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Rifle reloading techniques for best accuracy
zimmden
Member Posts: 237 ✭✭
What are your most important steps for improving handloads assuming using quality components in a good rifle?
Comments
Perfect bore-bullet alignment with very little run out loaded into a case that fits the chamber headspace properly lit by a primer powder charge that balances harmonic distortions as the bullet leaves the barrel makes for good accuracy.
Assuming the gun is capable and the shooter has the skills.
I could take the best BR rifle in the world to a Top class bench Rest match and come in dead last; beat by shooters that KNOW how to shoot as well as what and when to shoot based upon the conditions at the time.
1. Consistent trim length.
2. Weigh powder charges and make sure they have as little variance as possible.
3. Same for the bullets if you are going past 100 yards.
4. Also weigh cases. At very least make sure they are all the same brand and lot.
Segregate bullets and cases by +/- .1 gr increments.
Seat bullets about 1/1000th " off the lands of the rifle. This is not always the most accurate but is a great place to start.
Don't be afraid to play around. Your gun will have a sweet spot. For instance, I have a gun that shoots ok with 44 and 48 gr of IMR 4064 and a 185 gr bullet, but shoots gangbusters with 46 gr. This gets into the harmonics bpost mentions. The fastest or slowest load won't always be most accurate. Also try a few powders, sometimes a gun for no particular reason does great with 1, poorly with another.
I can make a round sight unseen that will shoot OK out of most any gun in a particular caliber, if I know the rifling twist rate, but finding one that shoots great requires some reasonable deduction and trial and error.
Properly fitting the reloaded round to the individual chamber it will be shot in.
Perfect bore-bullet alignment with very little run out loaded into a case that fits the chamber headspace properly lit by a primer powder charge that balances harmonic distortions as the bullet leaves the barrel makes for good accuracy.
Assuming the gun is capable and the shooter has the skills.
I could take the best BR rifle in the world to a Top class bench Rest match and come in dead last; beat by shooters that KNOW how to shoot as well as what and when to shoot based upon the conditions at the time.
What bpost said. Also Reloading for accuracy in a bolt gun is a little different than reloading for Accuracy in a semi auto rifle.
Brass resizing, bullet seating depth etc.
What are your most important steps for improving handloads assuming using quality components in a good rifle?
You have recieved some good solid advice from these guys. As a competition shooter and reloader I realize that this can be a daunting task. The one thing that is the most important in reloading and improving your load is "Consistency" That one word is the one that every reloader needs to have carved in stone and hung above the reloading bench. Without it the search for an accurate load will always--- Let me repeat that---"ALWAYS" fail.
Consistency must be strived for in every single aspect of reloading to achieve that last few thousandths of an inch from your load. Learn to be Consistant and you are well on your way to your goal.
Now with that said, the reason I qouted your post is I believe that your question above begs a question in return to find an answer.
What exactly do you mean by Improve??
Does this mean you have an accurate load already and only are in fact looking for that last tenth or so?
Does it mean that you have a load that is so bad that it could only be improved upon?
Explain your meaning of Improved and maybe we all can get started on the "Correct" path........
Roland
"Improving" loads. I was looking for discussion points of making good loads better since this is a "competition" forum. Many reloaders want to improve their accuracy through technique once they realize there is no magic bullet or short cut to this game. I believe finding the optimum seating depth of bullets, using matched properly prepared brass (neck turned, trimmed to exact length, etc.) and finding the best powder load by using the "ladder method" will show the most improvement in accuracy. "Consistency" being paramount for all phases of reloading.
Well if you are already doing that you aren't a newbie reloader, and as you said, "there's no magic bullet." Beyond neck sizing, proper seating depth, uniform and proper trim length, powder exploration... you didn't mention primers, but basically you are already doing what needs doing. You could play with crimping vs. not crimping, ballistic fillers, moly vs. non-moly, etc., but you are already doing very well.
A few things I might mention that you didn't: Check bullet runout and case neck roundness for uniformity and minimal variation. Play with neck tensions once you have a good load. Uniform primer pockets.
Then I did a little reading between the lines and now I believe I see were this is going. Is it possible you were asking a leading question that you already had the answer to, and just wanted to stir the pot? Thus the part of your post that reads and I quote:
"I believe finding the optimum seating depth of bullets, using matched properly prepared brass (neck turned, trimmed to exact length, etc.) and finding the best powder load by using the "ladder method" will show the most improvement in accuracy. "Consistency" being paramount for all phases of reloading."
Congratulations, since you already have the answer to your question, it needs no further reply.............
Roland
I am a Class F competitior. I have found this form of shooting to be very rewarding and will also make a feller think. In Class F I shoot a 6mm NormaBR a very accurate round inherently, its is a pleasure to shoot and is pretty good at forgiving mistakes. Trouble is I am not the only guy shooting the Dang thing, so to squeeze those last few thousandths from it I have had to think a little outside of the box. I also Bob have read every thing I could find not only on reloading but on accuracy as well. There is so much more to competing than reloading but we need to start somewhere.
For me as I stated in a earlier post "Consistency" is vitally important. Now it must consistantly good consistency but that seems to be an aspect of reloading that experiance teach us all. I have found Case Prep to be very important. I do neck turn all of my brass for the simple reason I want every case to be as close to the same as possible. I also weigh all of my "Match Brass" and separate into groups that weigh all the same weight--not by a tenth of a grain or a half of a grain but exactly the same. I then shoot these brass cases in a relay that are the same weight. Does this make a ground shaking difference? I really don't know if it does or not, I have tested and tested and then tested some more, and I am still not sure if this makes a difference on the target. I do know this though it gives me personally I degree of confidence knowing they are the same. That for sure counts for something.
I always clean my brass in a ultrasonic cleaner. In any form of tumbler the brass running into each other will work harden the case mouths. The ultrasonic avoids this complettly and my brass is spotless and clean, it does take longer and there are more steps cleaning this way, but "I" feel the results are worth the extra effort.
Once the cases are as good as I can get them, its simple sticking to my proven load and being as consistant as I can in preparing the loaded ammo. I do experament with powder from time to time. I also always verify that a different lot of powder shoots the same as the last. Seldom does this happen were some tweeking does not need to be done.
Roland
The more time you spend prepping for reloading, the more confident you will be in your ammo, and who knows: that may be the edge you need.