AEuropa

Hi all, While buying my first round of reloading components, I bought only 1 pound of VV N340 since I didn't really know how I would like the powder. Looking at the popularity of Titegroup, as well as it's characteristics, I would like to give it a try as my next powder. However, buying 1 pound just isn't economical; I would rather buy 4 or 8 pounds at a time. Would anyone on Oahu be interested in meeting up to trade a cup (or 1/2 cup, or whatever) of Titegroup for the same amount of VV N340? Who knows...maybe you'll really like it! - Alex

That's perfect! I just bought a Jenkins digital scale and was looking for a decent "beginner" chrono. Looks like I'll be ordering this today so it'll be here by this weekend. Now I just need to figure out how to set everything up to chrono the ammo since the only ranges open when there aren't matches going on are square ranges so I don't know how exactly I'm going to set the chrono out 8-10 feet. Thoughts? - Alex

That makes perfect sense...thanks for the using the stars example, that really helped me understand this concept better. - Alex

Or just not wait until the gun is dry before reloading! Everything else noted...thanks. - Alex

5 hrs for 120 sec of shooting tops? Psh...if he shoots like me he'll get AT LEAST twice that amount of time! - Alex

Because there is alot to take in during your first match; the last thing I was worried about was the time or efficiency during the run. If you can't tell by watching the videos, it's not like I was out there to be competitive. I was out there to LEARN. I know how to shoot and how to move, and I - like other human beings - automatically possess the ability to memorize. But I didn't know AT ALL how the match worked. Or what was involved in volunteering to get the stage setup again. Or how to take down the score. Etc...etc...etc... I could have spent the vast majority of the time doing dry runs, which would've certainly given me a much better score, but I wouldn't have taken away nearly as much knowledge about the sport. The benefit of being new to something is that it is virtually impossible to not improve...there will be plenty of time to get better at running the COF. - Alex

Are your practice days on a "standard" square range or are you able to shoot and move. This may dramatically change the answer... That being said, I have to ask for more clarification on "reaching your best." Do you mean literally your BEST, or do you mean the best you can do given your current situation (read: you are not willing to sacrifice anything else in your life to become your *true* best). There is no right or wrong answer; however it is something that you have to answer for yourself to truly answer this question. The best in ANY sport sacrificed a ridiculous amount of creature comforts in their life to get to where they are now. While I'm new to the sport, I am willing to bet that the pros are no different. If you truly want to be your BEST, then the answer to your question is to shoot as many matches as possible AND practice more. When you say that you have a 1000 round/month limit, I'm going to assume it's a money issue. This begs the question, are there other things in your life that you can reduce/cut out to give you more cash flow? However, if you just want to continue to improve and get as good as you can while maintaining your current lifestyle then you WILL have to decide if you should shoot more matches or practice more. To me, the way you answer that question is to determine what your weaknesses are. If they can be addressed more during practice, then do that more. If they are something that appear more often during matches, shoot more matches while FOCUSING SOLELY on one or two weaknesses. Use the matches as training...that's really what locals are anyways. Bear in mind that whatever ratio you decide between matches and practice will not be static, your "training bias" will shift back and forth over time as your weaknesses become strengths and reveal other weaknesses. BTW, it looks like you're doing a pretty good amount of training currently; are you still improving on a weekly/monthly basis? If so, then you may not need to change anything. You can only speed up the rate of improvement so far, beyond that the juice simply isn't worth the (additional) squeeze. - Alex

Faster and more efficient than Google? Hardly: Let Me Google That For You #1 and Let Me Google That For You #2 - Alex

Nevermind

Nevermind

All, Thanks for the advice. I picked up a set of calipers today. I tried to get a chrono and scale but no joy here on the island for either. Everyone in the shops told me that I'm better off ordering online (that's a first for me, BTW). I'm going to go ahead and order them today...looks like the search function on here is about to get a bit of exercise. I measured the rounds at 1.1495 OAL and the crimp at 0.419. I got the load data from the Hornady's manual for a 135 PF (although with a shorter OAL). While I was at one of the shops, I asked them to weigh an extra powder charge that I had brought with me. Instead of the 4.0gr I was expecting from the .43 Autodisk, it measured 3.5gr. I've read online that Lee is conservative with the AD so that makes sense. After measuring and weighing, I went to the range to try out the loads (5 rounds of each since this was my first attempt), but as I expected I'll have to wait until the Wolff recoil springs come in the mail before testing them out. All of the rounds sent lead downrange, but they all caused FTEs. The "4.0gr" load (really 3.5gr...which I had planned to be my STARTING load) caused the brass to get stuck horizontally between the breach and the slide...not technically a stovepipe. Is there another name for that? What do you mean by "loading shorter?" A shorter OAL because I'm throwing less powder? Sorry for the newbie-ness of my thread. - Alex

Anyone on Oahu that has a chrono going to the range this weekend...? I have a handful of rounds that I need to test out. - Alex

