Healthy Distraction

For me it has always been healthy to have a distraction, hobby, pursuit that when occupied with it completely takes all of my concentration, and therefore takes my thinking away from all other items.

Many know that I love shooting guns and hunting. Though related, those are not the distraction I'm referring to. Actually the distraction is...reloading.

Reloading is the practice of cartridge assembly, either of rifle and pistol cartridges, or of shotshells.

The simplified process is

• removal of (decapping) the spent primer
• resizing of the brass case
• seating a new primer in the primer pocket
  
• placing a charge of gunpowder in the brass case
• seating a new bullet in the brass case
• crimping the bullet in place

Most of these processes are performed on a reloading press, which will produce enough leverage for these operations. The handling of gunpowder safely should take one's full concentration, as it does mine.

The apparent reason for reloading is economy. Reloaded cartridges can be much less expensive than buying factory loaded ammunition from the likes of Winchester, Remington, Federal, etc. But there are many additional benefits derived from reloading.

There are many different bullets available for each caliber. One can therefore choose the bullet's weight and profile for each shooting scenario. The target shooter, the hunter, and the S.W.A.T shooter each have different uses for their bullet, though the caliber they use may be the same.

Additionally, each rifle will prefer a different bullet weight and profile and velocity to achieve optimal accuracy. Because of the differences between one gun manufacturer and another, as well as different barrel lengths and rifling techniques, and even small variables in the manufacturing process itself, each gun will prefer one load over another. Reloading affords the shooter the opportunity to "tune" his load to the individual rifle.

Detailed records of various loads can be kept in order to document each of their performance in a particular firearm.

Example:

My Marlin 1894 is chambered in .44 Magnum with a 20" barrel. I recently developed a load for a gas checked hard cast lead bullet weighing 265 grains that has a wide flat nose (WFN). So I assemble different cartridges with everything the same except powder charges. I test each for velocity and accuracy at 100 yards, as well as record pressure. All of this info is recorded in a spreadsheet. The optimal load for this bullet in this gun ends up being 24.4 grains of H-110 powder for a muzzle velocity of 1820 fps and accuracy at 100 yards of a 1.65" group size (3 shots).

The process is repeated for each bullet I want to try in .44 Magnum, and any other gun shooting the same. Multiply that times the number of calibers I'm reloading for. As you can see, there's a lot of experimentation and record keeping, all in the quest for accuracy and terminal performance.

I'll write more on specific loads I'm developing, but let this serve as an overview of what I mean if you see me write on "reloading".