Best reloader for Precision long range?

[Bart B]

I had him pick up a hundred or so cases at the range the next time they shot. He brings the cases over with three of his shooting buddies. I ran them thru a generic Forster .308 die that I borrowed from a buddy of mine. Seated Federal primers, and nothing else. We reloaded the cases with the saved powder and maybe got fifty rounds that had about .0017" of run out. He comes in the following Monday with another four or five targets that had six inch groups.

I find that remarkable.

One Captain of the US Army Reserve Team, CWO4 Billy Atkins, told me years ago they tried using fired LC M118 match cases to reload for their M14 match rifles. None of them shot nearly as accurate as new M118 ammo with those having less than .002" runout. Nor as accurate as commercial match ammo. Their case heads were slammed out of square too much against bolt faces that were not squared up.

I've never heard from any LC M118 ammo shooting groups that it shot under 1.5 MOA at 600 or 1000 yards in M14's. 10 inches was the best it would do at 600 yards from arsenal test barrels in bolt actions that were more precision than any M14 barrel.

 

[Vamike9]

Thanks to everyone, I have enough info now to make my decision. Merry Christmas to everyone

 

[Trickymissfit]

I find that remarkable.

One Captain of the US Army Reserve Team, CWO4 Billy Atkins, told me years ago they tried using fired LC M118 match cases to reload for their M14 match rifles. None of them shot nearly as accurate as new M118 ammo with those having less than .002" runout. Nor as accurate as commercial match ammo. Their case heads were slammed out of square too much against bolt faces that were not squared up.

I've never heard from any LC M118 ammo shooting groups that it shot under 1.5 MOA at 600 or 1000 yards in M14's. 10 inches was the best it would do at 600 yards from arsenal test barrels in bolt actions that were more precision than any M14 barrel.

The reason we used the once fired brass was simply because we didn't have any cases, and their rules spec'd that brass and bullet. I didn't notice any bent brass, or anything like that, other than some cases that were crushed in the neck area. Have no idea what the barrel and chamber were like as I never saw their rifles. But was offered the chance more than once. If the shoulders were short, I never noticed it, but never really checked the head space. Yet I set the die up very slightly long so as not to push the shoulder back any. The guy we borrowed the die from shot service rifle with an M14 or an M1 Garand in .308. On the other hand another guy I knew had a bunch of brass he shot thru an HK, and the brass was literally junk after one firing. What I wish I'd done now was to check the fired cases out o the rifle he used. The gauge I used most of the time back then was kinda crude, but would pick up a banana instantly. Never saw any.

Ralph was some kind of a big time shooter in the Marine Corp before going to Vietnam. Have no idea what he did over there as he rarely talked about it. When he came home he was out of the military even though he was a high ranking NCO. Then about ten years later he joined the Army Reserve. When Ralph and I first met; I was just learning to use a Neco gauge, and he saw me checking some cases on a surface plate. Just trying it out as I had a bunch of dial indicators to pick from. As for their rifles, the only thing I know about them was that they were pretty much basic sniper rifles that were built out of select parts off site (where?)
gary