Got a new caliber to me 300 Winchester, so I have no dies, have several hundred rounds of 300 Win RWS once fired, and no bullets.

A trip to Cabelas and Sportsmans today spent $300 on 2 cans of H1000, bullet comparator tools, case comparator tools, and 300 Win dies, pretty close to $300.


Think i have some Berger 190s somewhere in the shed, so I didn't buy any bullets. I know i just bought some primers.

Could have bought 10 boxes of Hornady ELD or ELD X or Match for $300.

From my experience loading for a couple of belted magnums I would advise you to get a neck size only die for your 300WM. I have read that you don't need to neck size only for the belted case cartridges but my experience was that the chambers headspace on the belt and not the radius of the shoulder. What I have found is that yes the headspace is correct but the rest of the chamber is up to the guy running the reamer, and a standard FL sizing die over-worked my brass to premature failure. When you start shooting and sizing you will know, and hopefully your rifle's chamber was cut correctly.

BTW, I have never owned a 300 winnie but have shot one and I really liked it, and better than I thought I would. Hope yours makes you grin till your cheeks hurt!

Reamers have the belt and shoulder integral to one reamer so there is no possibility of a worker making only the shoulder longer.
There is, however, a large difference between a minimum piece of brass and a maximum chamber.
As for reloading belted mags, as has been said many times here on AR, it is best to treat them like bottleneck cases and fit them to the chamber, base to shoulder. Ignore the belt. I often think machining them off would be best for everyone. You can definitely use a standard die, all I have ever used for a dozen belted mags over decades.
Just do not set the shoulder back. This cannot be overemphasized. You can still use a FL die; do not screw it all the way down.
As for any "comparators" I own none and consider them snake oil used as profit makers for reloading companies. Your particular chamber, dies, and brass, being fitted together, are all that matters.

Given time you might need one of thes: http://www.larrywillis.com/

Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die

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The Ire of reloading

Um, you would have simply wasted $300.00 if you'd spent the dough on golf equipment. Enjoy!

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bullet comparator tools, case comparator tools

Never had any I just buy the dies needed for the caliber and go to reloading.

I can reload for over 50 calibers.

One can really over think reloading.

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Originally posted by The Dane:
Given time you might need one of thes: http://www.larrywillis.com/

Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die

Agree with your recommendation but Larry sold the company. I spoke with him a few weeks ago about another product and he might have a few BMDs left.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
As for any "comparators" I own none and consider them snake oil used as profit makers for reloading companies. Your particular chamber, dies, and brass, being fitted together, are all that matters.

Yes. I think I have one rusting away in a box somewhere for 30-06. Never bought another and never needed. Size to YOUR chamber and forget SAAMI.

Again, from more than a few days of doing this, I have never owned, nor needed, any of the new fangled collet dies or neck dies for belted mags.
Manage your particular brass, chamber, and dies as a system and you won't have any problems.

I like my belted mag die for .458 WM which is a straight-walled case and can’t be head-spaced on a shoulder and for getting my .375 H&H ready for a dangerous game hunt and only want to shoot full-length fully resized brass. I sight in and practice with loads precisely the same as hunting loads.

Thanks gents, in a word yes!

1. I am sizing based on shoulder!


2. I do treat the brass, dies and everything else as one system. Set the brass up for the rifle, not the other way around.

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Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

bullet comparator tools, case comparator tools

Never had any I just buy the dies needed for the caliber and go to reloading.

I can reload for over 50 calibers.

One can really over think reloading.

PD: you might want to try them; I can't live without them unless I don't care about accuracy or brass life.

If you had tried them and said they were a waste of money you would have more credibility; the fact you have been loading for 50 years and never tried them leaves me scratching my head.

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PD: you might want to try them; I can't live without them unless I don't care about accuracy or brass life.If you had tried them and said they were a waste of money you would have more credibility; the fact you have been loading for 50 years and never tried them leaves me scratching my head.

Nope care, do not have them don't plan on buying them. Brass life on popular calibers is not much of a concern for me last plenty long enough.

As far as accuracy I seem to get along fine without them.

I am not bench rest shooter getting the last degree isn't important to me.

