new reloader

[Drifter27]

Hey, I'm new to reloading and have a few questions. I've bought and read the ABC's of reloading, have a reloading manual from hornady and nosler, a guide-specific manual for reloading 6.5x55, I feel like I understand the steps, the order, and the importance of it all, but there are a few things I'm not sure of. The Lee kit comes with this (at $70 couldn't pass it up)
challenger press
powder scale (won't last long, planning on buying a digital before too long)
powder measure and funnel
case trimmer
chamfer tool
primer pocket cleaner
case lube
2 cartrige cases (bought separate)
lee deluxe .223 dies
lee 6.5x55 dies
I know I need some blocks as it is a single stage press, a bullet puller, have plenty of odds and ends tools, is there anything else I will need or need to upgrade before using? How important is case cleaning? Also, bought 55 gr v-max moly coated for the .223, 142 gr boattail hp for the swede, barrel is 1-9.4 twist, any reccomendations for a good starting powder? Good results for the swede are more important and a powder that works good for both would be great. I've looked through the manuals for both, but they don't say anything when I ask them a question. Any response would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again

 

[jfh]

unless you are severely constrained by budget,

I would jump to the Classic Cast, and quite frankly, I think you should also consider the Classic Cast Turret--but use it as a single stage for the first 500 rounds or so.

Other observations--

1. I recently saw elsewhere a broken Challenger--yes Lee stands behind its product, but 'one size larger' for 6.5 x 55 seems to me to be a good idea.

2. I've found the Lee powder scale to be perfectly adequate, and I would stay with that until I could buy a really good electronic scale.

3. Don't forget the calipers.

4. And, although you can do without it, a max cartridge gauge--particularly when worked in to a single-stage routine--is a handy way to check your completed loads.

Buy another manual--one can never have too many.

Jim H.

 

[rg1]

I would recommend a vibratory case cleaner using corn cob media. I'd use it to clean brass before sizing to remove range dirt and after sizing to remove the case lube. Sounds like you've got the necessary tools to get started. Warning!! reloading is addictive and if you get hooked there's many other tools and gadgets that will later seem like a must have. You may want a Chronograph to see how your loads are performing, an inside primer hole uniformer, a VLD chamfer tool does a better job on the inside of the case mouth, a primer pocket uniformer to trim primer pockets and square the pocket bottom, a case spinner to spin and check cases and loaded rounds for run-out, I like the RCBS Precision Mic. It will tell you how much your brass expands forward (the shoulder of the case) after firing and allows you to adjust your full-length sizing die to size your cases to just fit your chamber, and the list continues to grow.
You probably should go with two powders. One for .223 and another for 6.5. The 6.5 data uses much slower powders than the .223. There are many good 223 powders and I've tried Win 748 and Hodgdon H335 with H335 my favorite for 55 grain bullet. Just starting---Check carefully that primers are seated slightly below flush with the case head. Put the edge of your calipers or a straight edge across the case head and hold up to a light. You can see that they are square and below flush. Make it a practice to check fired cases for cracks or potential case separation. Bend a wire or paper clip and sharpen the end. Feel the inside of the case walls with the sharp wire. If you feel a dip in the wall of the case they are stretching. Carefully inspect the outside of your cases after firing. Safe reloading!

 

[Hawk]

Buy another manual--one can never have to many.

As rather of a newb myself, I can state with certainty that there's no better way to shatter your belief in the veracity of manuals than to get several.


You will likely encounter a situation wherein:

Manual "A" shows a starting load greater than the maximum load shown in manual "B".
and
The manufacturer states that low charges are dangerous.
and
They're all talking the same components.
Meaning that there is NO safe starting load.

OTOH, such things put an end to whatever reloading "age of innocence" one might have been enjoying and that's probably a good thing.

 

[redneck2]

You can gets lots of free manuals from the various component manufacturers. I think they're easier to use than some of the big ones.

 

[jfh]

I've never run into variations where

the start load in one manual is greater than the max load in another manual.
Look carefully at the data--even though it is for a given round, it may be a round tweaked for use in, say, a carbine--something like that. There is the odd typographical error, too--the kind of error that gives publishers nightmares.

Here's what I'm doing these days to try to get an "overall picture."

1. I choose the caliber--then I choose a powder, and then just one bullet / type of bullet.

2. I now list the data under it from all the different manuals.

From right to left, the headers read bullet - powder - charge min (if given) to charge max - loa - velocity range - pressure - barrel length. With this kind of presentation, one can first readily identify the setup data--and with the 'results' immediately adjacent, the 'type' of load (velocity) it is.

So far, I've discovered that most powder-mfr published loads for jacketed bullets lay at the higher end of the spectrum. Lead loads vary more, from mild to wild. This exercise, though, does help point me in a direction for start loads. The reason I'm doing this is because I am trying to develop 2" barrel-specific loads for SD practice.

Another variant of this is to list ALL the bullets of a given type--e.g., 105, 110, 124-125, 135, 140, 148, 158 lead bullets, and hopefully, of the same nominal design--RN, RNFPs, etc. The design may be less precise.

Now list the load data, from any source, for one type of powder. This exercise gives me a 'total picture' of the range of the loads--and again, with velocity / pressure as a guide, tells me more about the load I can consider. It also makes an 'unusual' recipe stand out more, and you can investigate why.

