Critique please

[xAZxE30x]

Hello!

So I FINALLY got around to shooting my reloads I made quite some time ago. Life just was super busy.. Wedding.. Honeymoon.. New job.. Toddler.. Baby on the way.. Haha

Specs:

115gn rn from Ranier

Titegroup 4.3gn

CCI small rifle primers

I shot them from my USP

I shot 55 rounds at 15' and 25'. Accuracy was spot on.. Only time it was off was user error and not the bullets fault

I did have 1 not rack the slide back and 1 failure to eject that got stuck (not jam stuck just didn't pop out). The one that didn't rack the slide sounded like it didn't leave the barrel. I saw it hit paper and nothing in barrel but it barely made any noise when it fired and freaked me out as I didn't think I made a single error in loading them.

My casings were slightly popping back and to the right and all went consistently in the same spots.

The casings were a bit dirty which I have read can be due to being under powdered?

What should I work up to next? Also, at what point do you stop working up? These loads seem to work pretty well minus the two ejection issues and I think the powder may have been a tad lower in both of those

Thanks!!

//Austin

[RiggerJJ]

crono data?

[xAZxE30x]

That is one thing I wasn't able to track :/. I didn't have access to the one I know of so that's on the agenda for next time

I understand that without that it is hard to accurately get an answer?

[v1911]

Question: why the small rifle primers?

[RiggerJJ]

a crono is just as important to reloading as a reloading machine is.

Pro Crono, less than $100 on Amazon.

get one, check velocity, and then let us know.

JMHO

jj

ps, unless you dont have any small pistol primers, I would not use small rifle primers in a sub major load. chances are you will get breech face erosion because the srps are harder, won't seal against the primer pocker as well as spps, and will let hot gases pass flame cutting the breech.

[xAZxE30x]

Question: why the small rifle primers?

At the time of loading these it was all that I was able to get my hands on. I don't plan on using them on future loads

a crono is just as important to reloading as a reloading machine is.

Pro Crono, less than $100 on Amazon.

get one, check velocity, and then let us know.

JMHO

jj

ps, unless you dont have any small pistol primers, I would not use small rifle primers in a sub major load. chances are you will get breech face erosion because the srps are harder, won't seal against the primer pocker as well as spps, and will let hot gases pass flame cutting the breech.

Good info! Thank you for that.. Hadn't read that before on the srps.

Yeah I will pick up a chrono before I shoot the rest of them

Thanks for the info guys

[HighCountryStalker]

RiggerJJ speaks the truth! Save yourself hours of research, browsing and possibly months of frustration with another brand. Just buy the ProChrono Digital off Amazon and you will not be disappointed. I also agree on the SPP. It's nice to know in an emergency you could use the SRP's (I've tested and chrono'ed comparable loads with both just in case) but I'd stick with the SPP's otherwise.

[45 Raven]

I'll add one additional comment. If you truly tested your ammo at 15 FEET and 25 FEET, you shouldn't expect anything BUT "Spot On" accuracy. Next time you test it and are running them over the chronograph, test the accuracy at 25 YARDS. That distance shows accuracy potential as a starting point. If you already tested at greater distances and I just misunderstood your original post, ignore this comment.

[grapemeister]

Up the powder. The symptoms you describe indicate not enough power to cycle the gun. I'm loading 4.1 of Titegroup for most 124 grain jacketed bullets, so 4.3 for 115's seems a little light. Work it up a little at a time. Sounds like your right on the verge of a having the powder charge you need. Load a batch at 4.4 and a batch at 4.5, and see how they work. Also pay attention to your over all length. It can make a difference when it comes to the power and velocity your getting for a particular powder charge. My general rule of thumb is to look at the published load data, and work around that, but start out with a much lighter powder charge and work up.

.

[Hi-Power Jack]

If you tested your ammo at 15 FEET and 25 FEET, you shouldn't expect anything BUT "Spot On" accuracy. Next time you test it and are running them over the chronograph, test the accuracy at 25 YARDS.

+1. At least 50 feet. 25 yards is considered a "standard" to test accuracy.

