Home Main Category General Firearms

Rossi .223 hand loads?

Hey guys, my cousin just bought the Lee Breech Lock reloading kit. He told me if buy all my crap I can use his press whenever I want, right now I have nothing except a coffee can full of spent brass. Neither of us have ever done this before so I've got a few questions. Right now my head is spinning trying to figure this all out. How do I tinker with a load to get better accuracy? One person told me the main variant was how deep the bullet was seated, while another person said you always have the same overall length its just a matter of different bullet and powder combinations. The guy we talked to today said to just simply put a factory loaded round in there and use that to set the length, is that acceptable or do I need to bust out the caliper? Next, the die set my cousin bought for his .243 came with something to cut the case to the right length, how often do I need to do that and whats the best way? I am also assuming that brass is just like shot shells where each brand is different, do I need to sort all my brass out or will it effect my accuracy if I load up a bunch of rounds in different brands of brass? I am looking at buying Nosler Varmageddon 40gr bullets since MidwayUSA has them on sale right now and I've been told that with the 1:12 twist that Rossi has lighter is better. Does anybody have any loads that worked good in the R223MB?My cousin is reloading .243 simply because its cheaper, and we've got a few shells loaded up but havn't shot any yet. Me on the other hand, I want better accuracy since my guns sucks but also want to keep it cheap. Any info would be awesome! My head hurts right now trying to get this all figured out. Thanks, Spencer

Replies

  • JayhawkerJayhawker Posts: 18,357 Senior Member
    Dude....Get a reloading manual.....read it a couple of times....then proceed.
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • Shoemaker SethShoemaker Seth Posts: 139 Member
    Get a manual, I started with Lyman's, and read. Generally speaking, start with mild plinking loads and get the fundamentals down, then move up from there. Be safe and have fun!
    Some threads I read for information. Others I read for entertainment value.
  • splangelandsplangeland Posts: 100 Member
    Ok, I will have to do that I guess. I was hoping to avoid buying a manual since I'm flat broke and that's $30 I could use to buy my dies but I would really like to understand this better.
  • Shoemaker SethShoemaker Seth Posts: 139 Member
    The library might have one, or pick one up used. You should get one for at least half off new price.
    Some threads I read for information. Others I read for entertainment value.
  • JayhawkerJayhawker Posts: 18,357 Senior Member
    Ok, I will have to do that I guess. I was hoping to avoid buying a manual since I'm flat broke and that's $30 I could use to buy my dies but I would really like to understand this better.

    You really NEED to understand this better - a good manual will save you a ton of money in the long run if only from not buying a lot of unnecessary junk....it will also help you in not turning your rifle into a pipe bomb... Accumulate some basic knowledge and then get back with us for specific stuff.....ask before you buy...
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • splangelandsplangeland Posts: 100 Member
    Today me and my cousin went to the local gun shop and got what I guess you could call a manual. It was a free booklet that listed what powder and how many grains depending on what weight bullet you were shooting but that was the extent of the info it had so I will have to look into getting either a Nosler or Hornady manual since I think that's what they had.
  • SirGeorgeKillianSirGeorgeKillian Posts: 5,463 Senior Member
    Yes, get a manual before proceeding. There is a lot more information you NEED to know before you start. Just knowing how much powder of a certain brand to use with a weight of bullet is only the tip of the iceberg. Of all the reloading information you need to know, that is actually the last piece you need to know.

    By that last statement, I mean you need to know what you are doing here, understand what it is you are doing. There is a lot more to reloading than putting stuff together. Reloading can be extremely dangerous if you skip the fundamentals and try to jump to the doing part. That is like handing a 10 year old boy a gun with absolutely no instruction and saying go have fun!

    Please, please, please buy a manual, read it several times then proceed. If you have any questions, please ask first. It's too late once you pull the trigger! Things like a high primer can cause slam fires, not to mention what happens if you double charge a case ect.
    Unless life also hands you water and sugar, your lemonade is gonna suck!
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    I'm in love with a Glock
  • splangelandsplangeland Posts: 100 Member
    So should I go with something like a Nosler or Hornady that I can pick up locally or should I go with a Lyman that was listed above? I looked online at Hornady's and Nosler's but they seemed to be specifically that brand where Lyman seemed to be pretty general
  • SirGeorgeKillianSirGeorgeKillian Posts: 5,463 Senior Member
    Unless life also hands you water and sugar, your lemonade is gonna suck!
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    I'm in love with a Glock
  • robert38-55robert38-55 Posts: 3,621 Senior Member
    A few days ago Buffco, started a thread thats now up to about 2 pages, asking the same kind of data. If I have done this correctly:

    http://forums.gunsandammo.com/showthread.php?9831-For-GENERAL-reloading-info-which-manual
    "It is what it is":usa:
  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    Here is an idy, Graf & Sons has Hornandy's 8th edition on sale fer $9.99 because a new edition is out. It will be plenty informative and has a wealth of information and how to reload and explain the mechanics of it all. Then you can proceed to the loading data.
    This way you can buy bullets/die set with what you saved.

    There is a minimum order of 40-45 bucks, but S&H is only $4.99.

    http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/22441

    But read and read some more, plus watch videos on You-tube and ask questions before you attempt your first reload. It is imperative you comprehend the basics and know how all the components interact/influence each other in a cartridge before you get started reloading.

    Good luck.
    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
    Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
    I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
  • bisleybisley Posts: 10,815 Senior Member
    How do I tinker with a load to get better accuracy?

    All of the above comments are dead on - learn some more and understand what you are doing before you start assembling cartridges.

    One of the things you should try to understand is the 'accuracy' thing. Accuracy is a function of the precision of your equipment, combined with your personal shooting ability. To find the most precise load for your rifle, you have eliminate as many of the human variables as you possibly can.

    I have no experience with Rossi rifles, but I have owned a lot of low-end rifles, some of which were good shooters. The precision of the rifle could actually be improved on the good shooters by finding the right bullet and charge for it, and by setting the bullet the right distance from the lands. But what I have found is that low-end rifles nearly always have heavy, crunchy triggers, and you have to either learn to compensate for that hindrance to accurate shooting, or improve the trigger, before you can realize any improvements with hand loads.

    All I'm saying is that you need to make sure that you and the rifle are ready for a customized load, because if they are not, you may never come up with anything that really helps your shooting accuracy.
  • SpkSpk Posts: 4,832 Senior Member
    ...
    Neither of us have ever done this before so I've got a few questions. Right now my head is spinning trying to figure this all out.
    ...

    My head hurts right now trying to get this all figured out. Thanks, Spencer

    You can start here and get a better idea of what you need to do and then get that Reloading Manual ASAP.
    http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/presses-and-kits/pdf/IntroToReloading.pdf
    http://67.222.53.210/frontierfreedom/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60
    Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience -- Mark Twain
    How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain

  • splangelandsplangeland Posts: 100 Member
    Thanks! I really liked the first one. I'm going to read that a time or two and buy a manual once I have some money
Sign In or Register to comment.
Magazine Cover

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Temporary Price Reduction

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Guns & Ammo stories delivered right to your inbox every week.

Advertisement