Interesting, my struggle with SDs has been ongoing with the 6.5 prc and the 6.5 CM. I think that is my best SD in a while.
Well for now I have to make do with the ADG with Hunting season around the corner. I may switch to Lapua next year though.
Thanks for your help.
Interesting, my struggle with SDs has been ongoing with the 6.5 prc and the 6.5 CM. I think that is my best SD in a while.
Well for now I have to make do with the ADG with Hunting season around the corner. I may switch to Lapua next year though.
Thanks for your help.
Hmmmm???? I really don't think that switching to Lapua from ADG is the thing that'll get your SD's lower. I typically use Lapua for my 6.5 PRC and recently got to ADG to try (just because I like to shoot and experiment with different things, since my old body just isn't up to the rigors of hunting anymore) and they've performed just as well for me. For my 6.5 PRC I've used Hornady, Peterson, Lapua and now ADG brass and they all have given me SD's between 4 and 7 (depending on other components I'm using). So, I'm inclined to think that a particular brand of brass is not an issue in terms of SD's. I'm convinced is a great deal about process.
I think your process is just fine. But I do think it'd be a little better if you'd do your first cleaning after you do your annealing (to mitigate any effects of that abrasive oxidation deposit before sizing). Also, you might try mandreling after you tumbled to remove sizing wax. If you haven't tried it yet, just try it and switch these things up and see what you get???
I tend to get SD's in the 4's (whether it's my .308 or 6.5 PRC) when I've sort primers by weight and use bullets sorted by BTO to where the seating stem makes contact with the ogive for consistent seating depth. Other than that, just as an comparison, here's my process:
*Deprime
*Clean primer pockets (pockets have been uniformed and cleaning with same uniformer)
*Anneal (flame heat to red glow for between 1and 2 seconds on an Annealeez machine)
*Clean necks on outside using steel wool to remove annealing oxidation layer
*FL size (non-bushing die with no expander ball) using Imperial Sizing Die Wax; case dwells in die for ~ 4-5 seconds while I lube the next case to be sized
*Check for signs of any body stretching/case head separation using bent paper clip
*Dry Tumble to remove lube with medium grain rice for my media
*Remove media from interior of case, checking for any flash hole obstructions
*Mandrel neck to desired size
*3 way trim to desired length
*Prime cases (seating with Lee ACP for consistent seating depths, sometimes with 21 Century hand primer)
*Charge cases with powder (weighing charges with FX-120i)
*Seat bullets to desired seating depth (using Wilson inline seating die with small hand arbor press from Sinclair); no neck lube necessary due to cleaning process. Seating is very smooth and consistent.
My 6.5 PRC has a Preferred Barrel Blanks barrel that replaced the factory barrel and has over 2,000 rounds on it and have a Krieger barrel waiting to replace it. My .308 has a Krieger 26" 1:10 barrel with 3,200 rounds on it (it's my 3rd barrel on this gun) and a new one like it waiting in the closet.
