Favorite Reloading Components

luvcatchingbass

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With the ice fishing opportunities being tougher to come by this year and the winter being busy so far with family events/situation I have been back at pondering different gun calibers that would be new/interesting to me as well as getting some of the old guns I grew up shooting with dad back out firing. Then I started thinking about what I have used for brass, primers, powders, bullets over the years and what I am planning on working with coming up for my 7mm Rem Mag and 6.5-284 then thought what about dad's old two 30-06 going into the mix or the old 6.5 Jap. I could also start messing with my .223 again or the old 30-30's we have or the Winchester .32
So what are some of the peanut galleries go to or favorite's when loading up the boom sticks?

Here is my rough plan for the 7mm and 6.5-284

7mm Rem Mag

Brass= Nosler-have 50 new and never tried them before
Primer= Winchester Magnum - always just what I bought but willing to take suggestions
Powder= IMR 4350 or 4831 - the only two I have ever tried, again would take suggestions if given
Bullet= Berger 168gr - have used Barnes TSX and TTSX 140/150gr in the past and might still use them

6.5-284 Norma

Brass= Lapua and also have some once fired Nosler to try
Primer= Winchester Large Rifle/Large Rifle Magnum
Powder= H4831sc or RL22 to start beings I have it
Bullet= 140gr Berger. Have ran Barnes 140gr Match Burner, 120gr TTSX, 127gr LRX(have never got the LRX to group)

6.5 Jap & 30-06 Springfield (all undecided right now, need to see what I have laying around still)
 


LBrandt

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Dig out your reloading bible. If you dont have one I got a couple you can use. I think one is a Barnes and the other is speer.
 

SDMF

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Hard pass on everything Berger for me. Much prefer the mind-numbing predictability of TSX/TTSX. If I want a higher BC than what the monos offer I'd prefer something with a bonded core like an Acubond/ABLR, or Swift Scirocco.

FWIW, I tried the 145gn .284 LRX in a 7Rem and a couple of 7WSM's and didn't ever have very good accuracy results.

For the 7 and 6.5x284 you might try some R-26 powder to perk them up if you can find it.

For the 223, Ramshot Tac and a 50 V-Max.
 

luvcatchingbass

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6.5-284

Lapua brass
CCI Primer
H4831SC
140 Berger VLD

H4831SC is the standard powder for 6.5-284 accuracy.

6mmBR.com has great information on the 6.5-284.

Without my notes right in front of me the best success has been H4831sc on the 120 TTSX and the 140 Matchburner. I think I still have a printed version of the 6mmBR article in my Barnes book.

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Hard pass on everything Berger for me. Much prefer the mind-numbing predictability of TSX/TTSX. If I want a higher BC than what the monos offer I'd prefer something with a bonded core like an Acubond/ABLR, or Swift Scirocco.

FWIW, I tried the 145gn .284 LRX in a 7Rem and a couple of 7WSM's and didn't ever have very good accuracy results.

For the 7 and 6.5x284 you might try some R-26 powder to perk them up if you can find it.

For the 223, Ramshot Tac and a 50 V-Max.

I used to love the Barnes TSX/TTSX for accuracy and dead on the spot animals in my Seven Mag but seemed to start having inconsistent groups, maybe it was my 200# trigger in the Ruger after getting used to nice triggers. The 7 is getting a Timney before I get too carried away. Ran 168gr Bergers for a test this year and 5 shot group I stacked 4 in a nickle with one flier from poor shooter habit.
223 I had a load using Accurate 2460 I believe that flung 50gr V-Max good but I think I can tweak on it a little more.
 


