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Advice for a Newby interested in portable single stage reloading setup for 6.5 and 308
- Thread starter eugevita
- Start date
This would certainly be the goal. I would love to clone Hornady Match 140ELDM and Hornady American Gunner 140BTHP in 6.5! If I can beat them well, thats something else...a cherry on top!
I know you set a budget in the beginning, but I thought I would toss this out there for you to get an idea.
As @Gustav7 said, if you want to get a chargemaster there are usually deals.
RCBS has a rebate going on right now through 8-31-2020 on everything (except one master reloading kit #09354) so you might think about that as well.
Natchez has the 1500 on sale for $320 with a $75 rebate. The lite is out of stock right now at Natchez but the sale price on it is $230 with a $50 rebate. Not sure how long the sale will be or if they get the light back in stock before the sale is over. I looked around a bit and they are the best prices going right now that I found. I’m sure if you did more digging you might find a good deal.
As @Gustav7 said, if you want to get a chargemaster there are usually deals.
RCBS has a rebate going on right now through 8-31-2020 on everything (except one master reloading kit #09354) so you might think about that as well.
Natchez has the 1500 on sale for $320 with a $75 rebate. The lite is out of stock right now at Natchez but the sale price on it is $230 with a $50 rebate. Not sure how long the sale will be or if they get the light back in stock before the sale is over. I looked around a bit and they are the best prices going right now that I found. I’m sure if you did more digging you might find a good deal.
I highly recommend the Forster Co-Ax press. Amazing press and easy to set up and/or switch calibers. Also, check out inlinefabrication.com for some great and reasonably priced mounting solutions for your press. With a little ingenuity, you can probably construct a very good portable system for reloading. Good luck, and thank you for your service.
That thing is pricey! Looks cool. will check it out just for kicks!Put your order in for a MK Machining ZERO press and be happy at the end!!!
Thank you for the advice! And it is my pleasure to serve, no need to thank me but I appreciate it!
You might also try whiddengunworks.com for an excellent variety of reloading tools to take a lot of the guess work out of case measurement. I also use L. E. Wilson case gauges when I am resizing for quick checks. Finally, check out panhandleprecision.com for a series of well thought out videos that will give you a ton of advice for precision reloading - from brass prep to sizing and more...
I love the panhandle precision time! His videos have helped me with my kestrel game!
If you're just plinking and such, NOT trying to hit reliably out to 500--1000, buy yourself one of the reload kits like Hornady's (my first) and start learning. And here, I will mention, the biggest problem I had for some reason was getting the cases to go through the full length sizing cycle without seizing........I tried One-shot, gun oil, graphite (it works fine, but WHAT a mess), finally found Lee's Resizing Lubricant. HALLELUJAH!!!. Just a tiny bit, plus put some on a Q-tip and rub inside the throat, and you're set. No mess, does not have to be cleaned up before charging. But just a little.
For starters, go with the starters in the kit. The digital scale, the little trickler, the powder charger (but always check behind it), etc. The equipment and supplies won't take that much room and should hide away nicely.
You'll have to buy some bullets and powder and primers. Usually a person will mimic the purchased cartridges they start with, if they like the way they shoot. This also gives you your starting brass supply, your bullet spec, and perhaps even your powder charge info.
DON'T DON'T DON'T do I like did, I've got to try a little of everything. You end up with a crapload of supplies you'll never use. Get yourself a good load book (one should come with your kit), do a fair bit of googling if you want to get fancy, then settle on one bullet, one powder, get your appropriate primers (100 at a time should do to start), and slowly start learning and having fun at the same time.
Mind the rules, don't smoke while reloading, primers ARE explosive (so they say, I've never had one go off), but ALWAYS wear glasses while inserting primers, it ONLY takes once. Follow the load guide and NEVER overload a round. Start with lesser loads and work up.
The box the kit comes in should do to hide it. Just take it out with a $5 can of spraypaint and camouflage it all white, all black, all red, but not blue, that's a nasty color these days. But then, perhaps the best to use?
Good luck, have fun, stay safe.
rottenruger, 6.5 RPR
thank you for the advice, much appreciated!
