Getting ready to start reloading rifle rounds for the first time

[SWThomas]

I've been loading pistol for a while now and have done thousands of them. I'm ready to get into loading for my rifles. I currently have a .30-06 bolt rifle (not planning to load for it), an AR-15, and an AR-10 in 308 WIN. I've accumulated a bunch of 223/5.56 and 308 brass and I have one box of SMK 175g HPBT in 308. I just put a backorder in with Brownells for 16 pounds of Alliant AR Comp and will be picking up more bullets and some primers soon. I've read enough on the forums to learn about case trimming, lubrication, swaging mil-brass, and a lot of other useful data on loading rifle bullets. What I'm looking for is input on the following questions...

1. Are steel dies fine or should I spring for the carbide dies?

2. What primers would you recommend for max accuracy in the 308? The 223 will be for plinking so I'll use whatever I can find.

3. I'm reading that AR Comp is a shorter cut extruded powder, so it's supposed to meter better than other extruded powders like Varget. Anything special I need to pay attention to when throwing 223 charges on the Dillon 550? I'll be loading the 308 for accuracy so I'll be measuring powder and filling cases off the press.

4. Being that all the bullets I'm loading will be used in AR platforms, should I crimp or not?

5. What are some good 223 bullets I can buy in bulk?

6. Any other general advice before I get started?

 

[ShtrRdy]

1. Steel dies are fine, unless you want to go the "neck sizing" route. Then the sizing bushings can be had in carbide.

2. I don't think there's a solid answer for this question. Different batches of different primers behave differenty. Most people use CCI or Federal.

3. I'll let someone else answer this. When I do precision rifle rounds I weigh ever charge.

4. I like to put a slight taper crimp on my AR-15 rounds. I have a Redding Taper Crimp die for that job.

5. If you want to shoot precision with the .223, then I would suggest buying a good bullet in bulk. Sierra, Berger, Hornady sell some of there favorites in boxes of 500.

6. I would recommend reading most of the stickys in this section. Lots of good info there.

 

[Paddywagon]

I've been loading pistol for a while now and have done thousands of them. I'm ready to get into loading for my rifles. I currently have a .30-06 bolt rifle (not planning to load for it), an AR-15, and an AR-10 in 308 WIN. I've accumulated a bunch of 223/5.56 and 308 brass and I have one box of SMK 175g HPBT in 308. I just put a backorder in with Brownells for 16 pounds of Alliant AR Comp and will be picking up more bullets and some primers soon. I've read enough on the forums to learn about case trimming, lubrication, swaging mil-brass, and a lot of other useful data on loading rifle bullets. What I'm looking for is input on the following questions...

1. Are steel dies fine or should I spring for the carbide dies?

2. What primers would you recommend for max accuracy in the 308? The 223 will be for plinking so I'll use whatever I can find.

3. I'm reading that AR Comp is a shorter cut extruded powder, so it's supposed to meter better than other extruded powders like Varget. Anything special I need to pay attention to when throwing 223 charges on the Dillon 550? I'll be loading the 308 for accuracy so I'll be measuring powder and filling cases off the press.

4. Being that all the bullets I'm loading will be used in AR platforms, should I crimp or not?

5. What are some good 223 bullets I can buy in bulk?

6. Any other general advice before I get started?

I have been reloading both 5.56 and 7.62 for years. As always everybody has there own opinion on powders, charges, primers and bullets. My personal favorite for 7.62 is Varget followed by IMR 4064. As far as primers are concerned I use CCI's. All of my precision 7.62 loads are loaded on a Rock Chucker with all powder loads run through a measure on to a scale and topped off with a trickler. As for 5.56 for general shooting I use H335 and CCI's or Wolf SRP. I run all of them on a Dillon 550 and the 335 meters extremely well. As far as precision loads in the AR I also use Varget. Best accuracy I have ever achieved! Bullets are SMK 69gr. On a side note I have made some loads for competition on my Dillon for curiosity's sake and my findings were the exact same groupings as the ones made on the Rock Chucker. I will speak nothing but praise for all of my Dillon's! Just my two cents.

