best reloading tip you've learnt

[Swarovski1]

There is a few on sd you can trust.muir is one.

[justin credible]

Don't reload whilst p#ssed.

[searlock]

Best tip I've gotten is a short throat needs a faster burn rate powder and a long throat needs a slower burn rate powder

[Sakotrg]

Do all of your weighing and charging on a plate glass surface, any spillages are quickly noticed.

[MachIV]

For safety my system is empty cases and powder on the right of the press. Take a case put the powder in put into the press, seat bullet part way turn 180 seat the rest. Put loaded case in a tray on my left.

 

For an easy accuracy gain having done all of the usual like neck turning and finding out where the lands are is to set up a full sizing die to give a minimum head space using a fired case i.e. don't just follow the instructions and set the die to cam over as this over works the case for most chambers.

[MJR]

Don't forget to put the primer in....

[terryh]

Don't forget to put the primer in....

.....the right way round!!

 

Seriuosly though, the advice we give new members who want to start reloading is to go and sit with someone who already reloads (who we can trust!). all the online or reloading manuals are great, but actually siitng, watching and asking questions 'up close and personnal' is far better.

 

Also prevents someone buying the wrong or unnecessary kit from the get go.

 

T

[Andrew]

.....the right way round!!

 

Seriuosly though, the advice we give new members who want to start reloading is to go and sit with someone who already reloads (who we can trust!). all the online or reloading manuals are great, but actually siitng, watching and asking questions 'up close and personnal' is far better.

 

Also prevents someone buying the wrong or unnecessary kit from the get go.

 

T

I have heard this advice often: Go find a good reloader and learn from them.

Unfortunately, it's hard for the new reloader to distinguish between good reloading and the not-so-good. Likewise, recommendations for reloading equipment are usually far more than new reloaders need. Learning to reload 'on line' also has it's pitfalls. You just don't know who is posting on You Tube; everyone has a forum.

I was lucky enough to start reloading in the pre-internet days. My gunsmith uncle loaned me a book on reloading -not a book of load data- and told me to learn the information it contained. He also loaned me a reloading manual (data) to use. I read the book and becan reloading with the simplest of equipment. I did well, and when I got to be around other reloaders I had an educated view of what they were doing.

That said, i guess I could say that the best reloading tip i got was to read about reloading from a book on the subject, written by someone who had a level of expertise worthy of being paid for his effort. ~Andrew

[Brillo]

+1 on Terry's and Andrews comments.

The best advice I was given was to listen to all the advice about reloading but not take it all. There's a high population of experts out there but sometimes their experience should be ignored and sometimes followed.

 

I had the good fortune to have a hands on teach-in with someone who took me through all the safety aspects of reloading.

I then went shooting with lots of people and got to know the guys who were clearly knowledgable and picked and filtered what they did.

I don't think there's a short cut to good reloading.

[stu47]

Imperial sizing wax - sprays work but prove expensive in the long run.

[Brillo]

Unless you're neck turning, always use a resizing die with an expander ball or use a correctly sized neck mandrel.

[DaveT]

Zedikers tip on case annealing:

"Stand all your cases up on a tray, then tip them in the bin and get new ones"

That process certainly saves on gas & Tempilaq !!!

[Brillo]

Here's two tips I was given to find the optimum, maximum powder charge for your rifle.

 

1. Work up in half grain intervals with 3 shot groups until the first high pressure sigh is observed ( tight bolt lift, ejector marks on case etc.) then back off by 0.3 grains and develop around this charge weight.

 

2. While load development in conjunction with a chronograph, work up in 3 shot groups until the MV increase stops then dev around this charge weight.

 

I doubted No2 until I tried it and with two powders (one untried before) in two calibres. The MV stopped increasing at a particular point even though Quickload showed a substantial pressure rise.

[simonl]

Here's two tips I was given to find the optimum, maximum powder charge for your rifle.

 

1. Work up in half grain intervals with 3 shot groups until the first high pressure sigh is observed ( tight bolt lift, ejector marks on case etc.) then back off by 0.3 grains and develop around this charge weight.

 

2. While load development in conjunction with a chronograph, work up in 3 shot groups until the MV increase stops then dev around this charge weight.

 

I doubted No2 until I tried it and with two powders (one untried before) in two calibres. The MV stopped increasing at a particular point even though Quickload showed a substantial pressure rise.

Given that this thread will be acted upon primarily by us beginners, are you sure that's appropriate advice? Whilst it may be sound basis for finding max load, you seem to be suggesting that this is an optimum point, and to develop your load around this point. (by changing seating depth I assume?).

I can't understand why you wouldn't choose a load based upon group sizes (whilst heeding your advice above & load data to avoid going too hot)

[gbal]

+1 and more to Simoni's point.

 

The point at which MV stops increasing is NOT a safe place to be load developing.It may well be way over safe maximum...as QL often indicates-don't rely on QL though,but don't ignore it.