How did you clean your rifle brass when you first started? Simple wipe down? Do manufactures put out the spec on the powder charge they load into their ammo, if so where can I find that? Would love to load up some 140gr Hornady Am gunner and ELDM clones once I get going!
Hi eugevita. In your OP you asked after a portable reloading setup. And it goes without saying that accuracy is your goal. My suggestion is to look at Wilson precision dies, sometimes called hand-dies, given that they can be used with hand tools rather than with a press. Most benchrest shooters use Wilson dies (IME), as they allow tailoring of the tightness of the neck with the resizing step, via interchangeable bushings. So simple.
Find a retailer of the Wilson reloading gear and work with them to buy the few bits and pieces you need to make the most accurate ammo you’ll ever use, all of which will fit in a shoe box (albeit large shoes).
It’s also really easy to use and gentle on your valuable fire-formed cases. Gentle on your wallet too, overall.
Find a retailer of the Wilson reloading gear and work with them to buy the few bits and pieces you need to make the most accurate ammo you’ll ever use, all of which will fit in a shoe box (albeit large shoes).
It’s also really easy to use and gentle on your valuable fire-formed cases. Gentle on your wallet too, overall.Started out using a rotary tumbler I had from previous jewelry cleaning, it worked well but was too small for any volume as I progressed.
I like the green media and the Frankford Arsenal polishing brass. Any of the rotary type polishing machines will work well and are relatively cheap.
Don't get too hung up on shiny brass. It looks good but it's not really necessary. As opposed to CLEAN. Clean is good.
LET ME BACK UP HERE: Keep your brass picked up when you fire it, it will be quite clean enough for the next go around. Just de-prime it and blow it out good, by mouth or by a can of canned air like they use for cleaning computers.
I don't know if that memory of the cartridge boxes showing the powder type/charge is one of the phantom memories my Dear Mom always told me I had. I'd be talking about my childhood and she'd spoil it NOW SON, it didn't happen that way....................................
Here again, use the load book, be sure of caliber, bullet, ALL the specifics. NEVER EXCEED MAXIMUM POWDER CHARGE.
ALSO; AVOID THE SQUIBS: When you finish powder charging a rack, take a flashlight and peer into every one to be sure they all have powder. Or, once the bullet is inserted, shake every one to be sure you can hear the powder charge shaking back and forth. A squib's (no powder) primer might be enought to push it out of the chamber, then the next round might blow up your barrel or worse.
I LOVE the Hornady 140g ELDM, better than Berger to me due the aerodynamic tips, which are better than they used to be.
Disqualfier: I shot expert in the Army, some 55 years ago. All I know now that I expouse to you comes from my Obama gun education. OIbama was the WORLD'S best gun and ammo salesman, and he got me TOTALLY involved. Damn him, I'm going broke. But he's still out there trying to bring down America, so I'm still out here having fun and trying to be read for when the SHTF.
I like the green media and the Frankford Arsenal polishing brass. Any of the rotary type polishing machines will work well and are relatively cheap.
Don't get too hung up on shiny brass. It looks good but it's not really necessary. As opposed to CLEAN. Clean is good.
LET ME BACK UP HERE: Keep your brass picked up when you fire it, it will be quite clean enough for the next go around. Just de-prime it and blow it out good, by mouth or by a can of canned air like they use for cleaning computers.
I don't know if that memory of the cartridge boxes showing the powder type/charge is one of the phantom memories my Dear Mom always told me I had. I'd be talking about my childhood and she'd spoil it NOW SON, it didn't happen that way....................................
Here again, use the load book, be sure of caliber, bullet, ALL the specifics. NEVER EXCEED MAXIMUM POWDER CHARGE.
ALSO; AVOID THE SQUIBS: When you finish powder charging a rack, take a flashlight and peer into every one to be sure they all have powder. Or, once the bullet is inserted, shake every one to be sure you can hear the powder charge shaking back and forth. A squib's (no powder) primer might be enought to push it out of the chamber, then the next round might blow up your barrel or worse.
I LOVE the Hornady 140g ELDM, better than Berger to me due the aerodynamic tips, which are better than they used to be.
Disqualfier: I shot expert in the Army, some 55 years ago. All I know now that I expouse to you comes from my Obama gun education. OIbama was the WORLD'S best gun and ammo salesman, and he got me TOTALLY involved. Damn him, I'm going broke. But he's still out there trying to bring down America, so I'm still out here having fun and trying to be read for when the SHTF.
