Lee Bell

I appreciate your concern. Trust me...I plan to be EXTRA careful. My job is testing aircraft and I plan to use those same QA skills (plus some) while reloading. I have ordered two books and two DVD's....and have someone helping me on the first go-around. Short of wearing a body condom, I am covered pretty well. SA Friday gave you some very good advise. Those that "are covered pretty well" when they start reloading often find out that they're not as covered as they thought. It is very easy to double charge with a 550 B. That's experience talking. My press is a 550 B. What you did in a past life does not prepare you to reload safely. Experience reloading does. Quite a few competitive shooters load with Universal, even after they have the experience to use other powders safely. Personally, I started volume loading with Bullseye which, while not a bulky, is bulkier than the TiteGroup I currently use. A couple of suggestions for you relative to reloading: 1. I suggest against using rifle primers, at least at first. Rifle primers tend to burn hotter and can increase pressure significantly. Those that use them generally didn't start with them. They started with pistol primers and worked their way up to the rifle primers. 2. Nobody can tell you just what formula is best for you. Different guns, even two as alike as possible, don't always like the same formula. Try a variety of powders, a variety of bullet types, weights and brands, and a variety of primers. Tune your powder and your powder to your gun. See what you, and your gun like best, then refine it until you have the best results possible. 3. Get a chronograph. Our sport is one of time, accuracy and power. It takes practice to shorten times and accuracy, but you have the ability to dial in the right power from the start, but you'll need a chronograph to do it. You'll want to understand what power factor you have and how it is affected by temperature. 4. Do not take anyone's word that any formula anywhere near the max recommended for the bullet and powder you choose, is right or even safe. Start low and work your way up to whatever you prefer. Watch for signs of pressure problems. Don't push it until you understand what those signs are. Lee

No. It won't work. You can't reload it. Send it all to me for safe disposal. Damn, I wish I had to know the answer to this question. Darned near all the 10mm brass I have was purchased new. The stuff is so hard to get around here that I almost never shoot m 10mm any more. Lee

Yes and no. Once upon a time, I loaded a bunch of 180 grain .40 caliber moly bullets to a 175 power factor. They did not feed as reliably in my 1911 Kimber Stainless Gold Match II as Zero JHPs in the same weight did. Initially, I blamed it on the bullets, which turned out to be only partly right. It turns out that my magazine springs were getting a bit old and were also part of the problem. It wasn't long after, that I began having problems with my jacketed bullets as well. Still, the problem surfaced with the moly coated bullets first. Something else to consider is that that the moly coating will coat your barrel. This is normally not a problem the way leading is. The excess moly shoots out with each bullet. The problem is that moly attracts and holds moisture. If you shoot moly bullets, pay particular attention to cleaning and lubricating the bore. Pay attention to your maintenance and you should have no problems, many people do. The no part of my response comes from the fact that I have no experience at all with Ramshot. I currently load with Bullseye and, when I've exhausted my supply of that, will be trying Titegroup next. You're on your own with Ramshot. What is worth mentioning, though is something else I experienced with moly bullets. I got a lot more smoke with them than I did with the same loads I used for jacketed bullets. I'm not talking about a whisp here and there, but a significant and noticable amount of smoke with every shot. It was very annoying, bordering on being a competitive disadvantage, on still days. Bullseye is known to be a bit smokey, so maybe you won't have the same problem that I did. Until you know for sure, though, I recommend against making a major commitment to moly bullets. Of course, the same advice applies to any combination of bullets, powder and charge that's new to you and your guns. Lee

I load to 175 for major, 135 for minor. I live in South Florida, but occasionally shoot in central and north Florida during the winter. I like to be sure I make power factor, whether I'm shooting major or minor. Lee

Pretty much all powders are temperature sensitive, some more than others. I don't know much about the ones you have, but I know something about power factors. No matter what powder you use, you're going to have to shoot over a chrono to know the power factor. Warpspeed gave you the formula, but left something out. It's muzzle velocity in feet per second times bullet weight in grains divided by 1,000. To make major with a 185 grain bullet, you need a muzzle velocity of 892 feet per second or better. Here's where things get a bit complicated, but not overly so. All powders I know of turn in slower velocities when its cold than when they're warm. I live in south Florida. When I shoot in colder climates, I have the same problem you do, ensuring I make major. Most people I know load to a power factor of 170, 5 over what it takes, to ensure they still make major when the temperature drops. I'm a bit more conservative than that. I load, and practice, with a 175 power factor load. That's 5 grains of Bullseye under a 180 grain Zero JHP in my case. Where you are is colder than it is at all likely to be for the Florida Open. What that translates to, again in my opinion, is that if you load to a 170 power factor there, you should be fine here. Having said that, hopefully one of the really experienced people on this board will confirm, or correct, my advice. Lee

There will be a difference in velocity for sure. How significant it will be depends on a few things. All else being equal, loading long increases the space for gases to expand into and changes the pressure. Changing pressure generally changes velocity. The relationship, however, is not consistant and probably not a straight line function. The bottom line is, if you change the OAL, to be safe, you should back off the charge a bit and work your load back up to the velocity you prefer, watching for signs of pressure problems as you do. Remember that sometimes, additional space in the cartridge can be more problematic than less space. Detonation is not common, but when it happens, it usually does some pretty serious damage to a gun and sometimes to the person holding it. Lee

You figure about 6 months is a reasonable life expectancy? You figure a motor that WEARS OUT in 6 months, twice, is good quality?

