My reloading journey..

[jezzab]

Ok. Well I wanna know if I'm screwing up or my tools are no good. Send me a PM with your address (or some place) and I will send these to you tomorrow., 40+ thou isn't a small error and I wanna know why just this box does it

EDIT: Actually, I'll send you the tool and dummy case as well. Then we will know if I'm not doing this right and can't measure, something wrongs with the tool or if it's the projectiles

EDIT2: Just rereading this, I hope it doesn't come across as aggressive as it certainly isn't meant to be.
I'm dead serious, if you can cross check everything and find the cause of the discrepancy, I really appreciate it because it's a hell of a lot.on that box

I'll measure the whole.box omorrow.morning.and see the spread. See what we see with fresh eyes. Appreciate you checking your own

[Wapiti]

I just measured 4 different bullets. 5 of each.
Worst was about 0.004"
Just using my DIY comparator.
Experience tells me it's repeatable within abt 0.002"

I use same for both measurements

Matye, just wondering, what do you use? If it's .002" inconsistent?
A mechanical gauge that slips over the projectile and sits on the stated calibre diameter point (or any other spot) will be 100% the same every time.

I realise two thou means SFA but a metal gauge will be exactly the same each time, if used the same, the only difference will be either in a crappy Chinese measuring device, of the way you use it.

Jezzab, that set you've got should be consistent every time... just double check your procedure, and double check your measuring device mate. I had a Kingchrome digital caliper, and it was consistently INCONSISTENT. Very difficult if you don't realise it.

Best tool, if you can't swing for the $150 for a Mitutoyo digital caliper, is to buy a cheap 6" imperial dial gauge caliper, this will NOT do that. You are not machining an interference fit on a race engine piston sleeve. And the number (10, 11, 12.... 20, 30 thou) means SFA, the number is the one your rifle likes and/or if it's exactly consistent every time, the groups will be too (all else being consistent as well).

Another big thing, and I'm not surprised this hasn't been mentioned really but it is all down to experience, but it's a BIG one when you are scratching your head why what was to spec today isn't tomorrow...
If you are loading heavy-for-calibre projectiles, they will be long, and use slow burning (for that cartridge) powder, so many loads can be heavily compressed. Safe enough if it's an accepted load of course.
But I have found (in NON-crimped in projectiles) that what you get as COAL today, might have grown appreciably a few days later because the compressed powder springs them out if you are using standard dies.
Now anyone who says this is BS needs some more experience. Most people who crap on about COAL are just not actually doing it, this is the internet after all.
One way to stop this is to use bushing dies, preferably carbide, where you can change the interference fit between your sized case neck and the bullet, to hold them in there. Standard is 2" interference, you can easily go to 4" and this will stop it in most cases, but not all. Remember, every brand of case has different thickness necks, even between batches, and the cheap dies try and find a happy medium and usually, it is on the loose grip side. But people are really measuring and doublechecking will know this is happening.
Or, crimp them with a cheap Lee crimp die. This can slightly lengthen your COAL by compressing a ring around the projectile, but only a few thou and again, will be consistent.
Again, the heading is a "reloading journey".

[jezzab]

Thanks for the reply @Wapiti, lots to unpack there but good info.

I do have a pair of digitial calipers, this pair is a little old but still goes ok (Mitutoyo 500-752-10).

The results I tested were repeatable, hence why im confused. Each one was pulled out and checked again 4 times and matched the written down measurement (I even mixed them up for the hell of it and knew what each one was because it was the same).

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[jezzab]

Found the problem after measuring 70 projectiles, I'm the problem. I had dropped two Sierra TMK 69g in the Hornady ELD-M box. Turns out its ~0.040" difference between the two projectiles. I'm red/green colorblind so the tips didnt alert me to my stupidity and I never put a "good" one next to "bad" one, then it would have been obvious with the length difference.

Might be time for me to clean my bench and keep things more separate when working
Sorry for wasting everyones time, again.

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[Gamerancher]

Methinks you are overthinking everything. Mass produced projectiles vary, some by quite a bit.
Try weighing them on a very accurate scale, that'll open another can of worms for you.
Ultimately, what are you after?
Are you loading a custom benchrest rifle to compete at a world championship or an off the shelf rifle to hunt with?
If your rifle doesn't have a tight enough twist rate you are wasting time and money on heavy for calibre bullets. (VLD/ELD types tend to be in that category)
Also, you stated back aways that you are shooting at 200m? No real need for that type of projectile.
As a new reloader, you should work on a load that uses a projectile suitable for the task, that your twist rate can handle and that fits in and feeds from your magazine.
Please take this for the for the constructive criticism that it is, I'm not trying to put sh!t on you, it seems you are stressing about the wrong things at this point.