Hi eugevita. In your OP you asked after a portable reloading setup. And it goes without saying that accuracy is your goal. My suggestion is to look at Wilson precision dies, sometimes called hand-dies, given that they can be used with hand tools rather than with a press. Most benchrest shooters use Wilson dies (IME), as they allow tailoring of the tightness of the neck with the resizing step, via interchangeable bushings. So simple.
Find a retailer of the Wilson reloading gear and work with them to buy the few bits and pieces you need to make the most accurate ammo you’ll ever use, all of which will fit in a shoe box (albeit large shoes).
Shoot, that sounds pretty interesting, going to have to check it out, too. Thanks! Simple is best!!!
Hi eugevita. In your OP you asked after a portable reloading setup. And it goes without saying that accuracy is your goal. My suggestion is to look at Wilson precision dies, sometimes called hand-dies, given that they can be used with hand tools rather than with a press. Most benchrest shooters use Wilson dies (IME), as they allow tailoring of the tightness of the neck with the resizing step, via interchangeable bushings. So simple.
Find a retailer of the Wilson reloading gear and work with them to buy the few bits and pieces you need to make the most accurate ammo you’ll ever use, all of which will fit in a shoe box (albeit large shoes).
Thank you for this idea! Just looked at some of their stuff on youtube, very cool! I would need an arbor press to use hand dies right? Also do they make re-sizing dies? I assume I still have to resize the previously fired case before I seat the bullet? Thanks again!
Yes, youll need an arbor press. And the arbor press can only handle neck sizing. Youll still need everything else too if youll ever full length size (which you should) which is why I recommend you ignore the arbor recommendation.
Stick to the basics for a start.
I recommend staying away from hornady dies, I have had problems but I use thier tools, bullets, and book.
I have had many mentors on the hide and would advise to pay particular attention to what @spife7980 Has to say about loading.
Imho
I recommend staying away from hornady dies, I have had problems but I use thier tools, bullets, and book.
I have had many mentors on the hide and would advise to pay particular attention to what @spife7980 Has to say about loading.
Imho
Hi eugevita.
I also watched the videos of people using Wilson precision hand dies, which helped me get an idea of what I would need. I switched over to using Wilson dies after using conventional bench press dies for over 30 years.
Reloading for accuracy is all about case preparation and handling, preferably based around an inherently accurate case/chamber design. An important consideration for you to work through is, ‘What is my objective here? Is it more along the lines of high volume shooting at lower cost, or am I more interested in working towards the best accuracy I can get from my rifles?’ If accuracy is your driver, the Wilson approach will work well for you, as a target shooter or a hunter.
I did buy an arbor press. If you think you might be using long nosed Very Low Drag style bullets, it’s handy to have an arbor press with a stroke that is long enough for lifting up to start seating those with the seating die as well as to reach the bottom of the decapping stroke when doing neck sizing, without having to adjust the height of the press. But don’t worry overly much about this; once you get into the swing of reloading small or large batches of ammo you’ll find the arbor press setup that works.
I still use my old single stage bench press for one or two case preparation steps, as part of a Wilson based reloading process. It’s handy for putting a slight flare on the case mouth, to make commencement of bullet seating smooth, gentle and non-damaging. Avoiding damage to the trailing edge of the bullet is vitally important for accuracy!
Another use for my old press is the infrequent need for case body sizing, when the case gets tight in the bullet seating die. For this I use Redding Body Sizing Dies, which leave the neck area alone. They just resize the body of the case, to a tuneable degree. The less messing with your beautifully handcrafted cases, the better! I haven’t used any of my old full length sizing (or neck sizing) dies since switching to Wilson dies.What I particularly enjoy about my Wilson reloading approach is that it is ideal for doing load development at the range. This is really good fun; seeing your accuracy improve right before your eyes as you dial in on powder load and bullet seating depth. You’ll be able to carry all you need to the firing bench in that large shoe box, provided you’ve done the metalwork side of case preparation at home first. I find it very handy to have a powder thrower at the bench, held steady by a woodworking clamp (which also fits in the shoe box). I use this at the range (and at home usually) instead of a powder scale (which is upset by breeze at the range), having previously calibrated the powder thrower to the scale. Easy, quick and accurate. As always with handling powder - keep your wits about you.
