Xtra care for big match ammo (area/nationals)

[waxman]

What do you guys do to make your ammo as foolproof as posible?

So far I have 1000 rnd of what I consider to be as good as i can get it ammo.

(Brass)

I have selected perfect, 99% once fired brass, with no flattening on the head stamp, and no extractor marks, or stains. All Winchester

(Primers) ,

Only Winchester small pistol, these have shown to be the best all around for me

(Powder)

Titegroup, seems the most consistent at my charge weight, and in temp sensitivity, and best felt recoil

(bullet)

Opted for Zero Hp this time, they seem very consistant, and are very accurate in my gun.

(additional steps)

I weighed each and every powder charge, Yep hows that for anal?.

case gaged every round

finally, I ran every one though my Rcbs hand primer to double check primer seat.

Is there anything else I should do. I have fired maybe 200 of this load, while chronoing, a match, and practice to verify function, accuracy, consistance, and reliability. been good so far. Am I being to nuts about this?

[recon215]

The only thing I ever did when I was shooting open in the early 90's was to use brand new brass for all the major matches I was shooting back then. Used a 1050 to load my 38 super ammo on. I NEVER used once fired at a big match.

Steve

[nwb01]

For big match ammo I ALWAYS do the following:

Chamber check in the gun I will be shooting match with

Check for high primers

Inspect brass for cracks and dents

Check for high primers

Check for high primers again........ Got burned by that one once.

Other than that I do not load them any differently than practice ammo.

[get2now]

I use my barrel to chamber check all the rounds I'm taking with me. At the same time I can see and feel if the primers are high or there are defects in the brass. I've never had high primers loading on a 1050 though.

My load has already been checked and established its consistency and accuracy.

I don't use new brass but I wouldn't use brass with a flattened headstamp either. For .38 super I only have two brands of brass, but I don't mix those. For .40 and 9mm I will use mixed brass.

Gary

[outerlimits]

yea, weighing each would be considered anal...assuming you have a progressive press. case gauge? well, it's basically factory specs. you should consider dropping each round into your own chamber to be sure. or, have yer smith punch your chamber gauge with the same reamer he did yer barrel.

[SLM]

Your process looks good to me although I'd skip weighing every single charge. That seems like overkill once the powder settles in. You don't say what press you load on but I have a Hornady so I'll drop 20 or 25 charges back into the bottle to settle the powder and then again verify the powder charge. From there it doesn't vary with ball powders more than .04 grains or so. I'd think any of the major brand powder measures would hold a very consistent charge.

I use a L.E. Wilson gage to check every round. It's tighter than my chambers so if loaded rounds will fall into and out of it, they'll easily fall into and out of any of my chambers. That gives me a good opportunity to check primer seating, both visually and by feel.

While some prefer brand new or once fired brass I like to use brass that's been fired a couple times or so in my gun. I remember reading about some GM (Todd Jarrett maybe?) that was using brand new brass at some match and he had a piece of brass that didn't get the flash hole drilled. That alone is enough to keep me away from brand new brass. I can easily see missing that.

I personally don't do anything different for my major match ammo that I don't do for a local. If I wouldn't take it to Nationals, I wouldn't take it to a local match.

[edwin garcia]

I chrono and zero a few days(1-2 weeks) depending on atmospheric conditions of match venue.

[steel1212]

Only thing I change is the brass. I go from range pick ups to once fired. Would I shoot the range pick ups that I deem worth to use at a local match at a major, sure I would. The only thing I find differently for me is that the once fired is going to chrono more consistently. If its not good enough for the major match why would it be good enough for a local match?

[Kyle O]

I only make sure that my ammo chrono's PF.

Of course, the usual visual inspection for high primers, dents, and such as I do with all of my reloads.

I guess I should case gauge them, but it has not been a problem in several thousand rounds thru my sig 229.

[waxman]

Thanks for the input. I am loading on a dillon 550. I know it is nuts to weigh every charge, but I had all winter off, so I had alot of time on my hands. I simply pulled the case out of the reloader before I put a bullet on, and dumped the charge in my pact digital scale. At least I know all of my ammo, will make major,and maybe just maybe that added bit of care will make Keep a tight A into becoming a C somewhere.

[jmaass]

1) Once-fired brass, not new brass. Once-fired has proven that the primer

hole goes all the way through.

B. I took the barrel out of my gun and dropped each round into the chamber

to make sure it goes in and comes out smoothly. This had the secondary

benefit of allowing for visual inspection each round. (It doesn't take long

once you establish a rhythm.)

III) Bumped up my load just a bit to account for any temperature variations.

(My open gun preferred hotter loads anyway).

Delta) I put the match ammo in Dillon 100-round ammo boxes and visually

and tactilely checked to see that all the lengths are the same and there

are no high primers. This also allowed counting them before I put them

in heavy-duty (freezer) baggies.

e) Don't change between lots of your components just before or during loading

of the match ammo. Use a known lot of powder and primers, and confirm

with a chrono, if possible.