 

[SWThomas]

As far as sizing and trimming, are you guys depriming and sizing before you trim? Seems like it would make sense to size first so the OAL doesn't change if you sized after trimming...

Here's how I have it laid out in my head...

- Tumble brass in dry media just to lightly clean the outside.
- Lube, size, and deprime.
- Trim.
- Wet tumble to get everything clean.
- Prime, charge, seat bullets on the press.

 

[ksthomas]

SWThomas,

You'd be doing yourself a favor if you'd do this one the other way around; load for the 30-06 bolt gun first, and then for the ARs. Autoloaders (most definitely including the AR family) are a form of advanced handloading. I'd advise loading for a bolt gun first, as they're a LOT more forgiving and a better place to learn. You didn't mention anything regarding case gages or bump gages, which are rather important for dealing with gas guns. I'd also not worry about the carbide dies; they're not what you're used to from loading pistol rounds. With bottlenecked designs, carbide dies still require lubrication. The carbide is used due to their longer life, important to commercial operations, but virtually irrelevant to the average handloader. There's also no need to crimp, provided that you're applying sufficient neck tension to the bullet to prevent it's jumping the case on chambering. Beyond that, crimps are usually counterproductive, if you're after the best accuracy. Whatever you do, DO NOT all into the notion that Benchrest techniques will help you get improved accuracy out of an AR. Careful handloading with precision equipment, yes, but tight necks or minimal headspace, no. Those are disasters waiting to happen in an AR. Different animals, and they require VERY different loading techniques.

Just a few thoughts here, but they may save you from some problems down the road.

 

[Paddywagon]

I will second what ksthomas says on the 5.56. Any time you run ammo through an auto loader you get a pretty good amount of case stretch. Depending on how tight your chamber is will determine your course of action. That being said one of two things can be done on them when sizing. Obviously full length is mandatory when playing with these. You can go the cheap route and check to see if the cases chamber and the bolt locks EASILY or my preferred method is to get the rcbs cartridge headspace gauge set and measure with that. Get your basics down with bolt gun reloading first and then delve into auto loader reloading.

 

[SWThomas]

SWThomas,

You'd be doing yourself a favor if you'd do this one the other way around; load for the 30-06 bolt gun first, and then for the ARs. Autoloaders (most definitely including the AR family) are a form of advanced handloading. I'd advise loading for a bolt gun first, as they're a LOT more forgiving and a better place to learn. You didn't mention anything regarding case gages or bump gages, which are rather important for dealing with gas guns. I'd also not worry about the carbide dies; they're not what you're used to from loading pistol rounds. With bottlenecked designs, carbide dies still require lubrication. The carbide is used due to their longer life, important to commercial operations, but virtually irrelevant to the average handloader. There's also no need to crimp, provided that you're applying sufficient neck tension to the bullet to prevent it's jumping the case on chambering. Beyond that, crimps are usually counterproductive, if you're after the best accuracy. Whatever you do, DO NOT all into the notion that Benchrest techniques will help you get improved accuracy out of an AR. Careful handloading with precision equipment, yes, but tight necks or minimal headspace, no. Those are disasters waiting to happen in an AR. Different animals, and they require VERY different loading techniques.

Just a few thoughts here, but they may save you from some problems down the road.

I'll definitely be getting a case gauge for each caliber. I have no desire at all to load for the bolt rifle I have. I don't want to spring for all the dies and such just to learn something I'm not going to do. The only reason I'm entertaining reloading something other than pistol rounds is because of my ARs.

 

[ksthomas]

SW,

That's my point; it IS something you're going to do; the reloading aspect of this. It's just much better to learn on a bolt gun, and then progress to semi-autos once you've gotten a handle on just how different this process is from straight-wall pistol reloading. You're call, obviously, but the cost of dies for the 30-06 will be amortized pretty quickly if you only shoot a couple boxes of ammo a year through that rifle.