Tighter/consistent groupings - communication for higher learning

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chevy

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Hello Reloaders, here is your chance to share your ideas/methods! Lets start a brainstorming session on ways to improve accuracy (tighter groupings) when it comes to techniques in the reloading process.

The goal here is to achieve the best results possible without having to shoot thousands of rounds in the process. Its not like I don't like reloading or shooting, I just don't like going backwards in the process.

What I'm hoping to see is a combination of ideas/methods that will give improved results. The mindset of "a small change will show positive results" is necessary to achieve the results we are looking for - continuous improvement.

We as individuals can then pick and choose from the shared ideas/methods, which ultimately will shrink our grouping size.

Rules to brainstorming - there is no wrong answer, so keep negative comments to yourselves. Questions to a method are encouraged to continue the brainstorming process. These will be shared ideas/methods that have shown or proved to give the desired result - tighter groupings.

Thanks in advance for your valued knowledge and look forward to implement them to achieve increased/consistent accuracy.
 
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Hi chevy i'm a newbie too.
The bullets concentricity with the case and the throat is a pretty important factor in accuracy.Believe it or not some bullets are not as round as some other bullets and this can be easily be checked once loaded into cases by using an RCBS casemaster to measure bullet runout or by rolling loaded cartriges across a flat surface.Any bullets that wobble as they roll will not give good accuracy.Excessive bullet runout can also be caused by uneven case necks or a bent decaping rod.
 
You are new and you did not get much in the way of brainstorming.

If you want to know something specific just ask a clear question. Lots of people are here are willing to help.
 
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Screw a good barrel with minimum chamber on a straight action, load good bullets in quality brass. Refrain from any thoughts that you may have of mounting $1000 scopes with $20 mounts. Do or get a good bedding job.
After that you will likely observe that it's hard to do anything wrong. Good setups tend to shoot nearly everything fairly well. Conversely it's rather easy to spend the price of a good barrel trying to make junk shoot.
 
Pattern for factory rifles:
Bang, Bang, Bang
Bullets
Bedding
Barrel, blueprint
Bedding again
Bullets


Pattern for custom, hybrid, build.

Blueprint
Barrel
Bedding
Brass
Bullets
Bang

Only the order changes. Costs are similar, level of frustration vastly lowered.

Its easier to start out where you are going to end up. A even better method is:

Brass
Bullet
Reamer
Blueprint
Barrel
Bedding
Bullets
Bang.

Realistic plan/goals are a good thing too. Like, if you want a benchrest gun, build one. Trying to make a sporter shoot like a benchrest gun is an uphill battle. Normally a pointless one as well.
 
I'll stay out of this for the most part as all i use is cast bullets and I find I need to pay attention in areas that most reloaders don't. One thing is common, and that is, one needs good equip. coming together at the same time. EG: Good barrel/chamber, good press, good dies, etc. You also must take the time to do everything consistantly, you must work with a chronograph, and always make notes for future ref.
 
In 3 different factory barrels, I found that neck turning my brass did make a *small* favourable difference. I did 50 7mmRM cases with a hand held turner yesterday and my hands are a bit chewed up, I need a drill-held collar like I have for my .223.
 
concentricity

Sorry I'm late to reply back to your comments - too busy shooting gophers:). Lets start off with concentricity and the negative effects which I assume show up as fliers?

Does anyone know what the go/nogo number is for concentricity?
I'm looking at purchasing a Holland concetricity gauge - this gauge will determine my bullet runnout - what tool is out there to correct the runout on a loaded round?

Thanks and LFTYR's
Claude
 
Correcting runout of a loaded round is rather debated amongst shooters, some believe you might mess with neck tension and be worse off, others believe that it doesn't hurt.
I'm not entirely sure what the effects of .003" TIR are, although it sure does frustrate me. Always trying to get my TIR down around .001" ad usually do but everynow and then......
 
With my extremely limited experience I have found one thing that is very important. You have to be able to shoot consistantly. If you cannot do that then you cannot hope to recognise when you have the other things right.

I'm almost seriously considering hiring a test shooter for my reloads. :D
 
chevy said:
Sorry I'm late to reply back to your comments - too busy shooting gophers:). Lets start off with concentricity and the negative effects which I assume show up as fliers?

Does anyone know what the go/nogo number is for concentricity?
I'm looking at purchasing a Holland concetricity gauge - this gauge will determine my bullet runnout - what tool is out there to correct the runout on a loaded round?

Thanks and LFTYR's
Claude
Click to expand...

To correct the runout in a loaded round:

Fire it during practice and reload it.

If your necks are concentric both inside and out (usually need to be turned 50-80%) and you use quality competition dies, your runout should be .002 or less.

Anything over .003 I use only for practice rounds.
 
Yup - take notes. Then, when through, take notes again!

First thing: remove the old primers and necksize the cases. Usually, I'll do the brass in groups of 50 in the tumbler overnight using walnut media with rouge. After that, I'll put them in an ultrasonic cleaner (about an hour for mine) then swab them all out with a q-tip. After that, I'll dry them for a few days. I keep the brass together in lots of 50 so that I can track how often they get used.

Once that's done, I'll check the case length and examine the casing to make sure that it's okay. I'll repeat this process until all my cases are prepped for priming.


After that, I'll do the primers for each lot. And then - level the scale, double check that it is swinging properly, zero it, test it with a calibration weight and if it passes, then dial in the load (in my case, 45.5 gn for a 155 Amax .308). Then each case is loaded, and the bullet seated in one process - I don't load the powder into the cases all in one lot. After that, I'll check my OAL to make sure that it is within specs. The digital caliper sold by Canadian Tire does a nice job for this. I found that at this stage, I can do 50 rounds in one sitting. As I'm doing this, I keep the lighting the same, the sitting position the same and so on, to try and ensure consistency.

When I shoot, I'll load one shot at a time - I don't use the magazine. The spent case is put back into the same place in the storage case. That way, if I have a flyer, I can check the case to see if there's a problem in that area.

So, from what I've learned, I've got to set the process up to ensure consistency in the loads, and to make sure that I don't overdo it in one sitting.
 
To lower TIR I follow the advice of some friends who have been reloading alot longer than me:)
1. I use lapua brass, which I've sorted into .5gr batchs.
2. Necks are turned, trimmed to length, primer pockets uniformed, flash holes deburred.
3. Forget full length sizing(use a reddig body die if needed), I'm currently using a lee collet die/redding comp seater but I'm going to wilson dies and arbor press.
4. My press (redding boss) has the C clip removed and o-ring installed. Use an o-ring under the dies.
I'm also using a k&M chamfer tool which leaves a beautiful chamfer on the cases.
 
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