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Griff wrote "I don't do enough shooting". Well, with Ruag now approaching £1 a bang, it won't take too long for the proposition to become economical. By the way Griff, I have a target at 1000 on Friday afternoon; you're welcome to join in.
Zeroveez

I have to say I do run the max load first up in my 223 target gun. Reason being that by the time I'm don I'm way above max load; that's down to seating depth mainly as pressure signs are at worst mild.

Other calibres I do start lower, but not generally at the start load - they're often too mild for practical use, so I start mid-level. Certainly low enough the worst I'll get is pressure sign and not exploding gun, however.

What are you using as "pressure sign" just out of interest?

Good thread this, interesting read. I load for shotgun and rifle and am self taught reading books and manuals then questions on forums. From that I started reloading and now have a few years experience. Suggest any new loader reads this thread.

I think reloading is as interesting, in fact more absorbing than shooting, a hobby in itself. Looks easy at first, and it is if you follow the basic rules, start low and work up and you will get a usable and safe round first time no probs.

The bigger problem is when you begin to study the subject it sucks you in. Like peeling an onion, every time you remove one layer and discover something else to look at, there's another layer hiding underneath !! My advice would be to seek out the experts in your club which was an invaluable asset for me when I started out reloading .308WIN ( SO much more complicated than loading pistol ammo ) I belong to a club with lots of F T/R shooters with many current members of the GB team and the facts you can pick up over a cup of tea in the clubhouse are pure gold. If you get on to facebook and look for the F T/R page there are many posts on the subject by Laurie Holland who has an encyclopedic knowledge on the subject and has put up many posts on and around the science of reloading.

In my mind it is essential to establish an accurate COAL and CBTO for your gun using fire formed brass and the best COAL guage you can afford ( the shooting shed do an absolute cracker )

The two hyperlinks below will lead to two articles by Bryan Litz of berger bullets and give an insight into the efffects of COAL, CBTO and jump on pressure. Essential reading.

I am completely hooked on the subject


http://www.bergerbullets.com/effects-of ... to-part-1/
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/201 ... ve-part-2/

All good advice above but in my own club which has a 100m gallery range, nobody uses anything approaching maximum loads. What we drive in to new reloaders are the dangers of double charging---impossible with high velocity target rifle loads because of lack of space---and not putting any powder in and then firing another round into the stuck bullet. We had a really spectacular ring in a '94 Winchester barrel a few years ago. One gun blown up in recent times---a dealer testing a second hand Taurus revolver he had just bought. Unknown origin 357 ammo which had been handed in to him.
Fred

My club runs a reloading course a couple of times a year, and all members are encouraged to attend at least once, it gives the new reloader a good BASIC start to there reloading, in the club there are members who are very experienced and are willing to go to your house and help you set up your reloading area and give hands on advice ( as happened with me ) this advice always is to use official data...

I agree with those above. In my case I began loading 9mm for my Browning, using an American book for guidance. Then after 1996 I moved into unusual calibres such as those for Rook rifles, the .22 Savage High Power, 6.5 x 54 M-Sch., etc.

It does get a bit obsessive....

I did once (only) fire a double charge in my Webley Mk VI .455. Afterwards I calculated it to be just below .44 Magnum pressures! The Webley rattled a bit more afterwards, but survived. Never again!

HB

"I have to say I do run the max load first up in my 223 target gun"...................presumably you mean the max published weight, and not the maximum amount you can stuff in the case?

I'd say a 223 is just as capable as any other calibre of falling apart if overloaded.

Pete