Quality Reloading/Handloading Components?

To your first question

1.) Which company(ies) do you believe make the highest quality dies and/or tools?

-Redding - Wilson - Sinclair - Forster - Hornady - RCBS - Lee

2.) Which brass is considered, in today's shooting environment, to be of premium quality and consistency?

-Norma - Lapua - Hornady

3.) What (tool(s)) do you guys use to turn necks?

Sinclair - K&M - Forster

4.) When considering single stage presses, what do you consider to be the best make/model, and what is your reasoning?

Forster Co-Ax ( straight line action no shell holder needed, dies float some what and align ), RCBS Rockchucker ( they last I have used one for over 45 years still tight )


To your second Question

Those of you who turn necks, what kind of results have you been getting (as compared to brass that hasn't been turned).

Concentricity and consistency - I turn necks because I an addicted to trying to get the most out of every shot and over the last several years I have personally had the best groups from brass that has been massaged (neck turned to clean up not 100% just cleaned up to remove most high spots, flash hole deburred, primer pockets cut to uniform depth). Every round is checked for concentricity and grouped by runout. By the way, it is not necessary to neck turn to get good results, but once you start you just want to keep doing it. And I am retired and have the time.

I don't neck turn but after annealing my 257 brass to save it splitting, my sd cut in half or more. I now anneal all my lr rifles and even my 308 federal brass has tightened the sd from annealing. All I do is use a 9/16 socket on impact, slowly revolve in the same spot on an acetalyne torch, watch the ring of colour move about half an inch past the shoulder, drop it in the container of water below it.

I have lots of dies, etc most work just fine, I have neck sized and full length sized my 308 and found very little difference in the grouping thus I don't worry about the "quality of dies" their quality helps make minute adjustments etc. But all of them will work.

Lapua and Norma brass are very nice. My 308 tightens up its velocity when I load the lapua brass verse the federal

Brass? Lapua by far the best brass. Then Norma, Nosler, Hornady
Press? Forster Co-Ax but I got great results for years with an RCBS Rockchucker.
Dies? I use RCBS, Redding, Hornady and Lee. Honestly I think you can craft great loads with any decent die set.
I have a die from Innovative Technologies that is great for sizing belted cases uniformly. Highly recommend it if you load any belted magnums
I've been hand loading since 1962 and find that I still have a lot to learn.
Neck turner? I use a Forster.
I also find a good bullet concentricity tool like Hornady to be a great help in tightening up groups.
Lastly you need a chronograph to get accurate MVs and velocity spread. If you're estimating and you're off by 50 fps it shows up downrange. If your loads have much velocity spread you won't see it at 100 or 200 yards either Mine cost like $100 and works fine

pushcoguy said:

What tools do you guys use to measure base to ogive?

Click to expand...

I like the Davidson base and nose pieces sold by Sinclair. Easy to use and always right on.

pushcoguy said:

1.) Which company(ies) do you believe make the highest quality dies and/or tools?
2.) Which brass is considered, in today's shooting environment, to be of premium quality and consistency?
3.) What (tool(s)) do you guys use to turn necks?
4.) When considering single stage presses, what do you consider to be the best make/model, and what is your reasoning?
5.) What tools do you guys use to measure base to ogive?

Click to expand...

1)- Redding & Forster precision
2)- Lapua, Norma
3)- NA, I'm not a bench rest shooter.
4)- Forster Co-Ax, Redding Big Boss II (cast iron)
5)- I've found bullet tips vs. ogive length inconsistent, I set my dies up off ogive length. Sinclair or Hornady Comparator, Hornady kit on sale right now at Sinclairintl-dot-com /reloading-equipment/measuring-tools/bullet-comparators/lnl-comparator-body-w-14-inserts-prod36535.aspx
I also suggest a bump gage to go with it. I use a FL die and set it to push the shoulder back only a couple thousands for a bolt gun, 0.005 for an accurate AR.
sinclairintl-dot-com /reloading-equipment/measuring-tools/case-gauges-headspace-tools/sinclair-bump-gage-insert-prod35265.aspx

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243winxb said:

None. The old method. Take a fired case, bend the case mouth to hold a bullet, seated long. Chamber , extract, measure about 3 times or more to get a OAL to bullet tip.

I want a good amount of bullet shank into the case and have the rounds fit the magazine.

Trying to reach the rifling with a factory rife is mostly a waste of time.

Click to expand...

I agree with 243winxb and his method. I use a digital scale to measure powder charges, and sometimes empty cases. I use dial caliper to measure empty cases and full length loaded cartridges and use the reloading manual for the length required.

Thanks to all, for the responses.

So, I have heard and shared the "I'm just a hunter" reasoning, for not getting too far down the rabbit hole, with chasing extreme precision. I still wonder, from a benchrest shooter who doesn't turn necks, what is the reasoning?

To explain my confusion: I read just a few weeks ago that "turning necks often reduces group size by 50%". Now, while understand the theory behind this, I don't know if I buy in to the 50% smaller groups thing. I mean, if that were true... I am sure that 8 out of 10 handloaders would be doing it. Can anyone help me to understand/believe? Testimonials? Thanks in advance.

50% is a bit much for me. Shooting a Rem 40x with Win brass right out of the bag, groups run 3/4" @ 100 yards.

Now do a full case prep, do the flash holes, neck turn, trim, FL bushing die, minimum shoulder set back, sort by weight. Groups will shrink to 1/2" or under. This is shooting 4 groups of 5 shots each, for an average.

Where the neck turning helps me is, the unsized part of the neck, expands to the chamber. This centers the bullet in the middle of the leade. This unsized area takes about 3 firing till there is no spring back of the unsized neck area.

I also shoot a Rem 600 Mohawk in 243. For years the same load would do 1/2" for one group and the next would measure 1 1/2" mostly because of 1 or 2 flyers. Doing the above made it a good average 3/4" shooter, no flyers.

Will all this extra work help? Only way to know is, do you own testing.

Wind flag, 36 power scope on the 40x and 18 on the 600 carbine help. Last time at 300 yards (40x) with a 68 gr and 90 br bullets, 6-5 shot groups, 3 groups measured just under 1" @ 300 yds.

Conditions, little to no wind, over cast. When the wind blows and the sun comes out, i cant hit the broad side of a barn.

Just wanted to see if the old gun and i, could do it. Proof that anything is possible.