reloading primers

The bushing charts show what a # X bushing will drop for a specific powder...and sometimes what we want to drop is between bushings. So we've long looked for a way to "tighten" one up or ream one out a little. Reaming one out on a lathe or a drill press is pretty easy ...just get it spinning and touch it with a little bit of emery cloth...and go easy / they're soft. / and then I use a dremel - to remark them, once I've monkeyed with them a little ...and go over my new marks on it with a black permanent marker.

The "old way" of tightening up a bushing ... is to use fingernail polish on the inside / and then polish it a little with fine emery cloth ...to tune it, so it drops exactly what you want... I wouldn't put tape in there.../I'd be constantly worried about it loosening up ...

But none of those techniques address the variation problem you're having ..

I clean the bottles inside and out with dryer sheets / and one indication of having a static problem is if you have small flecks of powder sticking to the side of the container. I also store my open cans of powder - with dryer sheets inside the containers / and wipe those containers down with them as well. How big an issue this is depends on how dry the air in your home is ...some climates have more issues than others.
 
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well i will say that my reloading table is in my basement in a concrete room. not for sure of the temp or humidity level but i would say around the 65 degree mark. Humidity i couldnt tell you. I know i have some towels in the basement bathroom that even when they sit all day and all night they are still damp the next morning. i will take a few tests tonight and then try wiping the dryer sheet on the bottle and the bushing to see if that gives me a more consistant reading.
 
Static - is a product of it being too dry in there ...not damp.

But high humidity can be an issue too ....causing the powder to pick up moisture and then clump and not meter as well.... If its that damp in you're reloading area / you may need to just dump all the powder back into the storage container every time you're done reloading ....and then mix it up real well before you drop it back into the cannister on the loader before you start reloading.

As a routine ...when I start the loader ( I put spent - still primed shells - in the powder drop and shot drop stations ...and cycle the loader 7 or 8 times / measuring the powder after the 5th drop or so ...to make sure its consistent. Once it's dead nuts on my goal of say 18.3 grains ...for my 1 oz loads in 12ga ...then I run my hulls thru the press ...and I only check about 1 shell in 25 ...just to make sure nothing has changed.

Powder drops will change - as the bottles empty as well .../ so I always keep it more than half full. You refill the shot more often anyway ...and I just top off the powder when I fill the shot...

But like I said before ....make sure the loader is clamped or bolted down tightly / make sure you're not varying your motion as you cycle the loader / as well ( which is kind of difficult on a single stage press )....but you'll get it all worked out.
 
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i know it bolted down good to the table so it doesnt move. my motions on the press i do the same thing every time. I just think i probably chose a poor powder to deal with. but maybe i didnt i will try these things and see if it helps
 
Ok well after about fifteen min of taking a dryer sheet to the bottom of the powder bottle and and then doing the same to my mec #30 powder bushing the first load drop was 16.4 then the second was 16.8 and then from then on it varied from 16.6 to 16.8 with one instance being a 17.8 but I got that reading after I bumped my scale and got it out of wack. So I think it's safe to say my 30 bushing is throwing 16.6-16.8 grains. Now with this finding I might do that same thing with my 31 bushing and see if it dosent get back to that 17-17.2 range
 
I lump shotshell primers in two groups: Standard (Win, Rem & CCI) primers which I load indiscriminately (but, mostly Wins) and Federal 209As. I've not used Chedites, but if they are oversized, I'd not go back to smaller ones to avoid further damage to your gun. Yes, prolonged use of reloads will damage you gun if you're a high volume shooter (been there, done that). It's one of shootings dirty little secrets. Don't add to the damage by giving blow-by an easier path with loose primers.
 
0.2 variation is a lot better ...so I'm suspecting you did have some static issues. What is the minimum on the powder drop say for 1150 fps ....and the max say at 1250 fps ...and where does your goal drop fit into that range ?

As an example Hodgdon Clays ( 1 oz loads, REM STS hulls, WAA12SL wad, and WIN 209 primers - has a load at 15.7gr for 1125 fps ...my target load at 18.4gr for 1235 fps and a 19.8 gr for 1290 fps ....so I'm well within the high and low tolerance for the powder I choose to use.
 
ok according to alliants web site the rem. sts hulls at 1150 fps is 16.5 grains, 1200 fps is 17.8, 1250 fps is 18.7and 1310 fps is 18.7 and that data is using rem 209 primers and cb1100-12 wads. As far as the win 209 primer it gives a different wad with that one so the charge is different
 
Ok, so:
16.5 is the low end at 1150 fps
17.8gr at 1200 fps
18.7gr at 1250 fps - at the high end.

But what I think is interesting is between 1150 fps and 1200 fps / the difference of 50 fps ..requires 1.3 grains of powder. At the upper end the 50 fps between 1200 and 1250 fps only requires 0.9 grain....so that tells you something about how much powder it takes to get a good burn ...and consistent velocity.

I'd probably suggest you start with a box of test shells: ( mark the bags / use sandwich bags or something )...

