PRECISION LONG RANGE

SHOOTING AND HUNTING

VOL 4: PRECISION RIFLE

HANDLOADING
(RELOADING)
JON GILLESPIE-BROWN

Contributor:
DARRELL HOLLAND

1
 COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Copyright Jon Gillespie-Brown 2018.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Published by TeachMe Interactive LLC, 4450 Arapahoe Ave, Suite #100,

Boulder, CO 80303

Version: 2

To order print, e-books or the online course visit:

www.teachmeinteractive.com

ISBN-13: 978-1719550963
ISBN-10: 1719550964

Production team:
Jon Gillespie-Brown - Publisher and editor
Luca Gillespie-Brown - Video production
Nicolae Stoia - Illustrations
Ed Oswald - Editing
Mark Finning - Art, print, design and web
Jane Berman - Admin and accounting
Darrell Holland - Contributor (Owner, Hollands Long Range Shooting
School)
Greg Wood - VP, Partnerships and sponsors

Contributors, editors and commenters:

Tony Darst
Nate Demiter
Cliff Steele
Tim Gardner
Jeffrey Thomas Sanford

2
 Chris Wittwer
Jordan Adachi
William Travis

Copyright notice:
All rights reserved. All images, drawings, videos, illustrations and
photographs in this course / book are copyright TeachMe Interactive or their
respective owners.
No part of this publication shall be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher except
by a reviewer who may quote short passages or use images with attribution in
a review article or post to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or
electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet. The TeachMe
Interactive logos are trademarks of TeachMe Interactive.

3
 CONTENTS

Join Our Long Range Community

Book content and audience

Learn from videos or online/mobile courses

General safety and legal
Hand loading safety tips
Keep in touch
An Introduction to Handloading
1. Factory vs. Handloaded Ammo
2. Handloading vs. Reloading
3. Why Make Your Own Ammunition?
4. How safe is Handloading?
5. What skills are required to make ammunition?
6. Precision and Accuracy for Long Range Shooting
7. The Importance of Consistent Ammunition
Learn with video

Understanding Ammunition
1. Barrel Anatomy
2. Barrel Harmonics
3. Bullets and Projectile Twist Rate
4. Caliber Selection
5. Ballistic Coefficient
6. Brass Life
7. Fire Forming a Cartridge Case
I. Cartridge Measurements
1. Introduction
2. Understanding Headspace
3. Understanding COAL/CBTO/Seating Depth
4. Understanding Neck Tension
5. Weights Used in Ammunition

4
 II. Components of a Cartridge
1. Introduction
2. Anatomy of a Projectile (The Bullet)
3. Anatomy of a Case (The Brass)
4. Propellant (The Powder)
5. Primers Explained

Getting Started Making Ammunition

1. Introduction
2. How to Develop Your Own “Loads”
3. The Load Development Process
4. The Use of Reloading Manuals and Data
I. Sourcing the Best Cartridge Parts
1. Brass Selection
2. Bullet Selection
3. Powder Selection
4. Primer Selection

5. Next Steps…

Handloading Equipment
1. Introduction
2. The Reloading Bench
3. Reloading Manuals
4. Reloading Record Book
5. Essential Equipment to Get Started
6. Brass Case Cleaners
7. Powder Measures and Dispensers
8. Automated Powder Dispensing Scales
9. Annealing Tools
10. Handloading Tools for Match Level Preparation
I. Reloading Presses
1. Introduction
2. Single Stage Presses
3. Turret Reloading Presses
4. Progressive Reloading Presses
5. The Arbor Press

5
 6. Reloading Dies (For the Press)
7. Shell Holder/Plate (For the Press)

Stages of Building Your Ammunition

I. The Case Preparation Stage (Used Brass)
1. Introduction to Case Preparation
2. New Brass: What’s Different in the Process
3. Case General Cleaning
4. Advanced: Clean the Case and Case Neck
5. Case Inspection and Measurement
6. Case Lubrication
7. Setting Up the Resizing/Decapping Die
8. Case Depriming (standalone)
9. Case Resizing (Full Length)
10. Lube Removal/Case Inspection/Case Length
Measurement
11. Advanced: Rounding Out the Case Mouths and
Resetting Neck Size
12. Case Trimming (If Required)
13. Case Chamfer/Deburring
14. Advanced: Clean and Uniform the Primer Pocket
15. Advanced: Measure the Primer Pocket Depth
16. Advanced: Uniforming and Chamfering the Flash Holes
17. Advanced: Case Neck Turning (If Required)
18. Advanced: Case Annealing (If Required)
19. Advanced: Case Weighing and Sorting
Learn with video

II. The Case Priming Stage

1. Case Priming Issues
2. Advanced: Measure and Sort the Primers
3. Hand Priming
4. Priming With a Single Stage Press
5. Advanced: Bench Priming

III. Powder/Propellant Stage

1. Introduction
2. Charging the Cases and Testing

6
 3. Advanced: Using an Electronic Dispenser

IV. Bullet Seating Stage

1. Introduction to Bullet Seating
2. Determining Bullet Seating Depth
3. Advanced: Bullet Sorting by Weight and Length
4. The Bullet Seating Procedure
Learn with video

V. Finishing Up Your Ammunition

1. Advanced: Concentricity and Bullet Run Out
2. Measuring Final Cartridge Length (CBTO)
3. Records, Clean Up and Storage

Testing Your Handloaded Ammunition

1. Introduction to Load Development
2. Ladder Testing
3. Ladder Testing Tips
4. Watching for Pressure Signs
Learn with video

Equipment Maintenance
1. How to Clean Reloading Dies
2. How to Deconstruct a Cartridge

Join Our Long Range Community

Next steps…Get Book Two
More long range shooting books, videos and courses…
About the Authors
Legal Notice & Disclaimer
Warning notice

7
 JOIN OUR LONG RANGE COMMUNITY

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Signup to the newsletter and get Book Three FREE!

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T hanks for reading our book , we worked hard for a few years to bring you
what we hope is a punchy, but comprehensive resource you can rely on for
years as you enjoy your sport.
We have setup a newsletter you can join to get access to a ton of extra
content we couldn’t add to the books as there’s a limit to the available
space.
Get “early access” and unique reader-only sneak peaks into new
products and even free access to beta versions! In addition, we like to offer
freebies, specials, guest posts, manufacturer deals and other benefits to
our readers this way…so don’t miss out visit the site to sign up today!

visit this page on our site:

https://www.longrangeshooting.org/

INTERACTIVE ONLINE TRAINING

8
 EVEN BETTER…We have produced a fully interactive online training course!
Packed with extra content, dozens of tutorial videos,
downloadable lists, quizzes, additional topics, extended tutorials and
special discount offers on practical training. It makes for better
interactive learning as well as constant new content and community options. Go
here for more details.

https://www.longrangeshootingbooks.com/

9
BOOK CONTENT AND AUDIENCE

10
Who is the book for?
This book is aimed at anyone
who wants to get into Long
Range Shooting and know they
need to go to the next level
and start making their own
ammunition.
This book and buyers guide is
valuable for any level of shooting
experience, even those that have been shooting for years.

Novice or experienced, the knowledge in this book will help

you learn how to make high quality precision hand loads
for more accurate Long Range Shooting.

We will answer these questions

in depth:

A detailed understanding of the different techniques to

build either basic ammunition or full competition style
precision hand loaded ammunition
Full details on how ammunition is made, from experts,
including tips and advice on everything from caliber, to
equipment and techniques

11
 All the jargon explained in simple language, including
advanced topics like neck tension, headspace and COAL
How to choose the right components to make the best
shooting end result
How to competition prepare the cases to reduce your
extreme spread and standard deviations, allowing for sun
1/4 MOA shooting ammunition ideal for long range
shooting
How to test and refine your load formulas for ultimate
success using techniques like ladder testing

You will learn:

This course is broken down into major sections, with hundreds of
images and illustrations covering all the major areas on
handloading for long range precision shooting.

An introduction to handloading - safety, skills and

workflows
Understanding ammunition - learn barrel harmonics, terms
and measurements, and the process
Getting started making ammunition - how to choose the
right components for your ammo
Handloading equipment - both basic and competition level
equipment explained
Using and choosing a reloading press - types of press and
how to use a press to build precision ammo
Stages of building your ammunition - detailed case
prep./priming/powdering cases/bullet seating
Testing your handloaded ammunition - how to build a load
formula and range test it
Equipment maintenance, record keeping and more!

12
Take away these key points:

Learn the difference between factory and. hand loaded

ammo.
Learn the difference between hand loading and reloading
Learn reloading safety as well as fine detail on every
technique
Learn how to match a great load with your own rifle and
test the results
Learn techniques that lead to most accurate ammunition
you can make
Understand the complex jargon, terms and measurements
used in reloading
Start with the basics or learn how to hand load at a
competition level

https://www.longrangeshootingbooks.com/

13
 LEARN FROM VIDEOS OR
ONLINE/MOBILE COURSES

“I just finished Volumes 1 and 2 of the [TeachMe Interactive]

course. I have been shooting for over 50 years and can’t thank you
enough for the great material. I really learned a lot. Special kudos
for the Optics, Ballistics, and Reading the Wind sections. You did a
great job of explaining these topics and, cleared up a number of
misconceptions I have been carrying around for years. I will go out
of my way to recommend your course to anyone who will listen.”
- STEVE JOHNSON (TMI CLIENT)

Prefer training videos or want

our companion videos?
TeachMe Interactive also offers a full range of hand loading videos
to accompany this course/books. These videos are hosted by
Darrell Holland who has trained shooters in the art of handloading
at his onsite school in Oregon, USA, for 20 years.
These can be found here:
https://www.longrangeshootingbooks.com/

14
Learn from online/mobile
courses
We have also produced a fully interactive online training course!
Packed with extra content, dozens of tutorial videos,
downloadable lists, quizzes, additional topics, extended
tutorials and special discount offers on practical training.
This makes learning interactive, and we continuously add new
content and community options.

The Online Courses are packed full of 100's of videos, images,

quizzes and illustrations to make learning faster and more
enjoyable - especially on the go. Learn anytime and
anywhere.

15
https://www.longrangeshootingbooks.com/

16
 GENERAL SAFETY AND LEGAL

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WHILE

SHOOTING AND HAND LOADING.

Before we start, we should always refresh ourselves on

the safety required to go shooting. Long range precision
shooting can be very safe. Chose a suitable location where you
have permission to shoot, and then set out your shooting area
with safety in mind, just like you should do at all times while
shooting. It's no different.
Long range shooting only really varies based on the need to
consider a much larger "danger zone" over which you are firing,
since 1000 yards is way more area to consider safe. However, if
you are carefully checking out the area looking for targets,
whether hunting or target shooting, and being careful not to shoot
over people to get to the target, you will be safe.
Also, the kinetic energy of the bullet has to drop below the
point of injury and well past the range of your target. This means,
that the energy per foot-pounds needs to drop below its terminal
velocity. For example, a .308 round carries approximately 566 ft.
lbs at 1000 yards. In order to ensure you will not injure someone
beyond your target's range, make sure you create a safety zone
several hundred yards past your target, and with ultra long range,
safety is measured in miles.

17
 Note: A careless attitude when handling firearms is a dangerous
one, and will result in damage to your shooting system, injury,
and/or death. We encourage you to use common sense when
handling firearms, and always follow these five rules of safety.

NRA safe gun handling rules:

Always keep your gun pointed in a safe direction.

Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to
shoot.
Always keep your gun unloaded until ready to use.
Know your target and what is beyond.
Never rely on your safety. Your safety is a mechanical
device and can fail.

Other safety rules:

Be aware that certain types of guns and many shooting

activities like long range shooting require additional safety
precautions.
Never use alcohol or drugs before, or while shooting.
Use the correct ammunition, as precision rifles are more
likely to need specific ammunition to function well.
Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting.
Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting.

If your firearm fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, handle

with the utmost care! Remember anytime that a cartridge is in the

18
chamber, the firearm could still discharge, so keep your muzzle
pointed in a safe direction. Engage the safety. Keeping your face
from the breech, carefully open the action to unload the cartridge.
Dispose of the cartridge safely.
Keep the muzzle pointed in a SAFE direction for at least 30
seconds. (one cannot engage the safety because the firing pin is
down) Then remove the cartridge in question, inspect it to see if
the firing pin has struck the primer. If so dispose of the cartridge
safely. If the primer has not been struck there may be a
mechanical issue with the firearm so the next steps is to get it
inspected by a qualified person.
More safety tips here:
https://gunsafetyrules.nra.org/
https://www.nssf.org/safety/

WARNING: FIREARMS CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO

THE USER AND TO OTHERS.

The course encourages the safe and responsible ownership and

use of firearms. You agree and acknowledge that there are risks
associated with firearms training, including but not limited to: risk
of serious injury or death due to firearms discharge by you or
another individual, exposure to loud noises, and exposure to
noxious fumes and hazardous material. Despite the risks, you
knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently choose to participate in this
firearms training course even though you will not be doing any
live fire during this theory-only course.
At all times, TeachMe Interactive intends for the gun safety
information contained in this class to be used for educational
purposes only. No information presented within this class should
be construed as advice requiring professional licensure and a
relationship with a patient/client, including medical, psychological,
legal, or any other regulated profession. No doctor/patient,
attorney/client, or other such legal relationship is formed or
intended to be formed by your participation in this course.

19
 HAND LOADING SAFETY TIPS

Let's take a minute and talk about safety on the loading bench.
It's a topic that's often overlooked by many hand loaders. But yet,
it's very, very important.

These are the key takeaways:

Don't forget to wear your safety glasses each and every

time you go on the loading bench. You don't want a
primer going off showering sparks in your face. If you do
happen to ignite powder on the bench, you don't want to
char yourself by not having your safety glasses on.
Everybody should have a fire extinguisher on the loading
bench in the event of emergencies. Remember, you're
dealing with flammable items here, powder, primers that
can cause your house to go up in flames or even put your
eye out. Having a fire extinguisher within reach on the
loading table, very important.
For those of you that are really conscious to toxicity levels,
maybe a good set of latex gloves. Latex gloves are really
important especially if you're working with lead-based
bullets, okay. In the pistol industry, a lot of cast bullets

20
 going on, don your latex gloves, make sure you wash your
hands at the end of the day or frequently throughout the
day.

Only work with one powder at a

time.
When I'm loading, I like to use a 3 by 5 card, I'll write the powder
on it, insert it in my powder hopper so if I get interrupted and I
come back in an hour or a day or a week, I know exactly what
powder is in the hopper, I'm not confusing it with something else
that could cause a dangerous problem if I put the wrong powder
in the wrong cartridge case.

Distractions.
Don't let any distractions disrupt your loading techniques. Turn the
TV off, turn the radio off. Don't be bickering or arguing with
someone during the reloading cycle. This can cause you to make
mistakes that may indeed be fatal.

Storage of Ammunition
Components.

21
Powder and primers, are explosive items and need storing
carefully. Indeed, there may be specific local regulations for the
storage of ammunition, powder and primers (not to mention fire
regulations), so it is a good idea to check with the local authorities
when getting started. Often there are limits on the amount of
loaded ammunition, powder and primers you can legally store in
one place and it may also limit different locations.
Storage tips:

Store powder and primers separately away from each

other.
Store powder and primers in a cool, dry location, away
from but accessible to your bench
Put primers, in their original container packets, into metal
ammo. cans as an extra safety precaution.
Keep powder in its original container, with the cap on
tight.

Safety checklist:

Never smoke or have any naked flames anywhere near

the reloading bench.
Always wear protection, the minimum being eye
protection glasses. Consider also using gloves in all or
parts of the process.
Never just use someone else’s recipe for a cartridge,
especially from an unknown source. Every rifle is different,
you could easily load to too higher pressure if you simply
copy someone else recipe, good safety would always have
you to do load development. Trust but verify!
Always use the reloading manual thats best suited to
the ammunition you are creating.

22
Always have a fire extinguisher on the bench in case
of a fire.
Never reload while you are stressed or not paying full
attention, this avoid making mistakes like over powdering
a case with too much powder, or no powder. Both are very
dangerous and easy to do if you don’t pay attention.
Be picky about your brass selection and be aware of
bulk brass issues, such as once-fired military brass. Watch
for the likes of primer issues with crimping, and also
damage to the brass as this type of brass is often machine
gun brass and as such is highly “stressed” in use. It’s best
avoided.
Powder Storage in Powder Measurer. Powder left in
the reloader's powder measurer for extended periods,
overnight or several days, should be avoided. Powder
needs to be stored in original containers only, when not in
use.
Never mix any two powders regardless of type, brand,
or source. Never substitute any smokeless powder for
Black Powder or any Black Powder substitute.
Sweep up spilled powder with a brush. Not a vacuum
cleaner, never use a machine with a danger of sparking.
Sweeping is safest.
Document and label your loads. Record details of your
loads before you finish and label the ammunition you've
produced. Save yourself later puzzlement by noting
powder charge, bullet weight, primer, and reloading
session date before you finish up.

