New to reloading question.

[betolatinlu]

Hi guys just looking some advice. I am slowly getting into reloading for my 308. Guidelines in lee reloading manual min 43 - 47 max gr . I loaded around 100 between the guidelines and think I was grouping good at 47grs. I haven't shot in awhile, I am using 165 hornady gr gmx. I have around 50 rounds loaded at the max 47 gr maximum guideline. Is this OK? Or should I have kept a little below it? I've probably been reading to much different opinions on this on the web and now I'm a bit concerned I shouldn't have loaded at the maximum figure incase its not safe.
Any help from someone with experience would be great thanks. The rifle I am using is a Remington 700 varmint.
Maybe it's a stupid question I've asked but I've limited knowledge of reloading and want to keep everything safe.

I like to start at a couple of grains below maximum and work up in increments of .5 grains or less
If you load as many as you did and yout later find that it's too hot a load for your rifle that's a lot of bullets you're gonna have to pull.

 

[betolatinlu]

OK thanks I've already 50 rounds loaded at maximum figure in manual. Do you think they will be OK? The maximum was 47 grs that's what I done them at. Or should I not use them?

I have a .308 too and I once loaded 47 grains of CFE223 and found it to be too hot. It was the max. load listed yet it was obviously too hot .Luckily I only loaded a few and just pulled the bullets and down to 45 grains with no problem.

 

[PBR driver]

Hi guys just looking some advice. I am slowly getting into reloading for my 308. Guidelines in lee reloading manual min 43 - 47 max gr . I loaded around 100 between the guidelines and think I was grouping good at 47grs. I haven't shot in awhile, I am using 165 hornady gr gmx. I have around 50 rounds loaded at the max 47 gr maximum guideline. Is this OK? Or should I have kept a little below it? I've probably been reading to much different opinions on this on the web and now I'm a bit concerned I shouldn't have loaded at the maximum figure incase its not safe.
Any help from someone with experience would be great thanks. The rifle I am using is a Remington 700 varmint.
Maybe it's a stupid question I've asked but I've limited knowledge of reloading and want to keep everything safe.

My best advise is easy and the best way for the average joe to keep loads safe, saving your firearm, brass, fingers, and eyes in save condition.
Buy a 0.0001" micrometer and learn how to use it.
1, Fire factory ammo out of your chamber.
2, Measure your case expansion of the rounds fired at the expansion ring.
3, average the case expansion of rounds fired to the 0.0001".
As you work up loads measure your case expansion if your hand loads to the 0.0001".
When your handlisda reach the same case expansion as the factory loads then you have reached the maximum loads with your components in your chamber.
As a Certified Gunsmith and commercial reloader this is the best way to keep yourself out of trouble.
Best of luck, enjoy the world of reliading!

 

[Lefty G-gear]

Hi guys just looking some advice. I am slowly getting into reloading for my 308. Guidelines in lee reloading manual min 43 - 47 max gr . I loaded around 100 between the guidelines and think I was grouping good at 47grs. I haven't shot in awhile, I am using 165 hornady gr gmx. I have around 50 rounds loaded at the max 47 gr maximum guideline. Is this OK? Or should I have kept a little below it? I've probably been reading to much different opinions on this on the web and now I'm a bit concerned I shouldn't have loaded at the maximum figure incase its not safe.
Any help from someone with experience would be great thanks. The rifle I am using is a Remington 700 varmint.
Maybe it's a stupid question I've asked but I've limited knowledge of reloading and want to keep everything safe.

SIGNS of HIGH PRESSURE = TOO MUCH POWDER

 

[stljc2]

Here's my train of thought.
1.) Pressure test load range. Usually 3 rounds in each .5 gr. increment. Checking for pressure signs when I shoot them. Basically what I'm doing is proofing to my self the loads are safe they way I put them together. Powder, amount of powder, primer type, how deep I've seated the bullet in relation to the lands of the barrel and ogive of the bullet. If I start running into pressure signs I back off a grain or two of powder. If I have more bullets that I loaded before knowing where my pressure signs were I will stop there and pull the bullets, dump the powder, back into original lot, if I still have it. If not then I would like to think I'd just dump it . I have never been left hanging like that so whatever. YES I do use a crony to gather ft/s Standard deviation(SD), average ft/s. I'll compare the info gathered and try and pick a few with low sd's and with fairly good ft/s (to insure proper bullet performance at distance).

2.)Then I load up 5 rounds each, compare results and pick one that best suites my needs. Some much smarter people than me have said that you need 10 rounds per particular load to get sd's you can really utilize. I'm supposing they are right I just have never done it. So keep it in mind.

 

[L.Sherm]

Remingtons are notorious for cratered primers not necessarily because of pressure but sloppy firing pin holes that need bushed.