[jtaylor996]

Up the powder. The symptoms you describe indicate not enough power to cycle the gun. I'm loading 4.1 of Titegroup for most 124 grain jacketed bullets, so 4.3 for 115's seems a little light. Work it up a little at a time. Sounds like your right on the verge of a having the powder charge you need. Load a batch at 4.4 and a batch at 4.5, and see how they work. Also pay attention to your over all length. It can make a difference when it comes to the power and velocity your getting for a particular powder charge. My general rule of thumb is to look at the published load data, and work around that, but start out with a much lighter powder charge and work up.

.

DO NOT TAKE THIS ADVICE WITHOUT A CHRONO!!!

You are working up to a specified velocity (or power factor), ensuring you don't see over pressure signs until you get there.

Since you can't use SR primers, just forget using your current reloads for developing a good load. Changing a primer brand usually means getting all new data and working up all over again, using a rifle primer is going to make a much larger difference.

Those are a dead end. They'll screw your gun up, and you'll get no useful load data from them. I've already got enough breech face erosion to deal with.

I don't know how many you loaded already, but if it were me, I'd pull the bullets (I'd reuse the powder, too) and see about deactivating the primers (oil soak?) so I could reuse the cases.

The next step is to get SP primers and a chrono. Load up a development set. I'll typically start .8 gr low (for titegroup) and do 10-20 rounds in each size up to the published load. Then chrono each batch, looking at the v, and the std deviation. Check the spent brass, looking very close for bulging and primer flow or flattening.

This is at least 8 different loadings, and is going to take a lot of patience to make for a beginner without making a mistake (it's much easier to do a batch of 200 than 10 batches of 20).

[xAZxE30x]

Thanks for the advice guys! Yeah I wont be shooting anymore without a chrono, which I am going to hopefully have at my door by this weekend to go shooting!

I picked up some CCI SP's last night as well as a bullet puller. I hadnt loaded a super large batch of my originals so it wont be a huge hassle to tear them down.

I will report back with velocitys and hopefully a much more solid load!

[Sarge]

Up the powder. The symptoms you describe indicate not enough power to cycle the gun. I'm loading 4.1 of Titegroup for most 124 grain jacketed bullets, so 4.3 for 115's seems a little light. Work it up a little at a time. Sounds like your right on the verge of a having the powder charge you need. Load a batch at 4.4 and a batch at 4.5, and see how they work. Also pay attention to your over all length. It can make a difference when it comes to the power and velocity your getting for a particular powder charge. My general rule of thumb is to look at the published load data, and work around that, but start out with a much lighter powder charge and work up. .

DO NOT TAKE THIS ADVICE WITHOUT A CHRONO!!!You are working up to a specified velocity (or power factor), ensuring you don't see over pressure signs until you get there. Since you can't use SR primers, just forget using your current reloads for developing a good load. Changing a primer brand usually means getting all new data and working up all over again, using a rifle primer is going to make a much larger difference. Those are a dead end. They'll screw your gun up, and you'll get no useful load data from them. I've already got enough breech face erosion to deal with. I don't know how many you loaded already, but if it were me, I'd pull the bullets (I'd reuse the powder, too) and see about deactivating the primers (oil soak?) so I could reuse the cases. The next step is to get SP primers and a chrono. Load up a development set. I'll typically start .8 gr low (for titegroup) and do 10-20 rounds in each size up to the published load. Then chrono each batch, looking at the v, and the std deviation. Check the spent brass, looking very close for bulging and primer flow or flattening. This is at least 8 different loadings, and is going to take a lot of patience to make for a beginner without making a mistake (it's much easier to do a batch of 200 than 10 batches of 20).

good lord! Grapemeisters recommendations are perfectly safe. We are still talking mouse fart loads after all. I agree that the chrono is vital and it looks like the Op has one on the way.

To the OP remember you can save ammo by setting up the chrono with a target placed down range right through the screens to save ammo and time. I usually use a paper plate with a big black dot in the middle. This will also keep you from shooting your chrono possibly

[johnsons1480]

This will also keep you from shooting your chrono possibly

I respectfully disagree lol

[jtaylor996]

This will also keep you from shooting your chrono possibly

I respectfully disagree lol

Been there, done that!

357 at 6' right into the AL support. Beat it back into shape with a hammer and kept shooting

[Justsomeguy]

I dunno... I regularly shoot for group over the chrono off a bench. I use 20 shot strings to get my data and so getting grouping data at the same time saves time and ammo. I have never shot my chrono (Knocking on wood as I type) but actually aiming at something while using a chrono probably helps.