How picky are you about your pistol plinking rounds?

[bluewraith]

Just starting out, and wondering what tolerances you guys use when building up a box of plinking rounds. I'm thinking +/- .1gr and +/- .002" OAL are good for me, but what do you guys recommend?

 

[AllenM]

I think you can deviate more than that in still be a good plinking round. If you are measure OAL to the tip of the bullet you never will get an exact measure ment eaxh time anyway

 

[Six Shooter Steve]

Those sound like ok tolerances, if you have good enough equipment to achieve them.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

My reloads have more deviation on OAL, because every bullet's ogive is different. That, and there is slight variance in case OAL. Though, at the range, I can not tell the difference. I use a chargemaster scale/dispencer combo. It's dead on every charge.

 

[rockhopper46038]

That's a tighter OAL then I hold; charge deviation is about right though.

 

[Broom_jm]

Presuming your plinking load is a middling charge, at most, you could vary +/- .2 of a grain charge weight and +/- .005" cartridge OAL.

 

[Rob377]

My plinking ammo, match ammo, and zombie apocalypse ammo are all the same. VV340 meters spot on (there might be some variance, but it's smaller than the resolution on my scale) and my Redding competition seating dies keeps OAL within +/- .003.

 

[bluewraith]

Happy to report that my rounds all went off without a single issue today at the range. (Tested 3 rounds before loading up a couple of boxes)
.45acp 230grn LRN, backed by 4.5-4.6grn of Bullseye. Think I can step up a tenth of a grain or two too, as they seemed to be hitting a bit low.

Actually, there were two issues today...
1. I only took 100 of my reloads with me and had to break into my stash of Remington UMCs out of the trunk...
2. ...and one of those failed to feed.

200 brass ready to load, with 200 more ready to clean and load. Seems to me like one can outgrow a small tumbler pretty quick.

 

[AllenM]

Happy to report that my rounds all went off without a single issue today at the range. (Tested 3 rounds before loading up a couple of boxes)
.45acp 230grn LRN, backed by 4.5-4.6grn of Bullseye. Think I can step up a tenth of a grain or two too, as they seemed to be hitting a bit low.

Actually, there were two issues today...
1. I only took 100 of my reloads with me and had to break into my stash of Remington UMCs out of the trunk...
2. ...and one of those failed to feed.

200 brass ready to load, with 200 more ready to clean and load. Seems to me like one can outgrow a small tumbler pretty quick.

Cool glad all went well.
As far as Bullseye goes 5.0grs under a 230 gr bullet is a pretty standard load. You may want to try that.

 

[Broom_jm]

You've learned one of the more common lessons on working up loads for semi-auto pistol cartridges: Start low and work up until you have the function and accuracy you typically get from similar factory ammo. Sounds like another tenth or two and you'll be there!

Good job having your first attempts go so well. I predict you'll be loading for many years to come.

 

[BE Mike]

Just starting out, and wondering what tolerances you guys use when building up a box of plinking rounds. I'm thinking +/- .1gr and +/- .002" OAL are good for me, but what do you guys recommend?

It depends. Are you talking about rifle or pistol rounds?