Hello 2ahawaii members. I Just picked up on reloading ammo and reloaded my first 20 rounds of 223.  I followed the instructions on how to prep the case and measure it.  My main concern is the charge weight.  I purchased 62gr fmj bullets and i am using reloder 15 rifle powder.  To weigh my powder im using my dads old school 502 reloader scale.  I was just wondering what happens if im over by a grain or under the manufacture charge specs? Im a little paranoid to fire these rounds .

You need to find a reloading book that will list the components and powder you are using.  If your charge weight is near max or if you are picking a charge that someone has used on the internet, reduce by at least 10% and work up, looking for overpressure signs. On using internet, or hearsay loads, I like to get a few corroborations so I can see if the load is in a safe pressure area.

If you are loading for a gas gun, pay particular attention to the max trim length, COAL(cartridge overall length), primers are seated below flush in the case,  and shoulder bump.  You want the case to slip into the chamber easily to avoid slamfires.

If you are near max, and you are over 1 grain, you might be overpressure, if you are near minimum and under 1 grain you could have a squib(bullet stuck in the barrel) which would be a bad day, if you were to try and fire another round.

Alliant Powder has a reloader's guide with a few components and recommended charges.  I didn't see anything with 62 grn fmj...  Maybe you can play around somewhere in the range of the 69 grn load areas...
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/RecipeList.aspx?gtypeid=2

Here is a good article on reloading for gas guns and service rifles, from Sierra...
http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reloadbasics/gasgunreload.cfm


As always, I will tout the OCW method of load development, for finding the most tolerant and consistent charge weight for rifle.
http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/

I do not load .223, but I know that there are some guys on this site that use RL15 to load for .223, hopefully they chime in.  Maybe add ".223 and RL15" to your thread title.

I have an Alliant pdf file that lists a Speer 62gr. FMJ Bullet with Reloder15. The data indicates 25.0 grains and will be compressed. Therefore when you dropped the powder into the case it should have come pretty near the top. Maybe even overflowing. I never used Reloder15 so I can't say for sure. I suspect your paranoia comes from the fact that it is a "compressed" load. For a novice reloader, that can be quite unnerving.  ???Answer these questions and the forum can give you more help:
1- Exactly what bullet did you use?
2- Are the empty shells all the same headstamp? What headstamp is on the brass?
3- Did the empty shells come from YOUR gun?
4- What kind of reloading dies did you use? Brand/model#
5- What kind of gun is going to be used to shoot the ammo?
6- Does it have a standard or "match grade" barrel?

These factors can have a greater effect on your overall success. It would be pretty hard to screw up a compressed load.

Hey oldfart. Im using pmc bronze brass to reload. I actually followed the alliant manual. Im using the lee precision 3 die set which i picked up at WGS.

Hello 2ahawaii members. I Just picked up on reloading ammo and reloaded my first 20 rounds of 223.  I followed the instructions on how to prep the case and measure it.  My main concern is the charge weight.  I purchased 62gr fmj bullets and i am using reloder 15 rifle powder.  To weigh my powder im using my dads old school 502 reloader scale.  I was just wondering what happens if im over by a grain or under the manufacture charge specs? Im a little paranoid to fire these rounds .

If you are over by 1 grain, something is wrong with your setup.  1 full grain is a lot to mis-throw.  A weight variation of 0.1 to 0.2 grains is more likely and will happen unless hand measuring each round.  Unless you are loading at the EXTREME high or low limits or are building competition ammo, the 0.1-0.2 won't hurt anything.

As far as compressed loads.......I put some together a while back when messing with varget.  Loads were pretty accurate, but I never felt completely comfortable running compressed loads and hearing the crunch of the powder.  I stopped using that combination and moved on....

There are a ton of powders out there for 223, buy powder 1 pound at a time until you find what you/your gun likes best for the type of load you are building.  I generally use 2015 or TAC for 55-62 FMJ and H4895 for heavier stuff.

