Getting into reloading and lost in the weeds...

[lifesupport4u]

I am just starting to reload. Haven’t got a finished round yet. I got the RCBS supreme kit, a tumbler, a chargemaster lite... a bunch of other items.

I have started some case prep and did some full length sizing. Got some ammo and powder. That’s as far as I have gotten.

But it’s easy for me- at this stage to get lost in the weeds— do I full length size or just bump back the shoulder .002, how far off the lands do I start seating, am I measuring that right with a Hornady modified case vs a once fired case, best way to do a ladder test, need to get a chrono, headspace comparator....

Not so much looking for specific advice on the things I am not sure of as I am looking for advice on “staying out of the weeds”... getting the basics done and not getting too far down rabbit holes while getting started. I just want to work up some accurate hunting loads for 3-4 rifles. I don’t shoot 1,000 yards... but would like to know I can shoot precisely at long ranges (at the range).

 

[El Jason]

I tend to full length size my brass as an insurance policy. You will get longer brass life by just bumping the shoulder, but I don't worry too much about that. Some do.

I set my distance off the lands based on the type of bullet. I shoot monos, Hammer specifically, and they recommend 0.020" off the lands to start I believe. I use a once fired case for this.

Chronos are sure handy. I reloaded for a long time without one, it's doable, but it sure is handy to have one. Mine isn't expensive, it's a Caldwell.

Edit: I do the following:

Full length size/deprime
Brush primer pocket (I do cut these when brass is new, dubious return on value because I now buy Nosler brass)
Measure, trim if necessary
Deburr
Load (I only use CCI 200 or 250 primers, no bench rest)
I weigh charges manually

 

[Mallardsx2]

BOOM

Clean
De-prime / Bump shoulder back (.002-.003)
Trim if necessary
De-bur (In my opinion very important)
Primer
Powder
Bullet

BOOM

Do ya a favor and get a chronograph and a good pair of calibers and a bullet seating gauge/shoulder gauge set. Worth every penny.

A good fast trimmer sure if nice too..RCBS

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Reloading is like anything, some practices give you a pretty good value in more consistent ammunition, fine tuned accuracy, etc. for the time or money invested. Others require a lot of time for some, but not as much, benefit. I try to focus on big things that I think matter, and not on others. For me personally it looks kinda like so:

I do: buy high end brass, chamfer/deburr, alter seating length in load development, use a chronograph a lot, brush primer pockets, use base-to-ogive for all length comparisons, use three powders (Varget, H4350, H4831sc) for any and all needs, (usually) consider neck tension and bushing size accordingly
I do not: tumble my brass (gasp!), cut primer pockets, turn necks, cut brass to length unless uneven between cases or way over spec, use br primers

Just how I do it personally, I am no master handloader by any means.

 

[Fsmith]

Whatever loading manual you have, read and then re read the beginning. This will sort out a lot of what your wondering

 

[Seamaster]

I think a new loader would be best served by measuring case length, deburring and full length sizing brass, use fairly light loads of powder, keep bullets .05" (or a bit more) from the lands, and fire your first handloads. Only after you get a little experience at that level consider the next step. Do not buy every gadget, but buy good tools as your needs dictate. Ladder tests are not useful for most fellows, but if you want to play with a practical ladder test you will need a 300 yard range (or more) available. You do not need a chronograph but may find one useful at some point.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Learning to reload is like any other hobby (with the exception that you get to play with projectiles & excellerants). If you have someone that can show you how they do it, then that's always a good way to get through some of the first time jitters, if not, then go slow, be deliberate and follow the instructions in your manual - and don't get too lost in the micrometer measured weeds just yet.

Your first goal should be to have ammo that you loaded by yourself. Then as you progress, you can get as detailed and fine-scale as you'd like.

Make sure you've got a safe load, your brass fits within the min & max measurements, your COL is factory standard for now, and you've put the proper charge of powder in the case. Get through those first few rounds, and you'll have more confidence & can mess around with being a gnat's hair off the lands, etc.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I would do my first load at SAAMI COL spec and with full length resizing. Keep it simple, build confidence in using your dies, seating your bullets, trimming and champfering your brass, getting primers uniformly seated, good safety practices, consistent process, etc. I would leave shoulder bumping, neck sizing, neck turning, brass sorting, and seating depth for future improvements in your process. Build a solid foundation and then enjoy the rabbit holes and weeds later.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I've been Reloading for about 2.5 years. I've been into and out of the weeds more than once. I'd say that in the beginning, just get a manual from the company that makes the bullet you're most interested in and start with exactly what you find in the manual - in terms of powder charge and COAL, et. I wouldn't worry too much about the OAL guage in the beginning (did you say you have one?). Just go by the by the COAL in the book, the use a comparator to measure from the ogive, write that down and use it on future loads.

