Reading pressure signs/other problems

[Stomper]

As long as there is enough contrast between the screens and the "shadow" of the bullet passing by the sensor should read it.

 

[DizzyJ]

Flattened primers
Ejector swipes
Pierced primers
Cratered primers
Torn or bent case rims

Ejection pattern can also tell you a lot about how violently the case is being ejected.

The chrono is one of the best tools you can have as well. Speed doesn't come free. Pressure has to send it down the barrel. If your velocities are close to or over listed max, well you're treading on thin ice at that point.

 

[ma96782]

Reading Flattened Primers.

Reading Pressure Signs – Florida Reloading

BUT.....it's not an exact science. BEWARE of primer pockets that might just be "worn" a bit. Oh yeah......it'll affect the readings.

Aloha, Mark

 

[Helocat]

Yeah, only bummer is forecast says rain on saturday. I'm going to go buy 2 of those $40 walmart canopies. One for me, one for the chrono . Hopefully it works for me under the canopy I've never used a chronograph before.

Bring ratchet straps so you can drag over some weights to lock the canopies down. The wind is enemy #1 when using them.

Hah yeah I might have went a little nuts buying reloading equipment. I felt a chrono was money well spent though, especially for $100. Good info to have when developing loads.

I'll also be testing about 150rds of 9mm. I did ladder loads for 4 different types of powder in .2 grain increments. CFE Pistol, Accurate #5, Titegroup, and HS-6. 115gr and 124gr. I'll be chronoing them as well. Can't wait to get my powder charges in the ballpark so I can start rolling some ammo!

Hogwash! NO such thing as going overboard with reloading equipment. That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Yeah.... that blue canopy will most likely give you trouble.

Maybe you can hang a light source (out of the way) up in the peak of it so the screens are backlit a bit.

Ya overcast days can throw them off. Hit Goodwill and grab a white sheet to stretch across the underside of the canopy, that MAY work to give you enough of a white area above the screens.

 

[thermox9898]

Bring ratchet straps so you can drag over some weights to lock the canopies down. The wind is enemy #1 when using them.



Hogwash! NO such thing as going overboard with reloading equipment. That's my story and I am sticking to it!



Ya overcast days can throw them off. Hit Goodwill and grab a white sheet to stretch across the underside of the canopy, that MAY work to give you enough of a white area above the screens.

good idea!!
Speaking of going overboard.. I bought an fx-120i lastnight for my birthday.. CE had a discount code that brought it down to $465
no more dealing with my crappy digital scale or waiting for my beam to stop moving!
yay!

 

[awshoot]

... I intend to fire some factory rounds out of it, too. I have some Hornady Superformance 165gr SST and some Hornady White Tail 150gr Interlock to run through it. That way I can compare cases to my reloads. I'll also chrono the factory rounds to relate everything. I'm especially interested in the 150gr since it's somewhat similar to my loads....

Dude -- you're gonna be fine. You're doing everything right.

 

[awshoot]

Right now I'm reading this page:

Primal Rights

Primal Rights

www.primalrights.com

seems to have a lot of good information on it with accompanying pictures

Saved me the trouble of finding the link. I stand by my assessment -- you're doing it right -- you're gonna be fine.

 

[thermox9898]

Dude -- you're gonna be fine. You're doing everything right.

Good to hear! Thanks man.

 

[awshoot]

... I've never used a chronograph before.

One suggestion. Don't shoot the chrono and don't shoot the metal poles that stick out of it. They don't work so great afterward. I speak from experience.

 

[thermox9898]

Saved me the trouble of finding the link. I stand by my assessment -- you're doing it right -- you're gonna be fine.

There's some other stuff on that page that seems like good info too. The digital scale one was interesting. So excited for my fx120i to come. Thing is going to boost my confidence on my charges so much. I hate that monkey on my shoulder doubting whether that 3.9gr of titegroup is actually 3.9gr of titegroup or 4.0 or 4.1.

 

[thermox9898]

One suggestion. Don't shoot the chrono and don't shoot the metal poles that stick out of it. They don't work so great afterward. I speak from experience.

Haha, yeah. Seems like it would be quite easy to do. Needless to say it's a good thing they're $100 not $1000.

 

[awshoot]

... I'll just have to let it get wet for short periods of time. ...

I haven't tried this and it just popped into my head this very second so I have no idea if this is a valid idea, but why not bring some saranwrap. If it rains, pull a length off, lay it over top the chronograph and poke the legs through it to hold it in place.

Unless it blocks some specific necessary wavelength of light though -- it would seem to be reasonable here in W WA where our rain isn't usually deluge type.

 

[awshoot]

There's some other stuff on that page that seems like good info too. The digital scale one was interesting. So excited for my fx120i to come. Thing is going to boost my confidence on my charges so much. I hate that monkey on my shoulder doubting whether that 3.9gr of titegroup is actually 3.9gr of titegroup or 4.0 or 4.1.

