Post anything that has helped you as a reloader!

#51

Another good read is a article called IIRC - "Tales of the old Houston warehouse". After I read that I never uniformed a primer pocket again.

Is your 300WM chamber SAAMI spec? If so then don't turn much more off than .001". All chambers are different, especially the neck. For instance I had a DPMS 308 that had .011 neck expansion, which is ridiculously large, I was getting some split necks on the 2cnd firing so it would have been useless to turn necks for it, not that I would for a rifle like that anyway. Normal neck expansion is usually .007-.008". Still a lot IMO but neck turning could be beneficial still.

Anymore I'm only turning necks for my customs which have tight neck chambers, .002-.003" expansion and never get a split neck. Between annealing on my Benchsource and the necks being turned within .0002" of each other, there is almost no difference in neck tension. The last ladder I did produced a 5 shot .9" group at 400Y and all five were .1 grain different in charge weight.
 
#52

I wasn't able to find that article, what happened? Both of the are custom chambers done by accurate ordnance, I might not have to take even .001" off my new Norma brass, but if I do i wouldn't do more than .002" for the split neck reason, one of my chambers seem to open up by .006" which i though was a lot. How are you weighing your powder, do you think my charge master 1500 is accurate enough?

Would also love to hear a good method to find an accurate load with the berger 190 gr.
 
#54

Here's most of the original article, the highlights anyway. PrecisionRifleBlog.com | A Data-Driven Approach to Precision Rifles & Handloading

I use a Scott Parker tuned Ohaus 505, throw from a Harrels, then trickle (actually I pinch with my fingers) to the kernel. After having 3 E scales give erroneous measurements then eventually break I'm done with them personally. Just check to make sure your Chargemaster is calibrated often. .2 grain variance on a big case like that won't be too bad. That's the nice thing about finding the middle of a barrel node, gives you some leeway on the powder charge.

IMO there's no substitute for ladder testing at distance. In .2 grain increments would be fine because of the large case volume of 300WM. I would try H-1000 because of it's slow burn rate, lower burning temp and temperature insensitivity. If possible start with the seating depth barely kissing the lands, that way if you need to adjust seating depth in or out a little (to tighten groups) there won't be much more of a pressure difference.
 
#55
Case prep, attention to detail, shoot alot, a few of the good older 10-10 scales, attention to detail, shoot alot, Redding competition dies, attention to detail, shoot alot, a healthy supply of powder/brass/primers, and did I mention attention to details and shoot alot. Having OCD helps alot to.
 
#56

I actually found out Scott Parker lives only an hour away from me, how do you like his scale.. do you think it would lower my ES? He was telling me he likes to start off adjusting seating deapth because that translates into the biggest jump in barrel time. So I think ill do the Audette method with seating depth, than do it again with powder. And yes i run H100, One of my favorite powders.. if anyone should have a favorite powder. I like your idea with the seating depth, with my Bergers what increments would you test, I'm not afraid of jamming them into the rifling, and my magazine would even allow for soft seating.
 
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#57
The press can be average, but use the best dies.
Giraud case trimmer.
Concentricity gauge
Basic Bullet Comparator, I use a Hornady.
Don't stress over primer seating.
Digital Scale, and if you need to trickle charge, Auto Dispenser.
 
#58
Looks like you have a lot of good stuff here. I found that the DVD, (handloading beyond the basics) by redding is very good. Also use a gold metal bushing die to re-size exactly perfect neck tension so you can get rid of expander ball. This will give you very good case body to neck concentricity, in turn giving you good bullet run out and bore alignment. Neck to body should be under .002. If you want a straight shooting bullet, it has to be straight before it leaves the brass.
 
#63
I approached reloading with the notion of not over thinking the process. The obvious fact is that shooting is expensive so I wanted to get very good equipment but didn't need the best. I also don't shoot benchrest or compete so I bought accordingly to what my needs were. More often than not we are consumed with the fact that the more expensive it is, the better it is and the better you will be but this is far from true. I wanted the best dies but knew I needed to learn first so I did not get custom dies made, I bought Redding. I wanted a Giraud trimmer but I wanted to learn the process so I bought a Wilson case trimmer. I never buy the cheapest because I know I will always want to upgrade so I try to buy right below what is best and use whatever component I have until I figure out what needs to be changed in the reloading process and then buy the best. Most importantly I read A LOT on this site and every other site for the matter to learn from as many people as possible. Everybody has a little trick they have learned along the way and its those simple things that will make you a better reloader. People that ask questions that hundreds have asked before are fucking lazy and will never learn because they will always rely on someone else to figure out their problems.
 
