New reloader possible over charge?

J

juggernault98

New member
I just got my Lee 4 turret press. Set it up and began to reload.

For my first 100 I am using winchester primers and Hornady 125 fmj rn.
Powder: unique

Randomly selecting 3-4 completed rounds I'm at a OAL of 1.142-1.152.

My brass is at .747

Here is where it gets tricky. This damn Lee scale.

I had it set to 6gr (as per the reload data on alliants website) I loaded 125 rounds.

I doubted that scale and picked up a Hornady g2 1500 today. Went home zeroed it out (with empty case) threw a charge and the scale said 7gr. My Lee said 6gr..

Am I gonna blow my hand off?
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The attached picture is in hope to show my crimp. The left one you can feel a slight bump the right is smooth. Any advice on the crimp?
 
Alliants website list the maximum load. It should be reduced by 10% as a starting load.

Is this a 9mm Luger?
 
Went home zeroed it out (with empty case)
Click to expand...
This statement is confusing.?

The scale gets zeroed empty. Then only the powder charge is weighed.

EDIT- Case is the test weight. Live and learn. :rolleyes:
 
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YES YOU ARE: That's a massive overload. Got your attention now?

Now convince me you are not a cowboy reloader.

First: You need to slow down, you failed to give us key information like what cartridge you are loading.

Plan on pulling down those loads but also read the following.

While it looks like 9mm, it could be a 9mm Markov or 9 x 22 European civie.

Unless Hornady has changed, they do not make 125 gr, its 124.

6 gr. of Unique is 1 grain over maximum per my Hornady book. that's a hell of a lot. Overloads are not linear (it get far worse for each 1/10 gr over the limit)

Why are you loading up to the edge anyway on a first go?

If you have a Lyman scale it came with calibration weights.
Did you use them.


On the electronic you did not follow the instructions and calibrate your new electronic scale per mfg.

it seems like you are winging things.
 
243winxb said:
This statement is confusing.?



The scale gets zeroed empty. Then only the powder charge is weighed.



EDIT- Case is the test weight. Live and learn. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...



I zeroed the scale placed an empty cartridge with a primer pressed zero again. Threw a charge put the case back on the scale it read 7.


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RC20 said:
YES YOU ARE: That's a massive overload. Got your attention now?



Now convince me you are not a cowboy reloader.



First: You need to slow down, you failed to give us key information like what cartridge you are loading.



Plan on pulling down those loads but also read the following.



While it looks like 9mm, it could be a 9mm Markov or 9 x 22 European civie.



Unless Hornady has changed, they do not make 125 gr, its 124.



6 gr. of Unique is 1 grain over maximum per my Hornady book. that's a hell of a lot. Overloads are not linear (it get far worse for each 1/10 gr over the limit)



Why are you loading up to the edge anyway on a first go?



If you have a Lyman scale it came with calibration weights.

Did you use them.





On the electronic you did not follow the instructions and calibrate your new electronic scale per mfg.



it seems like you are winging things.
Click to expand...



You've had my attention the entire time.

Idk what a cowboy reloader is. Convinced enough?

Idk the cartridge my reloading friend gave me them. Give me 40 minutes I'll update the cartridge


It's 9mm luger I am loading.

It says 115 gr Hornady on the box.

If I recall correctly, on the site it doesn't specify that 6gr is the max. I have no intention on reloading to the max I would just like to be in the middle.

The Lee safety scale came with no calibration weights.

The Hornady did. With a 10gr weight.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
YES YOU WILL BLOW YOUR GUN UP and YOUR FACE (your hand will be the least of your concerns)

IT IS 200% OVER CHARGED (it escalates exponentially (like x 4) for each 1/10 gr over)

DO NOT SHOOT, TEAR DOWN BULLETS

START READING THE POSTs.


I apologize, I mis - read it, its not six, its SEVEN GRAINS

Ok, we still need to slow down. You posted 125 gr bullets. Ok, we all make mistakes, I did and did here.

If its 115 it is still massively overcharged.

Different sources show different max.

Unique is a great powder but it has massive bang for the grain and not a good one to start with.

It sounds like you jumped into this and really need to get a manual.
 
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Ok, that is good, but the first step in reloading is checking your scale.

Without confirmation its right, you should not proceed.

What was the bullet weight? Wait until you get home and weigh one to be sure.

I don't have Lee Book and they do not allow a look so I don't know where they are at with either one.
 
I've been around for a while and not heard of zeroing a scale, then setting tare with a primed case, then weighing a powder charge. Why would you do that? If you wanted to weigh a powder charge why not weigh it directly on your scale?
 
mikld said:
I've been around for a while and not heard of zeroing a scale, then setting tare with a primed case, then weighing a powder charge. Why would you do that? If you wanted to weigh a powder charge why not weigh it directly on your scale?
Click to expand...



Wouldn't this be the same thing as zeroing the scale with the pan. I am just using my round as the pan
 
Mikld,
I believe he was doing it as a comparison between the Lee scale, and the Hornady scale. Although you are right in that it should have been just the powder charge. And not a primed case.

Juggernault,
One book is a good starting point. 5 is better..
Alliant, Ramshot, Vihtavouri, and others have ones that you can download.

As well as powder charge, you have to pay careful attention to the cartridge over all length!!! A small change in this measurement has a drastic change in pressure!!!

Also note that for different guns, make dummy loads (casing with spent primer/no primer, and bullet. NO powder!!), and check to see that it chambers properly.
 
1. Pull the bullets and start over.
2. Do not tare/zero with a case. Tare/then use the pan.
3. Get a powder funnel pan and use it.
 
Its an odd way to go about it but not wrong by itself.

The scale should be calibrated (not zeroed) with the mfg procedure and the supplied weight, that's why they go to all the trouble to give you one. well and they don't want an off scale taking someone's body parts or life.

Juggeranult:98 I don't go into deep technical , but if you do not check a scale across its range, you can have non linear results. Ergo its a safety issue.

A 9mm class cartridge is very sensitive to both powder over do and bullet seat back. Checking your COAL was very good. How good it is depends on the bullet, 115 or 125.

I would hope your Lee manual tells you to check the scale (any scale) with its right weight. You beam scale pan is specific that scale.
 
The Lee scales can be zeroed very easily. I can walk you through it but it almost explains itself.

Ball at "0", slide bar at "0" then adjust the brass thumb screw until the beam levels out with the zero line on the frame. Always lock the slide with the little "push/pull" knob on the lower left.

Then you can use some good check weights to see how it performs across the scale.

My LEE scale reads slightly high compared to the Frankford Arsenal digital.

I have other beam scales, 502 and 505, but I like the LEE the best to be honest.

I like HS6 for my 9mm loads, I have loaded thousands and it just shoots nice, in all of my 9x19's
 
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