From one old guy to another, the issue is: it is not the learning but the remembering part. Love those old sayings!!
Things you wished you knew when you started?
- Thread starter Mram10us
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Hand Skills
Well-Known Member
One of the most crucial operations in reloading is die setup.
It's just as easy to over-complicate things as it is to oversimplify them.
I wish someone taught me the 'masking tape' trick when I started reloading.
It's described in detail here, thanks @Jim See !
www.longrangehunting.com
It's just as easy to over-complicate things as it is to oversimplify them.
I wish someone taught me the 'masking tape' trick when I started reloading.
It's described in detail here, thanks @Jim See !
Maintaining Consistency In Your Brass
Maintaining Consistency In Your Brass By Jim See My last article on brass prep centered on preparing new brass for loading. This article will cover maintaining that brass for long life and the processes I use in my brass loading prep. What I am...
When one's (Shooting) purpose, choice of cartridge, choice of rifle, barrel length, barrel twist, barrel contour, choice of optic, etc., are all in harmony, it makes for a sweet setup that is a joy to own and use. When one or more factors doesn't really match the others, you will be a lot less satisfied. Obvious examples would be expensive rifle and cheap scope; light rifle with hard-recoiling cartridge for target shooting, heavy-contour barrel on a rig you will be hiking all day with, etc. It's harder to get it all in harmony than it seems, and it takes a lot of thought and experience.
Here another warning: See attach file. It appears that it's been around awhile, It just came up last night. Also here info on storage to powders SAAMI. I remember sometime back people were talking about transport powders and storage of powders. I finally came across this again yesterday while working on redoing my folders.
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nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
By "that one guy" do you mean the one who knows EVERYTHING, and is only too happy to tell you what he knows ???? I think I've run into him a few times …...…...
nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
Addressing your #2 comment - marking the load with a black sharpie right on the side of the brass works great. It's tricky to write on a round surface, but I won't fall off and leave you wondering what you're shooting.
For sure about what's talked about here sure does help to understand other items that I hadn't done much thinking about. I see now how twist rates makes a different in weight of bullets. There is always new tricks to learn. Powders are changing all the time. I put 26" barrel on my rifles if getting a new caliber. I have always looked for powders that aren't effected as much by heat, and elevation. Burn rates to me are very important.
SSS
SSS
I started long range hunting well over a dozen years ago when the level of available knowledge, information, most importantly, the technology was quite limited compared to today. In addition to the many great points and practices described in this thread, many of which I adopted along the way surely resulted in the consistent mechanical performance of the rifle and cartridge. My LRH performance saw a noted improvement. Some key additions that effected my results were:
-Once my rifle load met my particular hunting criteria, [ <.5MOA, ES<20FPS, 1000 FPE, 1800FPS, at 1000 yards], I acquired sufficient components of the same lot to last the life if my barrel.
-I stopped playing musical chairs with my rifles and stuck with one rifle that I learned to shoot effectively under a variety of conditions/positions, and without conscious thought other then the target animal and environment conditions needed to place a killing shot.
-Given my shots at game could be taken from 150-1000+ yards, the terminal performance of the bullet over this range was crucial. Maxing out the velocity of the cartridge was not always advantageous. Too high a velocity could negatively effect the bullet performance on game at the closer ranges while having only minimal, if any improvement in killing power at the longer ranges. There seems to be a sweet spot in velocity for a given bullet.
-Wind is THE critical variable. Most all practice time was/is to continuously improving this skill.
-Once my rifle load met my particular hunting criteria, [ <.5MOA, ES<20FPS, 1000 FPE, 1800FPS, at 1000 yards], I acquired sufficient components of the same lot to last the life if my barrel.
-I stopped playing musical chairs with my rifles and stuck with one rifle that I learned to shoot effectively under a variety of conditions/positions, and without conscious thought other then the target animal and environment conditions needed to place a killing shot.
-Given my shots at game could be taken from 150-1000+ yards, the terminal performance of the bullet over this range was crucial. Maxing out the velocity of the cartridge was not always advantageous. Too high a velocity could negatively effect the bullet performance on game at the closer ranges while having only minimal, if any improvement in killing power at the longer ranges. There seems to be a sweet spot in velocity for a given bullet.
-Wind is THE critical variable. Most all practice time was/is to continuously improving this skill.
marchboom
Well-Known Member
Should have found a mentor (benchrest shooter) so I wouldn't have had to "re-invent the wheel".
