famous187

Welcome to the forums! Great place to learn

Welcome to the forums! Great place to learn

Thanks for the replies so far. I currently have the following sorted out on what I'm going to use to duplicate the Gold Dots: Bullet : Speer 124gr TMJ Primer : CCI No. 500 SPP Brass : Once Fired Sorted by Headstamp Still debating on what powder to use. I currently have HP-38 and Bullseye on hand but, according to my Speer #13 manual neither of those come close to the 1,150 velocity of the GD's. I'm thinking of picking up a jug of Alliant Power Pistol. According to my manual it would work as far as velocity is concerned. My #13 manual doesn't list data for the 124gr TMJ, just the SP and JHP. My dad has the Speer #12 manual which does have the 124gr data so I'll have to borrow the info from his book. So do you guys think the Power Pistol would be a good choice for this load? I've never used it before. thanks chris

I'm wanting some information on how to replicate my personal carry ammmo. I carry a Glock 19 9mm with Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP standard pressure. Whenever I'm shooting at the range doing F.A.S.T. drill or something similar I generally finish the day with a F.A.S.T. drill using my carry ammo and it is always the best and most accurate of the day. For my practice ammo I use my reloads (HSM Plated Bullets) and Winchester White Box. I was thinking that replicating my carry load would be beneficial in many ways for my training. Anyone else do this and how did you come up with the correct load? thanks chris

I was about to pull the trigger on an order at an online used brass site for some used 9mm , .45 ACP , and .223 brass. The prices seem pretty decent but, I was wondering if its somewhat of a waste to buy used brass. Do you guys just buy factory ammo and use that brass after you shoot it or do you actually buy used brass online?

thanks for the replies, i havent had a chance to shoot the gun again yet. it is a complete rock river 9mm carbine with a dedicated 9mm lower. the mags are the plastic pro mag/bushmaster mags, which could easily be causing the issue because i've heard they're crap. my plan at this point is to get some metalform mags and try several of my loads and factory rounds and see what happens. thanks again guys

Here's the deal, I've been reloading 9mm for my Glock 19 for about a year now, I haven't had any problems with my reloads at all, they all shoot well and go bang every time. I thought I was just an awesome reloader (lol) but, I'm thinking now it may just be the Glock reliability. I took my brand new Rock River AR-15 9mm Carbine out the other day and shot it for the first time. I had several Fail To Feed's and when I would fix the issue the round that cause the problem would have major bullet setback. Is this a result of the more violent action of the AR-15 rifle compared to the Glock? What do I do to fix this issue? Here is my load data: HSM Plated 115gr FMJ RN Hodgdon HP-38 4.5gr Remington Once Fired Brass CCI No.500 SPP 1.130" COAL .377-.379 Crimp Would more crimp fix the issue or is the COAL too long? thanks chris

I'm going to start reloading .45 ACP in the near future and wanted to get an opinion on which dies to use. Basically I'm going to go with one of these three options, all are actually within a few dollars, with the mixed die set being a little more. Let me know which you guys think would be best in my 550B. Setup #1 43.50 Dillon Caliber Conversion 31.45 Dillon Toolhead & Powder Die 61.95 Dillon Carbide 3 Die Set 13.95 Dillon Case Gage 160.29 - Shipped from Brian Eno's Setup #2 43.50 Dillon Caliber Conversion 31.45 Dillon Toolhead & Powder Die 13.95 Dillon Case Gage 45.00 LEE Deluxe Carbide Die Set 142.34 - Total Setup #3 43.50 Dilllon Caliber Conversion 31.45 Dillon Toolhead & Powder Die 13.95 Dilllon Case Gage 19.99 Lee Carbide Sizing Die 21.99 Hornady Custom ND Seating Die 21.99 Hornady Microjust Seating Stem 15.49 Lee Factory Crimp Die 168.36 - Total Just want to get the best value for my money. I'm not real sure how much advantage having the Hornady Microjust on the seater die really is, I can see it being important when reloading rifle. I just want to produce good reliable ammunition that has good accuracy, I don't want to over complicate the process if its not really worth it. thanks

thank you for the replies, I went ahead and loaded 50rds to test on Thursday with my Glock 19. Here is the load: HSM Plated 124gr Round Nose .355" Alliant Bullseye 3.8gr CCI No. 500 SP Primers COAL - 1.130" Crimp - .375 They loaded up great, no difference than the MG jacketed bullets I had been loading, I think I will also load up 50 more rounds with 3.6gr of Bullseye to test. I will let you guys know how they shoot after I test them. Thanks, Chris

