Information for a new reloader

[idiot101]

Also a new reloader (still getting things together before I start) and would love to chuck a couple of questions into the mix.

• How important is case trimming for a double rifle (9.3x74r)?
• Is a Lee autodisk powder dispenser 'good enough' or do I need to measure the charges on a scale as well?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Hello everyone,
I just recently became interested in hunting internationally, and with that has came several purchases of new toys that I'm having trouble finding ammunition for. I'm very interested in learning more about reloading but the lexicon has me pretty confused. Do you all have any recommended reading for someone who's interested in reloading with no prior knowledge? I'm a firm believer in the KISS method so any information no matter how simple would be greatly appreciated.

Happy hunting!

I see someone already listed a RCBS link that details the steps for reloading. It really isn't rocket science as I'm sure you've figured out by now. That link does a good job of explaining it.

But, at the risk of being labeled "that guy on the internet giving questionable advice", I do take issue with one of the steps that RCBS details. This step is where you set your resizing die. RCBS says to screw the die down until you hit the shell plate with the ram in the full upward position. Then lower the ram and screw the die down 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn.

That may work fine for some rifles, but definitely not others. For some rifles that is excessively resizing, bumping the shoulder of the case back to far. This results in excessive case stretch upon further firing. Case head separation can and does occur. It happened to me.

My gunsmith said that I was likely oversizing. I did a little more research and basically ended up in most cases just turning the die in further by just a smidge. Just enough to kiss that shoulder back in about 0.002". This ensures the case will fit, but limits the stretch that occurs on next firing.

This leads to longer case life and hopefully not a full case head separation once you get to end of case life.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Also a new reloader (still getting things together before I start) and would love to chuck a couple of questions into the mix.

• How important is case trimming for a double rifle (9.3x74r)?
• Is a Lee autodisk powder dispenser 'good enough' or do I need to measure the charges on a scale as well?

I would argue that anytime a case is longer than SAAMI spec, you should trim regardless of caliber.

I'm not familiar with the powder dispenser you mentioned, but for me, I want every charge weighed and to see what it's at. At least when it comes to rifles. I load for accuracy which means consistency.

 

[steve white]

Also a new reloader (still getting things together before I start) and would love to chuck a couple of questions into the mix.

• How important is case trimming for a double rifle (9.3x74r)?
• Is a Lee autodisk powder dispenser 'good enough' or do I need to measure the charges on a scale as well?

If you use a balance scale, keep all plastic bags away from it--they mess with something and you do not get a consistent charge. Something about static electricity ? Just move them out of reach while using it. Powder dispensers are probably fine. Jim Carmicheal wrote that some of his best groups were with thrown charges. Other things matter more. Small mistakes add up together.

 

[MS 9x56]

Also a new reloader (still getting things together before I start) and would love to chuck a couple of questions into the mix.

• How important is case trimming for a double rifle (9.3x74r)?
• Is a Lee autodisk powder dispenser 'good enough' or do I need to measure the charges on a scale as well?

Case trimming is important for all rifles. If the case stretches over max length listed the neck cannot release tension on the bullet causing an over pressure situation which can blow up the barrel or action causing serious or deadly injuries. I and most reloader’s I know weigh all our charges for rifles can’t speak on pistols.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Also a new reloader (still getting things together before I start) and would love to chuck a couple of questions into the mix.

• How important is case trimming for a double rifle (9.3x74r)?
• Is a Lee autodisk powder dispenser 'good enough' or do I need to measure the charges on a scale as well?

Case trimming is vitally important for safety. Yes, you have some leeway with bullet seating depth, but you do not with case length. Chamber a case that is too long and it can lead to excessive pressure or failure to extract. I avoided reloading for decades because I ignorantly feared the case trimming process. Trimming is just another measurement and action; still the least enjoyable part of reloading, but I've come to enjoy it more now that I have a good trimmer. Case length is important for all rifle cartridges.

No dispenser is 'good enough' on its own without some way to verify the charge it's throwing. EVERY responsible reloader needs an accurate scale to verify the charges that are thrown. Most reloaders who rely on a dispenser to throw an accurate charge still weigh every 3rd or 5th or 10th throw just to make sure nothing has changed. Speaking for myself, I weigh EVERY charge on TWO scales; a balance beam and an electronic.