[jezzab]

Methinks you are overthinking everything. Mass produced projectiles vary, some by quite a bit.
Try weighing them on a very accurate scale, that'll open another can of worms for you.
Ultimately, what are you after?
Are you loading a custom benchrest rifle to compete at a world championship or an off the shelf rifle to hunt with?
If your rifle doesn't have a tight enough twist rate you are wasting time and money on heavy for calibre bullets. (VLD/ELD types tend to be in that category)
Also, you stated back aways that you are shooting at 200m? No real need for that type of projectile.
As a new reloader, you should work on a load that uses a projectile suitable for the task, that your twist rate can handle and that fits in and feeds from your magazine.
Please take this for the for the constructive criticism that it is, I'm not trying to put sh!t on you, it seems you are stressing about the wrong things at this point.

All good mate, I appreciate the feedback. I do some hunting/varminting and would like to get into some benchrest but I will be far from a world champion haha
I would like to try shooting out to 500m or so (possibly more I can do that reasonbly well, or not, I dunno).

The heavier .223 rounds I have made with the 75gr ELD-M and 69gr TMK will be fired from my Tikka with a 1:8 twist varmint barrel which I believe should be a fast enough twist ratio for these projectiles?

Im just making them for fun, testing and education. I'm enjoying it

[ballisticsenjoyer]

Droping two random projs in with the rest, having you pulling your hair out. Classic stitch up.

"Sorry for wasting everyones time, again."

please don't stop posting, this has been a great and informative thread

[jezzab]

Ok so I've been going well but I'm a bit confused how to handle this one. I think I know the answer but I wanna check.

I made some 6.5CM 140gr rounds the other day and they came up fine. I use the Hornady OAL gauge on everything now and aim for a 0.020" jump. Nice and easy, lets me focus on the powder work up and if in the future I wanna play with the dark arts of changing the jump, I can when I have a load I like and fine tune.

I decided to do some 95gr 6.5CM rounds for something different (Hornady V-Max, was listed in the ADI guide). I checked the OAL 4 times and when I hit the lands the projectile is falling out of the case. The boat tail is in the case and the bearing surface is not.

I looked at the ADI COAL (I normally dont) just to get an idea where they were seating the projectile, I locked the verniers at the COAL they listed (I cant do it perfect because the ballistic tip could be longer or shorter but its a ballpark) and pushed the OAL gauge to match and then checked the BTO compared to mine, it looks like it will be around ~0.110" jump. So:

1. Is the jump too much? I've measured some factory rounds and they have been 0.150", so I'm thinking not
2. Is this the wrong way to handle this situation?

[bladeracer]

Ok so I've been going well but I'm a bit confused how to handle this one. I think I know the answer but I wanna check.

I made some 6.5CM 140gr rounds the other day and they came up fine. I use the Hornady OAL gauge on everything now and aim for a 0.020" jump. Nice and easy, lets me focus on the powder work up and if in the future I wanna play with the dark arts of changing the jump, I can when I have a load I like and fine tune.

I decided to do some 95gr 6.5CM rounds for something different (Hornady V-Max, was listed in the ADI guide). I checked the OAL 4 times and when I hit the lands the projectile is falling out of the case. The boat tail is in the case and the bearing surface is not.

I looked at the ADI COAL (I normally dont) just to get an idea where they were seating the projectile, I locked the verniers at the COAL they listed (I cant do it perfect because the ballistic tip could be longer or shorter but its a ballpark) and pushed the OAL gauge to match and then checked the BTO compared to mine, it looks like it will be around ~0.110" jump. So:

1. Is the jump too much? I've measured some factory rounds and they have been 0.150", so I'm thinking not
2. Is this the wrong way to handle this situation?

I ignore bullet jump. Avoid using bullets that are jump-fussy, use bullets that shoot well regardless.
I load the heavier bullets as long as possible to maximise case volume, but so they still feed through the magazine.

[Oldbloke]

You may get a surprise and find they shoot ok. You just never know.
But in very general terms closer is better for accuracy. . 0.020" is a good compromise, fairly short jump and very unlikely to get jammed.

I don't recall exactly, but i bought some very cheap bullets a while back. To my surprise the jump will be about 0.060" IIRC. But the few I've tested are showing promise.

You could dispose/sell of the bullets I guess.