Reloading Dies and equipment

Anybody have any input on a Christensen MPR vs the Tikka?

Get a first focal plane scope

Indabush said:

Get a first focal plane scope

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Darn it.. I forgot that the gun was just the down payment.

aktango58 said:

More research and some longer range shooting today.

First, to reply to MoJo- After reading up on how to actually measure groups, (center to center is proper, I was measuring outside to outside), I found that I am shooting .5 MOA with a new rifle, and factory ammo. The Federal Fusion available here, (not a high dollar load) was about .75 MOA; Hornaday Match was down to .5 for most groups, but was a tad under that with the 147 grain. Tikka T3 X1 A1 TAC, Vortex Viper PST 6-25x50 Scope.

As I said, read up on proper measurement of groups, and found that with Hornady Match I had one group less than .5 MOA. Today I was shooting 250 yards with some gusty winds up to about 8, and still had one group of less than one inch, which computes to less than .35 MOA, the other about .4 MOA.

Wonder if I can reload that good?

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That is some good shooting! Can you do better with reloading? Probably, but it is going to take some time and experimentation with load combinations etc. My best improvement came from fireforming the case to the chamber and then neck sizing only. Your mileage may vary.

My cousin just went down the same path with the 6.5 Creedmore, but he wanted to reload regardless. This is the list I put together for him.

Redding Boss Press #72100 $149
Good press with great leverage and an easy throw.

Redding Type S Competition Neck Die Set #58446 $263
Redding Bushings for above once you measure the fired case and figure out how much tension you want on the bullet. It also comes with a body die to set the shoulders back once the case gets sticky in the chamber. Sounds complicated, but not so much.

Redding Headspace and Bullet seating depth comparator #27446 $165

LE Wilson case trimmer with case Holder Approx $200

RCBS hand priming tool #329291 $39

RCBS Chargemaster scale and powder dispenser $385
This is great as you punch in the charge you want and it automatically trickles the same powder charge every time. This is the most time consuming part for precision. It takes time to trickle to the exact grain. This makes the worst part of reloading, to me, a snap. You can use powder measures, but, they just are not accurate enough, in my opinion, for precision rifle.

RCBS case prep station $124
This has the primer pocket uniformer, flash hole deburring tool, and neck chamfer tools electrically powered. Saves your fingers.

You will also need a shellholder for the creedmore. $13

Good set of stainless calipers. $??
I like the Mitutoyo's, but there are good cheap ones also.

And the best secret out there is Imperial sizing die wax. $13
I used to use the spray on lube and had many stuck cases. This all but solved the issue for rifle cartridges. A little tin lasts for thousands of rounds.

This all totals to $1214. You can get reloading kits much cheaper, but will end up with something like this if you want precision, so you might as well buy it the first time. Good thing is that you can use everything but the dies for other calibers you want to reload. Then you will just need a progressive loader for pistol calibers and a shotgun shell reloader. And a digital chronometer to get your muzzle velocity for your drop charts. It never ends, kind of like airplanes.

Good luck! Roger

You guys realize that the man that held the record for the smallest group at 1000 yds for about 20 years, used a Lee Loader kit to build his ammo. Probably costs about $40 today, for one of those kits. It's craftsmanship not tools.

Even if you go full time into the 1K game, you build up to the kit that you need. Start out with a solid frame press and good dies. Above that level, you only buy what you actually need. Come to think of it, it's kind of like bolting on all those mods on your aircraft, 'cause your buddy has them or you 'might' need them instead of keeping the aircraft light.

Reloading is actually fun. Minimal effort will have you shooting better groups than factory ammo.

Web

Speed and accuracy = $, do you have to have sub moa for a moose? Or are you shooting 13 striped ground squirrels at 500 yds? Or just punching holes in paper to see how small the groups are. I put 3 shots in about an 8” group a long time ago, at a mile. Tight neck 338/378 wby, custom BAT action built by Bruce Baer. 300 gr Sierra match kings. Cost a lot of money for that rig. Nightforce scope, tapered bases. Etc etc. Sold it to a friend and it was stolen out of his truck, never to be seen again. At the time, I built it for long range elk. Shot plenty of em. Don’t hunt much anymore except pigs and coyotes out of a flying machine. So Tangle, build your gun for what you are going to use it for. Shoot good factory ammo and you will probably be surprised how well it does.


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Now that is a rig. Thats just a little smaller version of a 16inch gun on a battleship. Not much though. sittin here just thinking about shooting that. muzzle brake? not much less than a 50.

little offtrack here but fun to watch.https://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/2015/01/18/7-largest-big-game-rifle-cartridges/

Buddy of mine comes out to shoot prairie dogs this year. Some of the ammo he sends out is 200 rounds of 300 magnum which I think there is no way we are going to shoot all that. Plus it is a little overkill for a little doggy. Well my buddy gets off the plane and I pick up the rifle case which weighs a ton. I say what the hell is this which turns out to be an Accuracy International 300 with muzzle break and supressor and the Hubble telescope attached. WTF So we head out to a place I know that measures 940 yards. Took me four shots to wack a small dog. Factory ammo no less. I was stunned. We shot all 200 rounds in one sitting. That gun kicked like my AR. Hearing protection was not necessary. I could not believe what kind of performance that gun had. I reload and had to laugh when he shows up with about a 13000 dollar gun that he used factory ammo in. Well the joke was on me. All those hours spent tweaking guns and ammo and now I realize all I had to do was spend the money and I could have spent more time drinking beer. Then again I would not have had any money left for beer.

