Shot me a Bear

[1savagehunter]

Yes.
Reloading manuals are used to determine loads, cartridge overall length and most every other aspect of hand loading. They publish a variety of loads for any given bullet weight and primer/case combination.

SAAMI lists maximum pleasures for a given load. Velocities and accuracy vary gun to gun and often the fastest or hottest loads are not the most accurate.

The Primary benefit for hand loading rifle rounds is the ability to build a round around a specific chamber. Commercially produced ammo has to be "generic" enough to fire out of all firearms in that caliber. When you hand load, the final product might shoot extremely accurately out of your rifle but not so well out of another or even not safely in any other rifle.

Half of the fun is building the load, experimenting with different burn rate powders, weights of projectiles and C.O.L. and shooting to see how minor changes made big differences at extended ranges.
With pistol ammo, it was just way less expensive shooting reloads.

The exploded gun might have been a double powder charge, barrel obstruction, under seaed bullet and on and on it goes.

Jess is totally right ... I have been reloading now for about 10 yrs or so and "LOVE IT". Use the recipe book (reloading manual) and you won't get hurt. Those reloading manuals are lawyer proof so ... the loads are actually tame. There is actually quite a bit of room to play (alot like chainsaw porting - factory is good but a ported chainsaw from a expert is simply out of this world) but for starters follow the book to the letter of the law and fear not. I agree with Jess on the reason for the shotgun explosion - double charged. I was "TOTALLY" freaked out about this when I was starting out until someone pointed out that on - shotgun/handgun loads you are dealing with "very small charges" (double or triple charges is something that you have to be careful of because there is a real potential for problems)where on rifle bullets you can't for the most part get to much powder in the case to blow up the gun.

 

[1savagehunter]

Thanks Jesse, sounds like a degree of risk if you don't stay within certain guidelines, and also don't do it properly.

if you understand the difference between 40:1 and 50:1 gas mix and can mix both without help (yes you can use a calculator/measuring device for the oil) then you can without issue reload.

 

[1savagehunter]

one of my concerns as I shoot left handed and the rifles I have shot are all right discharge, the cartridge goes across in front of my face rather than away from me, as it should in a barrel mishap

Paul my friend ... I'm a left handed shooter also. I shot with a right handed gun for some years also ... do yourself a HUGE favor and look at a LEFT handed gun. YES they screw you over for 20 - 50 bucks because it's a lefty but that is a VERY small price to pay for a gun that will function the best for you.

 

[Paul B]

Gary, fersure, if/when I ever buy myself a firearm it will be a lefty, the rifles and shotguns I have used have all been loaners. Except for my pellet guns, which are irrelevant to this issue.

ps, I shoot left because of an eye issue, I am right handed.