Reloading with Wilson dies and an arbor press is also very handy for small batches, or even just a single round, as it’s so quick to change the die you’re using. No need for screwing dies in and out of a press for each step and to check their setup.Choosing the tightness of bushing for neck sizing with the Wilson dies is a bit of a trick. Pure bench-rest or target shooters will use bushings that don’t resize the necks too tight, as they will be happy to chamber rounds by hand, while hunters need tighter necks so the loads withstand handling and recoil in the magazine. I generally end up with bushings that provide three or four ‘thou’ of grip or tension on the bullet, for my hunting oriented loads. More grip for bigger recoiling rifles. I’ve had great results from 243 Win up to full size hunting loads with 30-06.
Whichever approach you choose you’ll have fun and get great results. A good piece of advice I saw above was to avoid starting off with ten kinds of powder and primers and twenty bullets. Accuracy comes from consistency and eliminating variables. Talk to people about what they’ve had good results with and move forward thoughtfully. Good results will follow, along with great fulfilment. Seeing your own ammo making a small group is great fun.
Edit - I just saw your question on whether full length sizing is needed before bullet seating. The thing is, with Wilson dies, only the top half of the neck is sized, so it will grip the bullet when it’s seated. The bottom half of the neck, the shoulder and the body of the case are not sized. They remain ‘fire formed’ to the shape of your chamber, which is a key step in achieving accuracy, through aligning the bullet with the bore before firing.
Once you start thinking about what’s needed to align the bullet with the bore it will become evident that consistency of case neck wall thickness is a key detail. If the case neck wall thickness is uneven, it will not be possible to perfectly align bullets with the bore. Fortunately, the tools needed to remove the high spots from uneven case neck thickness are not complex or expensive. Look for KM Shooting’s tools for this. Again, simple hand tools are fine, if not best, as they provide the best feel for the adjustments you’re making.
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Hi eugevita.
I also watched the videos of people using Wilson precision hand dies, which helped me get an idea of what I would need. I switched over to using Wilson dies after using conventional bench press dies for over 30 years.
Reloading for accuracy is all about case preparation and handling, preferably based around an inherently accurate case/chamber design. An important consideration for you to work through is, ‘What is my objective here? Is it more along the lines of high volume shooting at lower cost, or am I more interested in working towards the best accuracy I can get from my rifles?’ If accuracy is your driver, the Wilson approach will work well for you, as a target shooter or a hunter.
I did buy an arbor press. If you think you might be using long nosed Very Low Drag style bullets, it’s handy to have an arbor press with a stroke that is long enough for lifting up to start seating those with the seating die as well as to reach the bottom of the decapping stroke when doing neck sizing, without having to adjust the height of the press. But don’t worry overly much about this; once you get into the swing of reloading small or large batches of ammo you’ll find the arbor press setup that works.
I still use my old single stage bench press for one or two case preparation steps, as part of a Wilson based reloading process. It’s handy for putting a slight flare on the case mouth, to make commencement of bullet seating smooth, gentle and non-damaging. Avoiding damage to the trailing edge of the bullet is vitally important for accuracy!
What I particularly enjoy about my Wilson reloading approach is that it is ideal for doing load development at the range. This is really good fun; seeing your accuracy improve right before your eyes as you dial in on powder load and bullet seating depth. You’ll be able to carry all you need to the firing bench in that large shoe box, provided you’ve done the metalwork side of case preparation at home first. I find it very handy to have a powder thrower at the bench, held steady by a woodworking clamp (which also fits in the shoe box). I use this at the range (and at home usually) instead of a powder scale (which is upset by breeze at the range), having previously calibrated the powder thrower to the scale. Easy, quick and accurate. As always with handling powder - keep your wits about you.
Choosing the tightness of bushing for neck sizing with the Wilson dies is a bit of a trick. Pure bench-rest or target shooters will use bushings that don’t resize the necks too tight, as they will be happy to chamber rounds by hand, while hunters need tighter necks so the loads withstand handling and recoil in the magazine. I generally end up with bushings that provide three or four ‘thou’ of grip or tension on the bullet, for my hunting oriented loads. More grip for bigger recoiling rifles. I’ve had great results from 243 Win up to full size hunting loads with 30-06.
