Shot my first reloads

[KingAirDriver]

Well, okay, I shot my second reloads! I screwed up the first batch of 50 that I did. As a person who stares at dials and gauges all day at work, you'd THINK I'd know how to read a Caliper, right?

I got my first 50 done and then was sitting and thinking the next morning... did I read that right? So, I Googled "Calipers" and discovered I WAS a retard afterall. I thought I'd been reloading the OAL to 1.15, when I was actually loading to 1.110-1.115. Ooops. Since I am so new to reloading, I didn't know if that OAL was still acceptable (3.1-3.3gr TG, 147 Rainier FMC, WSP, Mixed Brass), so I bought a bullet puller and started from scratch.

I THEN reloaded 35rds to 1.145-1.155 OALs, with charges varying from 3.1 - 3.3. Shot them all yesterday without a hitch through my G19. I was just thankful I didn't blow my gun up and myself with it!

So, I have a couple of questions now:

First, would that first batch have been bad? I know that with a deeper seating they would've had higher pressures, but with only 3.1 - 3.3gr, was I smart to pull them?

Second, now that I pulled those bullets that were seated too deeply, should I reload them again? The reason I ask is that NOW the old crimp sits above the case lip. I loaded one up just to see what it looked like, and it's definitely evident. I tossed it in the "BAD" box.

Third, I'm using the Lee Classic Turret press, and it has that Auto Disk Powder Measure. The problem I've run into is that the smallest powder measure I can get with that is 3.5gr, and since I'm loading to about 3.2 (I think I might stick with that), I had to do all those by hand. I looked on the Lee site, and it looks like they make smaller ones (powder disks)...anyone know if they'll work in the same system, or, rather, can they be stacked? Loading the powder by hand on a turret's pissing me off, lol. I'm tempted to load 3.5gr, so I could use the powder measure, as I've seen loads with the 147 FMJs to 3.6gr and higher.

Anyway, it's a lot of fun reloading, and there's definitely a learning curve. The 35 I shot though were a lot of fun!

[scalce]

Congrats on popping your cherry.

What exactly is a Rainier FMC? Rainiers are all plated so you typically use load data for lead.

Your first batch would not have been bad but it was probably still smart to pull them and work your way up. My normal load for 147 PFN Rainiers is 3.4 of TG with an OAL of 1.1". It gives me roughly 886 fps and the power floor for IDPA and USPSA is 850 fps.

Use the bullets that you already loaded. Plated bullets are soft so you will see rings from the crimp. Once I cut a bullet almost in half when seating and I reloaded it. It shot fine.

I don't have a Lee turret so I can't help there but 3.5 grains is probably not a horrible load. I would load about 10-20 by hand working your way up to 3.5 and check for pressure signs.

[Dave Starr]

I've got the same setup. For my 45, the disks will drop 4.9 or 5.3 grains of 231. I want to try 5.1, so I loaded 10 rounds by weighing each charge. I just got the adjustable disk for the measure, but I haven't used it yet. For 10 bucks, it's worth a try.

[The Knight Of Light]

My personal load is 3.3gr of TG under a 147 Zero.

Max loading for TG under a 147 is 3.6.
Data

You can go that high but I wouldn't just to keep under max.

I don't like powder measures with that much deviation. I would look into getting a new measure or finding some modification that made it more accurate.

[LMychajluk]

I think you can use this instead of the disks (not sure, just what I think I figured out in researching a Lee Turret).
Lee Precision, Inc. Reloading Tools and Equipment: Lee Powder Measures

Scroll about 1/3 of the way down to the Adjustable Charge Bar. I don't know if it holds more than the disks (which you can stack, btw, but I think there's an adapter you need).

[KingAirDriver]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I reloaded several rounds tonight using that micro disk, which I picked up at a gun show today ($10.50). I put it on the largest setting and filled probably 15-20 empty casings to see what it was putting out. It held a consistent 3.1 - 3.2gr, favoring 3.1. Since I shot 3.1 loads the other day, I decided I'd run with it for a little bit.

LM, thanks, I'd seen that before, but had never paid any attention to it. I think I'll look into that!