Should have saved my money to buy the better reloading tools (presses, dies, etc). I bought the better equipment later on in my reloading career. Didn't know of the saying, "Only rich people can afford to buy cheap stuff".
Wind flags. Should have bought them earlier in my career. Using flags will open your eyes as to why your groups aren't as small. A small breeze will open up your groups more than you can imagine and you won't know why (you'll probably blame the group on the powder, as I did). They are inexpensive and return-on-investment definitely overshadows the cost of other equipment.
Chronograph. Again, you will discover a lot about your loads. Some are expensive but even the inexpensive ones are well worth the money.
Know when to get off the bench and start shooting. And practice shooting when the wind kicks up.
Get a quality front rest and rear bag and learn how to use them. I waited a long time until I made a good front rest and started watching benchrest shooter' methods.
Should have saved my money to buy the better reloading tools (presses, dies, etc). I bought the better equipment later on in my reloading career. Didn't know of the saying, "Only rich people can afford to buy cheap stuff".
Wind flags. Should have bought them earlier in my career. Using flags will open your eyes as to why your groups aren't as small. A small breeze will open up your groups more than you can imagine and you won't know why (you'll probably blame the group on the powder, as I did). They are inexpensive and return-on-investment definitely overshadows the cost of other equipment.
Chronograph. Again, you will discover a lot about your loads. Some are expensive but even the inexpensive ones are well worth the money.
Know when to get off the bench and start shooting. And practice shooting when the wind kicks up.
Get a quality front rest and rear bag and learn how to use them. I waited a long time until I made a good front rest and started watching benchrest shooter' methods.
Use nail polish and mark a letter or two on the base of the case. Like 300 Win Mag Rem case. Mark the 300 or Win,or Mag. Use some together. I use this on weight of cases to keep then in order. The polish holds up too.
I hadn't ever think about using flags to note the wind. Great Ideal, and I will put that into play.
Thanks
SSS
Mike
Svashtar
Well-Known Member
I started helping my Dad reload in 1963, when he was working up loads for his favorite rifles, a Winchester Model 70 in .264 Win Mag (he was ahead of his time; he would have loved the 6.5 CM), and a Garand. But he didn't do half the stuff we do now. I don't recall him ever cleaning a primer pocket, or neck sizing for his bolt guns. Dies were RCBS 2-die sets IIRC.
So, I didn't really learn more than the basics, and Dad wasn't a big teacher. I learned more about bullet casting than anything. What I wish I could go back and redo was 25 years ago when I finally got a reloading room of my own: to NOT start with a Dillon progressive, but to really learn step by step with a quality single stage and good tools. The Dillon hides a lot of the process from you in a way. Now I use the Dillon exclusively for pistol, and a Co-ax and Lee Classic Cast for rifle.
Things I still need to learn: annealing, and how to do it economically, or if at all, and more about setting neck tension; I'll be picking your brains here. Right now I have Redding sizing dies from their Premium set, and Forster seating dies, but don't bother with bushing dies, or trim case necks. I have a Redding case neck Concentricity gauge to sort brass by case neck, but rely on the dies to set the neck tension, which I actually don't know how to measure yet.
Other things I wish I had done differently:
1) Read more before running out and buying the first thing you read about. I have a dozen Lee factory crimp dies I probably don't need, and especially don't want when crimping lead .44 mag and .45 Colt loads. A suggestion was to use the Lee crimp dies without the crimp ring, and I have those part numbers to order from Titan, but I might as well use the standard seating/crimp dies. (?) I also don't think I needed to replace the standard Dillon .45 ACP crimp die with the Lee FCD in Station 4 of my 550B (reloading hardball), but guess it can't hurt, while the Lee FCD's in 9 mm and .40 S&W are probably useless.
2) NEVER accept handloads from a stranger. I stupidly did this when I was 19, and almost ruined a beautiful super-polish/super-blue Old Model Super Blackhawk (3-screw), which takes some doing. Found out later the guy used _24_ grains of 2400 (the old Hercules powder) under a 240 grain hard cast bullet, and CCI #350 Magnum primers. The heavy revolver acted like a stick of dynamite went off at the muzzle. He was one of those gun store experts, a "camo commando" as an old friend used to refer to them, and best avoided like the plague.
I don't know how many guys like that I've run into at the LGS and the range; none of them know ****, and are only too happy to share their knowledge with you.
3) What several others have said: always start with the best you can afford.
