Getting started, need a little guidance

S

slythy

Private
Minuteman
Nov 28, 2020
29
5
Indiana
#1
I am looking at reloading for my 6.5 creedmoor. Here is my current plans…

Forster COAX press
Forster Ultra Die set
(I plan on removing the ball expander)
21st Century Industry Mandrel set
RCBS Charge Master
Wilson case trimmer

I plan on doing Berger 140’s, H4350 powder, hornady brass at first then Lapua when I get confident. Unsure on primers.

Anything big I am missing or shoulr look elsewhere? Forster has been very quick to reapond and helpful so I would like to use there press and Dies.

Thanks!
 
#2
Nothing wrong with Forster at all. So far you are definitely on the right track for what you stated.

For me, the equipment needs to match the task. For example you can reload bulk 9mm on a single stage, but it's not ideal for that application.

For loading precision rifle rounds where you might do a few hundred rounds or something a single stage is totally fine.

One of the perks of the Forster press is you can quickly change dies. Once everything is fine tuned you can roll with it very efficiently.
 
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#4
alamo5000 said:
Nothing wrong with Forster at all. So far you are definitely on the right track for what you stated.

For me, the equipment needs to match the task. For example you can reload bulk 9mm on a single stage, but it's not ideal for that application.

For loading precision rifle rounds where you might do a few hundred rounds or something a single stage is totally fine.

One of the perks of the Forster press is you can quickly change dies. Once everything is fine tuned you can roll with it very efficiently.
Click to expand...
Whats your thoughts on mandrel? I dont care about speed. I just want accuracy

jetjock07 said:
CCI large rifle primers #200 or # 34’s or Federal Gold medal GM210M will be fine.

Also make sure you have a good comparator set to measure shoulder bump and base to ogive measurements.
Click to expand...

Woops meant to say was gonna get short action customs comparator set.
 
#7
Most of what you have listed is really good. You should have no problem being successful with that.

Primers, use what you can find. Raven Rocks has rem LRM 9 1/2s for about $350. That's a pretty good deal. Small rifle primers have now become pretty cheap and pretty available so you shouldn't have trouble.
 
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#9
Doom said:
@slythy, I take it from your posts you are looking for precision not accuracy. Just what level of precision are you looking for? What level do you need?
Click to expand...

We all need 1/4 moa! Honestly I am fairly realistic with my setup right now. Its a howa 1500 with a standard heavy barrel from them. I would like to get sub moa, 3/4moa even better. But I think I want to be setup for when I do buy a new barrel for it that I have a good process down and am comfortable with all my loading equipment.

I have a 1400y range “near” me that I can go to so I would like to tighten everything up at 100y and start lobbing them out there. I’ve been shooting Hornady 147 ELD match loads and they are alright but not stellar for my gun.
 
#10
I am new to reloading this year. I’ve learned a lot in a few months and I’m still struggling in some areas. I screwed up and bought a press kit. The scale, trickler, and powder measure have been replaced. I could have saved some money here, but I probably wouldn’t have learned anything either. I encourage you to consider Facebook marketplace. Find the stuff you need. Learn how to use it, what the shortcomings are, then make a decision to live with it or upgrade.
Don’t forget measuring tools. Calipers, ball micrometer, dial indicator. I’m fond of Mitutoyo and got most of my stuff off of eBay, some used but mostly new. I wouldn’t go cheap in this area. you don’t need a $500 Starrett nor do you want $19.99 harbor freight calipers.
 
#11
Spencercoc74 said:
I am new to reloading this year. I’ve learned a lot in a few months and I’m still struggling in some areas. I screwed up and bought a press kit. The scale, trickler, and powder measure have been replaced. I could have saved some money here, but I probably wouldn’t have learned anything either. I encourage you to consider Facebook marketplace. Find the stuff you need. Learn how to use it, what the shortcomings are, then make a decision to live with it or upgrade.
Don’t forget measuring tools. Calipers, ball micrometer, dial indicator. I’m fond of Mitutoyo and got most of my stuff off of eBay, some used but mostly new. I wouldn’t go cheap in this area. you don’t need a $500 Starrett nor do you want $19.99 harbor freight calipers.
Click to expand...
Im a mechanical engineer by trade so I plan on getting another set of mitu’s for this use only.

I kind of live buy the buy once cry once moto so I am trying to get the right gear the first time even if it takes a little longer to gather all of it.
 
#12
If you buy expensive calipers on ebay. You will probably get cheap calipers. A cheap set of calipers is more than enough for your reloading set anyway. A micrometer and dial indicator aren't really needed either. Unless you just like spending money and wasting time measuring stuff you don't need to.
 
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#13
I use a pretty similar setup, Co-Ax press, mostly Forster dies (I like the micrometer seater and their full length sizer). I have tried both full length sizing die, and body die + mandrel expander die. I find the Forster full length sizer gives good results compared to body die + mandrel die, and I don't really like doing in 2 steps what can be done with one step. I think there might be some measurable improvements with the body die + mandrel die setup, at some level, but apparently I don't need that level yet. I'm not doing BR or the like, just PRS.

All the above is from 6.5 Grendel reloading, which I've also done with a bushing die. I'm not keen on the bushing die for my Grendels because I have 2 rifles not just one, and I don't want to be swapping bushings all the time.

For 6.5 Creedmoor, I use the Hornady basic seater die with the Micrometer add-on, and I find it works about as well as the Forster Micrometer. It's just way taller, and barely fits under the Co-Ax lever at the top of the stroke.
 
#14
Just sheer volume of stuck cases goes way down (at least for me) when I went to a no expander ball setup.

I didn't have a lot but the ones I had were pretty bad.

It can help with accuracy assuming brass is prepped for it, but aside from that it almost eliminated entirely the stuck case thing (at least for me).

Is it worth an additional lever pull? For me, yes. Especially if you are not reloading thousands of rounds at a time it's almost inconsequential.
 
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