New to reloading and need some help!

[gmr4]

new Hornady brass
CCI large rifle primers
H4350 (40.5gr)
Hornady 140 gr ELD Match bullet

Thats should shoot darn good…

 

[gmr4]

so i do have the modified case for finding my land, not fully sure how to use it or how to use my bullet comperator or headspace comperator

Sam at Panhandle Precision uses the same tool and has a video…

 

[jelenko]

measure your chamber length and distance to lands.

I disagree.
When using measuring new brass to ensure it's to spec and seating the bullet the same as factory ammo, I don't see a need to measure the chamber length or distance to the lands.

 

[GetReal]

I disagree.
When using measuring new brass to ensure it's to spec and seating the bullet the same as factory ammo, I don't see a need to measure the chamber length or distance to the lands.

You cut off the part of my post that addressed factory new brass.

The part you quoted is addressing once fired brass.

 

[NWARvet]

I disagree.
When using measuring new brass to ensure it's to spec and seating the bullet the same as factory ammo, I don't see a need to measure the chamber length or distance to the lands.

so your saying that if brass measures same as factory and my OAL is same as factory and I stick to the right powder charge listed in the reloading bible i should be A-ok?

 

[NWARvet]

You cut off the part of my post that addressed factory new brass.

The part you quoted is addressing once fired brass.

since I am new I'm only loading factory new brass

 

[NWARvet]

Thank you all so much, you have all been so helpful and given me great insight as well as resources to check into. like i said last thing i want is an injury or to damage my rifle. ill leave this thread up and please feel free to keep adding on to it. "I definitely can't learn too much"

 

[GetReal]

since I am new I'm only loading factory new brass

I would find it very , very unlikely that hornady factory new brass won't be in spec as far as chamber length. You should be fine.

But when you get to that point of second third or fourth + firing , you're gonna want to measure your chamber length, and\nNeed the hornity gauges, both To find your lands and to bump your case shoulder back.

For my precision rifles , I have only 2- 3 hundred cases, each of which should be good for about 15 firings

 

[NWARvet]

I would find it very , very unlikely that hornady factory new brass won't be in spec as far as chamber length. You should be fine.

But when you get to that point of second third or fourth + firing , you're gonna want to measure your chamber length, and\nNeed the hornity gauges, both To find your lands and to bump your case shoulder back.

For my precision rifles , I have only 2- 3 hundred cases, each of which should be good for about 15 firings

thank you

 

[mgunderson]

Do you have a local gun shop that sells reloading or a reloading resource at your local range? Someone to call and talk with what you are questioning is really helpful. Most of the answers you get here will be correct, but not always useful to where you knowledge is yet.

Many of us have several reloading children that we are helping.

 

[NWARvet]

Do you have a local gun shop that sells reloading or a reloading resource at your local range? Someone to call and talk with what you are questioning is really helpful. Most of the answers you get here will be correct, but not always useful to where you knowledge is yet.

Many of us have several reloading children that we are helping.

No, I live in a very rural area, my local "gun shop" is a pawn shop, and I am new to the are and really don't know anyone. and there is a public range but its a place you go, put $2 in a coffee can and shoot, no range master, office or anyone there ever really. That is exactly what I need though someone to talk to who is willing to take some time and teach me.

 

[Straightshooter1]

No, I live in a very rural area, my local "gun shop" is a pawn shop, and I am new to the are and really don't know anyone. and there is a public range but its a place you go, put $2 in a coffee can and shoot, no range master, office or anyone there ever really. That is exactly what I need though someone to talk to who is willing to take some time and teach me.

You've come to the best forum on the internet to get good advice and information. There's a lot of very experienced reloaders and shooters here that are more than willing to answer any questions you might have. So, feel free to ask and don't hesitate to ask what you might feel is a "stupid" question; there are none. And if you use the search engine here, you can find a lot of good info on just about every question that's ever been thought of to ask.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Your FL die and expander will "fix" any neck concentric issues in new brass. I prefer a mandrel (goes inside the neck), because the inside of the neck needs some lube so I lube than mandrel. Lubing necks will make consistent bullet seating/release easy. And I don't want to change new brass body/shoulder dimensions.

 

[jelenko]

You cut off the part of my post that addressed factory new brass.

The part you quoted is addressing once fired brass.

I've reread your post - it's not unlike for me to misread things.
In this case, the post doesn't seem to identify one fired vs new.

 

[jelenko]

so your saying that if brass measures same as factory and my OAL is same as factory and I stick to the right powder charge listed in the reloading bible i should be A-ok?

Yes, provided the charge is somewhere in the middle of the load range. Some barrels are tighter than others and produce higher pressure. This is one of the reasons to always start well below max charges.

 

[GetReal]

I've reread your post - it's not unlike for me to misread things.
In this case, the post doesn't seem to identify one fired vs new.

All good. I coulda been clearer..

