Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Dont be laying there halfway thru a string of 9’s wondering if its you or the ammo
Reloading for f-class and other competition
- Thread starter Oregondoug
- Start date
The only thing I do for F-Class that’s a little different to the norm, is that I use modified FL dies with the neck portion honed and I run expanders. I also run 2 different belted mags, a 264WM & 300WM. Also a 6.5x47 Lapua.
I hate donuts, and EVERY bushing die I’ve used have induced donuts eventually.
I also use a measure that is calibrated in cm3 (cc’s) and trust it. I take the average of how many shots it takes in a match, normally 40 rounds, if it is less than .05% variation I’m happy.
A lubed (powdered graphite) expander is not evil if it, and the die, are sized correctly.
(Wish I could get Whidden dies here for this reason, I wouldn’t have to modify my Redding dies.)
Load development for me is to find the widest node that a 1/2 grain variation doesn’t effect vertical. Often I find a double base powder to be the best performer, as long as the vertical is stable, it’s all relative.
Cheers.
I hate donuts, and EVERY bushing die I’ve used have induced donuts eventually.
I also use a measure that is calibrated in cm3 (cc’s) and trust it. I take the average of how many shots it takes in a match, normally 40 rounds, if it is less than .05% variation I’m happy.
A lubed (powdered graphite) expander is not evil if it, and the die, are sized correctly.
(Wish I could get Whidden dies here for this reason, I wouldn’t have to modify my Redding dies.)
Load development for me is to find the widest node that a 1/2 grain variation doesn’t effect vertical. Often I find a double base powder to be the best performer, as long as the vertical is stable, it’s all relative.
Cheers.
dstoenner
Silver $$ Contributor
I have been working at F-Class now for a couple of years. I shot a bunch of practice matches just to see what it was like at 1000 yards. I was hooked. I just got my first classification at the end of last year and I am now a sharpshooter. I am also a Master in High Power but I am now a grand senior and I am having a lot of difficulty shooting sling anymore due to medications. F-Class is sort of the last mile marker before the exit, although I think I can do this for at least another 3 to 5 years before I have to quit it also.
For the record, I am an engineer. So to me shooting at a 1000 yards has to be consistency on steroids. I keep 2 sets of Lapua Brass. For the record I shot 260 Remington now. Next year when this barrel is pretty much gone, I am going to 6X47 Lapua. Each set of Lapua brass was weighed and all of the cases within 1 to 1.2 gns of each other were kept in the lot. The outliers are used by me to make a dummy round for each bullet I will load for. These Lapua cases are my match cases. 1 set is used for mid range and the other is used for long range.
When the cases were new, I did 3 things that only need to be done once. 1) I turned the necks (there is that dirty word) 2) I deburred the inside flash hole and 3) Unified the primer pockets. It doesn't take that long on a group of 100. That way every case is as close to each other as possible. Using a FL bushing sizer then gives me the straightest and most uniform necks as I can get.
I load the entire set at one time and then sort by concentricity taking the best rounds for record and sighters. That is generally 66 + spares in case I have a FTF on the line and 2 foulers. Those go in a 100 round box. The remainder of the left over rounds become my few practice rounds and rounds to check velocity before I am ready to go to the match.
Once I have shot this group I get all the fired cases and start the prep for the next loading.
1) I first clean them in corn cob and walnut media that has brass polish added and a used dryer sheet cut into 4 sections to help keep the grime under control,
2) then size then. I use Redding competition shell holders to adjust for keeping the neck set back as small as possible without having to screw the sizing die in or out. Each case needs the have the same compression applied and so I set my sizer depth so that the bottom of the sizer just kisses the shell holder on the up stroke. I use an RCBS lube pad for the case body and Redding graphite powder on the necks.
3) Now they go back in a different batch of corncob and walnut (not tainted by any fired grime)
4) Now I trim to length.
5) Clean the primer pockets
6) Deburr the inside and outside necks.
7) Prime with a handheld RCBS primer.
8) Use a RCBS Uniflow to throw a close bu low charge and then trickle to weight.
9) use a Redding Competition seater to seat the bullet in 3 strokes. Seat about half way, then lower the ram rotate 90 degress fully seat the bullet. Lower the ram and rotate another 90 degrees and bounce the ram handle 2 times and then take out and put back in the tray.
I strive to have as many .001 runouts as possible in a batch. My last reloads I did on Lapua Set #1 with this being the 6th reload of these shells had 61 1's and 10 1.5's. The rest were 2's and 3's with 1 4. Those are going to the next 1000 yard match.
I practice a lot using a mixture of full power loads and reduced power loads. All my practice is done with Hornady brass now. R-P brass started crcking badly after 4 reloads. It became scrap :-( For really keeping an eye on technique (for me at least) is to use the reduced power loads for working on form. and doing any experimenting with equipment set up. That way I am not getting pushed around as much or get tired form all of the recoil. These loads are 100 AMAX with 23.5 gn SR4759. 4759 is not made any more. It was a pistol powder but fell out of favor and sales were down so they stopped making it. I managed to snag an 8 pound'er so I am set for life. This load is only 1 MOA lower than my full power 130 or 140 Berger Hybrid load at 100 yards and it will hold my 100 yard reduced F-Class targets i practice on to evaluate what I am doing. These reduced rounds also don't eat up the barrel like the full power loads.
If money were no object I would like to anneal my cases at least every 2nd firing. But even at the cost of 100 a set of Lapua, I can replace them and start over like I did the R-P brass. For me it just isn't cost effective for where I am now.