Yep, that's what I said. I can afford quality and Dillon ain't it. If you think that the way a company handles problems experienced on one of their products does not reflect on their customer service, it is not me that is wrong.

Dillon made their reputation based on service. Their presses and other equipment weren't so much better than other brands, but they always stood by them. Now they don't. Let's be clear on this, I sent it back the first time, at my expense, about 6 months after I bought it. They replaced the motor and sent it back to me. The motor failed again, also before 6 months had passed. They say the warranty had expired, I kind of figure the new motor should be covered for a year too. Read the responses to my post, particularly those that talk about using a less expensive unit for 5, 10, 15 years, and then tell me I'm wrong when I say I can afford quality and Dillong Ain't it. If you think otherwise, go for it. It's your money. You buy from them.

I just got off the phone with Dillon. I bought a CV-500 vibrator case cleaner from them in March of last year. It failed and got a new motor under warranty in October. They claimed they'd had a few bad motors. The second motor failed last month. Their warranty is only good for a year, longer than either of their motors lasted, so they declined to repair the case cleaner under warranty. So, no more Dillon for me. I can afford quality and Dillon isn't it. This, of course, raises the question, who makes a good, reliable case cleaner and who stands behind their products when they prove not to be as good as advertised? Lee

Thanks, Alan. I'll ask about that tonight. I'm on my way over to the range in a few minutes to sight in my AR-15 for an upcoming precision rifle match and then shoot in a club match. Yes, I know my .223 isn't the most precise rifle in the planet, but the match is designed to favor autoloaders and I'm just not sure I can work the bolt on my new 22-250 fast enough to keep up. Lee

Frankly, I don't have a clue. I take my Digital Pro Chrono's word for what my rounds are doing. So far, I've not run into a problem, but I really have no easy way to check. Perhaps you, and I, should find someone else with a chrono and compare results. If you were to get anal about it, you could even line the chronos up to get a comparison of the same shot, then reverse them and average the variance. I'm going to look for a chance to do this. If you beat me to it, let us know how it turns out. Lee

Thanks for all the hard work. Those of us anxiously awaiting full status for SS appreciate everything you've done. Two questions: 1. Are PSSD classifiers being archived at the organization lavel or at the club level. I'm sure I've been told that my club does not even submit them. Not that I'm proud enough of my past scores to care, but I am improving. If scores are to be archived by the organization rather than at the club level, it's time for me to go back to shooting PSSD and to talk to my club. 2. If it's very, very, very sure that the division will gain full status first of next year, is it possibly time to renegotiate the compromise? The sooner we start counting, the sooner we're likely to demonstrate our support for your hard work. Lee

I've found Winchester to be slightly hotter than the Remington UMC. Both will make minimum PF in my XD 9 Tactical and probably would in an XD 9 Service. Neither consistently makes minimum in my XD 9 SC. Since I'm really unlikely to shoot a 3 inch barrel XD when I have a 5 inch barrel one, it does say something about the reduced effectiveness of my carry gun. If I ever have to use it, I'll let you know if the effect was significant . . . I hope. Lee

Glad I read the thread. I just prepped my first couple hundred .223 cases, also my first time loading rifle on a progressive press. I lubed the rounds before sizing them with Dillon lube. It seems to have dried nicely and I was not planning on tumbling them again before priming, charging and seating a bullet. Do I need to change my plan? Lee

Daily. For me, the single biggest advantage of dry firing is that there is no sound and no recoil. I fight trigger finger problems on an ongoing basis. Dry fire helps develop habits that translate to the range. I absolutely do not simulate recoil. That would work directly against what I'm trying to achieve. It builds bad habits that, like good ones, go to the range with me. Lee

I can tell you why I don't shoot revolver, but that may not apply to everyone. First, I do shoot Single Stack. It's enough to shoot in one division where I'm not recognized. I don't need the aggravation of two. Second, and more important, is what goes on in club level matches. All stages seem to be designed to be 10 + 1 friendly. Most are designed to be 8 + 1 round friendly. I don't think I've ever seen one that was 6 round friendly. When every point of every stage has at least 4 targets that have to be shot twice, given a choice, why would I choose to shoot a gun that only holds 6, forcing multiple static reloads? If I don't shoot revolver in practice, I'm not likely to shoot it in matches. Lee

The standard maximum length for 9mm is 1.168. My Dillon case gauge measures 1.178 inches deep. If all else is right, a bullet at 1.043 should fit fine. There seems to be something wrong with the information you've provided or something wrong other than the OAL. Lee

