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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Reloading
Help beginner improve his reloading.
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<blockquote data-quote="diriel" data-source="post: 617441" data-attributes="member: 26983"><p>As for the basics:</p><p></p><p>-- Start with reasonably clean brass. +1 to what Dig has to say on this subject.</p><p></p><p>--- lightbulb For basic reloading : </p><p>-- A) Inspect and prep your brass:</p><p>-- 1) look for split or damaged necks.</p><p>-- 2) full length re-size.</p><p>-- 3) Trim all your brass to the same length, even if it is brand new.</p><p>-- 4) use your chamfer tool to outside and inside chamfer the case mouth.</p><p>-- 5) Inspect the flash hole. Is it centered? Does the flash hole have any burrs? If it does have a burr or is not perfectly round, you can get a flash hole tool to de-burr / uniform it (you Must have all your brass full length resized and trimmed all to the same length in order to properly de-burr / uniform a primer hole).</p><p>-- 6) Inspect and clean the primer pocket. Some folks say to use a swager to uniform the pocket. For me this step is mostly optional. Though I admit I DO have a pocket swage tool, and have used it more than a few times.</p><p>-- 7) wipe off any excess case lube, and make sure there is no excess lube in the neck area as it can contaminate your powder charge.</p><p>-- 8) Every 3rd firing you should look into Annealing your Necks. That is a WHOLE-nother ball of wax I will not get into here and now <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p>-- B) Make sure your primers are seated flush. If they will not seat flush, make sure to use that primer pocket swage tool to uniform them.</p><p>-- 1) for the most part when loading for a rifle you can use regular Large Rifle non-magnum primers as long as your powder charge is less than approximately 80 grains or so. Ball powders can be harder to ignite, and it can be beneficial to use a magnum primer with them at about the 70 grain charge weight, especially if you know you will be shooting in very cold weather.</p><p>-- 2) Different brands of primer can change the down range dynamic of a load considerably. As well, the difference between a Standard and Magnum primer can be markedly different, (it is worth noting that a Magnum primer can cause more pressure than a standard primer).</p><p>-- My favorite primers are Federal 210M, Winchester LR, and Wolf LR.</p><p></p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p>-- C) Powder types: Ball Vs. Extruded</p><p>-- 1) Ball powders usually measure Very Well!! They make reloading faster. They also tend to be more sensative to ambient conditions such as Temperature. If you have a fully progressive reloading setup such as a Dillon, then a good ball powder can make for a heck of a lot of ammo for plinking and practice!</p><p>-- 2) Extruded powders tend to take a good bit more time to measure to + / - a tenth of a grain or less. I prefer to keep my loads to a grand total of .1 variance. I admit I have heard many folks say that .2 is more than fine, it is up to you how far to take it. Extruded powders such as Hodgdon's Extreme series tend to be considerably less sensative to ambient conditions such as temperature, and thus will tend to allow you to shoot one load in conditions such as 30 deg. F. up to 95+ deg. F. and have only minor variance in point of impact and terminal ballistics. Safety can also be an issue if you developed Ball Powder loads in cool weather and ran them to Max Pressure, when the ambient is suddenly +60 Deg. F. warmer those Safe-in-cool-weather-BallPowder-loads can suddenly become unsafe. Even when using an "Extreme" powder this *CAN* become an issue, but it is much less likely than using a ball powder. </p><p></p><p>-- Some of the newest ball powders are actually getting better with handling ambient temperature swings. CFE223, and Power Pro 2000 MR come to mind.</p><p>-- Pick a load that is lower middle of the reloading charts to start out with. Some folks will say start at minimum and work up, which is fine too. For small cases go up in increments of about .3 grains, for medium cases .5 grains, for large cases .6 - .7 or there abouts to find a rough aproximation of where to begin Fine Tuning A Load.</p><p></p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p>-- D) Bullets, and bullet types / styles:</p><p>-- 1) 150 grains of bullet weight is not always equal when it comes to how it generates pressure! A solid copper bullet of 150 grains will tend to generate more pressure than a Copper / Lead type bullet. Other factors apply as well.