As a Matter of Fact, You Should Start Reloading
By Jose Gardner
So, you're on the fence about reloading and not sure you want to take the plunge. Maybe you're not sure you have the time? Maybe you're not sure you want to make the initial investment? Maybe you're not sure you'll save enough ammo to justify it? All are valid concerns that I had as well. Only a year ago in fact, I still had my RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit sitting unopened in my gun room, unsure of how to even put the thing together. Furthermore, the concept of "load development" was more intimidating than I cared to admit.
The gun that started it all.
Now a year and a little over 2000 rounds later, I think reloading is the best thing I have done for my shooting game. Have I invested a lot of time at the reloading bench? Yes. Have I spent more money since my first purchase? Absolutely. Have I saved money on ammo? Some. The enjoyment and pride I take in my loads and the absolute confidence I have that when I squeeze the trigger the round goes where I want is something that I will never be able to put a price on.
So first let's talk about why I chose to start reloading. My precision game started on a budget like most others: a Remington SPS AAC-SD in the tried and true .308 topped with a Vortex Viper PST. I found some match ammo that shot .5-.6 MOA at 200 yards, and I even got lucky enough to walk it onto a 36" plate at a mile. In my incredibly inexperienced mind, I had struck gold. However, every so often I would have a day where I couldn't hit a target to save my life.
It's probably worth mentioning that my extreme spread for muzzle velocity across ten rounds was over 50fps. I had no idea at the time how big of a deal that was, but I will go into the significance shortly. After shooting 5 or 6 local PRS matches having some days where I felt like a king and others where I was ready to give up shooting altogether, I decided maybe my gear just wasn't up to snuff.
With a new custom build on the way and a little more experience under my belt, I decided reloading would be necessary to get maximum potential out of the new rig. After all, no one builds the biggest, baddest off-road truck possible and leaves street tires on it. In my mind, whether you're shooting an off the shelf budget rig or a high dollar, custom tack driver, being able to fine tune your ammo to your rifle allows you to squeeze every bit of performance, and thus value, out of the rifle possible.
Now I by no means claim to be the bottom line expert on reloading. However, being a scientist at my day job I believe gives me a rather analytical and interesting perspective on the process. It also instills in me a care for detail that we won't tell my wife, or else she'll expect me to start cleaning to the same level. Considering there are numerous how-to articles on every step of reloading, I will not insult your intelligence or bore you with detail. The rest of the article I will offer up why I reload, how I choose components and equipment, and any tips I may have for the process along the way.
WHY RELOAD?
If you take one key point from this article it is this: Reloading should be used to maximize precision. Precision is my ultimate goal at the reloading bench. If I may go off on a tangent for a second, precision and accuracy are two words that tend to be used interchangeably when they really shouldn't. The graphic below explains the difference better than words ever could.
If I can increase my precision to max potential, then accuracy can be achieved by a simple adjustment that puts me in the bullseye. But without precision, high accuracy will still put very few rounds in the black. Thus, a great load or a high end rifle will never increase accuracy, but simply increase your POTENTIAL for accuracy. The rest comes down to your fundamentals.
Now back on subject, how do we measure the "precision" of our load? The two measurements most used are standard deviation (SD) and extreme spread (ES) of muzzle velocity. Of the two, SD tends to be more emphasized which makes sense as ES goes into the formula for SD. However, a high ES has the potential to result in a lower SD when spread over a larger string of fire. For example: an ES of 40 over three shots will give a much higher SD than an ES of 40 across ten shots. I prefer 5-10 shots for reliable speed data.
A common view among reloaders is that SD should be in the single digits. This is a simple concept to grasp. However, I'll use a personal example as to why both should be considered. My current load for my .308 hunting rifle is shooting 168 grain ELD-m's 2810 FPS at the muzzle with an SD of just under 8 and an ES of 32. This is something that I'm pretty happy with. However, let's consider the difference a 32 fps spread can make between two shots. The difference in 32 fps for my load at 400 yards means a Point of Impact (POI) difference of 0.2". At 1000 yards, that becomes a 7" difference in POI.
