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Thread: Precision Rifle Ammo and Minimum Equipment Needed

  1. #11
    Site Supporter psalms144.1's Avatar
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    Jun 2012
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    Bloomington, IN
    I wouldn't look for the cheapest entry point for the press. I've been out of the reloading business for a while now, but I had a Redding (can't remember the model) back when I was handloading for accuracy in my rifles. I'd follow SLG's advice.

    The other points are equally valid - there is some BASIC science involved in this process, but the rest if pure Art. You're going to have to fiddle fuck with a bunch of variables (bullet make & weight, bullet seating depth, powder make and charge, etc) until you find the load that meets your needs. For me, I was looking for sub MOA 5 shot groups at 100 yards out of short barreled hunting rifles - which is child's play compared to loading for 1,000 yard shots. My only bit of advice would be to get a decent press, match grade dies, match grade powder measure, and seat the bullets as close to the lands of the barrel as possible while still allowing them to feed from the magazine. Everything else is going to be trial and error.

    Good luck!

  2. #12
    Site Supporter walker2713's Avatar
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    Mar 2014
    Location
    Louisiana
    +10 for the importance of CONSISTENCY....

    For powder handling, my RCBS Chargemaster is one of the best tools I've every purchased....wouldn't be without one.

    I use a Lee 4 hole turret press for 9/40 and .45 pistol ammo, but wouldn't go with Lee for precision rifle work. YMMV.

    George
    Gun Free Zones Aren’t an Inhibition….they’re an Invitation.

  3. #13
    Saving money on reloading gear when precision is the end state, is not smart.

    Also, google ladder testing. Makes finding the accurate load much easier. I can test and have ready to reproduce, the right load, within an hour or so.

  4. #14
    Deadeye Dick Clusterfrack's Avatar
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    Jun 2013
    Location
    Wokelandia
    I recommend the Forster Coax press. The OCW method can give you a load that is very robust to errors in charge weight.
    http://www.optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com
    "You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
    Shabbat shalom, motherf***ers! --Mordechai Jefferson Carver

  5. #15
    Member Rich@CCC's Avatar
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    Feb 2013
    Location
    Youngstown, OH
    I'm going to have to try that OCW system. That's the first Ive seen of it. Face it, I'm strictly a hobbyist but I'm OCD too, so.

    I run a modified ladder test to work up a load. I do a bit of research to find a powder and bullet that get good results for others with similar barrel/action rifles and then start loading 2-3 grains lower than max or from a a touted recipe and work up to max load or a bit above the recipe I've glommed onto in .2 grain increments with 3-5 rounds per step. Then I shoot a 3-5 round group on dedicated targets at 200yds for each load increment. Bullet seating is all identical, whether at a recipe recommended depth or at a mid point from the manual.

    The best group from that test is then fine tuned by seating depth.
    TANSTAAFL

    Managing Partner, Custom Carry Concepts, LLC

  6. #16
    Maybe I'm using the term wrong, but OCW is what I do, and have heard it called ladder testing in the past.

  7. #17
    Member
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    Dec 2016
    Quote Originally Posted by SLG View Post
    Maybe I'm using the term wrong, but OCW is what I do, and have heard it called ladder testing in the past.
    http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspa...der/4529811360

    a very specific but understandable writeup on ladder vs. ocw.
    i think folks nowadays doing ladder testing are firing multi-shot groups of each powder weight so the test has deviated some from whatever the "pure" original ladder test was.

    i shoot groups at 100 yd when evaluating new recipes, not 300 yards but i am not the most consistent or precision oriented/disciplined reloader.

    i need to start reading through the copy of the latest applied ballistics volume that i have - i think one of the specific things addressed is the belief held by some that certain ammo produce tighter groups at certain further distances, a concept that seems absurd to me but is somewhat widespread. also i believe it goes in depth into the composite barrel thing - very interested in proof barrels for future ARs but want to see what B. litz and team have to say about them first.

  8. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by fishing View Post
    http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspa...der/4529811360

    a very specific but understandable writeup on ladder vs. ocw.
    i think folks nowadays doing ladder testing are firing multi-shot groups of each powder weight so the test has deviated some from whatever the "pure" original ladder test was.

    i shoot groups at 100 yd when evaluating new recipes, not 300 yards but i am not the most consistent or precision oriented/disciplined reloader.

    i need to start reading through the copy of the latest applied ballistics volume that i have - i think one of the specific things addressed is the belief held by some that certain ammo produce tighter groups at certain further distances, a concept that seems absurd to me but is somewhat widespread. also i believe it goes in depth into the composite barrel thing - very interested in proof barrels for future ARs but want to see what B. litz and team have to say about them first.
    Yeah, I probably screwed it up.

  9. #19
    Member
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    Dec 2016
    Quote Originally Posted by SLG View Post
    Yeah, I probably screwed it up.
    ultimately the bullet doesnt lie, so if it produced the results desired no biggie

  10. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by fishing View Post
    ultimately the bullet doesnt lie, so if it produced the results desired no biggie
    Sorry. I meant that I used the OCW method, but called it ladder.

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