</p><p>-- 2) I usually like to start my loads with the bullet just barely touching the lands. Some bullets need to be Jammed into the lands ( this can generate high pressure so be careful), other bullets will want to "Jump". **(some folks will sensibly tell you to jam the bullets about 10 thousandths into the lands to begin, by doing so you will avoid having to potentially back off on powder charges later. I prefer NEVER to jam a hunting bullet into the lands as it can some times remain in the lands when you decide to unload the weapon. If this happens you will likely have a LOT of powder in your action..)**</p><p>-- 3) So, starting just "kissing" the lands you start with the lowest powder charge and work up carefully till you are nearing max pressure. Be careful to remain below max loads, they are rarely the most accurate and they can cause you real head aches when out in the field if your rifle james due to excessive pressure etc. Now pick the loading that is the most accurate and safest and see the next step below.</p><p>-- 4) Now it is time to begin playing with Seating Depth of the bullet. This assumes you still have not got that ultimate load yet. Begin seating your bullets progressively 5 thousandths deeper ( away from the lands ) and re-testing your "favorite" powder charge. It may surprise you how much difference this will make. You might find a magic load, then again you may end up scratching your head and ****ed off too. If you end up about 40 thousandths off of the lands and you STILL Have Not Found your load... it may be time to change to a different powder and begin anew from start. Or possibly different primers, or possibly different bullets, or possibly different brass.... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> </p><p></p><p>-- Aint reloadin' grand? hahaha. I used to shoot in order to go back and reload more so I could tinker.... These days I reload so I can go practice my shooting skills, period!</p><p></p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p>One of the better ways to "look" for over pressure is to measure expansion at the web just ahead of the rim area. Don't get me wrong, a sticky bolt is a VERY sure sign you are over max pressure. Ejector Swipe on the end of the brass is another sure sign. Firing pin cratering on the primer / pierced primers are yet another way. The thing is, these latter methods usually only tell you when you are *REALLY* over pressure. Get a good reloading manual and look up measuring the web to check for pressure. You will be glad you did. </p><p></p><p>Have a good one,</p><p>Gary</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="diriel, post: 617441, member: 26983"] As for the basics: -- Start with reasonably clean brass. +1 to what Dig has to say on this subject. --- lightbulb For basic reloading : -- A) Inspect and prep your brass: -- 1) look for split or damaged necks. -- 2) full length re-size. -- 3) Trim all your brass to the same length, even if it is brand new. -- 4) use your chamfer tool to outside and inside chamfer the case mouth. -- 5) Inspect the flash hole. Is it centered? Does the flash hole have any burrs? If it does have a burr or is not perfectly round, you can get a flash hole tool to de-burr / uniform it (you Must have all your brass full length resized and trimmed all to the same length in order to properly de-burr / uniform a primer hole). -- 6) Inspect and clean the primer pocket. Some folks say to use a swager to uniform the pocket. For me this step is mostly optional. Though I admit I DO have a pocket swage tool, and have used it more than a few times. -- 7) wipe off any excess case lube, and make sure there is no excess lube in the neck area as it can contaminate your powder charge. -- 8) Every 3rd firing you should look into Annealing your Necks. That is a WHOLE-nother ball of wax I will not get into here and now :) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- B) Make sure your primers are seated flush. If they will not seat flush, make sure to use that primer pocket swage tool to uniform them. -- 1) for the most part when loading for a rifle you can use regular Large Rifle non-magnum primers as long as your powder charge is less than approximately 80 grains or so. Ball powders can be harder to ignite, and it can be beneficial to use a magnum primer with them at about the 70 grain charge weight, especially if you know you will be shooting in very cold weather. -- 2) Different brands of primer can change the down range dynamic of a load considerably. As well, the difference between a Standard and Magnum primer can be markedly different, (it is worth noting that a Magnum primer can cause more pressure than a standard primer). -- My favorite primers are Federal 210M, Winchester LR, and Wolf LR. