Post by picklehead on Apr 17, 2018 20:38:54 GMT -5
I have my weird ways and all people are different.
Brass prep: Some weigh and sort brass from brand new. I never do this and new brass is at specs or very close. Hands down, Lapua is best but we don't always shoot it because of the price. New brass needs to be chamfered and deburred, and just run into the expander ball to get the neck tension the same. Don't run the brass up into the die and just the expander ball. Shoot it and blow the case out to YOUR chamber and throat. Now you can sort by weight if you wish,, AFTER TRIMMING all the same and knocking the spent primer out with a universal die. Good brass we be very close in weight and toss the ones that fall into the .8 to a full grain or above category, for short range hunting loads.
I will leave many common sense things out of this, like inspecting the new cases for big dents or misaligned flash holes. Prep you brass the best that you can. Good brass will have very little run out and even if it is over .001 up to .004,, you will never see a differ in accuracy because other things will take care of that part, including YOUR SELF when shooting. Turn all the necks you wish and no need for it,, unless you bought some awful brass. Lapua, Norma, Weatherby, Nosler and some Hornady Match brass is what ive took a liking to.
Now we need to figure out what bullet and powder to use. What is your twist rate? I think it is Bla Bla by the reloading books. BS and check it because many makers do different twists. You will chase your tail around over something so easy to KNOW FOR A FACT in 30 seconds. This means a lot for a person to figure out what bullet to start with. Books tell you a lot but your rifle will talk back to you, real fast. I go straight to a SMK, Nosler AB or a Berger,, to start my testing. The new Horn ELD's is a good one to start with also. I'm not saying others will not fly very well, but I start bullets that have a longer bearing surface, compared to a short one and tapered off real fast,,, LIKE THE SST or such. What are you going to do with this rifle? 0 to 200 yards, put a flat base bullet in it and they tend to do very well and the rifle will tell you very fast if it likes them. Some don't and some do. Best way to find out is to load five with a SMK and five with a SPH, with the same everything. See witch does better for groups.
Powder is best left to the books and the bullet you use. Ive never been the many that hunts or shoots one or two rifles. Burn rates are stuck in my head along with about 35 rifles in different cals. Many years of wasting time to figure them out and NO way in hell that a person can tell another,, what is BEST. Very few rifle rounds that I can say,,THAT HAS A SOME WHAT PET LOAD,, that works very well in many. Most has told others , THANKS MAN and tweaked your combo to get right.
Brass prep: Some weigh and sort brass from brand new. I never do this and new brass is at specs or very close. Hands down, Lapua is best but we don't always shoot it because of the price. New brass needs to be chamfered and deburred, and just run into the expander ball to get the neck tension the same. Don't run the brass up into the die and just the expander ball. Shoot it and blow the case out to YOUR chamber and throat. Now you can sort by weight if you wish,, AFTER TRIMMING all the same and knocking the spent primer out with a universal die. Good brass we be very close in weight and toss the ones that fall into the .8 to a full grain or above category, for short range hunting loads.
I will leave many common sense things out of this, like inspecting the new cases for big dents or misaligned flash holes. Prep you brass the best that you can. Good brass will have very little run out and even if it is over .001 up to .004,, you will never see a differ in accuracy because other things will take care of that part, including YOUR SELF when shooting. Turn all the necks you wish and no need for it,, unless you bought some awful brass. Lapua, Norma, Weatherby, Nosler and some Hornady Match brass is what ive took a liking to.
Now we need to figure out what bullet and powder to use. What is your twist rate? I think it is Bla Bla by the reloading books. BS and check it because many makers do different twists. You will chase your tail around over something so easy to KNOW FOR A FACT in 30 seconds. This means a lot for a person to figure out what bullet to start with. Books tell you a lot but your rifle will talk back to you, real fast. I go straight to a SMK, Nosler AB or a Berger,, to start my testing. The new Horn ELD's is a good one to start with also. I'm not saying others will not fly very well, but I start bullets that have a longer bearing surface, compared to a short one and tapered off real fast,,, LIKE THE SST or such. What are you going to do with this rifle? 0 to 200 yards, put a flat base bullet in it and they tend to do very well and the rifle will tell you very fast if it likes them. Some don't and some do. Best way to find out is to load five with a SMK and five with a SPH, with the same everything. See witch does better for groups.
Powder is best left to the books and the bullet you use. Ive never been the many that hunts or shoots one or two rifles. Burn rates are stuck in my head along with about 35 rifles in different cals. Many years of wasting time to figure them out and NO way in hell that a person can tell another,, what is BEST. Very few rifle rounds that I can say,,THAT HAS A SOME WHAT PET LOAD,, that works very well in many. Most has told others , THANKS MAN and tweaked your combo to get right.