Just a reminder that all the rest of you guys are shooting in a sport originated by, and for, 1911 pistols. While it looks like a new division, it's actually a return to our roots. Those of us who shoot single stack appreciate that fact that some of you newcomers are willing to leave us a place to compete in a sport we started. Lee

I have a Dillon 550B. I'm less than brand new to using it for rifle cartridges, but have loaded several thousand rounds of pistol ammunition with it. I'm about to gear up for loading .223 Remington and 22-250, which is why this thread got my attention. I've heard, from a usually reliable source, that there is a problem with the Dillon sizing die for .223, that the expander ball is a bit too large and that he has had some problems with bullets dropping into the case while being loaded. There was not time for a complete discussion, so I'm not aware of the details of his complaint. I'm loading .223 primarily because I can't buy the rounds locally that are best for long distance out of my 1 in 7 twist AR-15 and because, even by mail order they're a lot more expensive than what I can put together myself. These are long distance varmint rounds using a 60 grain Hornady V-Max. If there was a heavier explosive bullet, I'd probalby be using it. At any rate, accuracy is a prime consideration. These rounds, and some still heavier target rounds I'll use for competition, will be fired at small targets or bullseyes at ranges up to 600 yards. Based on this information, I'm looking for any input you guys might have on what dies are best and, if you're willing, what powders, primers and crimp. Anything you are willing to share is better than the information I have now. Also, someone please explain what you mean by camming over. That's a term I'm not familiar with. Lee

Perhaps I have a slightly different take on the issues. In most instances, a felony conviction, or any conviction of a gun related nature, will cause a request for a concealed weapon permit to be declined. A non specific misdimeanor, won't. If you're guilty and you know it, as it seems you are and do, take the deal. This is a bit of a wake up call to many of us. Check the laws in every jurisdiction you will visit, particularly those that you will spend one or more nights in, read up on the federal law regarding transportation of firearms, and do your best to ensure you comply. Consider routing around, and certainly not spending any money, in any jurisdiction that does not honor your concealed carry permit or imposes unreasonable resrictions on your right to keep, bear, and transport arms. Lee

Actually, no. Power factor increases directly with the weight and velocity of the bullet. It's a simple multiplication Power Factor = M x V. Energy increases directly with the weight of the bullet and the square of the velocity. The formula, which Albert Einstein made so famous, is E = M x V squared. A change in bullet weight effects both measures the same. A change in velocity has a much greater impact on energy than it does no power factor. While energy and felt recoil are not exactly the same, they are related. Using a heavier bullet and lower velocity, can result in the same power factor, but less energy and, usually, less felt recoil. Lee

I don't disagree with any of the responses, but I'll provide one from a slightly different perspective. Those that like high viz fiber optic sights like them a lot. I have them on all my competition guns and may soon put one on my carry gun. They're quick to find and point and easier for my old eyes to pick up. I use the green fiber optic sights because they seem to be more visible in low light conditions. All of them work well in bright light. I do not, however, use fiber optic sights on my shotguns. As someone else mentioned, you point a shotgun rather than aim it. Perhaps it's my pistol shooting background, but a fiber optic sight distracts me from what I should be seeing. With my shotguns, the cheek weld is the most important element of my shooting. Having established that, I look along the rib, rather than at the front bead. Unlike with pistols and rifles, I'm looking at the target, not at the sight. A bright fiber optic on the end of my barrel does exactly what it is designed to do, it gets my attention . . . when my attention should be focused somewhere else. Not everyone shares my style or my opinion on fiber optic sights for shotguns, but I'm not along in my opinion either. Assuming you occasionally shoot moving targets, which not everyone with a shotgun does, the best answer to your question will probably have to come from your own experience. Beg, borrow or rent a shotgun with the kind of sights you think you might like and see how it works for you, for the kind of shooting you do. Lee

I watched a girl have that problem with her Glock just last Thursday. She had a terrible time of it. In order to try to help her out, the RO took the gun and fired every round in the magazines without a problem. She was an experienced shooter, but apparently had a slight tendency to limp wrist the gun in competition. It doesn't take much to make a difference if your recoil spring is getting a bit long in the tooth. My best guess is a combination if weakening spring and a slightly lighter grip on the gun when competing, but that's only a guess. Lee

This discussion has been more useful than most. In fact, it proved useful just last Thursday night. In one of our club matches, a shooter stood an open shooter stood a bit furhther back from a port and shot lower on the target than was good for him or his score. His bullet passed through the wood under the port and into the target's lower Charlie zone. Nobody seemed to know what to do except . . . well, you know. Just as discussed in this thread, the lack of a grease ring made it easy to tell which shot had passed through the hard cover. Good thing, too. The other shot was in the A zone. As the thread progressed, I learned even more. Had someone asked what happens if you shoot though a stick, I would not have had a clue. Now I do. Thanks. Lee