Some Questions Before I Start Reloading

[Qubo]

Hi. First Post but been lurking here for a while. I am looking to get started in reloading. I have literally no experience with it but wanting to get into it for a few years cause it seems fun and more accuracy would be nice. I have no supplies but going to be buying soon cause this quarantine seems like a good time to start. Lol. I've been doing lots of internet research and my reloading manual should be here tomorrow. I just had some questions before I start.

To start I will be exclusively loading 300wm for a factory Browning X-bolt Hell's Canyon, but plan to add a smaller caliber factory rifle down the road. I don't plan to ever have a custom rifle. I also only use my rifle for hunting, mostly elk and deer and eventually bear, but no competition shooting nor do I ever plan to do that. I do try to shoot a lot in the off season but just for hunting practice. My max range is 400-450 yards but only in the right conditions. I prefer to keep it around 300. Since I only shoot to hunt I would be more than happy with 1 MOA accuracy. I plan on using 180gr Nosler E-tips as I occasionally hunt in a copper only area and prefer copper even when not required.

1. How deep into this should I go for just a hunting load? I plan to follow Nosler's powder recommendation and working a load up trying different powder weights and seating depths. I'll get a case trimmer too. But do i need to get the tools and measure for my maximum length and "off the lands" and such or is just the recommended specs good enough? I am planning on getting the tools to measure shoulder bump unless that isn't necessary? And any steps I should or shouldn't do or things I should or shouldn't get for my accuracy wants?

2. I'm planning on buying items separately instead of a kit cause it seems to be the consensus that is better. I'm planning on getting a Rock Chucker Supreme unless there is a better recommendation in that price range?

3. I'm pretty set on full length sizing and I'm leaning towards a set of Forster Bench Rest FL dies. I don't want to mess with bushings. But being pricier ($93) are the Forster's worth it for the beginner? If they are, is the micrometer on the seating die worth the extra $40 on top of that? Would I be better off with just a set of RCBS or similar priced dies?

4. I'm planning on throwing powder under the weight and trickling up to it. Do I need a high end powder measure or is a cheaper one ok? And any recommendation for an affordable digital scale? That's the only item I'm struggling to pick out.

Thanks for everything and I'm sure I'll have more questions

 

[Blauks]

Hey Qubo,

Welcome! I'm also new to the Forum but I've been reloading for my hunting rifles for around 15 years now. You have a lot of good questions there and a few that may answer each other. You can get as deep into the weeds chasing accuracy as you want to but what I've found is that once you start seeing results its easy to get pulled in further! Sticking with published data is always safe and smart, still reduce loads from max charges to start with and work up to max charges watching for pressure signs. I would say that a case trimmer is a must and you will find that any new brass you by will almost always need to be trimmed after full length re-sizing. The other tool you referenced that I think is a must is the OAL gauge! Identifying where your particular rifles lands are at is very important not only for accuracy but to identify throat erosion and check on how this changes over time. There would be no point in buying a seating die that has micro-adjustments if you do not know where your lands are at! I also think that adjusting the cartridges OAL has a large affect on accuracy!

As far as your other questions go ill default to those that have experience with the Forster BR dies. I have ran RCBS Dies in my Rock Chucker Supreme with great results. I always throw my powder charges and trickle up to weight but i have ran into reliability issues with digital scales from Hornady and RCBS. (I bought the cheaper models around $50 or so) so I always double and triple check my weights and calibration with those scales or just use my tried and true balance scale.

Hope the info helps, and happy reloading! I've been loading the 175 gr Barnes LRX's in my 300 WM with great results (maybe an option if you don't like the Nosler's)

Cheers,

 

[matt0550]

Lots of great questions...let me see if I can hit them in order

1. Build your hunting load as though your life depends on it. The last thing you want is "good enough" when you have that bull or buck standing broadside just a hair over your 400 yard max and then have to begin wondering. Get it tight right outta the gate - for all the effort you will put forth developing your go to load, get your money/times worth out of it. So yes, purchase the measurement tool for measuring your seating depth to "kissing" the lands and work in that are .002 to .003 off the lands and then test closer and farther. Every bullet will be distinctly different - this is where you are in good shape because you already know what you are using for your go-to projectile. When you buy the hornady tool, dont bother to buy their modified case - it does no good because it is SAAMI spec and has not been fired in your chamber. Use a once fired if not twice fired brass from your rifle to create the tool blank - tons of good vids on youtube and it's an easy job.

