Could you guys help us newbies out and compile a list of the basic "must have" tools and equipment for precision rifle reloading? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Thanks!
F T/R Competition Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
- Thread starter BigtimeAub
- Start date
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MLC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I asked the same question a while back. </div></div>I guess I'm just not seeing it, but where is the reloading info?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MLC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I asked the same question a while back. </div></div>I guess I'm just not seeing it, but where is the reloading info?
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
Reloading data, particularly if you are pushing max+, is something that people tend to be reluctant to share. If you end up with a big KABOOM! it's your decisions that got you there.
That said, what works in my rifle today is different than what worked in my rifle before I got the new barrel, and what will work in yours may be different than either.
All that said....
I learned a rule back in my USPSA/IPSC days; "You can't miss fast enough to win." The same sort of applies in F class. Velocity is good, but you need accuracy too. Maybe not Bench Rest purity version but it needs to be tight.
Personally I embrace the OCW concept over ladders. It makes sense to me.
OCW Explained
Figure out where your rifle likes to be and load there.
Read some of the stickys in the reloading section, there is a lot of good info there on brass prep. It is important. At some point you'll have to figure out what works for you. For exmple, I don't turn necks, I use a Lee Collet die. At this point it seems to work for me. Since I don't turn necks it was the the biggest single change I made in reloading, it cut my vertical distribution in half.
I clean up pockets and flash holes, and trim all my brass to 2.005. Measure it again after a few firings and see if it needs to be redone.
As for loads. There seems to be 2 schools of thought in TR these days, heavy or light, 185s or 155s. You'll have to figure out where you want to be there. Then there is SMK or Berger/lapua. Personally I shoot both because Bergers are nearly 2x the price of Sierras.
Reloading equipment, get a Forster or a Redding T7, it's a toss up, I use a T7.
Dies, I love my Forster micrometer seating die.
-Get a body only die for when you want size bodies
-Get a neck bushing/shoulder bump die for when you want to bump shoulders back
-Steel digital calipers
-Ogive comparator tool (OAL means little, Ogive is where it is at)
-Shoulder measuring tool
...Both of those clamp onto your calipers
-You need a way to measure to the lands with your bullets, whether you make a cut case or buy a tool (I got the tool, I found that the split case method was hard to get to work because the bullets stick in the lands too easily)
I use a Charge master and a trickle, I weigh charges to 0.1 below my target load then drop grains till it scale rolls up to the next 0.1. Not the most accurate way to do it but at my level it is close enough. Until I pick up another 10 point that I'm dropping on wind calls my ammo is more accurate than I am.
I point my bullets, that may or may not make much difference but I doit. I bought a Widden die for it.
Reloading data, particularly if you are pushing max+, is something that people tend to be reluctant to share. If you end up with a big KABOOM! it's your decisions that got you there.
That said, what works in my rifle today is different than what worked in my rifle before I got the new barrel, and what will work in yours may be different than either.
All that said....
I learned a rule back in my USPSA/IPSC days; "You can't miss fast enough to win." The same sort of applies in F class. Velocity is good, but you need accuracy too. Maybe not Bench Rest purity version but it needs to be tight.
Personally I embrace the OCW concept over ladders. It makes sense to me.
OCW Explained
Figure out where your rifle likes to be and load there.
Read some of the stickys in the reloading section, there is a lot of good info there on brass prep. It is important. At some point you'll have to figure out what works for you. For exmple, I don't turn necks, I use a Lee Collet die. At this point it seems to work for me. Since I don't turn necks it was the the biggest single change I made in reloading, it cut my vertical distribution in half.
I clean up pockets and flash holes, and trim all my brass to 2.005. Measure it again after a few firings and see if it needs to be redone.
As for loads. There seems to be 2 schools of thought in TR these days, heavy or light, 185s or 155s. You'll have to figure out where you want to be there. Then there is SMK or Berger/lapua. Personally I shoot both because Bergers are nearly 2x the price of Sierras.
Reloading equipment, get a Forster or a Redding T7, it's a toss up, I use a T7.
Dies, I love my Forster micrometer seating die.
-Get a body only die for when you want size bodies
-Get a neck bushing/shoulder bump die for when you want to bump shoulders back
-Steel digital calipers
-Ogive comparator tool (OAL means little, Ogive is where it is at)
-Shoulder measuring tool
...Both of those clamp onto your calipers
-You need a way to measure to the lands with your bullets, whether you make a cut case or buy a tool (I got the tool, I found that the split case method was hard to get to work because the bullets stick in the lands too easily)
I use a Charge master and a trickle, I weigh charges to 0.1 below my target load then drop grains till it scale rolls up to the next 0.1. Not the most accurate way to do it but at my level it is close enough. Until I pick up another 10 point that I'm dropping on wind calls my ammo is more accurate than I am.
I point my bullets, that may or may not make much difference but I doit. I bought a Widden die for it.
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
What XTR said!
I would add to that, a chronograph. A decent chronograph (not a crappy cheap one, not necessarily a million dollar one either, unless you feel the need) can be one of the most useful tools you'll have in developing loads.
It can tell you much more than simple muzzle velocity. The standard deviation (of velocity) of a group of tests can help track how consistent your loading procedures and techniques are.
I'm a big fan of Redding dies, but there are guys using all sorts doing well. Similarly, I use exclusively Berger bullets, but there are guys doing well with bullets from many manufacturers (Lapua and Sierra come readily to mind).
I subscribe to the "light bullet" camp, running my 155.5's all the way out to 1233 yards. That said, I am *constantly* tinkering and experimenting with projectiles up to 230 grains. I'll go where the best performance proves out.
