First Steps?

[Cholla]

What are the proper steps in developing a proper load? From what I have read, it seems this is the correct order:

1. Glass bed or pillar-mount the action, preferably on an aluminum chassis stock.
2. Free float the barrel.
3. Work up the best powder/bullet load.
4. Work up the best bullet seating/jump.

This is dependant that I use proper techniques when testing the loads, all screws are tight, and I have quality glass.

 

[FEENIX]

What are the proper steps in developing a proper load? From what I have read, it seems this is the correct order:

1. Glass bed or pillar-mount the action, preferably on an aluminum chassis stock.
2. Free float the barrel.
3. Work up the best powder/bullet load.
4. Work up the best bullet seating/jump.

This is dependant that I use proper techniques when testing the loads, all screws are tight, and I have quality glass.

Be prepared to get inundated. "WE" all have different ways to achieve our end goals.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Sounds like you've been doing a lot of reading.

Depending on what you want to accomplish you may not need to do any bedding or any sort of chassis. I have a factory Tikka rifle that shoots as well as my more custom ones.what make/model of rifle are you going to be using?

Being able to fire an accurate shot does rely of the fundamentals of shooting. How consistent is your technique?

As for load development approach I would recommend watching the following video which describes the Optimal Charge Weight method.

 

[Cholla]

I have a Remington 700 in 7mm RM that I have a B&C stock for and a Winchester Model 70 in .270 Win that has the original wooden stock from 1968.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Those rifles may shoot well just the way they are. I had a Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag from 1965 that didn't shoot well but generally the Rem 700's are pretty good.

Did you install the Rem 700 barreled action into the B&C stock?

 

[Cholla]

Did you install the Rem 700 barreled action into the B&C stock?

Yes... Kind of. I sanded down the barrel channel to remove the barrel pillow and then glass-bedded it. Unfortunately, my release agent didn't work so well in places and I ended up damaging the threads on the forward action screw hole. It is now at Fink's getting repaired. When I get it back, I should be ready to start going further down this rabbit hole.

I have been shopping for an HS stock for the Winchester but Stocky's is currently out.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Oh, okay, then you should be in good shape with the Rem 700. I was going to caution you to make sure the recoil lug was up against the stock before tightening the action screws. Your gunsmith will have made sure it's doing the right thing.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I feel you are dealing with two things at one time. The set up of the rifle is one thing, developing a load is another. They do work hand in hand, but is the cart before the horse? To set your rifle up could be done, but if it accurate to start with, I wouldn't do anything. Developing a load. I have some pet load that I use in rifles to start with. I do a run up on chamber pressures, and see if that rifle will handle the loads. So now you need to fireform the brass for that chamber first off. Then you can get into load development. With facture ammo, just go and shot some to see how it groups. If you are getting 1" or under @ 100yds, probable you don't need to work the bedding over on the action. and stock. If greater than that I would float the barrel. You can read up on that, and get some tools Brownell or others to remove material for the forearm of the stock. If you can slide a business card between the barrel and the stock with action bolted in. The barrel is free floated. You can do that without doing anything else. at the start of things. So that's one question answers. Then it goes on from there. There a lot of info on the net that you can watch and learn from.

 

[Muddyboots]

Shoot it first to see what you have. Shoots good, leave it alone!

 

[j-shooter]

I agree with shooting it first to see how it performs. Glass bedding may not be necessary. A lot of the modern rifles, especially the quality ones already shoot under MOA and better. Shoot first with load testing then figure out if you need much more work on the rifle.

 

[Bob Wright]

I started with just reloading to good manuals. Later, bedding and free floating, then back to improving my reloading. LRH site is where I found that.
Then I found better ways of bedding, lol.....
So, just start reloading and compare with factory ammo. Buy or borrow a good chrograph.
If you have all of your reloading dies, components and a manual, start there. Let us know how you do.

 

[emp1953]

What are the proper steps in developing a proper load? From what I have read, it seems this is the correct order:

1. Glass bed or pillar-mount the action, preferably on an aluminum chassis stock.
2. Free float the barrel.
3. Work up the best powder/bullet load.
4. Work up the best bullet seating/jump.

This is dependant that I use proper techniques when testing the loads, all screws are tight, and I have quality glass.

I'd leave the rifle alone until you shoot it. I purchased a Sako 85 in 7mm Rem Mag. right out of the box, with my existing handloads it shot sub MOA at 100yds. Don't change the rifle around until you are sure how it performs.

 

[7mmTikkaShooter]

What are the proper steps in developing a proper load? From what I have read, it seems this is the correct order:

1. Glass bed or pillar-mount the action, preferably on an aluminum chassis stock.
2. Free float the barrel.
3. Work up the best powder/bullet load.
4. Work up the best bullet seating/jump.

This is dependant that I use proper techniques when testing the loads, all screws are tight, and I have quality glass.

I think you're on the right track. As others mentioned bedding may not be necessary. I would recommend having a free floated barrel because working up a load will really be about matching up the powder charge to the barrel harmonics. First thing to ask yourself is will you be constricted by magazine length or not? If you find an accurate length but it won't fit in your desired magazine you'll have to either start over or just run a single shooter. If magazine length is an issue then you can likely just stick to powder charge testing. If it's no issue I like to start with length at a low charge. In my experience a certain bullet/barrel combos seems to prefer a certain jump regardless of charge weight. Once you're in the neighborhood, load different charges at that length and find a good powder charge. Kind of tweaking back and forth between length, then charge, then smaller increments of length, and then smaller increments of charge weights. This process might be dictated by the amount of components and resources you want to burn in development. That's the fun part for me though. If you find a good charge but think you'd like better then you could bed the gun. It may not improve it but I've never seen the bedding degrade accuracy. Having said all that, I pretty much always like to bed my guns from the start. To me it's one less variable to concern yourself with. How's that for a muddy water answer?!

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Hi, It sounds like you have pretty good idea of what you are looking for. I would like to offer a suggestion and ask you to keep your mind open to suggestions and realize that there are many facets to the (Nearly ) perfect Rifle / Scope / Load combination. I have been loading for several rifles since I was about 20 years old and I am 74 now. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. You will have countless discussions with fellow loaders and shooters and get so many differing opinions. Listen to everything, Read Everything, View all the Hand Loading and Shooting Videos, learn and shoot and learn and shoot some more , and learn. Try some of the suggestions in your own rifle. In the end ,your rifle will tell you what it likes to shoot. Here is little Example: I like to hunt and shoot Whitetails mostly on the east cost of the US. My shots can range from 75 Yards, to 200 yards max. I prefer to use a very light fast Bolt Action Rifle, with a 24-inch barrel, Chambered in 270 Win, shooting a 130 Grn .Nosler Ballistic tip at a Muzz Velocity of about 3000 to 3050fps. Its topped with a 2.5X to 8X Leupold scope. That is one of several rifles I own , but that one is "MY GO TO " deer rifle. ( Not Elk , Not Moose , Not Bear, that's a different Rifle in a different caliber). In these Blogs and Threads, you will hear from VERY KNOWLEDGEBLE Loaders and shooters , who use an entirely different combinations of Rifle, Caliber , Barrel length, and Load and Scope, with great success. We can all recount stories of our "One Shot Kills "and show our excellent groups on paper targets. For me the search for the magic load, was as exciting as the actual hunt. Weather it is a LR Target Rifle, or a Hunting Rifle keep an open mind, Try things, Test Things , Keep an accurate ledger of all your testing, save and date your targets , and find your own magic load . The search is very rewarding. Good Shooting!!!