SteveE said:

Speed and accuracy = $, do you have to have sub moa for a moose? Or are you shooting 13 striped ground squirrels at 500 yds? Or just punching holes in paper to see how small the groups are. I put 3 shots in about an 8” group a long time ago, at a mile. Tight neck 338/378 wby, custom BAT action built by Bruce Baer. 300 gr Sierra match kings. Cost a lot of money for that rig. Nightforce scope, tapered bases. Etc etc. Sold it to a friend and it was stolen out of his truck, never to be seen again. At the time, I built it for long range elk. Shot plenty of em. Don’t hunt much anymore except pigs and coyotes out of a flying machine. So Tangle, build your gun for what you are going to use it for. Shoot good factory ammo and you will probably be surprised how well it does.


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Got me a contract protecting the Red River from northern are-do-wells trying to steal fish and game from the great (half) state of Texas!!!!

Well, actually, trying to kill paper at a high level of accuracy. Shooting .34 MOA with factory loads at 250 yards makes me wonder if reloading will do much better; I am sure a bench rest would close even that group down. Reloading will only save me about $.50 a shot comparing to Match ammo.

Wish you still had that rifle, I would love to try a mile long shot!!!!

Thanks for all your info. I might go out for coyote today, sunny with soft 1" snow... good tracking day.

tempdoug said:

Now that is a rig. Thats just a little smaller version of a 16inch gun on a battleship. Not much though. sittin here just thinking about shooting that. muzzle brake? not much less than a 50.

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Ya. Had a muzzle brake. Kicked about like a 25-06. But was loud on the range. Out hunting you never noticed it. Didn’t pack it much, just sit on a ridge and long range elk. Then the work started with horses to help out.


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aktango58 said:

Well, actually, trying to kill paper at a high level of accuracy. Shooting .34 MOA with factory loads at 250 yards makes me wonder if reloading will do much better; I am sure a bench rest would close even that group down.

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I'm a paper shooter with a .22 Henry trying to work my way out to the other end of the only range available to me at 100 yards. I realize that's a long shot for a .22 but my biggest problem is holding the rifle still enough to hit my aim point. A steady rest helps a lot but It is still difficult to hold the gun still. The rifle and the ammo are accurate enough if it can be stopped from moving. I need a better steady rest.

I do the same with an old Glennfield bolt action and Lyman target sights. It's amazing what an off the shelf rifle will do with good sights and ammo.

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wireweinie said:

I do the same with an old Glennfield bolt action and Lyman target sights. It's amazing what an off the shelf rifle will do with good sights and ammo.

Web

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And young eyes [emoji102]


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Lol. Lots of gray in this beard!

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Usually SuperCub.Org saves me money, but this thread cost me a bit.

There has been an opening in my gun safe for quite a while, and after reading this thread I got the bug to fill it.

Yesterday, with my new 6.5 and factory amo, after breaking it in, I shot a .25 moa 3 round group at 500 meters.

I’ll probably have to sell this gun now because I don’t think I could do any better, and I don’t want to find out it was just luck.

Liking my new toy.

just like slot machines, do i or dont i.

New Gun

Mojo,

Love the 6.5 and then had to have a 338 Lapua! The 300 grain Bergers make it seem like cheating and the best thing is it kicks like a 243 with the Holland Radial Brake. I thought the next thing would be a 50 BMG, but my neighbor got one to try and it just kicks to much for me. It is a lighter one that looks like a big AR that kicks about like a 3.5 inch 12 gauge with the brake, but six shots off the bench and I'm done. I would like to try the Barrett Semi Auto and the McMillan with the hydraulic stock, but have not had the chance yet.

Roger

and that kick it will ruin you mentally, hand something to someone unloaded and watch, and it takes a long time to cure oneself of that.

skywagon8a said:

I'm a paper shooter with a .22 Henry trying to work my way out to the other end of the only range available to me at 100 yards. I realize that's a long shot for a .22 but my biggest problem is holding the rifle still enough to hit my aim point. A steady rest helps a lot but It is still difficult to hold the gun still. The rifle and the ammo are accurate enough if it can be stopped from moving. I need a better steady rest.

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Kind of the same here, only I’ve got a Winchester 52B and a H&R M12 that I use for 50 and 100 yard both with iron sights and scope. Lots of fun, but even .22 LR when you use Center X gets expensive.


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aktango, You sure can stir up a trip to the gun shop. I went out and bought myself a new Ruger Mark IV today for some variety.