Very true. It really comes down to what you are willing to accept. When I load for shooting on a plinking range up to 25 yards, I use all my cast bullets, wrinkles and all. It doesn't make a difference when you are shooting at a 8 inch plate target.
What did you do at your reloading bench today?
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Very true. It really comes down to what you are willing to accept. When I load for shooting on a plinking range up to 25 yards, I use all my cast bullets, wrinkles and all. It doesn't make a difference when you are shooting at a 8 inch plate target.
I've also been out to 1000+ on Peacemaker a few times. Depends on the size of the targets, but I agree that my standards are a little higher for ELR ammo (and I'm also not trying to shoot 55gr 5.56 out that far, haha).
That said, 20rph is arguably too slow even for PRS usage, at least if you're shooting matches frequently. I believe the standard is to use a progressive with individually weighed charges from a CM, but that's not my sport.
I am old school and have used an Ohaus scale since I started some 40 odd years ago, it just works and has never let me down. I am actually loading those 300wsm's to send this weekend at Peacemaker and again at the end of the month for the LRC. I use a Rockchucker press, load one step at a time and it has never failed me. (well, I did fail to charge one round out of some 500 or so I've run through this rifle, but that was me, not the process (except I must have skipped the 'eyeball every tray/round, whatever' to ensure equal powder levels))
(lesson relearned)Precision target and hunting ammo in rifle calibers are carefully produced. I dump a close charge and trickle it to the final weight and take more care in prep. Plinking rounds and practice pistol ammo I am not so meticulous about. It depends on what you need. Rifles I want 1moa or less, pretty much in all of em.
It really depends on the "game" your playing. 2-3 MOA might be fine for 3 gun at shorter ranges. 1 MOA might be fine for PRS stuff or service rifle. Bench rest or fclass, you need .25 MOA gun to be competitive. It gets super competitive and dropping 1 point can mean the difference of being in the top 3 or having a 5 way tie.
Just recently at the fclass narionals, the midrange winner shot an 1800 (shot 180 rounds) and never shot over 1 MOA. These guys spare no expense and I'd bet most don't use a beam scale. Multiple A&D scales with autotricklers etc. Most people aren't that serious about it though. I've started with a generic hornady electronic scale, 2 Parker beam scales, 2 charge masters and now using the autotrickler.
I was making first round hits with Wolf Gold at 460yds last time I went out. People really overestimate the amount of accuracy you need for 3gun. 2MOA is more than enough 95% of the time (if not more).
But, yes, I get that benchrest and F-class guys have really high standards for accuracy. I utilize some of the same tools they do. I'm not denigrating that, I just feel like the reloading world sometimes gets stuck on accuracy as the only thing that matters, when different sports have different requirements.
100% agree. Heck some of those top national shooters in fclass do brass prep work on a progressive with auto drive. And positional shooting is really hard.
Accuracy doesn't matter when you miss those wind calls. I have always thought service rifle/sling shooters were better overall shooters than fclass and bench rest. BR guys shoot 10 or less rounds in a minute and that relay is over. Fclass has smaller targets but they get a rear bag and a fancy tripod or bipod depending on class.
Back in the day, I used to shoot rifle with an Air Force doctor. He didn't know what a scale was. He always took his reloading stuff out to the range and made adjustments as he was shooting by adjusting the volume of his powder measure. I thought he was nuts but his results were fantastic. He explained his theory to me but I have long since forgotten it but I have seen reloading done without worrying about a grain here or there.
KRC
Active Member
Although I agree with erwos that “different sports have different requirements” it truly amazes me to read about “precision” shooters who go to extraordinary lengths to make their ammo consistent, but do not believe small round-to-round differences in the mass of powder used makes a difference. This is especially true for LD and ELD shooters. Modern smokeless powders are extremely powerful, energy releasing nitro-based chemicals that literally supply the energy firearms use to propel heavy projectiles at 1000’s of fps. To believe that round-to-round variation in the amount (mass) of that very high energy material doesn’t matter to ultimate precision belies basic science. It amazes me to look at the tiny amount of powder in a 9mm or .223 round that is capable of providing enough energy to rip human/animal flesh apart. This stuff is very high energy, and the amount of energy released is directly proportional to the mass of the propellant.
