Reloading 2.0 Guidance Requested

[TimberHunter]

Long story short I tried reloading for 2-3 years about 5 years ago. Everything was self taught via YouTube, forums and Hornady reloading manual.

I was able to produce safe ammo that functioned but was never able to get consistent results (group size and velocity would vary more than I liked). I kept buying gadgets like Hornady comparator, different FL dies,etc while I chased my tail trying to get consistent results. So I sold all my reloading stuff and went back to Hornady ammo.

I am now getting the itch to get back into it but I want to keep my tools to a bare minimum (while still producing consistent long range ammo). I would like to start with my 6.5 creed hunting rifle that loves the 143 precision hunter factory ammo.

Am also looking for good resources on how to simplify my reloading process

Please recommend what basic tools you’d suggest (6.5 creed) and what SIMPLE reloading resources you’d recommend. Thanks!


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[Quicksilver]

Finding a powder node using a good chronograph, knowing your jump to the lands, and a reliable powder scale are 90% of finding a good load. The rest of the fancy 10% can tighten up your groups but the 90% will show you whether something is going to shoot or not. Also depends on the rifle, some shoot some don’t.

Redding does are a solid set to use. Hornady comparator gauges are also good.

What rifle and scope combo are your shooting? Bullet you want to use? It’s a bit of a rabbit hole, but the more info you provide the more we can help.

Being 6.5 creed run h4350 powder, that’s the golden child in that round. I feel like you have to try and make one shoot bad

 

[Lawnboi]

Start with good ingredients

H4350
Lapua brass


Make sure you don’t have too much neck tension on your brass and it’s almost impossible to not make this load shoot. 40-41 grains will get you around what Hornady loads it at.

I can help but I’d like to know a budget

 

[CatManDo]

What I started with was a full length neck bushing sizing die by Forster. Right now I have a .288 and .290 bushings that allow for the different brass thicknesses. With the Hornady brass I loaded yesterday, I used the .288 bushing. To finish the load I use a Wilson Seating Die. OAL is easy to replicate.
At present I'm using IMR 4064 and Sierra Varmint @ 85gr.
Recoil isn't a problem and they are as accurate as I can shoot.

 

[TimberHunter]

Finding a powder node using a good chronograph, knowing your jump to the lands, and a reliable powder scale are 90% of finding a good load. The rest of the fancy 10% can tighten up your groups but the 90% will show you whether something is going to shoot or not. Also depends on the rifle, some shoot some don’t.

Redding does are a solid set to use. Hornady comparator gauges are also good.

What rifle and scope combo are your shooting? Bullet you want to use? It’s a bit of a rabbit hole, but the more info you provide the more we can help.

Being 6.5 creed run h4350 powder, that’s the golden child in that round. I feel like you have to try and make one shoot bad

Currently I have a tikka 6.5 with a middle of the road vortex scope with BDC. Has done me well for 3 years shooting the precision hunter. But I’m going to upgrade the scope to a trijicon or a Nightforce so I can practice dialing and extend my shooting distance before next hunting
season

I like the 143 eldx so far, most get caught on mule deer or elk on the off side on shots from 350-500 yards. This year I had a pass through at 460 yards on a mule deer (didn’t hit any bones in the shoulder). Truth be told I wouldn’t mind some more velocity to equate to more energy at longer distance. Right now I’m about 2650fps with the factory precision ammo. 24” barrel


Note I never tried reloading for this rifle. The rifle I tried was a browning 270 and a sugar 22-250. Right shot good, browning was a worm hole but it is a little picky on ammo

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[TimberHunter]

Start with good ingredients

H4350
Lapua brass


Make sure you don’t have too much neck tension on your brass and it’s almost impossible to not make this load shoot. 40-41 grains will get you around what Hornady loads it at.

I can help but I’d like to know a budget

Don’t have a budget but if reloading gets expensive again I may decide to just keep buying the Hornady percussion hunter and match ammo


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[TimberHunter]

What I started with was a full length neck bushing sizing die by Forster. Right now I have a .288 and .290 bushings that allow for the different brass thicknesses. With the Hornady brass I loaded yesterday, I used the .288 bushing. To finish the load I use a Wilson Seating Die. OAL is easy to replicate.
At present I'm using IMR 4064 and Sierra Varmint @ 85gr.
Recoil isn't a problem and they are as accurate as I can shoot.

I never did try a bushing die… I do think one of my issues in the past was neck tension. I was using RCBS and Hornady FL dies with the expander ball

To use bushing do need to turn necks?


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[CatManDo]

I never did try a bushing die… I do think one of my issues in the past was neck tension. I was using RCBS and Hornady FL dies with the expander ball

To use bushing do need to turn necks?


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Not necessarily; that's why I have more than one bushing. If the neck brass is to thick or thicker than the Hornady brass I will use the larger bushing. With calipers you measure the thickness at the mouth of the case; double that figure and add in the diameter of the bullet. That figure is the number that would give zero neck tension. I usually like ~ .002" neck tension. So say the necks measure ~ .013; double that and add .264 and you have .290 sort of a standard figure for 6.5 ammo. Again, I mainly use a .288" bushing for .002" of neck tension.

 

[BigStick]

Nodes and Nonsense while entertaining,aren't going to connect dots.

Bushing dies and Hornady brass,are akin to trying to mix oil with water. Headspace cntrol is paramount and most botch same,horribly.

I'd get the rifle mechanically sound first,so as to keep the horse in front of the cart. Set sail to the Vortex.

"Energy" is a Blue Haired Cat Lady Ruse. Instead,focus upon projectile selection and impact velocity of same. Pushing a lesser bullet a little bit faster,"changes" nothing.

