I'm new to reloading and have some specific questions for you veteran reloaders:

Current Set-Up:
Dillon RL550b reloader
Reloading .45 ACP using Dillon carbide pistol dies
Hodgedon TiteGroup powder @ 4.5 gn.
Ranier 230 gn. HP bullets
CCI large pistol primers
Starline cases (new)

1) If I use a .45 ACP case gauge how important is O.A.L? The reason I ask is that I’ve recently purchased Ranier 230 gn. HP bullets. I didn’t find a recipe in my Lyman’s or Hornady manual so I went on-line with Hodgden. Their website recommended an O.A.L. of 1.200 inches. The O.A.L. I’m getting is about 1.188 inches. I think these bullets are “softer” and may be seating deeper, but not sure, I haven’t adjusted my seating die since changing to this bullet (perhaps I should!). Visually the seating depth looks ok.
2) This leads to another question…let’s say I find a recipe that uses the same weight bullet but a different shape or different brand bullet. Can I use that recipe? How critical is the shape or brand of the bullet (e.g., HP, flat nose, round nose, etc.) to the recipe if the weight is identical?
3) I haven’t yet tried adjusting the decapping die, but the bullet case is hitting the lip on the bottom of the die on the downstroke. I have to jimmy it a little for the case to fit inside the die. It’s not off by much but didn’t know if anyone had any ideas for better alignment? None of the other dies are doing this.
4) Can I leave powder in the powder hopper if I plan to only reload one caliber or should I put it back into the bottle after every session? Will it absorb moisture if I leave it in the hopper?

Thanks for your help,
Tim

I will address #1 and #4

#1 You have to adjust the seating die each time you change bullets

#4 I wouldn't leave powder in the throw but that's just me

Since your new to reloading,I never recommend a progressive press. for no other reason than you have not developed a safe technique as to what is going on on each stroke of the handle. The .45 ACP case is V E R Y easy to double charge.
If you were to do this you will explode the cartridge and the gases will blow out the magazine with great force and shatter the grips into your hand. I cannot emphasize enough that you must maintain concentration at all times during each stroke. It is so easy for the press to jam as you noted and a double stroke drop the double charge of powder.
That being said, a bullet of a similar shape and same weight can be loaded with the charge for a like bullet of diff maker. Make sure the bullet diameter is the same as well.
Sorry for being so dramatic,but I've been reloading since 1964 and I have seen many 1911 pistols reduced to scrap due to a double charge of powder. If you shoot a Glock,you don't want to ever see what happens first hand. ( pun intended) And almost all of of the whoops'es were done by experienced re-loaders.
The Dillion press is a good one. It can and will jam on you. Just make sure you take care as to what it wants to do after you clear the jam.
I'd hate to read that you and your pistol were damaged.

Thanks. I'm taking it slow. I'm not using it as a progressive loader yet, I'm loading one round at a time. So far so good I've shot some reloads at the range with good results.

My experience with Q #1- .45 ACP w/185 gr. wadcutters. Seated to book length,with the shoulder of the bullet exposed above the case mouth, rounds would feed unreliably, maybe a couple misfeeds every 20 rds or so.

A very good IDPA shooter told me to seat them so that the shoulder of the bullet is seated level to the case mouth.Problem solved,Though I did re-develope the load.

Q#2- Don't use lead bullet recipes for jacketed bullet recipes,or vice-versa. I have used one manufacturers recipes for anothers bullets with no problems. Again, work-up the load starting with min. book charge.

Q#3- Check and clean the shell holder. maybe some crud is in it.Some dies are more forgiving than others.

Q#4-You can, but I highly discourage this practice.I did it once,didn't load for a whole summer. When I went back to reload months later I had forgotten what powder was in the hopper. Had to dump it. About 20 rds. worth of centerfire. Was a cheap lesson.

Q1: As Ted said - I would play around with different seating depths for every specific bullet I load. You may (or it seems you did)hit on the difference between 'iffy' and flawless feeding by increasing / decreasing OAL by 1/16". One of the reasons I reload, is that it gives me the ability to tweak my loads to suit my gun.

Q2: There are just too many variables in bullet design to assume that all bullets of the same weight want the same OAL, or the same depth of seating into the case (which is NOT the same as seating to the same OAL). You have some first-class toys there - go ahead and play with them

Q3: Check the internal bevel on your die mouth. This may be rough from machining and could benefit from some judicious polishing. Also check your case mouths - a LIGHT chamfering / de-burring (without 'sharpening' the case mouth or altering the case length) might help

Q4: The O-ring seal on the RL550B's powder hopper cap makes for a good seal, so moisture shouldn't be a problem (Qualifier - I live in the very temperate South African Highveld, where humidity isn't a problem). As mentioned above, your risk in leaving powder in the hopper, is that you may forget what powder you have in there. A masking tape / sharpie label should handle that little issue quite nicely.

Hope this helps

Q #4 - Any of you guys remember the Skeeter Skelton story about leaving powder in the hopper? This was a long time ago and the details are a little fuzzy but if I remember corectly he was an active law enforcement officer at the time. He went to the scene of an accident involving a cattle trailer where some of the cattle needed to be shot. His 44 special handloaded cast bullets were bouncing off the sculls of the cattle! He had to borrow a gun from a passer by to finish the job. He determined the plastic in the hopper had a reaction to the powder making the squib loads. I'm sure our more modern plastics won't do this but I still remember the story and I don't do it.

Wish you had asked before you jumped in. Dillons are ok but Hornady is far better in many respects. And starting out with a progressive is usually not a good idea.
Don't leave powder in hoppers. OAL is not overly critical within your situation you describe. You must learn how to adjust your dies; a feat you would have learned easier on a single station press first. Lead vs jacketed loads? ; look at the manuals. Shape and brand is not important.

Thanks for all the tips. I'm really enjoying reloading even though I'm just starting out. I'm loading one round at a time (not using the progressive function), weighing the charge dropped on a digital scale and visualizing the amount of powder dropped each time, taking several measurements from the O.A.L to the diameter of the case where it is crimped, as well as using an appropriate case guage. Safety is my #1 priority, so I'm taking it slow.

All the blowups and f ups I have seen were from experienced re-loaders; not newbees. They get careless as they age.

One of the most important things to develop in your early reload efforts are fool proof habits.

They start with picking the right loads out of the manual to making sure your ammo is assembled safely for the actual gun it will be used in.

Here is an example of a question that was a dead give away for careless work habits.

A guy on another fourum said he could not possibly get 44 grains of powder in his 7.62X39.

The solution:
He found 7.62 Russian alright but it was 7.62X54R Russian. This was pointed out and he never came back to the thread.

quote:

Originally posted by reloTD:
Thanks for all the tips. I'm really enjoying reloading even though I'm just starting out. I'm loading one round at a time (not using the progressive function), weighing the charge dropped on a digital scale and visualizing the amount of powder dropped each time, taking several measurements from the O.A.L to the diameter of the case where it is crimped, as well as using an appropriate case guage. Safety is my #1 priority, so I'm taking it slow.

I reload in a shop 100ft from the house, and I also reload in my garage.
I have always left the powder in the hopper.
But I know exactly which powder it is, because only one powder can is allowed on the table at ANY time.
I also live in NM, so I don't worry about humidity, otherwise I would take it out.
Being new, I would also take it out, till you get some experience, and a routine.
As for the 45, this is a pretty simple, and effective way to tell