For the average big game hunter making reasonable shots, the difference is negligible. For the PRS shooter or target shooter playing around at 1000+ yards, the difference is huge. With my new 6.5CM load, I am getting an SD of 4 and ES of 12. I am much more confident in impacts at extended ranges. Let me say again, "precision" is my ultimate goal at the reloading bench.
Now, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I also hoped to save some money reloading. After all, with the high round count I shoot in a year, any little bit helps. My personal view is that it is hard to factor equipment into cost per round, and thus I consider equipment an investment and calculate total component cost (primers, brass, powder, projectile) as cost per round. Once again using my .308 as an example, I calculate my cost per round at approximately $0.58. Given that quality match and hunting ammo is anywhere from $1.50 - $3.00 a round, I will use $1.60 as the price for comparison. I am saving at least $1.00 per round.
Some would say the time taken to reload is worth something, but I see that time as an investment into my shooting game. Frankly, late at night when I reload is time I would be sleeping or watching TV otherwise. Sleep is for the weak. Now, if you take into account that I am under $1000 into my reloading equipment across all calibers, the approximately 1400 rounds of .308 I've loaded in just the last year alone means I have more than broken even.
Now, a lot of you are likely to be strictly hunters and may not shoot more than 250 rounds a year, if that. You may not break even monetarily, but you will likely be able to avoid larger investments like a case prep center or auto powder thrower. More importantly though, if your main passion is hunting, a lot of time, effort, and miles on the boot treads can be spoiled by sub-par ammo. The piece of mind of a load customized to my rig is worth every dime spent!
COMPONENTS AND EQUIPMENT
Moving to the reloading process, let's first talk component selection. To be honest, I really haven't tried many different combinations of components per caliber because my first choice has usually worked out after some testing. While there are certain combinations that are "go-to" per caliber, frankly there are numerous combinations that work and thus a few considerations must be made.
In my mind, I go for availability of said component, temperature stability of powder, and price. For instance, a "go-to" powder for 6.5 CM is H4350, but availability is incredibly hit or miss. Federal primers can be extremely popular but have similar issues. Choosing components more readily available such as RL16 or CCI 200's may ease some stress. Or you can choose the popular alternative of buying up every bit you can find at a given time to make sure you never run out. I try to avoid spending so much at once, personally, but it is an effective method.
Powder choice is fairly simple in my mind, where temperature stability and availability are the two main factors. Temperature stability is the concept that a muzzle velocity change will not occur in highly varying temperatures due to your powder. If you live in a mild tempered area and shoot only midday, it isn't much of an issue. However, if you want to use the same load at competitions in the middle of the summer that you'll use for the late elk hunt in the high mountains in late November, stability is much more significant.
By Jose Gardner
So, you're on the fence about reloading and not sure you want to take the plunge. Maybe you're not sure you have the time? Maybe you're not sure you want to make the initial investment? Maybe you're not sure you'll save enough ammo to justify it? All are valid concerns that I had as well. Only a year ago in fact, I still had my RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit sitting unopened in my gun room, unsure of how to even put the thing together. Furthermore, the concept of "load development" was more intimidating than I cared to admit.
The gun that started it all.
Now a year and a little over 2000 rounds later, I think reloading is the best thing I have done for my shooting game. Have I invested a lot of time at the reloading bench? Yes. Have I spent more money since my first purchase? Absolutely. Have I saved money on ammo? Some. The enjoyment and pride I take in my loads and the absolute confidence I have that when I squeeze the trigger the round goes where I want is something that I will never be able to put a price on.
So first let's talk about why I chose to start reloading. My precision game started on a budget like most others: a Remington SPS AAC-SD in the tried and true .308 topped with a Vortex Viper PST. I found some match ammo that shot .5-.6 MOA at 200 yards, and I even got lucky enough to walk it onto a 36" plate at a mile. In my incredibly inexperienced mind, I had struck gold. However, every so often I would have a day where I couldn't hit a target to save my life.
