My M&P and VP9 bother like my N320 load of 4.1gr under a 124gr Zero or Precision Delta for Steel Challenge and my 226 and 229 like 5.3gr of Silhouette under the same bullet.
9mm Reloading questions
- Thread starter DeaconFrost
- Start date
So, you drank the Kool-Aid
(Note: from Wiki, for those who didn't learn from history—
"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is a figure of speech commonly used in North America that refers to a person or group holding an unquestioned belief, argument, or philosophy without critical examination. It could also refer to knowingly going along with a doomed or dangerous idea because of peer pressure. The phrase oftentimes carries a negative connotation when applied to an individual or group. It can also be used ironically or humorously to refer to accepting an idea or changing a preference due to popularity, peer pressure, or persuasion.
The phrase derives from the November 1978 Jonestown deaths,[1][2][3] in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple, who were followers of Jim Jones died, many of whom committed suicide by drinking a mixture of a powdered soft drink flavoring agent laced with cyanide (with the remainder, including 89 infants and elderly, killed by forced ingestion of the poison).[4][5] Although the powder used in the incident included Flavor Aid, it was commonly referred to as Kool-Aid due to the latter's status as a genericized trademark.)
This was started as a term for Dillon worshippers who NEVER tried any other brand and evangelize their selection.
Bullets: in general, pistol bullets can be ranked in accuracy as—
L-wadcutters
JHPs
L-SWCs
FMJ-FN
L-FN
FMJ-RN
L-RN
What kind of accuracy improvement do you need? I always shoot JHPs, since they have always been more accurate of me than any RN bullets and Zero and Precision Delta don't charge more for HPs.
Case Cleaning: Without a doubt the least important and most talked about part of reloading.
1) All that is needed is to wipe off the outside of the case with a rag, unless shooting black powder. All you need to do is remove any dirt/grit from the case exterior so the sizing die isn't damaged. Accuracy does not go up with cleanliness of the case.
2) 30 minutes with 20/40 corn will clean and polish the case exterior and remove some of the interior soot. If you deprime first, you will remove the residual white powder sometimes left in the primer pocket. The use of 20/40 grit keeps any media from packing in the flash hole or primer pocket.
For very dirty cases with dried mud or whatever, ground nut hulls work well--but they also produce a lot of dust that can pack inside a case and take a lot of elbow grease to remove.
Some folks like to add an abrasive to polish the brass (jeweler's rouge or Nu-Finish) and some like to add mineral spirits and paper towel/used laundry softener sheets to the media to remove some of the powder. Corn doesn't produce much powder.
3) 20-30 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner, using hot water/Dawn/citric acid will completely remove the soot and give the brass a slight polish. You will need to rinse the cases and let air-dry. Some go as far as to dry the cases in an oven and then tumble them for more polish. I find just air-drying on a towel is more than adequate.
4) 6-8 hours with a rotary tumbler (some say 2 hours, but 6 hours is about the minimum for me), stainless steel pins, dawn, and citric acid will completely clean and polish the cases. The pins have to be separated from the cases and the cases need to be rinsed and air-dried. It is best to pour off as much of the dirty solution as possible and then add enough water and pour off to get the solution clear. Then you need to have a media separator (my RCBS works perfect) with a tub/bucket full of water to get the pins to fall out from the cases.
Everything beyond step #1 is done for the reloader's pleasure and not for any need.
I prefer #2, as #1 hurts my arthritis and the rest take more time/money--though I have the equipment for all four.
If you simply have to have really shiny brass, forget the US system and go with the stainless pins--but be ready for a LOT longer time for cleaning and a lot more water usage.
I decap first with a Lee Universal Decapping Die.
(Note: from Wiki, for those who didn't learn from history—
"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is a figure of speech commonly used in North America that refers to a person or group holding an unquestioned belief, argument, or philosophy without critical examination. It could also refer to knowingly going along with a doomed or dangerous idea because of peer pressure. The phrase oftentimes carries a negative connotation when applied to an individual or group. It can also be used ironically or humorously to refer to accepting an idea or changing a preference due to popularity, peer pressure, or persuasion.
The phrase derives from the November 1978 Jonestown deaths,[1][2][3] in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple, who were followers of Jim Jones died, many of whom committed suicide by drinking a mixture of a powdered soft drink flavoring agent laced with cyanide (with the remainder, including 89 infants and elderly, killed by forced ingestion of the poison).[4][5] Although the powder used in the incident included Flavor Aid, it was commonly referred to as Kool-Aid due to the latter's status as a genericized trademark.)
This was started as a term for Dillon worshippers who NEVER tried any other brand and evangelize their selection.
Bullets: in general, pistol bullets can be ranked in accuracy as—
L-wadcutters
JHPs
L-SWCs
FMJ-FN
L-FN
FMJ-RN
L-RN
What kind of accuracy improvement do you need? I always shoot JHPs, since they have always been more accurate of me than any RN bullets and Zero and Precision Delta don't charge more for HPs.
Case Cleaning: Without a doubt the least important and most talked about part of reloading.
1) All that is needed is to wipe off the outside of the case with a rag, unless shooting black powder. All you need to do is remove any dirt/grit from the case exterior so the sizing die isn't damaged. Accuracy does not go up with cleanliness of the case.
2) 30 minutes with 20/40 corn will clean and polish the case exterior and remove some of the interior soot. If you deprime first, you will remove the residual white powder sometimes left in the primer pocket. The use of 20/40 grit keeps any media from packing in the flash hole or primer pocket.
For very dirty cases with dried mud or whatever, ground nut hulls work well--but they also produce a lot of dust that can pack inside a case and take a lot of elbow grease to remove.
Some folks like to add an abrasive to polish the brass (jeweler's rouge or Nu-Finish) and some like to add mineral spirits and paper towel/used laundry softener sheets to the media to remove some of the powder. Corn doesn't produce much powder.
3) 20-30 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner, using hot water/Dawn/citric acid will completely remove the soot and give the brass a slight polish. You will need to rinse the cases and let air-dry. Some go as far as to dry the cases in an oven and then tumble them for more polish. I find just air-drying on a towel is more than adequate.
4) 6-8 hours with a rotary tumbler (some say 2 hours, but 6 hours is about the minimum for me), stainless steel pins, dawn, and citric acid will completely clean and polish the cases. The pins have to be separated from the cases and the cases need to be rinsed and air-dried. It is best to pour off as much of the dirty solution as possible and then add enough water and pour off to get the solution clear. Then you need to have a media separator (my RCBS works perfect) with a tub/bucket full of water to get the pins to fall out from the cases.
Everything beyond step #1 is done for the reloader's pleasure and not for any need.
I prefer #2, as #1 hurts my arthritis and the rest take more time/money--though I have the equipment for all four.
If you simply have to have really shiny brass, forget the US system and go with the stainless pins--but be ready for a LOT longer time for cleaning and a lot more water usage.
I decap first with a Lee Universal Decapping Die.