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- C) Powder types: Ball Vs. Extruded -- 1) Ball powders usually measure Very Well!! They make reloading faster. They also tend to be more sensative to ambient conditions such as Temperature. If you have a fully progressive reloading setup such as a Dillon, then a good ball powder can make for a heck of a lot of ammo for plinking and practice! -- 2) Extruded powders tend to take a good bit more time to measure to + / - a tenth of a grain or less. I prefer to keep my loads to a grand total of .1 variance. I admit I have heard many folks say that .2 is more than fine, it is up to you how far to take it. Extruded powders such as Hodgdon's Extreme series tend to be considerably less sensative to ambient conditions such as temperature, and thus will tend to allow you to shoot one load in conditions such as 30 deg. F. up to 95+ deg. F. and have only minor variance in point of impact and terminal ballistics. Safety can also be an issue if you developed Ball Powder loads in cool weather and ran them to Max Pressure, when the ambient is suddenly +60 Deg. F. warmer those Safe-in-cool-weather-BallPowder-loads can suddenly become unsafe. Even when using an "Extreme" powder this *CAN* become an issue, but it is much less likely than using a ball powder. -- Some of the newest ball powders are actually getting better with handling ambient temperature swings. CFE223, and Power Pro 2000 MR come to mind. -- Pick a load that is lower middle of the reloading charts to start out with. Some folks will say start at minimum and work up, which is fine too. For small cases go up in increments of about .3 grains, for medium cases .5 grains, for large cases .6 - .7 or there abouts to find a rough aproximation of where to begin Fine Tuning A Load. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- D) Bullets, and bullet types / styles: -- 1) 150 grains of bullet weight is not always equal when it comes to how it generates pressure! A solid copper bullet of 150 grains will tend to generate more pressure than a Copper / Lead type bullet. Other factors apply as well. -- 2) I usually like to start my loads with the bullet just barely touching the lands. Some bullets need to be Jammed into the lands ( this can generate high pressure so be careful), other bullets will want to "Jump". **(some folks will sensibly tell you to jam the bullets about 10 thousandths into the lands to begin, by doing so you will avoid having to potentially back off on powder charges later. I prefer NEVER to jam a hunting bullet into the lands as it can some times remain in the lands when you decide to unload the weapon. If this happens you will likely have a LOT of powder in your action..)** -- 3) So, starting just "kissing" the lands you start with the lowest powder charge and work up carefully till you are nearing max pressure. Be careful to remain below max loads, they are rarely the most accurate and they can cause you real head aches when out in the field if your rifle james due to excessive pressure etc. Now pick the loading that is the most accurate and safest and see the next step below. -- 4) Now it is time to begin playing with Seating Depth of the bullet. This assumes you still have not got that ultimate load yet. Begin seating your bullets progressively 5 thousandths deeper ( away from the lands ) and re-testing your "favorite" powder charge. It may surprise you how much difference this will make. You might find a magic load, then again you may end up scratching your head and ****ed off too. If you end up about 40 thousandths off of the lands and you STILL Have Not Found your load... it may be time to change to a different powder and begin anew from start. Or possibly different primers, or possibly different bullets, or possibly different brass.... :) -- Aint reloadin' grand? hahaha. I used to shoot in order to go back and reload more so I could tinker.... These days I reload so I can go practice my shooting skills, period! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the better ways to "look" for over pressure is to measure expansion at the web just ahead of the rim area. Don't get me wrong, a sticky bolt is a VERY sure sign you are over max pressure. Ejector Swipe on the end of the brass is another sure sign. Firing pin cratering on the primer / pierced primers are yet another way. The thing is, these latter methods usually only tell you when you are *REALLY* over pressure. Get a good reloading manual and look up measuring the web to check for pressure. You will be glad you did. Have a good one, Gary [/QUOTE]
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