2. RcBS chucker is a great press and has won accuracy contests against some very well loved and high dollar setups. I have several presses but I tend to use my good ole chucker more often than not due to the degree of accuracy and ease of maintenance. Buy your gear alacarte and get what you like - kits are okay, but often have tons of stuff you wouldnt like (crummy funnels, lubes tray etc).

3. Fl is good to go a especially in your hunting rig where there is always the off chance that a small piece of mud, ice, grass blade etc could find it's way in the chamber. If you FL every time, you will always be able to chamber. I would take a second look at bushings and I'll tell you why. I used to go the route that you speak of, but after changing brass a few times I noticed some undesirable changes in my ability to match that 'pet load" I once had. Going with a bushing system like redding competition gives you everything you need and the only extra would be your bushings (probably 3) and you could purchase those in stainless steel first and should you determine the one" then get the TiN bushing for your workload...still nothing wring with the stainless for quantity, you will just clean it more often (hundreds of rounds in between). Being able to set neck tension to that sweet spot is more important than some give it credit for - the bushing allows you ultimate control over this dimension. Micrometer seating is a beautiful thing - however not a absolutely necessary, but you have to get really good at adjusting dies if you want that rock solid repeatability without spending a bunch of time. I'm a big fan of the mic - maybe that's my laziness showing

4. Powder measure - cheap is A-okay...your gonna trickle to final weight. Trickler believe it or not can be a mixed bag - look at the redding, it has a good heavy base and pretty fine screw augers. It seems to work good with a big variety of powder. As for scales - all I can tell you is this- cheap scales are often garbage BUT if you purchase a decent beam scale and piggy back your digital that would be okay. I wont even mention the monolith of a scale that i overdid it with, but i got it from a jeweler for a kiss compared to its retail price and it is unbelievable...but had I been buying outright I could never have purchased it. Spend on the scale - checkout gavintube or ultimate reloaded on youtube, also Johnny's reloading bench and really there are several others who conduct trustworthy shootouts between scales....definitely worth studying first.

Good luck to ya! I'm excited on your behalf, it is an awesome hobby (well for me it is anyway).

 

[VikingsGuy]

Hi. First Post but been lurking here for a while. I am looking to get started in reloading. I have literally no experience with it but wanting to get into it for a few years cause it seems fun and more accuracy would be nice. I have no supplies but going to be buying soon cause this quarantine seems like a good time to start. Lol. I've been doing lots of internet research and my reloading manual should be here tomorrow. I just had some questions before I start.

To start I will be exclusively loading 300wm for a factory Browning X-bolt Hell's Canyon, but plan to add a smaller caliber factory rifle down the road. I don't plan to ever have a custom rifle. I also only use my rifle for hunting, mostly elk and deer and eventually bear, but no competition shooting nor do I ever plan to do that. I do try to shoot a lot in the off season but just for hunting practice. My max range is 400-450 yards but only in the right conditions. I prefer to keep it around 300. Since I only shoot to hunt I would be more than happy with 1 MOA accuracy. I plan on using 180gr Nosler E-tips as I occasionally hunt in a copper only area and prefer copper even when not required.

1. How deep into this should I go for just a hunting load? I plan to follow Nosler's powder recommendation and working a load up trying different powder weights and seating depths. I'll get a case trimmer too. But do i need to get the tools and measure for my maximum length and "off the lands" and such or is just the recommended specs good enough? I am planning on getting the tools to measure shoulder bump unless that isn't necessary? And any steps I should or shouldn't do or things I should or shouldn't get for my accuracy wants?

