Brand new to reloading looking for advice/equipment upgrades past my basic setup.

[pjd]

I've loaded up some fireforming loads prior to these, but they're the first batch of match ammo I've loaded (apart from testing before the main run, which was a great success).

I'm currently taking factory loadings with quality brass, shooting them, cleaning the necks, tumbling them, lubing inside necks, lubing bodies, full length sizing/decapping, cleaning primer pockets, chamfer and deburr necks, brush necks out, priming, using a Lee dipper into a pan on a scale then trickling to weight, then seating bullets.

What is going to add the most to my process at this point while being budget conscious? I'm not against buy once cry once, and I'm ok waiting and saving now I know I can get by, but if there's something cheap (or even 'cheap') and usefully I'd love to know about it.

For calipers I have a pair of mitutoyos, and a set of ogive comparitors... no base to neck comparitors, because I don't even know what to use for 223ai, let alone during the first few firings while things are still changing a bit... so I've been using a 270 ogive comparitor which swallows a 223 neck to measure from that diameter back to the base and it seems to be a valid way to measure.

I'm really not overly worried about having the shiniest brass in the world, and just chucking it on while I'm at work is super convenient, so I don't foresee wet tumbling on the cards any time soon. However I've heard dry tumbling can be improved greatly by adding certain things to the mix. Worth it, or not?

I know annealing will be on the cards at some point, but I don't know whether to focus on other upgrades to save time first.

Although the rcbs digital scale seems accurate, I'm really not confident in it, though I'm more than happy with the speed and ease of just scooping powder then trickling up to weight. I've been considering simply buying some check weights I can chuck on the scale every few rounds to make sure my scales aren't drifting and raise my confidence... the other option is to buy new scales, but it seems like everything is going to be just as shakey until I'm spending top tier money. I'll get a quality powder thrower at some stage (if I don't settle on a autotrickler type system), but I'll still be weighing every load.

One of the many case prep stations will eventually make their way onto my desk, and will definitely be a timesaver, but not really going to increase precision.

As far as my press goes, and dies I'm happy with my setup. Rcbs press works like a Swiss watch and I'm happy that my dies are giving me consistent sizing and seating, so although I'm using Lee dies and more money can be spent, I'm getting a perfect 0.002 shoulder bump and I've modified my seating stem to suit vld bullets.

 

[Ned Ludd]

They really look outstanding. Well done!

The real question will be how is the precision and how do the velocity stats look? When you know the answers to those questions, it will likely be informative in terms of suggesting future purchases. If they shoot really well, giving precision that you find satisfactory, and the velocity numbers also look reasonably consistent, it's entirely possible you might not need to do anything different at all. If so, you could add to your setup pretty much whatever you want and in whatever order. On the other hand, when you have a better feel for the precision of these rounds and how consistent the velocity numbers look, it may suggest specific areas that could use some improvement. Let the results be your guide as to what purchases/expenditures will benefit you the most.

 

[Mark611]

Agreed, I also would ask what your level or acceptable accuracy is that you expect? are you a hunter or target shooter? or both? also the rifle set up, and the list goes on!

 

[pjd]

Agreed, I also would ask what your level or acceptable accuracy is that you expect? are you a hunter or target shooter? or both? also the rifle set up, and the list goes on!

This is a target rifle (Tikka, 26" 223ai 1:8 barrel) and for the application 1moa is fine, but of course having it shoot even better will help though honestly consistency is worth more than the odd tiny group to me. From a bench it's been shooting between .5 and .75 more often than not so I'm more than happy there, but I plan on pushing these 75gr bullets to reasonably long ranges so perhaps like Ned said, a chrono might be the next most important purchase (or borrow hopefully) to help guide things.

I'm fairly new to this rifle, so there's also the chance just shooting more ammo might lead to the most improvement overall too...

 

[big5ifty]

What is going to add the most to my process at this point while being budget conscious? ...

Although the rcbs digital scale seems accurate, I'm really not confident in it ..

The RCBS digital drifts, you've probably noticed by now as you mentioned buying check weights for it.

Find a quality beam scale with agate bearings - an RCBS 5-10 for example.

The nice thing about it is that it never drifts, it doesn't need to warm up, it doesn't care what the ambient temperature is or how it's changing, and you can be sure that it will weigh consistently year after year.

It's a lot more reliable than the RCBS electronic scale, is relatively cheap, and a good solution while you make up your mind on needing something top end.

You can also use it to trickle up. If your eyes are expiring you can hook up a usb webcam to magnify the scale pointer on a monitor. As an aside, the most sensitive scale I found for trickling up is a Lee that's properly dampened.

