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
New to loading and could use advice
- Thread starter Charles McDonald
- Start date
You probably got a reloading book. Read it. All the stuff before the load data information. Sounds like you need 6.5 PRC brass as well. Once you select a project (bullet) you can look up in the load data tables for the PRC then the bullet weight. That's when you will get the list of useable powders. You'll find a minimum and max weight for each available powder listed. Always start at the minimum weight.
There is lots to learn about the safety and handling of the powders and primers. I bought my Lee gear and supplies then read and researched for at least 20-30 hrs before my first load.
Get a good grasp of the process then start asking questions.
There is lots to learn about the safety and handling of the powders and primers. I bought my Lee gear and supplies then read and researched for at least 20-30 hrs before my first load.
Get a good grasp of the process then start asking questions.
RegionRat
Gold $$ Contributor
All of those comments above plus just one more...
In addition to making sure you own a good reference library and can read up a watch a few tutorial videos up front... I will make one more suggestion, and that is to find a mentor to get started. You will learn much faster and make fewer mistakes and waste less material by having a mentor start you up compared to being completely on your own.
In addition to making sure you own a good reference library and can read up a watch a few tutorial videos up front... I will make one more suggestion, and that is to find a mentor to get started. You will learn much faster and make fewer mistakes and waste less material by having a mentor start you up compared to being completely on your own.
R.Morehouse
Gold $$ Contributor
Have you been shooting the gun and saving the brass?
Whisky Tahoe Foxtrot
Silver $$ Contributor
Charles,
Hornady's 10 edition of their reloading manual is available on kindle which means you can take it with you via your PC, phone, or tablet. The preface and introduction to reloading can give you the vocabulary as well as guidance on getting started. While a collection of books can be important and I have my share, I find online & digital info is more accessible where ever you are.
RCBS has a decent amount of info on getting started. https://www.rcbs.com/handloading-basics.html
Lyman has a good list of equipment and steps in their tutorial. https://www.lymanproducts.com/start-reloading/
Reloading data can be found from both Bullet & Powder manufacturers. Hodgdon is a good one to start with. http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
Enjoy the journey
Hornady's 10 edition of their reloading manual is available on kindle which means you can take it with you via your PC, phone, or tablet. The preface and introduction to reloading can give you the vocabulary as well as guidance on getting started. While a collection of books can be important and I have my share, I find online & digital info is more accessible where ever you are.
RCBS has a decent amount of info on getting started. https://www.rcbs.com/handloading-basics.html
Lyman has a good list of equipment and steps in their tutorial. https://www.lymanproducts.com/start-reloading/
Reloading data can be found from both Bullet & Powder manufacturers. Hodgdon is a good one to start with. http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
Enjoy the journey
Thank you! I ll buy all the books too and look for a mentor to help also. I haven't shot the rifle yet but I bought cases for it. I also bought a few boxes of factory amo. I watched so many videos on so many processes I feel like I understand the basics of case prep and re sizing. Weighing the powders ect..just didn't understand the formulas of bullet selection and powder/primer. Hopefully the books will have good data for the 6 5 prc. I will of course uh see with extreme caution making extra sure to follow all safety guide lines. I have a small shop so I can keep the supplies out of the house until iam confident I won't blow myself up.i suppose I have alot more reading to do!! Thank you all for responding!
bobinpa
Gold $$ Contributor
Welcome to the forum. If you want to learn, this is a GREAT place. Basic reloading isn't complicated and there are many books and videos to show you how. YouTube videos are good place to start if you don't have a mentor also. Bullet selection should be driven by what you are shooting. If you are target shooting, you will want a match bullet, like a Sierra match King. If you are hunting, you would want a game bullet like a Nosler Ballistic tip. Some bullets can crossover and do more than one role, but that is for later.... As far as powder, there are several powders that will work in a cartridge, but always a couple powders that stand out as better. For the 6.5 PRC, 2 powders that stand out are Hodgden H1000 and Alliant Reloader 26. For primers, I would just pick one with a good reputation or following to start with, maybe look at Federal or CCI. I have used them all just about and they all act just a little different, however, for someone starting out it will be hard to see a difference in primers. That is something you can work up to once you get your feet wet and start splitting hairs.
Most importantly, BE SAFE, take your time and enjoy yourself.
Most importantly, BE SAFE, take your time and enjoy yourself.
Whisky Tahoe Foxtrot
Silver $$ Contributor
A couple of things...
+100 on a mentor, truth is all of us on the forum are still learning.
Before we can help you with all of our occasionally differing opinions on which brass and bullets to start with, we need to know what you plan to do? Target shoot, hunt, or even compete. Yes they usually overlap but not always. Target bullets don't reliably expand therefore aren't recommended for hunting. The best hunting bullets may be extremely lethal with well placed shots but refuse to group well.
Here are some specific recommendations:
Get a Caldwell Recoil Shield to help with the recoil shyness.
Go shoot the rifle with your factory ammo and sight it in to hit 2 inches above the point of aim at 100 yards or hit the point of aim at 200 yards.
An Internet search of “6.5 PRC Load Data” will yield a number of references. I suggest that you look at the Hornady’s info: https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/6.5-prc-v2.pdf Information is there for their 140 gr hunting bullet and 143gr ELD bullet which use the same powder charge. They indicate a specific primer and a variety of powders. This would be a good place to start.
