Thinkin' about Reloading?

[Mistered]

but don't quite understand it yet.

Whats not to understand?
Our reloads are considerably more consistent in powder charge, sizing, bullet quality and crimp.
Also most factory rounds are limited in powder charges and not all guns perform similarly so you are seeing the results of your careful testing of different charges.
I think I see reloading is for 'you'!

[Old Syko]

since we only put together one load at a time, I've never given any thought to loading for multiple calibers to be an issue .... the process is pretty much the same and once we settle on a load, its just a matter of pulling the lever

For the most part the basic premise is the same but different calibers have their own nuances to contend with. Some can't be completely full length sized every time and must be only partially sized in order to maintain accuracy such as the 357 Herrett and 35 Remington. Some work better just being neck sized while others show no improvement what-so-ever. Some are more susceptible to shoulder collapse than others and so on. So, getting an acceptable result can vary quite a bit from one caliber to the next. At least in my opinion.

[Old Syko]

I used the word complicated referring to many different calibers. To me that's complicated, and what I found a little daunting about the whole process. But 1 caliber for me is easy and works fine. Hats off to others who do many calibers. I do see the difference in accuracy though, but don't quite understand it yet. I would have thought factory rounds would be robotic in their consistency and accuracy. But my reloads actually shoot better. I look forward to developing a load for my single shot high wall when it arrives.

A part of your improved accuracy is likely from much more consistent powder charges. Factory charges are usually thrown by volume and at a high rate of repetition whereas your charges are either individually weighed or thrown at a much slower and calculated rate although some vouch for charges by volume over weight. BTW I'm not one of those but I do volume load 5.56, 45acp and 9mm because of the volume of ammo I burn regularly of those 3. We as handloaders also usually use canister powders rather than production formulations that may be altered often through a particular run.

You're correct in factory rounds being robotic but that is part of the issue with them. When you or I notice the slightest inconsistency we stop and double check and make changes if necessary where factory machines work within variable parameters that are deemed acceptable by the manufacturer and/or governing authorities.

You may or may not get a bigger taste if you start to work up top accuracy loads for that high wall. Now it may well love your pistol loads or because of the longer barrel it may prefer a slower burning powder or it may prefer a different bullet due to barrel length and maybe different twist rate. Who knows? But it sounds like you've got what it takes to work it out and I'll bet you learn to enjoy the process even more because of it.

[JEBar]

For the most part the basic premise is the same but different calibers have their own nuances to contend with. So, getting an acceptable result can vary quite a bit from one caliber to the next. At least in my opinion.

I believe our responses are addressing different points .... I most certainly agree that while the basic premise is the same, the time and effort necessary to workup and settle on a new load can and does vary .... to restate my point, the process is pretty much the same and once we settle on a load .... once we reach the production stage, the process usually boils down into following the same routine .... hand loading is one of those things that is easy to over complicate

[Old Syko]

For the most part the basic premise is the same but different calibers have their own nuances to contend with. So, getting an acceptable result can vary quite a bit from one caliber to the next. At least in my opinion.

I believe our responses are addressing different points .... I most certainly agree that while the basic premise is the same, the time and effort necessary to workup and settle on a new load can and does vary .... to restate my point, the process is pretty much the same and once we settle on a load .... once we reach the production stage, the process usually boils down into following the same routine .... hand loading is one of those things that is easy to over complicate

I'm not so sure since I have certain calibers, mostly but not all wildcats, that never actually make it into the "production" phase. If I'm seen as one of those who seems to overcomplicate things by trying every new gadget that comes along and tests and retests results that's fine with me since that is a large part of the intrigue of the hobby. Myself and others are always in search of a better mousetrap. That doesn't mean we are overcomplicating things. We are merely enjoying the search for better results. Besides, the opposite of over complication may well be complacency and we all know the end result of that.

[clovishound]

I used the word complicated referring to many different calibers. To me that's complicated, and what I found a little daunting about the whole process. But 1 caliber for me is easy and works fine. Hats off to others who do many calibers. I do see the difference in accuracy though, but don't quite understand it yet. I would have thought factory rounds would be robotic in their consistency and accuracy. But my reloads actually shoot better. I look forward to developing a load for my single shot high wall when it arrives.

One issue is that factory ammo is designed to work across a broad spectrum of guns. Handloads, if you are doing it right, are tailored to your specific gun. Some guns perform better with certain combinations of bullet, powder type and load, and crimp.

My 30-06 groups shrink considerably when I switched from 150 grain to 180 grain bullets. Others may do better with the 150s.

You might find a factory load that will be the most accurate in a specific gun, but it's hard to know the specifics, beyond bullet type and weight, to see a pattern.

[JEBar]

My 30-06 groups shrink considerably when I switched from 150 grain to 180 grain bullets. Others may do better with the 150s.

interesting .... decades ago our family settled on 30 caliber for our hunting rifles .... after a good bit of testing we settled on :

150 gr for our 3 308's (2 Ruger M77's & 1 Browning BLR)
165 gr for our 3 30-06's (2 Ruger M77's & 1 Remington 700)
180 gr for our single 300 WBY Mag (Remington 700)

with their histories of preforming well while hunting, we haven't revisited any of those loads and it might be good to do so

[Old Syko]

My 30-06 groups shrink considerably when I switched from 150 grain to 180 grain bullets. Others may do better with the 150s.

interesting .... decades ago our family settled on 30 caliber for our hunting rifles .... after a good bit of testing we settled on :

150 gr for our 3 308's (2 Ruger M77's & 1 Browning BLR)
165 gr for our 3 30-06's (2 Ruger M77's & 1 Remington 700)
180 gr for our single 300 WBY Mag (Remington 700)

with their histories of preforming well while hunting, we haven't revisited any of those loads and it might be good to do so

If these loads are doing what you want done there's no reason to change. But what if, since so much has changed over the last few decades, there is a better combination out there? Gets complicated searching for it then doesn't it? That's part of the intrigue.

[JEBar]

If these loads are doing what you want done there's no reason to change. But what if, since so much has changed over the last few decades, there is a better combination out there? Gets complicated searching for it then doesn't it? That's part of the intrigue.

as one whose long been in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" school of thought I'm not likely to make any changes .... mind game, yep .... taking action, nope .... I do make it a point to try and stay as uncomplicated as possible .... I enjoy long range shooting but couldn't ever become serious about it .... I do highly respect the efforts long range shooters go to in an attempt to put all of their bullets in the same hole at distances further than I'd want to walk .... should there come a day when I do my part and my firearm doesn't deliver a clean kill shot, that is the day I'd get serious about figuring out how to correct it .

[RanchRoper]

Same school I went to.