It's probably worth mentioning that my extreme spread for muzzle velocity across ten rounds was over 50fps. I had no idea at the time how big of a deal that was, but I will go into the significance shortly. After shooting 5 or 6 local PRS matches having some days where I felt like a king and others where I was ready to give up shooting altogether, I decided maybe my gear just wasn't up to snuff.
With a new custom build on the way and a little more experience under my belt, I decided reloading would be necessary to get maximum potential out of the new rig. After all, no one builds the biggest, baddest off-road truck possible and leaves street tires on it. In my mind, whether you're shooting an off the shelf budget rig or a high dollar, custom tack driver, being able to fine tune your ammo to your rifle allows you to squeeze every bit of performance, and thus value, out of the rifle possible.
Now I by no means claim to be the bottom line expert on reloading. However, being a scientist at my day job I believe gives me a rather analytical and interesting perspective on the process. It also instills in me a care for detail that we won't tell my wife, or else she'll expect me to start cleaning to the same level. Considering there are numerous how-to articles on every step of reloading, I will not insult your intelligence or bore you with detail. The rest of the article I will offer up why I reload, how I choose components and equipment, and any tips I may have for the process along the way.
WHY RELOAD?
If you take one key point from this article it is this: Reloading should be used to maximize precision. Precision is my ultimate goal at the reloading bench. If I may go off on a tangent for a second, precision and accuracy are two words that tend to be used interchangeably when they really shouldn't. The graphic below explains the difference better than words ever could.
If I can increase my precision to max potential, then accuracy can be achieved by a simple adjustment that puts me in the bullseye. But without precision, high accuracy will still put very few rounds in the black. Thus, a great load or a high end rifle will never increase accuracy, but simply increase your POTENTIAL for accuracy. The rest comes down to your fundamentals.
Now back on subject, how do we measure the "precision" of our load? The two measurements most used are standard deviation (SD) and extreme spread (ES) of muzzle velocity. Of the two, SD tends to be more emphasized which makes sense as ES goes into the formula for SD. However, a high ES has the potential to result in a lower SD when spread over a larger string of fire. For example: an ES of 40 over three shots will give a much higher SD than an ES of 40 across ten shots. I prefer 5-10 shots for reliable speed data.
A common view among reloaders is that SD should be in the single digits. This is a simple concept to grasp. However, I'll use a personal example as to why both should be considered. My current load for my .308 hunting rifle is shooting 168 grain ELD-m's 2810 FPS at the muzzle with an SD of just under 8 and an ES of 32. This is something that I'm pretty happy with. However, let's consider the difference a 32 fps spread can make between two shots. The difference in 32 fps for my load at 400 yards means a Point of Impact (POI) difference of 0.2". At 1000 yards, that becomes a 7" difference in POI.
For the average big game hunter making reasonable shots, the difference is negligible. For the PRS shooter or target shooter playing around at 1000+ yards, the difference is huge. With my new 6.5CM load, I am getting an SD of 4 and ES of 12. I am much more confident in impacts at extended ranges. Let me say again, "precision" is my ultimate goal at the reloading bench.
Now, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I also hoped to save some money reloading. After all, with the high round count I shoot in a year, any little bit helps. My personal view is that it is hard to factor equipment into cost per round, and thus I consider equipment an investment and calculate total component cost (primers, brass, powder, projectile) as cost per round. Once again using my .308 as an example, I calculate my cost per round at approximately $0.58. Given that quality match and hunting ammo is anywhere from $1.50 - $3.00 a round, I will use $1.60 as the price for comparison. I am saving at least $1.00 per round.
Some would say the time taken to reload is worth something, but I see that time as an investment into my shooting game. Frankly, late at night when I reload is time I would be sleeping or watching TV otherwise. Sleep is for the weak. Now, if you take into account that I am under $1000 into my reloading equipment across all calibers, the approximately 1400 rounds of .308 I've loaded in just the last year alone means I have more than broken even.
