i have reloaded probably 80 rounds or so in my reloading career.

there's so much info out there it'll make your head spin, but i'm trying to slowly read everything i can and figure out a good path for me to go.

picked up a rockchucker supreme kit with a few extras, and have been testing a few loads doing OCW testing lately.

my .22-250 i'm not having great luck with just yet. think i found a good load of varget, need to play with seating depth to try and shrink my groups.

the last couple outings with the 7mmRM has been very satisfying. testing out 160gr accubonds on top of either IMR4350 or H1000.

i'm getting slightly more velocity out of the 4350 (100ish fps) but i have read H1000 should be more temp stable.

the imr4350 i was able to achieve a 0.327" CtoC 3 shot group.

with the H1000 i shot a 0.183" 3 shot center to center group.

i'll load up more of the H1000, and see how repeatable this is. if i can keep it anywhere close, i think i'll be very happy. rem700 that i bedded into a B&C alaskan stock with ernie the gunsmith spacers and threw a Timney trigger on, and removed the J-lock shroud/firing pin kit with a PTG kit. bedded a leupold base and put on my recently acquired vortex. i'm digging it so far.

i think i want a better powder scale, and i need a hornady comparator gauge.

I'd like to start collecting higher quality brass for the rifles. i can't find lapua brass for the 7mag, i did find a box of norma in stock at my local cabelas.

any other recommended brass brands? so far i've been shooting federal brass from factory ammo.
thank you



with IMR4350

quote:

hornady comparator gauge

I've loaded for 47years never owned one.

Nice groups. I sure wouldn't get hung up on which powder is temp sensitive. Temp Sensitive powders came out to safe the hand loading world.
Maybe I'm way to much OLD school but I don't let it worry me. I use plenty of RL powders that are supposed to be sensitive and have no issue.

idk if i "need" one...

i'm trying to find the best way to determine exactly in my rifles how long my cartridges can be to touch the lands, then i can accurately play around with seating depth... the 7mm loads above are all .020" off the lands, as best as i can tell...
i have the hornady OAL gauge, but i'm not sure if the cases they sell will hit the shoulder in my rifles chamber in the exact same way as my handloads will...but in reality, i'm sure its close enough, and as long as i'm getting good groups, it shouldn't really matter as long as whatever i'm doing is repeatable.

i'd also like a way to accurately tell when i've bumped the shoulder back on my cases a certain amount, say .020"... so many damn options out there and so many opinions, it's difficult to know what direction to go...

Well, I know I am in the minority on this but I have never been able to get any load with varget in it to shoot better than shotgun patterns. Why? I do not know. Having said that, my go to powder for 22/250rem in H4895 and I have never seen one yet that won't shoot well with it. I try to seat bullets .010" from the lands, now I only shoot cup and core bullets so bear that in mind. Sometimes barrel chambers are cut so that it is impossible to seat that shallow and keep the bullet secured in the case neck and then I must find a load that works with some bullet jump.

I have never considered IMR4350 powder to be temp sensitive and I have burned a lot of it. I have worked up loads with it down near freezing and shot them in 90 degree temp with very little increase in pressure, but I don't leave cartridges setting in the sun to heat them up either.

Everyone has a different way. Many use a neck die until the case won't chamber then bump the shoulder back. I use a FL die for both. I back the die off the shell holder so it doesn't touch the shoulder. When the case gets tight I run the die down until I get shoulder contact then turn it in a touch more. Simply bases on the die thread and how much set back I want. Then bump all the shoulders back. If some don't move back yet I don't worry about it. I leave the die locked down. Then the die is set for my chamber. Multiple rifles same caliber is a touch harder. I used to do an index mark on the die for various rifles. Now days I simply set for the shortest chamber. I couldn't see enough difference in groups to worry about it.

If I only had one powder for my 22-250 it would be IMR4895. I'm sure H4895 is just as good I've just not used it in mine. Second Choice RL15.

Like Lucky I've never really ended up with Varget as my powder of choice for my rifles.

thanks guys.

i have 5 or 6 powders down in the basement to play with. idk if i have any 4895 but i'll look. i just bought a few different ones based on recipes i read online, but that's just my starting point for testing.

my .22-250 has a slow twist so i have to stick to the lightweight bullets unfortunately (1:12).
i still gotta play with and find good recipes for several more rifles, but its a fun learning process.

quote:

(1:12).

Should handle a 62-65gr. When I lived in TX a 22-250 with a 60gr Part took a good number of hill country deer. Could guys on the lease went to the 224TTH and heavier bullets. I didn't see that it gained them much.

Good job.

