far, with charges around 2.9gr, I get the expected charge most of the time and the occasional 20% reduced charge. Since 2.9 nearly fills a .380 case, the light charges are reasonably obvious, but I don't like having to eyeball guestimate each powder charge in the cases.