Throw away gun

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Rzeancak

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I've started reloading 9mm and had no problems but i got myself an F Class 308. Now my question is do you have a test gun to test your loads. If your load does damage you can just throw it away. Now if i'm loading for a rem 700 can i use a M14 to test my rounds ie for accuracy.

newbie question
 
Why would the loaded ammo damage the gun? If you stay within the data you should be fine.

Sure you could test ammo loaded for one gun in a rifle. I'm not sure that this will be too helpful though.

It sounds like you are loading for precision rifle here. Doing that, you are going to want to use brass that is only for your f-class gun and fire form it to the chamber. You may also want to load the ammo to a length that will work one gun but not the other. Also ammo that is accurate in the bolt gun may not be accurate in the other (twist rate/etc). Heck even 9mm ammo I have loaded for one gun (g34) won't work in another 9mm gun (CZ shadow) due to COAL.

Bottom line is this: If you have managed to load for 9mm and not had any problems, there is no reason that you cannot safely load for rifle. Just start at the bottom end of the load data and work up from there. Because you don't have to load hot enough to work an action in the bolt gun, you won't have any issues. Then just keep loading a bit hotter until you get where you want to be.
 
Rzeancak said:
I've started reloading 9mm and had no problems but i got myself an F Class 308. Now my question is do you have a test gun to test your loads. If your load does damage you can just throw it away. Now if i'm loading for a rem 700 can i use a M14 to test my rounds ie for accuracy.

newbie question
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Not to seem rude or anything but if you have ask a question like that ( throw away gun) you had better stop what you are doing and get yourself a good reloading manual or two and do alot of reading. ie you and who ever is around you at the range may not be alive to throw the test gun away.
 
Buy a reloading manual and start reading.

Rzeancak said:
Now my question is do you have a test gun to test your loads.
Click to expand...

NO, all my guns are test guns.

Rzeancak said:
If your load does damage you can just throw it away.
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Again, you need to start reading a reloading manual. hand loads damaging your gun isn't even a consideration when loads are worked up properly. Something like that should never happen unless you are very careless.

Rzeancak said:
Now if i'm loading for a rem 700 can i use a M14 to test my rounds ie for accuracy.

newbie question
Click to expand...

NO. each firearm has different tolerances in chamber dimensions, throat, bore, head space, etc... What is accurate in your 700 may not be in your M14 and vise versa. Taylor your laods to each firearm individually.



P.S. go read a reloading manual. :)
 
Just in case you haven't read the answers on this question (as it seems you haven't read much on loading at all) get a couple of reloading manuals and read them from cover to cover. STUDY them. Do not load any ammunition for anything until you do.
 
Hey guy thanks, I'll study up on the 308. The reason is:
1. When you have a good formula and i'm a custom doing 9mm using a progressive press. I have a good system down and in my head it would be like starting over again doing a single stage loading.
2. I paid good money for this rifle (the most i've paid for a firearm) I'm a little timid at this point, scared to do any damage.
 
Testing ammunition in one rifle to use in another rifle, is a waste of time, and proves nothing, as a load that is accurate in one rifle, may shoot poorly in another rifle. As for damaging a rifle with poor handloads, the same applies, a load that is perfectly safe in one rifle, may not be safe in another rifle.
 
Rzeancak said:
Hey guy thanks, I'll study up on the 308. The reason is:
1. When you have a good formula and i'm a custom doing 9mm using a progressive press. I have a good system down and in my head it would be like starting over again doing a single stage loading.
2. I paid good money for this rifle (the most i've paid for a firearm) I'm a little timid at this point, scared to do any damage.
Click to expand...

Don't just study the 308 study the whole manual, ABC of reloading and the Hornady manual are a good starting point.While reloading is not rocket science, the more you know about it the better and safer you will be.
 
every single rifle is a completely different animal. No two rifles are the same, even custom guns using barrels from the same manufacturer. Everything from the tolerances of the chamber to the density and consistency of the steel change how a gun delivers its results, and therefore, when developing an accurate load, it is vital to use the firearm in question. Another key variable when creating match ammo, is the seating depth of the bullet in relation to the LANDS. Tactical and gas gun shooters think in terms of fitting their magazines, and thus they use the Cartridge Over-All Length (COAL) as the basis for making ammo and match bullets and magazines often don't mix well. Your gun is a single shot, so ignore all references to COAL.

I can't help snorting when I see posts asking to share load recipes because rarely do two guns work at optimum with identical loads. I have many custom BR and TR rifles (and now F-Class) and no two use the same formula.

Also, bolt actioned rifles are so far superior to gas guns in accuracy as to make the idea of testing ammo in an M-14 a non-issue.

Learn about measuring the distance to lands in your gun, get yourself some proven f-class bullets (I strongly suggest the Berger 185 grain "Juggernaut" or the 155.5 grain Berger Fullbore Bullet) and start load developing with these bullets just touching the lands. When you find a powder load that works, then work back in .005" increments to find a seating depth in relation to the lands that produces the best results. viola... you have your load (PS: Varget powder is seldom the wrong answer in your rifle)
 
do you have any friends who reload? I found one of the best things getting started was an experienced reloader who I was able to sit with and reload up some pistol and rifle rounds to get my head around the basics as well as learn lots of stuff that would have been harder with trial and error. Also, get thee a reloading manual.
 
The only way to really damage your rifle would be to accidently use your pistol powder in the rifle. 45 gr of pistol powder would blow up most rifles.

The loading manual will show a START load for your powder/bullet. Start there and load 5 of each in 0.5 increments up then max in the book. use a seating depth that gets the bullet off the rifling.

Shoot these for accuracy to see if one load shows a lot of promise. Watch for pressure signs. If at any time the bolt is hard to lift - STOP. Do not fire another round. The max for your rifle is about 1 grain less than that load.

Once you have an idea of what powder charge shoots well, run a similar test with that powder charge, but a series of seating depths of well into the rifling to 30 thou off the rifling, in 10 thou increments. That will tell you what the rifle prefers with that bullet. All but one of my rifles likes the bullet well off the rifling. One needs the bullet touching.

Buy a couple of good manuals and read all the technical preamble about loading.
 
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