Newbie Load Questions.

[LndShrk]

Ok so as I begin this journey into reloading I find myself continuing to face a few questions.

Let me begin by stating I intend to start out with 2 loads, .270 win and .300 winmag.

Now for me I want to load using the Barnes TTSX bullets. for the .270 they will be 130gr and for the .300 they will be the 180gr.

I have the Barnes data on these loads and all is well there. I could follow a specific prescription there if all things were perfect. However I live in KingCounty. 

Seriously though. I read allot and have a few books including the ABC's etc. What I am looking for though is some insight from experienced loaders. I am trying to understand how to interpret the information in many of these books. Most specifically related to the Barnes bullets as they "appear" to not fall into one of the normal categories.


Now for the questions.

1. Bulletwise. What do I really look at to match with? (for this sake lets say I am looking at the Nosler book and trying to load Barnes) 
2. Cases, does brand really matter? (other than longevity and durability assume fired once).
3. Primers what does one really look for across brands?
4. Powders! I understand this is a touchy place, and I have some information for my specific loads. However with the current "Retail" availability I would like to understand how experienced loaders look at specific powders to determine their decisions.

Sorry for the long winded question just trying to tie everything together.
and thanks for any input.

[1J04]

Ok so as I begin this journey into reloading I find myself continuing to face a few questions.

Let me begin by stating I intend to start out with 2 loads, .270 win and .300 winmag.

Now for me I want to load using the Barnes TTSX bullets. for the .270 they will be 130gr and for the .300 they will be the 180gr.

I have the Barnes data on these loads and all is well there. I could follow a specific prescription there if all things were perfect. However I live in KingCounty. 

Seriously though. I read allot and have a few books including the ABC's etc. What I am looking for though is some insight from experienced loaders. I am trying to understand how to interpret the information in many of these books. Most specifically related to the Barnes bullets as they "appear" to not fall into one of the normal categories.


Now for the questions.

1. Bulletwise. What do I really look at to match with? (for this sake lets say I am looking at the Nosler book and trying to load Barnes) 
2. Cases, does brand really matter? (other than longevity and durability assume fired once).
3. Primers what does one really look for across brands?
4. Powders! I understand this is a touchy place, and I have some information for my specific loads. However with the current "Retail" availability I would like to understand how experienced loaders look at specific powders to determine their decisions.

Sorry for the long winded question just trying to tie everything together.
and thanks for any input.

I would highly suggest that you study up more.  Read, read, and read some more.  Even better, find a mentor who "really" knows what the hell he's doing to walk you through this a few times.  Your concerns and questions are valid and very common for someone beginning this rewarding hobby.

You've got a lot of questions and the answers to them, in my opinion, would be very lengthy to point out a huge amount of nuances.  May I suggest this link as a VERY good starting point.  The Sticky's are your friend.

http://www.scout.com/military/snipers-hide/forums/5532-reloading

I'll very briefly cover your 4 Q's for ya just for a bit of insight.

1.  You're looking at bullet weight.  If you're gonna shoot Barnes then why not use Barnes' dope?  It's all there for the taking. 

http://barnesbullets.com/load-data/#new

Sure, you can use Nosler's reloading guide to see what powders and weights they use for a particular grain bullet, but why not cut to the chase?  Quick answer on #1 is bullet weight.

2.  Yes, brand or headstamp does matter.  Why?  Case wall thickness is the biggy here cuz Lapua, Winchester, Remington, Norma, yada yada are all different regarding their case capacities due to mainly wall thickness.  Example:  If you're throwing charges near the max and say you drop 76.5 grs of RL22 into a Lapua case and 76.5 grs of RL22 into a Federal case, you're gonna have an issue.  Note to self:  ALWAYS USE THE SAME HEADSTAMP.  If you're gonna use Federal great, stick with it.  Don't screw yourself up mixing headstamps.  Ok?

3.  Primers.  Just like powders, try a few to see what "your" gun likes.  For the .300 try your run of the mill Federal 215 Large Magnum and maybe also their FGMM 215 Large Magnum primers.  The FGMM are hotter and will get all that powder burning in short order for ya outta your .300 winny and all it's powder.

