Just Finished Reloading Room! Ready to make my first round. Need a few tips...

[BoydAllen]

You were told wrong, or you misunderstood. If you are using a hand priming tool it is easier to get the feel, but if you pay attention with any priming method you will feel the primer bottom, and then add a little compression of the pellet. This is not the least bit controversial. Who told you that?

 

[stinnett1981]

YouTube video. That's why Im on this forum quadruple checking everything before i start reloading. Thanks for all the info. Keep it coming if there is more i need to know.

 

[BoydAllen]

I enjoy Youtube but those videos are only as good as whoever is making them, and if some well intended fellow gets it wrong, there is no editor to filter it out of the mix.

While I have your attention, let me give you one more little bit of information, that should help. Don't clean all of the powder fouling out of the inside of your fired case necks. Leaving some in there will tend to make bullet seating smoother and give more uniform bullet pull. If you run the brush in an out quickly, 2-3 times lengthwise, that should be enough. I retire my old bronze bore brushes to neck duty, which gives me an ample supply. There are accessory handles that they screw right into, if you are using calibers of .22 and above. I am not sure about the rod thread sizes of smaller calibers. I don't shoot any.

 

[jonbearman]

The other thing you should do is get more than one manual and read and read the reloading step section till you have a great understanding of at least 2 reputable companys reloading tips such as sierra which you have and a hornady manual or lymans reloading book.You can never read and read these books enough.

 

[stinnett1981]

Thanks for all the info. I have the Sierra and Speer manual. I plan on getting the Hornady manual. I want to start loading 40g and 53 V-Max bullets.

 

[Three44s]

I'd start a little lower than 23 gr. of varget with that much slug. I would suggest 21 or 21 and change.


Especially as you are a begining loader. Usually, it's not listed in manuals as minimum but rather "Start" and "Max" and that "19" number looks pretty low for a start charge.

For a small jump (close to the lands) I'd probably just make it simple and start at 21 gr. and keep GOOD records!

Place your fired empties in a chronological order fired primers up and use good light and watch your primers change as your approach max or near max. This is good education for you to notice very subtle pressure changes ...... I've been loading for 38 years and still do this.

Welcome to the "fold" and may you have MANY productive and enjoyable years of handloading ahead!!!

Three 44s

 

[Clod-NC]

Hi Stinnett
Well,there you are,all set and pampered,you just need to make that very first step that will get you going...Very good,and glad you came here to ask for counsel and help. Just to ease you along and ensure everything is done proper,even though you're faring quite good as much as I can judge from what you said,give a thought to dedicating a little place on your bench to a tiny bit of press(the smaller Lee makes,$40 all told)and screw in a decapping die on it,you won't regret it;think about getting a good set of calipers too if you haven't bought some already,and then do your first jump....It's a lot of fun,you'll enjoy it I'm sure..Welcome here and welcome to the game,you can't find a better place and better people to ask questions to.

 

[Forum Boss]

necksize is enough until the bolt gets stiff when closing, then fullzise once and keep necksizing until next stiffness occurs...

Some guys do this with success. However, if you are running high end 6BR loads, this will not work well at all. With a good fitting die, in a 6mmBR, bumping .0015 or so when FL sizing, you will not lose accuracy. In fact, you may well find that your accuracy improves, ES goes down, and the bolt closes more consistently. Not always, but people should not fear FL sizing if they have a good match between chamber and die. Look at the short-range benchrest world. These guys are the accuracy kings, and most of them full-length size after every firing.