Starting Reloading from the Pros

[coyotekilla]

What cartridges?

He's referring to trying to keep up with hot factory loads. Stuff like hornady super performance loads in stuff like 22-250 & 243.
Factory ammo for stuff like 7x57 or 45-70 is easy to beat because the Factory is made to not blow up ancient guns. Factory 7bc ammo will be tough to beat cause they are already pressuring it to above where id prefer to load.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I got into it cause I was tired of factory ammo lack of consistency & availability. Plus it's fun. Factory 223 is hard to find faster than 3250 fps, some handloading, light bullets, and you can see 4k, or load some heavies if you want and hunt big game with it.

Factory .223 that is fast is called “5.56.” And there are great options out there once you accept that.

 

[JRay]

Sure. Here’s how I load. I’m generally loading 300-500 rounds weekly to keep up with my shooting schedule, so it has to be pretty streamlined.

I work in 100 round batches. It makes everything flow for me.

Here’s the sequence. It’s a bit out of order, but it what makes the flow work.

When I get out to my shop I pull out the 100 cases that were in my tumbler. I use the tumbler to clean my brass, but it’s main job is removing the case lube. I pull the cases out 15 at a time and check the primer pockets for pieces of media in the flash hole, and then a light chamfer with a Redding piloted VLD chamfer. Takes about 12-15 min. I set those cases in loading blocks next to my V4.

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(This is one of the few times I was processing 200 at a time, but the sequence is the same)

Then I take the 100 cases that were on my cooling tray from annealing, and run them through my LE Wilson full length dies. I use a bushing .002 less than my loaded diameter. I do not mandrel. When sizing i push the shoulders back about .003”. When I pushed them back .002, I would occasionally have a few heavy bolt closes, and when shooting matches I need the bolt to close like butter. Takes about 10 min. The sized cases go straight into my tumbler I’m holding 9-10 in my hand at a time, and as I’m sizing one, I’m dropping the last sized case in the tumbler. Goes super fast.

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Then I take 100 fired cases and anneal them. I have an AMP machine. Takes about 15 min per 100. I leave them in my cooling tray.

Then I prime the 100 cases that came out of my tumbler. This takes about 10 min.

Finally, I weigh my charges with the V4, and seat the bullet while the next powder charge is trickling. Takes between 30-40 min to charge and seat bullets on 100 rounds. I use an LE Wilson inline seating die and an arbor press on a portable stand. This keeps the motion of my press from interfering with the scale as it trickles. When I tried seating on my loading bench, it would make the scale go wonky when I seated a bullet.

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(Should also note, I shot Hornady for the first year i competed, but I’m now shooting Sierras.)

When I need to load a bunch, I start over right then, but I prefer to load 100 each morning and let the brass tumble most of the day so it gets pretty shiny.

Thanks for doing that. I think accumulating enough brass to run in batches and tumble after sizing will save a fair amount of time.

Do you find the LE Wilson to be more consistent? My Hornady die is giving me fluctuating shoulder results when sizing.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

He's referring to trying to keep up with hot factory loads. Stuff like hornady super performance loads in stuff like 22-250 & 243.
Factory ammo for stuff like 7x57 or 45-70 is easy to beat because the Factory is made to not blow up ancient guns. Factory 7bc ammo will be tough to beat cause they are already pressuring it to above where id prefer to load.

Ahh yes, that makes sense I suppose.
I don’t get funky on high pressure stuff as I believe slow and steady wins the race. Meaning…I find comfortable, moderate to high end loads kills stuff just as well as the hot rod loads, and my equipment lasts longer. Which matters to me.

 

[Finaddictions]

Thanks for doing that. I think accumulating enough brass to run in batches and tumble after sizing will save a fair amount of time.

Do you find the LE Wilson to be more consistent? My Hornady die is giving me fluctuating shoulder results when sizing.

I find them to be pretty dang consistent. I might occasionally see a .001 variance, but that’s max. To be honest, I’ve got to the point I don’t even check them anymore. To be fair, I haven’t run the Hornady dies, so I don’t know what I would see there as a comparison, but I was running a lot of Redding S series dies. They were good and consistent, but the LE Wilsons have been so good, affordable for what they are, and consistent enough that if they make the die for a cartridge I’m loading, I’m using their die.

 

[WMDM]

Yeah the superformance 223, 243 and 270. Now I'm working on 22 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC. I get slow and steady mentality but personally it's not worth brass prep for slower ammo. Edit to add most my rifle hunting is coyotes at night and deer during rut so mpbr is important.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Yeah the superformance 223, 243 and 270. Now I'm working on 22 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC. I get slow and steady mentality but personally it's not worth brass prep for slower ammo. Edit to add most my rifle hunting is coyotes at night and deer during rut so mpbr is important.

That makes sense. Mine is lobbing shots at big game.

 

[SDHNTR]

There are only two solutions… either spend $1000+ up front on enough ammo from the same lot to wear out a barrel. Or, spend $1000 on equipment to make your own ammo in perpetuity. This is a no brainer.