H4350 is an easy pass in most things and certainly in the chambering cited..............

 

[Quicksilver]

No neck turning needed. And what’s nice is to play with neck tension all you do is swap to a different size bushing.

You should be able to get 2750ish with that bullet in a tikka and h4350 powder. Lapua SRP brass is indestructible and h4350 powder and you’ll find a combo fairly easily I think.

 

[BigStick]

SRP is an easy pass,when talking CM case volumes,in the Real World.

Neck tension is easily controlled,via numerous ways,which may or may not involve bushings.

Expanderless Bushing Dies are a poor choice for Virgin brass,whether NSO or FL. Hornady brass,is never not a POOR choice.

Tikka CM chambers are rather sloppy..............

 

[TimberHunter]

SRP is an easy pass,when talking CM case volumes,in the Real World.

Neck tension is easily controlled,via numerous ways,which may or may not involve bushings.

Expanderless Bushing Dies are a poor choice for Virgin brass,whether NSO or FL. Hornady brass,is never not a POOR choice.

Tikka CM chambers are rather sloppy..............

Thanks for the info. A bit difficult to decipher because it seems like you talk in riddles…

I have a lot of once shot (in my rifle) Hornady brass. Sounds like that is of not much value to me and I need to go for better brass if I don’t want to fight for accuracy?

For dies (for hunting rifle) what do you recommend? Bushing? FL with expander?


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[BigStick]

Toss the Hornady garbage.

PLEASE pass the Alpha LRP Virgins,for numerous reasons.

Die selection,isn't based upon rifle application,but rather relative brass quality. That's an oft mused misconception,to deviate same.

Redding FL(non-bushing) is THE most,for the least out. I've Forester and everyone else,as last time I counted,I was 140 Die Sets in. Learn from my mistakes and reap how much better things have improved.

ALWAYS an expander to start with..............

 

[CatManDo]

What he means "Tikka has a sloppy chamber" is the chamber is cut a bit larger than in other barrels. Not a problem. Just FL resize after firing. Tikka's are excellent rifles.
Do you presently have any 6.5CM dies? If not and all you're going to use the rifle for is hunting, I'd buy a good set of RCBS or Hornady dies. They will last your lifetime.
As far as brass, the Hornady brass will also last through several firings if you Anneal after each firing.
Lapau brass is spendy at over a dollar each.

 

[BigStick]

What he means "Tikka has a sloppy chamber" is the chamber is cut a bit larger than in other barrels. Not a problem. Just FL resize after firing. Tikka's are excellent rifles.
Do you presently have any 6.5CM dies? If not and all you're going to use the rifle for is hunting, I'd buy a good set of RCBS or Hornady dies. They will last your lifetime.
As far as brass, the Hornady brass will also last through several firings if you Anneal after each firing.
Lapau brass is spendy at over a dollar each.

The LAST Thing one does on a sloppy chamber,is FL size.

Annealing tinfoil,is a wasted effort.

Few things are less expensive,than GOOD brass.............

 

[TimberHunter]

What he means "Tikka has a sloppy chamber" is the chamber is cut a bit larger than in other barrels. Not a problem. Just FL resize after firing. Tikka's are excellent rifles.
Do you presently have any 6.5CM dies? If not and all you're going to use the rifle for is hunting, I'd buy a good set of RCBS or Hornady dies. They will last your lifetime.
As far as brass, the Hornady brass will also last through several firings if you Anneal after each firing.
Lapau brass is spendy at over a dollar each.

Don’t currently have any 6.5 dies. I sold every piece of reloading stuff I owned (likely $2-3k worth) because I was so frustrated with reloading lol

I don’t want to spend a lot of money on reloading gear/components but if let’s say Lapua brass is worth it, I have no problem spending the money on certain items to hopefully speed my reloading learn curve up. Trying to spend money where I should and not blow it on tools/components that will lead to minimal increases in accuracy.


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[TimberHunter]

The LAST Thing one does on a sloppy chamber,is FL size.

Annealing tinfoil,is a wasted effort.

Few things are less expensive,than GOOD brass.............

In a hunting rifle that sees a lot of field days, isn’t FL sizing recommended so the ammo feeds consistently? Just two weeks ago I had a feeding issue with factory ammo because there was a small junk of juniper wood that made its way into the action. If that made its way in, I’m sure dust/dirt makes it way in there during hunts (I clean it out after hunts)

Just trying to reload ammo that’s is accurate/consistent and feeds consistently. If I focus on too many other variables/things I’ll be back down the rabbit hole pulling my hair out


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[CatManDo]

Starline Brass makes an excellent product and is half the cost of Lapua. That said, if you want to roll out the dough for Lapua, do it. I shoot MOA with my reloads using Hornady and Aguila and Starline brass. I'm primarily a paper puncher but will occassionally hide in the weeds for a stray varmint.

 

[BigStick]

Can you Reload ammo,that will contend a cord of firewood in the chamber? Nope.

Can you tape a muzzle,to preclude same? Yep.

Rifles are VERY simplistic "machines".

Keep the horse,in front of the cart..............

 

[fisherman983]

Don’t currently have any 6.5 dies. I sold every piece of reloading stuff I owned (likely $2-3k worth) because I was so frustrated with reloading lol

I don’t want to spend a lot of money on reloading gear/components but if let’s say Lapua brass is worth it, I have no problem spending the money on certain items to hopefully speed my reloading learn curve up. Trying to spend money where I should and not blow it on tools/components that will lead to minimal increases in accuracy.


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If you don't wanna spend money your only going to be frustrated again.

It's not a cheap hobby to get into

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