Whichever approach you choose you’ll have fun and get great results. A good piece of advice I saw above was to avoid starting off with ten kinds of powder and primers and twenty bullets. Accuracy comes from consistency and eliminating variables. Talk to people about what they’ve had good results with and move forward thoughtfully. Good results will follow, along with great fulfilment. Seeing your own ammo making a small group is great fun.
Edit - I just saw your question on whether full length sizing is needed before bullet seating. The thing is, with Wilson dies, only the top half of the neck is sized, so it will grip the bullet when it’s seated. The bottom half of the neck, the shoulder and the body of the case are not sized. They remain ‘fire formed’ to the shape of your chamber, which is a key step in achieving accuracy, through aligning the bullet with the bore before firing.
Once you start thinking about what’s needed to align the bullet with the bore it will become evident that consistency of case neck wall thickness is a key detail. If the case neck wall thickness is uneven, it will not be possible to perfectly align bullets with the bore. Fortunately, the tools needed to remove the high spots from uneven case neck thickness are not complex or expensive. Look for KM Shooting’s tools for this. Again, simple hand tools are fine, if not best, as they provide the best feel for the adjustments you’re making.
Thank you for the insight and time taken to write this. I will re-read this again this weekend, lot to unpack here, might ask you some other questions as I think about it!
I didn't have trouble so much with the Hornady dies as with the Hornady lubes. Once I discovered Lee's Resizing lube, life got way easier.
I would not recommend a hand press. Unless you are a bench rest shooter using a specialty hand press. The force required to full length resize even with Imperial wax is going to be a chore on a hand press like the Lee. Go for one of the kits like has been mentioned. I like RCBS but they will all do the job using a good single stage press. The press will last a lifetime and will always be useful for different tasks even if in the future you go to a progressive set-up.
I have a Lee classic cast turret press. I have bought several of the die holders and dies and set one up with each caliber. I am just starting out myself and will use it as a single stage for now, then when I am ready I will start using the turret function on the press. I figured that would help future proof to some extent the upgrading of my equipment. Maybe not but that’s what I was thinking at the time. Anyway, You can set up each turret with a different caliber and it helps with changing out setups when you want to switch caliber to reload. The nice thing is that you don’t have to buy all of the extras right now, you can add to it as you go. Like has been mentioned previously, get a mentor and learn from them. Too many pots on the fire can and will get confusing. As I said earlier, I am still new to this whole process and not really helpful in the subtle things you/we need to learn. From the reading that I have done there are several good guys you can learn from, It seems (to me at least), @Gustav7 has offered to be a mentor since he has offered to video chat you through stuff. Or at least help you get started. I am not trying to volunteer anyone or put words in their mouth/post. and @spife7980 is really good from what I have read of his posts. The way he has described some things has helped clear some of my confusion. One thing that I have been told repeatedly is write everything down, read and study as much as you can and take your time. You can use the holders that the cartridges come in to hold the case while reloading, or you can get a piece of wood and drill holes in it to start with, then buy holders as money/need permits. There are a lot of things you can do to reduce initial cost. Take a look at some of these things on line and get ideas. If you have friends that have equipment that can make some of it even better. Someone with a drill press and a chunk of aluminum or wood can make a good shell holder. I’m sorry for kind of derailing your thread.
I'd concur with BPGuru above about the hand press. And I will admit I know nada about them. But I do know how valuable the leverage offered by the long arm on the presses can be!
Haven't used the Lyman tumblers....they look solid! I've been using the Frankford Arsenal Quick N Easy Tumbler and it works fine, and is cheaper. I don't care for the corn cob media, I use the green stuff. It will work for a couple of loads easy. Then you can stretch it a LOT by using Frankford Arsenal Brass Polish, squirting a bit into the tumbler and mixing it into the media really good before adding the brass.
Calipers? Midway's got three under $50 that should get you started well enough. Midsouth will probably have a few, too.
