I am sick of working up loads

[Shadow9mm]

This shortage is driving me nuts. I can't get the stuff I want or even usually get, having to make do with the odds and ends I have. I know I should not complain since I actually have something to work with. Working up a load just to use up odds and ends components that I had sitting around, and probably wont be able to get again for a while, just feels like a waste of time...

Currently putting together the following for testing, needed a break after going through 4-5 sources for each load, waiting for the scale to warm up....

115g berrys platedHP-38
125g coated lead HP-38

125g coated lead N340

115g berrys plated #7
125g coated lead#7

How are you guys coping with the mix and match components you have been able to get?

[Reloadron]

While fortunate to have a pretty good stock I have come to the conclusion if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with. I find myself shooting a lot of lead cast bullets I put up over 20 years ago. Simply because I have more of them than anything else.

I haven't loaded wad cutters in years but I just finished a few hundred wad cutter loads. Being it is still cold up here in NE Ohio I am using the indoor range(s). My outdoor range is a frozen tundra.

I guess I am coping by just keeping amused working loads with stuff I haven't worked with in years but have plenty of.

Ron

[higgite]

Originally Posted by Shadow9mm

This shortage is driving me nuts.....
How are you guys coping with the mix and match components you have been able to get?

Like I cope with most other first world problems that I run into, by making the best of it and being thankful that I can even have such a problem.

[Hammerhead]

It was fun at first, now it's getting old.

[Old_School]

Mehhh...it's not that different from when I started loading 50 years ago. At that time, we didn't have the component selection we have today. Living in a rural area, components were sometimes hard to find, so we made do and were happy to save some money and be able to have a variety of loads to shoot (factory loads were also of limited selection).

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[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by Old_School

Mehhh...it's not that different from when I started loading 50 years ago. At that time, we didn't have the component selection we have today. Living in a rural area, components were sometimes hard to find, so we made do and were happy to save some money and be able to have a variety of loads to shoot (factory loads were also of limited selection).

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Very good point. Even though the selection is hit or miss right now, we may very well have a better selection than in years past, even with the shortage taken into account....

[jpx2rk]

If you are using up components that could/will be used for established loads, well, I would think about that a bit more before burning up those components just to have something to do. I would look for a new or different powder/bullet combo to try out to occupy myself. Sometimes a new or different powder can be fun to try and figure out.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by jpx2rk

If you are using up components that could/will be used for established loads, well, I would think about that a bit more before burning up those components just to have something to do. I would look for a new or different powder/bullet combo to try out to occupy myself. Sometimes a new or different powder can be fun to try and figure out.

Its less about just having something to do, and more about using what I have. As far as trying a new powder, I agree. It can be a lot of fun to try it out and see how it performs. My problem is I tried the HP-38 and N340 and was not a fan of either and have partial pounds of both. I am also switching to 125g cast lead, and only have about 250 or so of various 115g bullet (some fmj some plated) left.

I'm trying to be of the waste not want not philosophy. I want to use my non preferred powders for the 115g for training loads. I also want to find loads for my non preferred powder with the 125g cast lead I have been able to get a decent ammount of so I can use the powder up. After that It will be #7, as I got 4lb of it for my primary powder, with my partial pound of power pistol, which I really liked but cant find, kept in reserve.

Its just frustrating working up loads that I know are not going most likely not going to be used going forward...

[HiBC]

Its one thing to develop "The Load" Thats generally not about compromise.

But if you can't get the components for that load..sometimes the goal is " With this stuff I have,can I make safe ammo that will go "Bang" and cycle the gun?"

It might not make sense to burn 100 rds of components "working up" a load if its a make-do load

[RC20]

Going back in history as Old School says, my dad was reloading about 1958 or so.

We used up his powder on an IED in the latter 60s as I recall (said IED was for New Years and shook the valley as well as shut up all the gun shots - we never told anyone but it was the talk of the school - forntunely my step dad suprerices and the house was shiled by the hill it was set off on via remoe means (extnetion cored!)

Ok, my step dad started re-loading in the early 70s. So that is where I learned stuff, we were into case lead bullets as well. We were small town at the time, getting stuff was never an issue.

When I got back into it, I bought 1 lb containers as that was all we needed and you cold alwys get powder, in fact I don't remember anyting offered other than that (and some pint stuff like AL-8 whcih I still have)

And then the shortage hit when I was into reloading again (10-12 years ago? ).