Tymurrey

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243 winchester
24” MullerWorks barrel
winchester brass
fed 210m
retumbo powder
105 Berger hybrid
3075fps suppressed

300 win mag
26” rock creek barrel
norma brass
fed 215
h1000 powder
208 amax
2965 fps

257 weatherby
factory rem CDL
weatherby brass
fed 215
Reloader 25 powder
100gr Barnes tsx
 

1lessdog

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6.5-284 Norma

Brass= Lapua and also have some once fired Nosler to try
Primer= Winchester Large Rifle/Large Rifle Magnum
Powder= H4831sc or RL22 to start beings I have it
Bullet= 140gr Berger. Have ran Barnes 140gr Match Burner, 120gr TTSX, 127gr LRX(have never got the LRX to group)

6.5 Jap & 30-06 Springfield (all undecided right now, need to see what I have laying around still)







I switched over to IMR 4831 in both my 6.5-284 and Sierra 142 gr HPBT Matchking in both my rifles and they both shoot a ragged hole all day long.
 

SupressYourself

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For the 7 mag, you'll probably want something slower burning like H1000 or Retumbo.
I'm also a fan of TTSX for any game you want to eat. For shooting steel or varmints, there are better and cheaper options (ELDM and V-Max respectively).
Screw loading for a 223. There are good options that are damn-near cheaper than you can load. The Fiocchi with the 50 v-max has shot well through several rifles.
 

PrairieGhost

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I am going to try some R26 in my 6.5x284 Cooper. Now I am using Retumbo for a velocity of 3030fps with 140 VLD and 140 ELD-M.
I also use Retumbo in my 300 Win Mag. With a 28 inch barrel it pushes a 210 VLD at 3060 fps. I would guess Retumbo would be very good in a 7mm mag.

All loads use Federal Gold Match. Magnum match in the 300 mag and 300 WSM.

All the above loads including the 300 Win Mag group under .25 inch. Most often .12 to .18 inch.
 
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luvcatchingbass

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For the 7 mag, you'll probably want something slower burning like H1000 or Retumbo.
I'm also a fan of TTSX for any game you want to eat. For shooting steel or varmints, there are better and cheaper options (ELDM and V-Max respectively).
Screw loading for a 223. There are good options that are damn-near cheaper than you can load. The Fiocchi with the 50 v-max has shot well through several rifles.

I agree but I like to tinker and have lots of bullets leftover from my last go around. Maybe I should look into getting a different .224 to play with:confused:


Retumbo is on the list for 7mm.
What leads some of you guys to prefer different primers such as Federal, CCI and Match vs non Match? Same with brass is there anything particular about certain brands that you shy away from or like better about others? I normally have only used Winchester in the past on my 7mm and my 6.5 was Lapua besides the couple boxes of Nosler factory that I have tried.

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Dig out your reloading bible. If you dont have one I got a couple you can use. I think one is a Barnes and the other is speer.

I got dad's old Speer and a couple others along with my Barnes and digging through a couple of my buddy's books. Thoughts like these come around couple times a year when I'm not busy or driving a lot so it is fun to hear other people's preferences vs what I have done in the past. Potentially expensive part is when I start researching different kinds of cartridges that I don't have, then I start looking at guns and if I buy a new toy that means I want to reload for it, but that is probably another thread to start soon the way this is going.
 

PrairieGhost

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What leads some of you guys to prefer different primers such as Federal, CCI and Match vs non Match?

If your reloads start having primer cratering with no other signs of high pressure go to CCI primers which are harder. Match primers are supposedly more uniform. Magnum primers supposedly have more power. Ball powders are often harder to ignite and I have had hangfires with modern rifles that sound like a muzzleloader. My older CCI reloading manual recommended magnum primers with ball powder especially in cold weather.
 

LBrandt

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When I shot a lot of 22-250 I mean a lot, 3000 to 6000 rounds per summer I used IMR 4895, 31 1/2 grains and Speer V-MAX 50 grain CCI large rifle primers Flew down the road right at 3200 feet per second. Tuned the rifles in to that slower speed to save on barrel life and shot a lot cooler. P-Dogs would just explode with that combo and it left enough so you could get a body count for tourneys. LB
 

Meelosh

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I have some unopened pounds of Reloder 17 and reloading manual for .300WSM if anyone is interested. Don’t have the rifle anymore so I don’t need it.
 