Lee Sizing Wax about $6-7 for a tube, BEST I've ever used over sprays and graphite and pastes. Oh, see now, Imperial recommended. I like Lee better, but this gets to personal choice. With Lee's I can use so darn little it doesn't need cleaning up. A touch on the exterior, and a touch on a swab inserted into the neck.
You're going to need scales and a trickler, again items that are included in a decent kit. I'll recommend the Hornady starter kit since it was a gift to me that got me started. My favorite press now is a Lee but I still use the Hornady all the time. The Hornady holds one die at a time, the Lee seven. But you won't need more than one for a while, and Hornady has quick die change devices to facilitate your switchouts.
Reloading is the type of thing that if you ask opinions from five people, you'll get ten opinions back.
Good luck on sorting through them to find what works for you!
Oh, Case gauge? A cheap enough way to ensure your cartridges are going to chamber when you go to fire them!
I’d rather have a real dimension measurement.
It’s the difference between knowing and not knowing.
I've been reloading for 50+ years and have tried numerous reloading presses over the years. All the name brand single stage presses, RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, Redding, Lee and others will get the job done. I recently purchased a MEC metallic single stage press w/accessory mount. It's small compared to the presses mentioned but very sturdy. I use it for precision loading. Of course you can reload just about any caliber with it. It has a small footprint and I simply use c-clamps to mount on almost any table. I use an old Dillon XL-650 progressive press for loading everything from 9mm to 308, but it has a large footprint.
Numerous hide members have given you good advice on how to get started. While there are many, many articles and advice on reloading on the internet you should use caution and verify load data. A quality reloading manual is a must.
Hi eugevita.
You’ve been blessed with tons of good advice in response to your question. My feeling is you will enjoy reloading and get good results whichever approach you take. And if you keep at it for a few years you’ll end up with a variety of gear.
Where you head, equipment wise, will depend on your desire to pursue better and better accuracy. How good is good enough, for your purposes? Are you simply wanting to be pleasantly rewarded with 1 MOA five shot groups? Or will you be chasing group sizes that are not much bigger than bore size, in competitions? Or do you just want a very accurate hunting rifle?
1 MOA groups are possible with any reloading setup, if your technique is good and you find the right powder and good projectiles to suit your rifles. Beyond that there is one factor that improved accuracy hinges on more than any other, and it is evenness and consistency of case neck wall thickness. Aligning the bullet perfectly with the bore is the key. Making the case neck wall thickness even for a batch of cases requires a case neck wall thickness trimming tool. Not expensive. Note that this is different from a case neck length trimmer. Safety dictates that you need one of these too.
Once the minimum amount of brass has been removed to even up the case necks‘ thickness, the necks need to be sized to hold a bullet. Because these cases have necks that are now two or so thou thinner than standard, standard resizing dies won’t reliably squeeze the necks tight enough to hold a bullet. This is where the Wilson dies come in. We get to choose how tight the case necks are squeezed, by selecting the bushing to install inside the neck sizing die. As such, we get to choose how tightly the bullet is held by the case neck. This is why I ended up using Wilson dies. The simplicity and portability are side benefits, albeit big ones.
My reloading is done for six hunting rifles. No competition, no benchrest, minimal range shooting - just load development with each new rifle, after which I tend to stick with one load per rifle. These all shoot around half MOA groups. My overall shooting volume is low - shots fired that is. They’re all noisy! I hope this helps fill in some background.
You’ve been blessed with tons of good advice in response to your question. My feeling is you will enjoy reloading and get good results whichever approach you take. And if you keep at it for a few years you’ll end up with a variety of gear.
Where you head, equipment wise, will depend on your desire to pursue better and better accuracy. How good is good enough, for your purposes? Are you simply wanting to be pleasantly rewarded with 1 MOA five shot groups? Or will you be chasing group sizes that are not much bigger than bore size, in competitions? Or do you just want a very accurate hunting rifle?
1 MOA groups are possible with any reloading setup, if your technique is good and you find the right powder and good projectiles to suit your rifles. Beyond that there is one factor that improved accuracy hinges on more than any other, and it is evenness and consistency of case neck wall thickness. Aligning the bullet perfectly with the bore is the key. Making the case neck wall thickness even for a batch of cases requires a case neck wall thickness trimming tool. Not expensive. Note that this is different from a case neck length trimmer. Safety dictates that you need one of these too.
