New venture in reloading...

[novalty]

Well ended up getting a new toy recently and now I am forcing myself to uncover my Rockchucker II, and get to reloading rifles. Planning on getting some rifle range sessions for 2014, as I didn't fire any of my rifles this year, playing with my new plate rack from Action Target. The rifle reloading I have done so far has involved full-length sizing. Well I got a set of Redding Competition dies with neck sizer, along with my Remington 700 VLS. Feel like I am learning to reload all over again. Any pointers, tips, slaps upside the head on setting up the sizing die?

(Figured the thread would be worthless without at least 1 or 2 pictures. )

 

[rwsmith]

I found a cartridge gauge

I'm trying to perfect rifle reloading and I found the Wilson Cartridge Length gauge to be really handy.

 

[Sebago Son]

Nice Paul! Is that a 7.62 x 51? Drew

 

[novalty]

Drew, it's chambered in 308 Win. Got it with the Redding Competition dies set, 450 pieces of once fired brass, about 200 Nosler 168gr. competition bullets, couple hundred large rifle primers, and two 1lb jugs of powder.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

On that Rockchucker II, if it has a a black bushing to reduce the 1 1/4-10 die hole to 7/8-14 threads, it can be replaced with a Hornady kit to Lock-N-Load bushings. This makes die swapping take about 2 seconds. I have 2 Rock Chuckers on my bench(s) set up this way. I would also recommend that you reprime using a separate tool, I use a Lee hand tool but why tie up a press on priming. Lastly: I have never seen a loading bench with too much light!! Ivan

 

[novalty]

Hello Ivan,

I switched my RC II over to the Hornady Lock-n-Load bushings. Pricey to get all the bushings, but really nice for quick die changes. I have a light overhead, as well as, the desk lamp. For priming I use the RCBS Automatic bench primer--perhaps my favorite tool on my bench. The one thing I do need to get is a 308 Win. case holder for my L.E. Wilson case trimmer.

 

[forestswin]

.....priming I use the RCBS Automatic bench primer--perhaps my favorite tool on my bench.

that's funny, my favorate tool is the Hornady Camlock case trimmer - go figure

oh yeah - cool bolt gun

 

[Sebago Son]

Paul, Is that priming tool the rig that uses primers in strips? If so, let me know the next time you need primers... I may have a deal for you! Drew

 

[novalty]

Paul, Is that priming tool the rig that uses primers in strips? If so, let me know the next time you need primers... I may have a deal for you! Drew

Hi Drew,

Nope the Automatic Bench primer uses tubes. The APS takes the strips. You buy the primer strips by mistake?

 

[Jellybean]

I've never used Redding competition dies, so I can't help you with the set up.

But I do have a Rem. 700V in .308 Win. that shoots 5 shots in a hole that can be covered with a dime. The potential is there.

 

[novalty]

I've never neck sized before, I am assuming that I need to back the sizing die off as normal, set the die body down into the press until it touches the case holder, then put a piece of brass in and run it up into the die. Then adjust the micrometer down until it sizes to the bottom of the neck, stopping before the taper.

 

[greenmachine]

Novalty, just out of curiosity, what's the salt for?

 

[novalty]

Novalty, just out of curiosity, what's the salt for?

I like to season my meat when I shoot it. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been asked that when posting that picture. No salt in it, that is what I stored my spent primers in. Figured if I knocked it over, it would be less likely to spill a bunch of primers. I have since switch to a tin coffee can under my Redding T7, and just dump the spent primer tray from the Rockchucker in it.

 

[Nevada Ed]

You guys don't toss a little salt over your left shoulder before you start reloading ?? !!

Any way....
For loads for the same rifle with used brass I will full size the first time.......new brass needs to be fired to form to your chamber size.

Neck sizing will work for the rest of your loads unless you are shooting maximum loads. These cases may need to be full sized as the brass "Works" and your bolt does not close easy, while the target loads may go 6-8 times before trimming or full sizing is needed.

 

[Neumann]

You can probably get by with neck-sizing for a bolt action rifle. If you pick up foreign brass, you will need to do a full-length resize. A 30-06 headspaces on the shoulder, so you need a gauge (Wilson or Dillon) to make that measurement. The resizing die is set to restore the shoulder length, not touching the shell holder like a pistol cartridge.

