chief99
Member
Only load pistol rounds , 380 , 38 , 40 and 45 . Want to load some rifle for my 30.06 . Is there a lot more details and steps for loading for rifle rounds ? Loading with a Lee 4 hole turret press.
Loading rifle rounds
- Thread starter chief99
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Arkansas Paul
Member
It's different.
You'll have to trim when loading bottle neck rifle rounds so there will be a little more equipment to purchase and a little more time involved in your brass prep.
Also, you will have to lube rifle rounds when sizing them. With carbide sizing dies you generally don't have to lube straight walled handgun stuff (though I do spray some liquid lube into a zip bag of pistol brass just to make things run smoother). Even if you use carbide dies you still have to lube bottle neck cartridges. I recommend Imperial sizing wax for this.
Also, most of us put a little more time into weighing powder charges for rifle. With .38, .45 Colt, .40 and 9mm I don't weigh each powder charge. I just throw and go weighing every 15-20 or so once I get going good. With rifle, I weigh every single one.
You'll develop a system that works for you. It's different but definitely worth it. You save more money per round loading rifle stuff, that's for sure (most of the time).
There is also some things you don't have to worry bout for rifle too though. For instance, I've never crimped a rifle round. The majority of the time it is not needed.
So there advantages too.
You'll have to trim when loading bottle neck rifle rounds so there will be a little more equipment to purchase and a little more time involved in your brass prep.
Also, you will have to lube rifle rounds when sizing them. With carbide sizing dies you generally don't have to lube straight walled handgun stuff (though I do spray some liquid lube into a zip bag of pistol brass just to make things run smoother). Even if you use carbide dies you still have to lube bottle neck cartridges. I recommend Imperial sizing wax for this.
Also, most of us put a little more time into weighing powder charges for rifle. With .38, .45 Colt, .40 and 9mm I don't weigh each powder charge. I just throw and go weighing every 15-20 or so once I get going good. With rifle, I weigh every single one.
You'll develop a system that works for you. It's different but definitely worth it. You save more money per round loading rifle stuff, that's for sure (most of the time).
There is also some things you don't have to worry bout for rifle too though. For instance, I've never crimped a rifle round. The majority of the time it is not needed.
So there advantages too.
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chris in va
Member
You *may* have to buzz off a military crimp if it's just range pickup.
You didn't mention if this is a bolt or semiauto. If the latter you will want a full length resizing die. Also follow directions carefully to bump the shoulder back properly.
You didn't mention if this is a bolt or semiauto. If the latter you will want a full length resizing die. Also follow directions carefully to bump the shoulder back properly.
You will also need to be more concerned with case length a lot more than you do with most pistol rounds. You may not have to trim every time you shoot, but rifle brass tends to stretch more than pistol brass. You might also want to pick up one of the tools for chamferring and deburring the mouths of your brass if you don't already have one:
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/465641/rcbs-chamfer-and-deburring-tool-17-to-60-caliber?cm_vc=ProductFinding
Can't think of anything else at the moment.
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/465641/rcbs-chamfer-and-deburring-tool-17-to-60-caliber?cm_vc=ProductFinding
Can't think of anything else at the moment.
JimKirk
Member
The Lee Case trimmer(Cutter, Pilot, Shell holder and Lock stud) is one of the cheaper ways to trim rifle brass .... for about $15 .... it works pretty dang good too.
Don't think anyone else had mentioned that ... Sizing Die adjustment is more critical with rifles .... try your sized brass in your rifle chamber BEFORE loading them .... make sure the bolt closes with out a lot of push or that the bolt does not fall down on it own accord ... this is important to brass case life. Too tight and the bolt will not close ... too loose and you run the risk of separating brass... either is no good ....
Don't think anyone else had mentioned that ... Sizing Die adjustment is more critical with rifles .... try your sized brass in your rifle chamber BEFORE loading them .... make sure the bolt closes with out a lot of push or that the bolt does not fall down on it own accord ... this is important to brass case life. Too tight and the bolt will not close ... too loose and you run the risk of separating brass... either is no good ....
