When it’s necessary to relax and unwind, I love to handload ammunition. Handloading requires concentration, thought and organization; the absorption necessary makes ones worldly concerns fade away into forgetfulness.
One evening with deer season fast approaching I felt that urge to reload. My 30-06 ammo was low and that thought triggered another. I’d purchased a box of 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips for my buddy over the summer. He hadn’t asked, but I felt compelled to load him a box of these exceptional bullets. Whack a deer with a Ballistic Tip and things happen. However, the overwhelming reason for this particular brand was not only performance, but the fact each bullet had a distinctive, green plastic tip and here’s why.
When my friend and I were sighting in our rifles’ last year he handed me a large plastic box full of mixed rounds of ammunition. Which, he asked, were factory loads and which were my handloads?
A little startled, I sorted through them and discovered 165 grain Hornady Interlocks and 150 grain Sierra Game Kings I’d reloaded for him previously. They were mixed in with 180 grain Remington factory ammo as well as Winchester and Federal 150 grain factory loads. Though the different case markings, bullet shapes and primer colors were apparent to me, they weren’t to him. At that point it was very clear my friend needed ammunition he could easily recognize and distinguish from the leftovers he’d accumulation over the years.
My hunting experiences here and abroad had proved the 150 grain Ballistic Tip bullet adequate for game up to and including Oryx, kudu and elk so they were more than sufficient for even the largest deer. With these thoughts in mind I determined to make my friends ammunition identification problems vanish.
First, I opened my reloading manual and searched through my notes. Sure enough under 150 grain loading data I saw IMR 4350 and IMR 4064 both delivered groups of an inch or smaller. In the margin, underlined was the short notation: “4350 kicks harder than 4064.”
Thinking back I smiled, remembering that day at the bench with my cousin Bill Robertson. As we fired both loads in our rifles we noticed the IMR 4350 loads recoiled harder than the IMR 4064 even though load data showed velocities were identical for both powders. A little surprised at this new discovery the choice was easy, IMR4064. No one appreciates additional recoil.
Reloaders should always try several different powders developing a load. Recoil, muzzle blast, charge weight and other factors besides accuracy can be significant in some cases and may affect your choice of propellant. Thanks to those careful notes it was easy to choose 4064 from other powders.
Next, I took out the powder scales and balanced them. Once balanced I set the larger weight to 50 on the beam and the smaller to one grain. My notes showed 51 grains of IMR4064 to be a very accurate load for 150 grain weight bullets.
Digging through several drawers I discovered a bag of fired Winchester brass. I inspected each case of that brand for any flaw such as a split neck or other defect and satisfied with their condition placed them in the loading block. Always use the same manufactures cases when working up your loads, case thickness and volume may vary brand to brand.
Spraying the cases from all four sides with case lube I let them dry for a minute or so as I screwed in the full length resizing die. Soon I had deprimed and resized the cases.
Grabbing my Lee priming tool I counted out 20 primers and primed the cases, placing them neck down in the block so a glance showed all were primed. Always count out your primers so each one is accounted for when finished.
Filling the powder measure I adjusted it to throw 51 grains after a little trial and error and then carefully filled each ease. Try and use the same motion and force working the handle, helping keep the charges identical. I weigh every fifth case for consistency. With all cases upright and filled I used a flashlight to inspect the powder level in each case. Any charges appearing low or high were weighed once more to double check their accuracy. You’ll discover case volume does vary some, a powder level appearing high or low in certain cases may still have the exact weight of powder desired.
I then opened those wonderful 150 grain ballistic tips, counting out 20. It’s very unlikely you could ever place two bullets in a rifle case, but it could happen in pistol cases. Always count and be accountable, good habits pay dividends.
Replacing the depriming die with the bullet seating die I seated the first bullet. Overall length was correct from previous reloading sessions and soon 20 sleek gleaming rounds were completed, their green tips making them unique.
When I presented my friend with his distinctive and deadly ammunition he was delighted! Grinning widely, he admired a round, then quickly placed his ammunition securely in the gun safe ready for the upcoming deer season. He realized custom ammo like this was worth $50.00 a box or more in stores.
I’m not sure which of us was happiest, but handloading made that special moment possible and accomplished an important task as well.