The Hodgdon 2019 Annual Reloading Manual and Sierra Reloading Data Edition VI both have reload data for the 6.5 PRC.
Get a Caldwell Recoil Shield to help with the recoil shyness.
Go shoot the rifle with your factory ammo and sight it in to hit 2 inches above the point of aim at 100 yards or hit the point of aim at 200 yards.
An Internet search of “6.5 PRC Load Data” will yield a number of references. I suggest that you look at the Hornady’s info: https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/6.5-prc-v2.pdf Information is there for their 140 gr hunting bullet and 143gr ELD bullet which use the same powder charge. They indicate a specific primer and a variety of powders. This would be a good place to start.
The Hodgdon 2019 Annual Reloading Manual and Sierra Reloading Data Edition VI both have reload data for the 6.5 PRC.
SSL
Gold $$ Contributor
Just a note on the Hornady manual on Kindle: It will NOT work on the Kindle Paperwhite (you can probably figure out how I know). It does work perfectly on the Fire and is extremely convenient to have. Thankfully I had one when I purchased my copy.
F Class John
NRA Life Member
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.
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.
Thanks you gentlemen! My goals are set far lower than the true marksmen here on this forum. Dont laugh... I would like to learn to be very accurate from 300-600 yards. My goal at first is to shoot about a grapefruit size group lol. I bought the rifle for antelope and mule deer (just a lie to get what I thought was a custom gun) my local range goes to 500 only but we like to go shoot in the mountains so I think we could find further. I searched for groups competing here and there are some but I get zhy of asking just cause right now I dont know enough. I researched a shooting school but they are pretty expensive? So easy goals really...learn to shoot properly out to 600 (just hit the target not small groups) as small a group as possible at 300 ? Ethically take shots at antelope to 350 450 depending on how well I practice. My longest shot to date is 260. I killed the deer with a heart shot but I wasn't as confident as i wanted. This was with my .270 with a junk vortec scope. My main goal with reloading is to just learn and then to have a consistent load that's safe and 1 inch moa ? My goal is to shoot 100 rounds a month with all my rifles. My goals are to be able to understand ballistic s and my loads the rifles capabilities and sweet spots. Then be able to utilize it in the .mountains? I said no laughing!
I am your huckleberry, the 6.5 prc can burn up a barrel with too much experimentation. So the goal is to find a accurate load that is good for both hunting and target without harming the barrel. So the key is to( limit the options). Pick one brass, pick one primer, pick one bullet. Then pick the correct seating depth for your gun. This is easy with a black sharpy just darken the bullet shank and insert The long dummy round into the chamber with a light pressure from the bolt . it could get lightly stuck in the rifling so tap it out with a cleaning rod. The rifling with show in the black. Now just seat bullet deeper until you can chamber the dummy with no Mark's on the blackened bullet. That is where you want to seat that bullet also check to make sure it will fit the magazine, if it does your good to go. This will most likely be longer than published loads in the reloading data. This is where you get best accuracy for your gun. Next is to choose powders, this is where accuracy comes from. One powder may provide excellent accuracy while another powder will make bad groups even though they are both pushing the bullet to about the same speed ! So you might get lucky with the first powder choice or you might test six or seven powders before you find the one. Again limit testing by just loading 3 of each charge- example 3@54 grains, 3@55 grains, 3@56 grains ,3@57 grains. If you fire two bullet's that don't go right next to each other there's no use firing the third, just take it home and disassemble. That way you save barrel life. When you do find a load that puts them in a very tight group then retest it with five shot group On the next outing.
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
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.
Awesome thanks . I'll take all this advice! I have a. 223 so I'll order some affordable dies for it too and start there while I research the other rifles. I have watched and read alot on bullet seating and "crammed" vs " jumping" lands so I at least can conceptualize it. I ordered whidden dies for the prc with his dial indicator seating die so I should at least be able to try hard. I also ordered the freebie tool? Hornady tool with threaded case? And I've watched that alot too. Also the guy who uses the bolt with extractor and firing pin removed techniques? Iam excited to try. Years ago I worked in an engine machine shop so I have alot of time with calipers and dial indicators that helps a little to start. I've read that my barrels life is maybe 2k rounds? I should be fine being a casual shooter but I will try and science as much as I can and not waste shots. I did go and start reading powder specs and some recommendations on line so now I can try and pic one or two bullets and powders. My gunsmith said he would help to if I get stuck or confussed lol.
Here is a thread from when I asked for reloading starter tips about 1-1/2 years ago. It was very helpful stuff.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/good-references-for-equipment-recommendations.3947484/
Best luck to you, reloading isn’t just a means to an end. Reloading is fun too. I have to shoot to empty my brass out so I can reload it again.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/good-references-for-equipment-recommendations.3947484/
Best luck to you, reloading isn’t just a means to an end. Reloading is fun too. I have to shoot to empty my brass out so I can reload it again.
Only put your dial calipers in one safe place and make sure no one except you know's ! Thieves !
Ya ha ha!!! Someone no good lazy thief will steal them like my pocket knife that was in the lint trap of the dryer!!!
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