How to Reload ... At the Range
Portable Reloading Setup Tips
Any type of moving air, including reloading with a fan blowing over your
equipment, can introduce unwanted variables. Block the wind and use
two scales. The electronic ones are so inexpensive that having a
confirming reading is a no-brainer.
When I test loads, there are two methods I use to find the ideal combinations. I either use the ladder method or I actually reload on the range.
A hand priming tool is perfect for range use. Keep it directed away from your face!
The Ladder Method
The ladder method begins with the best estimate of the load, beginning on the bottom end of the load chart. The reloader loads sample cartridges in groups, usually five or six at a time. In each group, the load is increased incrementally. On the range, the groups are tested, one group at a time, beginning with the lightest load.
Keep the test groups small. When I test a revolver load, I use groups of six for a six-shot revolver. I save the little shipping bags from small parts and repurpose them for loads. I write the load info on the bag with a Sharpie and put the spent brass in it for later inspection.
It takes a little common sense to decide how large of an increment to increase the load, but it depends a lot on how much margin there is in the load tables and how accurately one can measure and trickle a particular type of powder.
For example, let’s say you are testing some .380 loads, and you are using Nosler 115-grain bullets, Nosler load data and Unique powder. On their data, the minimum load is 2.3 grains, and the maximum load is 3.3 grains. I use a Hornady Lock-N-Load scale for my quick check measurements. It is accurate to a 10th of a grain, so changing the loads among test groups in 0.1 grain increments does not make sense. Changing the increments to 0.5 grains doesn’t either since there is only a grain difference in the range for this powder. I generally use 10 to 15% increments for each group.
When testing loads, only change one factor. That is, if you are testing the amount of powder for a new load, don’t switch primers or case OAL in mid-stream. Use the OVAT (one variable at a time) method.
If a load you are testing is not the one, don’t keep shooting it. Use your bullet puller and move on.
Lindsey mounted a Lee Reloader Press on a piece of plywood.
He uses trigger clamps to attach it to the shooting bench or tailgate.
Although Lindsey generally sizes the cases before heading
out to the range, this setup is perfectly capable of
sizing .45 Colt brass.
loading bench to go
Yes, I bring a portable press and the rest of my reloading kit to the range. I use a lightweight Lee Reloader Press for field use. I mounted the press on a section of plywood long and wide enough to provide an area for clamping. I affix my press to the range bench or my tailgate with several trigger clamps.
The press doesn’t need to do any resizing — you can do all that at home in advance. All of the other reloading operations can be done on-site.
I use a Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer for priming. I like this kit because it naturally requires the user to hold the case mouth away from the face in use.
I use a powder trickler and two scales. The powder measure stage is where the operation becomes dicey. First, my bigger, more stable electronic scales use AC power. Although I have an emergency power system, I’m always concerned about introducing static electricity into the mix. I have learned that static is often the enemy of accurate measure.
The other factor is moving air. Even a five mph wind is enough to throw the loads off. One day I was reloading on the range and later found my scales had fluctuated three grains. Air moving across a surface causes lift. Most of the time we notice, but this can be subtle. It will generally cause a platform scale to weigh light and a balance scale, the kind with a rounded cup for the powder, to weigh heavy. This is an application of Bernoulli’s Principle.
I use two battery-powered scales, or a balance mechanical scale, like an RCBS 505 and an electronic scale. I block the wind carefully, even on a calm day.
RCBS ships an attachment with their Uniflow Powder Measure that allows the measure to be mounted to the press, using a die to secure it. It is a flat piece of metal with holes machined to securely mount the powder measure. This is the easiest tool for having a powder measure on the range. I mount this to either the plywood base or the press itself.
Which is better, ladder loading or reloading on the range? They both have their place. The former allows the shooter to quickly test rounds that are already loaded, and the latter allows for making quick adjustments and backing up the data with more shooting. There’s nothing wrong with a combination of both.