Hope this helps.
 

Im using the amsicor 62gr fmj. And the brass was shot in my ar15

Im using the amsicor 62gr fmj. And the brass was shot in my ar15

Ok, so we are making blasting ammo 

In that case, I say save the RL15 for better bullets and pick up a pound of TAC or some other easy to meter ball powder for blasting.

If at any time you are unsure of your rounds, I say you should pull the bullets and check your charge weight.  Peace of mind is priceless and the time it takes to pull 20 rounds will be well spent vs replacing a AR or an eyeball.

I've used pmc brass before. It is kinda soft. After a few reloads the primer pocket might get loose.
Your primary concern is if the reloading dies sized the case enough to chamber easily in your AR.
Then the next thing to look for is if the bullet is seated deep enough not to be jammed into the rifling.
You already stated that you prepped the cases so I won't remind you about case length.
Make a dummy round to check for easy chambering and to optimize the bullet seating depth. Try the smoke/soot method.
I suspect that the optimum bullet depth is longer than what will fit in your magazine though.

I would suggest you get a Wilson chamber gauge to ensure all rounds are spec correctly, gas guns with floating firing pins are apt to slam fire if case is incorrectly sized/trimmed.  Check that all cases fall into spec.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/456614/le-wilson-case-length-headspace-gage-223-remington

You won't get the correct 'feel' closing the bolt on a dummy round.

I would suggest you get a Wilson chamber gauge to ensure all rounds are spec correctly, gas guns with floating firing pins are apt to slam fire if case is incorrectly sized/trimmed.  Check that all cases fall into spec.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/456614/le-wilson-case-length-headspace-gage-223-remington

You won't get the correct 'feel' closing the bolt on a dummy round.

+1
I have the lyman version for a few calibers.  I primarily use these when first setting up my sizing dies and for double checking them before doing a big batch.  Saves you from making a bunch of rounds and finding out they wont chamber later.  Trust me, it sucks to pull 50 rounds of crimped ammo with a kinetic puller 

How close are you to the upper limit on the powder?  There are max and min weight of powder for a particular recipe, how close are you to the upper end?

Hello 2ahawaii members. I Just picked up on reloading ammo and reloaded my first 20 rounds of 223.  I followed the instructions on how to prep the case and measure it.  My main concern is the charge weight.  I purchased 62gr fmj bullets and i am using reloder 15 rifle powder.  To weigh my powder im using my dads old school 502 reloader scale.  I was just wondering what happens if im over by a grain or under the manufacture charge specs? Im a little paranoid to fire these rounds .

Does your dad's scale have any calibration weights to check it's accuracy?  It should have at least 1 or 2 and you are good to go if it checks out good (accurate). 

May be worth it for your peace of mind to buy a new scale if no more or buy a couple of calibration weights.

+1 to Heavies suggestion on getting at least 1 reloading manual.  And, definitely get the data for the powder you are using and start from the low end and work your way up to find the load for your rifle.

Everyone here gave you great advice! I don't have much to add except that I had one of those scales and it was inaccurate by .1 grams which in itself is not much. Unless you are on the upper side of your recipe. In which case I would be careful and double check everything before I fire them off. And if you really feel weird I'll be happy to take one or two apart for you and double check your loading just to verify what you have.

thanks for the advice everyone! shot my reloads and it went smooth!  now gonna try and reload 45acp ammo!

Great job.  hope its accurate for you.

thanks for the advice everyone! shot my reloads and it went smooth!  now gonna try and reload 45acp ammo!

Let us know how it goes.

thanks for the advice everyone! shot my reloads and it went smooth!  now gonna try and reload 45acp ammo!

I suggest that you get carbide dies for pistol cartridges. That way, you don't have to lube the cases. I use Lee carbide pistol dies and they work fine.
Also, if you can get a case tumbler (not really necessary but handy) it will help your dies last longer and make your brass all nice and shiny!