2. I'm planning on buying items separately instead of a kit cause it seems to be the consensus that is better. I'm planning on getting a Rock Chucker Supreme unless there is a better recommendation in that price range?

3. I'm pretty set on full length sizing and I'm leaning towards a set of Forster Bench Rest FL dies. I don't want to mess with bushings. But being pricier ($93) are the Forster's worth it for the beginner? If they are, is the micrometer on the seating die worth the extra $40 on top of that? Would I be better off with just a set of RCBS or similar priced dies?

4. I'm planning on throwing powder under the weight and trickling up to it. Do I need a high end powder measure or is a cheaper one ok? And any recommendation for an affordable digital scale? That's the only item I'm struggling to pick out.

Thanks for everything and I'm sure I'll have more questions

Like many things, lots of ways to skin a cat. Here are my reactions to 1-4 and a couple of other things I have found helpful.

1. For hunting I set my goal of 0.80 MOA 5 shot groups. If I get to that I quite fooling around. For target my goal is sub-0.50. I rarely have to mess with seating depth to meet my hunting goals, but routinely need to firm up a range load. I still figure out "OAL" for a given bullet, as for TTSX (my go to hunting bullet) I try to seat 0.050" off the lands (or magazine length - 0.010", whichever is shorter). I think Hornady (or similar) bullet and case comparators are important to have. You don't need the Hornady tool to measure OAL (there are many youtube videos to DIY this) but I find it handy.

2. Here is where I started to figure out what pieces/parts to buy:

Building a Reloading Setup: The Essentials

Expanding and Refining a Reloading Setup

3. Most of the time for "hunting accuracy" Lee Precision Dies will work, but I have found about 1 out of 4 fail to sufficiently size the neck and lead to loose bullets. I like basic Redding dies as a hunting alternative to Lee and Redding Premium/Competition series for target loads. RCBS should work as well. No need for a micrometer in my opinion for hunting purposes.

4. I really like the Chargemaster lite - but throwing and then trickling with a decent balance scale has worked for many over the years. Be very careful trusting $30 Amazon chinese digital scales with gun powder measurements, especially if loading near max.

Also, these three youtube channels are good resources:

Johnny's Reloading Bench

An idiot and his reloading press

www.youtube.com

GunBlue490

www.youtube.com

Panhandle Precision

Long range hunting and shooting with precision rifles in North Idaho. Gear reviews, tips, and hunting videos.

www.youtube.com

Plus BigFin has a nice 6 part series done with Nosler:

 

[johnrr65]

Hey Qubo,

Welcome! I'm also new to the Forum but I've been reloading for my hunting rifles for around 15 years now. You have a lot of good questions there and a few that may answer each other. You can get as deep into the weeds chasing accuracy as you want to but what I've found is that once you start seeing results its easy to get pulled in further! Sticking with published data is always safe and smart, still reduce loads from max charges to start with and work up to max charges watching for pressure signs. I would say that a case trimmer is a must and you will find that any new brass you by will almost always need to be trimmed after full length re-sizing. The other tool you referenced that I think is a must is the OAL gauge! Identifying where your particular rifles lands are at is very important not only for accuracy but to identify throat erosion and check on how this changes over time. There would be no point in buying a seating die that has micro-adjustments if you do not know where your lands are at! I also think that adjusting the cartridges OAL has a large affect on accuracy!

As far as your other questions go ill default to those that have experience with the Forster BR dies. I have ran RCBS Dies in my Rock Chucker Supreme with great results. I always throw my powder charges and trickle up to weight but i have ran into reliability issues with digital scales from Hornady and RCBS. (I bought the cheaper models around $50 or so) so I always double and triple check my weights and calibration with those scales or just use my tried and true balance scale.