Primers were still there, bullets yes but expensive and powder iffy but you could find it.

Hmmm, ok, buy in bulk. 8 lbs at a time (5 for R-17). Sourced bullets by mail order (USPS flat rate works nicely)

Buy primers the the 1000 and make sure you have plenty of those.

My only issue was going with a 6.5 x 47 build and then realizing its all small primers. Bailed out by my brother. I have powders that work fine, just too few primers for comfort.

So when it comes back, buy in bulk and stash plenty. 3-5 years stockpile is a good guide! Versatile powders like 4831, TAC, Varget, R17, 4350. Sierra is good for that as they list a wide variety per each cartridge and you can cross check up and down the line for crosses.

[Metal god]

Interesting you seem bummed about the very thing I should do and should be happy to do it . Generally speaking I'm GTG with just about everything I load for to include shotgun which I just started .

The thing is , I do have some scraps sitting around I could use up before getting into the good stuff . I have odd bullets I don't use anymore in counts of less then 100 and powders like auto comp and IMR 4320 that have less then a 1/2 pound in each . along with other odds and ends . Every 6 months or so I come across something I don't have enough of to really do anything meaningful with . I should load all that crap up and go sling it down range . this seems like the perfect time for it .

Your pain has given me what I think is a good idea thanks

MG

[ms6852]

That is why I shoot tons of 22 lr. only.

[Mike / Tx]

When I was a young kid my pop's loads usually consisted of pulling the FMJ out of a mil surp ball round, then neck sizing and seating a 150gr Sierra Spitzer.

He killed more deer that I probably ever will, and you sure didn't want to challenge him hitting targets at any range.

Me, as I grew older, I sprawled out loading multiple weights for everything. Nowadays I'm back to one load that shoots well and drops stuff reliably.

[hounddawg]

shooting is shooting, does not matter much to me if I'm working a load, practicing, plinking or shooting in competition. Spent 6 months housebound looking out a window and playing video games a few years back. I would have much rather been at the range working up a load but I could not even drive. Now I don't sweat the small stuff

[rclark]

A few years ago (after a shortage of powder), I went and did a bunch of testing with different powders in the cartridges I shoot. That way, if I ever run out of my favorites, I have good shooting loads already available in other powders. That said, a shortage would have to last for a several years before that becomes a problem as I also learned to have a 'few' pounds of the favorites on-hand.

[reddog81]

What's your goal?

You don't always need to be "working up a load". Just load up the 125 grain bullets with either 4 grains of 231 or N340 and you'll do fine. Getting good accuracy with the lead bullet will be more a function of a correctly sized bullet and not swaging down the bullet when seating versus any .1 grain change in powder. Both Hodgdon and Vihtavouri have reloading data so there's no need to research 5 different sources.

[Unclenick]

That was pretty much going to be my suggestion. Practice with old standby loads to put emphasis on trigger control and gun handling.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by reddog81

What's your goal?

You don't always need to be "working up a load". Just load up the 125 grain bullets with either 4 grains of 231 or N340 and you'll do fine. Getting good accuracy with the lead bullet will be more a function of a correctly sized bullet and not swaging down the bullet when seating versus any .1 grain change in powder. Both Hodgdon and Vihtavouri have reloading data so there's no need to research 5 different sources.

For me its not so much about accuracy, but understanding the load. The bullets I am using are somewhat non standard being coated cast lead. So I prefer to reference several sources to get a better idea of the load. Lee tends to be very high, lyman tends to be low end and others in the middle.

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by HiBC

Its one thing to develop "The Load" Thats generally not about compromise.

But if you can't get the components for that load..sometimes the goal is " With this stuff I have,can I make safe ammo that will go "Bang" and cycle the gun?"

It might not make sense to burn 100 rds of components "working up" a load if its a make-do load

This.

When I work up a load, it is done for a purpose; and once I find the sweet spot I will use that load indefinitely. I have been using several for over 25 years.

If you're using up a hundred of this or that, find a safe load that functions and is accurate enough for your purposes.

[Shadow9mm]

well, I got my loads tested today... Also managed to shoot my chronograph.... still seems to be working, though I did not realize until after I was done shooting. Got some loads I can make do with.

