[QUOTE=Pegasus;34520lots of good info(as long as it's not a Lee.)[/QUOTE]
No apology needed Pegasus! I didn't take offense to anything.
That Chargemaster is on my list, I looked it over online and it is something I really want to have.
I'll be reloading for several different cartridges, but not near as many as some here. I too, always kept notes of everything especially number of shots fired on brass. But, I shoot several magnums, and you'll just never get the life out of them that a 308 or 30-06 or what have you, will get. I'd be very happy to make it to 4-5 reloads on the Weatherby brass. They are expensive to shoot, even if you reload (compared to standards, brass and powder volume) but I just like them. Which is funny, because I used to really not like anything about them, until I started using one. Now I'm looking at building another if not 2 LOL
Now for Pegasus or anyone else shooting match type stuff, what brass do you guys like in 308? I figure heck, if the best is available, use the best right? For the rest of the rifles I own/plan to build shortly, I really won't have many options for brass like I do for the 308. I mean...with a Weatherby you use Weatherby, the few others are distant runner-ups if anything. Brass is thinner and just not as strong. The 9.3 has a few options, but literally just a few. 308 has truck loads of choices lol
Now for Pegasus or anyone else shooting match type stuff, what brass do you guys like in 308? I figure heck, if the best is available, use the best right?
I am no match shooter but Lapua and Norma has the best brass available.
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
Lapua is pretty much the gold standard for Match quality brass. It requires virtually no prep when you buy the Lapua virgin brass. I use Lapua for .308 and the only thing I do to it is push the appropriate size mandrel to make sure the mouth is perfect (it can get dinged in the box,) and then I prime it and charge it and seat the bullet. I always use a small base full length bushing sizer without the wicked expander ball and I trim, chamfer, deburr and clean the primer pocket every 5 loadings. I anneal less frequently, maybe every 6 or 7 loadings. I find that my brass works very little because I always F/L resize and never use the expander ball. My chambers are very tight and I only want about .002 for neck tension.
For the .223, I use Winchester brass. The prep time is longer; I use the mandrel to round out the mouths, then I chamfer and deburr and I also ream ou the flash hole to get that little burr.
So perhaps another thing on your list is the RCBS Trim Mate device. That's what I use to prep the brass. Very nice little device.
Edited to add: At Lodi, there were a number of people using Nosler match brass. This is great stuff, and it is sorted by weight, but you pay for that. I don't remember meeting anyone using Norma brass, but I saw: Lapua (most), Nosler (I saw one but heard of more), Winchester (a few) and LC Match (quite a few.) One of the guys using LC brass encountered several case head separations. Ask me what it does to your score when that happens. I discussed it with him after the match (I was the one pulling his target when that happened,) and suggested he had a sizing problem. I believe, but I am not sure,) that he was breaking the first rule of handloading; "Never, ever, under any circumstances, resize virgin brass."
First off I admit I missed the “Back” into reloading, so I may have given you a lot of very basic advice… sorry.
+1 for the Chargemaster, I have had mine since they came out and it works perfectly and it has since day one.
The only Press I have is the old simple RCBS Rockchucker press and it works well for me since I don’t load in huge volumes. I have toyed with the Idea of a Forster press but I never have done the deed.
I use Forster dies whenever I can and like them very much.
Since I do so much prep work I tend to use Winchester, Remington, and Federal Rifle brass and have not had any issues, then again I am not a competitive shooter.
If I ever wanted to get out of all the case prep I would surely go to Lapua brass.
Replies
No apology needed Pegasus! I didn't take offense to anything.
That Chargemaster is on my list, I looked it over online and it is something I really want to have.
I'll be reloading for several different cartridges, but not near as many as some here. I too, always kept notes of everything especially number of shots fired on brass. But, I shoot several magnums, and you'll just never get the life out of them that a 308 or 30-06 or what have you, will get. I'd be very happy to make it to 4-5 reloads on the Weatherby brass. They are expensive to shoot, even if you reload (compared to standards, brass and powder volume) but I just like them. Which is funny, because I used to really not like anything about them, until I started using one. Now I'm looking at building another if not 2 LOL
Now for Pegasus or anyone else shooting match type stuff, what brass do you guys like in 308? I figure heck, if the best is available, use the best right? For the rest of the rifles I own/plan to build shortly, I really won't have many options for brass like I do for the 308. I mean...with a Weatherby you use Weatherby, the few others are distant runner-ups if anything. Brass is thinner and just not as strong. The 9.3 has a few options, but literally just a few. 308 has truck loads of choices lol
For the .223, I use Winchester brass. The prep time is longer; I use the mandrel to round out the mouths, then I chamfer and deburr and I also ream ou the flash hole to get that little burr.
So perhaps another thing on your list is the RCBS Trim Mate device. That's what I use to prep the brass. Very nice little device.
Edited to add: At Lodi, there were a number of people using Nosler match brass. This is great stuff, and it is sorted by weight, but you pay for that. I don't remember meeting anyone using Norma brass, but I saw: Lapua (most), Nosler (I saw one but heard of more), Winchester (a few) and LC Match (quite a few.) One of the guys using LC brass encountered several case head separations. Ask me what it does to your score when that happens. I discussed it with him after the match (I was the one pulling his target when that happened,) and suggested he had a sizing problem. I believe, but I am not sure,) that he was breaking the first rule of handloading; "Never, ever, under any circumstances, resize virgin brass."
+1 for the Chargemaster, I have had mine since they came out and it works perfectly and it has since day one.
The only Press I have is the old simple RCBS Rockchucker press and it works well for me since I don’t load in huge volumes. I have toyed with the Idea of a Forster press but I never have done the deed.
I use Forster dies whenever I can and like them very much.
Since I do so much prep work I tend to use Winchester, Remington, and Federal Rifle brass and have not had any issues, then again I am not a competitive shooter.
If I ever wanted to get out of all the case prep I would surely go to Lapua brass.
Welcome back to reloading.