reloading kits

[Elk whack master]

Got the rock chucker supreme. Loaded 50 new brass .300winmag with 180g nosler ballistic tips with 73g of reloader 22. One question i have is, do these need to be crimped or not. I have heard both ways. Would this load be good for bear or do i need a more solid bullet, the box says for deer and antilope. Looks like a wicked little mushroom of a bullet on the box. I need more brass to load and more dies. Reloading is so much fun, i should have started a long time ago!

[Huntbear]

Got the rock chucker supreme. Loaded 50 new brass .300winmag with 180g nosler ballistic tips with 73g of reloader 22. One question i have is, do these need to be crimped or not. I have heard both ways. Would this load be good for bear or do i need a more solid bullet, the box says for deer and antilope. Looks like a wicked little mushroom of a bullet on the box. I need more brass to load and more dies. Reloading is so much fun, i should have started a long time ago!

Sorry, but need to ask are you serious?  Not meaning any disrespect, but you just picked a load and loaded 50 of them??? 

[runamuk]

My setup is all gifts from people some older some newer a mixed bag of brands but at the end of the day I can load what I need for my rifle and handguns by adding dies so it works.  I cannot wait to set it all up had to store it for a bit but gonna have room for a relaoding area very soon and so excited...

[Elk whack master]

Yeah i know i should have done a few in case they didn't work well, but I'll going shooting with someone else who will be shooting it to so i decieded  to load em all. Just remember i'm new to this and have alot to learn. I'll take any tips and sugggestions you can throw my way.  Thanks

[wraithen]

How did you pick that load? I like to figure out what everyone else has trouble getting packed perfectly and sometimes have compressed loads. After that I take the max listed charge and back it down half a grain (this is just for 30-30 and .223, not sure how much I'd back off for the magnums.) I consider that my starting load and increase by .2 grains in groups of 5 rounds. I do ladder testing up to .5 over max published load. First sign I'm too hot and I omit that group entirely, time to pull bullets. So far though I am .5 over max pressure for my .223 and my 30-30 and I haven't been able to get better groups. I'm sure my barrel life is drastically shortened but I figure I'm almost half through my .223 anyway.

[Elk whack master]

I picked reloader 22 cause it works for lots of differnt weights of bullets. The load was from the speer book for my bulllet and weight. It was the lightest load for 180g with that powder. I picked those bullets cause they were the cheapest to pratice on. How do you work up a load? Whats your technique?

[wraithen]

In my experience the lighter loads are not even close to the most accurate. Working up loads is a bit of a chore for me since I can only fire weekends and those seem to get busy pretty fast. 50 rounds is a lot to fire if you are disappointed in your groups. And don't think a lighter load will hit just lower than a higher load. My lighter loads seem to hit low and left. Same goes for my lighter bullets too for some reason.

[JimmyHoffa]

In my experience the lighter loads are not even close to the most accurate. Working up loads is a bit of a chore for me since I can only fire weekends and those seem to get busy pretty fast. 50 rounds is a lot to fire if you are disappointed in your groups. And don't think a lighter load will hit just lower than a higher load. My lighter loads seem to hit low and left. Same goes for my lighter bullets too for some reason.

From my understanding, using lighter load with the same powder usually results in more unused case volume which is more variance---not always better grouping.  You can make a lighter load with a different powder that fills more case volume and *should* eliminate some of that variance to tighten up groups.  One of the nice things about reloading is you can keep mix-n-matching the components to find what works best.
As for where the bullet hits, I get similar results--thinking it is based off the barrel harmonics.  I've had some go low and then when lowered a bit more will go high--but that was a point floated bolt action.

[wraithen]

My preference is to invite them over to use my tools and let them load their own. Again it's a great hobby, be careful and have fun with it.

I've had buddies request me loading for them several times. I'm in no way comfortable doing that. Reloading is a science, but it has been perfected for you. Just take your time and enjoy the ride. As long as you know what to look for and aren't looking for the fastest loads you should be ok. It is dangerous, but not in the sense that you'll kill yourself if you follow the rules, and even then you'll probably survive the mistake. Start simple and you won't over buy like I did. It gets kind of addictive though. Just try convincing the wife that you want a lead furnace so you can even make your own bullets! 

[jaymark6655]

In my selection process, I look at which loads fill the most case space.  Usually that same load also produces the highest velocity listed in the manual I am using.  Then I load 5 rounds at the starting load listed in my manual and work up to the max load in 1 grain increments.  I then shoot them and stop at the first sign of pressure.  Then I look a the goupings to determine which load was the most accurate and that is what I use. 