4) Wish I had found Inline Fabrication and their excellent mounts way earlier.
5) And the best tip for dummies like me when I was just starting out 25 years ago: ALWAYS label the powder in the measure, and don't leave it there for several months.
Really, how obvious, but since I had only Unique and Blue Dot at the time I thought I was safe. I managed to figure it out eventually by reviewing my notes that I fortunately took, and weighing each bottle of powder and subtracting the number of rounds I had loaded, but the thought of running 15 grains of Unique in my .44 Mag was scary, while 5.4 grains of Blue Dot in a .45 ACP would have been a waste. I did have to replace the powder measure tube though as it discolored.
Thanks for the good thread!
So, I didn't really learn more than the basics, and Dad wasn't a big teacher. I learned more about bullet casting than anything. What I wish I could go back and redo was 25 years ago when I finally got a reloading room of my own: to NOT start with a Dillon progressive, but to really learn step by step with a quality single stage and good tools. The Dillon hides a lot of the process from you in a way. Now I use the Dillon exclusively for pistol, and a Co-ax and Lee Classic Cast for rifle.
Things I still need to learn: annealing, and how to do it economically, or if at all, and more about setting neck tension; I'll be picking your brains here. Right now I have Redding sizing dies from their Premium set, and Forster seating dies, but don't bother with bushing dies, or trim case necks. I have a Redding case neck Concentricity gauge to sort brass by case neck, but rely on the dies to set the neck tension, which I actually don't know how to measure yet.
Other things I wish I had done differently:
1) Read more before running out and buying the first thing you read about. I have a dozen Lee factory crimp dies I probably don't need, and especially don't want when crimping lead .44 mag and .45 Colt loads. A suggestion was to use the Lee crimp dies without the crimp ring, and I have those part numbers to order from Titan, but I might as well use the standard seating/crimp dies. (?) I also don't think I needed to replace the standard Dillon .45 ACP crimp die with the Lee FCD in Station 4 of my 550B (reloading hardball), but guess it can't hurt, while the Lee FCD's in 9 mm and .40 S&W are probably useless.
2) NEVER accept handloads from a stranger. I stupidly did this when I was 19, and almost ruined a beautiful super-polish/super-blue Old Model Super Blackhawk (3-screw), which takes some doing. Found out later the guy used _24_ grains of 2400 (the old Hercules powder) under a 240 grain hard cast bullet, and CCI #350 Magnum primers. The heavy revolver acted like a stick of dynamite went off at the muzzle. He was one of those gun store experts, a "camo commando" as an old friend used to refer to them, and best avoided like the plague.
I don't know how many guys like that I've run into at the LGS and the range; none of them know ****, and are only too happy to share their knowledge with you.
3) What several others have said: always start with the best you can afford.
4) Wish I had found Inline Fabrication and their excellent mounts way earlier.
5) And the best tip for dummies like me when I was just starting out 25 years ago: ALWAYS label the powder in the measure, and don't leave it there for several months.
Really, how obvious, but since I had only Unique and Blue Dot at the time I thought I was safe. I managed to figure it out eventually by reviewing my notes that I fortunately took, and weighing each bottle of powder and subtracting the number of rounds I had loaded, but the thought of running 15 grains of Unique in my .44 Mag was scary, while 5.4 grains of Blue Dot in a .45 ACP would have been a waste. I did have to replace the powder measure tube though as it discolored.
Thanks for the good thread!
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MarshMello
Active Member
....That I would get equal results NOT just neck sizing my brass
...once pet load is found, purchase enough powder and bullets of the same lot to shoot out the barrel
....that micrometer adjustable seating dies make repeatable results much easier
....that proper brass prep is time intensive-invest in the best labor saving/accurate stuff you can afford.
...once pet load is found, purchase enough powder and bullets of the same lot to shoot out the barrel
....that micrometer adjustable seating dies make repeatable results much easier
....that proper brass prep is time intensive-invest in the best labor saving/accurate stuff you can afford.
misterc01
Well-Known Member
What I did not have to buy the first time around.
Neck sizing is the way to go!
IT is the basics that you have to get down solidly! Trigger and breathe control,
Raising the rifle higher with the bipod and correct size rear bag for a better cheek weld and sight picture.
Neck sizing is the way to go!
IT is the basics that you have to get down solidly! Trigger and breathe control,
Raising the rifle higher with the bipod and correct size rear bag for a better cheek weld and sight picture.
