It's truly a shame that you feel that you have had to lay pearls before us swine! But rest assured that I and the other porcine members of the forum appreciate it.
Weight-Sorting Cases: Is it Worthwhile?
- Thread starter South Pender
- Start date
I would hope all the information shared is helpful to someone.
I feel most would do the sharing with good intensions.
Many factors will decide what is needed for each individual.
This is the hard part.
Maybe less than 1% of reloaders can afford to go full “F class” in components, reloading equipment, and the rifle and optics.
Some that have that goal from the get go, can maybe do it. Won’t be cheap.
That leaves 99% of the rest of us making goals and steps to go towards, and probably in stages, to a goal that likely will change anyway.
Even F class guys probably bought a basic reloading kit at one time.
I myself want better everything, but money is tight, time is short, so we do what we can when we can. Hopefully not spend too much on things we won’t t use later, but we can sell or give it away to the next new guy. I am helping two other guys out with reloading, based on information I have read, learned from those who were nice enough to share, and of course time and money spent.
I certainly can not teach anyone anything about F class, but I am able to get them well on their way to learning the hobby and running on somewhat of a lower budget.
Do you need a high end scale when running a factory barrel, only shoot 10-30 rounds a year, factory stock, do they need to buy enough of the same lot of powder, primers, brass and bullets for the expected barrel life for 1/4-1/3 moa, do they even have access to long range, weigh primers, weight brass, will the thick brass even fit in the factory chamber without turning, do you need to turn necks, what’s a donut, now what to do, lube the neck, the case, dry tumble, wet tumble, anneal, powder storage, humidity and weigh of powder when loading, temp…… not even into shooting yet.
I feel most would do the sharing with good intensions.
Many factors will decide what is needed for each individual.
This is the hard part.
Maybe less than 1% of reloaders can afford to go full “F class” in components, reloading equipment, and the rifle and optics.
Some that have that goal from the get go, can maybe do it. Won’t be cheap.
That leaves 99% of the rest of us making goals and steps to go towards, and probably in stages, to a goal that likely will change anyway.
Even F class guys probably bought a basic reloading kit at one time.
I myself want better everything, but money is tight, time is short, so we do what we can when we can. Hopefully not spend too much on things we won’t t use later, but we can sell or give it away to the next new guy. I am helping two other guys out with reloading, based on information I have read, learned from those who were nice enough to share, and of course time and money spent.
I certainly can not teach anyone anything about F class, but I am able to get them well on their way to learning the hobby and running on somewhat of a lower budget.
Do you need a high end scale when running a factory barrel, only shoot 10-30 rounds a year, factory stock, do they need to buy enough of the same lot of powder, primers, brass and bullets for the expected barrel life for 1/4-1/3 moa, do they even have access to long range, weigh primers, weight brass, will the thick brass even fit in the factory chamber without turning, do you need to turn necks, what’s a donut, now what to do, lube the neck, the case, dry tumble, wet tumble, anneal, powder storage, humidity and weigh of powder when loading, temp…… not even into shooting yet.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
As one of the top US F open shooters, yeah, listen to what he has to say.
Could he also be using an FX120i? how could he possibly do so well???? ...
Those who know... know when enough is enough
YMMV
Jerry
I think the easiest way for someone to find out how they basically stack up is to run a set of targets from 300 to 1,000 meters , score them honestly and look up what their score corresponds to as per the DCRA classifications .
Cat
Hold on. You say you conduct precision reloading. What do you use and what is your method?
No. How do you do it? I find gathering my information on Internet forums much more productive.
First go at 1000 yards my groups sucked, 14" 10 shots.
To improve, got scopes that retain zero, return to zero and dial correctly. Bed rifles that do not have a bedding system, Degrease all interfaces on scope mounting and rings.
Handloads, obtain a good target bullet and sort them to see what the variances are, good brass and do the same.
Obtain good measuring tools, dial caliper, scale FX120i, and learn how to use them.
Various ways of prepping a case. A new case is sized to insure case mouths are round and to adjust case fitment ( this may include bumping shoulder back or creating a false shoulder ) in the chamber. Starting with a low-range load (for pressure) (and as Mr. Glasscock recommends) load two rounds each from 0.008" of the rifling and adding 0.003" of seating depth to every set of two. You are finding a good seating depth while fire forming the new brass.
Fired brass prep regime is to clean out side neck with 000 steel wool, anneal, run a nylon brush in and out of the neck (leave carbon in), Use a Redding body die, Lee collet die and a Forester bullet seater. Primers are seated with the Frankford Armory hand held primer tool.
So once seating depth is ascertained, develop a model in QL to get close to a charge weight and barrel time. Next load 5 rounds and check velocities (LabRadar) adjust the model to get an OBT.
My ES's following this are normally in the 15 ft/s range with many 5 and 10 shot strings being < than double digit.
So from a 14" (~1.4 moa) group at the start , I'm down to <0.4 moa 5 shot and <0.8 moa for 10 shots, best case in competition.
I do not have a custom rifle other than re-barreled Tikka's and a Savage LRP and mid -range quality scopes that are reliable.
As I have progressed most time is spent on bench technique and reading the wind now.
If minutia is your game , handloading is a treasure.
To improve, got scopes that retain zero, return to zero and dial correctly. Bed rifles that do not have a bedding system, Degrease all interfaces on scope mounting and rings.
Handloads, obtain a good target bullet and sort them to see what the variances are, good brass and do the same.
Obtain good measuring tools, dial caliper, scale FX120i, and learn how to use them.
Various ways of prepping a case. A new case is sized to insure case mouths are round and to adjust case fitment ( this may include bumping shoulder back or creating a false shoulder ) in the chamber. Starting with a low-range load (for pressure) (and as Mr. Glasscock recommends) load two rounds each from 0.008" of the rifling and adding 0.003" of seating depth to every set of two. You are finding a good seating depth while fire forming the new brass.
Fired brass prep regime is to clean out side neck with 000 steel wool, anneal, run a nylon brush in and out of the neck (leave carbon in), Use a Redding body die, Lee collet die and a Forester bullet seater. Primers are seated with the Frankford Armory hand held primer tool.
So once seating depth is ascertained, develop a model in QL to get close to a charge weight and barrel time. Next load 5 rounds and check velocities (LabRadar) adjust the model to get an OBT.
My ES's following this are normally in the 15 ft/s range with many 5 and 10 shot strings being < than double digit.
So from a 14" (~1.4 moa) group at the start , I'm down to <0.4 moa 5 shot and <0.8 moa for 10 shots, best case in competition.
I do not have a custom rifle other than re-barreled Tikka's and a Savage LRP and mid -range quality scopes that are reliable.
As I have progressed most time is spent on bench technique and reading the wind now.
If minutia is your game , handloading is a treasure.
Examples?
Oh, and have I mentioned that my first reloading purchase was a Lee Anniversary Kit?
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