 

[Mark611]

Start with a CHRONY, you're going to get a lot of input on this topic,

 

[Jager]

Sounds like you're doing quite well.

Your RCBS digital scale is probably doing better than you think. That said, you need to have trust in your measurements. There's too much that can and will go sideways if they're incorrect. So do whatever you need to address that, whether it be a set of check weights, beginning to believe the numbers your scale is giving you, or one of the uber expensive magnetic restoration scales.

A good chronograph will leapfrog your progress. And a chrono, in conjunction with QuickLoad or GRT software, will let you model your loads before you build them, giving you invaluable insight into the interior ballistics of those loads.

If you do get a chronograph, beware of the trap that its SD and ES numbers are the holy grail.

Books, load manuals, and as many reputable load sources as you can find.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[dgeesaman]

You can always make or buy a check weight to manage scale drift and accuracy.

As upgrades go, for accuracy one of the best is better bullets and better brass. But you can continue with factory ammo brass and you can extend those further by sorting them in various ways to improve their uniformity.

AI brass grows very little but at some point you'll probably need a trimmer. Factory brass grows faster than premium brass.

223AI is a short to midrange cartridge. Kernel-accurate powder weights and single digit ES really only matter at 600y and further. And even there it's not the dominant matter. Leveraging a beam scale well will get you to 600 with ease. I have a fancy digital scale with autotrickler and what it actually does for me is adds speed.

When you're checking shoulder bump on an AI use the same size comparator as the basic cartridge. For 223 stuff I use a .330 Hornady comparator. (I think Hornady matches their comparator diameters to the SAAMI shoulder datum diameters). I see you mentioning neck comparators - the neck is the straight wall section that holds the bullet - so the only part of the neck you could measure is the overall length of the brass. I'm talking about the shoulder which is measuring from the base to the conical section below the neck. Sometimes more than one comparator insert works on a shoulder, what matters is you use the same one every time.

 

[LHSmith]

Good start with basic tools. Eventually you will need to adjust shoulder bump on those pieces of brass that resist sizing. A set of die (7/8") shims for the press or Redding Competition shell holders will speed up the process. FWIW Sinclair headspace comparators are available individually specific to the smaller caliber AI cartridges with the proper 40* shoulder which may give more consistent measurements.

 

[Ggmac]

Your process is good . The target will tell you what works . All this work for punching holes in paper . The best improvement and least expensive is wind flags .
Keep going

 

[SSL]

Pick up items as you prove to yourself that you need them. It really isn't necessary to have a whole bench full of exotic tools and things if you are happy with your current loads.
Remember that countless rounds have been successfully loaded and fired over the years with nothing more than the old Lee Loader "hammer" type dies and scoops. I'm not saying that that is the ideal system, but you are already far ahead of that base. Make sure you understand what it is you are doing and set realistic goals for yourself before blindly buying the latest and greatest loading gimmick just because someone claims you have to have it. Remember when taking advice, it is your money being spent...not the advice giver's! Beyond a certain point, money spent for a lot of today's questionably "vital" items is usually better spent on bullets, primers, powder and time on the range...especially time on the range.

 

[powderbrake]

Sounds like you have the case prep in hand. To improve your groups, I assume you have tried adjusting the powder charge. Once you have done that, the next step is adjusting your bullet seating depth. You have the calipers and the ogive comparator.
Finding the start of the lands can be done several ways, you could get one of these.
Hornady lock and load gauge You will also need a 223ai case with the rear tapped to fit the gauge. Hornady can make one for you.

I suggest first loads to be tested are at just touching the lands, the reading from base of the case to the bullet ogive that you got from the Hornady lock and load. Calling that .000, also test at +.003, +.006.+.009, + .012, i.e., .003 steps LONGER, going more into the lands. Testing at -.003, -.006, -.009 etc, i.e. shorter, or JUMPING the bullet to the lands may also work for you. Let your target tell you where the rifle likes the load. You may need larger steps if you jump.

When you clean your cases, I recommend corn cob media with Dillon Rapid Polish 290, a non ammonia brass polish. I like to clean before I do anything to cases, and the pieces of cob that get caught in the flash hole, get punched out when you de-prime.

Don't worry about the scale, all scales drift, that is why they have a ZERO button. After you have calibrated it with the weights that came with the scale, and tared out the pan weight, and it reads ZERO, proceed with your loading, keeping an eye on the reading with no powder in the pan. If it drifts off zero, hit the Zero button. You can recalibrate, but it has less effect that re-zeroing. Just start the scale a while before loading to let it warm up before you start loading.

