First time pistol reloading

[kwaynem]

I loaded 3 different loads for my G23 the first was 5.6 grains and then these 2 today they were all shot off a bag at 10 yards

 

[MacFromOK]

Congrats!

 

[kwaynem]

I didn’t think it was too bad off a bag from a guy with tremors in his left arm and head lol

 

[PBramble]

Try 5 grains, stop flinching.

 

[panayoti]

I would suggest staying at the low end of the recommended powder charge for reloads. Glocks have sloppy chambers plus unsupported areas. Watch for case bulging. Other than that have fun

 

[kwaynem]

Try 5 grains, stop flinching.

That’s over max in my book

 

[kwaynem]

I would suggest staying at the low end of the recommended powder charge for reloads. Glocks have sloppy chambers plus unsupported areas. Watch for case bulging. Other than that have fun

No case bulge yet and the low load shoots good

 

[dlbleak]

You’re gonna put your eye out kid! There’s a satisfaction that comes with loading and shooting your own ammo.

 

[BadKarma]

When I started reloading I was all about hotter is better until I found that
best accuracy is sometime found in less than max, maybe middle range or even
lower charges. Easier to shoot and not as hard on the pistol. Took awhile to
figure that out but that's been my experience. Looks like you're on the right
track so just keep it up.

 

[Rez Exelon]

When I started reloading I was all about hotter is better until I found that
best accuracy is sometime found in less than max, maybe middle range or even
lower charges. Easier to shoot and not as hard on the pistol. Took awhile to
figure that out but that's been my experience. Looks like you're on the right
track so just keep it up.

Not only that but it also gives a lot of headroom in case your powder drop gradually increases. I tend to check mine every so often to verify I'm in a safe working range. My testing protocol is:
1. Review what the book says.
2. Double check what the book says.
3. See if there's anyone posting good experiences with a certain load that resembles my situation (gun/bullet/powder etc)
4. Check if that data matches my book.
5. Run a ladder up and down from there to check accuracy.

Ideally, I'll have a happy accurate load that is going to be at minimum .3 grains from max on pistol. Most I've ever seen my dropper wander is .2 grain so that should cover it. But honestly, the closer to the middle of the load data I get the better. I want accurate, I want enough velocity for the projectile to reach it's best performance (especially on JHP that needs a minimum velocity to open up right) but I also want to get that with the least powder usage and least recoil I can.

The last load I did close to this I started high though for comparison. It was a 180gr federal HST over 6.6-6.8 gr CFE. No issues at all, no pressure signs, also fired from a G23 and a CX4. But in the early testing 6.6 gr was better accuracy than the 6.8. So on the next run I'll actually work downward from there.