23
 KEEP IN TOUCH

T hanks for reading our book , we worked hard for a few years to bring you
what we hope is a punchy, but comprehensive resource you can rely on for
years as you enjoy your sport.
We have setup a newsletter you can join to get access to a ton of extra
content we couldn’t add to the books as there’s a limit to the available
space.
Get “early access” and unique reader-only sneak peaks into new
products and even free access to beta versions! In addition, we like to offer
freebies, specials, guest posts, manufacturer deals and other benefits to
our readers this way…so don’t miss out visit the site to sign up today!

https://www.longrangeshootingbooks.com/

24
AN INTRODUCTION TO
HANDLOADING

25
 ONE
FACTORY VS. HANDLOADED AMMO

Accuracy depends on
consistency. The one thing many
new shooters don't understand is
that precision comes from having a
"system." A big part of that is the
ammunition and the rifle, and no
combination of these two parts
shoots the same. This means your rifle will shoot differently
with the same ammunition out of the same box as your friend,
and as you learn to shoot more accurately and consistently, you
will need to test your own rifle and ammunition and improve on
your own unique system.
One benefit of handloading is that you have the
opportunity to check that each and every cartridge is
exactly and precisely the same as the last one. You can
ensure that every bullet measures right, every powder charge is
right, and the seating depth is perfect, which is not the case when
buying off the shelf. You are in complete control of the
performance of the cartridge.
Making your own ammunition requires an investment
in equipment, reloading components, and time, however.
If you use a lot of ammunition, you may be able to "up your

26
game" and save some money in the long run, but you will sacrifice
convenience. Handloading also has more risks than shop-bought
ammunition, as it's up to you to get the "formula" right and not to
over-pressure your cartridges, and so forth.
Factory ammunition – while convenient – is generic. It's made
to suit many different types of rifles, and those rifles will have
differing twist rates, barrel lengths, many other factors. It's not
made or designed to shoot well from your specific rifle. You can
try and match the rifle you buy as close to the specs used in the
testing rifles (for a specific box of ammunition to remove some of
the variability), but the trick is in finding ammunition that works
well in your rifle.
Also note that cheaper ammunition can be poorly made
and as a result it can be very inconsistent or even
inaccurate. That's why long-range shooters tend to use
"match" quality ammunition for starters, as this is the
best you can get in terms of quality.
If you get into long range shooting, you will want to consider
handloading if you want the most precision ammunition, but
match ammunition is the best to get started.
One thing to note for hunters: weigh whether the "match"
ammunition you are choosing also has the right bullet design to
effectively kill game versus just hitting paper. For example,
Hornady makes match quality ammunition in their ELD series, and
they have one type for paper, and another for hunting. They are
both high quality but they each have a purpose, and choosing the
right bullet and type is important for your mission.

Note: Don’t use standard match ammunition when hunting as

these projectiles often pass right through animals and could cause
unnecessary suffering. They are not specifically designed to cause
internal damage and loss of blood like hunting projectiles.

Takeaway:

27
 If you get into long range shooting, consider handloading if you
want the most precision ammunition, but match ammunition is
also great to get started. It is important to consider that factory
loadings change frequently from lot to lot and that hand loading is
way to continue to produce the same results, time after time,
even after many hundreds or thousands of rounds.

28
 TWO
HANDLOADING VS. RELOADING

The industry has two terms for the same activity but there is a
difference between handloading and reloading. The key difference
is about intention and philosophy: a “Reloader” could be thought
of as someone who has the aim of making their own lower cost
ammunition by re-using spent cartridges, whereas a “handloader”
tends to be looking to make better ammunition than factory loads.
Handloaders shoot more accurately and reliably from their own
rifle giving tighter groups at distance.
While either term can be used for the same activity, the
handloader goes to extreme lengths for precision that the
Reloader does not. Making bespoke ammunition is a time-
consuming process in addition to the regular reloading process.
The custom handloader is much less likely to save money as that
is not their goal. Not only do they need more expensive
equipment and tools, but they tend to buy more expensive
components like brass and primers of match quality, which is the
opposite of the Reloader using spent cases from the range.
Handloading refers to the process of putting all the parts
together yourself, often using machines and tools like presses to
assemble the parts and has a long history.
Back in the old days, people would form their own projectiles
(bullets) and make their own ammunition in the field as they had

29
the components and could be
traveling for months or years
without being able to access store
bought ammunition.
Handloading is also often
thought of as a more “advanced”
technique related to building
ammunition versus the simpler
and less precise ways to do so. In Darrell Holland, Holland
other words, if you are a Reloading School
handloader you are striving for
the perfect cartridge and the most consistent batch of ammunition
whereas a “Reloader” is someone without that same obsession,
using lower standards and costs in their build process. These
names are not really that important, what counts is picking the
amount of time and money for the results you need.

“A handloader is a dedicated individual, one who is striving for

perfection in everything that he does. He's weighing and sorting his
bullets making sure that they weigh exactly the same, they're not
plus or minus a tenth of a grain. He's weighing his brass. He's
weighing and sorting his primers. He's measuring the powder
charge to the granule. And to some of you that may sound
extreme, but it takes that type of dedication and perfection if you
want to stand on the podium and spray champagne on everybody
below you.”
DARRELL HOLLAND, HOLLAND RELOADING
SCHOOL

Reloading is a term that refers to taking already shot

cartridge cases and reusing them.
Handloading and reloading both tend to go together as brass
cases can be reused many times (Most brass cases can be
reloaded 5 to 20 times, depending upon the cartridge and powder
charge and also the quality you are looking for in the finished
product) before they become unusable. This is a big benefit as
brass is expensive (usually over 50% of the total cost of the

30
cartridge), so if you can recycle it, you can save money (in
theory). Obviously, the other parts of a cartridge are consumed
each time: the primer and powder are burned, and the projectile
is damaged beyond reuse. The Reloader is a recycler.
All that’s required to handload other than common sense and a
safety bias is a reloading manual (that has all recipe needed for
the cartridge) and the component parts and tools.

Takeaway:

There is no qualification or certifications required to build your

own ammunition.

31
 THREE
WHY MAKE YOUR OWN AMMUNITION?

There could be several reasons to

make your own ammunition. Many
cite cost savings, although that will
depend on your usage and volume
requirements. In some places
certain ammunition and calibers are
harder to source, so making your
own makes sense.
If you plan to shoot long range or competitively, then
handloading becomes much more important. These are far more
demanding uses of ammunition than simple range shooting or
hunting.
In some states in the US it is harder to purchase ammunition,
so making your own is an alternative to restrictive laws.
As for cost savings, it is more likely you can shoot more (have
more ammunition for the same budget) than make huge savings if
you factor in the time and money for equipment. If you are in a
restrictive state handloading makes more sense as the law drives
up prices and access.
Making your own ammunition can also be a community activity
where friends get together, or a fun hobby for those that enjoy
making things or using tools.

32
 Precision shooting requires handloading as it ensures a much
better fit between the ammunition and the rifle. On the other
hand, factory ammunition is made for a range of conditions and
systems, so it’s the opposite of hand loading in many ways.
Handloading not only allows for the very best match between
loads and ammunition formulas, but it also enables scientific
testing and tuning to ensure the most accurate and precise
combination. You have complete control: you can take the time to
ensure each round weighs the same, has the same manufacturing
process and tolerances, and meets a very high final quality
standard. This allows you to better control the outcome in the
field.

Takeaway:
There are many benefits to handloading that are not only
financial, but also to ensure precision and enhance your
enjoyment of the sport.

33
 FOUR
HOW SAFE IS HANDLOADING?

Handloading is surprisingly safe as

today’s smokeless powders are
very different from the old black
powder we used to see in the old
movies. Today’s smokeless
powders are classified as
propellants rather than explosives,
meaning when properly used
Image credit: Mark J. Kuczka
these powders only burn when
ignited. They are still subject to
strict laws, but they are safe enough for shipment and use by the
general public.
Do keep in mind that you will have to pay an extra “hazmat”
fee in the US, and all powders are ground shipped due to safety
and legal considerations. This said, with careful storage these
powders are inert and therefore can be kept at home away from
any fire sources without much risk.
There are differing regulations around the world, so check with
your local authorities for the amount and best way to store your

34
reloading components. The fire department in many jurisdictions
has rules on the location and amount you can store.

Takeaway:

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WHILE

SHOOTING AND HAND LOADING. See the safety tips section
for a full set of safety suggestions.

35
 FIVE
WHAT SKILLS ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE
AMMUNITION?

Hand loading ammunition may look

daunting, as books and magazines
on the subject show benches
stacked full of dozens of
components, tools and machines.
However, it is pretty simple as
there are only four main parts of a
cartridge, and these need to be
assembled safely and carefully. Don’t fret: it’s not very technical or
complex to assemble a round of ammunition. Where it does
become more complex however is in the safety checking and
testing to achieve the most consistent and precise load formula.
You can choose how sophisticated you want to be in making
your own ammunition, and your need for precision, budget and
time will be a driver of your choices.
You can build your own ammunition with very simple and
inexpensive tools, but this approach best suits either a new
Reloader or someone making only a few rounds. As you become
more experienced and need to make greater volumes or types of
ammunition, you may choose to use more complex presses and
processes.

36
 Building ammunition is similar to cooking. Can you buy from a
shopping list, follow a set of rules as to how to mix the parts,
weigh and measure accurately, and then assemble and check the
results? If so and you are careful, methodical and use common
sense both your food and ammunition will turn out great.

Takeaway:
Being safety minded and methodical are key skills.

37
 SIX
PRECISION AND ACCURACY FOR LONG
RANGE SHOOTING

Our goal with this course is to improve both precision and

accuracy. Precision is the tightness of your shot group,
whereas accuracy is about getting the shot on target.
The basic requirements to shoot a rifle, the fundamentals, are
more important in long range shooting. Every small bad habit
or poor technique is amplified when the bullet "time in
flight" can be almost two-seconds.

38
 Application of the fundamentals must be consistent every time
to have any chance of success. In addition, you’ll need to build a
firing solution that is more complex than the usual point and
shoot at short range.
At less than 300 yards (or meters), you need to focus on the
basics and be consistent, but there is a lot more room for error
and you can still hit the target or take down big game. There is
little bullet drop or wind: just aim and shoot, with a little bit of
adjustment for bullet drop as the target becomes more distant.
From 300 to 1,000 yards, you now need to compensate
for things like spin drift, the Coriolis effect, density
altitude, temperature, wind, drop, ballistics, angles, BDC
turrets and reticles, as well as consistent application of
the fundamentals. It can be tempting to focus on all of these
factors rather than fundamentals, but that would be a mistake.
Be aware that all of these other issues with long range can
take your focus away from the fundamentals, but it's no good
worrying about the Coriolis effect if you haven't factored in the
correct bullet drop to the target, or the density altitude when you
don't follow through after a shot. Don't let this happen to you.
Without the proper application of the fundamentals, nothing
will work. It is better to get the basics right first and foremost as
they tend to have the greatest influence on the shot.
Shooter consistency is really the name of the game when it
comes to long range: having the best equipment you can afford,
the best ammunition, and the experience to apply these in a
replicable fashion every time you shoot at distance. The more
variables you can tightly control, the better shooter you will
become.
The ideal is to build a "total shooting solution" that has all the
working parts tuned together from the range finder to the
ammunition and the rifle/scope, all tested together to remove
many of the variables other than the shooter.

Expert advice: If you are not getting the results you want:
“Always blame the shooter first. Everyone wants to blame the gun,
ammunition, or whatever they can think of when nine times out of
ten it is more than likely the shooter. If everyone started with this

39
 mentality, they would save a ton of money and trouble trying to fix
something that isn't broken.”
DAMAN PINSON, ADVANCED LONG RANGE
RELOADING & SHOOTING TECHNIQUES

Takeaway:

Shooter consistency is what this course helps you learn quickly

and put to the test in the field.

40
 SEVEN
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSISTENT
AMMUNITION

The importance of consistent ammunition for Long Range

shooting cannot be over-emphasized.
Take for example a rifle that is zeroed at 50 yards, with the
only parameter that is varied being the muzzle velocity.
With a muzzle velocity difference of 50fps at 100 yards, the
vertical spread is only 0.05 inches. This would make a single
ragged hole, thus leading the ladder tester/shooter to believe they
have found a great load for their rifle, right?
Compare this with what that 50fps muzzle variance results in
at 1,000 yards: a vertical spread of 1.37 MOA, or 14.3 inches! A
good chronograph is an essential part of your toolkit when testing
loads, and a good load for your rifle not only has to yield a tight
group at 100 yards but needs a standard deviation (SD) /
extreme spread (ES) as low as you can possibly get in
order to enable good long range performance.

Note: this is a simple result of a theoretical calculation. The fact is,

with an extreme spread (ES) of 50fps, the theoretical 0.05” at 100
yards may be fictional, because of the rifle system’s harmonics; this
may not be observable in nature.

41
 Image credit: Tony Darst

Takeaway:

Low standard deviation (SD) / extreme spread (ES) becomes

much more critical for precision impacts at distance than at closer
ranges.

42
 LEARN WITH VIDEO

It can often be easier to understand complex processes with a

video to back up your book learning. We have an optional video
training course as well as mobile friendly online course that teach
this syllabus too.
If you prefer to learn visually then check out our video library
at the link below:

https://www.precisionhandloading.org/book-videos/

43
UNDERSTANDING AMMUNITION

44
 ONE
BARREL ANATOMY

How your ammunition works in your rifle is partially about how

well it fits in the barrel and chamber. As a handloader you need to
create ammunition with tight tolerances and precision. You will be

45
fine tuning the case, the cartridge length and also the seating
depth. These factors are affected by the barrel design, and
measurements such as freebore/leade and bullet jump.
Here we learn more about the barrel and the jargon used to
describe it.

A rifle barrel is made up of various

parts along its length:

Chamber
Freebore
Throat
Rifling
Muzzle
Crown

The Chamber
The chamber is the area at the back end of the barrel in which
the cartridge is inserted before firing.
Freebore
The freebore (the leade) is the area ahead of the throat in a
rifle barrel where there is no rifling. The freebore varies
considerably in length and in the angle at which the rifling is cut.
Normally it is quite short, and the rifling starts at 1/32nd of an
inch from the bullet, but in some rifles the freebore might allow
over half an inch of bullet travel before it contacts the rifling.
Note: knowing the freebore length and measuring seating
depth from base to ogive (CBTO) is the best way to know how far
from the lands you are seating the bullet. Knowing these terms
and distances is essential in seating up your seating die correctly.
Bullet jump
This is the space between the projectile and the rifling where
the bullet will jump into before it's forced down the bore of the

46
rifle. This is often set at 1/32”, however many rifles deliver their
best groups when bullets are seated just touching the rifling.

Throat
The throat is the area in the barrel immediately in front of the
chamber neck that allows the bullet in a loaded round to project
out into the rifled part of the barrel.

Muzzle
The muzzle of a firearm is the end of the barrel from which the
projectile will exit.

Crown
The crown is the exit point at the very tip of the barrel. The
crown is important because it is the last part of the rifle to affect
accuracy as the bullet leaves the muzzle. In theory, a bullet can
be pushed off center by an uneven or damaged crown as the high

47
pressure gas has to vent uniformly or it else it can affect the point
of impact.

Image credit: Jeffrey Thomas Sanford

The Bore
The bore is the inside cylinder of a gun's barrel, the tube
through which the projectile (bullet or slug) passes through when
the gun is fired.

Image credit: Jeffrey Thomas Sanford

Rifling (lands and grooves)

Rifling consists of helical grooves in the internal (bore) surface
of a gun's barrel, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its
long axis.

48
 TWO
BARREL HARMONICS

Reloading for precision long range shooting has to

consider how your barrel acts when the rifle is shot. The
tuning the load to find the ideal setup for that barrel.
It's important to know that a barrel is not static during firing.
Your barrel moves (sometimes described as "ringing", "harmonics"
or "whip"), and therefore you need to consider this when buying
your barrel, and later on when you shoot.
To have a better understanding of why your rifle shoots or why
your rifle groups or patterns, you need to understand what's

49
going on with what’s called “vibration nodes” within the barrel.
When we launch a bullet down the barrel, the bullet is subject to
vibration and oscillation caused by the barrel.

Vibration travels down the barrel at roughly 18,900 feet per

second, so if the muzzle velocity on our cartridge is 3,000 feet per
second, that means the vibration node is racing back and forth, up
and down the barrel at about a 6:1 ratio.
Under those circumstances, we have different nodes within the
barrel much like a DNA strand so that the barrel's vibration node
and stabilization come into play for exit timing on the bullet. When
we develop the load for the rifle and the gun starts to group, that
means that the bullet exit timing is occurring on one of these
multiple nodes contained within the barrel's vibration cycle.
The powder becomes the coarse adjustment, then by
adjusting the seating depth in thousandths of an inch, we can
achieve this perfect optimization between the perfect node just as
the bullet exits the barrel, establishing the ideal, base to ogive
dimension for that load.
Now, as we mentioned earlier, there are multiple nodes within
the barrel. Ideally you want a node as close to the receiver as you
can, versus out towards the end of the muzzle. By playing with
your ladder test and running a variety of powder charges, you're
going to see which node seems to be closest to the muzzle this
way.