After 20 years of reloading, I got the Hornady bullet seating & head space gauge and found that it made my loads a lot more consistent batch to batch. It also picked up changes in bullet profile from lot to lot.

if you have some h380 give 38 grains a try - that load in a 22/250 is what the powder was named for

i do have some h380. i'll give that a try, thank you

quote:

if you have some h380 give 38 grains a try - that load in a 22/250 is what the powder was named for

Had a factory 22-250 that loved that load with Nosler 55BT

With the groups you're shooting now you don't need any expensive cases. You are already there roger

Ok, I admit I didn't read your post. I rarely do. I just looked at your group pictures.
My recommendation is; you don't need anything from AR. You already have that reloading thing down pat. Keep doing whatever you are doing.

went back to the range yesterday...

.22-250
switched from Varget to H380 for the .22-250 and shot 7 test loads. found a couple that look promising, so i'll go back with 2 or 3 more powder charges, each with a couple different seating depths and flesh this one out some more. still using up all my new brass for that one though, so i may see improvements after i start reusing the brass i have. couple loads had 2 holes touching, but the 3rd would be .75-1" off. that's frustrating, and of course could be user error.


7mag:
still easily held under 1/2MOA, and probably better than that, i haven't gotten out the calipers. got the scope dialed in to 2.5" high at 100y. should be about dead on at 250y. my chrono was showing a consistent velocity of about 100fps slower than last time, with the same loads, so that's odd. but could very easily be my chrono. i forgot my tripod, so i had it on a table in front of me, and the bullets are going through it lower than last time, maybe that's it??

i had some previoiusly fired federal brass and some brand new norma brass. all had 66.0gr of H1000 seated .020" off the lands. the federal shot consistently about 3/4" higher at 100y compared to the norma. very odd to me. neck tension difference? idk how to measure that. could also be that the federal is a bit better sized to my chamber. i use FL dies but they are not screwed down all they way, i'm trying to just bump the shoulders a bit. so maybe that's it??..

the old 1972 rem700 ADL .30-06:
i bought some factory rem 150gr core-lokts. that's what that gun use to love and shot great groups with. i shot 2 5-shot groups. one on sandbags one with a bipod to notice any change in POI. i would fire one, wait a minute or so and fire another, then put the gun down for 5+ minutes before repeating. i bet the groups are 4". it's awful. and it seems to be flattening out my primers pretty bad with this mild factory ammo. i may have to take it to a smith and have him check the chamber or something. the pressure signs are strange to me. idk why all of a sudden its doing that. or hell coulda been doing it for years, but since i havent used it in a decade maybe i just never noticed the primers before. i dont want to get a new stock, so i think i'm going to work on the old factory wood. make my own steel pillars, dig out the barrel channel and the factory stock pressure pad, and see if that will help the group size. the chamber is clean. i guess i need to find a smith in the Denver area and have them check out the pressure signs. this is getting into totally unknown territory to me.

Don't get too done up with this COL thing. You can get into a scatter-shot mode that only confuses the issues.
My high-tech, rock and a rusty nail method of finding the COL is to seat a bullet long and blacken it with a magic marker. When I chamber the round, and remove it, it'll have marks in the magic marker from the rifling. I then shorten the COL and repeat until the marks don't appear. Then I shoot every load at that length. When I get what I consider the very best combination possible, then I may play around with the COL.
FYI, I've shot about a zillion Pdogs and Ghogs using a 22-250 with a 1/14 twist and 50-55 grain bullets.

Perhaps I'm simple minded but I prefer K.I.S.S. when facing a new process. I taught a few apprentices and found that if kept simple, the learning is more complete, and lasts.

So, I would suggest to a new reloader to keep it simple; decide on one powder, and one bullet, and use the bullet manufacturer's OAL and load data. You can vary powder charges looking for accuracy but the last thing on many reloader's lists is bullet to lands measurements . I would suggest a new reloader take time to refine their basic reloading methods, and keep the "finer points" (and advanced theories) until later after a bit of experience is gained...

exactly! I tell any new reloader to go to a gun store and ask to see a Lee Loader. Lay those few simple tools on the counter and understand that is all you really need to load good, safe, accurate ammmo.

quote:

Originally posted by mikld:
Perhaps I'm simple minded but I prefer K.I.S.S. when facing a new process. I taught a few apprentices and found that if kept simple, the learning is more complete, and lasts.

So, I would suggest to a new reloader to keep it simple; decide on one powder, and one bullet, and use the bullet manufacturer's OAL and load data. You can vary powder charges looking for accuracy but the last thing on many reloader's lists is bullet to lands measurements . I would suggest a new reloader take time to refine their basic reloading methods, and keep the "finer points" (and advanced theories) until later after a bit of experience is gained...