Now, a lot of you are likely to be strictly hunters and may not shoot more than 250 rounds a year, if that. You may not break even monetarily, but you will likely be able to avoid larger investments like a case prep center or auto powder thrower. More importantly though, if your main passion is hunting, a lot of time, effort, and miles on the boot treads can be spoiled by sub-par ammo. The piece of mind of a load customized to my rig is worth every dime spent!
COMPONENTS AND EQUIPMENT
Moving to the reloading process, let's first talk component selection. To be honest, I really haven't tried many different combinations of components per caliber because my first choice has usually worked out after some testing. While there are certain combinations that are "go-to" per caliber, frankly there are numerous combinations that work and thus a few considerations must be made.
In my mind, I go for availability of said component, temperature stability of powder, and price. For instance, a "go-to" powder for 6.5 CM is H4350, but availability is incredibly hit or miss. Federal primers can be extremely popular but have similar issues. Choosing components more readily available such as RL16 or CCI 200's may ease some stress. Or you can choose the popular alternative of buying up every bit you can find at a given time to make sure you never run out. I try to avoid spending so much at once, personally, but it is an effective method.
Powder choice is fairly simple in my mind, where temperature stability and availability are the two main factors. Temperature stability is the concept that a muzzle velocity change will not occur in highly varying temperatures due to your powder. If you live in a mild tempered area and shoot only midday, it isn't much of an issue. However, if you want to use the same load at competitions in the middle of the summer that you'll use for the late elk hunt in the high mountains in late November, stability is much more significant.
As a Matter of Fact, You Should Start Reloading
Bullet choice is in my mind the hardest component decision to make. Bullet styles, features, and price vary to a nearly overwhelming level, and each serve a purpose. Match bullets may have high BC's and tight specs, but may not make the best hunting bullets due to a lack of expansion. Hunting bullets may not make the tightest groups and have lower BC's, but do mass damage on game. Some bullets make a great hybrid of both, but cost significantly more. Your decision comes down to purpose and willingness to pay. As I do both matches and hunting, my go to is the Hornady ELD line of bullets. They have great BC's, good expansion, and are quite easy in load development.
Finally, we come to brass. Choice of brass comes down to price vs. brass life. If you shoot only enough to practice with your hunting gun, getting 15+ firings out of your brass isn't necessary and neither is the $1+ price per piece that comes with it. However, if you shoot 2 matches a month year round, that Lapua brass flat out pays for itself. Admittedly a Hornady fan boy across the board, I have had great luck with Hornady brass, but I will be switching to Lapua soon. Not to oversimplify it, but it comes down to shooters choice. They all work.
The least stressful way to start this adventure as a beginner is by buying a reloading kit. While there are many nice kits, I personally started with the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit. To fully reload, all that is needed realistically is a die set, a set of calipers, and your components.
As far as picking which brand and style dies, it is as varied as bullet choice. I have had Hornady, RCBS, Lee, and now Forster. I have effectively loaded with all, but the higher priced dies tend to be a little easier to use and more repeatable in results.
Now on top of the components mentioned, one piece of gear that is quite handy, and viewed as necessary by most, is an overall length gauge and caliber specific modified case. This is the easiest way to measure and determine seating depth for your bullet. For my first 200 rounds or so, this was all that was used.
The included powder thrower and balance beam scale are slow but can be used effectively. A beam scale specifically is quite accurate, and even preferred by some. Below, is a picture of the first load test I ever did using the above-mentioned equipment. These were the first 25 rounds I ever loaded. Not super impressive, but satisfactory. While I have obviously upgraded gear, which I will discuss, you don't have to get complicated.
View attachment 81187 Five 5-shot groups. The first 25 rounds I ever loaded.
As mentioned, I have since upgraded some of my equipment. My rule of thumb on upgrades: Is the investment worth the reward, or is there a more cost effective alternative for my needs? What I mean by this is while I would love a Prometheus scale, or a Giraud Power trimmer, there are cheaper options that fit my needs and allow for more disposable income to upgrade other gear such as optics.