Hope the info helps, and happy reloading! I've been loading the 175 gr Barnes LRX's in my 300 WM with great results (maybe an option if you don't like the Nosler's)

Cheers,

+1

 

[buffybr]

Hi. First Post but been lurking here for a while. I am looking to get started in reloading. I have literally no experience with it but wanting to get into it for a few years cause it seems fun and more accuracy would be nice. I have no supplies but going to be buying soon cause this quarantine seems like a good time to start. Lol. I've been doing lots of internet research and my reloading manual should be here tomorrow. I just had some questions before I start.

To start I will be exclusively loading 300wm for a factory Browning X-bolt Hell's Canyon, but plan to add a smaller caliber factory rifle down the road. I don't plan to ever have a custom rifle. I also only use my rifle for hunting, mostly elk and deer and eventually bear, but no competition shooting nor do I ever plan to do that. I do try to shoot a lot in the off season but just for hunting practice. My max range is 400-450 yards but only in the right conditions. I prefer to keep it around 300. Since I only shoot to hunt I would be more than happy with 1 MOA accuracy. I plan on using 180gr Nosler E-tips as I occasionally hunt in a copper only area and prefer copper even when not required.
Welcome to reloading. Read your reloading manual, most of your questions will be answered there. Be safe, but don't over think it.
Buying quality tools to begin with us usually better than buying cheap and later upgrading.

1. How deep into this should I go for just a hunting load? I plan to follow Nosler's powder recommendation and working a load up trying different powder weights and seating depths. I'll get a case trimmer too. But do i need to get the tools and measure for my maximum length and "off the lands" and such or is just the recommended specs good enough? I am planning on getting the tools to measure shoulder bump unless that isn't necessary? And any steps I should or shouldn't do or things I should or shouldn't get for my accuracy wants?
If you get a case trimmer, also buy a inside/outside chamfer tool, and lightly chamfer just enough to take off the sharp edges. I have a Forster and a Lyman trimmer. Both work fine.
The loading manual length specs are generally a good start. Load a dummy round (no primer or powder)with the bullet loaded long. Smoke the ogive of the bullet with a candle, and chamber and seat the bullet deeper until the lands don't mark the soot from the candle. Seat bullets 1/2 turn deeper, and fine tune from there.
Frankfort Arsenal makes a good digital caliper for under $30.
Follow the instructions that come with your dies, and don't worry about shoulder bump.

2. I'm planning on buying items separately instead of a kit cause it seems to be the consensus that is better. I'm planning on getting a Rock Chucker Supreme unless there is a better recommendation in that price range?
I've been using my Rock Chucker press for over 45 years. I also have a Dillon turret press for quantity reloading for my pistols and my .223 and .308 Win.

3. I'm pretty set on full length sizing and I'm leaning towards a set of Forster Bench Rest FL dies. I don't want to mess with bushings. But being pricier ($93) are the Forster's worth it for the beginner? If they are, is the micrometer on the seating die worth the extra $40 on top of that? Would I be better off with just a set of RCBS or similar priced dies?
I've been using RCBS or similar dies since I started reloading.
FL sizing is generally recommended for hunting loads. A FL sizing die can be "backed off" for partial FL sizing.

4. I'm planning on throwing powder under the weight and trickling up to it. Do I need a high end powder measure or is a cheaper one ok? And any recommendation for an affordable digital scale? That's the only item I'm struggling to pick out.
I've loaded thousands of shells with a RCBS Uniflow Powder Measured, RCBS 505 scale (w/ magnetic dampener), and powder trickler.
I get moa loads for my .223 and .308 Win with just thrown charges, set and periodically checked on the scale. I weigh all the powder charges for all of my other rifle cartridges.
A long tube powder funnel helps with large quantities of slow powders.
You can make your own or buy loading blocks to hold the cases.

Be safe, and have fun...
Thanks for everything and I'm sure I'll have more questions

 

[Addicting]

If you enjoy spending money, reloading is fun and quickly will turn into something your chasing down a rabbit hole.

Realistically, for the goals you want, factory ammo is more than sufficient. Loading for a hunting rifle you will likely never come close to recouping your initial expenses.

With that said I chose to reload, it’s my time to myself. But since I’ve started I have found that the rabbit hole goes right thru my wallet. But there is something satisfying about groups like this.