Once the minimum amount of brass has been removed to even up the case necks‘ thickness, the necks need to be sized to hold a bullet. Because these cases have necks that are now two or so thou thinner than standard, standard resizing dies won’t reliably squeeze the necks tight enough to hold a bullet. This is where the Wilson dies come in. We get to choose how tight the case necks are squeezed, by selecting the bushing to install inside the neck sizing die. As such, we get to choose how tightly the bullet is held by the case neck. This is why I ended up using Wilson dies. The simplicity and portability are side benefits, albeit big ones.
My reloading is done for six hunting rifles. No competition, no benchrest, minimal range shooting - just load development with each new rifle, after which I tend to stick with one load per rifle. These all shoot around half MOA groups. My overall shooting volume is low - shots fired that is. They’re all noisy! I hope this helps fill in some background.
You don’t need to turn necks to make precise ammo. Well maybe if you use shit brass. But if the neck is so crappy as to require turning in order to make it usable, the rest of the case is crap. So why bother?
If you use decent brass and decide to neck turn, you will not remove enough material to render standard FL sizing dies unusable. Standard FL dies oversize the neck to such a degree that even the thinnest of necks will get properly sized.
If you use decent brass and decide to neck turn, you will not remove enough material to render standard FL sizing dies unusable. Standard FL dies oversize the neck to such a degree that even the thinnest of necks will get properly sized.
OK, I'm asking out of ignorance here........can't an overall measurement be good but the neck still be wrong to fit the chamber? I mostly do measurements but when things look screwey I pull out the gauge to see if it's all "flat on bottom" Still learning, Thanks!
I have no idea what you’re saying about flat in bottom.
If your oal is what you’re concerned about measure it. You calipers are your best friend and will give you an actual length.
If its any other dimension then the gauge won’t tell you, but your calipers will.
What 918 says here is true - that if not much brass is removed to even up the neck thickness of good quality cases, then standard full length sizing dies will resize the necks more than enough to hold a bullet. However, it doesn't translate that using full length sizing dies is the best option when simple, quick, portable and highly accurate reloading is the aim.
The advantages of using Wilson dies, with their tailorable neck sizing capability are:
- case bodies, shoulders and lower necks remain fireformed to the rifle's chamber and throat, greatly enhancing bullet-to-bore alignment
- cases do not become work hardened anywhere near as quickly, and so last much longer
- cases don't become lengthened so quickly from all that cyclical full length resizing and fireforming, so don't need length trimming as often. Overpressure events from overly long cases are less likely.
- resizing lube is not needed, nor does it need to be cleaned off. Instead, graphite powder may optionally be used to ease sizing of the upper neck. The graphite residue aids with bullet seating.
- case necks are sized down only as much as needed, rather than too much, and so again the brass is worked less and the cases last longer
- because the necks are not sized down too much, bullets are less likely to be damaged during seating, greatly enhancing accuracy
- using an arbor press with Wilson dies provides much better feel during bullet seating, to gauge neck tightness and consistency
- reloading two or three rounds at the firing bench with a new power load or bullet seating depth is a snap. Not so with full length dies and a press.
- guys at the range who are watching you reloading two or three rounds at the firing bench with a new powder load, so easily, with gear you've pulled from a shoe box, will be asking themselves, 'Why haven't I been doing it that way all this time?' Just like I did.
Oh my! There are a couple great arbor presses that are designed for at range use which makes them very portable. The good news is that you can save a lot of money by buying quality products the first time. I street with a RCBS package . It worked OK for awhile and while I still have the single stage rock crusher I have upgraded to a digital scale to use in conjunction with the triple beam RCBS scale. A good set of calipers will help greatly. You will be spending more time reloading using basic RCBS equipment but you can get accurate loads. I bought a Redding die set. First for my .308. Then I upgraded to a competition 's die set for my 6.5 Creedmoor and my 6.5x47 Lapua. If money is an issue you can go with LEE reloading setup. Century 21 has some really nice products. Make a list of what you need. I have a spare bedroom I use for my reloading. It is amazing how fast you can accumulate stuff. K and M, century 21, and forester are some examples of portable presses. Keep watching g you tube videos and read.
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