All that being said, my two major upgrades have been the RCBS Chargemaster and the Frankford Arsenal case prep Center. Having an auto trickler/powder scale combo may be, in my mind, the most time saving upgrade you can make. Balance beam scales are accurate, but incredibly slow. And hand powder throwers can be difficult to employ reliably and consistently.
There are several other combos, each with its own merit. It comes down to your view of cost effectiveness. My most hated part of reloading has to be case prep, and the Frankford arsenal being an all-in-one powered tool saves a great deal of effort and frustration, and comes in at a great price!
As far as brass cleaning goes, I stayed very simple and cheap with the Frankford Arsenal case tumbler and walnut media. There are many nicer setups and media out there, but it flat gets the job done at an extremely affordable price point.
At the end of the day, I will say that you should upgrade as much as your wallet allows and you feel provides a good return on investment. It's all up to you, but there is plenty of nice gear on the market today.
A few tips learned along the way
I have this sneaky hunch that you would have a hard time finding any two people that conduct load development exactly the same. Everyone has their own quirks or peculiarities, and most anyone can get the job done effectively. Also, there are numerous tutorials of every step on www.youtube.com or various sites. Thus, I will not walk you through my entire process, but simply some of my personal points of emphasis.
To begin with, lots of people recommend sorting brass by weight. Maybe I am stubborn or a rebel, but this is something I've never done, and it hasn't seemed to hurt me. I think that time can be better invested elsewhere, but if you have the time and willingness, every little bit helps!
Also, there are opposing views on necessity of neck sizing vs. full length sizing. I personally full length size due to having multiple guns of each caliber I reload, all built off of different brand actions. Full length sizing alleviates worry that a gun may not function due to mixing up of brass fired from a different action. This is a subject I highly recommend research yourself to make the best decision for your personal needs.
My first tip has to do with measuring and determining seating depth. The easiest way I have decided seating depth is simply asking multiple people who shoot the projectile you've chosen (preferably who don't shoot with each other} what they seat to. What I look for most out of this is if I'm being told several different depths, typically the bullet isn't picky. Then I pick a good value in the middle and roll with it.
Now, I by no means claim this as a 100% foolproof method. It is just a method that has worked for me. There are other factors that can affect this such your specific chamber and simply the pickiness of your rifle. I then use my OAL gauge to determine what my OAL is, and choose what OAL I will load to from there. My main point here is measure several times (5+) and write them down. If you go with your first measurement, you may have jammed too far or not enough. What I mean by this is that you may have forced your bullets deep into the rifling of your barrel, past just touching, or may not be touching the rifling at all. Seeing what your average turns out to be is the number I usually go with.
The next part I am picky about is simply patience on the powder scale. The scientist in me yearns for ultimate precision on a scale. The Chargemaster is accurate to 0.1 grains, and I make sure I squeeze every bit of precision out of this I can. When the scale says stable, I usually give it an extra two or three seconds to make sure it doesn't jump. Furthermore, I have zero tolerance for "+/-" errors.
If I am shooting for 42.2 grains, I don't load the charge unless the scale has stabilized at the exact number. This may seem a little obvious, but some people aren't as peculiar and it can show on the range. To clarify, it is understood that once in the middle of a "node" for your particular rifle, you can have as large as +/- 0.3 grain spread in charge that has negligible effect of precision.
However, with any level of variance that can be caused by inexpensive electric scales, or how you calibrate a balance beam scale, holding yourself to a tight tolerance provides a piece of mind that you are less likely to jump out of your node. A little discipline here can prevent a lot of heartache behind the gun.
My final tip for loading actually has to do with the load testing itself. That is, shoot enough rounds for grouping and speed to be reliable. If you've never heard the concept "Statistical power", do a quick Google search. Basically, a bigger sample size always beats a smaller sample size. A lot of guys shoot 3 round groups to evaluate group size. In the long range game, the standard is a minimum of 5. I tend to not shoot ten because I am cheap, but it definitely is an effective method as well. For speed testing, it is widely accepted to shoot 5 shot strings. The scientist in me once again wants more statistical power and I try to shoot 10 when possible. I believe it gives a more accurate ES and gives you more peace of mind about SD.
