Will Reloading Outside Change My Ballistic Characteristics

[BearNaked]

So i am planning on setting up a range on some friends property and i am going to make a temp reloading bench at my shooting table so i can do full load development in one shooting session instead of multiple range trips.

My question is will i get different results reloading outside versus reloading inside the AC with limiting outside variances.

Here are the problems i am looking at:

• temp (ammo will heat up while i am shooting outside so i dont think this really matters but still throwing it out there.)
  • this also applies to the chargemaster. will this affect the readings i am getting after time spent in the sun or outside in general?
• humidity having more access to the powder/primer
  • will this affect the charge master as well?
• I am not too worried about wind as the chargemaster has a wind shield on it or cover or whatever you want to call it and just have to watch transferring it to the case.

 

[Kadams1563]

I'm sure it will to a certain degree but will you be able to tell?

I doubt it. The first 100 rounds through my rifle were shot and reloaded on a bench outside and I could not tell a difference.

We used a arbor press, Wilson seater die, and a chargemaster. It was fast and simple.


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[BearNaked]

well at 300 i wouldnt think so but if my loads are from the range trip at 300 and loading everything outside to then loading everything inside for a 1200 match. that is the place where i am talking about it making a difference. i dont know if i couldnt point the issue to wind or something else so maybe it wont matter at all. just throwing some thoughts out there while i wait for my barrel to get back.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Wild Catters have been loading outside for over a century. I basically load outside in an outhouse.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

If you buy an inverter, that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter to run your Chargemaster, you can do all that within a vehicle to shelter it from the wind.

 

[BearNaked]

If you buy an inverter, that simply plugs into the cigarette lighter to run your Chargemaster, you can do all that within a vehicle to shelter it from the wind.

I have a plug in my truck that will run the chargemaster so i may do that. i just figured the heat of the truck sitting there would be a little more concentrated unless i jumped in and turned it on.

 

[V-Ref]

Prep & prime your brass brass in a sterile/indoor environment. Throw your powder charges ahead of time in vials. Tweak the charge weights that show promise via trickler/tweezers, and seating depth via Wilson arbor seater die at the range. Wind & measuring precision powder charges don't mix, you'll need to fab up a way to get the scale out of the wind.

 

[TripleBull]

V-Ref has it right. To add to "Wind & measuring precision powder charges don't mix", I'll say that varying temperature also messes with precision mass measurement. High humidity at the range probably adds to variability compared to the best home environments.

 

[BearNaked]

so if i did the chargemaster in the truck when i am throwing powders and filling the cases would be the best way to do it?

I am sure the arbor press is great but i am not going to get a new press just for this, maybe later on but not right now. i am running the inline fabrication quick change plates and i have one of the bases on my bench and the mobile bench that i am making.

 

[GhengisAhn175]

It's best to just prep your charges st home and store in vials as suggested above.

As for presses, if you have a strong bench at the range just take a C clamp or two and your current press to it.

or if you have a truck I'm having a type of hitch mounted work area built so I can put a press or my barrel vise on.

 

[BearNaked]

or if you have a truck I'm having a type of hitch mounted work area built so I can put a press or my barrel vise on.

that would be sweet

 

[V-Ref]

so if i did the chargemaster in the truck when i am throwing powders and filling the cases would be the best way to do it?

I am sure the arbor press is great but i am not going to get a new press just for this, maybe later on but not right now. i am running the inline fabrication quick change plates and i have one of the bases on my bench and the mobile bench that i am making.

BearNaked

Arbor seating dies don't REQUIRE another press, provided you're not using much more than .002 worth of neck tension, an able bodied person can seat a bullet using your hands at the range as long as you had a hard surface to press the die against (bench, tailgate, etc).

Wilson Inline Seating Die->send it to your smith and he can push the finish reamer used in your chamber into the die blank->you get arguably the best seating die available for loaded round concentricity available.

Being able to bring your press to the range is nice too. Just offered this as a more minimalist suggestion.

 

[V-Ref]

Here's dialing in a RPR 6.5 Creed

Powder throwing/scale box with space age wind sealant flap

$8 MTM 12 gauge shotshell holder to hold pre thrown powder vials

 

[SubOptimal]

Some of the most OCD reloader folks in the world (bench rest rail gun shooters) load right there on the same bench or nearby the gun. These are guys who will wait for the turbulence to dissipate if a bird flies across their bullet path.
Go ahead and load outdoors at your bench.
Back when I shot 22-250 I would carry a little Lee hand squeezed press to work on loads, I only had 20 pieces of brass and nothing more than a simple balance beam scale. If it was a little breezy out, I'd stand a hard cover book up near the scale. Stack of books and a small sand bag under the fore end of my Ruger #1.
The wood chucks never seemed to notice. They died before they heard the sound of the shot.

 

[V-Ref]

If you decide to splurge on a arbor press, get a Wilson Neck bushing sizing die. With virgin brass you'll be able to get 4-5 firings (for a bolt gun) before having to bring your conventional press from home to FL size.

This will enable you to conduct load development with a very small lot of brass at the range provided you have a way to restore the neck elasticity via annealing at the range. This will keep you from developing a load that loosens primer pockets prematurely and ruining entire lots of brass, and allow you to experiment with neck tension via bushings "on the fly" once you find a load combo that shows promise.

By splurging on a 21st Century priming tool, you could now add primers to your experimentation to lower ES and group size.

How much is wear/tear on your vehicle, your time from family/work, and your efforts in general worth? These tools have value in those regards. But I understand the stuff isn't free either.

Food for thought is my only intent. Good shooting ðŸ‘￾