I made plenty of reloads that give me under 3/4 inch in my varmint rifles and plenty that give be under a inch in my big game rifles.

Then I have some that give me much better in some rifles.

The rest fulfill the needs that are assigned to them.

What I been doing for 50 plus years and many 10's of thousands of reloads has worked well for me.

I see no reason to make things more complicated.

In my lifetime I've spent lots of money on women, booze, and guns. All the rest was just wasted.

I am 100% with P Dog. Which sounds like he is a rap singer who knows how to reload.
And with MM too.

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Originally posted by dpcd:
I am 100% with P Dog. Which sounds like he is a rap singer who knows how to reload.
And with MM too.

I don't know of a serious competitive shooter who doesn't use a bullet comparator. If the shoe fits, wear it.

I am interested in the 1000 yard BR game, we have a match coming up this summer. I am going to shoot any any in light rifle.

If another $80 worth of measuring equipment makes me understand what I am doing a little better, it won't hurt anything.

A guy ought to shoot the way he wants to shoot, and load the way he wants to load.

When I used to shoot F-Class in Australia, I couldn't afford much more than bullets, powder and primers. I had the most basic target rifle on the line a Tikka T-3 varmint in 30-06, with a 5-20x50 Trijicon that I got for $750 when they first came out.

My Aussie benchrest friends were sorting bullets by Ogive and cases by weight, case capacity, and even weighing primers.

I am not sure I'll ever be one of those guys at 1000 yards that sorts primers by weight. But I do my loads down to the .1 of a grain. And every bullet is seated the same.

A friend of mine since leaving Australia went on to become one of the top accuracy gunsmiths in Australia. He was a mechanic on race cars, and now builds custom rifles. We talk a lot, and I learn a lot.

He does most of the super accuracy geek work on his own ammo, and he wins a lot of competitions in Australia.

Some of it is probably witchcraft, and some of it is just good reloading science, but I will continue to test everything until I know.

I enjoy the experimentation of it all.

For most of my rifles box mag length obviates wanting a bullet comparator.

The .375R is an exception, but am getting cloverleafs with it so.....

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I don't know of a serious competitive shooter who doesn't use a bullet comparator. If the shoe fits, wear it.

I am not serious competitive shooter.

I just kills and have been very good at it.

I confess, I use a comparator for my three .223s. I do so because I have one set of .223 dies and the chambers of the three rifles are slightly different.

I have recorded the optimum values for each rifle and using the comparator makes it more convenient for me to set up my FL die when switching between brass shot in the different rifles.

I could have purchased 2 more FL dies and dedicated one for each rifle, but the comparator is cheaper.

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Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

I don't know of a serious competitive shooter who doesn't use a bullet comparator. If the shoe fits, wear it.

I am not serious competitive shooter.

I just kills and have been very good at it.

Then why do we bother with the exchange of ideas? Sounds like someone is being an old curmudgeon. (which I an too)

I was killing stuff and good at it 5+ decades ago but I always look for ways to IMPROVE my craft.

To each his own and do what works for you, of course. As for me, I'll look for ways to improve my craft.

Zeke

Mornin' Big Wonderful Wyoming,

You coulda bought factory ammo, but it would have stripped you of the fun and satisfaction of loading your own.

My big game loads will out-shoot any factory ammo including competition ammo.

BTW, give RL-22 a shot in your .300 Win Mag loads. While I don't own a .300 Win Mag, loaders who do have told me that the .300 Win Mag + RL22 = nirvana. It produces consistent and very tiny groups.

I'm sure that the old big game cartridge standard, H-4831, would work as well. It gives me <.25" groups with 130 grain bullets (gameKings & BallisicTips) outta both of my .270 Win rifles.

I wish you many years of shooting/hunting enjoyment with your new .300 Win Mag.

BTW, I think that the .300 Win Mag is a phenomenal cartridge.

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Then why do we bother with the exchange of ideas? Sounds like someone is being an old curmudgeon.

We are exchanging ideas.

Some think bullet comparator tools, case comparator tools, are a good idea.

My idea and experience is that I don't need them.

See and exchange of ideas.

I never said don't buy them I never said don't use them.

What I said I didn't buy them and I don't use them.


Their ideas and my ideas.