Wow -- if you bought a scale like that, why didn't you get a Labradar? Labradar: The new generation of ballistic velocity radar | Labradar

I was about to comment on how most digital scales hide the variation in the next digit off to the right, the one that isn't displayed, and you can get an idea of whether you are in the low hundreths or high hundreths by throwing a double charge and weighing it. For example, if you weigh a double 3.9 gr charge and get 7.8, you're likely right on (not a 100% certain, because it could be the result of a low and high charge, but repeatable results increase confidence). If two charges total 7.9 repeatedly, then you're probably closer to a 3.95 charge depending on how the software handles rounding).

But whatever, you're scale will weigh to the hundreth grain. Nice.

EDIT: the above blahblhablah assumes the use of a powder measure and setting the measure to throw a charge.

 

[edzz]

One suggestion. Don't shoot the chrono and don't shoot the metal poles that stick out of it. They don't work so great afterward. I speak from experience.

Or take two chronographs, just shoot the first one just to get that out of the way and use the other to use to take recordings.

Member in good standing of the chrono killers club.

 

[thermox9898]

Wow -- if you bought a scale like that, why didn't you get a Labradar? Labradar: The new generation of ballistic velocity radar | Labradar

I was about to comment on how most digital scales hide the variation in the next digit off to the right, the one that isn't displayed, and you can get an idea of whether you are in the low hundreths or high hundreths by throwing a double charge and weighing it. For example, if you weigh a double 3.9 gr charge and get 7.8, you're likely right on (not a 100% certain, because it could be the result of a low and high charge, but repeatable results increase confidence). If two charges total 7.9 repeatedly, then you're probably closer to a 3.95 charge depending on how the software handles rounding).

But whatever, you're scale will weigh to the hundreth grain. Nice.

EDIT: the above blahblhablah assumes the use of a powder measure and setting the measure to throw a charge.

Wow I didn't realize the labradar was so cheap, for some reason I was thinking it was a couple grand. The FX is a birthday present to myself.. any other day its really not in my budget. I also returned my $70 frankford arsenal platinum scale and my hornady ultrasonic to help finance it. I bought an ultrasonic and a wet tumbler off amazon knowing that I could return the one that didnt work the best. Wet tumbler won hands down. I'll probably buy a different ultrasonic down the road to clean gun parts since that's nice to have but the hornady is pretty tiny.

 

[awshoot]

Wow I didn't realize the labradar was so cheap, for some reason I was thinking it was a couple grand. The FX is a birthday present to myself.. any other day its really not in my budget. ...

Between two shootable chronographs and a magnetospeed, I'm about 2/3 of the way to a labradar. ;-)

 

[Helocat]

Wow -- if you bought a scale like that, why didn't you get a Labradar? Labradar: The new generation of ballistic velocity radar | Labradar

I was about to comment on how most digital scales hide the variation in the next digit off to the right, the one that isn't displayed, and you can get an idea of whether you are in the low hundreths or high hundreths by throwing a double charge and weighing it. For example, if you weigh a double 3.9 gr charge and get 7.8, you're likely right on (not a 100% certain, because it could be the result of a low and high charge, but repeatable results increase confidence). If two charges total 7.9 repeatedly, then you're probably closer to a 3.95 charge depending on how the software handles rounding).

But whatever, you're scale will weigh to the hundreth grain. Nice.

EDIT: the above blahblhablah assumes the use of a powder measure and setting the measure to throw a charge.

Wow I didn't realize the labradar was so cheap, for some reason I was thinking it was a couple grand. The FX is a birthday present to myself.. any other day its really not in my budget. I also returned my $70 frankford arsenal platinum scale and my hornady ultrasonic to help finance it. I bought an ultrasonic and a wet tumbler off amazon knowing that I could return the one that didnt work the best. Wet tumbler won hands down. I'll probably buy a different ultrasonic down the road to clean gun parts since that's nice to have but the hornady is pretty tiny.

Labradar for the win. They work extremely well.

 

[MarshalChillN]

This is the one I was looking at because it's $40:

Ozark Trail 10' x 10' Instant Slant Leg Pop-up Canopy, Outdoor Shading Shelter, Blue - Walmart.com

Buy Ozark Trail 10' x 10' Instant Slant Leg Pop-up Canopy, Outdoor Shading Shelter, Blue at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

but I do notice a white one, but its twice the price and out of stock:

Ozark Trail Instant Canopy, 10' x 10' - Walmart.com

Buy Ozark Trail Instant Canopy, 10' x 10' at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

Good idea though!!!

FYI... These are both junk.... I bought one and it lasted about 3 months. The ones at Harbor Freight, tho a bit more expensive, have lasted me over 1.5 years...

 

[TTSX]

One suggestion. Don't shoot the chrono and don't shoot the metal poles that stick out of it. They don't work so great afterward. I speak from experience.

When I bought mine, I brought it to my friend's place and he didn't want to try it because he was afraid of shooting it. I told him not to worry, then he shot it. I got a good laugh and he got embarrassed

 

[thermox9898]

When I bought mine, I brought it to my friend's place and he didn't want to try it because he was afraid of shooting it. I told him not to worry, then he shot it. I got a good laugh and he got embarrassed

LOL