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Thread: whats your reloading techniques?

  1. #16
    Tank's Avatar
    Tank is offline Fat things go slowly up hills
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    Right, here you go. I shoot .22H and .223 and reload for both so my case prep and loading techinque is this:

    1. Neck size and de prime brass.
    2. Case brush the brass,(quick, easy and gets the inside clean. Can't be faffed with a tumbler or US cleaner)
    3. Clean primer pockets.
    4. Case langth guage and trim if necessary.
    5. De burr the cases/chamfer them.
    6. Re prime them.
    7. Fill with powder.
    8. Seat bullet.
    9. Fire round, kill fox

    When i write it down like that it seems so simple but in reality it's a bit of a chore when pushed for time.

    I use RCBS 5-0-5's as my scales. They settle quickly and are top notch. I loaded up 30 .223 in about half an hour the other night which isn't bad for manual hand loading. They are also compatible with the Targetmaster trickler which is next on my list.
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  2. #17
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    Thanks every one,
    I think all I appear to be missing is. The neck brushing and the actual. Brush so I shall order one.
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  3. #18
    Parabuteo is offline My Chrony has bought it a couple of times...
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    Quote Originally Posted by thesmi View Post
    hiya,
    cheers for all the info!!!

    i didnt realise/think about the neck bit becoming tight and crimping a round!

    so i have got my trimmer (lee thing with a little metal rod) and knocked them all back some took a bit off and others didnt i have and chamfered and de bured these now.

    so when you do a full length sizing all this does is neck size and knock the shoulders back?? becuase i thought the shoulders wouldnt beable to increase as stuck in chamber and no where to go kind of like fireforming
    NO

    The point of full length re-sizing is to return the case as near as dam it to SAAMI spec.

    Fold do this for many reasons.

    Often folk using semi autos or even straight pulls where quick hassle free loading si important will do it to ensure a smooth chambering.

    Sometimes you might find that FL re-sizing produces better groups

    You may also want to do it with once fired brass from another rifle as you may not be able to chamber it in its new owner.

    Brass also has a property called spring back, whereby it will literally spring back slightly from where it was re-sized to. This along with slight tapers is what allows you to remove a round from the chamber after firing. It si also why some folk load their cases last minute (before the neck springs back and increases the neck tension) or even on the range.

    Sometimes of course if you really over do something it wont spring back, so things get awkward.

    With a neck sizing die all you are doing is re-sizing the neck. It may bump the shoulders back a bit I guess depending on how you have it set up and how your chamber is cut, but its purpose is to re-size the neck only and leave the rest alone, fire formed to your rifle.

    Bush or bush bump dies are designed to allow a choice (by way of different sized bushes where the neck is sized) as to how much tension you have on your neck. this can be handy if you have to neck turn, if you use lapua brass (as it can be quite thick necked) or if you want to experiment with neck tensions (as Richness showed in an article in target shooter, this can be quite important for group sizes/super consistent velocity if you are into precision disciplines).

    Often these only squeeze the outside of the neck(as there would be no point getting to a certain size only to drag a bloody great ball through it again), you can also control how much of the neck you re-size if needs be. Brass from a precision bolt action rifle tends not even to be ejected so should not pick up the nicks and dents that easily.

    Thats the bush bit, the bump bit allows you to bump the shoulders back a thou or two. Some high power rifles fireform the cases quite well. Someone commented that if the case came out, it should go back in again, but there are always exceptions, and the last place you want to find out is on the point in a comp.

    The difference between a hot chamber/case and cold chamber/case may not help.

    It does not take much with some of the actions to stop you being able to close the bolt, and as far as I am concerned, if the only thing between me and the hell and corruption going on in a case on firing is the case...I want it to obturate..right, so a good fit helps.

    Mine seem to move a thou or so, I know one world class shot who used to FL resize every 5 firings or so to avoid this, but now does it on every firing.

    You might also want to use a die to bump back without touching the neck (for forming cases etc), I tend to use mine with the bush out to de-cap dirty cases, it saves cleaning the necks before sizing, I then chuck em in the US cleaner. Then put the bush back in for sizing when clean.

    I am told you can also get full length bush bump dies, and again Russel Simmonds tends to FL his comp brass with a FL Forster die with teh ball removed, he then uses a Wilson neck expander to just ease the neck enough to get the tension that suits him, its down to what works.

    I started out with a pair of dies and have ended up with (for .308) Bush/bump, Neck, and FL as well as the usuall seaters etc.

    The bottom line is the less you need to work yoru brass the better, and if you can anneal well, its worth a look.
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  4. #19
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    Wow,
    Seems I have barley scratched the surface I think I'd best do a lot of reading as seems I have lot to learn.

    I was very happy with my grouping of 19mm out side edges too with 3bullets ragging and 2 slightly to the right
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  5. #20
    Tank's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thesmi View Post
    Wow,
    Seems I have barley scratched the surface I think I'd best do a lot of reading as seems I have lot to learn.

