# Reloading



## jethro (Jan 24, 2011)

I just bought a used reloading kit and would like to start reloading my own bullets, however where do I start? I hunt with a Remington 700 30-06 and like the accubond 180 grain bullets but have no idea where to start. ( powder type, grains ect.) anyone have any suggestions?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Get a reloading manual or a couple of them and start reading. Most if not all bullet manufactures publish them for their bullets and will have all kinds of information in it for you to read and learn. A favorite of mine is a 165 gr Barnes TSX bullet and 58 grains of RL19 powder but no matter what you read on here you need to work up a load for you rifle. If you want to shoot the accubond pick up a Nosler manual and read up on it.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I have several links to online reloading data sites on my home puter, I'll post them up tonight for you.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Welcome to the addiction! 
I agree that getting a couple manuals is the first step, but Alliant, Hodgdon, and others post their load data online for free, so you could start there. Compare load data between manuals, and you should be able to work something up that produces decent results.

Good luck!


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

If you have any friends that reload spend some time with them. And Bax* is right. :O•-:


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## jethro (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks, guys


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Here the ones I sometimes use, I have the load books too.

http://www.alliantpowder.com/resources/default.aspx

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

http://www.nosler.com/Rifles/NoslerCustom.aspx

http://www.wwpowder.com

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource

http://www.barnesbullets.com


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Here's another sight you might be interested in. It's a site from one of our frequent UWF posters, DallonC. He's kind of a seedy character but he has a good site. :mrgreen:
http://huntingnut.com/


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## killdeer (Dec 9, 2009)

Get a manual and consider all the possibilities. It will surprise you how you can "work-up" the most effective combinations for your '06.


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

IMR 4831 or IMR 4350 would be good powders for that 180 gr bullet.
You will need Large Rifle Primers.

I buy bullets locally, so sometimes the variety is limited. I like the Hornady spirepoint bullets in 150 gr for 30-06.

Varget is a good powder for lighter bullets.

Consult a manual or online data from the powder and bullet manufacturers to get a load. 
Start low and work up. Some of the load charts you may find will show max loads only. You must reduce those by 10% for starters. 

I recommend just loading a few then go shoot. It is no fun having to tear down 100 rounds because something was not right. Once you know the load is working right, then load up a bunch.

You can get step by step directions from the RCBS site. Print them out. 

I will echo what others have said, "Get a Manual". Didn't you get a manual with the used kit?


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Even if you got a manual with the kit, get a new one. or better yet, get three or four. They make good reading while you are relaxing on the in the throne room.


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## jethro (Jan 24, 2011)

Ya I got a couple of manuals with all of the stuff. Just now figuring them out.
Thanks again for all the in put


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

1. Build a good STURDY bench at least 5 feet long
2. Always load alone...never sit and visit, watch TV, talk on the phone, etc while you are reloading.
3. Follow the instructions in the manuals EXACTLY and always start well below maximum load!
4. Always examine EVERY case in between EVERY step of the loading process to make double sure you have completed that step for every case.
5. Start with ONE bullet choice and try to make it shoot in your rifle, never change more than one component at a time. 
6. Remember, the secret to good hand loads is CONSISTENCY...same amount of powder, bullet seated the same, same pressure to seat primers, same case capacity, same neck lenght, etc, etc...the closer you get your loads to be *absolutely identical*, the tighter your groups will be.

Just a few tips off the top of my head.

Good luck


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

And "NO SMOKING". :lol:


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## jethro (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks again you guys have been a big help


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Al Hansen said:


> And "NO SMOKING". :lol:


Or you'll be the one that ends up giving off smoke.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

And dont reload when tired. Its a real mess once you charge up 40 cases with powder then realize you havent put in the primers yet.


-DallanC


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

DallanC said:


> And dont reload when tired. Its a real mess once you charge up 40 cases with powder then realize you havent put in the primers yet.
> 
> -DallanC


Yupper, see #4 above 

Here's another trick I use to avoid the above mentioned event.
Get a loading block and start with your prepared (de-primed, cleaned, trimmed, examined, etc) bass and place them in the block in the upright position. As you prime each case, place it back in the block upside down(primer up), when you have them all primed...and examined to verify, start charging them and place them back in the block right side up. When you think you have them all charged, they will all be in the upright position...now next is an *important *step...look down into each case with a light and verify there is a charge *and only one charge*...of powder in each case. Now, with all your cases charged, you can seat your bullets. Then use the provided stickers that come with the bullets and clearly indicate the exact load you have. Place the loaded ammo in a box, apply the sticker and pat yourself on the back, you're read to go enjoy.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> And dont reload when tired. Its a real mess once you charge up 40 cases with powder then realize you havent put in the primers yet.
> 
> -DallanC


 Uhhh, what you talkin bout Willis. Sometimes that Dillon 550B ain't so auto.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> DallanC said:
> 
> 
> > And dont reload when tired. Its a real mess once you charge up 40 cases with powder then realize you havent put in the primers yet.
> ...