The RCBS primer comes in two versions - one which uses primer strips and another which uses tubes. RCBS also makes a strip loader, so they can be recycled.

Once-fired brass will probably need trimming, but the length seems to hold for several firings with moderate loads.

 

[Jellybean]

I did a little research, both on the web and in a couple older Redding product catalogs I have.

The case enters the die and then the bottom portion and case ride together into the die body.

The micrometer knob is to allow you to adjust how much of the neck you want to size, which most any other die will do un-micromicly.

You choose your bushing by measuring the outside neck dimensions of a loaded cartridge using the same brand and lot of cases and bullets you are going to use and choose a bushing that is .001" smaller in diameter. If that doesn't hold the bullet properly, than you continually select the next smaller bushing until you find the one you want.

There are some things that don't make sense, like the part of the die that doesn't size the case, but still fits every case perfectly to support it. Let me know how they work for you.

 

[H Richard]

To wring the accuracy out, a good tool is the Overall Length Gauge. These were by Sinclair, but I believe Hornady markets them now and are available from Brownells or Midway. You will need one of the modified cases for each caliber you are loading for. 308's can be made to deliver outstanding accuracy. I have an older (1980ish) Rem 700 Varmint barreled model that will deliver 1/4" @ 100 yds with Sierra 168 Gr. BTHP match bullets. But my gun was throated pretty long and I can't seat the 155 Gr Palma bullet out to it's full potential, but it still shoots under .40".

 

[Sebago Son]

Hi Drew,

Nope the Automatic Bench primer uses tubes. The APS takes the strips. You buy the primer strips by mistake?

Nope, but I did buy them from somebody that did!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I use a L.E.Wilson case trimmer also. The standard model is a little difficult to set to a specific length. So far I have seen 2 solutions to this. The one I chose is; I added the Sinclair International micrometer to it. The other "solution" is, a friend has a basic Wilson trimmer for each length of cartridge he loads and never changes the settings. As a hint, I would also recommend getting the case bodies for all the likely cartridge families you are possibly going to reload, as they aren't getting any cheaper and you will save on shipping also. You may as well get the drill adapter while you are at it. I do my pocket and flash hole uniforming with Sinclair tools but there are some Wilson attachments available. I saw someone already talked about how to choose a neck sizing collet, but on how much of the neck length should be sized, on standard SAMMI chambers my friends and I size about 2/3 of the length. This leaves a small "shoulder" that helps center the round in a somewhat sloppy chamber. On a tight chamber that is neither possible or necessary. My long range 308 load is: 47gr of Varget, 210M primer, Hornady or Lake City match brass and Sierra 155 gr Palma bullets, seated as long as possible (my necks grip only a little more than an 1/8". I get 2900 fps from a 26" barrel. In my gun (Savage 10 BAS) these are 1/3 MOA @ 1000 yds. I would't use this bullet on deer but the ground hogs haven't complained one bit! This bullet has a BC like a 175 only more velocity and a little less recoil. I full length size every reloading so these rounds fit all of my 308's and need to trim every 2 or 3 loadings, my brass is at 10-12 reloadings and hasn't had any problems yet (there are about 250 in this batch, the next batch will be an even 200). have fun, Ivan

 

[novalty]

Ivan,

Thanks for the additional information. I do have the micrometer adjustment on my Wilson trimmer as well. While I do have a primer pocket reamer for small primers, it is brutal on my arthritic hands.

I was looking at more Nosler bullets online, and when checking out the Custom Competitions to see how much they cost. I noticed they didn't look like the ones that I got with the gun. So I put them on my electronic scale and they all weigh 180gr. and have a polymer tip. So I guess I have 180gr. Ballistic Tips instead of 168gr. Custom Competition HPBT.

While I know it isn't pretty hard to measure the neck thickness without a special tool. My Mitutoyo calipers were giving me a .015 reading with Winchester brass, and .017 with R-P brass. If I am calculating it right, with the Winchester, I would add .030 to .308 to get .338. From what I understand I should have .002 neck tension, and need to factor in .001 brass springback--in other words subtract .003 to get the proper sizing bushing (.035).