 

Max load can be indicated by the stiff bolt etc signs,but their absence DOES NOT guarantee a pressure safe load.If the signs are there,you do have excess pressure,of course.

 

As a general guide to beginners,you need a very good justification indeed to go beyond published maximum loads....very good,not just "someone said they'd done it".Expert advice.

 

Sign of an Expert:a very experienced reloader who advises beginners not to exceed maximum loads.

 

:-)

gbal

[Brillo]

Simoni. I don't know why you think this thread was aimed at the beginner. This thread asked which was the best reloading tip given. I've thrown in what I consider meets this. I'm not suggesting anyone follows this as advice.

It's always up to the individual to pick and mix from a very big bag of advice.

What worked for me may not work for everyone.

If you re- read my post it said quite clearly "until a pressure sign was observed then back off".

 

Both tips mentioned are still valid - to me.

[Brillo]

To qualify my last post; the safest place for a beginner to be is within the guidelines given in a manufactures reloading manual.

 

Make no bones about it, this is where you should start and stay until you you have sufficient experience to depart from those data safely.

However, and this is a big however, when you start competing and where MV matters you may need to move away from those data, but safety has to remain paramount.

When trying to find the highest safe MV for my rifles, the tips I was given have paid off.

[dylan5588]

Walk into gun shop, hand over some cash, walk out of gun shop with box of .243 58gn vmax, never had a double charge, or bullet seated in empty case, ever!

Just kidding folks, one thing i never do....prime with an auto prime hand primer with the tv or music on. too easy to get distracted. In fact i always reload whilst on my own, for the same reason, too easy to get distracted if your mate or missus is yapping in the background!

Adrian

[gbal]

Brillo,that's very clear,and fair enough.

I think the original two points could be read as if separate,and anyhow you'd soon move up .3 in load development (I still think the end of velocity increase is no place to be,pressure wise). Being explicit about extending competitiveness (actually keeping up with the otheres) and therefore already specialised advice, would have helped.

 

But experienced F class etc shooters -with modern strong actions- do go beyond book maxima,in the hope of keeping up in competions. There comes a time when the other route-a bigger cartridge-is no longer tenable (or even exists !) And some books are rather conservative,in deference to older actions in the calibre.....another area where serious experience is needed to know which data is conservative.

 

Most reloaders really should not go there,though-the gains are rather meagre,inpractice,sometimes not observable,except in very competitive scenarios-and even then,it's skill not +.2 g that does it. (at least that's my cunning plan-but skill does not come in a powder can !) :-)

 

gbal

[Brillo]

Like I said, this post wasn't aimed at beginners. It asked for best tips.

The tips I mentioned were from very experienced reloaders and they worked for me.

Second point, if you can't trust Quickload why buy it in the first place?

[gbal]

Hmmmm....."worked for me'....so far....isn't the same as "there is no excessive pressure"

 

I don't own Quick Load,but it is clear enough from the frequent questions on here that any system that needs ballistic and technical input can give output which seems erroneous when the input data is not exactly matched to the systems program/assumptions ..or if it is not completely accurate.

 

Guide yes, but to be 100% relied on....well,that's another matter,especially when above published maxima already.

'Rubbish in,rubbish out' captures the basic issue,though I would not put it so bluntly.

Of course,if you continue,I hope it continues to work safely for you.

 

gbal

[Brillo]

Some interesting points there gbal.

I fully agree there are some places a reloaders shouldn't go and safety is always paramount.

There are times when a reloader probably needs to step outside of the manufacturers data tables, which we all know are published to ensure a shooter is always in the safe zone.

The advantage of Quickload is that the user sees projected data including absolute maximum CIP/SAAMI pressures for any given test load.

Most users accept that this a simulation but it does represent a close call to reality. Having used it for two years now I guess I know what to trust and what to take with the proverbial pinch of salt.

 

Now on to the tips I mentioned (and again they're not a suggestion that beginners should adopt them). If a shooter is developing a new load, he/she would expect that as the powder charge was increased so the MV would increase relatively. It fact (according to the person giving me the tip I passed on) it doesn't. Even QL predicts a relative increase. In practice it plateaus. The tip doesn't suggest ramping up the charge until you blow your head off. It says the opposite. The tip is that when you get to a point that that the MV fails to increase (within safe pressures) stop there.

I hope that makes it clear that I'm not advocating mass suicide by adopting unsafe reloading practices

[triggersqueezer]

Unless you're neck turning, always use a resizing die with an expander ball or use a correctly sized neck mandrel.

???? so not what i have learned.ditch the expander.if you don't believe me turn the die upside down and screw the expander in and out.its never central meaning your building in concentricity issues.

[MrCetrizine]

The expander doesn't need to be central as the case is free of the die walls when the expander does its work so it can't affect concentricity.

[rsc1960]

best thing I have learnt in reloading is.

 

 

 

 

do it correctly

 

= consistency with accuracy and self confidence comes on leaps and bounds.

 

RSC