Rifle reloading problems and troubleshooting, for .303 British ammo?
Hey everyone, I just went to the range with some .303 British ammo I reloaded, and out of 10 shots, I had 3 hang-fires and 1 that didn’t even ignite at the end…damn bullet got stuck after cartridge extracted, had to wait 30 minutes for the barrel to cool down before I could knock the bullet back out.
I used the following items for reloading:
Hodgons H414
Sierra 125 gr. .311 bullet (spitzer)
Remington .303 Britsh brass cartridge
CCI Large Caliber primer
I used one of those Lee Handload kits for .303, the beginner one for $25.00.
My guess is that maybe the powder (H414) isn’t suited for a 125 gr. bullet, but the damn kit showed it as being acceptable. The only other thing I can think of is maybe my powder was a little undercharged on a few, because the kit only has that scooper…I didn’t use one of those grain scales.
Does anyone have any suggestions on where I probably screwed up? Wrong powder for that bullet weight maybe?
I am a reloading instructor.
Back when $.05 bought a loaf of bread and gasoline was $.19 a gallon – people used those Lee scoops. Back then, reloading had a bad reputation for duds and blowing up guns.
I have not seen or known anyone who has used those scoop sets in my life – and – I have been reloading since 1977. I am at the range 2-3 times a week all year long – and – never known a ‘scooper’.
Most hang fires and duds come from poor primer technique. You can’t touch a primer – period. They go from the package to the primer tray – if touched by a human hand, they get tossed – since the oil on you hand will neutralize the primer. Another issue – primers should slide right into place with a stead constant pressure. If you feel it ‘hang up’ on the brass rim and then kinda jump into place – you need to punch it out and do it again.
The main issue with these scoop sets – you must use the powder they specify, and, only the powder made by the company they state. Todays H414 is not the same IMR-414 of 30 years ago made by DuPont when those scoop sets were king. My guess – this is what is causing your problem. Right powder type – wrong brand. That – and those scoop sets only worked well in big belted magnum rifle and magnum pistol calibers that were not very charge sensitive.
A decent reloading scale only costs $35. You can find used ones on EBay starting at $10. I always ask people to add up what the gun is worth, what a moose is worth, your right eye and left hand are valued – and if it is over $35 – you need to buy a reloading scale. Things like reloading presses, dies, powder thrower etc etc you can find at yard sales and skimp on – but – you do not skimp on the scale. The reloading scale is what makes your ammo accurate – and – it is what keeps your rifle from blowing up in your face.
Go visit www.midwayusa.com and pick out a nice RCBS scale. It really is a worth while investment. You won’t be sorry.
Tagged as:
grain scale,
grain scale antique,
grain scale card,
grain scale coffee table,
grain scale ebay,
grain scale for sale,
grain scale reviews,
grain scale table,
grain scale tickets