Hi everyone, flexible here. Been reloading pistol brass for decades and started the set up last year for 6.5 Creedmoor. Went to a class for Benchrest rifle and enjoyed the class and shooting.
I'm still not very confident loading rifle ammo so I'd appreciate some input.
Here is what i'm planning and i have the components:
- deprime brass
- clean in STS liquid tumbler
- lube with One Shot
- shoulder bump & OAL on once fired brass with Sinclair bump/comparator tool
- size on Redding Competition Bushing die
- Sinclair mandrel expander die
- trim on Little Crow WFT
- deburr & chamfer
- prime on Sinclair hand primer
- charge RCBS Chargemaster
- seat, Redding Competition seater die
I have Hornady brass (large primer) and Lapua brass (small primer).
Winchester & CCI BR large primers & Remington 7 1/2 small benchrest primers
Berger 130 AR & Lapua 139 OTM Scenar bullets
IMR 4064 & Hodgdon H4350
Is my sequence good? am i missing something?
thanks
flexible
So how deep into the dark side of BR do you want to get?
I shoot LR BR and here is my current loading method. Please note my method changes all the time as I continually refine my process, trying new ways and eliminated ways that done produce results. Most approaches that are thoughtfully developed and consistently applied will work well.
1. Weight sort cases. Internal volume is what we are really after, but weight sorted cases give a rough correlation and will identify any outliers. Sorting by volume of water would be better, IF you can be consistent enough filling the cases.
2. Measure and sort bullets. Each of us has a slightly different approach, but the idea is to get rid on any bad bullets and get the bullets grouped into sorting a that will seat and shoot together
3. Weigh primers and sort into .05 grain groups
4. Neck turn cases for .003" (for 6mm) or .004" (for 30 cal)
5. Uniform primer pockets.
6. Debur flash holes if required.
Loading process:
1. Deprime fired cases and clean by wiping carbon off outside of necks with steel wool or Scorchbrite. I do not want to get the cases so clean that the carbon is removed from the inside of the necks.
2. Anneal on an AMP with Aztec. This isn't required, but either anneal each time or don't do it at all.
3. Bump shoulders .002 to .003. Measure every case and keep all shoulders within .0005". I lube with RCBS case lube on a lube pad and use a custom Whidden bushing sizer die with expander mandrels of varying size to control neck tension. I use a Prazipress, which has zero deflection. I measure using a Whidden shoulder bump gauge on an Mitituyo digital caliper.
4. Clean primer pockets
5. Trim, chamfer, and deburr on a Henderson Precision trimmer with a Forster 3-Way Cutter.
5. Seat primers with a K&M Primer Gauge to .002" crush for SR primers and .003" for LR primers.
6. Charge powder to within one kernel with an AutoThrow/AutoTrickler on an A&D FXI 120
7. Bush case necks with a nylon brush immediately before seating bullets
8. Seat bullets on a 21st Century Hydropress. Any bullet that requires seating force well outside of the norm goes into the sighter group. I measure each round after seating to ensure consistency. I use a custom insert in a Hornady housing with the Mitituyo calipers.
I think I mentioned everything. I make no claims that this is the best way and I am always refining and testing.