 

[homers]

Plus BigFin has a nice 6 part series done with Nosler:

"Randy's done it" is getting to be analogous to "Simpson's did it"

 

[antelopedundee]

Generally one can assume that new cases were intended by the manufacturer to load factory ammo with so I would expect that they would be similarly ready to load yours. The first thing I would do is see if they chamber in your rifle. They should but you never know. I don't load oodles of rounds at a time so I just weight out charges with a plastic spoon. About as fast as trickling IMO, esp. with stick powders. The micrometer seaters can be very useful. The easiest is to seat to touch and try that first. Then use the micrometer to adjust in say .005 increments. Way easier than trying to mess around measuring stuff. If you have extra cases and bullets I'd suggest making some dummy rounds [no primer] with various bullets and depths and use those to reset your seater die if necessary.

Welcome and good luck.

 

[44hunter45]

Lots of great questions...let me see if I can hit them in order

1. Build your hunting load as though your life depends on it. The last thing you want is "good enough" when you have that bull or buck standing broadside just a hair over your 400 yard max and then have to begin wondering. Get it tight right outta the gate - for all the effort you will put forth developing your go to load, get your money/times worth out of it. So yes, purchase the measurement tool for measuring your seating depth to "kissing" the lands and work in that are .002 to .003 off the lands and then test closer and farther. Every bullet will be distinctly different - this is where you are in good shape because you already know what you are using for your go-to projectile. When you buy the hornady tool, dont bother to buy their modified case - it does no good because it is SAAMI spec and has not been fired in your chamber. Use a once fired if not twice fired brass from your rifle to create the tool blank - tons of good vids on youtube and it's an easy job.

2. RcBS chucker is a great press and has won accuracy contests against some very well loved and high dollar setups. I have several presses but I tend to use my good ole chucker more often than not due to the degree of accuracy and ease of maintenance. Buy your gear alacarte and get what you like - kits are okay, but often have tons of stuff you wouldnt like (crummy funnels, lubes tray etc).

3. Fl is good to go a especially in your hunting rig where there is always the off chance that a small piece of mud, ice, grass blade etc could find it's way in the chamber. If you FL every time, you will always be able to chamber. I would take a second look at bushings and I'll tell you why. I used to go the route that you speak of, but after changing brass a few times I noticed some undesirable changes in my ability to match that 'pet load" I once had. Going with a bushing system like redding competition gives you everything you need and the only extra would be your bushings (probably 3) and you could purchase those in stainless steel first and should you determine the one" then get the TiN bushing for your workload...still nothing wring with the stainless for quantity, you will just clean it more often (hundreds of rounds in between). Being able to set neck tension to that sweet spot is more important than some give it credit for - the bushing allows you ultimate control over this dimension. Micrometer seating is a beautiful thing - however not a absolutely necessary, but you have to get really good at adjusting dies if you want that rock solid repeatability without spending a bunch of time. I'm a big fan of the mic - maybe that's my laziness showing

4. Powder measure - cheap is A-okay...your gonna trickle to final weight. Trickler believe it or not can be a mixed bag - look at the redding, it has a good heavy base and pretty fine screw augers. It seems to work good with a big variety of powder. As for scales - all I can tell you is this- cheap scales are often garbage BUT if you purchase a decent beam scale and piggy back your digital that would be okay. I wont even mention the monolith of a scale that i overdid it with, but i got it from a jeweler for a kiss compared to its retail price and it is unbelievable...but had I been buying outright I could never have purchased it. Spend on the scale - checkout gavintube or ultimate reloaded on youtube, also Johnny's reloading bench and really there are several others who conduct trustworthy shootouts between scales....definitely worth studying first.

Good luck to ya! I'm excited on your behalf, it is an awesome hobby (well for me it is anyway).

+1 on all that.

I highly recommend Dean Grinnell's book "The ABCs of Reloading." NOT the later book of the same title by C. Rodney James. That is OK, but it has more old American Rifleman reprints that useful material, IMHO.