So I just finished my first round of reloads. I am reloading for a minor PF in .40 S&W for Production. Since it was my first go-round, I only made 5 each of my 3 test loads. I don't have my new Wolff recoil springs yet, but that's not really all that important THIS time. First I just I want to see if they'll even make it out of the barrel and not blow up in my hand. I am using a Lee Classic Turret with 4 die set. The only thing I don't have yet is a micrometer to determine OAL, so I did a preliminary seating in the case (with no primer or powder) and then dropped it into the chamber and ran the slide forward. After ejecting the round, the reload was just a smidge longer than my Gold Dot...which should be close to perfect considering the MG 180gr JHP bullets seem to be slightly longer than other .40 projectiles. I then took the new round and put it in the press beneath the seating die and then simply adjusted the setting until I could feel the die kiss the round. So my first 3 loads are: 180 MG JHP w/ 3.5gr of VV N-340 (.37 Lee Autodisk); about 10% less than the stated load 180 MG JHP w/ 3.8gr of VV N-340 (.40 Lee Autodisk) 180 MG JHP w/ 4.0gr of VV N-340 (.43 Lee Autodisk) Since I don't have access to a chrono, the first step is to see if they feed/fire. After that I'll get my springs put in and find a chrono to see what PF the reloads are at (aiming for 135 PF). Hopefully I can get everything dialed in before my next match on the 25th (but I'm not going to rush things...I can always use them next match). Thoughts? - Alex

I literally laughed out loud at the chicken winging! Too funny... On a more serious note, have you ever considered changing the positioning of your support arm when shooting long guns? While there's no right or wrong way to (safely) manipulate firearms, I wonder if a more compact setup may be more stable and allow for faster transitions between targets. Obviously, if your current setup is working for you then feel free to disregard. - Alex

I was under the impression that .40 S&W Glock brass shouldn't be reloaded...? - Alex That's the only brass I run in my Edge. After about 10k rounds, I can't blame any of the few malfunctions I've had on so called "Glocked" brass. A lot of us who use brass fired out of Glocks use an EGW Undersize resizing die. Well, in that case... Do you take paypal? - Alex

I was under the impression that .40 S&W Glock brass shouldn't be reloaded...? - Alex

I definitely need to work on dry running the plan several times before stepping up to shoot. On Saturday, I made a plan but didn't really practice it other than once or twice. I think that dry running it and visualizing the run ahead of time will help with knowing where the targets are instead of hunting for them. When you say "between the black tape" what do you mean? For example, on the video for Stage 2, you can see the targets on the far right have all but the center portion of the target exposed...that is the scoring zone. If you hit in one the small boxes created by the black tape on either side, then that is counted as a miss. I'm not sure if that answered your question or not...? - Alex

Thanks for the input! The slide not locking to the rear is total operator error...it's a problem I've always had with Sigs. For the life of me I can't seem to find a solution that actually works when I'm running and gunning. I can keep it from happening at the static range, but that doesn't exactly help me in the real world. Regarding major/minor, I actually just bought a Lee Classic Turret Press so I am starting to reload this month. For the time being I plan to stick with Production so I'll be reloading minor loads to reduce the recoil a bit; I think this will build confidence and help me learn to shoot faster as well. As it is, I'm so slow that it really doesn't matter what division I compete in. Once I get faster I'll probably start playing with major loads and (occasionally) go play in L10. - Alex

Luckily for you, I come standard with work gloves and a pickup truck! I sent Richard a message about this, but since more and more Oahu ohana are showing up I figure I'll put it out to the group: Does anyone sell (or know where I can acquire) .40 S&W brass on island? Obviously, I'm going to start collecting my own brass, but it'd be nice to have a solid amount of brass to start off and I'm too impatient to wait for it to get here before I start my reloading adventure. - Alex

Richard, It was really great meeting you and the other guys, thank YOU very much for the warm welcome, assistance, and hospitality. I wanted to go out on Sunday but had alot of other stuff that I had to take care of over the long weekend. Rest assured that I'll be out there on the 25th. Speaking of which, is there anything else that I need to bring to the Nightmatch other than a quality flashlight? And Congrats on the Limited win! - Alex

All, I would appreciate it greatly if any of you fine gentlemen and ladies would check out the videos from my first USPSA match and give me your thoughts. I have already provided a fairly detailed self-critique of the most glaring issues that I noticed, but it would be great to see if I'm on the right track or not with my thoughts. Please feel free to let me have it...I can promise you that my feelings won't be hurt. http://psrube.blogspot.com Thanks! - Alex

Hi there everyone! I just shot my first USPSA match here in Hawaii; it was great fun and much better practice than plinking at the range. Anyone interested can read about the experience and watch the videos from the stages in my blog (link found in my signature). It's getting pretty late, so I will be adding my thoughts and personal critiques of the runs tomorrow. Please feel free to rip me to shreds...they weren't exactly the epitome of smooth. - Alex