Usually you cannot use one powder for sever different calibers and expect the best accuracy.  I do have a power that works for every caliber rifle that I shoot and is cheap, but only use it for fun shooting with kids were accuracy isnt as important as shooting a ton of rounds really cheap.

Plus side to using a powder that almost fills the case, if you accidently try to put in a double charge it over flows and you know you have messed up before its too late.

On bullet selection, the 180 Gr Nosler Ballistic Tip says that it was designed for thin skined game such as deer.  It might work on a bear, but it might not perform very well.  Nosler Accubounds are designed for Deer, Elk,  and Bear if you want a round for all types of game.

Those rounds do not need to be crimped.  In fact if you dont have the right die, crimping bullets without a crimp groove might be impossible.  Only time I think you have to crimp is if there are I crimp because it can lead to more consistant pressure, meaning more accurate or if I am shooting them through a semi-auto or something with a tube magizine.

[Huntbear]

I picked reloader 22 cause it works for lots of differnt weights of bullets. The load was from the speer book for my bulllet and weight. It was the lightest load for 180g with that powder. I picked those bullets cause they were the cheapest to pratice on. How do you work up a load? Whats your technique?

I pick a bullet that I want to use, for example in my .338 WM I used 225 gr. Accubonds by Nosler. 

I then do some research about what powder works best in the above mentioned .338 example.. I read a lot, ask even more.

I pick what brand of brass I want to use.

I start somewhere in the middle of the load data for that powder, and load 5 rounds, then I move up half a grain and load 5 more, etc.. until I get close to max...

I then go shoot these rounds in a very controlled environment, off a bench, no rush on time, etc...

I will usually find one load that shoots very well.   Next I go back to my reloading bench, and start "fine tuning" the load, moving up and down 1/10 of a grain (sometimes that means I am at max load, sometimes a bit less), playing with COAL until I have the load dialed in where I want it.   Then and only then do I get out a chronograph and see how fast it shoots....  usually I am very happy when it is all said and done.

My .338 WM handloads shoot 1/2 moa out to 500 yards all day long, provided I do my job behind the trigger.   That makes me a happy camper come elk season..

I do this no matter what gun, what caliber, what bullet, or what powder..  It is how I was taught 30 years ago, and it always works and I have never had an issue...

[Curly]

Got the rock chucker supreme. Loaded 50 new brass .300winmag with 180g nosler ballistic tips with 73g of reloader 22. One question i have is, do these need to be crimped or not. I have heard both ways. Would this load be good for bear or do i need a more solid bullet, the box says for deer and antilope. Looks like a wicked little mushroom of a bullet on the box. I need more brass to load and more dies. Reloading is so much fun, i should have started a long time ago!

Do what Huntbear says.

Reloader 22 is probably the most used powder for 300WM.  Myself, for my rifles and particular bullet, I found H1000 to be really good in 300WM, but I did get more velocity from R22.   I would never load up 50 cartridges with a load that is unproven in my rifle........might as well go buy a couple boxes of factory ammo.  Once you've gotten the load dialed in like Huntbear explained, then is the time to go and load up 50 rounds.

Anyway, if you like the BT performance, then go get some Accubonds and load them up.  They should be similar to the BT but they will hold together.  I wouldn't want to shoot bear with BT's (actually I wouldn't even want to shoot deer with BT's out of a 300WM either).

[wraithen]

While were on  this and not to hijack, but does anybody believe buying brass is a bad idea? I only ask because generally I can buy off the shelf ammo for cheaper than the brass. I'd prefer the extra trigger time over the virgin brass, but maybe I'm missing something. I know this isn't the best idea for loads that eat brass, but I don't have that issue with my current calibers.

[Huntbear]

I buy at least 100 new unfired brass when I start working up a load.  I buy up to 500you more once my load is worked up properly.

[jaymark6655]

I usually buy PMC Bronze for my .308.  It is unfired brass and a pretty accurate, very cheap round to shoot at the range for practice.  The bonus is then it is basically fire-formed for my rifle.

I get awesome accuracy out of that brass with my reloads (less than .25 MOA) so I haven't felt the need to buy brass.  I don't see any benifit to it, but tons of people seem to improve accuracy by buying certain brass (Lupua), having the brass last longer and some even weigh the empty casings and then sort them out into matching weights.  Guess I am lucky and dont have to do that.