Matt in TN

Not a 1911, but out of a Glock Model 30 I get 790 fps with 4.9gr of Titegroup behind both Berry's and Rainier plated 230gr RN. Best OAL seems to be 1.270" or so for me.

I've had them for years (G27 and G30) and love them. Are you implying that they're not legal? No one has ever questioned mine at a match, but it's IWB and doesn't stand out.

I've always shot 230gr plated round nose, but I'm starting to experiment with some others. I shoot a Glock with a stock barrel, so lead is out. Just so I understand - will you please check my thinking: Round Nose: feeds most reliably, punches ugly ragged holes in paper Semi Wadcutter: can have feeding problems in some guns and be more finicky about overall length, punches nice round holes in paper that are easier to score Flat Point: Sort of a hybrid between RN and SWC, punches nicer holes than RN but not as nice as SWC, feeds more reliably than SWC but not as much as RN Is that about right? Is there any particular bullet shape that's more accurate than another, or does it all boil down to what your pistol likes? Does one tend to ricochet off steel any more than another?

I have a relativley new RL-550B. I've loaded a thousand rounds of .45ACP on it without a hitch, but I'm having some problems now with .308. The primers are being seated slightly off center in the primer pocket, so it's shaving/crushing/seating crooked sometimes. This is surplus brass with crimped primers, but I've run them through a Lyman primer pocket reamer and then a Lyman primer pocket uniformer. Thinking I still had crimp problems, I even tried running a few over a large chamfering tool on my drill press (just to make sure the crimp was gone). I see where you can adjust in and out where the primer is placed, but it looks like once it's i. the pocket of the shellplate there's no room for small adjustments. Is that true, or is there a way to adjust exactly where the primer seats? Or maybe adjust exactly where the brass is held? Strange that I didn't have this problem with .45ACP...

Haha - have you ever actually seen an 870? I would put my 870 up against anything else as far as "ability to take a beating" and enjoy very much using it for 3-gun. I'm not playing to win the game though - I'm playing to have fun and improve my skills.

I had been dry-firing every night and working on the basics (draw stroke, slide lock reload, tactical reload, etc.) for several weeks in a row, and shooting live fire on the weekends. I have a basic exercise that documents those skills so I can see how I'm doing over time. For several weeks in a row, no matter how hard I practiced with dry fire I showed no improvement during live fire. In fact, my times got slightly slower. I got frustrated and took some time off. Last weekend I shot a match and did as good as I ever have. I shot my "basics exercise" this weekend without any practice in between, and my times and scores are better than they've ever been before. Not by a lot, but every single one is slightly faster and more accurate. I guess I just needed a break - I've read sometimes that happens. The question is - now what? Should I go back to dedicated dry fire practice and try the routine again? Or should I try something completely new?

I use it in my FAL and it does just fine.

It should be perfectly safe to use the Sierra data, but AS ALWAYS - work up slowly to that max and watch for pressure signs along the way. It is much more common to find the best accuracy below the max load, but you'll have to find our for yourself with your particular rifle and load. Somewhat related - the shape of the rifle bullets can have a huge effect on pressure and velocity as well. Similar to a pistol bullet, if one 55gr bullet has a longer bearing length than another, then the friction against the bore will be increased. This will increase the pressure for the same charge of powder. Sierra knows this and is conservative with their numbers to account for it, but it is also why you should always start low and work up your own load.

I went with the 175gr SMK just because it's the "old standard" and I wanted the history of data and experience while I'm learning. The new Sierra 155s are very popular around here, with a lot of the better 175 shooters switching to them over the last couple years. I've heard a lot of good talk about the Hornady's, but don't know anyone who's using them yet.

I average 2,552 fps. 38.0 MOA of elevation (up from 100yd zero) got me to 1,000yds. I have no idea what the actual velocity was at the target, but I do know all my bullets still cracked when going over the pits (I asked my scorers specifically because I was doubtful I'd make it). JBM says it should be 1,135 fps at 1,000 yds, so it wouldn't make your criteria. This rifle is much better suited for the mid-range matches, but it got me by at 1,000yds just for playing around.