    I was very happy with my grouping of 19mm out side edges too with 3bullets ragging and 2 slightly to the right
    Before you go off to a sensai to gain more knowledge i'd ask yourself what you want to acheive? Do you target shoot formally or just for zeroing. Are you a game/vermin shooter? Parabuteo by his own admission is in to target shooting, nothing wrong with that at all but better accuracy means bigger prizes so to speak. Me? I'm a fox and vermin shooter so while i still like and pursue accuracy it's not on quite the same level. If my rifles group under 0.5" at 100yds i am happy, even happier if they'll do that at 200yds. What i'm trying to say is it's too easy to get bogged down with reloading. If you're vermin shooting just keep it simple. Remember KISS, (Keep It Simple Stupid, not calling you stupid like mate, just an acronym.) Just my thoughts, not trying to start up arguments just giving my tuppence of advice.
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  6. #21
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    tank

    im into hunting and the only targets i do is zeroing! but saying that id like the best i can get with the stuff i use/own just for peace of mind and for personal satsfication
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  7. #22
    Pilch is offline Yes, I'd say I'm fairly attractive...
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    Theo,

    Firstly, plenty of good advice been posted, I can't add anything else

    Secondly, the quad is going great and my lad is tearing up the field behind us

  8. #23
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    Lol excellent great to hear I'm glad he is enjoying it.
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  9. #24
    Tank's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thesmi View Post
    tank

    im into hunting and the only targets i do is zeroing! but saying that id like the best i can get with the stuff i use/own just for peace of mind and for personal satsfication
    19mm for a 5 shot group is pretty good mate. I know what you mean and i think the majority of us are the same but it can get too in depth sometimes in respect of reloading. It's a mini hobbie in itself!!
    'What is the most frustrating thing about Police work?',(Commandant Lassard)
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  10. #25
    Parabuteo is offline My Chrony has bought it a couple of times...
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tank View Post
    Before you go off to a sensai to gain more knowledge i'd ask yourself what you want to acheive? Do you target shoot formally or just for zeroing. Are you a game/vermin shooter? Parabuteo by his own admission is in to target shooting, nothing wrong with that at all but better accuracy means bigger prizes so to speak. Me? I'm a fox and vermin shooter so while i still like and pursue accuracy it's not on quite the same level. If my rifles group under 0.5" at 100yds i am happy, even happier if they'll do that at 200yds. What i'm trying to say is it's too easy to get bogged down with reloading. If you're vermin shooting just keep it simple. Remember KISS, (Keep It Simple Stupid, not calling you stupid like mate, just an acronym.) Just my thoughts, not trying to start up arguments just giving my tuppence of advice.
    Heh heh

    Smack on tank,fit for purpose mate. it gets to be a bit of an obsession, not where I expected to go but it's the F/TR way I am aftaid and I'm hooked.

    I even hand load for my No4 and I doubt it makes any difference, just a habit.

    I am miles off what some of the guys get up to, its about wringing the accuracy out of the rig so you only have yourself to blame I guess

    That said, there are benefits in getting the best accuracy out of any rifle (might even save some money) but like you say, dont get too bogged....but sometimes it dont take much.

    I know some who go to teh Nth degree, It may not make much difference, but I guess it's down to confidence.

    I think even with a reasonably good load there is more to be said for practice than tinkering, one chap I know seems to worry about messing about with loads so much, I dont think he uses the same load twice....then wonders why teh wheels fall off

    I doubt he has any idea what is him and what is load

    Sometimes though, the only way to get the best out of a comp rig is to hand load.
    Last edited by Parabuteo; 07-03-2013 at 06:06 PM. Reason: Kept calling poor tank "Mate"
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  11. #26
    Parabuteo is offline My Chrony has bought it a couple of times...
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tank View Post
    19mm for a 5 shot group is pretty good mate. I know what you mean and i think the majority of us are the same but it can get too in depth sometimes in respect of reloading. It's a mini hobbie in itself!!
    And the 2 shots you put away were probably down to inconsistent position rather than load.

    Put my Comp rifle in a clamp and it will shoot single holers, I have the test and chrono targets to prove it on its being test fired with factory RUAG...buggered if I can do that too often
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  12. #27
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    i thought about clamping but heard it damages centre fires ????
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  13. #28
    Parabuteo is offline My Chrony has bought it a couple of times...
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    Quote Originally Posted by thesmi View Post
    i thought about clamping but heard it damages centre fires ????
    Probably would, and wont prove much as the POI clamped and when you are shooting would as likely be different.

    Mine was done by its maker who does ballistic testing for a living.
    I'm a maggot in another life you know

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Parabuteo View Post
    Probably would, and wont prove much as the POI clamped and when you are shooting would as likely be different.

    Mine was done by its maker who does ballistic testing for a living.
    Chasing that one hole can be a little pointless at the end of it....... Similarly, I know both of mine can now achieve something close to this prone and butt rested on a beanie........ Yet I do shoot practically all the time off quad sticks.

    There comes a point the paper has to be put to one side unless its target comp work, then that doesn't matter either as you won't be able to clamp it then either.

  15. #30
    Parabuteo is offline My Chrony has bought it a couple of times...
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    Quote Originally Posted by SandyB View Post
    Chasing that one hole can be a little pointless at the end of it....... Similarly, I know both of mine can now achieve something close to this prone and butt rested on a beanie........ Yet I do shoot practically all the time off quad sticks.

    There comes a point the paper has to be put to one side unless its target comp work, then that doesn't matter either as you won't be able to clamp it then either.
    Aye, best way is to only shoot one bullet and lie about the whereabouts of the other 4

    That said, it always makes sense to try and achieve the smallest groupd size you can and best consistancy within reason.

    You need a way of gauging your performance and the condition of the bore/loading technique.

    And at long ranges even very tight groups at normal ranges can go horribly wrong
    I'm a maggot in another life you know

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