Need help reloading

[Mike Matteson]

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

Just changing primers from one manufacture to another can things a lot. You want to know what effects the grouping and velocity. Powder not weight correctly or inaccurately or even by a tenths of grains change things a lot. More so at longer ranges. Concentricity is the name of the game.

 

[Starlite]

Just changing primers from one manufacture to another can things a lot. You want to know what effects the grouping and velocity. Powder not weight correctly or inaccurately or even by a tenths of grains change things a lot. More so at longer ranges. Concentricity is the name of the game.

Concentric precision doesn't seem to play that big of a deal in my reloading. Mind you I'm not shooting animals beyond 600m. At our club I thought I'd prove this point. I loaded without checking and a fellow member did. We then fired them thru the same rifle by a 3rd shooter who didn't know which one was fired. There was no noticeable difference. Now. Bare in mind I didn't purposely misalign the projectile so… Point being with good equipment you don't need to worry on such things. Just my experience. Not for me to tell a fella how to spend his time.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I've been reloading for 60 years now. Even as a kid I load for Accuracies, and a later I loaded for Accuracies, and Velocity. To me is getting the best out of a round that can be had, the fun of achieving that. So do as you want. I was pointing out. There was some pictures on difference primers being used. It made about 3/4" difference between the two types of primers. No changes in powder, bullets, cases, just primers. So if you don't explore, you don't know. I have Fed 210, 210M, 215, 215M, CCI BR2's, Rem 9 1/2 just to see what works better. That doesn't includes small rifle and pistol primers. Now just a simple change in primers can make that big of a difference. That's a lot in my estimation. You don't have to do any of that. I do and a lot more. I would like to achieve a bug hole with 5 shot group. I have come very close in my 220 swift a great many years ago.

 

[Starlite]

I've been reloading for 60 years now. Even as a kid I load for Accuracies, and a later I loaded for Accuracies, and Velocity. To me is getting the best out of a round that can be had, the fun of achieving that. So do as you want. I was pointing out. There was some pictures on difference primers being used. It made about 3/4" difference between the two types of primers. No changes in powder, bullets, cases, just primers. So if you don't explore, you don't know. I have Fed 210, 210M, 215, 215M, CCI BR2's, Rem 9 1/2 just to see what works better. That doesn't includes small rifle and pistol primers. Now just a simple change in primers can make that big of a difference. That's a lot in my estimation. You don't have to do any of that. I do and a lot more. I would like to achieve a bug hole with 5 shot group. I have come very close in my 220 swift a great many years ago.

Don't misconstrue my comment. I also experiment with many different powders, primers, brass, pill seating depths looking for best results that I can shoot. So..one less things I no longer have to do to improve my shooting.
I know several bench-rest shooters that weigh every piece of brass, pills; counting every kernel of powder, even weighing primers. They Measure PBTO (Projectile Base To Ogive), CBTO, trim all brass necks…you get the idea. They spend hours and hours reloading, which is totally their prerogative. I have out shot these guys with factory ammo at times. I'm not tooting my our horn. I'm simply stating that I know what I know and know what I simply can't accomplish regardless if our best shooters loaded my ammo. I no longer shoot out to 1000M+ hunting and seldom for fun either. I prove my ammo out to 600m and stop. I hope you get that 5 in 1 hole often. I doubt I will and it took me a lot of shooting to realize that and I'm ok with it.
again no disrespect.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I came very close to it with my 220 swift many a time. Other than that I am generally about 1/2" 100yds. I am good even out to 500yds with almost anything I shoot. That where I generally stop at. I am building a rifle and I am going to move out to 700 to 800 yards. I am looking at Perry dogs. For fun getting the varmints out of the fields. ?When I was younger I love to take out ground squirrels at 400 yards. There only about 1"+ wide. So you loads had to be good to do the work. Most of the work is at the very first, and after that it isn't that much. Equipment really helps to get that done.
I better understand where you are coming from, and it's enough to do what you want. i would waste my time either.

 

[TXTrained]

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!!!

If youcan swing it.Buy you a batch Lapua, or ADG or Peterson or Nosler brass. Ive not had any issuessince using these brands. My inconsistent loads pretty much went out the door when I swapped.I still use Hornady Brass on my 6mm ARC because I have so much ov it and its not being made by others very much yet