First and foremost, I wouldn't be at this point right now if it wasn't for all of your help. Thank you for all of your help with my postings and your replys. Also reading many other's forum posts. I think I'm on the right track. Hopefully.......
I think I'm a "do it right the first time" type of person and I might have gone a bit over board with my reloading equipment but I hate upgrading. This also applys to my rifles. IMO, with some research and reading loads of reviews I think I save money in the long run by not having to constantly upgrade. Out of all of my reloading purchases, IMO the best purchase hands down was my tumbler with stainless steel media. It cleans my brass in well under 25minutes and I'm blown away by its performance. Hit up the brass with air compressor and stick it under a fan and it's dry in no time flat. Besides the fact I never need to purchase media again. You save in the long run. Next would be the RCBS 1500 chargemaster. The speed and consistant drops verified the reviews and youtube videos. Next was the worlds finest trimmer for .308. Once I figured out how to set the WFT from a pc of brass already @ 2.005 & off my full length sized brass I really couldn't imagine doing this stuff by hand. Next, the lyman case prep center works extreamly well and seams like a very solid unit. Couldn't imagine doing all of this stuff by hand. Finally, the hornady LNL AP press. The press has been not bad and I think it will really start to shine once I start reloading for my ruger SR1911 and glock pistols. I might consider getting a single stage for my rifles, but so far it does the job. About the only problem I've had with the LNL AP press is mine came with the primer timing all screwed up, but it was an easy fix. It is really all about keeping the shell plate clean with ball detents greased and making sure the primer shuttle timing is set correctly.
I'm going to tell you right now it has been <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">ONE HELL OF A LONG ROAD</span></span> from the start of my reloading center, buying all of the equipment, learning how to use the equipment, knowing somewhat the hell you need to do, to actually putting a pc of finished reloaded ammo in your rifle. <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">YOU ARE KIDDING YOURSELF</span></span> if you think the road to reloading is going to be an easy one for the first time reloader. A couple nights I was seriously pulling my hair out. I'm really starting to think it's all about getting a consistant method to your madness when it comes to reloading. Get it figured out, get it right, and stick with it type of thing.
Well, I finally made it out today with my LMT to see how my very first batch of reloaded ammo went. I took my barrel off the LMT, cleaned it, and put it back on. I also put some sticky back velco on my brass deflector. I like to call it my velcro brass deflector protector. LOL! It really did work and I now have no ding on the side of my brass which is much better for reloading. I just cleaned the brass deflector on my LMT with some break cleaner, cut the velcro strip with scissors, and applied the velco to my LMT deflector (see picture)... Easy as that..... Anyway, I really wasn't out to zero my rifle. Was more out to test my first ever batch of reloaded .308 ammo ever and see how my groupings where hitting with my LMT MWS. I started out with some factory 7.62 american eagle and noticed I was hitting high about 1.5" but the group was rather solid especially for just taking the barrel off and back on so I just kept on going with the shoot knowing that my reloaded ammo would most likely be different anyway. Was more about grouping anyway. Then I started out with my small batches of .308 / 7.62 nato brass reloads. Everything went really smooth. Absolutely no problems with every single reload. I wanted to start with small batches just in case I had some problems and wasn't pulling bullets. I started out with a very small batch of once fired .308 federal brass and then 7.62 nato american eagle brass. Did 5 shots of each and included a pic of my best groups of the commercial / nato brass and different benchmark powder load weights. I can already tell from the very very soft kick and the low target hit my powder grains are way too low, but i'm blown away by the unreal grouping on my .308 brass / 37grns benchmark (start load) / 175gr smk hpbt / BR-2 primers. Was pretty much getting a bullet in a bullet hole on my best 5 shot group .308 federal brass / 37grn bench mark reloaded ammo. I've also included a pick of where my factory american eagle 7.62 168grn ammo was hitting to give an idea of how much lower my first time reloads where hitting on the starting powder charges. I guess my next purchase with be a cronograph? I'm still learning here. Anyway, enough talk.. Here are the pics:
My new reloading center and my LMT:
The velcro brass deflector protector. No more dinged brass:
Factory 7.62 american eagle 168grn groupings @ 100yards:
Reloaded .308 federal brass, start load 37grn benchmark, 175grn smk hpbt, br2 primers:
Reloaded 7.62 american eagle brass, start load 35.6 benchmark, 175grn smk hpbt, br2 primers:
I think I'm a "do it right the first time" type of person and I might have gone a bit over board with my reloading equipment but I hate upgrading. This also applys to my rifles. IMO, with some research and reading loads of reviews I think I save money in the long run by not having to constantly upgrade. Out of all of my reloading purchases, IMO the best purchase hands down was my tumbler with stainless steel media. It cleans my brass in well under 25minutes and I'm blown away by its performance. Hit up the brass with air compressor and stick it under a fan and it's dry in no time flat. Besides the fact I never need to purchase media again. You save in the long run. Next would be the RCBS 1500 chargemaster. The speed and consistant drops verified the reviews and youtube videos. Next was the worlds finest trimmer for .308. Once I figured out how to set the WFT from a pc of brass already @ 2.005 & off my full length sized brass I really couldn't imagine doing this stuff by hand. Next, the lyman case prep center works extreamly well and seams like a very solid unit. Couldn't imagine doing all of this stuff by hand. Finally, the hornady LNL AP press. The press has been not bad and I think it will really start to shine once I start reloading for my ruger SR1911 and glock pistols. I might consider getting a single stage for my rifles, but so far it does the job. About the only problem I've had with the LNL AP press is mine came with the primer timing all screwed up, but it was an easy fix. It is really all about keeping the shell plate clean with ball detents greased and making sure the primer shuttle timing is set correctly.
I'm going to tell you right now it has been <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">ONE HELL OF A LONG ROAD</span></span> from the start of my reloading center, buying all of the equipment, learning how to use the equipment, knowing somewhat the hell you need to do, to actually putting a pc of finished reloaded ammo in your rifle. <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">YOU ARE KIDDING YOURSELF</span></span> if you think the road to reloading is going to be an easy one for the first time reloader. A couple nights I was seriously pulling my hair out. I'm really starting to think it's all about getting a consistant method to your madness when it comes to reloading. Get it figured out, get it right, and stick with it type of thing.
Well, I finally made it out today with my LMT to see how my very first batch of reloaded ammo went. I took my barrel off the LMT, cleaned it, and put it back on. I also put some sticky back velco on my brass deflector. I like to call it my velcro brass deflector protector. LOL! It really did work and I now have no ding on the side of my brass which is much better for reloading. I just cleaned the brass deflector on my LMT with some break cleaner, cut the velcro strip with scissors, and applied the velco to my LMT deflector (see picture)... Easy as that..... Anyway, I really wasn't out to zero my rifle. Was more out to test my first ever batch of reloaded .308 ammo ever and see how my groupings where hitting with my LMT MWS. I started out with some factory 7.62 american eagle and noticed I was hitting high about 1.5" but the group was rather solid especially for just taking the barrel off and back on so I just kept on going with the shoot knowing that my reloaded ammo would most likely be different anyway. Was more about grouping anyway. Then I started out with my small batches of .308 / 7.62 nato brass reloads. Everything went really smooth. Absolutely no problems with every single reload. I wanted to start with small batches just in case I had some problems and wasn't pulling bullets. I started out with a very small batch of once fired .308 federal brass and then 7.62 nato american eagle brass. Did 5 shots of each and included a pic of my best groups of the commercial / nato brass and different benchmark powder load weights. I can already tell from the very very soft kick and the low target hit my powder grains are way too low, but i'm blown away by the unreal grouping on my .308 brass / 37grns benchmark (start load) / 175gr smk hpbt / BR-2 primers. Was pretty much getting a bullet in a bullet hole on my best 5 shot group .308 federal brass / 37grn bench mark reloaded ammo. I've also included a pick of where my factory american eagle 7.62 168grn ammo was hitting to give an idea of how much lower my first time reloads where hitting on the starting powder charges. I guess my next purchase with be a cronograph? I'm still learning here. Anyway, enough talk.. Here are the pics:
My new reloading center and my LMT:
The velcro brass deflector protector. No more dinged brass:
Factory 7.62 american eagle 168grn groupings @ 100yards:
Reloaded .308 federal brass, start load 37grn benchmark, 175grn smk hpbt, br2 primers:
Reloaded 7.62 american eagle brass, start load 35.6 benchmark, 175grn smk hpbt, br2 primers:
