Wait to reload?

Talltimber1

Talltimber1

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I am waiting for PAL to return and have purchased reloading equipment.
Do I wait to get my rifle before reloading or if I follow c.o.l. in my manuals will I be ok?
It would be nice to press a few out while waiting but I don't want to get ahead of myself.
 
Go for it. Start learning. You obviously want to start with reduced loads on a new rifle and work up anyways.

COL from the manual is fine for now. Try to use a reloading manual from the manufacturer of the bullets you want to use to get started for now.

Get a bit of experience under your belt and start to advance the more you learn.
 
Start watching youtube and reading forums about brass prep. You could spend months learning and practising best practice if you want to be OCD about your reloads. Personally, I would read up about bullet comparators, and if your reloading for a bolt gun, seat your bullets long and then adjust the seating depth once you can measure your rifle. SAMMI specs have never shot as good as taylored loads for me.

I would skip suggested loads from manuals as some of them are pretty anemic (Lyman) and use the hodgdon website.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

Good Luck and have fun!
 
All my loads are for specific rifles. I believe that it is very hard to beat commercial ammo with your own reloads unless you adapt them to your specific rifle in terms of powder volumes, over all length, seating depth and bullet "preferences" of the gun. First thing I do with any new bullet is measure the COL I want with that bullet in that chamber for a precise start on COL from which I can make specific variations as I test. It would be a shame to load up 100 rounds of what turned out to be a very bad load in the gun you buy. You CAN make serviceable loads using moderate powder charges, average COL, and any bullet you think might work. But, at least for me, "serviceable" is not what I want from my loads.

I think loading rounds without the rifle you will be using has the potential to be wasted money and time.
 
I have some rifles that have never seen factory ammunition. Like these other guys are saying, you can load to the SAAMI spec COAL, with a low powder charge suggested by Hodgdon or a reloading manual, and still be safe. I usually load around 100-200 low charge rounds to shoot on a new or clean barrel, and don't personally like to start load development until after around 100-150rnds through the barrel. Around that point, you will see a drastic change in velocity and the way a barrel acts, and then it will stay consistent for a couple hundred rounds after. It is after this I like to start load development. Read up on recognizing pressure signs, and don't get greedy with velocity. Read, read, read!
Also, you are taking a financial risk starting anything before your PAL and rifle are in hand. What if you change your mind on caliber, or your PAL doesn't come through. Just a thought.
 
The guy is new to shooting and reloading. I still suggest keeping it simple to start with. And safe. Take it one step at a time. Don't worry about accuracy right of the get go.

COL is pretty much useless when talking precision anyways. CBTO is what matters.

Just make some by the book reloads of the bat. Start 10% under max load and work up. Keep it simple keep it simple.

Don't go making 100. Do like 30 or something. And like mentioned above, there is not much point starting accurate load development until you have a decent amount of rounds through the gun. That gives time to practice reloading-safely.
 
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I have the Hornady and Lyman manuals and have watched alot of YouTube. I have 2 powders and 2 different brands of brass 3 hunting bullets and 1 match bullet so I can play around and find out what it likes to shoot. I would never build 100 without the rifle I was thinking a couple with each bullet type just to get used to it and get a couple under my belt before my rifle comes home.
 
I was just saying hypothetically, the PAL is not in your hand yet, not to discourage you. Things happen, but I hope all goes well for you. What rifle and caliber are you going with? Its always good to see new guys starting out!
 
I am not looking to make the perfect load today, I realize that comes with time and as mentioned above after barrel break in.
I just have a couple months to wait and spent well over a grand putting my own kit together.
I am just super keen to get started! I built a pretty bomber table, I would post a picture but I'm still trying to figure that out.
 
Just get rolling and keep it simple. Nevermind fancy for now. Learn by doing-safely. There's no trouble you will get into following the rules and the reloading manual.

Go play and have fun. Waste $50 doing it who cares...
 
Good choice for caliber. With a good rifle, scope, and caliber you are off to the races. Load up a few rounds from the book and have some practice and fun. You can decide later just how picky you think you need to be. Olympic class shooting isn’t necessarily the only object or goal. Do some reading. I am just finishing up Jack O’Connor’s book “The Rifle”. I only wish I would have read it 50+ years ago. :)
 
If you want to start loading, go for it.

But:

If you use factory new brass, it should chamber ok.

If you use used brass, it will need trimming to a uniform length; case mouth champfering (new brass needs that, too) and it will need full length sizing.

You can buy some bullets. I suggest Hornady 165 g or 180 gr pointed soft point, flat base. They are cheap and accurate.

You will need to buy powder and primers. I suggest 4350, because it will fill the case well. Any primer will work.

One of the things we do when we make ammo for our rifle is seat the bullet to match our chamber. You can't do that without a rifle. But what you can do is deliberately seat all the bullets too long - say 3.40"

When your rifle arrives, measure the magazine length, and seat a round 25 thou shorter than the mag length and note that OAL in your log book. If you intend to use the mag, no round of any bullet shape can exceed that OAL.

Then carefully chamber that mag-length round. If it comes out with no rifling marks - that is the OAL to use. If it has marks, seat it a bit deeper and try again. Repeat until a round comes out with no marks. Seat the rest of the ammo to that OAL and carry on. When you get a good accurate load, try that load with 10 thou more or less length, and which OAL is best.

When I get a new rifle, the first thing I do is a rough survey to get a hint of what the rifle likes. I load 5 each in 0.5 gr. increments from 2 grains less than the start load (for 4350) and to a grain more than the Max load. I am prepared to stop shooting at the first hint of pressure and bring the rest of the ammo home.

With a new rifle I would also take 5 extra rounds to the range for break-in. For the first 3 shots I clean after each shot. It is amazing how much crap these first shots leave behind. Then I fire the 2 shots and clean.

Then I start my 5 shot survey, and clean after the first 5. It has been my experience that if I do this, the barrels tends to foul less for the rest of their life.

So start getting brass and preparing it.
 
Ganderite said:
If you want to start loading, go for it.

But:

If you use factory new brass, it should chamber ok.

If you use used brass, it will need trimming to a uniform length; case mouth champfering (new brass needs that, too) and it will need full length sizing.

You can buy some bullets. I suggest Hornady 165 g or 180 gr pointed soft point, flat base. They are cheap and accurate.

You will need to buy powder and primers. I suggest 4350, because it will fill the case well. Any primer will work.

One of the things we do when we make ammo for our rifle is seat the bullet to match our chamber. You can't do that without a rifle. But what you can do is deliberately seat all the bullets too long - say 3.40"

When your rifle arrives, measure the magazine length, and seat a round 25 thou shorter than the mag length and note that OAL in your log book. If you intend to use the mag, no round of any bullet shape can exceed that OAL.

Then carefully chamber that mag-length round. If it comes out with no rifling marks - that is the OAL to use. If it has marks, seat it a bit deeper and try again. Repeat until a round comes out with no marks. Seat the rest of the ammo to that OAL and carry on. When you get a good accurate load, try that load with 10 thou more or less length, and which OAL is best.

When I get a new rifle, the first thing I do is a rough survey to get a hint of what the rifle likes. I load 5 each in 0.5 gr. increments from 2 grains less than the start load (for 4350) and to a grain more than the Max load. I am prepared to stop shooting at the first hint of pressure and bring the rest of the ammo home.

With a new rifle I would also take 5 extra rounds to the range for break-in. For the first 3 shots I clean after each shot. It is amazing how much crap these first shots leave behind. Then I fire the 2 shots and clean.

Then I start my 5 shot survey, and clean after the first 5. It has been my experience that if I do this, the barrels tends to foul less for the rest of their life.

So start getting brass and preparing it.
Click to expand...

I plan to do a 20 shot break in. I have new Hornady and Winchester brass, CCI primers, 4350 and Varget powder, for bullets I have Nosler partiton 180, Barnes TSX 180, Hornady eld x 178 and Hornady eld match 178.
Im just waiting on my scale, the first one showed up dead.
 
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