50
 It's also interesting to note that most three shot groups are
virtually triangular in shape. This is caused because as the barrel
vibrates through its "circular arc.” If one bullet leaves the muzzle
at 12 o'clock, another will leave at about 4 o'clock, and the third
near 9 o'clock. The larger the arc of the barrel, the less accurate
the rifle will be and the larger the triangle.
As a rule, the less mass a barrel has, the more it is affected by
the vibrations, and this is the reason that a heavy barrel appears
to shoot more consistently than a thinner contour barrel. A shorter
barrel of the same diameter will also have less amplitude to its arc
of movement, and should also shoot smaller, more consistent
groups. In general, choosing the thickest and shortest barrel that
is practical for your intended use yields the best accuracy.
The amplitude of the barrel vibration waves depends on barrel
thickness/length, and on the rigidity of the action/stock assembly.
Shorter and thicker barrels are stiffer and thus considered more
accurate than thin and long barrels. Keep in mind that proper
bedding of the action into the stock is essential for consistent
accuracy.

Takeaway:
Load development is really the process of finding the “sweet spot”
(an accurate node) of your handholds and your rifle. During a shot
we know there are lapses in vibration called nodes. It is possible
to tune a specific barrel (barrel timing - making it shorter or
longer) and adjust the powder charge weight and seating depth
(to make the bullet exit when the barrel wave is at the best node)
to a specific ammunition load formula in order to try and achieve
greater consistency.

51
 THREE
BULLETS AND PROJECTILE TWIST RATE

Once you have decided on the caliber, you also need to know
what bullets work in your rifle.
Not every bullet is ideal for your rifle and understanding the
relationship between the projectile and the barrel design will help
you make the right choice.

52
Rifling
Rifling is a series of spiral grooves cut into the sides of a barrel
from its chamber to the end. The purpose of rifling is to impart
spin to the projectile.
A projectile that spins along its axis is “gyroscopically
stabilized,” and therefore more aerodynamic and accurate. The
higher the rate of twist, the more spin occurs. In some cases, the
twist rate will increase down the length of the barrel, known as
"gain twist," which helps reduce barrel wear and tear.
Most large manufacturers use hammer-forged barrels that are
drilled, and the rifling is formed by forming the external steel
around a mandrel. Match barrel manufacturers tend to use a
buttoning technique (pushing or pulling a mandrel slowly through
a pre-drilled bore forming all the grooves at once), but some still
use cut rifling, which is the oldest method (cutting one groove at
a time with a machine tool).

Note: There is no inherent difference in accuracy of either barrel

machining process.

Image credit: Jeffrey Thomas Sanford

53
Lands and Grooves
In a rifled barrel, the cuts down the barrel (the slices cut out
during the rifling process) are the "grooves". The "lands" are the
raised sections of metal left untouched by the rifling process.

The projectile twist rate

Twist rate refers to the rate of spin in the rifle barrel and is
represented in inches per revolution. It's important that your
barrel has an adequate twist rate to stabilize the bullets you're
shooting. A barrel with a 1:10" twist means that the rifling will
spin the bullet one revolution in 10 inches.
The longer the bullet, the faster it must be spun to
remain stable in flight. This spin rate is determined by the
rifling's rate of twist, which is the linear distance needed for the
grooves to make one revolution.
Determining proper twist is a factor of bore diameter,
velocity, bullet weight, and bullet construction. There is no
fixed twist rate for all firearms, but most manufacturers will match
the caliber and bullets to be used to determine the proper twist

54
 rate. Longer heavier bullets require a
faster twist rate to stabilize, lighter
shorter bullets require a slower twist rate.
Matching the twist rate in your rifle to the
appropriate ammunition ensures the
Image credit: Hornady
bullet is properly stabilized in flight. If you
don't match the bullet to the twist rate,
it's much more likely to yield poor accuracy and terminal
performance.
Larger and heavier long-range projectiles perform better at a
gyroscopic stability factor of 1.5 or higher.
See the box of your chosen match
ammunition for twist rate selection, or you
can also use a calculator such as the
Berger one, here:
http://www.bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-
calculator/ if you are handloading.
Your preferred bullets will determine
the rifling twist you should buy versus just
buying the rifle first. For long range shooting, you will need a high
ballistic coefficient (BC) bullet, and therefore a fast twist rate
barrel. The best way to determine the twist you'll need is by
consulting a bullet maker such as Hornady, Barnes, Berger, or
Nosler. Find the recommended twist rates for their high BC match
bullets, these will help you choose the best rifle for you based on
the required twist rate.

Takeaway:
It is important to understand the twist rate of your barrel rifling,
and match that to the right ammunition for best performance.

55
 FOUR
CALIBER SELECTION

The first place to start in making your own ammunition is caliber

selection as the basis of defining the load you choose.
Most long-range rifle manufacturers offer a number of calibers,
but it will help narrow the field if we define our mission(s) first
and then choose the right caliber, and from there the best
rifle and associated load development plan.
Choosing the right caliber depends on whether you are a
hunter, competitor, or a recreational shooter (a.k.a. the mission).
These can be mixed and merged, so the finer details will help with

56
deciding on the right caliber and rifle system you need. You will
ideally choose a flat shooting caliber that will offer the right
amount of terminal energy to get the job done when shooting
long-range: i.e. if that job is a paper target or steel, then terminal
energy is much less important than if it's a tough skinned elk as a
target.
First, pick the application. Then consider the powder
charge, size and BC of the bullet to be used for this
application, and the associated barrel twist and action
sizes, and so forth.

57
Advice on general caliber selection
from Darrell Holland
Caliber selection can be an overwhelming topic, so let's break it
down.

58
 Cartridges that I've had a tremendous amount of experience
with, that I know will serve your needs well. They're user friendly,
they're affordable to shoot, and most importantly, they don't jar
your teeth and blur your vision every time you pull the trigger.
In a factory gun, if you want to shoot varmints and chase the
coyotes and ground squirrels and furry dogs around, it's pretty
hard to beat .22-250. They're user friendly, and in the loading
department, they usually shoot very well in a factory gun. You've
also got a good assortment of bullets available for each
application. The .22-250 is also a great starter for women and
kids starting out. The recoil is mild, the trajectory is flat, and the
performance is just devastating.
The next upgrade is the good old-fashioned .243, an excellent
starter cartridge for the wife and the kids as well. It provides
enough energy in bullet selection to kill deer very, very effectively.
In the hands of a skilled operator and the right bullet, even elk-
sized animals can be taken with the .243.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is one of my favorites. It’s very practical,
and some great factory ammunition is available as well. The
6.5mm caliber affords a very high ballistic coefficient, so it can
also double as a long-range cartridge. It's a great hunting caliber
for deer, elk, antelope, and all of the African plains game.
The 7mm-08 Remington (7mm-08) and .308 are long-time
favorites in many hunting camps. I prefer the 7mm-08 to the .308
simply because there's a little better bullet selection. The seven-
millimeter caliber affords a little higher ballistic coefficient, and the
recoil is just a bit lighter. Again, great brass selections in both
calibers.
Stepping up to the .280 and .30-06 grade guns. Again, seven-
millimeter versus 30-caliber. I like the .280. I've hunted all over
the world with it. Excellent bullet choices, from target competition
bullets to great bonded core hunting bullets. The .30-06, definitely
a perennial favorite. The great thing about the .30-06 is the
availability of ammunition. There probably isn't a sporting goods
store or gun outlet in the country that doesn't at least have one or
two boxes of .30-06 ammo on the shelf. So, availability goes a
long way in the .30-06 choice.

59
 Finally, we come into magnums once again. In a heavy bench
gun weighing 20 or 30 pounds, you can handle the recoil in many
cases of a magnum. The addition of a muzzle brake, where legal,
and competitive circles is a big advantage, allowing you to be able
to curb recoil even further.
Some popular magnum choices are going to be a .300
Winchester magnum, a .300 Weatherby magnum, and in some
cases the Remington Ultra mags, again depending upon the
competition. Keep in mind that with a magnum cartridge, you're
going to be burning 20-60 grains more powder than you will with
some of the more sensible cartridges.
In many cases this is going to shorten barrel life, increase
recoil and lighten your wallet. Choose wisely and consider your
shooting application.
The magnums do provide a little greater performance than the
earlier caliber recommendations, but it also comes at a price:
much more expensive ammunition and much more recoil and
noise. We find that the average shooter is usually pretty sensitive
to recoil.
Competition Shooting Choices
If you're going to be shooting benchrest and competitions, the
vast majority of benchrest shooters shoot a six-millimeter PC or
PPC for 100 and 200-yard disciplines. If you are an occasional
benchrest shooter that shoot at 600 and 1,000 yards in a
competitive state, the six-millimeter BR is a very good choice, with
a fast twist barrel, allowing you to shoot the 105, the 107, 108
grain bullets in 600 and 1,000-yard competition.
The six-millimeter Dasher is an improved six-millimeter BR. It
holds a lot of records in the 600 and 1000-yard competition world.
The BR requires fire forming though. Is it as more of an improved
BR (lengthening the body of the case in order to increase the
powder capacity), giving 100- 140 feet a second more muzzle
velocity than a conventional six-millimeter BR.
The next option is the 6.5-284, which is very popular in 600
and 1,000-yard competitive circles, and it is used by the U.S.
Army's shooting teams. Barrel life in the 6.5-284 is going to be
roughly 900 to 1,200 rounds, so make sure that you've got the

60
funds if you're going to be choosing a hot rod like that for your
long-range pursuits.

Image credit: Bass Pro Shops

Long Range Hunting and Shooting Options

You've chosen a cartridge, and you want to compete in the
long-range target game and you want to hunt. One bullet isn't
doing to do both: you need to be specific. So, let me share with
you what I would do under those applications. Let's choose one of
my favorite cartridges, let's say a 6.5 Creedmoor. I've shot
everything around the world with it, I've competed with it, it's a
great round. If I'm going to be shooting paper and steel at long
range, I'm going to choose a bullet that has the highest ballistic
coefficient because wind deflection is what separates winners and
losers in the long range game.
So, I would choose a hybrid bullet along this line, maybe a 140
Berger, a 142 Sierra MatchKing. I'm going to see which one shoots
best in my gun, giving me the lowest standard deviations in
velocity from shot to shot and consistent grouping.

61
 For hunting I'm going to choose a different bullet, one that is
constructed specifically to perform well on big game animals.
Having hunted around the world, I feel in testing a lot of different
bullets in the field on a variety of game sizes that the Nosler
Accubond has been a very solid performer. So, I would choose a
140 Nosler Accubond. If I was shooting in a lead free zone, I
would shoot a bullet by Cutting Edge Technology or a Barnes
bullet or a Nosler E-Tip type bullet and see how that performs well
in my rifle.
But again, two different disciplines. One is putting holes in
paper or ringing steel, the other requirement is good penetration,
good weight retention in a hunting bullet.
So be specific, choose wisely, and do a little bit of
research. Make sure that your bullet application is going
to perform to your expectations.

“When choosing a caliber, a lot of people want to over-extend and

get too big of a cartridge for themselves. They read the gun
magazines and think, "Oh if I'm really going to really be a man, I've
got to shoot a big cartridge, a cartridge that burns at least 100
grains of powder." That sounds good on the bar stool, but in reality,
it produces tremendous recoil, it becomes quite expensive to shoot,
and the barrel life is short. So, choose an appropriate cartridge that
allows for good barrel life, mild recoil and is most importantly
affordable and fun to shoot.”
DARRELL HOLLAND, HOLLAND RELOADING
SCHOOL

Takeaway:
Choosing the right caliber is important and is determined by
whether you are a hunter, competitor, or a recreational shooter
(the mission).

62
 FIVE
BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT

Image credit: Hornady

It's important to understand the fundamentals of bullet

design as part of the process of choosing your ideal
cartridge. For long range shooting, bullet shape is very
important.
Ballistic coefficient (BC)
changes with the shape of the
bullet and the speed at which
the bullet is traveling, while
sectional density does not.
The pointed spitzer bullet shape
is a more efficient/aerodynamic
shape than a round nose or a flat
point. A boattail (or tapered heel) reduces drag compared to a flat
base. Both increase the BC of a bullet.

63
 Ballistic Coefficient is a measure of how streamlined a bullet is;
it is the ratio of a bullet's sectional density to its coefficient of
form. Ballistic Coefficient is a measure of air drag. The
bigger the BC number, the lower the drag.

The models are named Gx, where the “x” is a projectile type.
The letter G comes from the “Commission d'Experience de Gâvre”
a French survey of data in 1881 that later became accepted as the
“Gavre drag function” and a standard set of models.
A high BC bullet retains velocity well and has less drop
and wind deflection. Understanding BC is critical for any
type of long-range shooting.

64
 Choosing a high BC bullet,
combined with the right design
(target vs. hunting) and weight, is
the key to having your ideal
cartridge and rifle setup. Long
range bullets are designed for
flatter trajectories, and this
increases their ability to resist
some of the effects of the
wind.
It would seem like having a
greater muzzle velocity will be the best round for a hunter in
terms of "retained" energy at the target, but it turns out that's
not always the case. For example, a slower 7mm Remington
Magnum (3050 fps) outperforms the 300 Remington Ultra Mag
(3360 fps) at 1,000 yards by a significant margin – the Magnum’s
retained energy is 1924 fps versus 1598 fps for the 300 RUM. The
difference is a higher BC of 0.640 for the 7mm, versus 0.410 for
the 300 RUM.
Bullet Shapes and Designs
There are two main types of ogives in bullet designs: secant
ogive and tangent ogive, which describe the shape of the nose of
the bullet. A tangent ogive bullet is more user friendly for loading.
Overall seating depth is not as critical as a secant ogive bullet. If
you're shooting a secant ogive it may have a slightly higher
ballistic coefficient, but it's going to require you to be much more
precise in the seating depth and uniformity from cartridge to
cartridge.

Takeaway:
For long range shooting, choosing a high BC bullet is key to an
ideal cartridge and rifle setup.

65
 SIX
BRASS LIFE

How many loadings can I get

from my brass?
Realistically and to be on the
safe side, after six to eight loadings
it is time to retire the brass. With a
good safe load which functions
between 55,000 and 60,000 PSI,
you should be able to load quality
brass five to six times on average.
You can tell if the case is getting too overused by how well the
primer is fitting or sitting into the case. Over time, the primer
pocket will expand and enlarge to the point where it will no longer
provide a safe seal on the primer.
If you start to get smoking and eroding around the firing pin
hole, the diameter of the primer, that is an indicator that we are
getting a gas leakage around the primer pocket and it is time to
discard that case.
If you are adjusting your sizing die correctly and minimizing
the amount of head space induced into the brass during sizing,
you don't have to worry about thinning of the web and head
separations. Keep in mind that improperly adjusted dies that that
create excessive amounts of head space in the hand loaded

66
 cartridge will cause the base of the
cartridge to stretch and thin in that
web area resulting in a head
separation over time. You want to
avoid that at all cost.
As a general rule of thumb,
depending upon the gun and a
couple of other variables, after six
or eight loadings put that brass in
the brass bucket and start over
with a new batch of brass.
If you keep a good log book, this will help you keep track of
how many times you’ve loaded the brass. We mentioned earlier in
the program about weighing, sorting, and batching your brass and
lots of 50 or 100 cases. You can record in your log book the
number of times that you’ve processed that brass and when you
reach that desired level you know it’s time to discard them and
start over.

Takeaway:
There's no point in tempting fate and risking injury because you
tried to squeeze one more loading out of a 50 cent piece of brass,
keep within sensible and safe limits on brass life.

67
 SEVEN
FIRE FORMING A CARTRIDGE CASE

The process of “fire forming” is taking a loaded cartridge, inserting

it into the chamber, igniting the primer and forming that brass
under extremely high pressure (55,000 to 58,000 psi) so the
cartridge conforms to the chamber within our rifle.

68
 The brass is being resized and shaped to the shape of the
rifle’s chamber under pressure. This is why brass is used as it’s
malleable and will reshape in this way.
A fire-formed case is one that is the exact shape of your rifle
chamber. and will form part of the process of handloading your
own cartridges. This case is a baseline for measurements required
in the process of making your own ammunition.
Each time you re-use that fired case, you will also need to
“resize” it slightly so that it will easily fit back into the chamber.

Takeaway:
Once you have fire formed the case, you will have the exact
dimensions of your rifle’s chamber for use in the measurements
for your own ammunition.

69
 PART ONE

CARTRIDGE MEASUREMENTS

70
 ONE
INTRODUCTION

71
A lot of people get confused about cartridge overall length, case
length, and base to ogive dimensioning, so let’s define them
further.

