I do not have a reloader myself but a friend of mine says I can use his. I have a Browning M-1000 eclipse .300 WSM, 26" barrel with 1 in 10" twist. I have only shot Winchester super-X 180gr bullets out of it and it grouped 3 shots at 100 yards in 11/16". I am fairly happy with that but this bullet is not very accurate at long range at all. At 800 yards it is hit and miss on a 22"x36" steel plate. So I need a bullet that will fly good enough that when target shooting I can trust the bullet. Also I do use the rifle for deer hunting so a bullet that is suitable would be nice. So where do I start? How do I choose a powder and a primer etc? Bullet grain basically comes down to what ever flies the best for long range shooting as I will not be taking game at extreme ranges. I am reading the Hornady reloading guide to learn about it also but I am sure lots of you guys have good tips also! And yes, I tried the search button.
Reloading rookie, where should I start?
- Thread starter logan1080
- Start date
1) Look in the Reloading Forum on this site, you will find days worth of reading material.
2) Keep reading your manual, it is a great introduction to reloading.
3) How much wind was there when you were shooting at the above plate? Even a 1mph wind will generate around 6" of drift at that range. Make that wind 4-5mph (which is a light breeze) and you need to properly dope the wind just to get close. You are still well supersonic at that point, so instability issues shouldn't have been a problem.
Mark
There's lots of info on where to start, in fact there are even separate forums full of info. Get a book, and a loading press or kit. I'm a little new to reloading myself, but you quickly get the hang of it. I've come to conclusion that the bigger the caliber the more you will save money per cartridge, but will spend more money in the long run. Because the initial setup costs, and large bulk costs will throw you over the expected spending, but you will end up shooting more. Get a Classic Lee Loader Kit, with this all you need is a hammer to make your own ammo. If your only going to reload one type of caliber example, any 30-cal then this is the way to go. A little slow but it's a past-time and relaxing to chill out and make your own bullets. Plus you can make ultra-accurate rounds with this.
Farlsincharge
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Use whatever primer is readily available to start. Maybe your friend has some that you could try out.
Powder, I am a huge fab of hodgdon extreme being that we live in canada. (extreme powders are designed to be temp. stable)
I would be looking at h4831 and h1000 in your case.
Bullet, the heaviest berger hunting vld that you can stabilize.
that's my .02
Powder, I am a huge fab of hodgdon extreme being that we live in canada. (extreme powders are designed to be temp. stable)
I would be looking at h4831 and h1000 in your case.
Bullet, the heaviest berger hunting vld that you can stabilize.
that's my .02
Bullets...
Try the 208 grain Amax, 210 grain berger VLD match bullet or even the 220 grain Sierra Match King.
The twist you have is very tight, so you can use any long, heavy bullet you want. Stay away for 155 grain palma bullets as they are probably too light for that twist. Powder and volume as per any one of several relaoding manuals or websites. (FYI the 155 grain bullets are used by convention in TR and plama shooting out to 1000 yards, and beyond)
You can use any bullet you want for long range shooting. Accuray at (particulalry) long range will likely be limited by your barrel. Also, precision long range reloading is a science and an art requiring particular attention to many many details. I recommed learning at shorter range first.
I would suggest a 300WSM is a bit much for learning long range shooting, and an expensive cartridge to reload. If you would liek the best bang for the learning buck, I would suggest a lighter cartridge such as a 6BR.
Try the 208 grain Amax, 210 grain berger VLD match bullet or even the 220 grain Sierra Match King.
The twist you have is very tight, so you can use any long, heavy bullet you want. Stay away for 155 grain palma bullets as they are probably too light for that twist. Powder and volume as per any one of several relaoding manuals or websites. (FYI the 155 grain bullets are used by convention in TR and plama shooting out to 1000 yards, and beyond)
You can use any bullet you want for long range shooting. Accuray at (particulalry) long range will likely be limited by your barrel. Also, precision long range reloading is a science and an art requiring particular attention to many many details. I recommed learning at shorter range first.
I would suggest a 300WSM is a bit much for learning long range shooting, and an expensive cartridge to reload. If you would liek the best bang for the learning buck, I would suggest a lighter cartridge such as a 6BR.
So you recommend a heavier bullet? When you get over 200gr is drop a lot more significant compared to a 168, 175 or 180 gr bullet? I chose the 300 WSM because I liked the 300WM but the shorter action looked like a nice touch. I also wanted one calibre that I would feel had enough energy to take down any game in north american I went after. I know smaller calibres are up for the job but a .30 cal has a good reputation and several people I know have them and like them so I bought one. I also own a Sako 85 synthetic stainless 22-250 that I use on coyotes and targets out to 500 yards.