Anyone have an input on this? thanks

Thanks for the replies, As to the load I currently use, I tested 3.8, 4.0 , 4.2 and in the limited testing I did (500 rds combined), the 3.8 was the most accurate. I will do more testing in the future to further maximize my loads but, I'm new to all of this so I just want to get some rounds downrange. I have heard that plated bullets are between lead and jacketed in regards to powder charges so do you think I will be ok using the current recipe I use since it is on the very low end of jacketed bullets? thanks

Hello all, I recently purchased 1,500 HSM plated 124gr 9mm bullets because I got a really good deal on them. This is the load I've been using with good success: Montana Gold 124gr FMJ Alliant Bullseye 3.8gr CCI Primers 1.125" OAL I've been looking in my reloading books but, I don't see any data for plated bullets. Would it be safe to start with the load recipe I use now? This is pretty much a "starting" load in the books I have. I only shoot for fun so not looking to make any power factor. thanks

Thank you all for the replies. My buddy and I went to the range again today and I tried the tips here and from other sources I've been reading from. I can get a consistent 3-4" group at 7yd, which is an improvement over the last range day, even though that accuracy is nothing to get excited about. At ranges 10-20yd the groups start getting MUCH bigger. Lots of low and to the left still. My buddy shot my gun (Glock 19) and had much tighter groups although his groups were all to the left also which makes me think I need to move my rear sight a little. Its funny because watching him , his trigger finger, stance, and grip are ALL wrong according to everything I've read and seen haha. I think investing in a good handgun course will be my next action. Can anyone recommend a good beginners course that covers accuracy in detail, not just basic handling and safety? I live in the Southern Indiana area. Thanks

thanks for the replies, the brass im reloading has not been cleaned, it is picked up range brass. i cleaned the powder funnel off with a cloth but that made no difference. i also don't see why it would only do it on my R-P cases and nothing else. I just tried running Speer, Blazer, Federal, and Winchester and they all run through with no problems. I will take out the activator tomorrow and clean it up real good, but i would think if the issue is with the activator it would do it on all cases, or is that not a correct assumption? im thinking of just ditching these cases as i only have about 125 of them but, I'm not sure just yet. the force i have to pull on the handle with to get the case unstuck is so much that im afraid im screwing up the process at the other stations. For instance I also had a primer feed issue a couple rounds after the sticking problem started and i think it was related to the rough jerking action of the press to un-stick the case. thanks chris

I have a Dillon 550B and I'm reloading some 9mm. I have already loaded about 400 rounds with mixed Federal and Winchester brass, I ran out of that brass and now I'm using some Remington brass (marked R-P). The problem is that after the brass moves to the powder/belling die it causes the press to hang up on the return stroke. Basically the die get stuck in the case and i have to really pull on the handle to get it out. I have tried adjusting the die both ways and it doesn't seem to make much difference, and I'm only having this issue with the R-P cases, the others work fine. Any ideas? thanks chris

Thank you VERY much for all the responses, this site has been great help. furyalecto - Mine looks EXACTLY like that, I took some emry cloth too it but it still makes a little indent on the primer. Might mess with it a little more. Is it safe to remove the primer bar assembly with primers in the tube? If not, whats the best way of removing primers in the feed tube? I shot the first 50 rounds I loaded up and had ZERO problems. They shot great, I'm still a horrible shot with my Glock 19 so I let my buddy shoot some for accuracy and at 10-15yds they were great. I loaded up some with 3.8gr and some with 4.0gr of Bullseye. I really couldn't tell that big of a difference, the 3.8gr grouped better but with that small of sample size and the lack of our skill I'm not sure if it was us or the grain difference. I'm thinking of loading up 150rds each with 3.8gr, 4.0gr, and 4.2gr. Then shooting those to see which groups and feels better, does this seem like a reasonable approach? I don't have a chrono and really don't care about power factor yet, I'm just trying to get my feet wet. Thanks again. chris

