Trivial Procedure

[Jammer Six]

Trivial question.

I never thought about it before, but ever since I've started reloading, when I'm reloading rifle, I use a loading block. (I reload pistol in a Square Deal, no loading block.)

My procedure has always been to keep the brass mouth down in the loading block until the final step. That way, there is no possibility that it can be holding a charge of powder when I charge it, because it can't hold any powder. I like processes that eliminate dangers where possible.

Then, with the press set to seat bullets, in one step, I take brass one at a time out of the loading block, charge it with powder, put a bullet in it, put it in the press and seat the bullet.

In this way, the brass either can't hold powder (because it's mouth down, primer up in a loading block) or it's in my hands, being processed. I don't interrupt the process, because I want the brass to either be upside down (and, therefore, empty) or have a bullet seated in it. Nothing in between.

I saw a video the other day of a guy who goes along his loading block charging each shell with powder. Seems to me like that's a process that would lend itself to double charges, and I can see how it would be easy to do. All you'd have to do would be forget which direction you were moving on the loading block, or which row you just completed.

How do you guys handle this part of reloading?

 

[JohnKielly]

We're lucky hereabouts because you can get blocks with 60 case capacity. They're branded for lab work.

Anyway, when I load, I start with 50 cases in a block mouth up. Every time I carry out a procedure (deprime, inside neck clean, outside etc), I move the first case to the vacant end of the block & reverse it. That way, when all the cases are in a block of 50 again & at the other end, that procedure is finished & verified.

When it comes to priming the case, which is my last step before dumping powder in them, I move them along the block, but orient them neck down, even if they were that way before priming. hey, I can see 50 silver discs easy.

Th rest is the same as you, except that I just drop the bullet in the case mouth & only seat when the whole 50 are charged & capped with a bullet. That way, I get a better feel of how they're all seating.

 

[Mozella]

I've tried a system similar to yours but abandoned it because the chance of a empty cartridge or a double charge was too great, at least it was for what's left of my brain. Here's why: I dispense charges with a RCBS Chargemaster which is not accurate enough for competition ammo. So each Chargemaster load gets weighed again on my GemPro 250 to the nearest .02gr. It's a fiddly process which always requires adjusting the charge weight by a kernel or two and sometimes requires rejecting the load altogether. In the mean time, the status of the cartridge case I have in hand may get lost in the fog of reloading. Is it the one I just charged or is waiting for the charge I've been fiddling around with? After nearly screwing up a few times, I gave up on this procedure. Old age is Hell.

Here's my procedure: I count the primers I intend to use and count the brass to match. Then I prime the whole batch, usually between 30 and 120 rounds depending on the situation. Any excess brass or primer triggers an investigation. The primed cases go into a bin; never into a charging block.

After fiddling around with the scales in the process of making the perfect charge, I grab a primed case from the bin, inspect for having a properly installed primer, no dents, cracks, or other defects, etc. Then I put the powder in, and place it in a loading block. My blocks hold 5 across which matches my usual test group size, so since much of my loading has to do with testing, I often change charge weights each 5 rounds.

When I'm finished charging, I look inside all the necks to make sure the charge weights make sense, either all the same or increasing from right to left. This is an important step, so I usually set my flashlight on the seating press ahead of time so I don't forget. Double charging is hard since nearly all my loads use a case volume above 90%.

Then I seat the bullets into each case. Sometimes the seating depth is the same for the whole batch, but if I'm doing a seating test, I change the micrometer setting each 5 rounds. This is another place where having only one variable-per-step to worry about pays off, at least for my old brain. Each finished round goes into a box with a pre-marked grid fastened inside the top (much like a box of assorted chocolates) corresponding to different charge weights or seating depths as appropriate.

Different strokes for different folks is just fine as long as you can zero in on a procedure which is safe for you. There are lots of ways to do it, but finding an efficient procedure which is accurate is the goal as long as safety is number one and is never compromised.

 

[Shynloco]

Different strokes for different folks is just fine as long as you can zero in on a procedure which is safe for you. There are lots of ways to do it, but finding an efficient procedure which is accurate is the goal as long as safety is number one and is never compromised.

+1

 

[sfldiver]

I've only been reloading for a bit less than 1 year - if I were smarter, I would've looked up a thread like this one and used it to develop a process for my reloading. However, since I'm not that bright, I didn't and as a result I've powdered trays filled with brass with no primers, attempted to fire the occasional round that didn't have a primer in it, seated empty brass, and a whole host of other mishaps derived from a poor process. All those mishaps, although frustrating, have let me to develop a process, similar to some of the processes described within this thread.

The moral of the story is - even though it's been a bumpy road figuring out a process that works for me, sometimes you just need to burn your finger on the stove once, and more often for some of us stubborn folks, before you learn not to touch the glowing red stovetop!

 

[Rsadams]

I leave mine primed and upside down till powder goes in.. But iam useing a single stage press.. You can't be to safe...I have a friend who absolutely should NOT be reloading. Last trip to the range I watched him squib one after another becouse of bad reloading techniques. As a matter of fact I never saw one of his reloads go off, he ended up shooting factory ammo all day.. He has been reloading for a year now.. He does EVERYTHING your not supposed to do. Theres even open trays of loose powder everywere on his bench.. While he's smoking.. I think he finally learned his lesson about smoking at the bench when he dropped one in a bowl of loose primers and a few hundred went off..

The other day I was having a problems, which just turned out to be primers nothing really wrong.. He asked me if I wanted to fire some of his rifle ammo which had a different primer in them..lol... I said NO, I asked him what he had charged them at and he said ohh I dont remember....

So , take your time,do it which ever way is safe and consistent. And keep notes and even put a sticky note in the box so you know what they are.. When you get complacent or start trying to rush it is when your going to have problems..Also, When you don't feel like reloading, don't reload...

 

[gotcha]

Rsadams, Regarding your reloading friend ........... I think I know that guy thanks for not ratting me out

 

[Rsadams]

Rsadams, Regarding your reloading friend ........... I think I know that guy thanks for not ratting me out

Lol... Good one...

 

[noload]

I hate to double pour...I always now move the funnel to the next empty case as soon as the powder runs thru it....then weight the next charge.