Reloading components

I thought it would be a good idea to give a little more info on the parts of reloading. A completely assembled product is called a cartridge or a round of ammunition. The bullet or slug is the actual projectile that is fired, gunpowder is the propellant, primers ( similar to very strong cap gun caps) which ignite the powder, and finally cases are brass containers which hold everything in proper proximity to each other.

In this picture there is a pan with powder in it. Powders come in many shapes, and more importantly, different burn rates. Gunpowder does not explode, it burns, and the chemical makeup and physical shape determine at what rate it is consumed. The expanding gases produced by that burn are what force the bullet out of the case and down the barrel of the gun. Because of variations in bullet weight, barrel length, and case capacity, different burn rates are needed to maximize efficiency and consistency. Powder charges are measured by grains ( as are all components in reloading) , for example 65.2 grains of XYZ powder.

Next in the picture is a pack of primers. These also come in different sizes and how big of a spark they create. They fit into a cylindrical recess in the back of the case, the case on it's side shows a new primer already loaded. This case is now ready for a charge of powder.

Now for the actual bullet, here are three types an weights of bullets. The top row on the left is a Sierra MatchKing target bullet, with a very high B.C., so it flies very flatly for a long distance and is very consistently built. The next bullet is the Nosler Accubond, a hunting bullet that has a good B.C. and is relatively accurate. The third on the right is a Barnes bullet, it has a O.K. B.C., but the version of the bullet that came before the one in the picture wasn't very accurate. This new version with the three grooves is supposed to be more accurate, but my limited testing has shown only moderate improvement. The items on the front row are bullets which have been shot through 2 feet of phone books layered together. Most bullets have a copper outside and a lead inside. The Sierra's outside completely peeled off, leaving the lead to go where it wants, which would not penetrate much and probably wound the animal. Jump to the one on the right, this is the Barnes bullet, and every bullet I've ever retrieved has looked like this. The petals peel back and remain attached, leaving a good wound channel, and exit fully through the animal. But not good enough groups for me. The two in the middle are the Accubonds, the left one went through phonebooks, the right one is from Dad's big bull. It shot well and stayed together quite well. It retained 65% of it's original weight, whereas the Sierra was around 25% and the Barnes was 99% of it's pre-fired weight.

Reloading is all about researching, then building, then testing the slight variations. This can result in some cost savings, but for me it is getting the bullet I want, the speed I want, and accuracy that is better than 95% of what one can buy in store. Plus it is mentally stimulating to run through all possibilities, evaluate them, and build one that meets my standards. I did very poorly in math in school and lacked interest in my science classes for the most part (other than hands on), and my close family find it funny that I'll spend hours going over mathematical ballistic comparisons. Maybe I just needed classes to use math and science for practical applications.

I think next time I'll start on the tag my step-dad drew out for this year. He gets to hunt the areas around Hobble Creek, Strawberry Res., and Timpanogos, with a bow, for a Big Bull. I just started practicing my calls and bugles.