Overall length (OAL/COAL) is measured from the base of

the cartridge to the tip of the cartridge. That's the overall
length of a loaded round.
Brass length is measured from the base of the cartridge
to the end of the neck/case mouth. When trimming to the
correct size, consult the reloading manual to determine
the optimum brass length. Once you've shot your cartridge
three or four times, measure brass length again and
consult with the reloading manual to make sure that your
cartridges are not growing beyond their recommended
length.
Base to ogive (CBTO) is measured from the base to
ogive. CBTO is an important method in loading, and
especially during load development. Once you determine
the proper load, powder and bullet seating depth, you
want to take that measurement which is taken from the
base of the cartridge. You've inserted your hex nut over
the end of the cartridge, and you get a reference point
from here to the base of the cartridge which becomes
your base to ogive dimension. This is one of the most
important dimensions for reloading accurate ammunition.
Once this has been established, you want to load each and
every round to the same dimension. So, sorting your
bullets, making sure that your seating die is set correctly,
is the key to success here.

Note: you can trim under the recommended dimension, but it must
not be too long because as it expands the pressure curve also
expands. Failing to trim our brass can result in a crimping effect as
we chamber the round. This crimping of the bullet in the
neck/throat junction can cause pressure curves to skyrocket. Take
the time to check brass length and stay within SAAMI dimensions.

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 TWO
UNDERSTANDING HEADSPACE

73
Headspace is an often misunderstood topic among shooters and
especially reloaders. Headspace is a manufacturing tolerance
required in the construction of the chamber as it applies to a
firearm.
Headspace is the dimension from the base of the cartridge to
the bolt face. In simple terms, it is the amount of space that your
cartridge should fill shoulder/datum line of the cartridge to the
bolt face (in non-belted magnum cartridges) to be installed
correctly in the chamber, or more specifically the distance
measured from the part of the chamber that stops forward motion
of the cartridge (the datum) to the face of the bolt. These
measurements are created when the rifle is manufactured and are
different from one rifle to another, and one cartridge design to
another, so therefore we need to be clear on what they are when
creating our own ammunition.

Note: handloads should always have minimum shoulder clearance.

If you pluck a hair from your head, the width is roughly 4

thousandths of an inch. That is the maximum amount of
headspace that needs to be in the rifle in order to maintain safety
from repeated firings.
When you’re sizing the cartridge, you must be careful not to
introduce more headspace into the gun by oversizing the cartridge
and bumping the shoulder back relative to its contact point within
the chamber.
Headspace must be measured accurately as the enormous
pressures on the cartridge can lead to safety issues if the
ammunition is not setup correctly.
Excessive Headspace
If you don’t carefully resize your brass to the correct
headspace you are allowing the case to stretch either forward or
rearward. This can cause case damage such as cracking and
splitting and head separation as well as primer issues.
Excessive stretching weakens the case, often at the base
around the web, and eventually this can lead to the case breaking
apart (case/head separation). A case that ruptures during firing is

74
a serious safety hazard. You want to avoid head separations at all
costs via the proper sizing and set up of the die to your loading
press in your individual rifle.
To prevent any risk handloaders should periodically measure
any wear inside the case and discard any cases that show
excessive headspace.

Takeaway:
Pay careful attention to measuring your ammunition and
complying to the correct and safe specifications required by your
rifle.

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 THREE
UNDERSTANDING COAL/CBTO/SEATING
DEPTH

The length of a cartridge might not seem very important in

making accurate ammunition, but it turns out that not only length
but the amount the projectile is away from the rifling is indeed

76
important. These measurements are referred to as OAL or OACL
or COAL (Cartridge Overall Length), CBTO (Cartridge Base to
Ogive) and seating depth.
There are several issues with length, one being the fact that
your magazine box and chamber requires a certain size of finished
cartridge (the COAL) to function properly. It can be easy to create
a round that is too long for some magazines or actions, as this
may not matter in a hunting rifle without a magazine box, but a
tactical rifle may have a maximum length to avoid feeding issues.

Note: many rifles have magazines that are too short to allow
seating bullets near the lands, so be sure to measure the internal
dimension of your magazine before setting a fine seating depth.

Rifles also tend to be designed to operate with the ideal

distance more or less between the bearing surface of the
projectile and the rifling (the lands). Seating depth is the overall
length of a cartridge that places the bullet in contact with the
lands. Usually, but not always, space between the lands and the
projectiles is required to offer an accurate result, but the right
amount can vary widely between rifles and loads. Use this
distance off the lands (seating depth) to fine tune your load to get
the best accuracy.
Another issue is the difference in pressure build up inside the
chamber based on the available space between the projectile and
the inside volume of the case. Seating a cartridge deeper in the
case means less space for the powder and resultant gases after
ignition. The reverse is true if the projectile is seating less deeply:
there’s more room for powder and that increases pressure and
muzzle velocity. Most handloaders are looking to go longer in
seating depth as the extra powder you can add to a cartridge with
the bullet seated long allows for greater velocity at the same
pressure than a cartridge with a bullet seated short.
This said. There is a maximum length that you make a finished
cartridge, and have it actually fit inside the chamber, called the
COAL, and in handloading that’s the distance between the base of
the cartridge and the projectile that’s seated to actually touch the

77
lands. This is a reference length that the handloader works from
when searching for the optimal seating depth for a precision load.
One thing to note is that the SAAMI (Sporting Arms and
Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) COAL offered in reloading
manuals can be a limit to the best performing load, so many
handloaders tend to build to their own longer specifications,
where the chamber and setup of their rifle allows.
Another important measurement on top of the overall length of
a cartridge is the CBTO (Cartridge Base to Ogive). This is
important as the shape of the projectile (The “ogive” or curved
part of the bullet is the part that first makes contact with the
lands, its nose shape in laymen’s terms) can differ between
cartridges, and that shape difference means that the projectile
may hit the lands at differing lengths. The COAL is not an effective
measurement for differing bullet shapes as it measures to the tip
of the projectile vs the surface of the bullet (ogive) that touches
the lands. In simple terms, the design of the projectile makes a
difference to accuracy and COAL doesn’t cater for this difference
effectively. Another measure is required, and that’s what CBTO
offers the handloader. Use the base to ogive length (CBTO) as a
bullet often have Meplat irregularities which are normal but
prevent consistent COAL measurements.
Note: As the throat erodes in your rifle, it may be necessary
to adjust this seating depth to maintain the same bullet to throat
relationship.

Takeaway:
CBTO is the critical measure used to fine tune a precision load and
it's seating depth will be explained later in this book. This is the
relationship between exit timing and the harmonic node in the
barrel. As the barrel wears (throat erosion) one may experience a
slight loss of velocity as well loss of accuracy. Should accuracy
decline, check MV. If it has fallen off one can increase powder
charge to match our original velocity that obtained great accuracy.

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 FOUR
UNDERSTANDING NECK TENSION

Neck tension the amount of tension used to hold the projectile

securely in the case neck. This relates to the amount of force
required to release the projectile from the case. The bullet is held
in place inside the rim of a cartridge by the neck, and how tightly
the neck grips the projectile makes a difference to a cartridge’s
performance.
More importantly, having a consistent neck tension and the
same performance cartridge to cartridge is important to
repeatability.

79
 Handloaders tend to describe neck tension by bushing size, i.e.
“I have set a “.002 neck tension” (that refers to a die/bushing that
sizes the necks .002 smaller than the projectile in the case).
When we handload we have control of the factors that affect
neck tension, and we need to pay attention to them in order to try
and keep them as consistent as possible between the rounds we
create.
There are many factors that can affect neck tension we
should be aware of:

Neck-wall thickness (and related malleability)

Seating depth
Case neck length
Case age, treatment and use (case hardening over time)
Projectile overall materials, design and diameter

So, we may start with a suggested neck tension set in our dies
but testing these assumptions for consistency is critical as well as
continually re-checking them over time.
Controlling Neck Tension
Handloaders tend to help
control issues around neck tension
by carefully taking each piece of
brass and cleaning up its neck so
that it is uniform in thickness.
This is achieved using a tool
that allows the handloader to make
each case exactly the same thickness, and therefore helps with
greater consistency in that batch of ammunition.

Takeaway:
Merely resizing the case necks to a consistent size does not
always offer consistent neck tension and bullet grip based on case
age and other factors. It is important to test these factors and be
aware that your loads may change over time as your brass ages

80
or you choose to change seating depth, projectile type and other
parts of your formula.

81
 FIVE
WEIGHTS USED IN AMMUNITION

In shooting, we tend to use the term "weight" in relation

to the projectile we send to the target (the bullet), and
also of the powder charge used to do so (powder weight).
These measures are expressed in an old-fashioned unit of
measure called "grains" (gr), that is based upon the mass of a

82
single seed of a cereal. One pound is equal to 7,000 grains, and
there are 437.5 grains in an ounce. In metric, 1g (gram) unit is
15.43gr.
Bullets can weigh anywhere between 15 grains for the lightest
17 HMR bullets all the way up to 750 grains for the heavier .50
BMG rifle loads. Bullet weight is one of many factors that
determine a load's effectiveness against living targets, as well as
part of the puzzle in beating the wind.

Note: A heavier bullet does not mean it will be more effective at

killing an animal. Shot placement is key as many animals have been
harvested throughout history by a round lead ball, or a light weight
bullet in the right place.

The term powder charge refers to a single particle of

"gunpowder," the size of which varies. Today’s propellants are not
the same as what we think of as gunpowder or black powder,
since most bullets use carefully made, smokeless gunpowder
granules coated with graphite. These come in various form
factors, such as flakes or cylindrical grains. The three common
forms of modern smokeless powder are flake, ball, and extruded.
Powder charges are often measured out for use in a
round in grains (or grams), in ammunition.

Takeaway:
In the U.S. both bullet weight and powder charge are often
measured by a measure called "grains."

83
 PART TWO

COMPONENTS OF A CARTRIDGE

84
 ONE
INTRODUCTION

It's helpful to understand the ammunition we use for several

reasons. Precision is very important in long range shooting, and
one area that makes a big difference is the choice of ammunition.
That choice is not just about caliber, but also the whole cartridge
and manufacturer.
It's important all cartridges are identical for accurate
consistent shooting. This is often the reason precision
shooters handload cartridges. Different parts of the cartridge
(the case, the propellant, and the bullet shape in particular) all
have an effect on precision, and therefore your consistency and
accuracy at longer ranges.

85
 Image credit: Tim Gardner

A cartridge is a type of ammunition packaging a bullet or shot,

a propellant substance (usually smokeless powder), and a primer
within a metallic, paper, or plastic case that is precisely made to fit
within the firing chamber of a firearm.

86
 The main parts to be discussed in this topic are:

Bullet (projectile)
Case
Propellant (powder)
Primer

A complete cartridge is an assembly of all these parts, and has

some terminology that you should learn, especially if you choose
to start loading your own ammunition as many long range
shooters tend to do.

87
 This is the typical sequence of firing a cartridge from a
rifle.

1. Cartridge is loaded into the chamber.

2. Trigger pressed and firing pin strikes the primer, igniting
compound inside.
3. Primer flame ignites the propellant inside the cartridge.
Gases produced then push the bullet forward into the
rifling - land and grooves.
4. Gases rapidly expand, forcing the bullet down the bore
and into a rotation in the direction of the rifle "twist", e.g.

88
 right-hand twist.
5. Gases continue rapidly expanding, forcing the bullet out of
the bore.
6. As the bullet leaves the rifle bore completely, the gases
also exit and create the "report" you hear when a rifle
fires. The last part of the rifle involved in this process is
the "crown," and many believe this has an effect on the
point of impact, as the uniform expulsion of the gases
makes a difference to the bullet trajectory, hence making
sure you don't damage the crown of a rifle.

Takeaway:
Understanding your ammunition helps when looking at every
factor for precision shooting, and each component should be
carefully selected if you want the most consistent performance.

89
 TWO
ANATOMY OF A PROJECTILE (THE
BULLET)

A bullet is a projectile expelled from the barrel of a

firearm and not a cartridge, which is a powder filled case
with the actual bullet mounted at the end. This is a common
misconception. The bullet is the only part of a cartridge that ever
touches the target or game animal. They come in many shapes
and sizes and are of a diameter specific to the bore of the firearm.
For long range shooters, the shape, consistency of
manufacturing, and ballistic coefficient (BC) of the bullet
in the cartridge are all critical. These will change somewhat

90
depending on your mission, as hunting generally needs a different
bullet design versus target shooting, although you can use the
same bullets for the same purpose if required. Picking a
specialized bullet design for the right purpose is better.

Selecting the Appropriate Bullet

Target shooting
When selecting a match bullet
for target competition, there are
two important technical
considerations: the maximum
accuracy that a match rifle can
deliver and crosswind deflection.
A bullet's deflection in a
crosswind depends on two factors:
the muzzle velocity and the ballistic
coefficient (BC). For muzzle
velocities above 1600 fps,
crosswind deflection decreases as muzzle velocity increases.
Crosswind deflection always decreases as bullet ballistic coefficient
increases.
In this case, we choose the best quality match bullet that we
can source in the caliber and cartridge that suits our budget and
purpose.
Hunting
Many more variables are
involved in most hunting situations,
and these strongly influence bullet
selection. Of vital importance will
be the velocity, retained energy,
and the penetration and expansion
properties of the bullet and
cartridge for your intended game
animals.

91
 The first considerations are what type of game will be hunted
(varmints, small game, medium game or large game), and what
rifle/cartridge combination will be used. For the long-range
shooter, a combination of high ballistic coefficient and high
velocity will minimize wind deflection and other environmental
effects.
- Small game
Hunting using a smaller caliber, shooters may want a bullet
that expands for instant kills, or if shooters want to preserve the
hide of an animal for mounting, they may want a bullet that does
not expand, leaving small entry and exit wounds.
- Medium game
When hunting medium game (deer, antelope, sheep, mountain
goats, etc.), hunters need a bullet that penetrates light bones and
expands in flesh to produce a wide wound channel.
- Big game
When hunting big game on the North American continent
(buffalo, elk, moose or bear), or heavier medium game on the
African continent, shooting a rifle chambered for a larger caliber
may be preferred. These situations require a bullet that smashes
through large bones and expands reliably in flesh to produce a
very large wound channel.

92
Parts of a Bullet (Projectile)

Base – Rifle bullets are virtually all flat based.

Heel – The curved bottom that aids in insertion into the
casing.
Boattail – A boattail is important for the long range
shooter, improving accuracy.
Bearing Surface – The portion of the bullet that is the
bullet's full diameter, and that contacts the lands and
grooves of the rifling in the barrel. Bearing surface length
consistency is important in creating precision shooting
ammunition.
Head Length – The distance from the top of the bearing
surface to the meplat. Again, for precision shooting, the
ratios between the head length, neck to shoulder junction,

93
and the outside case dimension must be as identical as
possible in a batch of ammunition.
Cannelure – The cannelure is simply a crimp mark, so
that consistent bullet seating is made easier. By placing
the mouth of the casing on the cannelure mark, it can help
hold the bullet securely in place, reducing any possible
setback of the bullet into the casing during firing.
Shoulder – The shoulder is the point of transition from
the bearing surface to the ogive of the bullet.
Ogive – The curve of the bullet, beginning at the shoulder
and going forward to the tip. Small variances in this,
particularly in how those differences affect the seating
depth of the bullet in the casing, can again be an issue for
precision shooting.
Meplat diameter – In the event that the bullet tip is
simply flat, it is the diameter of the flat surface. Should a
tip be applied to the bullet, it is the diameter of the base
of that tip. Variations in the meplat in manufacturing have
led to the development of tipped bullets to ensure
consistency.
Nose, Tip, Point – is the area at the end of the bullet
between the Meplat Diameter and the very end of the
bullet.

bullet meplats

Takeaway:

94
The bullet or projectile needs to be chosen based on the mission.
Do you need a hunting or target bullet design? You may also need
to consider the law, as some places now require you to use non-
lead ammunition in order to hunt.

95
 THREE
ANATOMY OF A CASE (THE BRASS)

The cartridge case (or the "brass") is a container designed

to house the other three components of a loaded
cartridge. Rifle cartridges are usually made of brass so they can
be reformed and reused by a Reloader and is the only component
of a cartridge that can be reused.
Brass preparation is an important consideration if you are
reloading, as is checking for consistency in each round you are
preparing. Bulk brass cases can be sized differently, and this can

96
lead to meaningful capacity differences and differing
pressure/velocity between rounds.
A general rule of thumb for a large rifle case is +/-7
grains of brass weight, which means more or less case
capacity, equating to nearly one grain of powder. Changing
a load by one grain of powder can cause a difference in velocity of
50 fps, well outside the minimum extreme spread criteria for long
range precision shooting.

Parts of a case

Mouth – The end of the casing that receives the bullet.

This region physically changes shape each time the
cartridge is fired. To maintain precision, this area may
have to be trimmed to proper length and milled to retain

97
 its concentricity, thus insuring the bullet is properly
positioned to go down the center of the barrel.
Neck – Receives the bullet. This area may also require
some machining between the firing of the cartridge and
then reloading it to insure the cartridge is as centered in
the barrel as possible and properly fits the chamber.
Shoulder – The transition area between the body and the
neck.
Body – The container for the powder, and the combustion
chamber.
Extractor Groove – Where the ejector mechanism grabs
a spent casing and extracts it from the chamber of the
barrel.
Rim – The edge of the cartridge with the caliber stamp,
and a hole for a primer.
Head – The base region of the casing consisting of the
rim and the extractor groove.

