Reloading - Here's The Plan (Is It Right??)

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AndrewNS

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Ok, so I just got all of my reloading gear today and I am getting all excited about getting things started tomorrow but I want to be sure that I'm setting out on the correct path.

So far I have taken all of my once fired brass and put them in a tupperware container with some really hot water and dish soap, shaken them like crazy, rinsed them, shaken again, rinsed, shaked again, until they were all nice and shinny.

Now, for the planned steps:

1) Let them dry over night

2) Apply a small amount of lube to each case

3) Run them through my full length sizing die and de-prime them

4) Put them in my tumbler for a few hours to clean out the insides

5) Clean all of the primer pockets with my primer pocket cleaning tool

6) Check the overall length with my case length guage and trim any that need trimming

7) Remove any burring from the necks

8) Prime the cases

9) Measure one load to get the correct grain weight of powder that I want

10) Set my powder measure to throw the correct amount of powder with each cycle of the handle

11) Put powder in each case, measuring every 5th or 6th one to make sure that it is still correct

12) Seat my bullets a little and then press them in, making sure that they are seated to the correct depth, set the die to seat them that far and then build away.


Am I missing anything?? Are things in the correct order??
 
1a) Reread your loading manual and pick your load

9a) remeasure several loads at first to be confident in your powder charges



Enjoy!


Actually you seem to have it down pretty good
 
Cleftwynd said:
1a) Reread your loading manual and pick your load

9a) remeasure several loads at first to be confident in your powder charges



Enjoy!


Actually you seem to have it down pretty good
Click to expand...

Excellent. I'll be trying a few different loads trying to build a load that my rifle likes, so I'll take your 2 additional steps and apply them each time that I change loads.

Thanks!
 
There is nothing wrong or dangerous about his proposed steps/methods, some of us here do WAY more OCD type steps. I am one of them, but I do it for the enjoyment. He is free to do so as well!!!

We all like to play with our new toys!
 
Make some dummy rounds to check your FL sizing is correct, so you dont have to take everything apart.

If you doing pistol rounds take the barrel out your pistol and use it as a gauge, if your loading for bolt or semi rifle check the rounds cycle.
 
f55 said:
Make some dummy rounds to check your FL sizing is correct, so you dont have to take everything apart.

If you doing pistol rounds take the barrel out your pistol and use it as a gauge, if your loading for bolt or semi rifle check the rounds cycle.
Click to expand...

What is FL sizing?
 
Cleftwynd said:
1a) Reread your loading manual and pick your load

9a) remeasure several loads at first to be confident in your powder charges



Enjoy!


Actually you seem to have it down pretty good
Click to expand...

A variation on step 9) check about 1 in 10 to see how consistent your powder measure is. If you see a lot of variation (by your standards), you might want to look at a powder trickler to get a more precise charge.

As far as washing and tumbling goes, I just tumble the cases.... Tumbling after de-priming might clean the primer pockets a bit, but it will more likely get tumbling media stuck in the flash hole.

Stan
 
f55 said:
Make some dummy rounds to check your FL sizing is correct, so you dont have to take everything apart.
Click to expand...
You can write on the dummy with a Sharpie to remember bullet brand/weight.

If you doing pistol rounds take the barrel out your pistol and use it as a gauge, if your loading for bolt or semi rifle check the rounds cycle.
Click to expand...
Determining Cartridge Overall Length gave me fits when I first started reloading as there was no COL available in my loading manuals for most of the bullets that I chose. I also went through a lot of factory ammo I had in stock, (rifle and pistol), and recorded the COL, bullet weight and style for future reference - the factory stuff worked, it was a good place to start.
 
Full length sizing is just making sure the case goes fully into thedie. In order for this to happen the sizing die has to be turned tight to the shell holder, then raise the handle and turn the die in nearly a quarter turn.
don't load a whole bunch without making sure they will go in your chamber.
I presume it is a rifle you are loading for.
make your first load a dummy, without powder and primer, to check to see if it goes in to the chamber.
 
You are off to a good start Andrew. .260 Rem I see,... sweet.
Reloading is not black magic, more like the logical sequence of steps as you have listed ^.

Comments:
1) Make double sure they are fully dry inside.
2) too much = dented shoulders, too little = case stuck tight in FL die.(maybe get a lee collet neck sizer, and skip the whole lube/delube chore, plus, much less runout(crooked bullet)in the finished rounds, for better groups)
3) yes, FL size cases for smooth chambering with hunting cart's., but partial(3/4's to 7/8th's down the neck) FL size for better accuracy target loads. Try the partial FL sized(empty)cases in your chamber first, before doing up the whole batch of brass. A slight resistance to bolt close is what you want to feel. That means you have close to or zero headspace with your fireformed brass. A good thing.
4) optional, suit yourself.
5) never hurts.
6) yup, every time.
7) good.
8) get them down to flush, or a few thou. below flush, never ever high or protruding.
9) if using a ball powder, and not being a max. charge, then yes, drop them from the measure with periodic checks. If stick powder, it's best to set the measure a half grain light then trickle up to full charge weight on the scale.
10),11) see #9.
12) Make a dummy round with the bullet seated long. Smoke it with a bic, and try to chamber it. The bolt probably won't close. don't force it. Seat that cart. a wee bit deeper and try again. And again. Till the rifling lands just barely stop showing on the smoked bullet ogive. That is kiss. Turn your seater stem in another half turn and lock it. You are at 20-40 thou. or so of jump to the lands. Some rifle's magazine length
will not allow bullet seating close to the lands, if your .260 is a Remington barrel with a short action length, it probably will not allow you to seat close to the leade.

Welcome to the handloaders world Andrew. Once you touch off that first round ..... there is no turning back mate. ;)
 
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X2 on the cookie sheet in the oven at 250 F for about 10 minutes. But if you are going to tumble them to get the lube off anyway, just let them air dry overnight.
For .223 I weight sort my resized, trimmed to length, unprimed brass into 1/2 gr batches.
Cleaning primer pockets is a waste of time.
If you are looking for accuracy, you need to weigh every charge.
 
Your process sounds safe, enjoy.

How I do it, the short version;
-Fire round (the best part:))
-throw spent brass in vibrator,(walnut or corncob) run for 3 hours
-sift brass over bucket and clear flash holes
-quick wipe with dry towel & throw in a labeled bucket
-necksize (no lube) & throw in labeled bucket or lube, fl size and throw in tumbler for 1 hour, then in labeled bucket
-every 3 or 4 firings I'll trim to length and inspect fully
-clean flash hole & deburr neck inside and out
-prime with hand priming tool and line up in loading block
-kick myself for not turning the scale on earlier, a little warm up time is good.
-for rifle I measure every round to within my scales margin of error, .02gn, then put in another loading block
-for pistol I use powder measure and straight to the press, (I'll measure every 10th) inspect and throw in labeled bucket
-back to rifle; from loading block to press, inspect and gently place ;) in ammo box
-go back to range, fire again (the best part :))

I use a single stage press for everything.
I never have more than 1 powder bottle on the bench at a time, and I use two different powder measures. Yes they're labeled.
When I trim, I use the $10 Lee tool and a cordless drill.
I only have 6 loading manuals, 8 if you include the interwebz, and I don't think I have enough :).
Bounce dryer sheet work very well to clean media.
With the exception of my trim tool, my .223 neck sizer and my tumbler, everything is RCBS.
I record in detail every run of ammo I've made.
My powder measure is on one side of the bench, the press on the other, so my chair is on wheels.
I'm OCD about reloading but I'm a slob. My bench is always a mess, go figure ;)
I've only loaded ~11k rounds, still a newb compared to many, and I've had 1 mishap. I loaded a primer backwards. It was the last round in my box and would have been the 5th of the best 4 shot group I've ever had. :mad:

Enjoy your new hobby.
 
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