I see someone already listed a RCBS link that details the steps for reloading. It really isn't rocket science as I'm sure you've figured out by now. That link does a good job of explaining it.

But, at the risk of being labeled "that guy on the internet giving questionable advice", I do take issue with one of the steps that RCBS details. This step is where you set your resizing die. RCBS says to screw the die down until you hit the shell plate with the ram in the full upward position. Then lower the ram and screw the die down 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn.

That may work fine for some rifles, but definitely not others. For some rifles that is excessively resizing, bumping the shoulder of the case back to far. This results in excessive case stretch upon further firing. Case head separation can and does occur. It happened to me.

My gunsmith said that I was likely oversizing. I did a little more research and basically ended up in most cases just turning the die in further by just a smidge. Just enough to kiss that shoulder back in about 0.002". This ensures the case will fit, but limits the stretch that occurs on next firing.

This leads to longer case life and hopefully not a full case head separation once you get to end of case life.

This is good advice, but maybe not for the beginning reloader. It's best to follow the die manufacturer's instructions at the beginning and then experiment with shoulder setback as experience grows. The die manufacturers write their instructions so that sized cases are at SAAMI spec, which guarantees feeding and extraction without excessive pressure. Matching shoulder bump to the chamber is a detail that can be worked on as the new reloader gains experience. NOT chasing the lands, NOT neck sizing only, and NOT just bumping the shoulder is good advice for the beginner. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when getting started.

I would argue that anytime a case is longer than SAAMI spec, you should trim regardless of caliber.

I'm not familiar with the powder dispenser you mentioned, but for me, I want every charge weighed and to see what it's at. At least when it comes to rifles. I load for accuracy which means consistency.

What is typical of MOST reloading manuals is to trim to 10/1,000 (ten thousandths) below SAAMI maximum. Some manuals have this at 5/1,000. Again, no matter what powder dispenser you choose, you can't trust it without some accurate way of measuring the charge. This is a pet peeve of mine (probably no one else's): DO NOT believe/trust the oldtimers or newtimers who say that powder is dispensed by volume and leave it at that. That statement is ignorance of what a grain is - it's a measure of MASS, which is a weight. It is true that a volume can be calibrated to deliver a certain mass depending on the density of the powder, but there are so many powders that there is no fixed density that allows volume to be the sole arbiter of powder charge. Even published and revered experts make this mistake. (Okay, I'm ranting; get a trustworthy scale to verify your powder charges)

If you use a balance scale, keep all plastic bags away from it--they mess with something and you do not get a consistent charge. Something about static electricity ? Just move them out of reach while using it. Powder dispensers are probably fine. Jim Carmicheal wrote that some of his best groups were with thrown charges. Other things matter more. Small mistakes add up together.

Nothing wrong with thrown charges as long as they are first verified by weight and then checked periodically.

 

[skydiver386]

The best reloading advice you will ever get is to read the first part of the reloading manuals before you ever attempt to load ammo.

There are chapters on setting up your dies in the press, pressure signs, burn rates, headspace, and dozens of other things you need to know before starting.

Read those things FIRST, not after you start to have trouble.

 

[steve white]

Case trimming is important for all rifles. If the case stretches over max length listed the neck cannot release tension on the bullet causing an over pressure situation which can blow up the barrel or action causing serious or deadly injuries. I and most reloader’s I know weigh all our charges for rifles can’t speak on pistols.

Best advice for pistols I know is to place cases in a reloading block as you charge them with powder so you can visually SEE from the top how much powder is in each one. It doesn't take much powder, but you should be able to tell by sight if you have accidentally double charged one of them. You don't want to do that....
If there ever was a place for a progressive loader, IMO pistol loading would be it, plus, you are probably focusing on volume in pistol loading.

 

[Russ16]

Best advice for pistols I know is to place cases in a reloading block as you charge them with powder so you can visually SEE from the top how much powder is in each one. It doesn't take much powder, but you should be able to tell by sight if you have accidentally double charged one of them. You don't want to do that....
If there ever was a place for a progressive loader, IMO pistol loading would be it, plus, you are probably focusing on volume in pistol loading.

I seat immediately after charging. It isn’t the fastest way but ensures against a double charge.

 

[Bynotic]

Gunblue490 is a bit long winded at times, but he covers everything in detail.
Time flies! I saved this 9 years ago for a friend to review.

Gunblue490 is the best. He has probably forgotten more than i will ever know.

 

[Cooposo]

My best advice to a new reloader, in addition to everything stated above, is the following:

Regardless of what dies you end up buying, make sure to still pick up and use a Lee factory crimp die. Use it as a final step. Consistent pressure curves and consistent neck tension= better accuracy. Regardless of where you are in your powder and bullet and bullet seating depth experiments.

The basic process, in short:

1. Case cleaning
2. Case resizing (and then trimming if needed)
3. Priming
4. Powder charge
5. Bullet seating
6. Lee factory crimping
7. Check final overall length and ability to chamber in your rifle before loading 100 rounds that don’t fit…

Just a few Aspects of those steps that affect accuracy/ brass life/ die performance:

1. Case cleaning: decreases grime and particles that make it into your resizing die. That makes resizing cleaner and more consistent. Also this makes your reloads look nicer!
2. Case resizing: in terms of accuracy this can be a deep rabbit hole that might be a bit too much for a new reloader. In short, your cases are already slightly optimized for your rifle just having been fired in it. You need to choose how much more to “work” them. Neck sizing or barely “bumping the shoulder” could yield accuracy gains and increase case life. It could also result in an overall larger case that is now out of spec enough doesn’t chamber in the moment of truth. No amount of accuracy or case life is worth that, so maybe for the beginner a full length resize per the die instructions is the best place to start. Also, A case that is longer than SAAMI maximum length is an easily identifiable hazard and should be trimmed or just thrown out if you’ve gotten acceptable use out of it.
3. Priming: Consistency is relatively easy here and can yield accuracy benefits. Look for match grade primers if available.
4. Powder charge: Easy to experiment with this and accuracy differences can be impressive. Good reloading manuals list their most accurate powders and charges for any given bullet weight. These are good powders to target. To a large extent pressure= velocity. Therefore, a chronograph can help keep you safe from too much pressure. If you are getting more velocity from a given power charge than is listed in the book, and especially if you are over max listed velocities for a given powder, don’t push too much higher unless you really know what you are doing. The “My .308 WIN is pushing 180 grain bullets to 3000 FPS with NO PRESSURE SIGNS” guys are asking for trouble.
5. Bullet seating depth: Consistency here is huge for accuracy. And don’t be fooled by polymer tips on bullets. Your die might be seating the bullet consistently, but you keep playing with the die because inconsistent polymer tip sizes make it look like your overall length keeps changing! It’s probably not. Anyway, variations in seating depth is also an easily modified variable that can influence accuracy. But I’ve found the suggestions in the manual for overall length usually yield good accuracy.
6. Lee factory crimp: as per above. This is WAY easier than using your bullet seating die to apply a roll crimp.
7. Many handloaders cycle every single handload through their rifle before going to the field with it.

My 30-06 Hunting Load is pictured below. I get a little into labels, but it makes the next round of reloading real easy. To end up at that finished product, which shoots consistently 1/2-3/4 MOA, I tried: Different bullets, then when I found a consistently accurate bullet, I tried different powders, different powder charges, different bullet seating depths, and two different types of primer.

 

[mdwest]

Proceed until finished or WRITE DOWN WHERE YOU LEFT OFF

^^^ this ^^^

For me, if I start a process, I work until that process is complete.

I may not load ammo start to finish in a session… but I’ll punch primers and resize until the entire batch is done… if I’ve got more time I’ll clean and dry brass until the entire batch is done… if more time is available I’ll prime cases until the entire batch is done… and only if there is still time, I’ll charge and place bullets… but only if I can get every single round finished..,

 

[Choupique]

cycle every single handload through their rifle before going to the field

I do this both with the sized and primed cases, and then again after loading them.

Another good practice for pistol loading - load one round beginning to end, and weigh it when done. Now you can quickly check every round before boxing it up as a final check against double charges.