Edited May 1, 2009 by jmaass

[uscbigdawg]

1 - New Brass (that also gets roll sized)

2 - Weigh about every 50th round (loading on a 1050 and not worried, but it's an easy check)

3 - Other than that everything else that I do anyways:

- Roll size

- Tumble

- Load it

- Tumble it

- Dillon case gauge it (a smidge tighter than my chamber)

Rich

ETA: I'll chrono the loads just to make sure that it's where it's supposed to be (while confirming zero). I load at 173-174 PF so I'm not worried about making it.

Edited May 1, 2009 by uscbigdawg

[kevin c]

Once fired (or twice if it's been through my gun on the 2nd go around) same head stamped brass.

I "double seat" the primer. In my SDB with its small 4 station shell plate, even with the bolt LocTite'd in, I can get a little rocking in the plate and occasionally a primer is a smidge high and uneven. Seat the primer, ease up on the ram, rotate the case 180 degress, reseat, and then go. Slow's things up a lot, but I consider it worthwhile for special use ammo.

Known lot of primers/powder/bullets re weight/chrono/accuracy. That or the lot gets retested.

Loading Viht, I don't worry about significant variation in the powder drop. With Clays, I'll check on occasion, but I've gotten better consistency since I strapped an aquarium pump to the measure - the settling effect of the vibration seems to work well.

Regular match ammo, I might leave on the One Shot. Match ammo made well in advance, I take it off to prevent tackiness.

All rounds visually inspected and chamber checked (may give up the second if I get a 7 hole gauge from EGW), then boxed and segregated.

Edited May 2, 2009 by kevin c

[XD Niner]

I use only one brand of brass (Remington 38 Super +P Nickel) but they have usually been reloaded at least five times but fewer than nine. I then check all for high primers and then use my case gauge to check each of them. I've never had any brass related problems as long as they pass the case gauge test

I run at least twenty random rounds through my chrono to verify the load. I check for high primers one more time before I put them in the ammo box that I keep for major match ammo. Then I check again for high primers as I load them into my mags.

[sirveyr]

For big match ammo I ALWAYS do the following:

Chamber check in the gun I will be shooting match with

Check for high primers

Inspect brass for cracks and dents

Check for high primers

Check for high primers again........ Got burned by that one once.

Other than that I do not load them any differently than practice ammo.

Ahh yes, I too have been there...as a matter of fact, you have probably witnessed most of my meltdowns (mental and equipment). I started chamber checking my local match stuff. I don't care if I paid $20 or $200 to shoot a match, an f-ed up round pisses me off.

[BlackBuzzard]

I see a lot of pre match anxiety here focused on to ammo prep.

Some additional attention to ammo is perhaps warranted, but the real issue here may be more pre-match mental than ammo related.

But if it works go for it.

Nothing negative intended.......just observing.

BBb

[SA Friday]

I just carry more...

I guess I haven't had the ammo issues to freak me out yet.

[jmorris]

I don't like to loose any match because I didn't do my job, so they are all the same to me.

I case gauge all match rounds as I long ago found a chamber check only checks about 25% of the rim and a gauge does 100% (it might work if you drop it in at 12 o-clock but then it won’t feed from the mag at another position). I chronograph loads throughout the year so I know they will make it under any and all conditions. I put all ammo in 100 round containers (primer up) to look/feel for anything that should be culled. Last, I press check to make sure no split cases (lack of case neck tension) made it past everything else.

[boz1911]

My list for match ammo.

Sort and inspect by headstamp

Clean in ultrasonic cleaner

Polish in tumbler 6-12 hours

Most important (9mjr): rotate the press slowly to not spill any powder. (1050)

Tumble loaded rounds (makes em slick and will make a loose primer come out)

Chamber check

Box ammo and inspect every primer

Remove from box and ck cases again

Put intupperware containers marked Major Match.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I chrono the load before the match and load them up on the RL1050. I do the same for a local match or practice ammo. Better to not worry about your ammo, just the match Thanks, Eric

[Dan Burwell]

I see a lot of pre match anxiety here focused on to ammo prep.

Some additional attention to ammo is perhaps warranted, but the real issue here may be more pre-match mental than ammo related.

For me ammo checking is 100% mental. When I get to the match I know my ammo will not let me down, same with my gun, holster mag pouches, hearing protection, eye protection. It is all tested before I get to a match not once there.

It is better to have the anxiety before the match than during the match.

My major ammo is all loaded the same as any ammo packed in ammo containers primer up and checked for high primers and eyeballed for OAL. The only difference is I will chamber check them in both primary and back up guns.

The lowest my ammo chronos is 140pf with temp variation so I really don't sweat charge weights

[Gregory_k]

nothing but just chack pf so slowest is 170pf.

[LPatterson]

All match ammo is treated the same. Case guage it, then moon it and cyclinder check it.

[davidwiz]

New brass, run it through all the stations, including the decap, chamber check each round in the barrel.