Takeaway:
Using good quality brass is another core element of a precision
cartridge.

98
 FOUR
PROPELLANT (THE POWDER)

The propellant or powder charge is the component of

ammunition that is activated inside the weapon, and
provides the kinetic energy required to move the
projectile from the weapon to the target.
There are a lot of different powder options to choose from, but
they are all one of two types: either single base or double base.
Single base powder is made of nitrocellulose, while double base
powder is made of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine.

99
 Of the two, double-base
powders produce more energy.
These two types are cut into three
basic powder configurations:

Cylindrical or extruded
powders deliver some of the
most consistent performance.
The shape of the powder delivers high-load densities for
superb accuracy. These powders are offered in a variety of
cuts. The finer the cut, the better it meters through
powder drops.
Spherical or ball powders deliver consistent charges and
meter the best through powder drops, making them a
great choice for loading large quantities of rounds.
Flake powders generally have more surface area than
other powders, so they burn faster which makes them
good for shotgun and pistol cartridges.

Powder is loaded in the cartridge in precise amounts, to

generate a specific velocity and pressure.
For the long-range shooter, choosing the right powder
can be very important based on the mission, as different
powers can be affected by the environmental conditions
like temperature, and therefore powders that are less stable in
varying conditions will create inconsistencies in the ammunition.

100
Temperature Stability
Temperature stability is an often-overlooked phenomena that can
have a significant effect on muzzle velocity. Select a powder that
is known for its consistency in temperature extremes, as you want
to have the same velocity and point of impact on targets whether
hunting in the desert in 90 degrees, or at 0 degree in the
mountains.

Takeaway:
Obtaining powder has been a real issue recently. Those that plan
to reload should find a good "load" and stock up on their chosen
powder. When choosing powder, find the most temperature stable
type you can if you plan to use your rifle in the field and in varying
conditions.

101
 FIVE
PRIMERS EXPLAINED

The primer ignites the powder and seals the base of the
cartridge. The Primer is a metal cylinder located in the center of
the case head for centerfire cartridges and is one of the
distinguishing features that give centerfire cartridges their name.
The firearm firing pin crushes this explosive between the cup and
an anvil to produce hot gas and a shower of incandescent
particles that ignite the powder charge.

102
 There are two main designs for centerfire cartridges: Berdan
and Boxer primers. American cartridges primarily use
Boxer primers, and European cartridges use Berdan
primers.

The primer size is based on the primer pocket of the cartridge,

and you will need different sizes (charges) for differing cartridges
and loads. Small and large rifle primers are common choices,
check with your reloading manual for suggestions.
The primer's explosive charge is based on the amount of
ignition energy required by the cartridge design; a standard

103
primer would be used for smaller
charges or faster-burning powders,
while a magnum primer would be
used for the larger charges, and
slower-burning powders used with
large cartridges or heavy charges.
Match-grade primers are made
with tighter tolerances, which
increase the accuracy of your load through more consistent
ignition.

WARNING: Using the correct primer for your cartridge is

paramount for loading safe, effective, and accurate ammunition.

For long range precision shooting, primer selection can

have a significant effect on the velocity and the extreme
spread of your load. The worst thing about primers is that
there is no indicator for the best choice, other than trial
and error.

Takeaway:
Primers should be chosen for their reliability. Match grade primers
are the best choice, as they have been more rigorously QA tested.

104
GETTING STARTED MAKING
AMMUNITION

105
 ONE
INTRODUCTION

If you’ve studied the previous

sections, you now we have a basic
understanding of the makeup of
ammunition and how to measure
cartridges, along with some idea of
the size and caliber you may wish
to make. It’s now time to move on
to the initial steps to obtain the
parts you need to get started, both in terms of tools and
equipment as well as the actual components to make up the
finished cartridge.
The process of building the ideal cartridge for your rifle is
called the “load development” process and is a way to test various
parts of the ammunition and also differing formulas until you get
the most accurate and consistent ammunition you can for your
personal setup. This will be different for every rifle/ammunition
combination you own.
In order to get started you need to buy at least one reloading
manual, several is better, or at least consult these manuals online
to get the starting basis for load development process.

106
 TWO
HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN “LOADS”

What is a “load”?
A load is the term used for the specific recipe for your own
cartridge, made up of the right amount of powder (in grains)
married to the right primer and projectile.
Experimenting with and testing different variables such as
bullet type and weight, powder charges, brass quality/annealing,

107
primer type and cartridge lengths gives you the ability to fine tune
and find the best performing load for your rifle.

What parts of the recipe can change

in load development?
Just about every component in a cartridge and how it is put
together can be changed. This includes:

Bullet shape, weight, and BC

Powder type, burn rate, and amount
Cartridge Overall length (COAL/OACL)
Seating depth
Case type, quality, and preparation
Primer type and size

You will also need to consider the rifle: if you have the same
caliber in several rifles, each will need a different formula for
accuracy. The rifling may be different, such as barrel length and
harmonics, and each will make the system shoot differently and
will have a different optimum load.

Ensure you follow a proper load

development process
The keys to a safe and accurate load development process is
working with a reliable data source for the starting recipe, and
only changing and testing one variable at a time. Start with up to
date reloading manuals to get a good beginning load and then
carefully work up from there. It is better to use more than one
manual and cross reference load formulas.

108
 Using data that has been proven to work by writers of the load
manuals as a starting point, you can then begin adjusting the
variables one at a time to get your rifle’s perfect load.

Process Overview
Before you start reloading your
own ammunition, you should
determine the brand and supplier
of components, how much powder
to use, the cartridge overall length
(COAL), and other important
factors required to create your
rounds.
Before you start, you should choose the projectile caliber and
weight you plan to use as this is generally the first step in creating
your own ammunition.
You should then consult a reloading manual (or several) and
these are generally organized by caliber and bullet weight
(grains). Use the manuals to check the maximum and minimum
powder charges (grains) tested as these are the bands of “testing”
you will be doing in this process. You will be making various
rounds with differing specifications, and testing these to find the
optimum load formula for your rifle. A reloading manual will
include data for a variety of powder manufacturers and brands, as
well as recommendations on COAL, cases, primers, barrel
specifications and bullet types. You get a base formula for the
parts and weights you need to get started building your
ammunition.
As you are working up a load, you should create a record of
the specifications and accuracy of each round as you test it on the
range. Once you've decided on a load to experiment with, you
should make a small batch of ammunition with those
specifications to test the results. Keep testing until you are happy
with the final results: this is your ideal load for that rifle.

109
 This is explained in detail later in the course.

Takeaway:
Developing the right load for your rifle is a fun and rewarding task
for the handloader as it allows the shooter to beat even the best
factory ammunition in terms of performance.

110
 THREE
THE LOAD DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Step One: Research

Get several reloading manuals and choose the caliber of
ammunition you wish to create. Check each manual for that
specific cartridge and caliber size and come up with a set of test

111
parameters you will use to start testing. This means a powder
weight range from a specific powder manufacturer/make/model of
which there will be several to choose from, and they are usually
ranked so you can tell which bullet/powder combination gave the
best accuracy in testing.
Also, choose a projectile in the caliber you will be testing and
consult the bullet manufacturer’s load data for which powders
work best with that bullet. Either way, choose the components in
your test setup in advance.
In addition, you will need to find the best COAL/CBTO/Seating
depth (cartridge length) ranges to test. (This is discussed in the
next section).

Note: Loading manuals typically present loading data according to

SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute)
standards. These standards give you a maximum pressure, COAL,
and many other specifications for commercial cartridges. Keep in
mind that these SAAMI standards are often outdated and can
restrict the performance potential of a cartridge and using several
up to date manuals is important to get the best formula, especially
for long range shooting.

Step Two: Building the Test Loads

One way to speed up the process of testing your loads is to make
up a variety of different loads at once with small changes between
them, which is called "laddering" the load (hence the term ladder
testing). Laddering involves loading small amounts of ammunition
identical to each other except for a single variable (usually the
powder charge), that is incrementally changed across the entire
test batch. We suggest you use the same primers, brass, and
bullets set at the same overall length. Choose a middle weight
charge from the loading manual. Using the 1% rule increase
powder charges accordingly. Cartridges up to 40 grains. .3
increases, 50 grains -65 grains .5 increments and 100 grains or

112
more 1.0 grain increments. Ladder testing is shot one shot at a
time with the same load increments and watching POI at 200-300
yards for optimum barrel oscillation ( level POI for several shots)
The next logical step in the ladder testing after you have a
fairly accurate load based on powder charge is to test the seating
depths off the lands using the same logic. Keep all the other
variables the same and only change the seating depth until you
get the ideal load.

Note: In order for this process to work accurately you must be

extremely precise in preparing and measuring your test loads. Each
round should be identical to the next except for the test parameter,
i.e. the powder weight. This means ensuring things like all the
brass and bullets are from the same “batch number” or you can
actually weight and sort them to ensure they are the same.

After you have built up your test ammunition you must note
the formulas and specifications you are testing in a notebook, as
well as on the rounds themselves. Label each batch you are
testing and be prepared to continue that process at the range, so
you are clear how each batch performs at the range.

Note: in addition to the test cartridges you will also need to

consider “fouling” rounds if you have cleaned the bore between
sessions, so add in an extra 10 rounds for that process. Once the
barrel has been cleaned it usually takes 3-4 rounds to foul the
barrel prior to load testing. Barrel temperature is also important,
light barrels, one needs to let them cool between shots, heavy
barrels can tolerate more shots before it gets hot. If a barrel has
stress in it as the barrel heats up it will move POI and one will
never find a suitable load. Common sense applies here.

Be very careful not to mix up batches or results!

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Step Three: Range Testing
After you have created and documented your test loads you will
need to fire them through the rifle you are building the load for, as
this process is totally orientated around the unique marriage
between the rifle and the ammunition you are creating. One load
will not perform exactly the same in another rifle even if the rifles
appear identical due to barrel harmonics and other factors that
make each rifle unique.
At the range, you need to keep up your previous careful
attention to detail, and this means testing loads under the same
temperature and atmospheric conditions. Avoid days with large
temperature swings or where winds and other conditions may
affect your shooting. Depending on the testing you are doing, you
will shoot from a static, stable, and easy to reduce position like a
bench.
Ideally, you will be recording the muzzle velocity and accuracy
of each test batch so get setup to do that and note the results
carefully.
Record data like the group sizes you shot per batch (if you
made up batches of ten rounds, shoot several groups of 3 or 5
shots and measure the group sizes), and the velocity of each
round.
In addition to basic testing, you can also continue ladder
testing by shooting each load on the same target so that you can
track how well each one performs.
Collecting data is essential to picking the ideal load, and after
range day you will analyze that data to match your original goals
against the results of each test load you made up.
Ideally, we suggest marking your shots in a logbook and
include range conditions, so you have a record of where the shots
landed for each load batch, muzzle velocities and conditions.
The load development and testing process is discussed
in detail later in this book.

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 Takeaway:
The load development process is not that complex, but it does
require you run it like a science experiment and be precise, detail
orientated and careful in noting results. It requires you to
eliminate variables and to pay attention to the small details in
order that you get the best outcome. It also requires you follow
formulas and be aware of safety issues by not overloading your
test cartridges and making dangerous “hot” loads.
The good thing is that once you a well performing load formula
you won't need to change it again unless you want to try new
components or buy a new gun.

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 FOUR
THE USE OF RELOADING MANUALS AND
DATA

As we have said previously, we need to source our load data,

ideally from several sources, and that can be manuals or online.

Note: always use an up to date manual or data source, as data

does change, and safety is critical. Also, you should always start at
the low end of the data and work your way up.

When working with load data, avoid the use of second-hand

load data!

116
 All the time in forums people are asking what worked for
others, with the assumption that the data they get back is correct
or has been adequately tested, and that the data they found is
safe and works in their own rifle.
These forums can be helpful, but we suggest you always start
from your own research and load data. You can check it against
others own successful loads, but never rely on others data
alone.
When picking a data source, it can be difficult to pick out the
best reloading manual as there are a lot of options to choose
from, however you can’t go wrong with a manual from Lyman,
Nosler, Hornady or Sierra. If you happen to choose a projectile
(bullet) from a specific manufacturer , then it makes sense to get
their manual as it will be focused on their own loads based on
their own components. These same loads can often also be found
on the manufacturer’s website under their loading data resources,
but a manual can be easier to keep on the bench.
Also, be aware good manuals offer you a ‘most accurate load’
option on the caliber page which makes a great starting point in
terms of powder and bullet combination.
A reloading manual is in essence a set of tested recipes
from which you can get started in creating your own
specific formula that works for you and your rifle.

How to Use a Reloading Manual

Start by working out your own mission and what caliber and
cartridge you plan to load. This gives you a start point when
looking for the right data. A good manual is helpful in finding the
right bullet for your application, as they often have tables of bullet
calibers and what they are best used for in terms of hunting,
target shooting, and so on.

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 Good manuals often offer all sorts of useful background
information such as powder burn rates, tips on reloading
techniques and equipment (although biased towards their own
brand) and other useful things. It’s worth reading the whole
manual if you are a beginner, as you will likely find much of it
useful and informative.
Every manual and web resource tends to be a little different,
but in general each cartridge section tends to have basic
information about the history and background on the cartridge,
along with what loads worked best in their testing with their
firearm setup. It’s worth checking which firearms they used, along
with barrel twist rates, and primers compared to your own.
In addition to the load formulas for the cartridges, any manual
should offer the cartridge dimensions as provided by SAAMI
(Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer’s Institute) such as
maximum case length (COAL), and case trim length.
The load formulas are then broken up based on bullet weight
in grains, possibly BC, and sectional density.
For each bullet type or range, various powders are tested, and
the performance noted as muzzle velocity in feet per second. Each
powder has a range, and the best performing, and the maximum
safe powder weight is listed. The list should offer increasing

118
velocities with the amount of powder in grains listed below each
velocity.

Note: reloaders may want to use the data for the same weight
bullet from a different brand, and in most cases, you can use the
load data if the bullets are of the same style. If they are different
styles you should reduce the load or find a more specific manual for
that brand or bullet type.

Be careful to check the following in

any reloading manual:

Compare your rifle to the test firearms for action, barrel

length, and twist rate. How does yours compare? If they
are different, keep that in mind and try and find a good fit
between the test data and your own setup
What temperature was the load data tested? How does
this temperature compare to yours at the time of load
development? If you are testing in winter, and your data
was gathered at 70 degrees, you will need to adjust in
order to get accurate results. Higher temperatures usually
increase pressure and velocity. Lower temperatures usually
create lower pressures and reduce velocities
Be clear on what primer is being tested. Is it the same one
you will be using? Is it a magnum primer?
Are you using military surplus brass or recycled military
brass? Be aware this brass could be different than the test
brass and require a different powder charge due to its
specifications being different to the brass used in testing

Takeaway:

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In summary, try to ensure the data you use is as close as possible
to your own bullet, powder, primer and rifle setup. Be aware of
the safety issues and limits offered in the data, and be
conservative when working up your own load, checking for
pressure signs as well as the ideal recipe for your firearm.

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 PART ONE

SOURCING THE BEST

CARTRIDGE PARTS

Once you have a load worked out from your reloading

manual you can move on to select the best components for
your application, including brass, bullets, primers, and powder.
Some places to get good recommendations for the best parts
are your network of fellow shooters, shooting websites and
forums, and brands you trust. You can also consider what is
working well for the competition shooters at that time.

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 If you are aiming for the highest precision that should
influence your purchasing. Better components typically
provide more consistent ammunition. If it’s just for
practice or plinking, then choose accordingly.
You should pay attention to your own setup and be sure to
match components to your barrel twist rate, action size, magazine
length (if required), and application.
In the next few sections, we’ll break down each part of a
cartridge and discuss the selection process.

Takeaway:
“Buy once, cry once.” Get the best you can afford. If you want
precision ammo, then don’t cut any corners and buy the very best
parts, starting with the brass.

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 ONE
BRASS SELECTION

Brass available for purchase can come in several types, which

include:

Military brass
Bulk brass
Premium brass

123
 Each type has benefits and drawbacks, depending on your
application. The first two are fine for range time and varmint
shooting, but if you are a serious long range shooter or a
competition shooter you will want to focus on higher end brass.
The brass, many would argue, it is the most important
part of a cartridge and the last place to try and “go
cheap.” Avoid using random cases of unknown origin
(such as range brass), as you will have no data as to its
use or longevity, not to mention quality.

Advice from Darrell Holland on Range

Brass
Many reloaders tend to be a little bit on
the frugal side and they think, "Wow,
there's some 30-06 brasses and 300 Win
Mag brass. I've got one of those. I'll pick
that up and I'll save myself $20 and take it
home and reload it." Not a good idea. Your
ER bills will be more expensive than what
a hundred brass cases cost these days. I
really suggest refraining from picking up
range brass and bringing it in and
contaminating your regular brass, the
savings just aren't worth it. It may be fired
in someone else's gun with excessive headspace. You don't know
if the cartridge has been fired five times or ten times in somebody
else's gun, and this may result in an injury to yourself or others.
Stay away from range brass.
Choosing the right brass is vitally important to long range
success. You want to use brass that is uniform and hard,
and used by a lot of national competitors. The brass is the only
reusable part of the cartridge, and with quality brass you should
be able to get 6-8 firings out of it, making it a good value in the
long run.