I'm sorry for the repost. I've been reading and searching here for some time now and missed it somehow. Can you suggest some search terms or a link? Thanks -

I have MANY thins to work on, but I feel like jerking the trigger while shooting faster is my biggest hurdle to overcome right now. I dryfire a lot (but probably not enough), and I have pretty good trigger control while shooting groups or even "cruising" through a stage. When I try and step up the speed is when trigger jerking starts to come back in, and I start missing low and left. I am calling my shots for the most part and know exactly when this happens, but I am having trouble KEEPING IT from happening. I've done the cap and ball drill before, but it really doesn't tell me anything that calling my shots doesn't. Are there any drills that will help me overcome this, or do I just need to keep dryfiring and it will go away eventually? I've read Brian's book, and have just ordered my first Matt Burkett DVD - hopefully that will give me a new perspective.

I'm curious about this from a design perspective. Can you describe more about what happened and whatghe result was? Were you wearing safety glasses? Was there any flying debris or burnt material? Any damage to the press or components (or body parts)?

No you don't. With a 175gr SMK and 45.0 gr of Varget (winchester brass) it's easily still supersonic at 1,000yds out of my 20" Remington 700. A longer barrel and/or bigger caliber would be better at that distance - sure, but I've done it and it works. 5/8 MOA pretty reliably. This load is warm - as always, start low and work up. Varget is nice because it is fairly temperature INsensitive.

This is going to be a "well duh" post for all of you that already have one, but I wanted to post for anyone thinking about it and searching and reading threads. I was just there, and I know what you're thinking. "They sure are expensive. Do I really need that? Is it too hard to use? Etc." I've been reloading on a single stage for about ten years now. It had gotten so that I actually dreaded reloading, and suffered through it only so I could shoot more without breaking the bank. After having a Dillon (RL550b) for only a week now, I enjoy loading again. It seems sick to even say it, but I'm looking forward to when I can sneak out to my loading room and knock out a couple hundred more rounds. I already have several hundred ready to shoot, so I don't really "need" to, but since I have components and everything's all set up it seems silly not to! Put off that next new gun purchase and break down and buy the Dillon. You won't be sorry. It's the best money I ever spent. Also - a special thanks to everyone who has posted here. You never knew it, but I spent hours and hours searching and reading old posts before I ever bought one. You helped me choose which accessories I really needed, showed me what to watch for when setting it up, and when I screwed something up I already knew what it was because I remembered reading about somebody else doing the same thing. Brian - I can't thank you enough for making such a great place for people to gather and exchange information!

I finally got around to this today - PM sent. I got lots of good data:

Great - thanks!

Should be "hole", not "hold" - stupid iPhone.

I just bought a new 550b and think I have it all set up correctly. I've really enjoyed reading through all the posts here about it and they've already set me straight on several items. One thing I can't figure though - there is a hold drilled through the loading arm (standard ball end, not roller arm) about halfway up. Is this for anything to link to, or is it just for you to put a rod through while tightening down?

Thanks for the responses. I understand moving my feet if I'm off left to right, but how do I adjust when I'm off up or down?

I'm trying to empty my cup! I can work the trigger without moving the gun off target. What I can't do is close my eyes, take a breath, and reopen my eyes and have the sights still on target. I have to move them back to the target. I also can see where the sights are when they lift from the notch, but they do not return to the notch on their own - I have to move them there. I'm guessing before I can even approach this I need to fix the first part though. Baby steps...

I'm sure this has been discussed to death, but I've read and searched and can't really find what I'm looking for. I have Brian's book and have read it several times now (great book!), but am having trouble understanding exactly how to build a proper neutral position. I understand NPA and building a position with a rifle. What I don't understand is how to do that with a pistol. There is no bone support, and if I "relax" the pistol simply falls to the ground. I understand the various drills, but don't understand how exactly to fix my position when the drill doesn't give me the answer I want. For example - I stand in a comfortable position and aim at the target with a two-handed grip (sort of halfway between a weaver and isosceles). I close my eyes, take a breath, and then open my eyes to see if the sights are still on the target. They are close, but they are about 2" low at 10yds. Sight alignment is still good, but my point of aim is low. "Change your grip" is the answer I've read - but how exactly? With a rifle it would be "move your elbow inward", or "move your front foot backwards slightly" or something like that. What is the answer with a pistol?