As a Matter of Fact, You Should Start Reloading
Bullet choice is in my mind the hardest component decision to make. Bullet styles, features, and price vary to a nearly overwhelming level, and each serve a purpose. Match bullets may have high BC's and tight specs, but may not make the best hunting bullets due to a lack of expansion. Hunting bullets may not make the tightest groups and have lower BC's, but do mass damage on game. Some bullets make a great hybrid of both, but cost significantly more. Your decision comes down to purpose and willingness to pay. As I do both matches and hunting, my go to is the Hornady ELD line of bullets. They have great BC's, good expansion, and are quite easy in load development.
Finally, we come to brass. Choice of brass comes down to price vs. brass life. If you shoot only enough to practice with your hunting gun, getting 15+ firings out of your brass isn't necessary and neither is the $1+ price per piece that comes with it. However, if you shoot 2 matches a month year round, that Lapua brass flat out pays for itself. Admittedly a Hornady fan boy across the board, I have had great luck with Hornady brass, but I will be switching to Lapua soon. Not to oversimplify it, but it comes down to shooters choice. They all work.
The least stressful way to start this adventure as a beginner is by buying a reloading kit. While there are many nice kits, I personally started with the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit. To fully reload, all that is needed realistically is a die set, a set of calipers, and your components.
As far as picking which brand and style dies, it is as varied as bullet choice. I have had Hornady, RCBS, Lee, and now Forster. I have effectively loaded with all, but the higher priced dies tend to be a little easier to use and more repeatable in results.
Now on top of the components mentioned, one piece of gear that is quite handy, and viewed as necessary by most, is an overall length gauge and caliber specific modified case. This is the easiest way to measure and determine seating depth for your bullet. For my first 200 rounds or so, this was all that was used.
The included powder thrower and balance beam scale are slow but can be used effectively. A beam scale specifically is quite accurate, and even preferred by some. Below, is a picture of the first load test I ever did using the above-mentioned equipment. These were the first 25 rounds I ever loaded. Not super impressive, but satisfactory. While I have obviously upgraded gear, which I will discuss, you don't have to get complicated.
View attachment 81187 Five 5-shot groups. The first 25 rounds I ever loaded.
As mentioned, I have since upgraded some of my equipment. My rule of thumb on upgrades: Is the investment worth the reward, or is there a more cost effective alternative for my needs? What I mean by this is while I would love a Prometheus scale, or a Giraud Power trimmer, there are cheaper options that fit my needs and allow for more disposable income to upgrade other gear such as optics.
All that being said, my two major upgrades have been the RCBS Chargemaster and the Frankford Arsenal case prep Center. Having an auto trickler/powder scale combo may be, in my mind, the most time saving upgrade you can make. Balance beam scales are accurate, but incredibly slow. And hand powder throwers can be difficult to employ reliably and consistently.
There are several other combos, each with its own merit. It comes down to your view of cost effectiveness. My most hated part of reloading has to be case prep, and the Frankford arsenal being an all-in-one powered tool saves a great deal of effort and frustration, and comes in at a great price!
As far as brass cleaning goes, I stayed very simple and cheap with the Frankford Arsenal case tumbler and walnut media. There are many nicer setups and media out there, but it flat gets the job done at an extremely affordable price point.
At the end of the day, I will say that you should upgrade as much as your wallet allows and you feel provides a good return on investment. It's all up to you, but there is plenty of nice gear on the market today.
A few tips learned along the way
I have this sneaky hunch that you would have a hard time finding any two people that conduct load development exactly the same. Everyone has their own quirks or peculiarities, and most anyone can get the job done effectively. Also, there are numerous tutorials of every step on www.youtube.com or various sites. Thus, I will not walk you through my entire process, but simply some of my personal points of emphasis.
To begin with, lots of people recommend sorting brass by weight. Maybe I am stubborn or a rebel, but this is something I've never done, and it hasn't seemed to hurt me. I think that time can be better invested elsewhere, but if you have the time and willingness, every little bit helps!
Also, there are opposing views on necessity of neck sizing vs. full length sizing. I personally full length size due to having multiple guns of each caliber I reload, all built off of different brand actions. Full length sizing alleviates worry that a gun may not function due to mixing up of brass fired from a different action. This is a subject I highly recommend research yourself to make the best decision for your personal needs.
My first tip has to do with measuring and determining seating depth. The easiest way I have decided seating depth is simply asking multiple people who shoot the projectile you've chosen (preferably who don't shoot with each other} what they seat to. What I look for most out of this is if I'm being told several different depths, typically the bullet isn't picky. Then I pick a good value in the middle and roll with it.
Now, I by no means claim this as a 100% foolproof method. It is just a method that has worked for me. There are other factors that can affect this such your specific chamber and simply the pickiness of your rifle. I then use my OAL gauge to determine what my OAL is, and choose what OAL I will load to from there. My main point here is measure several times (5+) and write them down. If you go with your first measurement, you may have jammed too far or not enough. What I mean by this is that you may have forced your bullets deep into the rifling of your barrel, past just touching, or may not be touching the rifling at all. Seeing what your average turns out to be is the number I usually go with.