115g berrys plated, HP-38,4.7g, 1149fps
125g coated lead, HP-38 4.6g, 1099

125g coated lead, N340 5.1g, 1109fps

115g berrys plated, #7 8.0g, 1176fps (ran up to 8.4, no velocity increase after 8.0)
125g coated lead, #7, shot chrono first round, no data, tested up to 7.9g with no pressure signs. will chrono when I get a chance. curious to see if I get a plateau like with the 115g. Wondering of #7 is too slow burning with my shorter barrels.

[LE-28]

Its one thing to develop "The Load" Thats generally not about compromise.

But if you can't get the components for that load..sometimes the goal is " With this stuff I have,can I make safe ammo that will go "Bang" and cycle the gun?"

It might not make sense to burn 100 rds of components "working up" a load if its a make-do load

I completely agree, if primers were plentiful it would be one thing, I'm not wasting my primers using up strays, when I can't easily replace them.

I have lots of primers and bullets but I'm still not wasting them on something that is unknown when I have good, accurate recipes to use.

[gwpercle]

Sounds like this is your first shortage ... having problems coping ?
I've been casting and reloading since 1967 ... Been through lots of shortages .
I buy what I can , find load data in the two dozen Reloading Manuals I have , look on line for powder manufacturer's data .
Shortages have forced me to try many many powders... If I can't get my old reliable powder ... I find something close . No Bullseye ...look for 700X , Red Dot , acc, #2 , HP38 , get a burning rate chart and see what powder is in the same class and buy it .
Here's a tip ... most of the time a good load is in the middle ... not the minimum or the maximum but average the two and start there , lets say powder XYZ has a start load of 10 and a max load of 20 ... 10 + 20 = 30 divided by 2 = 15 so a good place to start is 15 and if not good you can adjust up or down but believe it or not these middle of the road loads are usually pretty good .
Gary

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by gwpercle

Sounds like this is your first shortage ... having problems coping ?
I've been casting and reloading since 1967 ... Been through lots of shortages .
I buy what I can , find load data in the two dozen Reloading Manuals I have , look on line for powder manufacturer's data .
Shortages have forced me to try many many powders... If I can't get my old reliable powder ... I find something close . No Bullseye ...look for 700X , Red Dot , acc, #2 , HP38 , get a burning rate chart and see what powder is in the same class and buy it .
Here's a tip ... most of the time a good load is in the middle ... not the minimum or the maximum but average the two and start there , lets say powder XYZ has a start load of 10 and a max load of 20 ... 10 + 20 = 30 divided by 2 = 15 so a good place to start is 15 and if not good you can adjust up or down but believe it or not these middle of the road loads are usually pretty good .
Gary

Yes, in a sense. The first shortage I remember was under Obama. More of an ammo shortage for me. I have been loading for 12yrs or so now, and it was pretty leisurely, starting with 9mm and transitioning into mainly 223. I saw the writing on the wall and kind of got in mid way this time around, enough to get primers and a couple powder to try. Then it hit and I cant get the stuff I found that I like, that I just worked loads up for. Its been a learning curve for me. First reloading shortage for me.....

[LE-28]

You live and learn.
I have always kept a large supply of components on hand since I started loading. Don't know why, just my comfort level I guess.
The first shortage I went through I didn't know there was a shortage.
I coasted through it with no problem.
The next two shortages, I was paying attention too and made sure I kept my supplies up to where I wasn't worried.
In late 2018 I started agressively stocking up because I knew things weren't going to be good in the next election.
I was worried I only had enough for a couple years, but now I know I'm good for at least 4 years +.
I don't know how this shortage is going to end up the way it's going, and I didn't count on the Civil unrest and the Covid 19, there was no way I could see that coming, but I did put quite a bit back and did it in a way that it didn't cause a hardship on my family finances.
I glad that my high inventory level is in my DNA because it really paid off this time.

[5whiskey]

But if you can't get the components for that load..sometimes the goal is " With this stuff I have,can I make safe ammo that will go "Bang" and cycle the gun?"

It might not make sense to burn 100 rds of components "working up" a load if its a make-do load

This. I don’t stress over always having “the load.” Especially for pistol. Even for rifle though, if I’m using up odd and end components I don’t stress load work up. I load near starting so I’m functionally safe. Then a few rounds per charge weight to find a decent accuracy. Load and shoot.