Need help reloading

[Mike Matteson]

Sound like you found something that it likes. You should have used the Chronographs all the time. You would have gotten than much more information at the same time. Your SD/ES is very important to you. 100yds is one thing, and 1000yds is another thing. So getting those to to lowest numbers will take care of the long range shooting.
Keep working at it. The mandrel would help on case stretch.

 

[villagelightsmith]

After a couple of years, I just now noticed a warning on my induction annealer. "Be careful if you have a pacemaker." Nothing else; just "be careful."
Uh, yeah? Heartburn, anybody? Keep some Tums real handy? (They make good target spots!) Sorry, having been re-plumbed in so many ways, I'm so full of scrap metal I just think it's hilarious. My wife doesn't see the humor in it, but I do! Having made it halfway thru my 8th decade of a very active life, I will be stealing Ed Zern's old byline in the end; "Exit Laughing!" ~~~__/)_~~~~ Sail on!

 

[Mike Matteson]

After a couple of years, I just now noticed a warning on my induction annealer. "Be careful if you have a pacemaker." Nothing else; just "be careful."
Uh, yeah? Heartburn, anybody? Keep some Tums real handy? (They make good target spots!) Sorry, having been re-plumbed in so many ways, I'm so full of scrap metal I just think it's hilarious. My wife doesn't see the humor in it, but I do! Having made it halfway thru my 8th decade of a very active life, I will be stealing Ed Zern's old byline in the end; "Exit Laughing!" ~~~__/)_~~~~ Sail on!

Me too! No pacemaker yet. About halfway into my 7th decade.

 

[Starlite]

Been a while sense I have been on here. So here is a little update. I have taken in a lot of what people have said on here and tried a few things. I honestly think one of my biggest problems was the way i was measuring powder. i brought out the trusty beam scale and noticed the way i was doing before was inconsistence. So i invested in a different powder measurer and i honestly check almost ever charge with the beam scale. My 6mm Creedmoor i just resized the whole batch with using the expander ball instead of the expander mandrel like butter bean suggested i have not loaded and shot them yet but we will see shortly. The 6mm creedmore seams to like the VV-N160 I have a box of 95gr Berger's left and then i will start load development for either 108 gr or some 112 grs that i have. Not sure powder i am going to use yet but i have a few choses. Seams like i am heading down the right path though know even going back to some of my old loads i developed that were not shooting that well and measuring them more consistently and or more accurate. i also have stepped away from the magneeto speed while trying to find something that shoots well and will check SD and ES after find good groups. i was really excited last time i went and shot the 6.5 creedmoor i was testing seating depths one last time with the 6.5 staball to give it one last chance before i decided to stop using it and i shot a 4 shot group that was almost all in the same hole probably under .25 moa. I don't know if i just got lucky or actually found something it likes but i haven't been able to get back out and reload some more and verify that but ill keep you guys updated. Again if you decided to post on here and provide input i appreciate all the help!!!

Very interesting N-160. Hmmm hadn't considered it in my 6creed. IN MY 6.5CM I did a little experimenting with the heavier Pills IIR. Now I have a project for the weekend. I'm currently trialing some NOS 6mm moly coated Berger @95gr. If I remember I'll PM you the results. Don't give up on that StaBall powder. I find it worked really well with hottie primers like CCI 450

 

[greenejc]

For the 6mm & 6.5mm Creedmoor try some factory match ammo to see what it does. Like Federal Gold Metal or Hornady match. This will give you an idea if there is something goofy with reloading or something in the firearms.

What brand of brass and bullets are you using? Is the brass same brand and lot number?

Even more important: It will give you a baseline for your rifles.

 

[a_savage02]

Even more important: It will give you a baseline for your rifles.

Factory ammo is to dang expensive though.

 

[a_savage02]

Very interesting N-160. Hmmm hadn't considered it in my 6creed. IN MY 6.5CM I did a little experimenting with the heavier Pills IIR. Now I have a project for the weekend. I'm currently trialing some NOS 6mm moly coated Berger @95gr. If I remember I'll PM you the results. Don't give up on that StaBall powder. I find it worked really well with hottie primers like CCI 450

Yeah I bought it in an impulse buy and was supposed to be good for the 300 wm but I was getting really low velocities so I decided to try in 30-06 and 6mm creedmoor and both seam to like it 6mm more then the 06. I'm able to get a consistent 1 moa group with it sometimes 1/2 moa

 

[greenejc]

Factory ammo is to dang expensive though.

It is, but then you reload the brass, and you seem to need a baseline which it will give you. One or two boxes with the right bullet weight will give you your velocity and accuracy baseline.

 

[Mike Matteson]

If you do the right things or correct things. It's a better load, and it should fit what you want out of your rifle or rifles. Do a lot of research on what is needed to get the performances out of your rifle and loads. Read several times and maybe only buy once. I have spent the last 1.5 yrs. Reading and up grading my reloading equipment. That is because of having a wildcat rifle built. I really want to see what I can do and extend my range out to 7 to 8 hundred yards. Under or at 500yds to 600yds is a different store, and don't need to go that rough. Components are the biggest items to acquire to reload.

 

[QuietTexan]

Factory ammo is to dang expensive though.

Expensive in money, and also in time spent and effort wasted shooting something you never had control over. When I miss it's my fault, no excuses

 

[Mike Matteson]

Expensive in money, and also in time spent and effort wasted shooting something you never had control over. When I miss it's my fault, no excuses

I agree fully. I miss it's my fault.

 

[LRNut]

Also only change one thing at a time, then test. Otherwise your just wasting components and chasing your tail.

If you know how to run a DOE (design of experiments) you can switch two at a time - it's purpose is to identify the interaction of variables. I have never tried it reloading but it is common in industrial statistics. Be interested to see if anyone has applied DOE to reloading.

 

[Mike Matteson]

If you know how to run a DOE (design of experiments) you can switch two at a time - it's purpose is to identify the interaction of variables. I have never tried it reloading but it is common in industrial statistics. Be interested to see if anyone has applied DOE to reloading.

I don't really know where you are coming from DOE? To me reloading is cutting down the variables in reloading, such as uniformed Volume, Powder. uniform primer pockets and flash holes, seating primers, neck tension, type of bullets, seating of bullets, cutting the necks for thickness, case length uniform, annealing. Yes you can change several of those items, and come up with a different velocity, and grouping. One other is correct twist rate for the bullets you are going to use. All depends what you want or working for. To me the whole thing is getting that group of 5 or 10 down to the smallest size possible, with what skill you have or apply. Once you get that put together grouping is down 5 or 10 touching or through the same hole. Your done. The only reason you miss is you can't shoot.

 

[LRNut]

I don't really know where you are coming from DOE? To me reloading is cutting down the variables in reloading, such as uniformed Volume, Powder. uniform primer pockets and flash holes, seating primers, neck tension, type of bullets, seating of bullets, cutting the necks for thickness, case length uniform, annealing. Yes you can change several of those items, and come up with a different velocity, and grouping. One other is correct twist rate for the bullets you are going to use. All depends what you want or working for. To me the whole thing is getting that group of 5 or 10 down to the smallest size possible, with what skill you have or apply. Once you get that put together grouping is down 5 or 10 touching or through the same hole. Your done. The only reason you miss is you can't shoot.

When you change one thing at a time you can't identify any interaction of variables. I am not saying I conduct DOEs when trying to find good loads, but I would be interested in hearing from anyone that has. Here is more info:

Design of Experiments