New to loading and could use advice

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

I'm with all of the above especially about finding a mentor. That was the biggest thing that changed my world. Join a league, group or club where like minded shooters shoot. Identify what your goals are, you can't just say "I want to shoot one hole". You need to set goals to grow by, shrink your groups as you go and learn about all of it so you see the whole picture. Find someone who's been down that road, ask them to take you down that road. I've found over the years in my group that the mentors who make people start from the bottom and learn all the process and not just giving them a 'magic load and process' are the mentors who teach the best and ultimately those mentored become better shooter. I don't use a lot of the tools or processes that I did when I started but knowing why or how each of those processes works helps me understand how to tune my load the best now and that's how I work with people who now ask for my help. If I hadn't been through all the pain I wouldn't understand all the intricate pieces of the puzzle and those are the pieces that will make you a better reloader. I mentor anyone willing to listen and still listen to anything my mentor(s) tells me, it make all us better in the long run.

As far as the conversations being too advanced, don't worry. As you read, learn, load and shoot and then rinse and repeat it'll all start making sense and you'll gravitate to people or conversations that are relevant to your needs here. There's something for everyone here.

I would never join a club that would have me for a member !

 

[Rsadams]

Sounds like you're off to a good start... Read the beginning of your reloading manual a few times then sit down with some old junk brass and load a few practice rounds without powder or primers , this will let you learn what each step does and what it's doing... Safety is the most important thing , check and recheck everything... If you feel in your gut something is not correct STOP... Reloading is not a fast process so take your time , your reloads should be far better than factory rounds....

Don't be shy about asking a more experienced shooter or reloader for help... Shooters are normally very nice and helpful people...

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Iam very new to firearms and loading. I bought a 6.5 prc and got excited about learning about marksmanship. I bought all the equipment to load too. A fool and his money right? I've been learning for a few years but iam a bit recoil shy so I asked for a antelope rifle I could target shoot longer ranges. Anyway I have the rifle and dies and press and all I need to load except the primers, powder and bullets. Could you guys help me understand where to find formulas for beginng the load? I mean I'd just copy a factory one if that's possible? I searched it but the conversations are to advanced and I've asked people and other forums for load development formulas to start with but no help yet. How do you start the process? I feel confident in the process and have done extensive research on that but haven't seen alot of info on the ingredients. Sorry this is so amateur but a guy has to start somewhere. Thanks for any help you can give

messing with seating depth is increasing options not limiting options , a good way to burn up a barrel. Accuracy comes from powder ! Remember target shooters can jam bullet's because they don't unload like hunter's do. If your load is jammed and you want to unload you will need a cleaning rod to tap the loaded round out or if you pull the action open you will have powder all over inside your gun and a stuck bullet. So forget jamming. It is always powder that makes accuracy. And it only takes a few shots of each powder to determine which powder is the shiz!

 

[CarlGeorge]

I love threads like this - seeing folks getting into the sport/hobby.

There's one thought that's occurring to me. The following might be a bit "conservative" but I'll throw it out there.

For your first sets of rounds that you load I'd pay little attention to accuracy. Focus on learning the core principals of taking a fired case to a completed ready-to-fire round. Define success as your rounds go bang as you expect and you can get them reasonably on paper. I believe if you go through that a few times, and get those steps and why they're there in your head and muscle memory then when it comes time to deal with jump, neck tension, etc. etc. etc. it'll be easier to focus on that....and not have to try and learn both simultaneously.

Great choice on the Whidden dies. I just got my first set and I LOVE them! They're extremely well made.

Congrats and have fun....and stay safe.

CG

 

[Rsadams]

This is not very accurate....powder is but one variable in reloading for accuracy....