You mean I can't use duct tape and ziplock bags for this, I am devastated, what am I going to put all my ammo in? :mrgreen:


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I got rid of my loading blocks a long time ago. My procedure has two boxes that will hold the amount of cases that I am reloading. Once the cases are deprimed and cleaned I'll use my hand primer to prime the cases one at a time moving them from one box to the other. Then comes the powder and seating the bullet one case at a time and then into the shell box. I have gotten to where I can reload pistol or rifle cases quite fast this way with no errors or problems.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

You mean I can't use duct tape and ziplock bags for this, I am devastated, what am I going to put all my ammo in? :mrgreen:[/quote]

Comm'on uses guys, I am trying to help a newbie here...the plastic bags and duct tape are fine after you got a fews years under your belt. I actually have eliminated the plastic bags and us the duct tape to tape the ammo directly to the stock of my gun...makes for quick reloadin' 8)

"I got rid of my loading blocks a long time ago. My procedure has two boxes that will hold the amount of cases that I am reloading. Once the cases are deprimed and cleaned I'll use my hand primer to prime the cases one at a time moving them from one box to the other. Then comes the powder and seating the bullet one case at a time and then into the shell box. I have gotten to where I can reload pistol or rifle cases quite fast this way with no errors or problems."

Critter, sounds like a great system also...the important thing is that you develop a system and follow it every time you reload.


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## NHS (Sep 7, 2007)

All good advise here guys. The difference between a good load and a bomb is one mistaken double charge.


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

My tip for never having a squib nor a double: 
Get a loading board. 
Drop powder in each case and place it in the loading board.
When the board is full, hold it under the light and look into each casing to see 1, if it has powder and 2, that it doesn't have a double charge. 
Now seat bullets. 

With pistol loads many times a casing will hold two charges. That is not likely with rifle loads as the powders usually pretty near fill the casing, however, if using a powder measure with rod type powders, it is possible for the powder to bridge in the drop tube and part of a charge hang up. If it then drops into the next casing along with a full charge, you now have an overload. By making the visual check with a board full of charged casings, it is pretty easy to spot any differences in how much powder is in the casings. 

I won't grab one, charge it, then put a bullet on it and repeat. I was doing that one time and that day was the only day I ever had a squib. Seems I grabbed one and seated a bullet with no powder. Arggghhhh!!!!

Always use the board and always look!

My apologies critter: I only use the loading board for charged cases. I don't even use boxes, I just dump the casings on the bench and process them then place them in a different pile with a wrench in between to separate them, but for the above mentioned reasons I recommend the board for charged cases.


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

Ammo boxes? What are those? I use ziploc bags too for loaded ammo. 
I always label the bag with the date and the recipe.


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## jethro (Jan 24, 2011)

great info guys thanks


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## roper (Sep 27, 2010)

Hey guys, I have some reloading questions also, that I haven't seen addressed. If they were on an earlier thread I apologize. I have heard of just neck sizing my brass, but can't figure out how to do this and still get the primer punched out. Is it true that once the brass has been "fire formed" to my weapon I can just neck size it? Does just neck sizing lengthen the "life expectancy" of your brass, as opposed to full length sizing? How important is it to use all the same "brand" of brass? Is a hand primer better than doing it as a step on the press? 

I'm sure that there will be other questions that will come up. It is sure nice to know that there is a wealth of knowledge out there, and that you guys are so willing to share. THANKS.

roper


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

To neck size a case it is all in the adjustment of the sizing die. The way that I do it is to partially size a case and then try it in my rifle. If it closes hard I screw the die down another half turn and check it again. I'll do this until the case loads with just a hint of pressure to lock the bolt. As far as the primer the decapping pin can also be adjusted to where it will punch out the primer with no problem. Life expectancy of the cases will increase some if you only neck size. I like to keep all my brass the same for a particular loading due to small differences in case capacity and strength. I prefer the hand primer since I can feel the primer going into the case and tell right then if there is a problem but it is all a personal choice. I just don't like the priming set up on a single stage press.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

James said:


> My tip for never having a squib nor a double:
> Get a loading board.
> Drop powder in each case and place it in the loading board.
> When the board is full, hold it under the light and look into each casing to see 1, if it has powder and 2, that it doesn't have a double charge.
> Now seat bullets.