There are several ways to do a ladder test. I use a Magnetospeed and look for a "flat spots" in velocity data. In any event, you will want some sort of chrono. Even if you don't use it in the ladder test, knowing the muzzle velocity is important.

The best way to stay out of the weeds is to make a plan and only deal with one variable at a time.

 

[Don Fischer]

Do you FL resize or just bump back the shoulder? Both will be full length sizing. Just learning do it the way your manual say's to do it. Do it the way the instruction's with the dies say to do it. At this early point don't attempt to make great ammo, make good functional ammo!

How far off the lands do you seat. Easy answer to that, every manual I have tell's me the OLL, Overall Loaded Length, for their loads. That's what you do. You'll find it works every time and down the road when you better understand and you start experimenting, you should have a good idea what your doing. Keep something in mind until you better understand what your doing. I don't know anyone on here that has written a book on reloading, the guy's that wrote your manual have. And if you follow their advice you'll not have a problem. You follow the advice on the internet and you may not have a problem either but then again you might and then it's your own fault and not the guy that wrote your manual. The process is very simple if you follow direction's in your manual.

 

[deer_shooter]

I tend to full length size my brass as an insurance policy. You will get longer brass life by just bumping the shoulder, but I don't worry too much about that. Some do.

I set my distance off the lands based on the type of bullet. I shoot monos, Hammer specifically, and they recommend 0.020" off the lands to start I believe. I use a once fired case for this.

Chronos are sure handy. I reloaded for a long time without one, it's doable, but it sure is handy to have one. Mine isn't expensive, it's a Caldwell.

Edit: I do the following:

Full length size/deprime
Brush primer pocket (I do cut these when brass is new, dubious return on value because I now buy Nosler brass)
Measure, trim if necessary
Deburr
Load (I only use CCI 200 or 250 primers, no bench rest)
I weigh charges manually

I pretty much follow this process. When I started almost 20 years ago, I first followed the manual to the letter. That is powder measure within specified range, usually the recommended powder and charge with bullet seated to OAL. I would load several at the low end, middle and high end of the range and see what grouped the best. Once narrowed, I load in .5 grain increments and narrow further. When i find a load that groups the best, then i fiddle a bit with seating depth to find the optimum.
All that considered, its highly likely you can find a great load just through experimenting with powder charges with the bullet you want to use.

 

[ImBillT]

Really getting the most out of true shoulder bumping requires custom dies, or a custom reamer that fits a certain production die well.(For most cartridges PTG usually has a reamer that has spec’d to work well with Redding) For hunting guns, I set my die to size most, but not all of the neck ON A FIRED CASE FROM MY CHAMBER(just back it way off, size a case, and you can see how much of the neck was not sized) then turn it in a quarter turn or so and try to chamber the case. It should take a fair bit of effort to close the bolt. Turn the die in farther to size the case slightly more and try again. When the case chambers comfortably, it’s sized enough. Sizing it smaller does nothing positive.

For seating depth, tangent ogive bullets(most hunting bullets that aren’t named VLD or ELD) will shoot pretty decent groups at any seating depth, and if you’re not shooting groups consistently in the .5MOA or smaller range, then tuning your seating depth isn’t likely to change much. When I say .5MOA, I’m talking about a center to center measurement of the two farthest away bullet holes of a group containing at least five shots. When I say consistently I mean that if you shot five groups with five shots in each group, none of the five would be much over .5MOA and the average would be smaller. I recently saw a three shot group posted here that was “ .250” an yet I could have put another .264” bullet between two of the three holes. It was a great group nonetheless, and shot at 200yds, but a .250” group it was not. For secant ogive bullets, you will often find that if you can’t load them jammed into the lands, then you will have to experiment to find some other seating depth that they like. Berger has a nice method for finding that range fairly quickly. In neither case do you really have to have a comparator or gauge of any kind. My procedure is fairly simple. Load a bullet into an empty, but sized case and seat it long. Seat it deeper until it fits in your magazine. Now chamber it and remove it. If you cannot find any marks on the bullet caused by contact with the lands, then just go shoot, and if it shoots well, then don’t worry about it. If there are marks on the bullet from the lands, then give them a very good look. If they appear square, and the bullet didn’t stick in the barrel, then again, you’re good. If the bullet sticks in the barrel, or the marks are longer than they are wide, then seat the next bullet slightly deeper and retest until you get a square mark. Once you have a square mark, you’re seating jammed. Some bullets don’t really like to be jammed, but most do great jammed. Solid copper bullets tend to dislike being jammed from what I understand. If you ever find a depth that you like, you should measure your seating die from the stem to the base and write that down. That way if you ever change bullets you can go back to that setting easily.