No need to yell. I kinda wanted to yell at the thought of people drinking and shooting or reloading. I only brought that up here because it was a reloading mistake/safety post. I will not shoot with someone who is drinking at the same time. I have the freedom to not participate.
What are the easiest mistakes you learned the most from when reloading?
- Thread starter NBShooter
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
D
Deleted member 108014
Guest
Make sure you make a full stroke on the press when seating especially and sizing.
1990 custom 7 STW. Cases would not chamber. Turns out I discovered you can cam over and push the shoulder back to the point it will swell out on the crease. Lesson learned: Cam over is not always required and focus on sizing to the point only that your rifle needs, not some generic rules.
Harvey Durham
Well-Known Member
KISS!! Keep it simple stupid. We've all heard this and your so right, simple and safe, there's no reason to change from what's already working for you. I agree 100%.
Capt RB
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2014
- Messages
- 1,994
I once loaded a bunch of shotshells without turning on the powder dispenser. I've had 2 centerfire misfires. 1 was an upside down primer and 1 the primer didn't work(could have been a used primer idk) I've had 3 3006 rounds from a box not fire. All because my firing pin spring had worn to much in that rifle.
I was given a Hodgdon manual and read the whole thing. I have since bought and read the #5 Sierra The #6 Nosler and the #9 Hornady. I have shooter's bible for reloading, Gun Digest for reloading and numerous other books about the finer points of reloading for precision shooting.
Cases you can run whatever for a point blank deer slayer. However to shoot consistently at distance you can get alot more sleep when you buy good brass to start with.
Let the rifle tell you what it wants not the other way around. Some guns will not shoot fast well. Others will, they decide not you.
Use good bullets for the task. I grew up using sierra's In the late 80's I discovered how well the ballistic tips killed with standard cartridges. I also learned that @ 300 wby velocity that was not the case.
I still have my original 502 scale It still calibrates each time I use it 38 years after I brought it home. I still use it to check my electronic powder dispenser. It flagged it last winter when my 10yo chargemaster gave up the ghost. It has since been replaced.
I was given a Hodgdon manual and read the whole thing. I have since bought and read the #5 Sierra The #6 Nosler and the #9 Hornady. I have shooter's bible for reloading, Gun Digest for reloading and numerous other books about the finer points of reloading for precision shooting.
Cases you can run whatever for a point blank deer slayer. However to shoot consistently at distance you can get alot more sleep when you buy good brass to start with.
Let the rifle tell you what it wants not the other way around. Some guns will not shoot fast well. Others will, they decide not you.
Use good bullets for the task. I grew up using sierra's In the late 80's I discovered how well the ballistic tips killed with standard cartridges. I also learned that @ 300 wby velocity that was not the case.
I still have my original 502 scale It still calibrates each time I use it 38 years after I brought it home. I still use it to check my electronic powder dispenser. It flagged it last winter when my 10yo chargemaster gave up the ghost. It has since been replaced.
Kansaswoodguy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2014
- Messages
- 773
Keep great notes
Only one powder on the bench at a time.
Start loading with powders listed in the Nosler or Sierra manual as accuracy loads for your bullet weight. This will give you a much better chance of success quickly.
Flashlight checking powder charges in loading block before seating bullets.
Trim cases .005-.010 under book length.
Only use a single shell holder of each size if you lose one recheck die shoulder bump with new one. Only bump shoulder .003
Roll finished rounds on the table looking for the tip of the bullet wobbling. If you can see the "runout" in your loaded rounds you have an issue in your equipment. This is all the runout or concentricity testing most people need.
Pick a primer and run with it don't drive yourself crazy beating that dead horse swapping primers isn't going to magically make a 3 MOA group shoot 1 MOA. Maybe and I stress maybe you can drop your sandard deviation in a great load playing with different primers.
Chase accuracy not speed.
Did I mention keeping great notes
Only one powder on the bench at a time.
Start loading with powders listed in the Nosler or Sierra manual as accuracy loads for your bullet weight. This will give you a much better chance of success quickly.
Flashlight checking powder charges in loading block before seating bullets.
Trim cases .005-.010 under book length.
Only use a single shell holder of each size if you lose one recheck die shoulder bump with new one. Only bump shoulder .003
Roll finished rounds on the table looking for the tip of the bullet wobbling. If you can see the "runout" in your loaded rounds you have an issue in your equipment. This is all the runout or concentricity testing most people need.
Pick a primer and run with it don't drive yourself crazy beating that dead horse swapping primers isn't going to magically make a 3 MOA group shoot 1 MOA. Maybe and I stress maybe you can drop your sandard deviation in a great load playing with different primers.
Chase accuracy not speed.
Did I mention keeping great notes
trackhoehunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2009
- Messages
- 118
Finally something i can chime in on. I tell people all the time I cant help you by showing you what to do, but i can definitely show you what not to do! Make sure you have the right die in press. yes im serious. All those redding seaters look pretty similar especially the big ones. A 338lm seater makes a 7rum case look like a nehi nelly washer when trying to seat a tiny little 180 vld. [did i say that outloud?] Find new friends. Ones on a budget of your own. How can you ever have a happy wife/happy life when your trying to "keep up with the Jones's", but in this case REMMY 700! Have you seen the rifles that guys trying to sell?! Id hate to see [secretly love] to see the ones hes keeping! Im terrible with this, but when you get a new rifle try with all that is within you to finish load workup on the rifle/cartridge/caliber that is in your press. Then move on to the new one. It kinda sucks in my opinion to have to go backnforth/backnforth just because some guy on lens for sale forum had somethin better than sliced bread for a loafa bread price that you had to spend your life savings on.
Different rifles are different to load for even in the same caliber. When I was first reloading over 40 years ago I had some 3006 loads fory rifle with the bullet set just back of the lands. Happened to be at my father in laws and he was getting ready to go hunting so I gave him a box of my loaded shells since he shot a 3006 also. While hunting he shot a mule buck and he went down and of course dad Chambered another round. When it wasn't needed he opened the bolt to unload his rifle and the bullet stuck in the barrel and he dumped powder all over in the chamber. Needless to say he wasn't very .happy with my reloading. Since that time I have reloaded a lot of loads for him that were loaded for his rifles and worked great.
Rule #1 if you change one thing you change everything.
I started loading in 67 or 68. I learned to take nothing for granted. Have a notebook and keep it up to date. It's neet to look back 20 years to see what you were doing back in the good old days.
Six pages and only from yesterday. Lol
When I clicked on this thread I thought. "Bet they have a 6.5 Creed".
Well. Anyway. Ive only read through the first page.
Dont scrimp from the get go.
Got 5 more pages to read before I get smarter.
When I clicked on this thread I thought. "Bet they have a 6.5 Creed".
Well. Anyway. Ive only read through the first page.
Dont scrimp from the get go.
Got 5 more pages to read before I get smarter.
That's very funny ! Only cause my face made the same expression as I was reading you post. Haha
NBShooter
Active Member
Oh I've seen and shot most of them lol hasn't brought out the 50 yet though. Maybe someday. He knows the budget situation and actually got me where I am in this whole game so far and saved me a huge amount of money in the process. Cost me a lot of beer but meh I end up drinking a lot of it with him anyways haha.
Similar threads
