ppc advice - my first
- Thread starter Schandler
- Start date
Norma brass is good. You are not shooting a true benchrrst rifle, with this in mind, shoot loads you are able to find in the manuals. I have a customized Sako 6mm PPC with as much done to as possible to ring out any ounce of accuracy. BUT, it is a Sako action regardless, so no hotrodding it and primer pockets will be golden.
As for powder and bullets, after trial and error trying pretty much every load combination I could locate in manuals and over the phone with the bullet and powder companies, LT32 and Berger 62 grain column bullets is what my rifle favors.
As for cases and necks and all the resizing minutia, I would take 3 first fired brass and send to one of the reloading die companies and have a set of reloading dies made up.
As for powder and bullets, after trial and error trying pretty much every load combination I could locate in manuals and over the phone with the bullet and powder companies, LT32 and Berger 62 grain column bullets is what my rifle favors.
As for cases and necks and all the resizing minutia, I would take 3 first fired brass and send to one of the reloading die companies and have a set of reloading dies made up.
If you purchased Lapua Brass it would be 220 Russian, so yes fire forming, neck sizing, ect. would be required. If you know what neck Diameter the barrel is chambered for and you want new Lapua brass I would recommend buying 100 rds Lapua .220 Russian and send to DJ's Brass Service, he can hydro form, neck up to 6mm and turn your necks to required diameter. Darrel is very reasonable and when your brass gets back you are ready to load.
I use LT32 and N133 for powders, CCI BR-4 and 205M for primers and I only run Barts 68 Dominator's in a .268 neck 13.75 twist Bartlein 4 groove. Hope this helps Good Shooting
I should put in here also to mention to the reloading die company what you want to achieve while reloading:
-full length resize the case body and bump the shoulder back a few thousandths of an inch. The cases will need .001" to .002" of shrinkage to bump the shoulder back from the growth of the case from firing it. Add roughly .001" for spring back from the resizing of the neck diameter, but the reloading die company will most likely include this spring back calculation. Sometimes they use K factor, but in everyday words we say spring back.
-size the neck via means of an inside mandrel or an outside neck bushing. There is a lot of back and fourth on this, but it really comes down to trial and error. You may need to have both types of dies to figure out what your rifle likes more, meaning which way produces the tightest groups.
-Inline Bullet seating die with a micrometer head. The micrometer head is really nice for when loading to the cartridges over all length to the ogive of the bullet.
I use LE Wison dies for my 6ppc. My grandfather taught my father using LE Wilson dies. My father taught me using LE Wilson dies. I am teaching my daughters with LE Wilson dies. Are they the best? I really do not know. But I can say I know where I am at with them throughout all my reloading sequences.
I use a RCBS Rockchucker and Dake model Y arbor press for reloading depending how I am reloading. The Dake is pretty overkill, but it was what I have so I use it.
-full length resize the case body and bump the shoulder back a few thousandths of an inch. The cases will need .001" to .002" of shrinkage to bump the shoulder back from the growth of the case from firing it. Add roughly .001" for spring back from the resizing of the neck diameter, but the reloading die company will most likely include this spring back calculation. Sometimes they use K factor, but in everyday words we say spring back.
-size the neck via means of an inside mandrel or an outside neck bushing. There is a lot of back and fourth on this, but it really comes down to trial and error. You may need to have both types of dies to figure out what your rifle likes more, meaning which way produces the tightest groups.
-Inline Bullet seating die with a micrometer head. The micrometer head is really nice for when loading to the cartridges over all length to the ogive of the bullet.
I use LE Wison dies for my 6ppc. My grandfather taught my father using LE Wilson dies. My father taught me using LE Wilson dies. I am teaching my daughters with LE Wilson dies. Are they the best? I really do not know. But I can say I know where I am at with them throughout all my reloading sequences.
I use a RCBS Rockchucker and Dake model Y arbor press for reloading depending how I am reloading. The Dake is pretty overkill, but it was what I have so I use it.
As for Inside Reaming; if some one tells you to consider it, read this article to understand why you ream the inside of case necks.
http://www.mssblog.com/2017/06/23/reloaders-corner-inside-reaming-vs-outside-turning/
http://www.mssblog.com/2017/06/23/reloaders-corner-inside-reaming-vs-outside-turning/
This just explains turning outside case necks
http://www.mssblog.com/2017/02/03/reloaders-corner-outside-case-neck-turning/
http://www.mssblog.com/2017/02/03/reloaders-corner-outside-case-neck-turning/
rkittine
Gold $$ Contributor
Although I had a set of Custom Whidden dies made for my 6PPC, Harley Baker, who has offered to do some hands on mentoring with me, suggested I get the Redding Narrow Base dies which I did and I also have the Wilson Bushing Neck Sizing Die as well as a Bullet seating die from Wilson, but on the recommendation of Bob White, owner of the Shooter's Corner, I went with the regular topped Wilson seating die and a set of shims for seating adjustment. I use three presses, a Foster Coaxial, a Harrolls Large C and a K&M Arbor for the Wilson Dies.
I started out with Lapua Brass Prepped by DJ's Brass, but purchased from Bob White at the Shooters Corner.
Bob
I started out with Lapua Brass Prepped by DJ's Brass, but purchased from Bob White at the Shooters Corner.
Bob
Ccrider
Gold $$ Contributor
Much of this depends on how much you enjoy the journey.
I want to learn how to load match rounds from start to finish. For me, brass prep is part of the process. There is an art to it for sure. For the 6ppc, buying fire formed brass saves time and work. If you are not interested in learning to fire form and turn necks, pay to have it done. Paying is cheaper and faster than learning, at least short term.
Of course, you still will have to form the fireformed brass to your chamber and then set your dues up to bump the shoulders appropriately.
You will get to the point to where you will need to adjust your neck tension or toss the brass you are using, or anneal or some combination of the foregoing. Changing bushings is cheap. When that stops working, it’s cheaper to toss the brass and start with new brass. But you may want to learn to anneal. A whole “nother” bottomless pit it seems.
Enjoy .
I want to learn how to load match rounds from start to finish. For me, brass prep is part of the process. There is an art to it for sure. For the 6ppc, buying fire formed brass saves time and work. If you are not interested in learning to fire form and turn necks, pay to have it done. Paying is cheaper and faster than learning, at least short term.
Of course, you still will have to form the fireformed brass to your chamber and then set your dues up to bump the shoulders appropriately.
You will get to the point to where you will need to adjust your neck tension or toss the brass you are using, or anneal or some combination of the foregoing. Changing bushings is cheap. When that stops working, it’s cheaper to toss the brass and start with new brass. But you may want to learn to anneal. A whole “nother” bottomless pit it seems.
Enjoy .
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