Reloading Ammo by Feel

Obsolete Arms and Ammo
By Bob Shell

Feels Good Man
Proper ammo reloading “Feels Good” too.

There are many techniques discussed when talking about reloading ammo but I don’t see many articles suggesting that feel is very important to successful ammo making. Proper reloading “Feels Good”.

When you are performing various tasks, you can’t see what is going on inside the die so you have to depend on feel to determine how your ammo will come out.

They don’t make transparent dies yet so feeling your way around the processes in vital. Once you learn how to feel your way around reloading ammo will be easier and more enjoyable. Using the feeling method will benefit you once you get used to doing it that way.

Paying attention at all times is vital to safely reload. Reloading by feel is a great quality control method but don’t substitute it for visual inspection. Making your ammo is a safe and enjoyable hobby but it is necessary to follow certain procedures.

Sizing And Decapping

Normally after you inspect and clean your brass sizing and decapping is your first operation.

A split case will feel too easy to size.
A split case will feel too easy to size.

Sizing brings the case neck to the correct size to hold a bullet while the body is squeezed down a bit to enable chambering. Most dies decap the case also, meaning the old primer is removed.

Decapping has some feel so if the primer seems too hard to remove there is a couple of reasons. If you are doing military cases especially foreign, they may have a Berdan Primer. Trying to decap that with a standard setup will result in a broken pin and possibly the stem might get bent which will ruin it. Military primers are harder to remove than the Boxer type so you should have some spare pins and stems especially if you do a lot of military brass. The reason is the crimp they use, which is a general pain in the neck, before you deprime it has to be dealt with in some manner.

Failure to do that will make priming very difficult and can ruin the primer.

I ream out my primer pockets as that seems to be the best way to deal with it. The operation involves some resistance which depends on the size and brand of the case and the type of lubricant used.

Tungsten Dies
Tungsten Dies

You can buy reloading dies for most handgun rounds and I would suggest that you spring for a few extra bucks to buy them.

They usually eliminate the need for lube which saves time and the die last longer.

There is also a small amount of pressure required to remove the old primer as well.

When you get set up you will notice the resistance involved and it should be the same for all of the cases. If it is too easy, you might have a split case or slipped in the wrong one. If you have a difficult time sizing the case perhaps you forgot to lube it in the instance of a rifle or handgun without using a tungsten die. If you get an unlubed rifle case stuck in a die, you have a serious situation.

Split Cases
Split Cases

You will need a stuck case remover tool and some effort to remove it. Rifle cases need to be lubed around the body in order to size them easily. Don’t put lube around the shoulder area, as that won’t help out plus will produce hydraulic dents on the shoulders. If you have military cases, especially foreign made make sure that the primers are of the boxer type. Make sure that there aren’t any foreign substances in the case.

Foreign Made Brass
Foreign Made Brass with strange headstamps

Range brass might have a smaller case inside or have some dirt in the brass. That is one reason why you should inspect the brass prior to sizing. Trying to decap a Berdan type primer with a conventional set up will result in the assembly getting bent and breaking the decapping pin. That is an aggravation we can do without. That is where feel comes in handy to avoid those headaches.

Reloading Ammo
You can easily feel these when re-loading.

Some brands of cases are more difficult to size then others due to the construction some being thicker than others. Therefore, if you are mixing brands during sizing that might account for some of the feeling difference. There is some controversy about mixing brands of cases for general shooting. I am here to tell you that it does not hurt a thing to mix them up as long as they are good cases. I have done a lot of ammo testing in various ways and except under narrow circumstances, it doesn’t matter if the brands are mixed. If you are working with max or super accurate target loads then you might want to use the same brand. Of course they all have to be trimmed to exactly the same length and the primer pockets and flash holes have to be exactly the same and it would be desirable to have the same lot number. If you don’t do those thing there is no point in worrying about brands.

Priming

After sizing, priming is usually the next step. Seating a primer generates a little resistance which is ordinary. If the primer is too easy to seat the pocket might be expanded which usually results from shooting loads that are too hot. Once the pocket is expanded, too much the case is not good for anything other than a display round.

Reloading Ammunition
Slight Bulge in 45 Colt Brass (Top)

If the primer is too hard to seat there may be a couple of reasons. One is the pocket might have some residue which can easily be cleaned out. Military cases frequently have a crimp in the pocket, which needs to be removed. I use a reamer for that task as I do a lot of military cases for various projects. There is a primer pocket expander available but I don’t care for it but it might be worth trying. I have run across some brands of foreign cases that have pockets that are too small or shallow to easily seat a primer. I either avoid them or slightly ream out the pocket. If you use too much force to seat a primer some of the compound might come out which will adversely affect the performance of the ammo.

Seating

Seating the bullet is done by feel also. I always chamfer the inside of the case mouth which makes seating easier and more consistent. You will have some feel, which is normal. If the bullet seats too easily you might have a split neck. Another possibility is the brass is too thin.

I have used one brand of brass in the 8 X 57 caliber which has necks that are too thin and the bullets aren’t tight enough. That will cause inconsistent ammo among other problems including bullets dropping down in the cases. I size those necks in a .318 die, which helps, but normally I will buy another brand of brass to avoid that headache.

Normally putting in powder does not generate a lot of feel but you can watch the measure to see if the powder goes down at every throw. You should look inside the cases to insure that each one is properly charged. Occasionally a small piece of paper or some other foreign object can obstruct the powder flow. With compressed loads there would be some feel but it shouldn’t be excessive. Occasionally you can hear the powder crunch a little. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you are using the right powder. If you have to use excessive force then you will have to back off as excess pressure seating the bullet can bulge the case.