1. Go as deep as you need to go to have 100% confidence in your loads. Here are some common defects you can learn to avoid. Every one of these is a mistake I have made in the past.
a) Most misfires are from contaminated primers or mis-seated primers. Never do a priming operation with petroleum products or case lube on your hands. If you need to kill old or questionable primers, submerge them in oil. According to CCI, a perfect primer seat is .006" below the surface of the case. Too deep and the firing pin won't strike, too shallow can make feed issues, and misfires. A round that requires a second hit often has the primer not fully seated. The first hit drives it into the case, the second hit fires it. For me it started as a precise measurement and evolved into a feel thing. You can "blank fire" primer-only cases in your weapon, but DO clean it ASAP.

b) Failures to feed are often caused by case distortions which happen in the bullet seating step. These can be in the mouth, neck, or shoulder area of the finished round. Your bullet should go in without shaving or bending anything. Having your crimp die set too low can buckle the case around the shoulder area. My fix for this is to flare the case mouth and use a Lee Factory Crimp dies. They run <$15 per caliber at Midway. The Lee die only squeezes the mouth into the bullet, no downward pressure on the case.

c) Hunting ammo is not target or benchrest ammo. Keep your C.O.A.L (Cartridge Overall Length) off the rifling lands. While that will cheat you into some better accuracy, it will increase pressure and may result in a bullet being stuck in your barrel when you eject an unfired round. Your goal is to have quality ammo that chambers every time, shoots to your accuracy standard, and ejects every time, fired or not.

d) Faster and hotter is not the end-all of handloading. The best load is a balance of velocity, the right bullet for the job at the expected impact range, and accuracy.

2. The Rock Chucker is no press to be embarrassed about. I've been handloading for around 40 years and it is still my go-to. I have three of them of various vintages on my bench. I've only broken one and it was my fault. RCBS sent me the parts free and paid the shipping.

3. Full length is always best to start out. I currently neck-only size for all my own bolt action rifles, and FL or Small Base size all my semi and lever guns. I have done custom loads for other hunters who had tight chambers in their rifles. Those rifles had bolt resistance when neck-only sized rounds were fed. Regardless which die you use, adjust it so that you are not pushing the shoulder way back from where it came out of your rifle. Test this with an un-primed, resized case. After you get it lube-free, feed it into your rifle. The bolt should close without force. Making up dummy rounds is a good practice, too, for the same reason. If you make dummy rounds, you will need a bullet puller to take them apart later. I like the RCBS inertial puller.

4.The cheap powder measure is OK. They used to use calibrated spoons before the lever throw measures. Same idea, get close to weight and trickle up. There are days when I think I should dump all the expensive digital scales and dispensers and just go back to the balance beam and trickle. I do not like the Lyman trickler, it leaks with ball powder. I like the RCBS metal one for the same reasons @matt0550 likes the Redding. You can't go wrong with Redding gear either.

Here is the link to Gavintoobe. I was thinking about starting a reloading youtube channel, but after I found Gavin, I didn't think I could do it better.

gavintoobe

Ultimate Reloader Website: http://ultimatereloader.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/ultimatereloader Making with metal website: http://makingwithmetal.com G...

www.youtube.com

Do invest in a stuck case remover. They are cheap, and you WILL under-lube and stick a case. If you don't get it now, you are down until you get it later if you stick a case in a die. Any other method of removing a stuck case risks scratching up the inside of the die.

Handloading is an amazing way to add another dimension of pride in your hunting and shooting. Good luck! There are some really experienced guys on here. Feel free to ask more questions!

 

[EastTNHunter]

My contribution:

Imperial Sizing Wax. You’re welcome.

Nosler Accubonds in 180 or 200 grains will do all that you need to do in 300 WM.

