OT- About time/range report

[Andrew]

Well, it's been awhile in coming but recently I was able to get enough stuff together to start hand loading some ammo. I only have what I need for .45LC but plan to move on to some more pistol calibers, the 7.62x54R and of course the .30WCF. It is pretty cool makin' your own ammo and every bit of fun I thought it would be. A tad more time consuming but fun none the less. I must admit, I did not trim any brass before reloading mainly due to the fact I have no trimmer. I will get one soon though. Cool thing #2: I sent my cylinder off to the CylinderSmith for some throat corrections 'cause turns out mine were measuring about .4507. It came back slick as a whistle so I knew this weekend was the weekend I had been waiting for. Ok I guess that's enough jabber, here's the skinny....

Range: 25'
NM Blackhawk 7.5" .45LC
200gr .452 LRN hardcast
CCI 300 LP Primer
4.8/5.0gr Clays
Magtech once-fired brass



The 4.8gr load was alright. It shot pretty good but had some pretty good sooting on the cases and unburnt powder flakes inside. IIRC that is some signs of too low of pressure?

The pic is of the 3rd set of five from the 5.0gr batch. I shot that snuggled up bunch with 1-4 and stressed over the last shot hoping for more magic only to botch it with a flyer. 1.125" with the flyer, .5" w/out. I was shooting from a sitting position resting my left arm on my left knee trying to simulate something I would do while hunting. I then moved back to 100'(33 1/3yds) and put 5 in less than 5" on a plastic bucket standing up completely unsupported. I was stoked. Not great, but a lot better than any of the shooting I had done before.

With any luck I will be smacking those paper plates with enough authority in the next 34 weeks that I will be able to take it out during deer season. That's kind of my agenda: I want to be a legitimate handgun hunter. A good one.

Well to sum it all up, I'm super happy about getting my sixgun lined out and blasting away some home grown ammo. Did I say stoked already? Well, I am stoked.

[JReed]

Great job on the loads. Its always better when you can say that you made them aint it?

[C. Cash]

[AJMD429]

I then moved back to 100'(33 1/3yds) and put 5 in less than 5" on a plastic bucket standing up completely unsupported. I was stoked. Not great, but a lot better than any of the shooting I had done before.
With any luck I will be smacking those paper plates with enough authority in the next 34 weeks that I will be able to take it out during deer season. That's kind of my agenda: I want to be a legitimate handgun hunter. A good one.

I don't think you'll have a problem! Get a heavy steel gong about the size of that pie plate and hang it at 75-100 yards, and I'll bet you'll ring it five of every six shots before long, and likely six.

...of course everyone knows that .44 Mag isn't "powerful" enough for deer...
I keep trying to demonstrate that, but the deer around here won't cooperate - they just keep falling over dead when I shoot them with one...

[20cows]

Nice group!

[Tycer]

Great job on the loads. Its always better when you can say that you made them aint it?

+1!

[Chuck 100 yd]

GOOD JOB ANDREW !!

[JohndeFresno]

Great report - thank you!

[major]

It makes me excited to see someone else so excited about getting out to shoot.....congrats

[Ysabel Kid]

Andrew -

Congratulations on your foray into reloading. It is every bit as addictive as shooting and collecting. You've started another lifetime pursuit!!!

Given you load I would have been surprised if the cases weren't a bit sooty. No big deal - not enough to hamper the function of the gun, and both the gun and the cases will clean up fine.