Next step for precision .308 loading?

MartyK2500 said:
Thanks all for the replies
In my first post i had written Lapua brass, as i knew it had some importance down the road once i commit more to it, but had not realised it was my very next step.
As soon as i free up more fun funds, i'll buy something like 500 casings of .308 Lapua brass.
Some of you guys mentionned that using quality brass saves prepping, and less prepping is good, as i had posted in earlier threads, i hate reloading, but love to shoot affordable custom match ammo.
It's a means to my ends, and am ready to complicate the loading process anyways for better ammo, it's just a chore.
Click to expand...

First off, 500 cases is a lot. Are you sure you're going to need that many? Secondly, no matter what kind of brass you use, the most important part of hand loading is brass prep. And if you want quality accurate hand loads, you'll need to do a lot of brass prep. Thirdly, if you hate reloading so much, maybe you should try a different hobby. Now, I'm not trying to be rude (for you trolls out there), but if you love to shoot match grade ammo... but hate to reload... you might want to just purchase factory match grade ammo. It will cost more, but it will satisfy your hatred of reloading.

Sorry, but you won't get much sympathy here with that kind of attitude. Again, I'm not trying to be rude.
 
Comments we're not taken rudely, I came here for discussion.
Never came here to seek sympathy, don't know where you read that must be the language barrier I got going.
Reloaded 60,000 rounds in the last 5 years, ain't close to quitting to meet my accuracy/financial needs
 
I hate reloading too. I have a few thousand Lapua cases in various stages from once fired, to primed and ready to reload, to resized and unprimed ready to trim, to needing annealing. 500 rounds isn't too many if say you shoot a provincial championship one weekend and follow it up starting to shoot the DCRA matches the next week. It has been a long winter but for some reason I just can't motivate myself to even look at my brass just yet, maybe I work better under pressure. As much as I procrastinate when it comes to loading, once I get started I can stay focused and get my loading done before the matches starts. Unlike a friend of mine who has been known to get up at 4am to load the last 100 or so rounds needed for a big match.
 
Where the like button when we need it lol!
You are a fellow gun nut that thinks alike.
At this time of year it's not too bad, but in the summer, it's a pain.
When shooting 2-3 times a week, going to matches (IPSC), daily dry fire, gun maintenance, running my construction business etc... That's when the reload becomes a chore instead of kicking back and having a gin and tonic!
Just too bad in the rifle world I cannot reload on my Dillon 650
 
You can reload rifle cartridges on your Dillon 650, and you may be suprised by the results! I load .223 on my Dillon, and am probably going to run some .308 for my M1A and .308 Garand fairly soon - all of my Federal, R-P and range pick brass all gets sacrificed to the semi-auto brass crunchers (though my M1A is kinder on brass than my M305 was).

I find the process of brass prep pretty relaxing, so I divide my brass into batches and developed a "process card" for each batch where I keep track of the processing steps done to each brass, plus vital statistics (# of firings, length, when last annealed, etc.). Then when I need to chill/relax, I grab a box of brass and do a processing step - trim, re-size, uniform primer pockets, de-burr flash holes, prime, etc. Then all of my brass is then ready and available for powder charge and bullet seating - which I do in one combined step. I can produce 100 rounds of .223 on my Dillon in 10-15 minutes for plinking, or get all serious with .308 precision handloads with my Chargemaster and my Forster Co-Ax press...
 
Yeah I can imagine the prepping while relaxing and having a drink.
While important, not as dangerous as having a few drinks while doing powder.
For the M14 the 650 would more than good enough. M14 ammo won't be twice loaded anyways.

that co-ax press is pretty. In my opinion, it's the Dillon of single stages.
 
I always enjoyed the "attention to detail" that was required to wring that last bit of accuracy out of a given setup.

Neck uniforming (for a factory chamber just remove enough to make it consistent all around), flash hole deburring, annealing, etc. This was all a part of my brass prep. Of course if you don't like this type of work you can buy Lapua brass.

Check the runout of your loaded rounds and select the "perfect" ones for when it really matters, use less than optimal ones for fouling shots.

Not reloading related (but accuracy related), have you got a decent aftermarket trigger? Done a bedding job?

Next up will be a barrel, good news is that with a Savage rifle, you can do it yourself.

Do you have a good aftermarket trigger?
 
Just saw the price of Lapua brass, while expensive, it can be loaded often so that's all good.
Equipment wise, I am not the most fortunate one, but have been planning this for a while so I just almost finished spending.
Got a savage 10TR, MDT ESS chassis (still in production), ATRS steel 20moa rail, badger fte brake, vortex razor gen ll 4.5-27x56 scope, Harris bipod

Missing scope rings only, going with a spuhr unimount once a 1911 sells. In the meanwhile, I have tested and broken in with a loaner vortex diamondback at 100M only.

Off topic, barrel change, just recently learned that was the savage advantage and very cool.
Down the road, if the passion is still strong, I see 6.5CM in that rifles future
 
Update.

I am still shooting my store bought 1F casings.
They have been full lenght resized, and give ultra reliable OAL of 2.800".
I have had sub-moa accuracy so far, and haven't even been load developing yet.

For my load development, i have loaded 2F cases in numerous powder charges, thinking it's great that they are fireformed and only Lee collet neck resized.
Now my OAL is all over the place compared to previously.
I just read a bit that it doesn't matter since it's the ogive that matters.
Ogive seems to be a spot on the bullet where you can measure from.

I have an RCBS precision mic, i would use when i would test an M14 i'd buy to get headspace.

My questions would be, based on info i got in person and online
Would you size 2F casings with lee collet neck die or with full lenght die set back to bump shoulders back a thou or two?
What good use can i make of this precision mic other than headspace measurments? I know the 10TR now has a heaspace of 1.630", but ain't sure what to do more with this tool
 
You can neck size up to the point that your loaded rounds will be tight to chamber, then you need to FL resize. I have a few .308 target rifles so I always bump the shoulder back .002" so my ammo will chamber it all of them. Don't worry about the 2.800" length the measurement to the ogive it what you are after. Try seating your bullets .020" off the lands unless you are feeding from a mag.
 
I am feeding off a mag, once chassis arrives i plan on running metal accurate mags
The accurate mag brand are affordable, and seem to allow for longer than 2.800"

If i got this right, i should stop using the Lee collet die resizer, and only use my FL, backed out, so it bumps shoulder back 2 thou only?
If it's the case i might get a second FL resizer for range brass.
Got a Lee with breechblock, and do not like fiddling with dies, once they are set they are set
 
Lapua brass, either CCI or Federal match primers, and a better set of dies like the Forster Benchrest 2 die set.
 
Lapua brass and CCI BR already in the plannings.
Once i switch to forster it will match a co-ax press

In the meanwhile, i want my FC brass and Lee equipment to do the job without excelling
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom