Hello! I have been reading in the reloading forum for quite a while but just recently joined as a member. I shot my first batch of reloads on New Year's Day and thought I should introduce myself before posting and engaging with other discussions.
Most of my experience and firearms have been focused on hunting, but I want to do more long-distance shooting and am interested in competing on an amateur level. I just got set up to reload for centerfire. My primary hunting firearm for the last 16 seasons was a Savage 10ML-II smokeless muzzleloader, so I have read and studied internal ballistics and reloading concepts for many years. But this is my first time dealing with brass and bullet assembly.
Based on local availability, I just purchase a Hornady Lock-N-Load single-stage press and kit (with powder measure, scale, etc.) as the starting point, then added the following:
I will be reloading for the following rifles using the following components:
I'll post a separate thread about first reloads and range results soon. Meanwhile, I look forward to talking with and learning from all of you here.
Most of my experience and firearms have been focused on hunting, but I want to do more long-distance shooting and am interested in competing on an amateur level. I just got set up to reload for centerfire. My primary hunting firearm for the last 16 seasons was a Savage 10ML-II smokeless muzzleloader, so I have read and studied internal ballistics and reloading concepts for many years. But this is my first time dealing with brass and bullet assembly.
Based on local availability, I just purchase a Hornady Lock-N-Load single-stage press and kit (with powder measure, scale, etc.) as the starting point, then added the following:
- Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler with steel media and media separator;
- Frankford Arsenal case prep center, with McJ primer pocket uniformer and flash hole uniformer;
- Hornady LNL OAL gauge and bullet comparator;
- Hornady LNL headspace comparator;
- Second set of calipers with 3 decimal +/- .0005 accuracy;
- Hornady micrometer for seating dies;
- Hornady Custom GradeRem Die Set in .223 Rem;
- Redding Competition Bushing Neck Die Set in .308 Win; and
- I already had a Lee 100-grain balance beam scale that I have used since 2005 and various tricklers, funnels, etc.
I will be reloading for the following rifles using the following components:
- Rock River Arms LAR-15 National Match 20-inch CMP in .223 Wilde, topped with a Burris 4.5-14x42 scope in a Burris mount (purchased in 2016 and had put 580 shots through it before this weekend's first reload range trip);
- Tikka T3x Lite Stainless 22.4" in .308 Winchester, topped with a Burris Signature HD 3-15x44 in Warne Mountain Tech rings on a Talley pic rail (new and just broken in with 15 shots total); and
- Ruger American Compact / Youth in .243 Winchester, topped with Burris Fullfield IV 2.5-10x52 in Warne Mountain Tech rings on factory-supplied pic rail (fairly recent purchase with 48 shots total, including one deer this fall).
- .223 and 5.56 Cases--
- 50 recovered Barnes;
- 50 recovered GFL;
- 50 recovered PPU;
- ~150 recovered Black Hills / Lake City; and
- 100 new Lapua.
- .308 Cases--
- 100 new Lapua; and
- 100 Norma to be recovered from factory loads on hand.
- Powders:
- IMR 4198;
- H322;
- TAC;
- Varget;
- CFE 223;
- VV N140; and
- VV N540.
- Primers:
- 1,000 Remington 7&1/2 Small Rifle
- 500 Federal Gold Medal 10M large rifle; and
- 500 CC BR-2 large rifle benchrest primers.
- .224 Bullets:
- 260 Sierra 77gr TMK; and
- 100 Barnes 55gr TTSX.
- .308 Bullets: 100 each of:
- 130gr Barnes TTSX;
- 155gr Hornady BTHP;
- 168gr Sierra TMK; and
- 175gr Barnes LRX.
I'll post a separate thread about first reloads and range results soon. Meanwhile, I look forward to talking with and learning from all of you here.
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