Don’t chase every last fps... you will be surprised at how little the last grain or two of powder capacity gets you in velocity, and the extra few FPS make very little difference in trajectory or energy

Pick one type of brass and stick to it. Mixing brass in loads is a bad idea that will lead to poor accuracy and can be dangerous

 

[Brian in Montana]

Man, you seem to have a lot more functional knowledge than I did when I started. I think you're going to do well. Anyway, I'm not going to plow through every question you asked, there are others with far more experience than I have, but I'll share a few things I've learned. I only have a Lee Challenger, but I load sub-MOA hunting ammo with it. With the an X-BOLT and RCBS, you might surprise yourself with the quality of ammo you can work up. You sound pretty settled on the bullet you like, but be willing to try something different.

For seating depth you will absolutely need a caliper with a comparator attached. I have a COAL gauge but I haven't pulled it out for a long time. When working up a load I just look up the max COAL for the cartridge and start there - that also translates to magazine length in my Tikkas, which will probably be the same for your X-Bolt, (I believe both have a box magazine set to SAAMI specs). You can always adjust seating depth later if you want to fine tune a load. And Noslers powder recommends are a really great resource. I use their website a lot; also Federal Premium, Hodgdons, Barnes, and I have the Western Powders manual downloaded on my phone and laptop.

Using a manual powder thrower and a trickler will work great. Most digital scales are advertised as having accuracy within .1grn. I wouldn't feel compelled to break the bank, but I wouldn't necessarily skimp either. You seem to lean toward RCBS, they make some good ones but you might consider something like this:

Hornady Lock-N-Load Bench Digital Powder Scale 1500 Grain Capacity

The Hornady Lock-N-Load Bench Scale is designed with performance in mind, and is a great addition to your reloading bench. The Bench Scale uses the same...

www.midwayusa.com

.

Anyway, it's an extremely satisfying feeling to make a good shot and knock over an animal with ammo you loaded yourself. And even with pretty basic equipment you can customize the ammo to your rifle and get better accuracy than anything I've ever bought off the shelf. Be careful though, it's addictive.

Good luck. Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[matt0550]

Imperial Sizing Wax. You’re welcome.

That is ABSOLUTELY sage advice. I have loaded thousands of rounds out of each can of imperial I've ever had...that stuff is pure solid gold magic - you need very little and it wipes off of casings quickly and easily.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I might have to try that. I use Hornady One Shot case lube. It works very well, but certainly don't get thousands of rounds out of a can. 2 or 300 maybe.

 

[VikingsGuy]

One Shot seems to be a "love it" or "hate it" product. I am in the "love it" camp. One thing that gives some folks trouble with it is they don't let it dry for 5 minutes after spraying.

 

[matt0550]

One Shot seems to be a "love it" or "hate it" product. I am in the "love it" camp. One thing that gives some folks trouble with it is they don't let it dry for 5 minutes after spraying.

I like one shot as well - its quicker for sure if you are working with high volume. Like you said, a guy has to allow it the dry time - it is after all a dry lube suspended in an evaporating liquid delivery medium.

 

[Brian in Montana]

One Shot has always worked mighty handily for me. That's the only thing though, I load enough that feel like I'm perpetually almost out of it. I guess that's the trade off, it's very quick, simple, and effective.

 

[BuzzH]

One Shot has always worked mighty handily for me. That's the only thing though, I load enough that feel like I'm perpetually almost out of it. I guess that's the trade off, it's very quick, simple, and effective.

You can buy more than one can at a time...

 

[Brian in Montana]

You can buy more than one can at a time...

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

 

[MThuntr]

For hunting loads don't be afraid to buy Lee Dies....I don't like most of their gear but I have had a lot of luck with their dies. My 6.5 does .3 MOA with a set of Lee dies. I also have had a lot of success with Hornady and RCBS dies and have never spent a lot of money on "precision dies" though I see a benefit when it comes to precision shooting.

I've used just about every case lube out there. I still have some Hornady sizing paste/wax and that stuff seems to last forever. I did Hornady One shot and really liked it (as mentioned it's either love or hate). I went down the rabbit hole and make my own with Lanolin and pure Alcohol. I have to substitute pure rubbing alcohol for Original Heat (no additives) which is extensive ethanol.