And that btw, is how I ended up charging 40 primerless cases. I normally only put 20 in a block, moving them from side to side as I preform an operation. This time I didnt and somehow missed putting in the primers. Charged them all up and only noticed the missing primers when I went to seat the bullets. _(O)_

-DallanC


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

NHS said:


> All good advise here guys. The difference between a good load and a bomb is one mistaken double charge.


yeah, yeah, then there's the load that has no powder, what James affectionately calls a squib. Pull the trigger on one of those babies and the primer pushes the projectile just far enough up the barrel to ruin your day!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Haha yea. A guy on my website was trying for 300 whisper loads... he got one stuck halfway up his barrel with too light of a load. Took him quite a while to figure out how to get it out LOL.

Be mightly careful with super light loads, they can build up way more pressure than fully loaded ones (imagine a light charge of powder laying lengthwise down the case. Primer goes off, pushes bullets into the lands which can act as an obstruction, then the powder ignites, not from the end of the case but lengthwise resulting in a sharper pressure curve). 

Stick between the recomended min / max values of your reloading manuals to be safe.


-DallanC


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

> I just don't like the priming set up on a single stage press.


Me too. I got the RCBS hand priming tool. What a blessing.

Neck sizing: Since rifle cases are tapered, all you have to do to neck size is back the die out just enough to leave some space between the shell holder and die. It doesn't take much.
Try the casings in your gun after sizing. If it is hard to close the bolt, you may need to screw the die in a little to push the shoulder back a bit. Once you find the spot where the bolt closes with out too much resistance, you are good to go. If you use your ammo in more than one rifle, you should always full length resize. I always full length size my hunting ammo. I don't want any that are a bit too long and hard to close in the heat of the moment.

You can get neck sizing only dies, but I never have had one. I think for someone who is a very serious target shooter, neck sizing may give just a bit more accuracy, but have not set out to prove it myself.

For the rest of us it may get you a few more reloadings per casing, but it has never been a big concern of mine.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

James said:


> > I just don't like the priming set up on a single stage press.
> 
> 
> Me too. I got the RCBS hand priming tool. What a blessing.


I agree, they are fantastic and should be on any new reloaders "things to get".



> Neck sizing: Since rifle cases are tapered, all you have to do to neck size is back the die out just enough to leave some space between the shell holder and die. It doesn't take much.
> Try the casings in your gun after sizing. If it is hard to close the bolt, you may need to screw the die in a little to push the shoulder back a bit. Once you find the spot where the bolt closes with out too much resistance, you are good to go. If you use your ammo in more than one rifle, you should always full length resize. I always full length size my hunting ammo. I don't want any that are a bit too long and hard to close in the heat of the moment.
> 
> You can get neck sizing only dies, but I never have had one. I think for someone who is a very serious target shooter, neck sizing may give just a bit more accuracy, but have not set out to prove it myself.
> ...


I used to believe this as well... however I've gone back to full length resizing, here's why:

If you own multiple rifles of the same caliber, the neck sized only rounds might not be compatable with your other rifles due to chamber variations. Neck sized rounds from my fathers .22-250 will jam up any other rifle as it seems that chamber is slightly oversized.

If you mark your reloads properly as being for a specific rifle, you should be ok... but those times when in a pinch you need to share "plinking" rounds with someone else you can run into size trouble (and pressure problems if your loads are are near the max recommendation).

Also concidering case longitivity, the brass gets worked the most up near the neck where its stretched on firing & crushed on resizing. 85% of my "worn out brass" comes from neck cracks. I rarely see seperation down near the belt, so primer pocket enlargement results in the other main cause of my "worn out" cases. This will all be dependant on the caliber you are reloading for though, with differences in neck angle, belted vs beltless cases etc etc.

Careful annealing will help reduce metal fatigue and cracks in the neck area.

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

For any hunting ammo that I reload and I mean any I will run all the rounds that I am taking with me through the rifle just to make sure that they are going to chamber and that there are no problems. I have seen more than one hunter out in the field with reloads that couldn't get a round to chamber or has a bolt stuck half way. 

I agree that if you shoot more than one rifle of the same caliber to full length size the round. It creates a lot less problems in the long run.


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## roper (Sep 27, 2010)

DallanC wrote:
Careful annealing will help reduce metal fatigue and cracks in the neck area.

Sorry guys you're talking to someone that is a newby here, so what is careful annealing and how is it done.

Thanks for the info.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Its a method to soften the brass around the case neck. When you work it via shooting and resizing the brass gets brittle. I seem to recall a good guide on how to do it... lemme see if I can find it.

Couldnt find the guide I remembered, but here is a video guide that I actually like better. By using the drill it looks like the heat is alot more uniform.



-DallanC


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

My favorite way is to stand them up in water so an inch of the case is sticking out. Turn out the lights and take two torches, one on each side, and heat them up until the necks glow just a bit red then flick them over into the water. Works pretty good.


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