Beyond all of this, the real key to reloading is discipline and humility. What I mean by this is always be looking to improve your methods and learn from others. Be humble enough to pick up the habits you believe will help improve. Once these habits have been learned, be disciplined enough to do it the same every single time. Don't get lazy because it is midnight, and you leave at 4 a.m. for the shoot 2 hours down the road. Your results will reflect. This leads me to another tidbit which is, load in advance if possible. I typically try to be loaded 2-3 days before a match. I find it less stressful and easier to be disciplined across each individual round. And once again, in case I didn't say it enough. The ultimate goal of reloading for long range guns is simple: "precision".
_____________________________________________________
Jose Gardner has been shooting and hunting since the age of 5, running hounds for big game in the Southeast. Moving to Big Sky country for school and work, he quickly found a passion for long range shooting. Still an avid hunter, he now also enjoys PRS style matches any time he gets a chance. He currently works as a food scientist and product developer in the beef, pork, and poultry industries.
Finally, we come to brass. Choice of brass comes down to price vs. brass life. If you shoot only enough to practice with your hunting gun, getting 15+ firings out of your brass isn't necessary and neither is the $1+ price per piece that comes with it. However, if you shoot 2 matches a month year round, that Lapua brass flat out pays for itself. Admittedly a Hornady fan boy across the board, I have had great luck with Hornady brass, but I will be switching to Lapua soon. Not to oversimplify it, but it comes down to shooters choice. They all work.
The least stressful way to start this adventure as a beginner is by buying a reloading kit. While there are many nice kits, I personally started with the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit. To fully reload, all that is needed realistically is a die set, a set of calipers, and your components.
As far as picking which brand and style dies, it is as varied as bullet choice. I have had Hornady, RCBS, Lee, and now Forster. I have effectively loaded with all, but the higher priced dies tend to be a little easier to use and more repeatable in results.
Now on top of the components mentioned, one piece of gear that is quite handy, and viewed as necessary by most, is an overall length gauge and caliber specific modified case. This is the easiest way to measure and determine seating depth for your bullet. For my first 200 rounds or so, this was all that was used.
The included powder thrower and balance beam scale are slow but can be used effectively. A beam scale specifically is quite accurate, and even preferred by some. Below, is a picture of the first load test I ever did using the above-mentioned equipment. These were the first 25 rounds I ever loaded. Not super impressive, but satisfactory. While I have obviously upgraded gear, which I will discuss, you don't have to get complicated.
View attachment 81187 Five 5-shot groups. The first 25 rounds I ever loaded.
As mentioned, I have since upgraded some of my equipment. My rule of thumb on upgrades: Is the investment worth the reward, or is there a more cost effective alternative for my needs? What I mean by this is while I would love a Prometheus scale, or a Giraud Power trimmer, there are cheaper options that fit my needs and allow for more disposable income to upgrade other gear such as optics.
All that being said, my two major upgrades have been the RCBS Chargemaster and the Frankford Arsenal case prep Center. Having an auto trickler/powder scale combo may be, in my mind, the most time saving upgrade you can make. Balance beam scales are accurate, but incredibly slow. And hand powder throwers can be difficult to employ reliably and consistently.
There are several other combos, each with its own merit. It comes down to your view of cost effectiveness. My most hated part of reloading has to be case prep, and the Frankford arsenal being an all-in-one powered tool saves a great deal of effort and frustration, and comes in at a great price!
As far as brass cleaning goes, I stayed very simple and cheap with the Frankford Arsenal case tumbler and walnut media. There are many nicer setups and media out there, but it flat gets the job done at an extremely affordable price point.
At the end of the day, I will say that you should upgrade as much as your wallet allows and you feel provides a good return on investment. It's all up to you, but there is plenty of nice gear on the market today.
A few tips learned along the way
I have this sneaky hunch that you would have a hard time finding any two people that conduct load development exactly the same. Everyone has their own quirks or peculiarities, and most anyone can get the job done effectively. Also, there are numerous tutorials of every step on www.youtube.com or various sites. Thus, I will not walk you through my entire process, but simply some of my personal points of emphasis.