 

[big5ifty]

... I've heard dry tumbling can be improved greatly by adding certain things to the mix. Worth it, or not?

IMO, dry tumbling doesn't need improvement. Avoid adding chemicals to tumbling media, like polish or soap, you just end up needing to replace the media a lot sooner. You can keep the media clean for longer if you cut up a few wet wipes and drop them in with the cases. They absorb all the dust, add a shine to the cases and keep the media looking new.

I know annealing will be on the cards at some point, but I don't know whether to focus on other upgrades to save time first.

Annealing is important if you want the brass to last longer. The necks tend to crack with fewer firings if you don't anneal.

A gas powered annealer works very well. I think these days you can buy an annealer for the price of a couple hundred new brass cases, so it pays for itself if you shoot a lot.

 

[BobT]

I loaded for probably 35 or 40 years with the same basic set up you are using with a couple of exceptions, I always used a quality beam scale and I bought a chronograph pretty early on Oehler was pretty well the only choice back then. I even used a Lee scoop and trickler for powder charges up until 2017 and still do in some cases.

 

[Mark611]

Alright, first thing I'm going to say is do not buy a cheap powder weighing system, I run an A&D 120 HR AZ LAB scale, I also use 2 tuned Beam scales, before the A&D, my A&D will weigh every kernel of powder that drops in the pan, I also trickle the last bit with a Trickler, do not cheap out on your powder weighing system, This is not a cheap set up, 2k +, I also do not use dies when sizing the body that touch the neck, neck sizing is preformed separately and not with a bushing die either! runout on your necks needs to be 1k or less! I also turn my necks only to uniform them! Neck lengths must all be the same! I can go on, but I'll let others chime in!

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Maybe the scale Mark is referring to is top tier, but you do see a lot of us(Me) spend money on several different scales and then end up with a FX120i.

 

[dgeesaman]

Don't worry about the scale, all scales drift, that is why they have a ZERO button. After you have calibrated it with the weights that came with the scale, and tared out the pan weight, and it reads ZERO, proceed with your loading, keeping an eye on the reading with no powder in the pan. If it drifts off zero, hit the Zero button. You can recalibrate, but it has less effect that re-zeroing. Just start the scale a while before loading to let it warm up before you start loading.

I did some loading with Ryan Miller (former president of) the PA 1000y benchrest club. He had a cheap digital scale and we loaded a real zinger load of his 260 variant using that scale. First, he zero'd the scale each charge. Second, he had two pans and poured the powder into the secondary 'holding' pan. (Or maybe he filed the heavier pan until they were identical weight - I don't remember) That way if the scale didn't go back to dead zero, you could zero it and pour the powder back to quickly confirm the charge was good. That said, he didn't trust all cheap digital scales but he trusted the model he owned. So I guess you should do your research in this category.

I have a higher-end Sartorius Entris scale. Its accuracy is totally unnecessary for 99% of my reloading since I rarely get to shoot at long range. But that's my powder weighing setup and it never loses zero so I'm not downgrading.

At around $250-400 you can get the big name automatic trickler scales. They save a lot of time when you need to get within 0.2 gr but not better than 0.1gr charge accuracy. That covers the majority of precision handloading and basically everything casual or competitive under 600y. Or at $550 you can get an FX120i which is dead reliable and quickly resolves weight within a kernel and there are multiple tricklers (if you want) that can be added.

 

[G Liles]

You won’t regret buying a good scale, I use the A&D fx120 with the V4 auto trickler, it works great. Also I don’t see the need to tumble brass, l like to keep the carbon inside the neck.

 

[Ccrider]

1. A scale that measures accurately repeatedly. To me this means an Fx120i.

2. A LabRadar.

3. Annealing is not required. Just keep your brass in the same firing rotation. If you are going to anneal, save up and get an AMP.

I am assuming that you have good dies that are straight and sizing your dash properly. If not, and you intend to shoot that caliber long term, buy your own reamer and get custom or semi custo m dies for your reamer.

Last, and this may be first, if you have consistent reloading tools, the best investment you can make may be in a good barrel chambered by a proven smith. Then buy some proven bullets. If you can’t get it to shoot, you are probably the problem.

 

[dgeesaman]

I agree fully with Ccrider but I’ll add that it’s valuable to have two good powders and two premium bullets on hand when you’re serious about a particular rifle. Sometimes a barrel doesn’t like a bullet or powder and only if you have an alternative can that be made clear. I don’t waste time money and components making a component that has a great reputation or theoretical advantage more important on what’s happening in that rifle at that time.