There is my in's and out's of how I tackle F-Class and reload for it. With all of this said, I did the same things for High Power, just using sorted LC brass and no more than 3 firings before they were just for practice. So call me anal but as one person said at the top of this page, if you are lying there with a bunch of 9's and I know it is me and my wind reading skills and not my gun or ammo.
David
For the record, I am an engineer. So to me shooting at a 1000 yards has to be consistency on steroids. I keep 2 sets of Lapua Brass. For the record I shot 260 Remington now. Next year when this barrel is pretty much gone, I am going to 6X47 Lapua. Each set of Lapua brass was weighed and all of the cases within 1 to 1.2 gns of each other were kept in the lot. The outliers are used by me to make a dummy round for each bullet I will load for. These Lapua cases are my match cases. 1 set is used for mid range and the other is used for long range.
When the cases were new, I did 3 things that only need to be done once. 1) I turned the necks (there is that dirty word) 2) I deburred the inside flash hole and 3) Unified the primer pockets. It doesn't take that long on a group of 100. That way every case is as close to each other as possible. Using a FL bushing sizer then gives me the straightest and most uniform necks as I can get.
I load the entire set at one time and then sort by concentricity taking the best rounds for record and sighters. That is generally 66 + spares in case I have a FTF on the line and 2 foulers. Those go in a 100 round box. The remainder of the left over rounds become my few practice rounds and rounds to check velocity before I am ready to go to the match.
Once I have shot this group I get all the fired cases and start the prep for the next loading.
1) I first clean them in corn cob and walnut media that has brass polish added and a used dryer sheet cut into 4 sections to help keep the grime under control,
2) then size then. I use Redding competition shell holders to adjust for keeping the neck set back as small as possible without having to screw the sizing die in or out. Each case needs the have the same compression applied and so I set my sizer depth so that the bottom of the sizer just kisses the shell holder on the up stroke. I use an RCBS lube pad for the case body and Redding graphite powder on the necks.
3) Now they go back in a different batch of corncob and walnut (not tainted by any fired grime)
4) Now I trim to length.
5) Clean the primer pockets
6) Deburr the inside and outside necks.
7) Prime with a handheld RCBS primer.
8) Use a RCBS Uniflow to throw a close bu low charge and then trickle to weight.
9) use a Redding Competition seater to seat the bullet in 3 strokes. Seat about half way, then lower the ram rotate 90 degress fully seat the bullet. Lower the ram and rotate another 90 degrees and bounce the ram handle 2 times and then take out and put back in the tray.
I strive to have as many .001 runouts as possible in a batch. My last reloads I did on Lapua Set #1 with this being the 6th reload of these shells had 61 1's and 10 1.5's. The rest were 2's and 3's with 1 4. Those are going to the next 1000 yard match.
I practice a lot using a mixture of full power loads and reduced power loads. All my practice is done with Hornady brass now. R-P brass started crcking badly after 4 reloads. It became scrap :-( For really keeping an eye on technique (for me at least) is to use the reduced power loads for working on form. and doing any experimenting with equipment set up. That way I am not getting pushed around as much or get tired form all of the recoil. These loads are 100 AMAX with 23.5 gn SR4759. 4759 is not made any more. It was a pistol powder but fell out of favor and sales were down so they stopped making it. I managed to snag an 8 pound'er so I am set for life. This load is only 1 MOA lower than my full power 130 or 140 Berger Hybrid load at 100 yards and it will hold my 100 yard reduced F-Class targets i practice on to evaluate what I am doing. These reduced rounds also don't eat up the barrel like the full power loads.
If money were no object I would like to anneal my cases at least every 2nd firing. But even at the cost of 100 a set of Lapua, I can replace them and start over like I did the R-P brass. For me it just isn't cost effective for where I am now.
There is my in's and out's of how I tackle F-Class and reload for it. With all of this said, I did the same things for High Power, just using sorted LC brass and no more than 3 firings before they were just for practice. So call me anal but as one person said at the top of this page, if you are lying there with a bunch of 9's and I know it is me and my wind reading skills and not my gun or ammo.
David
Great feedback Wade. I have been turning necks for years, but after trying a couple of no-turn 284s, I think it's been a waste of time. For example, my son recently shot a 200-17X at 500 yards in tricky conditions....so much for turning brass. Your target shows a very important point. It's far more important to center your group than to worry about all those time-consuming ammo prep steps that "might" help.
One thing I DO think is important, is consistent neck tension. You don't have to go crazy trying to control it and I certainly wouldn't try to measure it with a force gauge. But, attention to detail in this area does pay off in the form of low SDs.
MagnumManiac,The only thing I do for F-Class that’s a little different to the norm, is that I use modified FL dies with the neck portion honed and I run expanders. I also run 2 different belted mags, a 264WM & 300WM. Also a 6.5x47 Lapua.
I hate donuts, and EVERY bushing die I’ve used have induced donuts eventually.
I also use a measure that is calibrated in cm3 (cc’s) and trust it. I take the average of how many shots it takes in a match, normally 40 rounds, if it is less than .05% variation I’m happy.
A lubed (powdered graphite) expander is not evil if it, and the die, are sized correctly.
(Wish I could get Whidden dies here for this reason, I wouldn’t have to modify my Redding dies.)
Load development for me is to find the widest node that a 1/2 grain variation doesn’t effect vertical. Often I find a double base powder to be the best performer, as long as the vertical is stable, it’s all relative.
Cheers.
You can’t get Whidden Dies sent to Victoria? Have had them delivered to WA a few times.
Cheers Rushty
Everytime I have enquired was told they don’t export.
Maybe I should try again.
Cheers.
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