To begin with, lots of people recommend sorting brass by weight. Maybe I am stubborn or a rebel, but this is something I've never done, and it hasn't seemed to hurt me. I think that time can be better invested elsewhere, but if you have the time and willingness, every little bit helps!
Also, there are opposing views on necessity of neck sizing vs. full length sizing. I personally full length size due to having multiple guns of each caliber I reload, all built off of different brand actions. Full length sizing alleviates worry that a gun may not function due to mixing up of brass fired from a different action. This is a subject I highly recommend research yourself to make the best decision for your personal needs.
My first tip has to do with measuring and determining seating depth. The easiest way I have decided seating depth is simply asking multiple people who shoot the projectile you've chosen (preferably who don't shoot with each other} what they seat to. What I look for most out of this is if I'm being told several different depths, typically the bullet isn't picky. Then I pick a good value in the middle and roll with it.
Now, I by no means claim this as a 100% foolproof method. It is just a method that has worked for me. There are other factors that can affect this such your specific chamber and simply the pickiness of your rifle. I then use my OAL gauge to determine what my OAL is, and choose what OAL I will load to from there. My main point here is measure several times (5+) and write them down. If you go with your first measurement, you may have jammed too far or not enough. What I mean by this is that you may have forced your bullets deep into the rifling of your barrel, past just touching, or may not be touching the rifling at all. Seeing what your average turns out to be is the number I usually go with.
The next part I am picky about is simply patience on the powder scale. The scientist in me yearns for ultimate precision on a scale. The Chargemaster is accurate to 0.1 grains, and I make sure I squeeze every bit of precision out of this I can. When the scale says stable, I usually give it an extra two or three seconds to make sure it doesn't jump. Furthermore, I have zero tolerance for "+/-" errors.
If I am shooting for 42.2 grains, I don't load the charge unless the scale has stabilized at the exact number. This may seem a little obvious, but some people aren't as peculiar and it can show on the range. To clarify, it is understood that once in the middle of a "node" for your particular rifle, you can have as large as +/- 0.3 grain spread in charge that has negligible effect of precision.
However, with any level of variance that can be caused by inexpensive electric scales, or how you calibrate a balance beam scale, holding yourself to a tight tolerance provides a piece of mind that you are less likely to jump out of your node. A little discipline here can prevent a lot of heartache behind the gun.
My final tip for loading actually has to do with the load testing itself. That is, shoot enough rounds for grouping and speed to be reliable. If you've never heard the concept "Statistical power", do a quick Google search. Basically, a bigger sample size always beats a smaller sample size. A lot of guys shoot 3 round groups to evaluate group size. In the long range game, the standard is a minimum of 5. I tend to not shoot ten because I am cheap, but it definitely is an effective method as well. For speed testing, it is widely accepted to shoot 5 shot strings. The scientist in me once again wants more statistical power and I try to shoot 10 when possible. I believe it gives a more accurate ES and gives you more peace of mind about SD.
Beyond all of this, the real key to reloading is discipline and humility. What I mean by this is always be looking to improve your methods and learn from others. Be humble enough to pick up the habits you believe will help improve. Once these habits have been learned, be disciplined enough to do it the same every single time. Don't get lazy because it is midnight, and you leave at 4 a.m. for the shoot 2 hours down the road. Your results will reflect. This leads me to another tidbit which is, load in advance if possible. I typically try to be loaded 2-3 days before a match. I find it less stressful and easier to be disciplined across each individual round. And once again, in case I didn't say it enough. The ultimate goal of reloading for long range guns is simple: "precision".
_____________________________________________________
Jose Gardner has been shooting and hunting since the age of 5, running hounds for big game in the Southeast. Moving to Big Sky country for school and work, he quickly found a passion for long range shooting. Still an avid hunter, he now also enjoys PRS style matches any time he gets a chance. He currently works as a food scientist and product developer in the beef, pork, and poultry industries.