#64

I like it a lot! Much more consistent than all the other scales I've owned.

I do .005" increments in and out with the seating. I try to not waist time and barrel life trying to find the perfect seating depth to the 001". I'm also not a benchrest shooter so if my rifle is shooting .3-4" with low ES I'm happy. VLD's can be temperamental about seating depth so once you've found a good depth be sure to chase the lands as the throat wears with that same amount of jump or jam. At the same time adjust the powder charge to stay at the same velocity.
 
#65

I'm of the same opinion. .005" increments seem to work just fine for me.

I'll usually start by loading with the bullet "in the lands" and then work up my load. Once I find a nice accurate charge weight I'll load about 25-30 rounds at "in the lands length". I then hit the range with my Lee Hand Press, a Lee Dead Length Seater Die, and Caliper with Comparator adapter (Hornady).

I will then shoot a group, shorten by .005" using comparator measurements only. Shoot the next group and repeat, now taking off .010", .015" etc. I stop when I have an OAL of "Mag Length (without the comparator). By using the comparator the bullets are moved the .005" increments away from the lands and any variations in bullet tips, that can give erratic OAL measurements are eliminated. On my latest barrel/ammo combination it took only two groups to find the "single ragged hole" length.
 
#66

This is it!:cool: Every time I read on this forum I find a $5-200 tool I need. I am a rookie with 3 years pistol and 1 year rifle reloading. But here is my list of tools and things I have recently learned.

Stainless steel media with a thumlers tumbler will make any brass look new.
Hornady COAL tool (measuring bullet jump)
Hornady bullet comparators
Hornady headspace gauge kit (if loading for semi auto spin brass as it sits in your caliper and gauge)
Read elfster1234's epic accuracy journey it will explain all those tools
I spend copious amounts of time just soaking up the infinite knowledge stored in this forum. I also have found a few "mentors" to ask questions of

Cheers!
 
#67
Seriously love this forum. I have learned soooooo much. When i have spare time i just soak up the knowledge here. I check this forum more than facebook!!! happy to have stumbled upon this place. Great people and knowledge.
 
#69

I hear ya, those tools I would say are definitely necessary! IF you have a turret press I would really recommend a redding Instant indicator, it only comes per caliber but you can use the same "family" of calibers.. great for head-spacing with your dies, & bullet seating dies. It really sped up my reloading process.

My shipment came into today from USPS.. great tools.

Got my Harrell's turret press, this thing is AMAZING!! I also got my neck turner and uniformer in from K&M, a very innovative company, First round of 200 pieces of Norma brass overall went very well I think. I also picked up a redding neck concentricety gauge, and all my necks are within .001".. so i'm happy. Im hoping to pick up my Scott Parker tuned M5 scale on Wednesday, hopefully that will lower my ES, I really think it will. I really want the Ken Light annealing machine, but i'll stick to doing it by hand now.

My thought process:

Range trip one:
find MAX powder from 2 rounds with .5 gr incriments
.005" seating change deapths with Audette test at 400 Yards

Range trip two:
Best round with RT 1 with .2gr increments Audette test at 400 (4 rounds each increment)

Range trip three:
Best two from RT 2, 10 shot groups at 400 and 800 yards
 
#70

You must be shopping in the "Discount" section. I seem to only find tools or gadgets that START at $200 and go way up from there.


Made the comment one day at the range that "Shooting is less expensive than Drinking and Chasing Women".

One of the other shooters replied "But not by much".

We both agreed that it would be easier to talk our wives into spending money on Shooting rather than "the other".
 
#71
A dedicated reloading databook, instead of keeping load data on the box-tops (I do both now), RCBS lube in a zip-lock baggie, shake, then prep using a RCBS lube die and a dillon trimmer, What used to take hours now takes 30 mins. I don't think I load for as much accuracy as some of y'all, but it's good enough to get the job done.

Also, I found that a crimp die really increased my consistency without any extra effort.
 
#72
A dedicated reloading databook, instead of keeping load data on the box-tops (I do both now), RCBS lube in a zip-lock baggie, shake, then prep using a RCBS lube die and a dillon trimmer, What used to take hours now takes 30 mins. I don't think I load for as much accuracy as some of y'all, but it's good enough to get the job done.

Also, I found that a crimp die really increased my consistency without any extra effort.
 
#74
A lot of good intel here.