 

[Charles McDonald]

Well now iam confused again!! I've never heard that a bullet gets pulled from the shell !? That would be a bad thing. Thank you for that tid bit. I do get confused from target to field. The numbers are often different and they are such small measurements that I feel like they are literally splitting split hairs. More like splitting split hairs that have been split twice. My math is bad. A hairs what 030? Anyway I have read that there where issues with the freebore of magazines being built with different reamers that limit the base ogive from to far into lands to to far a jump with the 6.5 prc? This is documented in a thread here on your site titled -my prc thread. Iam really curious to do all the measurements on my rifle to see what it is or if I can duplicate his findings. I thought I read target guys wanted just shy of lands not into them? So now iam way beyond my experience and should no longer comment lol! I first have to 1- pick an appropriate bullet
2- find the powder that is recommended
3- learn the whole process of loading it
4- learn the load development process
5- learn to use my fancy new scope I bought on these classified
6- learn to decifier what iam seeing on paper and cases
7- learn to use my new chronograph
8- learn to tell what the chrono and paper are telling me together
9- be able to take that back to re loading bench again for repeatability
And finally 10- learn how to shoot!
Maybe 1 should be 10?
Oh man iam screwd!
Anyone wanna buy all this stugf?

 

[clunker]

One option for a first time reloader is to buy a "learner" rifle, maybe something in a .223 Remington/5.56 and load for it before getting in too deep on the PRC. A lot cheaper and one can learn the nuances of loads, seating depth, neck tension and different bullet weights.

+1. I'm pretty new to this, like the OP. I started with a .223, which is the best thing I could have done. Recoil is light, and you can put a lot of rounds through it. After more than 500 rounds at the range with factory ammo, and a lot of questions on this forum, I finally reached my accuracy limit. Now I'm starting to reload, so I can take it to the next level. I really wish I had found a mentor, but it's a pretty small population over here with very few places to shoot.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

+1. I'm pretty new to this, like the OP. I started with a .223, which is the best thing I could have done. Recoil is light, and you can put a lot of rounds through it. After more than 500 rounds at the range with factory ammo, and a lot of questions on this forum, I finally reached my accuracy limit. Now I'm starting to reload, so I can take it to the next level. I really wish I had found a mentor, but it's a pretty small population over here with very few places to shoot.

There's always place's to shoot, you just have to be good at hiding .

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Well now iam confused again!! I've never heard that a bullet gets pulled from the shell !? That would be a bad thing. Thank you for that tid bit. I do get confused from target to field. The numbers are often different and they are such small measurements that I feel like they are literally splitting split hairs. More like splitting split hairs that have been split twice. My math is bad. A hairs what 030? Anyway I have read that there where issues with the freebore of magazines being built with different reamers that limit the base ogive from to far into lands to to far a jump with the 6.5 prc? This is documented in a thread here on your site titled -my prc thread. Iam really curious to do all the measurements on my rifle to see what it is or if I can duplicate his findings. I thought I read target guys wanted just shy of lands not into them? So now iam way beyond my experience and should no longer comment lol! I first have to 1- pick an appropriate bullet
2- find the powder that is recommended
3- learn the whole process of loading it
4- learn the load development process
5- learn to use my fancy new scope I bought on these classified
6- learn to decifier what iam seeing on paper and cases
7- learn to use my new chronograph
8- learn to tell what the chrono and paper are telling me together
9- be able to take that back to re loading bench again for repeatability
And finally 10- learn how to shoot!
Maybe 1 should be 10?
Oh man iam screwd!
Anyone wanna buy all this stugf?

If you are talking human hair from the head it would be about .007".

 

[Charles McDonald]

Well that's a bad start at small math for me! Going to have to learn the measuring first!!! You know when I started as a kid at the machine shop. The old man who was mean but very loving . Would yell and scream about the way a guy held a micrometer. He would yell that just the heat in your hand or fingers would give you bad readings and that was no good he had a very specific way you had to hold it. It was actually really hard to hold , more like balancing it and even harder to hold the mic and the part and turn the tool end to a gentle touch.. Now I've watched many you tubers using questionable tools holding them them like baseball bats and swearing by four decimal points? Are you guys this fussy? When you say the shoulder bump is two thousandths are you sure about it like a pro machinist is sure or is their some lee way? I mean at that shop there was a manufacturer's spec and the old man always said they engineer things so Joe public has error room. I hope the same true here? You could get hurt if it's that strict right? I never made it to the assembly room but I did bore blocks and do heads. Thirty thousandths for a hair he used to say? Anyway now iam worried lol. I'll have to dig out those tools and start measuring stuff lol
.

 

[Mikemci]

If you are talking human hair from the head it would be about .007".

He may have been referencing a RCH?
My wife is a blonde, so I can't verify.
She might think that's wierd, if I took my micrometer down there too.

 

[Charles McDonald]

Ah yes of course! I had forgotten that saying.