A dimple over compressed powder.
A dimple over compressed powder.

Another cause might be bullets that are a tiny bit too small which is not common but can happen. Occasionally an expander plug might be too large causing loose fitting of the bullet a situation I occasionally encounter. Very careful polishing of the expander may correct that problem. If they are too difficult, it might be thick brass at the neck. That could be especially true if you necked down the case from a larger caliber such as making 243’s from 308 cases. You would have to either turn down the case necks or ream them out. Thick necks will cause difficult chambering and possibly dangerous high pressures. Like every other operation when seating bullets, they should all feel the same. Remember you are dealing with dimensions that are in the .001 inch and that can make a difference.

A crumbled case from too much pressure when seating bullets.
A crumbled case from too much pressure when seating bullets.
This is something that you should have felt.
This is something that you should have felt.

Crimping

If you are crimping the bullets, there is also a feel there. Once you get use to using the feel method the crimping can be felt and if there is a problem you will realize it. The cases have to be the same length in order to have a consistent crimp. If you are loading cases of different lengths some will crimp ok but others will either not crimp as they are too short or a long case will buckle and you can feel either situation. For more consistency, all bottleneck cases should be inside chamfered. The same will go for some straight cases though you will have to determine that. I seldom chamfer straight unless I trimmed them. If the feel is consistent, chances are the ammo will perform better as it will be more consistent.

Cause: a crimp die that was improperly set.
Cause: a crimp die that was improperly set.

Learning the feel method will help you out a great deal when loading ammo. Making good ammo has its challenges so anything that you do to give you an edge is always good.

Like most things in life you get out of it what you put into it.


About the late: Bob Shell

A Custom Reloader of Obsolete and Antique Ammo, Bob Shell, writes about the subject of Guns, Ammo, Shooting and Related Subjects. Visit: www.bobshellsblog.blogspot.com

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Angry-NDN

I started reloading for both mental and physical therapy. The mental part helps me forget about some of the things that I have seen and done in combat. After my motorcycle wreck, I can’t feel my hands so handling the round casings and bullet helps a lot. The small of the primers and moving everyone helps my motor skills. The finished product helps when I go to the range and feel, so to speak, the trigger as I press it.

musicman44mag

Some sage and experienced advice but for me, I do it a little different. First off, I wipe the outside of the case clean and then I resize and knock out the primers because the next step is to tumble so you clean off the lube if any is used, have clean primer pockets and if your brass is going to crack or mess up, it will happen during the sizing process most times. If it is crimped, I decrimp it. Then I check for length and trim cases if they are close to or over max case length and… Read more »

John Lakner

Wow, we need more info like this out there. Will down your book via kendal

Shotsmith

I have a problem with mixing rifle brass manufacturers. There are significant differences that can cause big problems in max pressure loads and during hot weather. You need to measure the internal capacity and group them together accordingly. Winchester is usually much thinner (higher capacity) than Federal and most military brass. You can also see this difference when weighing the brass. If you’re looking for accuracy, same manufacturer is a must. Always start with a reduced charge and work up while looking for pressure signs. Note that there is a difference between serviceable ammo that puts a round safely down… Read more »

FestusBro

Thank you Bob. I have followed your work for decades, I’m spending some time at the bench these days because of the weather. I admit to crushing a case or two now and then.

MICHAEL J

If you have been hand loading for some time, then you’ve been around the block so to speak. But for the novice, great information.
The real feel is how expensive and almost cost prohibited reloading has become and that doesn’t take into account the availability of propellant or primers. It truly is a labor of love, but when the shelves are bare.

Whatstheuseanyway

I’ve been reloading for just over a year. How much you spend to get started depends on how much time you want you save. In other words, you can get by with less or more basic equipment provided you are willing to spend more time at the bench. Electric, multi tool case prep centers cost more than hand tools but speed up the process. The same is true if electronic powder dispensers. I started reloading because 44-40 cowboy ammo was up to $4/each delivered during the pandemic. I could make them for less than $1/each. After 400 rounds I paid… Read more »

Arny

On stuck cases I put the die in upside down & use a piece of good round metal stock or punch to remove it.Assuming you don’t get your de capping pin stuck in the case. lol

Mark

Hey, I have once fire federal brass and I have resized them and cleaned in a tumbler. There .300 wm. I have put powder in and when I tried seating my .208 gr. Amax it was hard to seat the bullet. I got them in but noticed I have dented the bullet itself but the case is fine. Are these round safe to shoot? I just didn’t want to take them apart because I have no tools to do so. Tha KS

musicman44mag

Wow, 7 years and no answer. No one would want to take responsibility for saying yes and neither would I.

Whatstheuseanyway

Get a bullet hammer to unseat the bullets. Throw the bullets away, save the powder. Resize the cases. This time, try flaring the case mouth a bit more, the bullet should just sit in the casing mouth without falling out or leaning when you remove your hand. You can use a little hand pressure to “fit” the bullet in place.
Then I would refer to your die manuals and reset your seating die according to the directions.
If that doesn’t work it’s beyond my skill set.

Get Out

IMOA, whether you’re an old hand at reloading or just a beginner, read the reloading book, front to back and then re-read it again. Do this even before you reload that first or next batch of ammo. Don’t reload if there are any distractions to keep you focused 100% on the reloading process, TV, visitors, pestering kids, pets or other distractions. Safety first or you could reload a dangerous batch of ammo.