casting and shooting

[Blammer]

It all started when I stubbed my toe on an ammo can under my work bench.

I wondered what was in it. Ammo.

I decided to clean it out and before long I had to get a pen and paper to record what I had.

Before long I was looking around and for example found 8 different partial boxes of 45acp ammo. Apparently I was testing something and completed it to my satisfaction and just never got around to finishing off the box. Well this was for 8 seperate tests. :) So one box has, say 11rounds of 185gr NOE HP's, one box 16 rnds of225gr rn, some HG130's, etc...

The more I looked the more I found that ALL of the calibers I load for were in the same spot. On average 4-5 partial boxes. Some had 13, some 8, some 34 rnds in it.

So my goal is to even out all my partial boxes. :) Maybe I'll remember to write down what ones do really well so I can duplicate them. :)

I concluded that the CASTING is the culprit. Why? Because when I cast I don't end up with round numbers like 50, or 100, like the factory stuff. When casting I may wind up with 167, or 89, or 36. I load that many and then have "extras".

I suspect I'll be shooting up a bunch of extra's this year, and trying to cast less. (yea right. :) )

[Wolfer]

Sometimes I just have to shoot a bunch of oddball stuff into my sand bucket just to get my brass and lead back.

[41mag]

I used to have that issue years ago when I would load up several loads with several different J-words and then drive to the range to test them out. I still find a box of something here and there on occasion.

I have to say that since I started pouring my own boolits, I try to do an even numbered run of something I am testing out. That way I at least have a 50rd box to try. I might divide it up into different charge weights, but I still load the full box.

That said I usually try and work up loads while in the country nowadays, so when I find something close I load up a box to have around until the next trip up to work on something different. Contrary to the J-words, I have yet to find a load that really isn't good enough for hunting out to 50yds easily with the cast boolits I have poured. Then again, I have had tons of information on what is working for most of what I am pouring gathered up right here on this site by folks like yourself.

Also, that's the nice thing about hogs, even if they aren't the absolute "best" load, they still qualify for hog fodder.

[1Shirt]

I TRY to not have partial boxes of loaded ammo. TRY being the optimum word, and not always the reality. However, I very seldom leave the range with a partial box of loaded ammo, with the exception of 22LR. That means I shoot more, which doesn't hurt my feelings in the least.
1Shirt!
:coffee:

[btroj]

I have been shooting some ammo I ha loaded for testing in the past. I am now remembering why I don't load my 45 Colt as heavy for the Blackhawk any more.
Seems like I need a few days each year to go to the range to just empty cases. Those are usually pretty fun days at the range too!

[paul h]

I try to load ammo into either full boxes, or in increments of 5 or 10. Doesn't always work. I also have some partial boxes of rifle ammo from tests I'd started way back when, didn't complete, and the ammo has been sitting.

The wost part is I used to keep some of the specifics of the loads in my memory, which was fine when I'd test the ammo within a day or two of loading it and could note what worked well. Where the rub comes is when life gets in the way of load testing, and it's a year before you test the ammo.

All I can say is I have an appreciation for the importance of keeping thorough and accurate notes when working up loads. They say the memory is the first to go, I don't recall what goes next?

[dragonrider]

Some time ago I cured that problem by tossing extra boolits back into the pot when done loading, when I go the range I shoot up the ammo I brought. The only extra rounds I keep around now are those loads that I have tested and determined that I will continue to use.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I always have partial boxes of my optimal loads,
I rarely shoot up complete boxes when at the range, for various reasons.
I like to have those "extras" laying around...in a box and labeled, of course.
BUT,
when testing, I usually blast away all the "other loads" that aren't
optimal for a caliber or Gun...unless they NEED to be pulled !
So the brass is empty and ready for the next "Test",
since the range I use isn't as easy as walking out my back door.
Jon