Jim H.

 

[Hawk]

the start load in one manual is greater than the max load in another manual.
Look carefully at the data--even though it is for a given round, it may be a round tweaked for use in, say, a carbine--something like that. There is the odd typographical error, too--the kind of error that gives publishers nightmares.

Nope - this thread.

Short version: the conflict involves .357 magnum, handgun, using H110 with 158 grain JHPs.

Hodgdon web site: Low-15.0, High-16.7
Lyman 3rd Edition: Low-16.3, High 17.0
Speer Number 13: Low-13.9, High-15.5

Note the Lyman 3rd vs. Speer 13.

Speer 13 would appear to be the problem. I have Speer 12 and the charge weights are the same - presumably, they'd have corrected these if a typo was involved.

There are silhouette loads available but the above don't include those. If I've missed something about carbines or some such, please feel free to point it out.

 

[Drifter27]

Thanks for the input, I think I have a set of calipers somewhere, but did forget about them... Back to harbor freight. You guys think moving up to the classic cast press is a good idea? I'm only doing 2 calibers now, might possibly move up to .270 in a year or 2 depending on when dad starts counting on me for his deer sausage, but I'm guessing I'll only be reloading around 500 rounds a year total. If you think it is a better move then it will get done. How important is case cleaning? Will I need a tumbler right off or is there another way? I've read about a solution that goes in the oven, anyone use that? Anything else I'm forgetting? Thanks for the help

 

[USSR]

...142 gr boattail hp for the swede, barrel is 1-9.4 twist, any reccomendations for a good starting powder? Good results for the swede are more important and a powder that works good for both would be great.

What rifle is chambered in the 6.5x55 with a 1-9.4" twist? Best results with the Swede will be found with slower burning powders that are unsuitable for your .223.

Don

 

[Hawk]

The newb (me) should probably be circumspect about posting advice to another newb but I'll count on the old hands correcting me if I go too far into the weeds.

Powder for both:
Go to www.imrpowder.com and navigate to load data, rifle, etc. When the data from "Get Data" appears, copy and paste into an Excel sheet. For some reason, the rfile load data for IMR is separate from Hodgdon and Winchester.

A similar excercise can be performaed at www.alliantpowder.com although I didn't get as clean a "copy and paste" as I did from IMR.

The IMR spreadsheet import was actually clean enough it's pretty easy to see if there's any overlap. I peeked - there is, but if you're looking to maximize velocity v. lower pressures, I believe different powders will be the order of the day.



My understanding is that brass has to be clean and, in the case of rifle brass, needs lubed irrespective of carbide dies. However, manually wiping down cases followed by a lube pad or "one shot" type product should be good for a single stage. The vibratory is handy if you're going to dump the results into a casefeeder. I don't know as I'd bother with a vibratory, media separator et al for 500 rounds a year - 500 rounds an hour - definitely.

I haven't heard of anything that involves baking the things. Doesn't sound right from an annealing standpoint. I did learn to avoid Brasso or anything with ammonia.

 

[Drifter27]

Thanks for catching that typo USSR its not 9.4 its 8.6, and its on a CZ 550 american. Sorry for the glitch

 

[USSR]

rm12470,

I shoot the Swede in 1k F Class competition. Here are some of my loads:

Lapua brass
142SMK
Russian primer
46.0gr H4350
2925fps

Lapua brass
142SMK
Russian primer
47.4gr N160
2925fps

Lapua brass
142SMK
Russian primer
48.0gr RL22
2950fps

This is out of a 28" Obermeyer barrel, so your velocities will be less. Start low and work up with powder charges, looking for pressure signs.

Don

 

[RustyFN]

You guys think moving up to the classic cast press is a good idea? I'm only doing 2 calibers now, might possibly move up to

Yes. The classic cast is cast iron and the other press is alum. I believe the classic also has the spent primer disposal through the ram into a tube ( like the classic turret ) which will keep your bench and floor a lot cleaner. The calssic will also let you use the Hornady lock rings so you only have to turn the die a quarter turn to remove it instead of unscrewing the whole thing. The dies will keep their adjustment so when you put them back you shouldn't have to readjust them. I agree with jfh about considering the classic turret. If you are going to load pistol you will want the speed of the auto indexing turret over the single stage. You can buy the classic turret kit at http://kempfgunshop.com/ for $149. Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.
Rusty

 

[Jake in TX]

I shoot a 1900 Mauser Oberndorf Swedish m/96, and use 45.2 grains of RL-22 and 140 grain SMK. I started at 44.0 grains and worked up from there.

Jake in TX

 

[Ol` Joe]

My Hart barreled Mark X in 6.5x55 does very well with R22 and 120-140 gr bullets, as did the Rem 700 classic and M96 I had before it. The 6.5x55 does its best with slower powders. 4831 or R19 are two others that should work. I have tried H4350 but never was happy with it for some reason, others claim great results with it. The 223 needs a faster choice of powders then the Swede. I use BenchMark or H4895 in mine but there are lots of good choices.

 

[Drifter27]

Thanks for the load info, they will be a good place to start. Also didnt realize the challenger was aluminum, not sure I want to trust something made out of pop cans to make something that won't blow up in my face. Thanks again for the help