The next part I am picky about is simply patience on the powder scale. The scientist in me yearns for ultimate precision on a scale. The Chargemaster is accurate to 0.1 grains, and I make sure I squeeze every bit of precision out of this I can. When the scale says stable, I usually give it an extra two or three seconds to make sure it doesn't jump. Furthermore, I have zero tolerance for "+/-" errors.
If I am shooting for 42.2 grains, I don't load the charge unless the scale has stabilized at the exact number. This may seem a little obvious, but some people aren't as peculiar and it can show on the range. To clarify, it is understood that once in the middle of a "node" for your particular rifle, you can have as large as +/- 0.3 grain spread in charge that has negligible effect of precision.
However, with any level of variance that can be caused by inexpensive electric scales, or how you calibrate a balance beam scale, holding yourself to a tight tolerance provides a piece of mind that you are less likely to jump out of your node. A little discipline here can prevent a lot of heartache behind the gun.
My final tip for loading actually has to do with the load testing itself. That is, shoot enough rounds for grouping and speed to be reliable. If you've never heard the concept "Statistical power", do a quick Google search. Basically, a bigger sample size always beats a smaller sample size. A lot of guys shoot 3 round groups to evaluate group size. In the long range game, the standard is a minimum of 5. I tend to not shoot ten because I am cheap, but it definitely is an effective method as well. For speed testing, it is widely accepted to shoot 5 shot strings. The scientist in me once again wants more statistical power and I try to shoot 10 when possible. I believe it gives a more accurate ES and gives you more peace of mind about SD.
Beyond all of this, the real key to reloading is discipline and humility. What I mean by this is always be looking to improve your methods and learn from others. Be humble enough to pick up the habits you believe will help improve. Once these habits have been learned, be disciplined enough to do it the same every single time. Don't get lazy because it is midnight, and you leave at 4 a.m. for the shoot 2 hours down the road. Your results will reflect. This leads me to another tidbit which is, load in advance if possible. I typically try to be loaded 2-3 days before a match. I find it less stressful and easier to be disciplined across each individual round. And once again, in case I didn't say it enough. The ultimate goal of reloading for long range guns is simple: "precision".
_____________________________________________________
Jose Gardner has been shooting and hunting since the age of 5, running hounds for big game in the Southeast. Moving to Big Sky country for school and work, he quickly found a passion for long range shooting. Still an avid hunter, he now also enjoys PRS style matches any time he gets a chance. He currently works as a food scientist and product developer in the beef, pork, and poultry industries.
Finally, we come to brass. Choice of brass comes down to price vs. brass life. If you shoot only enough to practice with your hunting gun, getting 15+ firings out of your brass isn't necessary and neither is the $1+ price per piece that comes with it. However, if you shoot 2 matches a month year round, that Lapua brass flat out pays for itself. Admittedly a Hornady fan boy across the board, I have had great luck with Hornady brass, but I will be switching to Lapua soon. Not to oversimplify it, but it comes down to shooters choice. They all work.
The least stressful way to start this adventure as a beginner is by buying a reloading kit. While there are many nice kits, I personally started with the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit. To fully reload, all that is needed realistically is a die set, a set of calipers, and your components.
As far as picking which brand and style dies, it is as varied as bullet choice. I have had Hornady, RCBS, Lee, and now Forster. I have effectively loaded with all, but the higher priced dies tend to be a little easier to use and more repeatable in results.
Now on top of the components mentioned, one piece of gear that is quite handy, and viewed as necessary by most, is an overall length gauge and caliber specific modified case. This is the easiest way to measure and determine seating depth for your bullet. For my first 200 rounds or so, this was all that was used.
The included powder thrower and balance beam scale are slow but can be used effectively. A beam scale specifically is quite accurate, and even preferred by some. Below, is a picture of the first load test I ever did using the above-mentioned equipment. These were the first 25 rounds I ever loaded. Not super impressive, but satisfactory. While I have obviously upgraded gear, which I will discuss, you don't have to get complicated.
View attachment 81187 Five 5-shot groups. The first 25 rounds I ever loaded.
As mentioned, I have since upgraded some of my equipment. My rule of thumb on upgrades: Is the investment worth the reward, or is there a more cost effective alternative for my needs? What I mean by this is while I would love a Prometheus scale, or a Giraud Power trimmer, there are cheaper options that fit my needs and allow for more disposable income to upgrade other gear such as optics.
All that being said, my two major upgrades have been the RCBS Chargemaster and the Frankford Arsenal case prep Center. Having an auto trickler/powder scale combo may be, in my mind, the most time saving upgrade you can make. Balance beam scales are accurate, but incredibly slow. And hand powder throwers can be difficult to employ reliably and consistently.