I personally have chased the "perfect" load to the point where I need trigger time more than tweaking my loads. I find that I have uniformed pockets, scaled to a kernel, checked run-out, worked with accurate seating depth, and done OBT calculations/group testing, among other things, and now I just need trigger time. After improving my marksmanship skills, I probably can chase better loads a bit more. I find that I am getting some groups of .3MOA at 300 yards, but not all of my groups. Thus, I suspect that I need to improve my personal skills before I chase mechanical and ballistic issues that may affect the group size.
I do concur on the use of dies without the expander ball and then the Sinclair Mandrel die to get the neck tension right. I have had a set of bushing dies on order for over 8 months now, and hope to be able to skip the second step, but until then, I use what I have to my best potential.
 
#78

.3 MOA at 300 yards is very good even for a "best group". Do you find your load batches are consistent? Can you load some one day to shot .3, load the same load and shoot .3 again. When you go from 0X to once fired brass do you do a powder work up or keep what worked for the once fired. Everytime I resize I find my load moves up .2 gr (in my 300 WM)
 
#81

Honestly, I haven't had enough time at the range to test all that. I have been out three times with different sets of load parameters, and had one group tested give 0.3 to 0.35 MOA each day. I need to quit playing with load tweaking, and get more range time in. That is the thrust of my post. Unless one has gotten so he is confident in his shooting ability and consistency over time, than chasing the perfect load may become a chase for red-herring. I know my loads and rifle are compatible now, I need to shoot more groups to see how consistent they remain. When I am sure I am doing my job right, then I can see if any further development needs to be done.
 
#82
At one time I used to go to the nith degree on everything, every aspect had to be absolutely perfect, had a gizmo for everything. I chased that demon for many years, now I cover the basics, use good techniques and don't go over board. I have more time to shoot and actually enjoy it more.
 
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#84
Before I started reloading about 5 years ago, I chatted up a few of the old timer benchrest guys at the local range. Made a few friends that way and now I've got some guys to ask questions who have been reloading longer than I've been alive. By far has helped me the most.
 
#87
Good

-Other Reloaders
-Internet knowledge base
-Record keeping
-Measuring seating depth from the ogive not the tip.
-Bump gauge
-Brass tumbler
-Ladder Testing
-Big pieces of cardboard - Free... Target $ is adding up
-Good boots for walking down range (I wonder how many miles I've put on at the range this year?)
-A grouse "jumped" out in front of my target and "hit" my bullet yesterday so I ate it - Yum
-Flour, salt, pepper, fried in butter - Tasty Grouse

Bad

-Anneal all of your brass in one go when you are learning how to anneal so you can ruin it all - Fuck
-Have loose scope mounts - Fuck
-I think some jerk put a 22 shell in the plywood and my bullet hit it and blew up my target on the 3rd shot - Fuck
-Miss some tiny detail that's important so your groups go from .4 moa to 2 moa and you don't know why - Fuck
 
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#90

No, don't attempt to anneal any brass until you get some 700 degree Tempilaq. "the color" alone is not a good judge of whether a case is annealed or not. Brass can be under annealed which isn't doing anything or over annealed which is basically ruining it. That neck needs the "spring back" from being annealed at the right temp. Especially for a big case... quenching isn't necessary if it is annealed right. Some of those guys on youtube with their annealing videos have painfully and obviously ruined their cases.
 
#93

I can tell you what I no longer do, no more primer pocket uniforming, no more weighing brass, no more sweating over 1 or 2 kernels of powder one way or the other, no more keeping run out below .002, no more trying to eek out the most fps with accuracy.
I shoot more and still not always as well as I like, but it is not related to the above mentioned items. I do use bushing dies and bump shoulders back a thou or two or three when needed. Trim cases to similar lengths, tumble to keep brass looking shinny, I like shinny things:) Heck I have over 10+ re-loadings some 300wm brass with one minor trimming, pockets still tight and hope to get 5-10 more loadings.
I only compete/shoot against myself and friends. I enjoy shooting anything and everything, but I love hunting, anything that will improve my chances of a kill is what I am after. Productive Trigger time I have found seems to be at the top of the list.
 
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#95
Junked my pos chargemaster and run a harrel. The sad part is the harrel will throw varget,h4350 and h4831sc more accurately then the chargemaster in 1/4 time. Still way all charges and do need to trickle up 1-2 times out of 10. Chargemaster constantly overthrows and tries to lie. Had the straw, pen, no flourescent lights, and scale turned on for 12-24 hours. The harrel measure is the nicest reloading tool i have been around, other then a neal jones measure.
 
#96

Im selling my 1500 CM, and bought a Scott Parker tuned scale. I also picked up a Omega 3 auto trickler with auto shut off, only $169, and such an awesome design! Came highly recommended by Scott, so I'll let you know how I like it.
 
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