41mag
Well-Known Member
I have been working with and around loads for most of the past 20 years. I know enough to keep most of my hunting rifles into 1" groups or close to it at 200yds.
My question is, once I make the plunge into "REAL" long range shooting just how meticulous do I need to get with loads and components.
Here is a baseline on what I do now with a new rifle. First if it is a factory chambering, I will pick up several different boxes of ammo for it to develop a baseline on cases. Either way I try to determine which might be the best for that particular rifle. If no preference is shown in loads then I generally stick with one brand for all loads with that particular arm.
I try to buy brass in bulk of at least a 500ct. Of these I will generally pick out 100 to start with. I start by full length resizing them, trim them to min length, square the primer pockets, and debur the flash holes.
If while working up loads I find something that requires exact weighing of a load I will use it if I have to, however, for most loads I generally will just throw them. I haven't personally had the opportunity to won a rifle as of yet that will obviously show much if any differences in the loads.
In bullets, I generally do not weigh them either. I realize that this may come to be something I need to do once I get out to longer ranges, however for what I have been shooting out to 400yds or so it just hasn't been a necessity.
As for concentricity, I haven't gone that route either. I have checked a few here and there through the years but just never got that into it much more, as groups didn't seem to be a factor for hunting loads. Is this something I will need to get into a practice of doing?
Overall lengths of the bullets, as well as loaded cases. I see where folks are measuring the OAL of bullets as well as the bearing surfaces and such. Is this something that is truly needed for shots out to 600, 800 or 1000 yards? IF so which equipment is the best for this sort of measuring as well as which would suffice if the longest ranges were only a minor factor in most cases?
As for dies, which would be better suited for the ranges out to 1000 yards? Do they necessarily need to bench rest quality or will some of the standard dies be suitable? I do realize that should I go with a wildcat that this is almost a moot question. However I do have several other items which given the chance should work out well for some longer ranges.
I know that there are some things which I may have missed here and there but this pretty much will get me headed in the right directions. I am still working on putting away for a special acquisition hopefully later this year. So this will give me some forewarning on what I am about to jump into.
Thanks in advance for helping me out with this, I just don't want to add to a sometimes overboard shopping spree for things I think I need, when I may only use them once, or never for that matter.
My question is, once I make the plunge into "REAL" long range shooting just how meticulous do I need to get with loads and components.
Here is a baseline on what I do now with a new rifle. First if it is a factory chambering, I will pick up several different boxes of ammo for it to develop a baseline on cases. Either way I try to determine which might be the best for that particular rifle. If no preference is shown in loads then I generally stick with one brand for all loads with that particular arm.
I try to buy brass in bulk of at least a 500ct. Of these I will generally pick out 100 to start with. I start by full length resizing them, trim them to min length, square the primer pockets, and debur the flash holes.
If while working up loads I find something that requires exact weighing of a load I will use it if I have to, however, for most loads I generally will just throw them. I haven't personally had the opportunity to won a rifle as of yet that will obviously show much if any differences in the loads.
In bullets, I generally do not weigh them either. I realize that this may come to be something I need to do once I get out to longer ranges, however for what I have been shooting out to 400yds or so it just hasn't been a necessity.
As for concentricity, I haven't gone that route either. I have checked a few here and there through the years but just never got that into it much more, as groups didn't seem to be a factor for hunting loads. Is this something I will need to get into a practice of doing?
Overall lengths of the bullets, as well as loaded cases. I see where folks are measuring the OAL of bullets as well as the bearing surfaces and such. Is this something that is truly needed for shots out to 600, 800 or 1000 yards? IF so which equipment is the best for this sort of measuring as well as which would suffice if the longest ranges were only a minor factor in most cases?
As for dies, which would be better suited for the ranges out to 1000 yards? Do they necessarily need to bench rest quality or will some of the standard dies be suitable? I do realize that should I go with a wildcat that this is almost a moot question. However I do have several other items which given the chance should work out well for some longer ranges.
I know that there are some things which I may have missed here and there but this pretty much will get me headed in the right directions. I am still working on putting away for a special acquisition hopefully later this year. So this will give me some forewarning on what I am about to jump into.
Thanks in advance for helping me out with this, I just don't want to add to a sometimes overboard shopping spree for things I think I need, when I may only use them once, or never for that matter.