There are several other combos, each with its own merit. It comes down to your view of cost effectiveness. My most hated part of reloading has to be case prep, and the Frankford arsenal being an all-in-one powered tool saves a great deal of effort and frustration, and comes in at a great price!
As far as brass cleaning goes, I stayed very simple and cheap with the Frankford Arsenal case tumbler and walnut media. There are many nicer setups and media out there, but it flat gets the job done at an extremely affordable price point.
At the end of the day, I will say that you should upgrade as much as your wallet allows and you feel provides a good return on investment. It's all up to you, but there is plenty of nice gear on the market today.
A few tips learned along the way
I have this sneaky hunch that you would have a hard time finding any two people that conduct load development exactly the same. Everyone has their own quirks or peculiarities, and most anyone can get the job done effectively. Also, there are numerous tutorials of every step on www.youtube.com or various sites. Thus, I will not walk you through my entire process, but simply some of my personal points of emphasis.
To begin with, lots of people recommend sorting brass by weight. Maybe I am stubborn or a rebel, but this is something I've never done, and it hasn't seemed to hurt me. I think that time can be better invested elsewhere, but if you have the time and willingness, every little bit helps!
Also, there are opposing views on necessity of neck sizing vs. full length sizing. I personally full length size due to having multiple guns of each caliber I reload, all built off of different brand actions. Full length sizing alleviates worry that a gun may not function due to mixing up of brass fired from a different action. This is a subject I highly recommend research yourself to make the best decision for your personal needs.
My first tip has to do with measuring and determining seating depth. The easiest way I have decided seating depth is simply asking multiple people who shoot the projectile you've chosen (preferably who don't shoot with each other} what they seat to. What I look for most out of this is if I'm being told several different depths, typically the bullet isn't picky. Then I pick a good value in the middle and roll with it.
Now, I by no means claim this as a 100% foolproof method. It is just a method that has worked for me. There are other factors that can affect this such your specific chamber and simply the pickiness of your rifle. I then use my OAL gauge to determine what my OAL is, and choose what OAL I will load to from there. My main point here is measure several times (5+) and write them down. If you go with your first measurement, you may have jammed too far or not enough. What I mean by this is that you may have forced your bullets deep into the rifling of your barrel, past just touching, or may not be touching the rifling at all. Seeing what your average turns out to be is the number I usually go with.
The next part I am picky about is simply patience on the powder scale. The scientist in me yearns for ultimate precision on a scale. The Chargemaster is accurate to 0.1 grains, and I make sure I squeeze every bit of precision out of this I can. When the scale says stable, I usually give it an extra two or three seconds to make sure it doesn't jump. Furthermore, I have zero tolerance for "+/-" errors.
If I am shooting for 42.2 grains, I don't load the charge unless the scale has stabilized at the exact number. This may seem a little obvious, but some people aren't as peculiar and it can show on the range. To clarify, it is understood that once in the middle of a "node" for your particular rifle, you can have as large as +/- 0.3 grain spread in charge that has negligible effect of precision.
However, with any level of variance that can be caused by inexpensive electric scales, or how you calibrate a balance beam scale, holding yourself to a tight tolerance provides a piece of mind that you are less likely to jump out of your node. A little discipline here can prevent a lot of heartache behind the gun.
My final tip for loading actually has to do with the load testing itself. That is, shoot enough rounds for grouping and speed to be reliable. If you've never heard the concept "Statistical power", do a quick Google search. Basically, a bigger sample size always beats a smaller sample size. A lot of guys shoot 3 round groups to evaluate group size. In the long range game, the standard is a minimum of 5. I tend to not shoot ten because I am cheap, but it definitely is an effective method as well. For speed testing, it is widely accepted to shoot 5 shot strings. The scientist in me once again wants more statistical power and I try to shoot 10 when possible. I believe it gives a more accurate ES and gives you more peace of mind about SD.
Beyond all of this, the real key to reloading is discipline and humility. What I mean by this is always be looking to improve your methods and learn from others. Be humble enough to pick up the habits you believe will help improve. Once these habits have been learned, be disciplined enough to do it the same every single time. Don't get lazy because it is midnight, and you leave at 4 a.m. for the shoot 2 hours down the road. Your results will reflect. This leads me to another tidbit which is, load in advance if possible. I typically try to be loaded 2-3 days before a match. I find it less stressful and easier to be disciplined across each individual round. And once again, in case I didn't say it enough. The ultimate goal of reloading for long range guns is simple: "precision".
_____________________________________________________
Jose Gardner has been shooting and hunting since the age of 5, running hounds for big game in the Southeast. Moving to Big Sky country for school and work, he quickly found a passion for long range shooting. Still an avid hunter, he now also enjoys PRS style matches any time he gets a chance. He currently works as a food scientist and product developer in the beef, pork, and poultry industries.
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