5 shells in the 16.5 range ...at 1150 fps.
5 shells in the 1200 fps shell.
5 shells in the 1250 fps shell.

and interpolating a little - some at 18.2gr for a shell that is around 1225 fps.

Run a bore snake thru the gun so its clean - shoot the 5 shells ...and check the bore to see how dirty it is. After you shoot 5 - run the bore snake thru the bore again and clean it out ...and note the difference. My hunch is, at the low end, you might find its pretty dirty with a lot of unburnt powder or junk in the bore. At the upper end, I suspect you'll find its cleaner. Personally, I like it pretty clean.

Then it comes down to recoil ...I don't know what gun you're shooting and if its a gas operated semi-auto it might not matter...but if its a fixed breech gun like a pump or an Over Under ...the difference in recoil between the 1150 fps ...and the 1250 fps is about 15%( if its a 7 1/2 lb gun ) ...and 15% is a lot, and its cumulative ...so as the day goes on, it'll tire you out a little...

Powder only makes up 2 or 3 cents of the cost of a $ 0.15 shell ..so using less powder, will save you a little money, but not a lot .....most of picking a load is how clean it is / what velocity you like to shoot / and how the recoil feels. Personally, I tend to load all of my 1 oz loads at around 1225 fps ...and almost exclusively with 8's. A shell of 1225 fps is more than I need for Skeet, but its fine for Trap ( even continental, or handicapped distances ) and its a good sporting clays load. At times in my shooting career - I've had hot ones, and mid range shells, and slower shells...but now I just shoot one 12ga shell for everything ...and don't worry about mixing them up / getting them in the wrong bag when I empty my vest, etc ....

and get out and have some fun with this stuff ....you're loading your own shells now man ....welcome to our end of the hobby !!
 
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Remember there are 7000 grains of powder in a lb ....so at these load ranges...between 16.5 gr and 18.7 gr ( assuming you don't spill anything ) you'll get around 15 - 17 boxes of shells... so figure on getting 15 ...( I always seemed to spill a little when I was first lerning ) ...
 
i have 3 pump shot guns and 1 semi auto 2 pumps are old like jc pennys guns my newest pump is a mossburg 835 ulti mag turkey gun and my semi auto is a winchester 1400 ranger. i would say my winchester and my mossburg are my guns i shoot the most.
 
Most of those guns will be 7.5 lb or maybe 8 lb guns ...so my estimate for recoil is probably about right.

Like I said - you may not be able to tell the difference in recoil if you're shooting the semi-auto ...but cleanliness of the loads in a gas operated semi-auto is even a bigger deal than in a pump gun.

When you get ready to buy powder again ...consider Hodgdon Clays..for 12ga loads if its available in your area.
 
Ok tonight I went down to my reloader and took my #30 bushing out to check my powder charge on my 31 bushing and when I took the charge bar out I noticed that inside of the bushing were flakes of powder which is telling me that not all of it is going from the bottle to the hull. But I think this promo powder is still a joke. The first 4 charges in my 31 bushing were only 17 grains. Now the 30 bushing was. 16.6-16.8. After running a few more charges through the bushing it came up to 17.8 and then about every third or fourth one was that same number with the ones in the middle jumping from 17.5 to 17.3 to 17.6 and any thing in between never any thing constant. Obviously the dryer sheet has put an oily film on the bushing making the powder stick but mind you I didnt do the dryer sheet trick with my bushing tonight. I think I'm coming to the conclusion promo powder even tho being cheaper is probably not the way to go.
 
Here is a picture of the shells I am using. They are Remington sport loads the metal base is short and it looks like the hull is ribbed but it's actually smooth with an 8 fold crimp on the top. Now for the second part of this post when I look in my Lyman 5th edition shotshell reloading book under Remington premier sts plastic cases for clays powder it gives me one load data for clays 17.0 grains a win 209 primer which I think I can sub for my cheddite and then It calls for the win waa12sl wad which my claybuster wad will sub for but that is the only data it gives me for what I would use if I do switch to clays powder. Does it really matter what wad is being used. Does the wad make a difference on the velocity and pressure and every thing like that?

shell.jpg
 
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There two types of wads, the hull's base wad (plastic or paper) and the component wad column (made up of the over powder wad, cushion and the shot cup). Yes, variations in the construction of the base wad and/or the over-powder wad can make a significant difference in pressure and velocity. Use the wad indicated in the recipe for the specific hull, or a replacement for that specific wad column. The package will have the wad number. Different numbered wads may look remarkable similar. Substituting hulls with different base wads or substituting (Federal-type for Winchester-type or Remington-type) wad columns will typically produce erratic results and should be avoided.
 
Hey Zippy, I usually agree with what you post. You statement about using reloads causing undue wear on your gun is bogus. My oldest 77 model BT99 has over 170,000 rounds through it and almost all were reloads. I replaced the springs once about 5 years ago even though there were no malfunctions. I just don't know how you come to that conclusion.
 
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