Kentucky Windage

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I’ve always been a CCI primer guy. I bought some Winchester’s on a going out of business sale and some Federal gold metal match when components were scarce, but I’ve yet to use any.

I shoot a lot of H and RL powders with some IMR mixed in. I’ve favored less temp sensitive powders for the most part. I’ve always chased accuracy over speed.

I’m becoming a bit of a Lapua brass brat in recent years. Very consistent weight and side wall thicknesses. I’ve used Remington, Winchester and federal brass as well. I’ve always thought Winchester “worked” better going through the dies between those 3. For 223, I like LC brass a lot.

I’m mostly a Hornady guy. I love the V,Z and A-maxes. I shoot 6.5 and 7mm Berger VLDs as well. I’ve never had great luck getting Barnes to shoot. Nosler and Sierra have always thought their bullets needed to be a couple/few cents more a pill than Hornady, so that’s been a turn off for me.

I’ve also headed towards bushing dies to limit work hardening brass.

I’ve turned necks (which really sucks BTW).

I haven’t gotten into annealing cases.

I try to read as much as I can so I can continue to improve. Bench rest analism is a terrible rabbit hole to go down when chasing groups.

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I also enjoy beautiful women, good whiskey and fast horses.
 


PrairieGhost

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I’m becoming a bit of a Lapua brass brat in recent years. Very consistent weight and side wall thicknesses.
I disagree about Lapua. I buy it because it's hard to find 284 Winchester. Many people jump on the Lapu bandwagon, but when I measure mine the neck is .013 on one side and on the very same case .016 inch on the other side. I set my Sinclair neck turning tool to .013 and turn them all. Then I size with standard dies, expand with a Lee expansion die, then resize again with RCBS Gold Metal Match bushing dies. Lucky this only needs to be doe once. It may be overkill, but after turning I am .003 off center. I correct that with standard dies because it's necessary to have about .0015 inch play in the bushings to let them be inserted and removed. That can still leave you with undesired run out.

Notice in the pic every single case has brass removed. Edit: These are new unfired Lapua.
20200115_214912.jpg

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I’ve also headed towards bushing dies to limit work hardening brass
:;:thumbsup. My bushing dies are still the full length sizing die so I can set the shoulder back .001 or .002 for my hunting ammo.
My path has lead me to much the same bullets, dies, etc as you KW.
 
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SDMF

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When I shot a lot of 22-250 I mean a lot, 3000 to 6000 rounds per summer I used IMR 4895, 31 1/2 grains and Speer V-MAX 50 grain CCI large rifle primers Flew down the road right at 3200 feet per second. Tuned the rifles in to that slower speed to save on barrel life and shot a lot cooler. P-Dogs would just explode with that combo and it left enough so you could get a body count for tourneys. LB

Why not shoot a 223 which will run that same 50gn bullet @ ~3300fps with only 26gn of powder?
 

Enslow

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Berger Vld and vortex thats the magic. It’s so magical you can see rainbows with leprechauns and gold. It’s just so surreal. Any caliber, anytime, anywhere. I would neck up a .257 weatherby to a 6.5 with Berger’s and just breathe in the air of confidence. With that speed and a hollow point expect something you can’t imagine.
 
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LBrandt

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Why not shoot a 223 which will run that same 50gn bullet @ ~3300fps with only 26gn of powder?
Because if I wanted to make it go 4000 fps I could. When not shooting competition it was fun to vaporize those little buggers.
 

Kentucky Windage

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Berger Vld and vortex thats the magic. It’s so magical you can see rainbows with leprechauns and gold. It’s just so surreal. Any caliber, anytime, anywhere. I would neck up a .257 weatherby to a 6.5 with Berger’s and just breathe in the air of confidence. With that speed and a hollow point expect something you can’t imagine.

Just say no to drugs
 


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