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 Try to start off with more consistent brass. The best
brands of brass known for tight tolerances and quality are
Lapua, Norma, and Nosler.
This brass is more expensive because it has greater time spent
on its preparation, such as annealing at the factory, so you don’t
have to do it. Others weigh and sort the brass into batches, and it
takes a lot more brass production to create quality brass versus
cheaper products.
The best brass will not only provide more consistency,
but it will be safer and last longer.
If you are reloading for fun rather than precision this matters
much less. If you want to squeeze every advantage out of your
ammunition, start with the very best brass you can afford.
If you have several applications you like to shoot, save the
best brass for competitions or when precision counts, and use
lesser brass for other applications to save money. Don’t use
cheaper brass for your competition ammunition.
If you want to use other brands such as Winchester,
Remington, Federal, Hornady, SIG Sauer and others, then
batching (weighing, sorting and preparing) this brass is the best
way optimize quality and get greater accuracy.

Note: Prepping and annealing the is very important for precision

shooting. If you're going to move from being a Reloader to a
handloader, you must purchase an annealer because annealing is
an important aspect of proper neck tension. It also adds
considerable life to the brass.
The higher priced brass also will save you time as it is typically
better prepared and more uniform than lower cost brass.
Depending on your time and budget you can control the amount of
preparation time you wish to spend reloading.

If you are aiming for precision loads, then separating the brass
into lot numbers by their boxes when new helps keep batches
consistent, as will separating cases by the number of times
they’ve been fired and reloaded.

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 Takeaway:
Buy the best brass you can afford: it’s the foundation for great
ammunition.

126
 TWO
BULLET SELECTION

Choose the right projectile for your application and firearm. Big
game hunting requires a different bullet than a target, competition
or steel shooter. Most bullet manufacturers provide
recommendations for the application their bullets are intended for,
and reloading manuals will also advise which bullets are best for
which application.
High ballistic coefficient projectiles work best for long range
applications. Be sure your barrel’s twist rate will sufficiently
stabilize the selected bullet under all anticipated use cases.

127
 Consistency is also important
from every batch of bullets, and if
they’re not you will have issues
with point of impact precision. If
the BC changes from one bullet to
the next, you may experience a
difference in wind drift and drop at
long ranges.

You may also need to test a couple of differing designs and

manufacturers to see which your firearm prefers, as not every
bullet works well in every rifle setup.
Serious competitors will even buy custom hand swaged bullets
to ensure they have the ultimate in bullet quality.

Takeaway:
Always buy the best bullets you can afford and test them to
ensure you have the right bullet for your rifle.

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 THREE
POWDER SELECTION

In the US, there are several hundred smokeless powders

commonly available. Which is best for your application?
A good start is the reloading manual and use several like we
suggest. This has the benefit of allowing you to cross check each
manuals top performing combinations and powder to see if there
is a winner. If all your manuals point to a powder that works, it’s
much easier to find the best one for you. The powders that show
up in every manual are known top-performers and so a safe bet.

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 In addition to finding a well-regarded powder, try to select one
that is temperature insensitive and double-based. These powders
minimize changes in burn-rate relative to temperature fluctuations
and is critical for ensuring your loads shoot consistently under all
application conditions. A temperature insensitive powder allows
the shooter to develop a load that shoots well in all temperature
zones and eliminates the potential for dangerous pressure signs
when extreme conditions arise. Many powders do not offer this
benefit, and while they may be accurate under some load
conditions for which they were developed, when atmospheric
conditions change the velocities and pressure also change,
resulting in poor groupings at long range.
Hodgdon Extreme Powders, IMR Induron powders, and
Alliant’s temperature stable Reloader powders are some
of the best choices.
Powder can also be one of those “hard to find” components
unlike other parts, and it can often be out of stock for long
periods (especially the high quality long range powders). If
possible, choose a powder which is readily available and
competitively priced.
Note the importance of using a high load density to create an
accurate load. Typically speaking, the slower burning powders
increase the load density of the cartridge. Keep this in mind when
choosing the proper powder for your application.

Advice on powder selection from

Darrell Holland
The Hodgdon extreme series of powders which include H4895,
Varget, 4350, 4831, H1000 and Retumbo have performed well.
These specific powders exhibit very little change in pressure
and/or velocity given rapid temperature swings. If you're using
other powders, test them by putting them in the freezer for
several days, packing them in ice, remember to take your
chronograph to the range and test and shoot this ammunition

130
under cold temperatures. Next, set the ammunition on the
dashboard, turn up the defrosters and get that ammunition up to
a temperature of 120-130 degrees put it back in the gun and
shoot it over the chronograph. And you're watching for extreme
temperature changes. Make sure to wear ear, hand and eye
protection during these experiments and note in your DOPE book
any changes that you may see during this experiment.
Make sure to keep your powders dry and cool. If you're
consuming a lot of powder, you may give some thought to a
special container to store it in.

Takeaway:
Pick a powder that is temperature insensitive and is well regarded
by reloading manuals and the community. It should also be a
powder that is easily sourced. For popular powders, you may need
to purchase in quantity ahead of time.

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 FOUR
PRIMER SELECTION

Unlike powders, there are not many choices for primers, and not
many manufacturers to choose from. Some popular ones are
Federal, Winchester, Remington, and CCI.
You will need to decide if you need a regular or magnum
primer and be aware that the larger primers also lead to more
recoil which can affect accuracy and consistency.
Your reloading manual will often suggest a powder and
primer combination, so that’s a good place to start. The
correct primer size is listed in the manual data along with

132
suggested manufacturer. Do not use a magnum primer
unless you specifically need to do so as it will alter the
ballistics and safety of the load.
The rule of thumb is when using powder charges over 60
grains, use a magnum primer.

Note: Federal Gold Medal Match primers are currently the

preferred favorite among top U.S. shooters.

Primers are very sensitive to how they are handled, so you

want to keep them dry and uncontaminated by oil from your skin.
Latex gloves are a good idea. Also, measuring the primer
thickness in its application towards the depth of our primer pocket
for precise primer seating adds performance to the overall
cartridge.

Advice on primer selection from

Darrell Holland
The important thing is to choose a primer that has a mild spark or
mild explosion to ignite the powder. A lot of people think "Man, I
want that nuclear primer that really produces a spark and shoots
a flame six inches long in the base of my cartridge." That
produces a very irregular, erratic burn rate to the powder, and
standard deviations can run into double digits back and forth.
That is not the key to a winning formula. Choose a primer that
has a moderate burn rate and again, look at some of the
competition winners, what they're using. The Federal 210M or the
205M or the CCI 450 are the preferred primers for many of
today's top competitors. Choose accordingly: if you're just

133
producing hunting ammunition, the Remington nine and a half or
nine and a half M primer will work just fine.

Takeaway:
There are less primer manufacturers, so use the one that best
matches your needs and offers the most consistent performance
in your tests. Seating the primer correctly and precisely is as
important as the primer manufacturer.

134
 FIVE
NEXT STEPS…

Let’s summarize what you would

have done if you followed our
advice through this section on
sourcing the best parts. Start by
reading various loading manuals
and getting the base formula with
offered options for the optimum
load.
You want to choose the best bullet type given the application:
hunting, competitive shooting, sport shooting.
You've chosen a cartridge case, which is important, but you
also need to choose a caliber selection from the manufacturer
who makes good brass for that caliber. The very best brass is very
important for precision, which is important in long range shooting.
More expensive brass typically requires less prep work on your
end.
You have chosen the appropriate powder based upon the
bullet weight, and the burn rate for that specific cartridge. Powder
can be hard to source at times, so stock up on the best when it’s
available.
Finally, you have a primer which ignites the powder, propelling
the bullet down the range. Get the best here as well if you are

135
making precision ammunition.
Once you have the basic understanding of the process
and have sourced the parts for the ammunition itself,
you’re ready to move on to building up the reloading
bench and associated tools you need to assemble your
own cartridges.

136
HANDLOADING EQUIPMENT

137
 ONE
INTRODUCTION

Let’s move on to the tools you need to reload (and handload).

This section is broken into the essentials and then tools used by
handloaders to go to the next level. You can get started with the
basics, but you won’t be able to achieve the greatest levels of
precision without investing in a range of additional tools.
On top of that (depending on the volumes you wish to
produce) you will need some more expensive equipment for the
higher end approach. The truly time-saving tools are significantly
more expensive than a basic setup.

138
 In this section we will outline each tool, gadget or accessory
you will need.
Let’s start with the reloading bench.

139
 TWO
THE RELOADING BENCH

A well setup bench varies depending on what type of reloading

you do and how often you do it. It also depends on your budget
and available space - you can buy a custom bench, build your
own, or just get a regular bench that is big enough for your
needs.
In general, the bench should be heavy, attached to the wall
and floor for stability, and have a top that allows for holes and
mounting of your presses and other tools and machines.

140
 A longer bench suits precision loading better as there are more
processes and tools you must use and follow, and of course, you
can just go with a design that allows for the best workflow for you
and your final setup.
The internet has a whole host of designs and ideas, but a
basic bench must have a solid table top that can be easily kept
clean, along with shelves and places to keep all the various things
you need.
You will need space to carefully store both primers and
powders that are extremely flammable in a way that allows you to
easily get to them and safely store them when not in use.
Since reloading involves different tasks using different tools, it
makes sense to organize the bench so that everything is in easy
reach and can be accessed in the order you need it as you
complete each step.
You will be working with reloading books, and recording your
progress, so make sure you have enough space for your manuals
and logbooks and workspace for making the ammunition.
We recommend you go through this book first and then
come back to your final bench design once you are clear
on what presses and tools you will end up using. This
allows you to consider the best shape and size needed to
make hand loading enjoyable and efficient.

141
Bench Layout and Workflows
Assuming you are using a reloading press, where to position this
can have a big effect on your workflow and it makes sense to
consider this first. If you are right handed, does that mean you
pull the press handle right handed and feed the shell holder left
handed, or pull the handle left handed and feed the press right
handed? Most right-handed people feed the press left handed and
operate the handle right handed, and that means that empty
cases waiting to be resized are on the left and end up on the right
after sizing. Even if you are right handed you may need more
room on the left of the bench, so don’t just place things without
giving it some thought first.
Planning your bench layout beforehand is helpful and if you
have no the placement of tools in the beginning, it takes some
trial and error: do this before you bolt anything to the bench
unless you have a great deal of space. Also consider not just the
tools and things you need to place, but the processes you’ll use.
For example, if you batch load (you perform one operation at a
time), your space, layout, and workflow will be different than if
you take one case through the entire process (building a round at
a time) before going to another case.
You may end up with several presses and bench mounted
heavy tools, and this requires a little more thought. In the end the
simple rule is place things and run through the process (at least in
theory) before you drill and mount everything so you’re sure
it works well for you.
In our training workshop, we have a progressive press on the
very left hand end of the bench with a foot to spare, and the
regular turret press on the right hand end with a foot to spare to
the right. The simple logic here is that we are right handed, so
much of the required space is to the left in handloading, whereas
with a progressive press the process is mostly taking place on the
press itself so less space is required to the left. We have a long
bench, so this arrangement allows for plenty of space in the
middle of the bench for the other processes and tools along with
storage of rounds in process.

142
 You will likely have a different setup though, so test and
remain flexible until you get your bench as you like it.

Advice on bench selection and layout

from Darrell Holland
You don't need a lot of room but ideally, if we have a workbench
that's 24-30” deep and 6-8’ long, that's will allow you to have a
spacious and comfortable workstation to work from. The most
important thing is that your workstation is solid, mounted firmly to
the wall, or of heavy enough construction to prevent rocking and
shifting while you're sizing brass, weighing your powdered
charges, and so forth.
For bench height, depending upon your body and the stool
that you use you'll need to adjust your bench height accordingly.
Choose a comfortable chair if you're working on a cement floor. I
really like a chair that's got the little ball-bearing casters on the
bottom, so you can shift and slide, and move back and forth from
one side of the bench to the other. A door blank or a solid core
door blank works very well as a workbench: it gives you all the
stiffness and rigidity that you need. When it comes to mounting
presses, if you're running a six to eight-foot wide bench I like
mounting my press about two feet, from the left side of the
bench, since I’m a right-handed Reloader. This allows enough
room on the remainder of the bench to be able to store
components, powder brass, and other items. When it comes to
loading after I powdered and primed the cases, I'm going to put
all of those on the left side and I'm going to feed the press during
the bullet seeding operation from left to right.
I take my powder measurer and I put that in the middle. I like
using my powder measurer on a stand that I can clamp to the
bench. If you're using the RCBS ChargeMaster unit or any other
electronic measurer, make sure that it is stable and that you
adjust the feet eliminating any rocking during the setup. Your
primer seater needs to be mounted solidly on the bench: I like

143
putting that on the far right side. It does need to be mounted
securely, but it only serves one limited purpose and that is of
priming the case. When you're done, the primer seater needs to
be set aside so it doesn't interfere with the other loading
processes. Once I primed my cases and powdered my cases, I
move over to my loading press. I take my powder measurer and
set it up in the far corner, creating more room and freedom
around the loading press. Make sure that you have a fire
extinguisher handy: I normally put my fire extinguisher up against
the wall close to my powder since this is where I will have a fire in
the shop for quick and efficient access.
If you have cabinets, I would mount the cabinets above your
workstation so you're not banging your head under them. You can
also mount some work lights underneath those cabinets as well
illuminating the bench area. If you're going to be using a pivoting
scale, make sure that you have good lighting there. I also like to
build a little prop station to set my balance beam scale on so it's
at eye level. I trickle my powder in and watch that balance beam
very finely and can make precise adjustments because it is at eye
level. Once that's done, I store that over on the far corner of the
bench or put it back in the cabinet.

Takeaway:
Consider the design of the bench before you decide on the exact
layout and permanent placement of tools and presses. This
ensures you have things just as you need them, but if you are
new this may take a little understanding of the whole processing
of reloading before you are ready to complete your bench.

144
 THREE
RELOADING MANUALS

Manuals are an important part of

your process and you should keep
them easily accessible on your
bench until you have a set of loads
developed and are building to your
own formulas from memory (or
your notes).
When to comes to picking a
data source, it can be difficult to
pick out the best reloading manual as there are a lot of options to
choose from. You can’t go wrong with a manual from Lyman,
Nosler, Hornady or Sierra though. If you choose a projectile
(bullet) from a specific manufacturer, then it makes sense to get
their manual as it will be focused on their own loads based on
their own components. These same loads can often also be found
on the manufacturer’s website under their loading data resources,
but a manual is easier to keep on the bench.

Note: reloading manuals are often focused on their own bullets

and powders, so get several that are either independent or cover
the projectiles and powder you plan to use.

145
 Good manuals offer you a ‘most accurate load’ option on the
caliber page, which makes a great starting point in terms of
powder and bullet combination.
Many reloading manuals pick and choose a variety of different
powders. There are so many powders available out there that a
single reloading manual doesn't have the time or the space to list
everyone's powders.

Takeaway:
A reloading manual is a set of tested recipes that serve as a
starting point for creating your own specific formula that works for
you and your rifle.

146
 FOUR
RELOADING RECORD BOOK

If you want to succeed as a

Reloader, then you should keep
detailed notes both at the reloading
bench on what, when and for what
you load as well as at the rifle
range where you test and use your
own ammunition.
As with all shooting DOPE, the
better your notes are, the easier it
is to interpret the results and make good decisions based on how
the rifle and ammunition perform at the range.
If you use a shooting log like an Impact Data Book, it’s easy to
add extra pages to record your load development and results on
top of your usual shooting history.
Reloading logs come in various shapes and sizes, but they
usually cover all the details associated with the parts, brands, and
data on each part of your cartridge (including specific lots) so you
can reproduce everything years later if required. Don’t forget to
log the DOPE on each trip to test your loads such as muzzle
velocity, environmental conditions, the rifle and its details.
Once you are shooting, you will be measuring your accuracy
and precision along with key cartridge perforce data like ES, SD,

147
and average velocity in order that you can easily see which of
your loads shoot best under what conditions.
Record keeping should include on the ammunition boxes
themselves, noting useful data such as primer type, primer make,
powder type, charge, bullet manufacturer, bullet weight, and brass
age.

Takeaway:
Keeping detailed accurate records makes it much easier to be a
better shooter and to make more consistent ammunition.

