Precision Reloading

I have worked for years to achieve precision reloading skills and have had good results with most projects. The long range hunting loads took a lot of reading and trying because of the many different variables such as wind, weather, temperature,distance,angle's,altitude, and a few others.

There were times when nothing seemed to go right I would set up for a thousand yards then the wind would come up and you have to wait for good weather. But in the end it is all worth it. The first time you make a long range shot at over three hundred yards it feels so good. The surprising thing was most long yardage kills are one shot. For me any way I think the precision reloading and the fact the animal usually is not to concerned at that range was the main reason.

The big difference I found was the time ,I could usually take time to use a sand bag and sort of bench rest my shots. That reminds me of a lesson I learned from a older hunter about taking the best rest and giving your shot the best chance of success. He told me he was not going to Chase down or help clean any gut shot animals if I was that stupid. I never for got that because I was guilty and caught in the act.

He told me of times he sat in the mud just to get a good rest for a game shot. What made it stick was he was not a good shot and readily admitted it but with using good shooting practices he rarely missed his game.

That's my problem also I am to nervous and prone to buck fever to be really good. That's the real advantage of precision reloading it gives you a real step up on hunting and shooting.

The Tips and Tricks of Precision Reloading

When I first started reloading, getting prepared for the season sounded like a lot of work. The idea of reloading for precision and long range was not in my strategy then until I actually got my first seven mm Reminton Mag. This was the first time I had a long range gun with enough stopping power to kill moose at three hundred yards and more. Then I started to learn the stuff I needed to hit at that range. It was like learning how to hunt again and it was fun and exciting. I must have checked the stats on my caliber ten times just to make sure it was that flat shooting. I practically shot my barrel out trying to learn all the range and wind variables. Then I shot a enormous bull at over five hundred yards. I have never lost that feeling of accomplishment.

Some of the best things I learned was from other shooters at competitions.  The idea of using a brass polisher and case length resize tool helped. I still have to remember to write it all down as I shoot test rounds and keep and mark the targets. The possibilities are huge when you think of how limited a person who does not reload is. I still have to catch myself trying to skip checking brass for flaws following each reload and I do this after cleaning the pin hole under the primer and the primer pocket.  A good tool for the pin hole is a drill bit because they come in all sizes and are cheap.  I found it harder to find and clean the primer pocket. I did find a brush for my drill for this but it can  be a job.

Bench rest and varmint shooters know that best accuracy is nearly always obtained when the bullet is seated such that the ogive of the bullet lightly touches the rifling. When a bullet has a long ”jump” at the rifling, as in normal factory loads, it has a chance to yaw or enter the lands slightly tipped. This adversely affects accuracy. To figure this and get it as near as possible I used a candle to smoke the bullet and keep chambering the round until the bullet marks from the lands just show in the black smoke.  When you have done the setting it is best to make a dummy round and save it for the next round of reloading. Remember to keep it well marked.  Another aid in improving accuracy is checking the run out or checking if the bullet is seated straight in the brass.  An easy check can be done using a mirror and rolling a bullet across it, reloaders can clearly see .003 inch run out a .006 inch looks like a bent axle.