I'm trying to reload some 256 win mag for a friend of mine and was looking for a load for 75gr Speer FN. Also is there anyway to bell the mouth on the case, I'm having trouble keeping the bullets straight going in the die. Any help would be much appreciated. I found a few loads on the web one which consist of 17gr of RL7, shot a few of these and they seemed to be ok with no sign of pressure indications.

Here is some more Load data.

Thanks Graybird I had forgotten all about Steves pages, all kinds of useful info on there on many subjects.

Anyone think of a die or way to bell the mouth, these things are horrible to keep bullets straight. I even tried chucking the bullet in a drill and forming a small boattail on base of bullet using a flat file. This helped but is time consuming. This will be the last time I reload any of this cartridge.

I have a 256 Win, been loading for it for a coons age. Don't have any problems loading the 75 gr Hornady pointed bullets.

Just hold them lightly between thumb and forefinger while raising the ram so I don't cut my fingers while wiggling the case a bit until I feel the bullet go into the die bullet guide section. Once it's in that area it is guided into the case and I just continue running the case into the seater until seated fully. Do it smoothly and slowly...make sure the burs are gone at the case mouth...

You could use a 6.5 expander button to open the mouth a bit or a tapered expander button.

If your having that much trouble I would measure the heck out of ALL the reloading components especially the expander button...someone might have exchanged a 22 button for a 25 button.

You can make a tapered expander button if you have a lathe just by putting a 6.5 button on the stem and chucking it up then stoning a taper on it, then polishing it a bit.

I polish expander buttons all the time to get a tighter bullet fit when the reloading die/chambers or cases get out of whack

You want problems...try loading 20 gr bullet into 17 FB cases with my sausage fingers...I'm bald now from hair loss mucking about with small cases.

Hammer
Check out a 25 cal M die made by Lyman.
You will need the 25 cal spud and the shortest die body for the M die. The M die will expand the mouth about .002 oversize about .050 deep. That small section will allow you to seat finger tight and straight at the same time.
Then seat with the press.

In the mean time try the following tricks.

1. Allow the bullet to sit on the case mouth and spin the case with one finger as it disappears in to the die. It will usually spin to the center of the neck.

2. Flare the case with the nose of a spitzer bullet of your choice. Mash your bullet straight into the case mouth and see if you can keep it straight while seating.

256 is a small case. i've only used 4227 with 60 grainers, but i sure do wish that speer still make that little 60 grain spire point. it was the perfect bullet. as far as seating - try chamfering the case mouth a bit. sometimes that helps lots

The 60 gr flat points aren't too bad this being a short range shooter. You won't loose much velo/drop.

Winchester had a 60 gr HP at one time, can't seem to find any online now.

Sierra's 70 gr isn't bad either as what you loose in velo is made up in a higher energy and less drop.

You could make your own bullets or have a die maker make you a nose profiling die and point up the noses of the 60 grainers.

You could always rebarrel to 6mm Fireball...and use the 55 grainers.

Always many solutions, some viable, some not.

I forgot about the Lyman M die...Alz-Hymers/senior dementia...I have several...SR4759's suggestion is probably the cheapest, quickest and best solution.

You didn't say whether the 256 W was a pistol or a rifle.

Like I said, this is a friends gun, just looking to get him some ammo loaded for his kids to plink around with,doesn't have to be super accurate or anything just 2-3" group at 50 or so is all he is expecting, by the way the gun is an old marlin model 62. Thanks for all info , I will try some different approaches and see how it works.

I have loaded for a T/C in .256 for years. I also had trouble seating bullets straight when I was using RCBS dies. I bought a set of Hornady dies that solved the problem. I think their seater die does a better job. I also run the cartridge into the seater a little at a time, then turn it about 1/4 turn, seating the bullet totally in about 4 steps.

I also had trouble seating the bullets straight in the .22 Hornet with RCBS dies, so I bought Forster/Bonanza dies and the problem went away. Too bad Forster does not make dies in more different calibers.

I also have a Marlin 62 in 256 Winchester. It loves the Hornady and/or Sierra 75 grain hollow points. Very accurate with H4227. The magazine of the Marlin allows a pretty good overall length for the cartridge. Never had any problems seating the bullets straight with these bullets. No problems with stabilization either.

If you are forming brass for it from 357 use a 30 Mauser or luger die first to reduce the neck and locate the shoulder. Then run it into the regular 256 dies. I have zero case loss doing it this way. No forming dies are needed. You can sometimes get away with just the 256 dies but I had a problem with crumpled cases.

I use H110 with mag primers in my 10" Contender, 75 V-Max. I worked the load up slowly, don't push the shoulder back when sizing and seat about 0.005" into the lands.

My chrono's show between 2420 +/- 20 fs. Sighted zero at 120 yds it's about 2" low at 150. It's a sageraterlythang killing machine as long as I stop shaking the sights way the heck and gone all over the place.