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 FIVE
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT TO GET
STARTED

When learning to reload or handload for the first time, you need
to be sure you have the essential equipment. You don't need that
much equipment to get started in basic reloading, but in
handloading which is more precision orientated it’s amazing how
much extra equipment you really do need.
In this section, we're just going to go through what we feel are
the basics for getting started in reloading, followed later by a
separate section on more advanced equipment necessary for
precision handloading.
It's important to understand that reloading is generally very
safe. However, you are working with some pretty dangerous
components such as primers, powders, and other components
that you're going to be mixing in order to be able to create your
own ammunition. One of the first things you should consider is
safety, and that includes a range of different fairly low-cost and
simple items such as safety glasses, gloves, and a small fire
extinguisher.
Fire Extinguisher
Another important safety item for the bench is a fire
extinguisher. Many fires started by powders can be difficult to
extinguish because those fires can burn so hot, so they need to
burn out on their own. Having one on the bench and using it

149
expeditiously certainly can help prevent a
major fire if it’s small and contained. If you
have a much larger fire, call 911 as it will
probably be too hot for you to be able to
immediately extinguish.

Note: Make sure that you have a fire extinguisher handy and place
it up against the wall, close to your powder. You will need quick and
efficient access in order to put out the fire before it spreads.
At a minimum, we suggest having fire extinguishers, safety
glasses and gloves on hand.

Safety Glasses and Gloves

Protecting your eyes from raw powder or a flare up from an
accident has to be your number one priority. While there's pretty
low risk, if you smoke or if you are not careful while at the bench
it's pretty easy to have an accident which can have lifelong
consequences. A quality pair of eye protection glasses is certainly
recommended. In addition, we also suggest you wear gloves.
Gloves are useful particularly in precision handloading because
they prevent the chance of getting any of the oils from your hands
into the cartridge components, which can affect accuracy of your
ammunition.

PRIMER FLIPPER
Turns primers same side up for easier and safer reloading.

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 Reloading Presses
While you can build your own ammunition without a press, we
don’t recommend it. You can get a very low cost hand-type press,
but again we don’t recommend it.
We suggest a bench mounted press which we’ll detail in a
separate section.
Calipers
The next thing to add to the
bench is a set of high-quality
calipers or a micro meter. This is
essential because you will make a
lot of different measurements on
your ammunition to ensure that the ammunition meets SAAMI
specifications. You'll likely to need to measure case length for
trimming, the thickness of primers and inside and outside case
neck, wall thickness, and even measure the depth of the primer
pocket once we've uniformed them. A high-quality set of precision
calipers will last you a lifetime, and we suggest that you buy the
best you can afford, and we recommend electronic ones, as they
are easy to read and are simpler to understand than older style
dial calipers.
Headspace Gauge
You’ll need a headspace gauge, so you can precisely adjust the
die. New brass is going to typically be under-size from the

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headspace dimension that your gun was
built on. The headspace gauge is simply a
hardened steel machined part that
replicates the cartridge that you are
shooting. You have the same base of the
cartridge, the shoulder of the cartridge
without the neck, and there is a datum line
location here that references the chamber
that is cut in the gun. This becomes a master gauge that all .308s,
all 6.5 Creedmoor’s, all .243s are built to, so we have an industry
standard for dimensioning and chambering in a rifle.
Scales
An accurate powder scale is an
absolute must to work up loads.
You can either buy a beam type or
digital scale, and we recommend a
pharmaceutical grade digital scale
as it is the easiest option to read
and use. You may also have scales
built into some of the other equipment that you use while
reloading, but for the very basic setup a scale is an essential item.
Once again, high quality is very important, and particularly with
digital scales. It must be able to measure down to very small
amounts accurately and consistently to ensure that you get an
accurate load in each of the cartridges that you are filling. Without
accuracy, it's very hard to be consistent when shooting if each
load is slightly different because the scales aren't sufficiently
consistent and accurate.
Case Trimmers
When you fire a cartridge or use
a reloading die cases will drift out
of specification and need to be
trimmed back to the correct size
every so often. A case trimmer, as
the name suggests, allows the
individual to maintain cartridge
overall length (you'll find these dimensions in your reloading
manual). Cartridge case trimmers come in a variety of shapes and

152
sizes and can be either electronic or manual. Manual trimmers are
easy to set up and allow you to trim a cartridge case to
thousandths of an inch. It’s a simple device where you set a
specific length based on the SAAMI spec, and it will then allow
you to trim back the case size to the correct length. Making sure
all your cases are precisely the same length is crucial, especially
when you use cases that have been fired before.
Case Preparation/Hand Tools
Preparing your cases after
trimming means taking the trimmed
edges and cleaning them up (also
called deburring and chamfering).
Two different devices are needed to
do that: the outside of the edge of
the top of the case needs
deburring, and the inside
chamfering. The prep tools take the
burrs off the inside and the outside of the mouth of the case
which allows you to seat your projectile or bullet without issues
and galling going forward.
Case prep tools come in many different shapes and sizes, and
a basic set is ideal. These can also be automated, but if you're on
a tight budget get the hand tools. If you have additional funds,
you can consider some of the automated higher-end electronic
tools which allow you to do a range of different case prep in a
system which is powered like a power tool.
Primer Pocket Cleaner and Reamer
Much like other case prep tools, the
primer pocket cleaner is basic device. After
a cartridge has been fired it will have
deposits that need to be removed. It can
also become warped, so the ability to
“uniform” the primer pocket is useful as
well.
There are a range of kits that clean those out and a set of
brushes that you can buy. Again, we recommend choosing the
best that you can afford. And much like the tools for deburring,

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you can also get a case preparation center, which is more of a
power tool set and makes this pretty tedious task easier.
Hand and Bench Priming Tools
While some automated
equipment allows you to load up
the primer into the primer pocket,
many people focus on hand-
orientated priming as a means to
get a more consistent load built for
precision handloading. The hand
primer is a low cost and simple way
of being able to install a primer one at a time within the case, and
many argue that the feel of the feedback of the lever, as you input
the primer into the case, is very useful for consistent primer
seating.
Simply load the primers in the tray, take your cartridge, insert
it into the shell holder, and squeeze and try and feel the primer
bottom against the anvil. When it does, that's the time to back off
the handle and stop and see that we've seated a primer into the
cartridge.
Most precision loaders agree that doing it this way is better
than using one of the automated machines in terms of being able
to get a consistent and more importantly clear and correct depth
of priming of each of the cases. It's important that the primer
depth is right and the same in every single cartridge. Either a
hand primer or a desk-mounted primer is recommended for more
precision-oriented shooting.

Note: it is often overlooked just how sensitive the primer is, and
proper primer seating is an important part for precision
handloading. If you crush the angle too deep, you lose primer
efficiency. If you fail to seat the primer against the angle creating
what is called "a cushioned blow," this can also affect primer
performance. The important thing when it comes to primer seating
is to uniform the primer pockets, measure the primer thickness,
and then seat them to a precise dimension below flush giving you
the perfectly seated primer. We weigh our powder, we sort our
bullets, we do everything right. The same thing applies to the
seating of a primer.

154
 Powder Funnels
Powder funnels come in a
variety of shapes and sizes from
long necks to shallow necks and
can be made of aluminum or
plastic. If you're pouring coarse
powder and you need to compact it
into the cartridge case, a long stem
funnel allows a little greater
compaction than the short funnel. Keep that in mind depending
upon your loading needs.
A powder funnel does exactly what it says. It goes on the top
of the case neck and allows you to easily and quickly direct any of
the powder directly into the case. What's important though is that
you get one that is matched to the size of your case neck, so you
don't spill any powder. We prefer metal powder funnels as these
are easier to clean, easier to move back and forth between cases,
and much more durable and less likely to scratch or get damaged
or break than plastic. We get a powder funnel for each of the
different case neck or caliber sizes of cartridges we're reloading .
They're inexpensive, and so getting one for each of the different
cartridge sizes is essential versus some kits where you can just
change the nozzle piece of the funnel.
You might also want to consider a
powder funnel with a longer neck and a
longer drop tube for loading where you're
loading nearly compressed charges, and
where you want a little more space.
Keep your powder funnels clean,
make sure that you don't get any oil
or grease on the inside of them, and I like wiping them
down with a rag to eliminate static cling.
Case Oils and Lubricants
Case lubes and oils are used to prevent cases from getting
stuck in the reloading press. You apply lube at the base of the
case where it's more likely to get stuck, and that will make it a lot
easier to extract the case after resizing.

155
 We recommend Imperial Sizing
Dye Wax instead of the sprays and
oils. The sprays often require you
to sit and wait after you've sprayed
them. If you use a spray or an oil
on a pad, you also have to be very
careful that you avoid the case
shoulder. With the waxes you don’t
have to wait, and you can be very
precise as to where it's applied
versus spraying a batch of cases,
which may be faster, but is less consistent and more likely to lead
to problems.

Note: you have to be precise as to where you apply any of these

oils. You don't want to get it on the case neck or that can lead to
denting, so avoid the case shoulder and keep the lube off that
particular area so that it doesn't dent under pressure when you're
resizing the brass. A little bit goes a long way, so do not over
lubricate. Make sure to wipe the case lube off after you've lubed
and sized the cartridge case, as you don't want it inside the
chamber, and you don't want it contaminating the powder or the
primer.

Reloading Trays and Blocks

In order to be consistent when
reloading, we suggest that you also
put all of your cases into a loading
block. An older loading blocking is a
bunch of holes in a plastic tray, and
you can put all your cases upright,
so they maintain their vertical stance. This way you can inspect
each case to see whether you have powdered it or not. It is a
convenient and cheap way of putting all your cases together one
by one, and you can move the powder funnel between the cases
as you charge them and inspect them to make sure that you don't
double charge any of the cases, which is something that's very
easy to do if you're not careful.

156
 Ammunition Boxes and Ammunition Storage
Ammo boxes and other methods
of storing your ammo are critical in
reloading. It's very important that
you carefully mark and store your
ammunition once that you have put
it together and we suggest that you
mark each group of cartridges.
Ammo boxes are pretty cheap and should be pretty easy for you
to label up different batches and/or have different boxes for
different batches. It’s important that is clear what the caliber is
and how much powder and what charge you've put in each batch,
and to batch them together consistently.
As you learn more about precision, you’ll want to sort and
weigh every case. The different batch numbers from the
manufacturer themselves and ammo boxes are a great way of just
storing batches independently of each other and keeping track of
them. It's also important that these boxes are labeled, and you
change that label over time so that you know exactly what you
got where as you start to build up your bench full of ammunition,
and you don't get confused as to what is what.
Cleaning Rag or Shop Towel and
Lubricants
You might not know what your body
chemistry is, and you may have very acidic
hands. By touching and handling brass and
bullets, if left unwiped that acid is going to
start to corrode the brass and bullets over
time, making your handloaded ammunition look grungy. Use a rag
or shop towel and some CRC, an industrial anticorrosion lubricant,
and give each cartridge a good wipe down, and then do the same
for each individual round. They are ready for long term storage
after they’re cleaned.
Powder Trickler
A powder trickler is a simple way of adding powder in very
small increments as the name suggests, usually in grains, to give
you a very precise amount of powder in each of your cases. When
you're weighing and measuring powder, you may wish to add just

157
tiny amounts of it to get the desired
amount. You need to charge the tube with
powder once you pour it in, and that takes
multiple turns on the dial. Once you've
charged the tube, then you simply rotate
it, dumping in one, two, three powder
granules at a time.
A more sophisticated method is an electronic trickler, and this
works really well if you're processing a lot of ammunition. Load
the hopper up and press the button, which allows you to add a
granule at a time which expedites the process quite a bit. If you
don’t want or can’t afford an electronic dispenser, a powder
measure can be used to throw fairly accurate charges, and a
powder trickler allows you to trickle powder in the remaining small
increments onto the scale to hit your desired weight.
Bullet Pullers
We all make mistakes and
having a bullet puller is very
helpful. It is a useful and fairly low-
cost tool, and all it does is allow
you to disassemble a cartridge that
you have made some form of
mistake with. There are a couple of
different types. There's a collet type, and there is a one that looks
a little like a hammer, which is an impact type. We would
recommend the collet type over the hammer type because it's a
safer and more professional way of pulling apart a cartridge in a
measured fashion and is something you can have on the bench.
It's not essential, but it's something that you might consider as a
beginner to fix a mistake.
In addition to these basic tools, there are other tools
which help speed up reloading such as presses, powder
measures, brass case cleaners, and more. We'll deal with
these tools in upcoming chapters.

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 SIX
BRASS CASE CLEANERS

Brass cleaning is usually only required when reloading, as new

brass should be free of residues and ready to go.
Cleaning up used brass is important because primer ignition
and burning will always leave behind carbon and other forms of
residue inside the brass case after you've fired it for the first time.

159
If you've purchased used cases, they may
also need cleaning and there are a number
of different methods and tools for going
about that process so that you end up with
consistent and clean brass. Clean cases are
also important in protecting your
equipment like dies and firearm chambers.
You can just simply wipe down a case
and clean out its neck using cheap and basic tools to get started,
particularly if the brass itself is pretty clean. Most people however
would rather buy a machine which can clean the brass in bulk.
These machines use different media and processes to clean a
batch of cases at the same time. We'll just go through the
different choices you've got so you can make an informed decision
on which type will work best for the cartridge cases that you're
trying to use.
Brass Case Liquid Cleaners
Brass case liquid-based cleaners do a
great job in removing hard-to-clean primer
pockets and powder residue deep within
the cases. They wash the cases and
typically use an ultrasonic process to
vibrate the brass to remove residue more
effectively. There are a number of different
manufacturers of these types of machines,
and the great thing about these is that they eliminate a lot of the
work of doing it manually. Wet cleaning also does a nice job of
removing any of that lube that you have applied during the
process of resizing, and in addition to that during the process with
a clean case you can easily identify any problems with the cases
such as cracking, denting or pressure signs.
The cleaner for these liquid-based chemical cleaning processes
is available usually as an acid-based concentrate that you simply
water down, put it in the cleaning machine, put in your batch of
cases, and leave it for the required amount of time. The machine
automatically cleans the cases thoroughly, but you will need to
rinse and dry them before you can use them. The whole process
should take a few hours.

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 Tumbler-Brass Cleaner and Media
The next type of brass cleaning
machine is a mechanical tumbler or
polisher, which is a lot like those
things they use to smooth out
rocks. Tumblers require some
media to be added to them (corn
cob or a walnut shell mix), then
adding your cases afterwards. The
tumbling action polishes the brass
through a vibration process. It's a simple and fairly elegant
method of cleaning your cases and has some advantages over
using a wet process because you're using media to clean and
you're not getting the cases wet. This means no rinsing and
drying.
There are some tumblers that do use a wet process, but we
suggest is you use a dry media like walnut shell which is much
faster. Cleaning takes about an hour, and the only downside is
that you have to clean out, filter, and eventually replace out some
of that media, but otherwise it's pretty quick and simple compared
to a wet process.
Different types of media can be used, and users will have
different opinions as to what works best. You can use anything
from corn cob, residues of walnut production, to even rice. Either
way, this is one way of getting a very high shine on your cases,
and these tumblers are pretty inexpensive.
Using steel or stainless steel tumbling media has also become
popular recently, because of its speed. You can work at almost
twice the speed of other media. One downside of steel is it's a
little more expensive, but you do end up with a case that is
thoroughly polished inside and outside as well as the primer
pocket and the flash hole.

161
 Steel is also popular because it doesn't tend to get gummed up
in any of the cases, meaning less cleanup at the end of the brass
cleaning process. It's up to you, take a look at the costs and
benefits of the different types of media that you might use, and
make an informed decision.
One more note on steel: you need to use the steel wire, as
well as to add some type of liquid cleaner like citric acid to get the
brass super shiny. This makes steel more of a “hybrid” process,
which means you’ll still have to go through the process of rinsing
and carefully drying the cases when you're done. Also, steel
tumbling removes all residue from the inside and outside of the
cartridge case, so you should really go back and lubricate the
inside of the neck with graphite, creating that powder carbon
barrier that a fired case produces.
Bench press shooters are going to use a little polishing cloth
when the brass is hot, and it comes out of the gun, to wipe the
case down, keeping it looking pretty decent. This means the brass
is clean enough to function and work well in the field or on the
competitive range but is not as shiny.

Takeaway:

162
 Each of these different options has its upsides and downsides.
Pick what you think will be the best option for you with regard to
getting nice clean cases, so that when you inspect them you know
that they are consistent, and they don't have any damage and/or
imperfections when you go to use them for your reloading.

163
 SEVEN
POWDER MEASURES AND DISPENSERS

A powder measure or dispenser is a tool

that can either be attached to the bench
stand alone or attached to a reloading
press. Its main function is to measure the
same amount of powder each time, and
then dispense that so that you can then
put the powder directly into the cartridge.
A powder measure is speeds up
production, and it enables you to throw
accurate loads. However, precision
depends on the consistency of your
operation, and the tool you are using. A
powder measure can powder a whole
batch of cases quickly, which you can
double check using a scale. Precision
handloaders will have some issues with
powder measures. Human error can creep
into the use of these tools because not Image credit: Hornady
only can a different priced product be
more or less accurate, but if it's not used in exactly the same way
every time, then different amounts can be dispensed even at the
same setting. For precision you can use it for speed as a first step,

164
but you would want to check every single case to ensure that it
has been filled correctly.
Powder measures and dispensers are great if you don't want
to go the nth degree of precision, but you will still need to be very
careful that each throw is correct by double checking your work.
Hand powdering each case may be preferable for many precision
handloaders.
Lower cost versions of these devices can be less accurate, and
a precision handloader needs to be able to measure down to the
nearest grain. This is where a powder trickler would come in
handy to ensure precision of every single cartridge when it comes
to using the long-range precision rifle loads.