I’ll stick with my Chargemaster, programmed for higher precision, followed by check and adjust with my laboratory grade electronic balance - for each round. This is NOT blasting ammo.
Yeah , I’m kinda OCD.
I’ll stick with my Chargemaster, programmed for higher precision, followed by check and adjust with my laboratory grade electronic balance - for each round. This is NOT blasting ammo.
Yeah , I’m kinda OCD.
Rockzilla
Ultimate Member
I am old school and have used an Ohaus scale since I started some 40 odd years ago, it just works and has never let me down. I am actually loading those 300wsm's to send this weekend at Peacemaker and again at the end of the month for the LRC. I use a Rockchucker press, load one step at a time and it has never failed me. (well, I did fail to charge one round out of some 500 or so I've run through this rifle, but that was me, not the process (except I must have skipped the 'eyeball every tray/round, whatever' to ensure equal powder levels))
Precision target and hunting ammo in rifle calibers are carefully produced. I dump a close charge and trickle it to the final weight and take more care in prep. Plinking rounds and practice pistol ammo I am not so meticulous about. It depends on what you need. Rifles I want 1moa or less, pretty much in all of em.
Yes sIr Rock Chucker, Ohaus Du-o-Measure, Lyman M5 or Lyman D7.
Still all work great to this day.
There are cartridges that I weigh every charge 17 Remington, 220 Swift, 221 Fireball, 22 Hornet. Then of course 308, basically because of all the different platforms..except the FN-FAL, HK91, Standard M1A's. 388LM is all single stage.
Yes I still do some batch work on the Rock Chuckers, the Stars do the 9,45,38 Tasks and occasional Autochamp(s)
-Rock
Just loaded ~500 more 9mm, and exhausted my remaining 9mm bullets. Time to decide if I want to keep going the 147 route or switch back to 124s or whatever. P320X5Ls are infamously a little inaccurate with 147, but I really do love the soft recoil.
shocker998md
Ultimate Member
Started forming some lake city 556 into 20 practical.
Finally got a chance to run around with my 7.62x39 test rounds last night. 29gr of CFE BLK backing a 123gr SST seated to the cannelure? Magnificent. Definitely going to be making a pile of these. Need to chrono them, too, but accuracy was fan-freaking-tastic out of my AMD-65.
22gr of of CFE BLK (min load) behind a FP 150gr coated bullet using RMR's infamous marginal junk brass? Eh, not so much. Cycling issues (albeit minor ones), feed issues (bullet related), the fun list of problems just goes on. Wasn't particularly dirty, and I didn't see any obvious problems with the brass after firing, but I think I'm going to abandon this bullet and hunt down some pulled .310s or something. There's a small piece of me that's like, screw it, just load these normally, but I don't think that's really such a prudent maneuver given how hot I tend to load.
22gr of of CFE BLK (min load) behind a FP 150gr coated bullet using RMR's infamous marginal junk brass? Eh, not so much. Cycling issues (albeit minor ones), feed issues (bullet related), the fun list of problems just goes on. Wasn't particularly dirty, and I didn't see any obvious problems with the brass after firing, but I think I'm going to abandon this bullet and hunt down some pulled .310s or something. There's a small piece of me that's like, screw it, just load these normally, but I don't think that's really such a prudent maneuver given how hot I tend to load.
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Nice job!
Thanks I just finished putting some Mink oil on the exterior which will water proof it also it darkened it up.
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Your work area is much to clean. 
I was thinking that exact same thing!Your work area is much to clean.
The next thing I do at my reloading bench will probably be to clean and organize it - I think that would be a prudent next step before I embark upon rolling some more rounds.