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Yeah, combined with what are you loading for?
Overall it can get pretty generic for example clean the brass and size the brass using a full length sizing die or size the brass then clean it. Sizing the brass will include depriming or decapping the brass. If the brass is commercial we move along to trimming the brass. If the brass is military with crimped primer pockets we can either swage or ream the primer pockets. I don't see as much crimped primer 30-06 brass as years ago. Finally we just prime the brass, for certain rifles we may want to use a less sensitive primer, depends on the final destination of the ammunition. Powder charge the cases using a good powder throw weighing every now and then to make sure the charges remain the same, heck depending some folks weigh every charge. Anyway, a good reliable powder measure is in order. A good loading manual will suggest several suitable powders, note Steve's question as to what manual(s) do you have?
Overall and keeping it generic hand loading 30-06 is not that challenging and pretty much like loading any bottleneck type rifle cartridge.
Ron
chief99
Member
Loading 30.06 bolt . Have Lyman 49th, Speer and Lee manuals .
When I first started loading 30-06 I followed what Lyman specified in my Lyman #44 manual. Later manuals such as my Lyman #49 have that same data expanded a bit. You can't go wrong with a manual. It's always great to have something to refer back to right there on your bench whether it's Lyman or one of the other fine offerings.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Lee uses a collection of manufacturer's data, which is not necessarily a "bad" thing. So what you get is a compilation of what you can pretty much find crawling around the Internet.Does Lee do their own testing? or use elsewhere data
What you get of importance or great help in many manuals is what Steve addressed above:
Most good manuals go well beyond being a basic recipe book and provide a wealth of really important information. There are manuals out there and there are pamphlets, make sure you have a minimum of one good manual.
Ron
Hangingrock
Member
It is not a complicated process. Simply follow the procedures specified/outlined in the reloading manuals such as Sierra, Speer, Hornady, Lyman, and etcetera.
spitballer
Member
Rifle rounds are likely to be zeroed in at longer ranges where small changes become more important. Although a chronograph doesn't really qualify as reloading equipment it is more valuable as a tool with rifle rounds IMO
Hondo 60
Member
Lee does NOT test.
Infact their data is the most generic I've seen.
They give caliber & bullet weight, but not bullet profile., so be careful with their data.
Dudedog
Contributing Member
When loading .223 for Mini14 /AR I find having a case guage handy to help me set the sizer. You only want to move the shoulder back as much as you have to.
Bolt action you can neck size most of the time but you will have to full length sooner or later.
As mentioned earlier you need to trim the brass every now and then, and clean up the inside and outside of the neck after trimming.
The other thing with bottle neck brass is you need to check for incipient case head separation. (which is a bad thing BTW) The brass you trim off has to come from somewhere and the where is the base of the case.
Walkalong had a thread how to check.
Ahh found the thread here's the link
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=734058
Bolt action you can neck size most of the time but you will have to full length sooner or later.
As mentioned earlier you need to trim the brass every now and then, and clean up the inside and outside of the neck after trimming.
The other thing with bottle neck brass is you need to check for incipient case head separation. (which is a bad thing BTW) The brass you trim off has to come from somewhere and the where is the base of the case.
Walkalong had a thread how to check.
Ahh found the thread here's the link
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=734058
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chief99
Member
Thanks for all the replies and advice . Will start loading for my 30.06 soon.
Hardtarget
Member
Lots of really good advice here. It isn't HARD...just has its own kind of needs from the reloader.
Read your rifle section of your manuals. Find a friend that is loading rifle ammo. work carefully.
I started with .38 spec. then .30-30 win. I'm now at 11 cartridges. I'm a novice compared to many on this board. It is your job to learn. Read, talk with other loaders, work carefully and safely. You'll have fun and like the process.
Go to it!
Mark
Read your rifle section of your manuals. Find a friend that is loading rifle ammo. work carefully.
I started with .38 spec. then .30-30 win. I'm now at 11 cartridges. I'm a novice compared to many on this board. It is your job to learn. Read, talk with other loaders, work carefully and safely. You'll have fun and like the process.
Go to it!
Mark
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