So, I've put about 300-400 rounds through my Glock 19 so far. This is the first handgun I've ever shot and I'm pretty terrible at it, haha. From about 10yds I can occasionally get decent groups but they are always LOW and to the LEFT. I'm talking 6-8" low and 3 or 4" left of where I'm aiming. Thinking it could be the sights I installed (Warren Sevigny Comps) I let my buddy shoot it. Now, he is even less experience than me in shooting handguns. His groups were ALOT tighter and about 2-3" left of point of aim (2" bullseye). Any idea on what I'm doing wrong? I also took my brand new Colt 1911 Rail Gun .45acp and the FIRST time I ever shot it I put a decent 5 shot group inside the 9 ring. With more trigger time behind the 1911 I have a lot of confidence that I could get even better. With the Glock, I have ZERO confidence, hoping you guys can help me out a little. Thanks

a couple more questions: #1. I checked all my rounds in a case gauge after loading them and about half of them wouldn't go in all the way. I took those rounds and ran them back through the crimp die and after doing that they fit in the case gauge fine. Does this mean I need to adjust my crimp gauge or something else?? #2. All of my primers have a small indent on them after seating them, almost looks like a light firing pin strike but obviously thats not it. Is that normal or is there a problem? thanks chris

I just got done loading my first 25rds on my Dillon 550b (thanks Brian!), after all the build up it was ALOT easier than expected. Anyways here is the recipe I used out of Speer #13: Montana Gold 124gr FMJ Alliant Bullseye 3.8gr CCI Small Pistol Primers Federal and Remington Once Fired Brass I have a couple questions: 1. I set my COAL to be 1.120. After loading the 25rds I checked COAL and I had varied results from 1.123-1.130". Should I be getting that big of difference in COAL or is that amount normal? 2. Also, the primers are seated below flush on the cases but they're not as deep as my factory rounds. I can put a straight edge across the bottom of the rounds I made and see light between the primer and straight edge but they don't feel as deep as the factory rounds. Anything to be concerned about? And if so, how do I seat them deeper? thanks chris

I recieved mine on Monday and just tried it out last night. Mine is doing the exact same thing. I got a reading of about 99.96-99.97g everytime I put the 100g weight on it. I replaced the battery and that made no difference. Then I recalibrated the scale per the directions in the manual. After doing that I was getting 100.00g consistently for the next few mins. I tried it again a couple hours later and it was reading high, around 100.03-100.5g. So, I recalibrated it again and it was reading 100g, tried it again a couple hours later and now its back to 100.03-100.05g. The box says it should read within .01g so does this indicate a problem with the scale? Is it off enough to pose a safety issue? -chris

So if I shorten the COAL from what the manufacture recommends for that load do I have to adjust the powder load to compensate for that? Basically I just want to know if shortening the COAL from what the load data lists will cause the pressure in the case to be dangerous?

That is the COAL that the Hodgdon data gives. Any idea why they would put it at the maximum COAL? Will I have to adjust the powder to compensate for a shorter COAL? thanks chris

I think for my first batch this is what I'm going to load: Montana Gold 124gr FMJ Winchester WSF Powder 4.7gr CCI Small Primer Mixed Brass 1.169" OAL That is directly from Hodgdon's website. A couple of questions: 01. They don't list what type of bullet, just 124gr FMJ, does it matter what brand? 02. They list the starting load for the powder to be 4.7gr, should I work my way up to that or start at 4.7gr?

Definatly, I'm going to buy all that stuff before I actually start reloading. Just wanted to go ahead and get my press ordered so I can go ahead and get it mounted and all that good stuff. Lowes has a set I'm probably gonna pick up. thanks

Thanks for all the info! I just put my order in for the following: Dillon 550 Press Dillon 9mm Dies Dillon Case Gauge Eno's Digital Scale I still have a list of things I want to get before I start reloading but at least I'll be able to set my press up on my bench and get everything squared away while my bank account recuperates. So for my next list of items to get here is what I have: Digital Calipers Lyman and Speer Reloading Manuals Primer Flip Tray Bullet Puller Spare Parts Kit I was told I don't have to use a tumbler to start out with. I don't really care if the brass is shiny or not and the brass I do have on hand is not dirty at all. They were all fired from my gun and picked up by me of the concrete directly afterward. Am I missing something in regards to that and actually do need to get a tumbler before I begin? Also, the "As It Should Be" Upgrades would defiantly be nice but it just isn't in my budget right now. I could see myself upgrading in the future though. I do have a very sturdy work bench already, so I have that taken care of. I'm beginning to realize powder choice if VERY personal, haha. Everyone suggests something different. I really just want something to start out with that is easy to load and safe for 9mm's. Thanks chris