A few reloading myths

In common with most activities, there are a few myths associated with reloading that might put people off giving it a try. In this article, I take a look at some of the most common reloading myths and consider the truth behind them.

Myth 1

- Reloading rifle ammunition is much more complicated than reloading pistol ammunition.

Generally speaking, what people actually mean to say is ‘loading bottlenecked cases is more complicated than reloading straight-walled cases’ and it often puts people who have reloaded pistols calibres off trying to reload for their rifles.
When it comes to reloading, the basics are pretty much the same whatever the case type. Just size the case, install the correct primer, add the correct amount of a suitable powder, and seat the bullet properly.
The only additional step in reloading bottleneck cases is the requirement for lubrication before resizing. This, and the question of whether you neck-size or full-length resize your rifle cases, are the only considerations that might deter people from trying to reload this type of case, and there is endless information already written on the subjects.
Correctly resized bottlenecked cases often do not require any crimp to hold the bullet in place, so this is actually one less step when compared to reloading pistol calibres. However, you may need to trim the cases from time to time.

Myth 2

- Using a powder charge that is slightly under, or over, what’s recommended in the reloading data will be catastrophic.

The reloading data produced by the powder manufacturers is the result of extensive testing and represents the ‘best’ range of powder charges for the given calibre. They are not set in stone limits beyond which there will be a catastrophe. If the data states a charge range of 35 to 39-grains of a particular powder, it does not mean that a charge of 39.3-grains will destroy the gun instantly. Repeatedly firing ammunition loaded with a charge that exceeds the recommended maximum, may cause accelerated wear of the bore, which may eventually cause a catastrophic failure in the future, but it is not going to blow the gun to pieces with the first shot.
Powder manufacturers work within large safety margins and will rarely, if at all, publish data that generates chamber pressures at the very top of the gun’s limits. Rifle manufacturers also build their guns to withstand excess chamber pressures of around 25-50%, at least once, so an occasional overweight charge is not going to do harm.
All this said, deliberately going outside the recommended powder charge/chamber pressure for your gun is neither recommended nor sensible.

Myth 3

- Very light loads will explode rather than burn.

This is a theory that many reloaders believe, but none have actually experienced. There are instances where people have had guns fail or be damaged while using light loads, but this is generally attributed to a bullet not leaving the barrel due to a powder charge not generating enough chamber pressure, and then another round being fired up the blocked barrel.
Powder manufacturers have never been able to recreate the explosion scenario, even with the specialised gear they have for testing and measuring chamber pressures, and there are no proven cases of guns being blown up by light loads.
If 35-grains of a particular powder can fire a bullet out of a gun without damage, how can a load of 10-grains generate enough pressure and energy to blow the gun up? The 10-grains are unlikely to get the bullet all the way out of the barrel, and so present a danger if another round is fired as explained above, but it will not do any harm alone.
If a powder charge is particularly small, then the way it sits inside the case can vary, and it can often not be in contact with the primer, meaning the burn rate and pressure curve can be inconsistent. Shooters might feel variations in recoil and experience poor grouping on the target when this happens.
Claims that, in a low powder volume vs high case capacity situation, the powder can ‘detonate’ instead of burn remain totally unproven.

Myth 4

- Loading for maximum chamber pressure and velocity produces the most accurate load.

This is very rarely the case. Normally, when you are experimenting with different loads, you will come across a particular powder charge that results in a ‘sweet spot’ in terms of accuracy. It might be in the middle or higher half of the powder charge range, but it is rarely at the top end. The right combination of cartridge overall length, powder charge, charge density (percentage of the space in the case occupied by the powder) and felt recoil, will all contribute to the best load in terms of accuracy and consistency. Often a load density of around 80 to 90% is considered to provide the best accuracy.

Myth 5

- The muzzle velocity of a given load never varies.

Once you have developed your favourite load, with the right combination of all the variables in play, you might assume that the muzzle velocity will always be exactly the same, shot after shot, but this is not the case. Even expensive factory ammunition will have a degree of variation in the muzzle velocities it generates. Typically, variations can be around 30 fps on either side of the average.
All powders are temperature sensitive, and on a very hot day, muzzle velocities can increase by over 50 fps, with a corresponding loss of accuracy. On very cold days, the same ammunition may generate velocities correspondingly low.
Long-range benchrest competitors will fire test rounds and monitor factors like temperature and other atmospheric conditions to ensure such variations in velocity are factored into their scoring shots on the day, in the given conditions.

Conclusion

Reloading is not a dark art, nor is it an exact science, but if it is done correctly and safely, there is nothing to fear. Like all sciences, there are variables that you have to both control and consider, and if you do your research, you will soon find that a lot of the myths around reloading are just that, plain myths.