I'm trying to keep it "somewhat" simple. My background is mechanical engineering, so i tend to get deep into stuff like this quickly. I am attempting to do pretty much what you said. for ex., my 7mag. i picked H1000 and nosler accubond 160s. i started .020" off the lands just as a guess and the rifle loves it. so i'm calling that one done. i may play with a bit more powder charge to see if i can find another load just as accurate but 200fps or so faster, but if i can't, i have a great, accurate load for that rifle.

same with the .22-250, 243, and '06. i have picked the bullets and powder. so i'm trying the OCW tests to find the best powder charge for each round/rifle. once that is done i can slowly play with seating depth to see if i can fine tune the accuracy. but that is really about to the extent i want to get into for now.

i have gotten 1/2moa or better with the 7mag on a few different outings now, so i know its possible. my goal for the other rifles will be under moa, and preferably 1/2moa. i am very technical and detail oriented, so this kinda stuff is right up my alley. there is a ton to learn however, and i'm sure i can spend half a lifetime trying to just digest all the stuff currently out, much less new stuff coming out.

The flat primers from the factory loads are NOT pressure signs. Did you chronograph the loads. If the velocity was within spec (usually factory ammo is way below max) then you just cannot have pressure signs - that is just physics.

The flat primers are due to the variance in tolerances - factory ammo is usually a bit smaller and your chamber may be at the other end of the spectrum.

So the case moves more in recoil. The primer comes out first and then the case slam back and the primer flattens. This is very common with most factory ammo and many rifles with chambers that are at the larger end of the specification range.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
The flat primers from the factory loads are NOT pressure signs. Did you chronograph the loads. If the velocity was within spec (usually factory ammo is way below max) then you just cannot have pressure signs - that is just physics.

The flat primers are due to the variance in tolerances - factory ammo is usually a bit smaller and your chamber may be at the other end of the spectrum.

So the case moves more in recoil. The primer comes out first and then the case slam back and the primer flattens. This is very common with most factory ammo and many rifles with chambers that are at the larger end of the specification range.

Thank you.
i did chrono the loads but i'm not 100% sure of my chrono results.

shooting the exact loads with my 7mag from 2 weeks ago to sunday were 100-150fps difference through the chrono.

i wrote down the '06 velocities and they seemed to be about right, maybe a touch faster than expected. i need to look up the factory velocities to double check.

may have figured out the flattened primers in the old '06

http://forums.accuratereloadin...9411043/m/4781095332

I'm a lifelong machinist/mechanic and had a bit of difficulty keeping it simple. Instead of trying to apply all the "advanced theories" I came across, I just read about them and how they might apply to me and my reloads perhaps making a few notes, but when I sat down in front of my press, I went to "Reloading 101" with data from my manuals; K.I.S.S.

quote:

K.I.S.S.

Coop:

Run these things by me on e'm.

I've found OVL don't matter much. Just seat 'em where you like the looks or in the middle of the canelure and you'll be fine. Those groups will be a real challenge to best! Wish I could hold 'em that still!

I've found sorting out which bullet the guns like is the best way to get 'em shooting better.

IF you've just gotta know where the lands are, seat a long bullet way out and paint with a marker as was said above. It should push it back in the case if too far out, and will mark it. Don't be too surprised if the bullet gets stuck in the bore, just Rod it back out from the muzzle.

Far as powders: 4350 is good, I've always liked 4895 as it's a Very Good AVERAGE powder in everything from 223 or smaller to the big stuff. I've loaded Dad's .375 with 300's and did well, but, no chronograph those days so don't know what they did. I believe a slower powder like 4831, 1000, and such would most likely be a faster load.

Way I do test loads is: load 5 of each of several charge wts, all the same otherwise. Shoot slow enough to keep the heat down and record every shot to compare with. When you crowd the max loads, watch cases real close, primers too. any problems show up, stop! Pull 'em down and load lighter. I never crowd max except when trying to find it in a new gun, then I back off at least a grain on the bigger shells. With the tiny stuff like this .17x28mm (5.7 necked to .17). I blew the gun open and damaged it, primer pocket was split and 1/4" dia!!!! That was: ten shots with 10.0 gr H110, fine, 2 with 10.1, fine, 10.2 blew it up, all the same case. I got lucky, gun was fixed cheap, half dozen specs of blood on my R hand where the plastic trigger guard blew to pieces. Nothing hit me in the face. You don't want to do that!
Now I load the same with 9.5gr AA1680 and get 3270fps with a 20gr V'max.

IF your '06 is scattering them, measure the twist and match it to the recommended bullet wts. Barrel makers list those online, I never found that info in any books so far. I might not have the right books. I usually get a couple new one's about every 5-10yrs, whole shelf full.

Once you figure it out, buy powder by the 8# jug, they take up less shelf space and cost less per pound. PowderValleyInc, brass: don't worry about the brand. Let me know if you need some 7mmags, or '06. I have a bucket of each, mixed of course.

You've got things figured out already so don't get into tinkering with petty stuff you don't need to do. For sure not until you've gotten into it awhile.

Good luck,
George