 

[BigJohnH]

Hi guys just looking some advice. I am slowly getting into reloading for my 308. Guidelines in lee reloading manual min 43 - 47 max gr . I loaded around 100 between the guidelines and think I was grouping good at 47grs. I haven't shot in awhile, I am using 165 hornady gr gmx. I have around 50 rounds loaded at the max 47 gr maximum guideline. Is this OK? Or should I have kept a little below it? I've probably been reading to much different opinions on this on the web and now I'm a bit concerned I shouldn't have loaded at the maximum figure incase its not safe.
Any help from someone with experience would be great thanks. The rifle I am using is a Remington 700 varmint.
Maybe it's a stupid question I've asked but I've limited knowledge of reloading and want to keep everything safe.

I have been reloading for some time and the answer is 2 fold, 1) NEVER NOT KNOW THE ANSWER. 2) IF YOU DON'T WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU PULL THE TRIGGER...… DON'T PULL THE TRIGGER. Do you have a bullet puller? If so pull all the bullets but 5 of the max loads, start over with the minimum and space out 5 rounds form 43 to the max loads you saved. IF YOU NOTICE ANY DEFORMATION IN EITHER THE CASE OR THE PRIMER OR THE BOLT BECOMES HARD TO OPEN STOP THERE!!

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

I use the RCBS Collets, for 4 calibers and have yet to mark up a bullet, they come in the condition they were seated. The RCBS collets are a touch pricey, because you have to get mostly caliber specific, but they work 100% and why risk ruining some of these bullets, that can get to be on the expensive side.

I've ruined/marked up a lot more bullets using the RCBS collet bullet puller than I ever have with a kinetic hammer puller. You don't have to blast the hammer like your Thor! You just use enough energy to get the bullet out. Two sometimes three hits on a solid surface will remove the bullet relatively gently without causing any damage to the tip. A cushioning material in the containment cavity is essential. With the collet puller AND the proper collet bullets like Sierra Game Kings, Nosler BTs or ABs will slip off if the collet is not tight enough or if too tight will put a ring around the bullet.

 

[WahooYahoo]

Start low or in the middle range of the factory stated powder recommendations by loading 3 cases at half grain increments until you get the desired group or seeing pressure signs. Never exceed max load limits.

Start low or in the middle range of the factory stated powder recommendations by loading 3 cases at half grain increments until you get the desired group or seeing pressure signs. Never exceed max load limits.

Never?
You meant to say never rely on the books right? Hornady 175ELD-X in a 7 mag with H1000... "book" says max is 60.4 grains. I found first pressure signs at 71.4. I load at 68.9 for a mild, accurate load.
To the OP, get Quickload. The manuals are useless today due to liability.

 

[jbike44]

Nothing wrong with a kinetic puller. But the shell holder suppiied with the puller is made of aluminum. And with a lot of use they can fail. You can use a regular shell holder that you use on your reloading press as the cartridge holder in the kinetic bullet puller.

 

[L.Sherm]

Hornady 175ELD-X in a 7 mag with H1000... "book" says max is 60.4 grains.

What Book?

 

[misterc01]

You might want to take a step back and define what you want to do, what kind of shooting, which will lead to the best practices for your reloading. Not sure why you started with a Hornady bullet, and then take load data from Lee. "Normally" you look at the bullet Mfr. book, and then check in others. As a beginner - it is NOT a good idea to load at or near max. As others have said, start lower and work your way up. I looked at the velocities I could get at various powder weights, and am not shooting near max, and I am getting the results I want. I shoot long range. And believe me reloading for precision shooting is something you ease yourself into. I found that most of the time is in case prep, and priming and powder loading takes almost no time - once you have defined your parameters of your shooing. SAFETY is number rune, so be sure you double check everything you die. I personally use a checklist and follow it as I load using the same steps in the same order and check off as I go. I don't miss things the tray. AND my checklist has grown with more steps and refinements as I learned more. Keep good records! Every case load, how many times fired, processes used, etc. Makes it easy to look back to see if you need or want to change parameters going from something known to something getting ready to be known. I also use collet bullet puller. Cleaner, easier, more controllable and no mess! And HAVE FUN!

 

[misterc01]

Yes I'v done exactly the same and it's still wasted effort, because plastic tipped bullets still get damaged and broken (Nosler Ballistic Tips back in the day). If it makes a ballistical issue or not, who knows, but it's still wasted effort.

I have used my collet puller, no problems, no mess and bullets shoot just fine. There ways to not make a mess with kinetic puller, but too much bother for me. PLUS I can partially extract a bullet if I seated it too deep and then reseat. Of course I have a kinetic puller for a backup, but to date never used it.

 

[misterc01]

I've ruined/marked up a lot more bullets using the RCBS collet bullet puller than I ever have with a kinetic hammer puller. You don't have to blast the hammer like your Thor! You just use enough energy to get the bullet out. Two sometimes three hits on a solid surface will remove the bullet relatively gently without causing any damage to the tip. A cushioning material in the containment cavity is essential. With the collet puller AND the proper collet bullets like Sierra Game Kings, Nosler BTs or ABs will slip off if the collet is not tight enough or if too tight will put a ring around the bullet.

I have not damaged any bullets to date using my RCBS collet puller. Soft touch, and just enough pressure to hold the bullet, and gently remove it. Just had to take apart some Sierra Tipped Match Kings and no deformations, tips were fine and they shot great.