4.  Powders.......   Magnum powders are slower burning so for that .300 winny you're gonna be looking at H1000, Retumbo, RL22, RL25 along those lines.  The .270 you're looking at powders in the burn rate area of IMR4064, RL22, Varget.  So you're looking at burn rates and if ya wanna get real particular you can choose between Ball and Stick, or others say Spherical and Extruded.  The finer grains like Ball/Spherical makes a tighter load density, meaning ya get more bang for your buck so to speak.  Play with a couple powders, find one that works, then buy a *censored*load of it 

5.  The One You Left Out.  You can literally get a metric fecal ton of good and bad info regarding "Reloading".  Never be ashamed to ask a question.  Think about it.  You're building an explosive device that you're gonna light off next to your face.  Bone up on the do's and don'ts and enjoy this great hobby.  You will learn very quick that you're gonna continue to learn something for a long time to come as you travel this road.  Enjoy and be safe !!!!

[WAnoob]

A good rule of thumb is to use the load data for the brand you are using.  If you're shooting Nosler bullets, use a Nosler book.  The book tells you everything they use for that load for cases, bullets,powder, primers and barrel twist.  Some people look up the max load to start with and go a few grains below that, you just have to play around with loads and see which one YOUR rifle likes the best.  And I agree with the above, find a mentor to show you along, it will be a lot easier. 

Also if you're loading for only hunting rounds I wouldn't waste time with annealing brass or worrying about turning necks, these are all advanced methods used by competition shooters or picky people.  Just always make sure to inspect the brass for any imperfections and case length is a big one.  Another helpful tip is to keep a journal, my dad kept a log of all his reloads, and if you take some time off for a few months it really helps to look at the log to refresh your memory.

[bobcat]

A great powder for both your 270 and your 300 would be H4831.

[WAnoob]

A great powder for both your 270 and your 300 would be H4831.

  H4831 and RL19 are very versatile powders, I used them both for my .270 WSM and .30-06

[rudysts]

A great powder for both your 270 and your 300 would be H4831.
[/quot

 both these powders are excellent

[fastdam]

I try to choose a powder that fills the case close to 100 percent, if possible, for several different reasons.   My .270 shoots great with H4831

[1J04]

A great powder for both your 270 and your 300 would be H4831.

Absolutely agree on H4831.  Although you can give up some legs going that route it can be a very favorable powder.  Not being a speed freak, I like it for heavy for caliber pills.

[bobcat]

Another thought I have, is that you said you plan on using 180 grain Barnes bullets in your 300 Win Mag. While I like that weight bullet when using conventional bullets, I really think you ought to consider going with the 165 or 168 grain in the Barnes. Since they are 100% copper and won't come apart, you can get by with less weight, and also the more velocity the better when it comes to Barnes bullets, for better and more reliable expansion. And the additional benefit to that is reduced recoil.

[Igor]

As far as rifle powders go, I have tried quite a few of them as I reload for .270 Win. as well as '06.
The one I have had the best luck with is IMR 4350.  I get the best performance using this powder,
and it seems to be one of a very few powders that is available when you cannot find some of the others.

[Curly]

For the .300Win mag, look toward RL22, H4831 and H1000.  If you can find Ramshot Magnum, it might be worth a try too, but I have no experience with Ramshot.

Once you find a load your rifle likes, you will want to consider getting an 8 pound keg of powder when you can find it.  I used to not think this way, but now that supplies are so hard to come by it makes sense to keep large quantities on hand.

[LndShrk]

Thank you all for your insight. Very good stuff. 
I very much appreciate it.

So getting down to Brass.

Barnes calls for Remington Brass in their load data.
I have a bunch of Barnes brass once fired. 
Is there harm is starting from Min loads with this brass and dialing in a load?

[WAnoob]

Thank you all for your insight. Very good stuff. 
I very much appreciate it.

So getting down to Brass.

Barnes calls for Remington Brass in their load data.
I have a bunch of Barnes brass once fired. 
Is there harm is starting from Min loads with this brass and dialing in a load?

You should be fine, some people are very brand loyal to brass.  I believe that you can use cheaper Remington and Winchester brass as long as you inspect the brass closely and sort out before loading.  Lapua is one of the higher end brass but you pay for it.  Military brass is my favorite kind to use for my .30-06.  I've heard a lot of comments about Norma brass being soft.  I used Winchester brass for my .270 wsm without a problem for a few loads if I can remember correctly.  I just tend to stay away from nickel brass as I seem to get less life out of it.