hand loading for lighter loads

[Kennard]

I hand load all of my wife's bullets so there is less recoil, makes it easier for her to shoot, but still effective fire power.

 

[BC1]

Don't load your own personal defense rounds. Use a tested, verifiable load from Speer, Hornady or Federal. This subject has been hashed and rehashed. I defer to Mas Ayoob on the reasons why you don't use hand-loads for defense.

 

[zenworm]

I'm just getting into reloading and would love some insight into this as well. I searched the forum but didn't find any threads.

Is it general consensus that hand loading is more prone to errors than factory stuff?

 

[Fireshot]

My impression is that proper hand loading is fine for range & practice but very highly recommend factory loads for carry ammo. Reasons are legal defense if you need to use in self defense. Civil attorneys love to find any inconsistencies to use to discredit the self defense shooter including modifications to guns or ammunition. They will use the "If it needed to be modified from factory specs then it either wasn't safe from the factory or isn't safe after modifying" argument to insinuate recklessness. Don't risk it!

 

[NotTwoShure]

I'm just getting into reloading and would love some insight into this as well. I searched the forum but didn't find any threads.

Is it general consensus that hand loading is more prone to errors than factory stuff?

Reloading Pages of M.D. Smith is a good start, as well as other pdfs and a few good hard cover books at a local store.

 

[Kennard]

I've been reloading for over 40 years, as for errors if you are careful you don't have them, when you get careless that's when you have them. I would put my bullets up against factory loads any day for target shooting

 

[Kennard]

I agree,

 

[Bob R]

When down loading you need to be careful. Some flake powders do not measure real well in automatic powder measures.
What I have done to cure this on my 550B Dillion. I have zip tied an aquarium bubbler to the powder reservois. When you take a break in your reloading shut the bubbler off, or you can get a heavy charge. The shaking action on the reservois gets a lot more consistent charge dispensed. Most automatic measures do not like powder chardes much below 3.0 grains. When loading real light, a short charge might stick a bullet in the barrel.
Another thing, if you have a shot that gets your attention that it felt different, stop make safe, and check the barrel.

Bob R
ICORE MO2908