 

[ronsatspokane]

The load you are using is one of the most common loads for that caliber and your process seems very good. As others have said, the second load of that brass is where you may want to stick you head a little further down that reloading rabbit hole.
Once you fire the brass, if you have the dial caliper and gauge to measure your brass to the shoulder, you will have the length of your chamber. Comparing that to factory unfired brass will tell you how much that brass is being stretched and what your options are during sizing as far as how much shoulder bump you want. 2 to 3 thousands is recommended by most. It's about sizing die setup. It won't take you very long to get a handle on it. Just read a little about shoulder bump and die setup and you'll be well on your way to emptying your wallet with esoteric reloading tools and 1500 dollar powder measures. Welcome to the rabbit hole.

 

[Webster]

do i need to resize new brass if my brass is same length as factory/store bought and at the end my OAL is within spec?

It cannot hurt to resize new brass. Buy a cheap 4" digital caliper at Harbor Freight and a shoulder bump gauge and learn how to adjust the FL sizing die for 2-3 thou set back. Sounds like your doing OK. Go for accuracy and don't see how much powder you can get in a case without damaging something. Learn the signs of over pressure. I'm still using my Lee hand priming tool I bought in 1970 for about $7.

 

[CF Junkie]

I have been reloading for years (since 2008) and I started like you, trying to figure out what I needed to do.
It you have anyone at your range who is an experience reloader that you can talk to, they can be a great help. Don't be afraid to experiment a bit
I have just passed the 78,000 reload milestone and have tried a lot of different approaches but finally, I have found a few that really work.

Loading for 6.5mm CM is pretty easy, but it will be somewhat different if you are loading for a bolt action than an AR.
6.5mm CM factory ammo tends to be seated for the AR mag lengths. My bolt actions like the bullets seated out much further than the AR mag limits.
Factory ammo is also loaded toward the fast side of the load tables. People seem to buy higher velocity ammo, which works great for hunters wanting high kinetic energy rounds, but actually doesn't necessarily result in the best accuracy at moderate distances.

I have three 6.5mm CM bolt actions and they all perform well with 140 ELD-Ms and H4350 powder, so you have made a good choice for bullets and powder to start with.

I expect that you will find that every barrel is a bit different in their preferences - a characteristic of the manufacturing process and the fact the reamers are used for a number of barrels during a run and tend to wear as they are used, so the first barrel in the run is somewhat different than the last.
One of my 6.5mm CMs shoots lighter bullets best and the two others shoot heavier bullets best, but the 140 ELD-Ms shoot accurately with all of them.

I suggest that you start by measuring and recording data for each load you make and then measure and record the results. I have found that accurate records have helped my a lot when I want to figure out what powder and bullets really work and what seating depths and velocities barrels perform best with. I still have spreadsheets that go back to my first load attempts.
It is amazing how much I learned, just by looking at my early information and then comparing those results with the results I am getting today. Just the improvement in the standard deviations of the groups in the loads I shoot at each session is incredible and is an indicator of my reloading and shooting improvements.

I honestly can say that I don't have one rifle or pistol that shoots better with factory ammo than with my reloads, and my most accurate loads for each of my rifles performs best with loads using the same bullets but that have very different velocities than even the most expensive factory match ammos.

 

[NWARvet]

I have been reloading for years (since 2008) and I started like you, trying to figure out what I needed to do.
It you have anyone at your range who is an experience reloader that you can talk to, they can be a great help. Don't be afraid to experiment a bit
I have just passed the 78,000 reload milestone and have tried a lot of different approaches but finally, I have found a few that really work.

Loading for 6.5mm CM is pretty easy, but it will be somewhat different if you are loading for a bolt action than an AR.
6.5mm CM factory ammo tends to be seated for the AR mag lengths. My bolt actions like the bullets seated out much further than the AR mag limits.
Factory ammo is also loaded toward the fast side of the load tables. People seem to buy higher velocity ammo, which works great for hunters wanting high kinetic energy rounds, but actually doesn't necessarily result in the best accuracy at moderate distances.

I have three 6.5mm CM bolt actions and they all perform well with 140 ELD-Ms and H4350 powder, so you have made a good choice for bullets and powder to start with.

I expect that you will find that every barrel is a bit different in their preferences - a characteristic of the manufacturing process and the fact the reamers are used for a number of barrels during a run and tend to wear as they are used, so the first barrel in the run is somewhat different than the last.
One of my 6.5mm CMs shoots lighter bullets best and the two others shoot heavier bullets best, but the 140 ELD-Ms shoot accurately with all of them.

I suggest that you start by measuring and recording data for each load you make and then measure and record the results. I have found that accurate records have helped my a lot when I want to figure out what powder and bullets really work and what seating depths and velocities barrels perform best with. I still have spreadsheets that go back to my first load attempts.
It is amazing how much I learned, just by looking at my early information and then comparing those results with the results I am getting today. Just the improvement in the standard deviations of the groups in the loads I shoot at each session is incredible and is an indicator of my reloading and shooting improvements.

I honestly can say that I don't have one rifle or pistol that shoots better with factory ammo than with my reloads, and my most accurate loads for each of my rifles performs best with loads using the same bullets but that have very different velocities than even the most expensive factory match ammos.

Hey thanks for the insight, a lot of good people on here and I can tell your one of them. Hope to chat with you again. I’m kinda alone where I live as far as people at the range and or “gun shop” as mine here is more of a pawn shop with a old guy like me behind the counter and he don’t reload. I started here very recently after I retired from the Army, to give me something to do other than farm work.