Heavier bullets are preferred for target shooting because they buck wind and maintain their velocity better at long ranges. If you crank up a ballistics chart you will find that heavier bullets actually shoot flatter at long ranges. Also, trajectory means nothing when you have a known distance to your target. You just dial in whatever elevation you need and shoot.
Mark
I don't give a damned about drop, providing I don't exceed my scope's ability to cope with it. Drop can be compensated for with any one of a hundred ballistics calculators.
BALLISTIC COEFFICIENTS determine how well the resist wind drift. you have to go VERY heavy in 30 cal to match the excellent BC found in 6.5 and 7mm bullets.
BALLISTIC COEFFICIENTS determine how well the resist wind drift. you have to go VERY heavy in 30 cal to match the excellent BC found in 6.5 and 7mm bullets.
As Obtunded said, Ballistic Coefficient is everything at long range. This is why you want a .338LM or .50BMG for the REALLY long ranges. Generally speaking, More mass = higher BC = flatter trajectory = less wind drift...at extreme ranges.
Do some calculations on JBM out to 3000 meters. You will see that mass will usually win in the long run. For shorter runs, you can play with the lighter bullets.
If I was in your position, I would be looking at the 200+ Gr. range of bullets
Do some calculations on JBM out to 3000 meters. You will see that mass will usually win in the long run. For shorter runs, you can play with the lighter bullets.
If I was in your position, I would be looking at the 200+ Gr. range of bullets
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Things change at 500 yards. Perhaps change is not the right word, but little things that can be discounted at 300 yards will take you right off the target at 800. Some of these gremlins include, but are not limited to: mirage, a quartering wind, near wind vs far wind considerations, optical clarity, the scope's resolution, contrast and parallax, the precision and repeatability of the scope's tracking and adjustments, spin drift, the bullet's mach number and stability upon reaching the target, and the uniformity of the ammunition as it pertains to concentricity, neck tension, and variations in velocity.
Each rifle is an individual. It takes time to discover which combination of primer, powder, and bullet will perform the best. When choosing the components for long range ammo, stick with match bullets with secant ogives rather than game bullets. Short cartridges as a rule are less compatible with long bullets when you are shooting a factory rifle with a standard length lead. A custom barrel by contrast can have a lead cut for a specific bullet length. As a result the long bullet must be seated deeply into the powder capacity of the cartridge thus you might not be able obtain the optimal velocity for that bullet weight with a slow burning powder, which is the accepted combination. Therefore you may find that 175-190 gr bullets produce the best balance between powder capacity and velocity. Having said that, when shooting at a known distance, velocity and drop are lessor concerns provided you scope has sufficient adjustment to compensate for the trajectory. Heavy bullets require smaller powder charges, and a smaller powder charge extends the life of the barrel.
Don't worry so much about the 1:10 twist. While is is true that any given twist has an optimal bullet length, any rate of twist will stabilize a wide range of bullet lengths. While I wouldn't expect a 155 gr bullet to produce optimal results, it could, but certainly any match bullet of 175 grs or heavier can be expected to perform well from a quality 1:10 twist barrel. I have never witnessed a quality light bullet becoming unstable due to a fast twist alone, but I have often seen long or heavy for caliber bullets rendered useless due to insufficient spin resulting in large groups and elongated bullet holes.
Each rifle is an individual. It takes time to discover which combination of primer, powder, and bullet will perform the best. When choosing the components for long range ammo, stick with match bullets with secant ogives rather than game bullets. Short cartridges as a rule are less compatible with long bullets when you are shooting a factory rifle with a standard length lead. A custom barrel by contrast can have a lead cut for a specific bullet length. As a result the long bullet must be seated deeply into the powder capacity of the cartridge thus you might not be able obtain the optimal velocity for that bullet weight with a slow burning powder, which is the accepted combination. Therefore you may find that 175-190 gr bullets produce the best balance between powder capacity and velocity. Having said that, when shooting at a known distance, velocity and drop are lessor concerns provided you scope has sufficient adjustment to compensate for the trajectory. Heavy bullets require smaller powder charges, and a smaller powder charge extends the life of the barrel.
Don't worry so much about the 1:10 twist. While is is true that any given twist has an optimal bullet length, any rate of twist will stabilize a wide range of bullet lengths. While I wouldn't expect a 155 gr bullet to produce optimal results, it could, but certainly any match bullet of 175 grs or heavier can be expected to perform well from a quality 1:10 twist barrel. I have never witnessed a quality light bullet becoming unstable due to a fast twist alone, but I have often seen long or heavy for caliber bullets rendered useless due to insufficient spin resulting in large groups and elongated bullet holes.