I don't personally point my projectiles, but I know a number of guys that do, and it does make a difference, slight (very slight when it comes to .30 cal), but noticeable.
I use a pair of old powered powder dispensers (PACT), have them dump the charges 1/10th grain light, then complete the weighing on an Acculab down to 2/100ths of a grain. Makes for *very* small SD's.
Hope this helps,
Darrell
What XTR said!
I would add to that, a chronograph. A decent chronograph (not a crappy cheap one, not necessarily a million dollar one either, unless you feel the need) can be one of the most useful tools you'll have in developing loads.
It can tell you much more than simple muzzle velocity. The standard deviation (of velocity) of a group of tests can help track how consistent your loading procedures and techniques are.
I'm a big fan of Redding dies, but there are guys using all sorts doing well. Similarly, I use exclusively Berger bullets, but there are guys doing well with bullets from many manufacturers (Lapua and Sierra come readily to mind).
I subscribe to the "light bullet" camp, running my 155.5's all the way out to 1233 yards. That said, I am *constantly* tinkering and experimenting with projectiles up to 230 grains. I'll go where the best performance proves out.
I don't personally point my projectiles, but I know a number of guys that do, and it does make a difference, slight (very slight when it comes to .30 cal), but noticeable.
I use a pair of old powered powder dispensers (PACT), have them dump the charges 1/10th grain light, then complete the weighing on an Acculab down to 2/100ths of a grain. Makes for *very* small SD's.
Hope this helps,
Darrell
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
Thanks guys, that helps out a lot. Hopefully I'll have a system set up before too much longer.
Thanks guys, that helps out a lot. Hopefully I'll have a system set up before too much longer.
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
<span style="font-weight: bold">RELOADING TOOLS I USE</span>
REDDING T-7 PRESS
GIRAUD CASE TRIMMER
RCBS TRIM MATE WITH; FLASH HOLETOOL; PRIMER POCKET BRUSH
RCBS CHARGE MASTER
ACCULAB ALC
REDDING COMPETITION BUSHING NECK DIE (YOU WILL NEED TO GET SEVERAL DIFFERENT NECK BUSHINGS) I USE A .334
REDDING COMPETITION SEATING DIE
OR FORSTER MIRCROMETER NECK SIZING & BULLET SEATING DIES
FORSTER BUMP DIE
BULLET POINTER
SINCLAIR OR REDDING CASE NECK GAUGE
ANY 30 CAL EXPANDER BALL & DIE
HORNADAY (STONEY POINT) CHAMBERALL TOOL
MODIFIED CASE
HAND OR BENCH PRIMER SEATING TOOL
H&H BULLET BUMPER
DIDGAL MICROMETER
REDDING INSTANT INDICATOR
<span style="font-weight: bold">RELOADING TOOLS I USE</span>
REDDING T-7 PRESS
GIRAUD CASE TRIMMER
RCBS TRIM MATE WITH; FLASH HOLETOOL; PRIMER POCKET BRUSH
RCBS CHARGE MASTER
ACCULAB ALC
REDDING COMPETITION BUSHING NECK DIE (YOU WILL NEED TO GET SEVERAL DIFFERENT NECK BUSHINGS) I USE A .334
REDDING COMPETITION SEATING DIE
OR FORSTER MIRCROMETER NECK SIZING & BULLET SEATING DIES
FORSTER BUMP DIE
BULLET POINTER
SINCLAIR OR REDDING CASE NECK GAUGE
ANY 30 CAL EXPANDER BALL & DIE
HORNADAY (STONEY POINT) CHAMBERALL TOOL
MODIFIED CASE
HAND OR BENCH PRIMER SEATING TOOL
H&H BULLET BUMPER
DIDGAL MICROMETER
REDDING INSTANT INDICATOR
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jhw1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">RELOADING TOOLS I USE</span>
</div></div>
A little early in the morning for all the shouting, eh John?
.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jhw1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">RELOADING TOOLS I USE</span>
</div></div>
A little early in the morning for all the shouting, eh John?
.
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
just to add to Darrell's comments.... I shoot 223 almost exclusively now at FT-R matches and bullet pointing the JLK or Berger 80g bullets makes a noticeable difference at all distances past 300y for me (or maybe it is just mental gratification that I have done all I can do to slipstream ??)
I also use the following:
> Acculab scale for 2/100th grain precision
> Lapua fire-formed brass
> Wolf SRM primers
> 8208 powder
just to add to Darrell's comments.... I shoot 223 almost exclusively now at FT-R matches and bullet pointing the JLK or Berger 80g bullets makes a noticeable difference at all distances past 300y for me (or maybe it is just mental gratification that I have done all I can do to slipstream ??)
I also use the following:
> Acculab scale for 2/100th grain precision
> Lapua fire-formed brass
> Wolf SRM primers
> 8208 powder
Re: Darrell, XTR, other committed F T/R guys.....
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SNAFUBAR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">bullet pointing the JLK or Berger 80g bullets makes a noticeable difference at all distances past 300y for me (
</div></div>
Generally the smaller the bullet diameter, the more difference you'll see from pointing. .223 = quite respectable difference, .308 = slight difference, .50 = probably none! LOL
Darrell
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SNAFUBAR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">bullet pointing the JLK or Berger 80g bullets makes a noticeable difference at all distances past 300y for me (
</div></div>
Generally the smaller the bullet diameter, the more difference you'll see from pointing. .223 = quite respectable difference, .308 = slight difference, .50 = probably none! LOL
Darrell