Note: when using a powder measure, ensure that you never mix
different types of powder in one of these devices. We suggest that
you always put a small card marked with which powder inside the
hopper. This way you know the particular powder that you had in
the powder measure dispenser at that time is a certain type, and
you don’t top it up with a different powder which can be extremely
dangerous.
A downside of powder measures and dispensers is that if they
are not perfectly clean and free of grease, they can throw
inconsistent amounts due to stuck and clogged powder inside.

Powder measures come in standard and match versions, so if

you wish to go for greater consistency in your powder charges
you may wish to consider the higher end versions. You can also
add accuracy through the use of a micrometer in some models.

Takeaway:
A powder measure and dispenser are a helpful way to speed up
your ammunition building, but handloaders may prefer to use
more precise ways to dispense powder. Know exactly what
powder is in your measure by inserting a card marked with what
you are throwing that session in the hopper. Mixing powders is
very unsafe.

165
 EIGHT
AUTOMATED POWDER DISPENSING
SCALES

You’ll need some type of a scale to

weigh powder charges on. We have
covered beam and electronic
scales, but there are also
automated powder dispensing
scales that dispense weighed
powder charges for you. These
devices combine a set of highly
accurate scales and a hopper that
acts like a powder measure and
dispenses a set weight (charge) of powder into the pan each time.
As with all things in advanced handloading, time equals
money. Electronic powder dispensers are more expensive than
regular scales, but they significantly cut down the amount of time
it takes to trickle out and measure accurate charges.
Automated powder dispensing scales simplify an otherwise
tedious task. and can combine several processes into one quick
and easy one. It also allows for two processes to run at the same
time” you can now seat a bullet in the press after powdering the
case while the machine measures out the next load for you.
These machines allow you to program them for charging the
powder. Once we program the machine for our desired granule

166
weight it will dispense that same amount every time with the
touch of a button. The two most important aspects of any powder
dispenser are accuracy and consistency.
There are models available from RCBS, Hornady and Lyman.
Our training will focus on the RCBS Chargemaster.

Takeaway:
Digitally controlled automatic powder dispensers cut reloading
time by up to 50%, as they automate a slow and tedious task of
hand weighing and trickling every case. Be sure to regularly check
the accuracy of loads produced by these scales, however.

167
 NINE
ANNEALING TOOLS

Annealing isn’t necessary for

everyone. If you're the occasional
shooter or hunter and shoot 50 or
100 rounds a year of factory
Remington, Winchester, or Federal
brass, you probably don't need an
annealer. If you're a competitive
shooter or if you wish to improve
the accuracy potential of the gun
with low standard deviations, then add it to the list of processes
required to make your ammunition.
Annealing greatly extends case life, because as we size the
brass time and time again, it starts to harden. The hardness of
brass can be controlled by annealing for a specified time and
temperature.
So how quickly do case necks work-harden with reloading?
Really quickly. According to research, after only a few reloads the
neck hardness can go from Half Hard to Extra Hard, depending on
the die.
Neck tension is a very important part of annealing because by
annealing the brass and giving a uniform elasticity to the case
mouth, we can now greatly improve neck tension. Neck

168
consistency in terms of grip or tension on the bullet when we seat
it is what is mainly responsible for low standard deviations, which
are very important in long-range shooting.
Annealing equipment comes in two types. A basic setup, such
as a propane torch, drill motor, shell holder, or a dedicated
machine for annealing the brass.
Manually annealing with simple tools is cheap but also can be
inconsistent and can lead to damaging the cases if you are not
careful (you must only heat the necks) and don’t use a way to
stop heating at exactly the right temperature. Another drawback
to this method is that you will have a lack of uniformity on the
periphery of the case neck, and the case-to-case results will be
inconsistent. Finally, the longer the case necks are exposed to
heat, the greater the possibility that too much heat will be
conducted into the body and head which can ruin the cases.
On the other hand, the machines are more consistent, and
some will simply automate and speed up the manual process
while the higher end models will do everything required to
exacting standards without any risk of errors.
Temperature Sensitive Markers for
Annealers
Tempil sells both temp sticks and
brush-on temp-sensitive lacquer. Liquid
Tempilaq dries to dull, opaque film once
applied so when you heat the necks and
the rated temperature is reached, the film
liquefies, and you can see the color change
so know when to stop heating. A 950°-rated lacquer is a good all-
around starting point, but you may need to go higher or lower to
get the best results for your specific brass.

ANNEALING Machines
Basic annealing machines
Simple machines allow you speed up the heating process by
heating larger volumes of cases without manual intervention, but
you will still need to apply a temperature coating and watch that
each case doesn’t overheat. These machines also make sure only
the necks are heated, and heat for a set number of rotations or

169
time. They add speed but are not
totally precise on the final neck
hardness achieved. They are
machines that do much the same
job as the manual process with a
torch and drill, but faster and
better.
Induction annealing
machines
Induction annealing is the
process of softening the necks of cases through heating in an
electrically contactless manner. This is achieved by placing the
cases within a magnetic field that induces eddy currents within
the brass.
No flames are required, and you simply place a cartridge into
the machine, set the machine to the correct settings for that
brass, press a button and a few seconds later you are done. Its
fast, accurate and repeatable, but it is also very expensive
compared to the manual process cost.
The key benefit is improved process control for even heating
and uniform heating to a given temperature that is not dependent
on operator skill.

Takeaway:
Annealing brass provides two distinct advantages to the shooter.
Not only will annealing make the brass last longer, but it will
tighten up those groups too.

170
 TEN
HANDLOADING TOOLS FOR MATCH
LEVEL PREPARATION
INTRODUCTION

We have covered the basic tools required to reload, but those of

us looking to go to the next level and create precision long range
ammunition there are more tools required to refine every stage of
the handloading process.
Each and every area can be improved upon, checked, tested
and refined. This means more process, tools and time for each
cartridge and batch of ammunition, but the reward is more
consistent, accurate and better shooting ammunition.
Bench Machine Tools for
Case Preparation
If you're processing a lot of
ammunition and mass prepping a
lot of cases, you may want to
consider some power equipment.
There is a great deal of manual
work that can be automated and
sped up using “prep centers” and
power based tools to save the hassles of constantly cranking and
twisting on manual tools to get the job done.

171
 There are a variety of power tools available on the market
from a lot of the major reloading companies.
Bullet Comparator
When you want to take your
handloading to the next level, a
bullet comparator is very helpful. In
the production of bullets, bullet
tolerance can vary which can often
result in unexpected behavior on
the target range.
For precision cartridge reloading, having a consistent bolt face
or base to ogive dimension of our loaded round is extremely
important. During load development, you establish the proper
powder charge for a bullet weight and cartridge combination. You
then fine tune that load by adjusting the seating depth.
By precisely sorting your bullets using a base to ogive
measurement, you can eliminate outliers when you're shooting for
groups. A comparator allows the user to measure a bullet plus or
minus one-half thousandths of an inch for consistency, and this
comes into play when we show you about seating bullets from
bolt face to ogive dimension once a load has been developed.
Sinclair Hex Nut Comparator
A Sinclair hex nut is a useful tool. The hex nut allows you to
establish a variety of measurements around the periphery of the
nut using calipers, so once you have established a base line for
load development, you can take a measurement using the calipers
and write that down in your loading notes.

172
 You can come back later and
seat the bullet five thousandths of
an inch or ten thousandths of an
inch deeper, fine tuning the load
and take another measurement
using the hex nut.

Note: it's important, when using the hex nut that you just allow a
little bit of compression into the nut for precise measurement. Don't
push the cartridge in real hard, don't use your dial calipers as a C-
clamp when you're taking this measurement. Be very gentle, we
like to rotate the hex nut with our thumb and index finger keeping
everything square giving a precise adjustment.

The hex nut is not a necessary tool for the average shooter,
but when you want to take your loading to the next level, it does
make a difference.
Comparators are just that. They are used to give comparative
measurements and are not an absolute, and they are far more
accurate than measuring the base to tip of bullet.
The Case Gauge
Another helpful tool is a case gauge. A
caliber-specific gauge replicates the inside
of a chamber. Putting your cartridge case
into the gauge allows you to check if the
case requires trimming or is resized
properly and the head space is correct to
SAAMI spec.
The Micrometer
You need to have uniform neck
thickness if you're trying to produce quality ammunition that will
consistently shoot sub half-minute or more. This is where the neck
thickness micrometer comes in. It allows us to precisely measure
neck thickness in four different locations around the case mouth.
This number shouldn't vary more than one to one and a half
thousandths of an inch. If it does, you may want to turn the neck,
producing a consistent neck wall thickness on all four locations.

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 Micrometers are very easy and
simple to use, and some feature a
stand (or what we call a third
hand), which allows you the use of
two hands when sorting the brass,
which reduces the processing time.
Bench Primer Tool

There are a lot of different priming tools on the market such as

the handheld version we’ve already discussed. Hand primer tools
are easy, and they do build a good grip, the problem with them is
the ability to feel the primer seat precisely. Everyone has a
different grip and hand strength. Primer pockets may vary
depending upon the number of times the cartridge case has been
loaded, from tight to moderately loose to really loose, and this can
affect how hard or easily we seat the primer.
Due to primer size variation and primer pocket depth variation,
it is hard to determine a repeatable and precise insertion depth,
especially if you're just pouring primers into the hopper in varying
thicknesses. We suggest you consider a bench-mounted hand
primer that allows you to obtain a much more precise and
consistent input of the primer.
A bench mounted system can precisely seat a primer to the
thousandths of an inch time and time again. This is difficult to do
with a hand primer, and it may take years of experience to get
that feel just right.
Flash Hole Deburring and Uniforming Tool

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 An often-overlooked tool on the
reloading bench for match prepping
your brass is the flash hole and
chamfer uniforming tool. You want
to be able to chamfer the inside of
the flash hole, so the spark radiates
360 degrees around the powder
column.
Often when flash holes are
punched it raises a burr on the inside of the flash hole, which
deflects the spark and causes inconsistent ignition of the powder
column. This tool goes inside the cartridge case, finds the flash
hole, sets your cartridge stop, and by rotating it, you remove that
burr. You'll also lower the standard deviations in your shot
to shot velocity, producing a more consistent precision
handload.
Primer Pocket Uniformer
You'll also need a primer pocket
uniformer. Many people overlook
this important tool, but the
uniformer allows us to cut a primer
pocket to a known depth. Making
all the primer pockets exactly the same depth and shape helps
eliminate variations in cartridge performance.
The manufacturing tolerances on brass today are variable:
some are shallow, and some are deep, and the same is true with
primers. If you've got a primer pocket that's 128 deep and a 130
thick primer, it's going to be really hard to get the two to seat
below flush.
A situation like this is where your uniformer comes in to play.
It's an arduous job, but you can get it done with a manual tool,
but an electronic driver will make the job that much easier. Making
sure the primer pockets are square and uniform, just like flash
hole deburring, helps eliminate variations in primer ignition.
If there are differences in how high or how low primers sit in
the in the primer pocket it can affect cartridge performance.
The Primer Seat Depth Gauge

175
 You must check seating depth because
brass and primer defects can cause
seating-depth variances.
The cases and the primers themselves
can have different tolerances, and primers
themselves can vary in size, be out of
round, and be damaged, and/or the case
primer pockets vary in depth. Also,
different manufactured lots can have
different results: you can’t be sure, even on new brass, that all of
your hand loads will be consistent even with brand new parts.
For fired brass, how many times it’s been fired, and the
pressures involved affect primer seating. This is where cleaning
and uniforming the primer pocket is helpful, and after that process
is complete that the depth can be accurately measured to check
the uniforming process is correct.
Get a dial gauge with an indicator that is calibrated using a
squarely-machined plug that simulates a case head with a
perfectly flush-seated primer, giving “minus” or “plus” readings
when inserted so you know if the depth is in line with
expectations. If not, you can return to the uniforming process
until every case is exactly the same depth.

Auto Powder Trickler

176
 A more sophisticated method for dispensing small amounts of
powder fast is an electronic trickler. This works really well if you’re
processing a lot of ammunition.
All you need to do is load the hopper up and press the button,
and granules will trickle on or more at a time into the pan. This
expedites bringing the powder charge up to your desired level. It’s
the same as turning by hand, but faster, easier, and repeatable.

Concentricity Gauge
Another useful accessory is the concentricity gauge, and it
serves several important purposes. First, it checks the
concentricity of our fired case, indicating whether or not you have
a good chamber in the rifle. It also helps you with die alignment
depending upon the type of loading press that you're using. After
you've seated a bullet, insert the cartridge in the concentricity
gauge for the last time and check bullet run-out.

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 Neck Turning Tools
Neck turning is really an art form in precision reloading. If
you're running good consistent brass such as Norma, Lapua,
Winchester, or Remington, and the neck thickness is under a
thousandth when measuring in four different locations, neck
turning is not required. However, if this measurement is over, neck
turning should be done to make the brass uniform in neck
thickness all around the circumference.

Example: The case neck wall’s variance is .011” on the low side
and .014” on the high side. We suggest setting a neck turning tool
to .011” and turn all cases to that measurement.

If you have a specific gun and chamber combination that calls

for a turned neck application that requires you to turn the outside
diameter of the cartridge case to fit precisely within your chamber
dimensions, you'll need a neck turning tool. Neck turning takes
time and some skill, but it is an easy job to perform, and it will
take your handloading skills to the next level.

178
 This tool is used primarily in a power driver, and you can use it
in either a "Brass Monkey" an industrial grade turning machine or
an electric drill. If done correctly, neck turning keeps the neck in
uniformity within three to five ten thousandths of an inch on all
four locations.

Feeler Gauges
These are used when Case Neck Turning to set the correct
dimensions in those tools.

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PRIMER POCKET DEPTH Micrometer
This tool is used to check the consistent depth of your primer
pockets after you have reamed and uniformed them.

OAL Gauge
The overall length (OAL) gauge is used in determining your
bullet-seating depth dimensions, in your specific rifle. This simple
tool allows you to determine the length of a round with the bullet
just touching the rifling as a start point for load development. You
need to buy the correct caliber cases that attach, or send in your
own wildcat case for the manufacturer to setup for you.

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 Headspace Comparator
The headspace comparator gauge is attached to your calipers
and allows you to accurately measure the headspace an essential
measurement for precision handloading. The gauge measures
variations in your brass before and after firing or resizing. It
allows for comparison between fire-formed brass from your rifle
and your re-sized brass.
As you can see the advanced handloader has a great
deal more equipment, much of which costs a great deal
more than a basic setup.

181
 PART ONE

RELOADING PRESSES

182
 ONE
INTRODUCTION

While it's possible to reload a cartridge using a low cost hand-

based press, the majority of shooters use one of the varying
different shapes and types of reloading presses that allow for a
greater level of speed and automation.
These presses fall within three different categories:

1. single stage presses

2. turret type presses
3. progressive type presses

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 The primary difference between the types of presses is price
and speed of operation. The progressive press is designed more
for speed than it is for precision and is ideal for handgun
orientated ammunition, although it works perfectly well for any
form of ammunition where precision is not the absolute key. This
leaves then the single station and multi station type machines,
and many of us will choose between these depending on our
needs.
If you are looking for the ultimate in precision hand loading,
you may prefer a single stage press. The reason many of us pick a
single stage press is it allows us to produce relatively small
amounts of extremely consistent and accurate ammunition, and
we can use certain types of dies and tools which are very much
focused on producing a single round at a time. The multi station
presses are a little faster since they have multiple die heads set
up, but it's just a personal choice and many handloaders prefer a
single stage co-ax type approach to producing the best precision
hand loads.
Be aware when deciding on which press to buy that you are
locking yourself into a system, and often that system only has a
certain set of different dies available, and some accessories and
other things may only work with that particular manufacturer.
Requirements of specific types of dies and other pieces of that
puzzle may be restricted depending on the manufacturer you
choose. Another major consideration when choosing which system
to set up for is the number of different calibers you tend to load
for. If you load for a broad range of different calibers, then every
time you change that caliber, you change the associated dies and
accessories, and that can be a time consuming process.
You should also consider the frequency and quantity of
ammunition that you're going to use. If you're using a general
type approach to handloading but you choose to shoot a great
deal, then that may drive you one direction versus the individual
that is shooting at matches or wants the absolute best type of
ammunition, the most precise ammunition, and where going
slower and focusing on all the different parts of the process is
much more important than churning out large volumes of
ammunition.

184
 As a general rule of thumb, when it comes to the amount of
ammunition that you want to produce the difference is as follows:

a single stage press allows you to generate up to 100

rounds per hour,
a turret press around 200 rounds per hour,
a progressive press 300 to 600 rounds an hour,
and an automated progressive press 400 to 800 rounds an
hour.

Your mileage may vary.

Advice on reloading press selection

from Darrell Holland
I'm often asked, "Darrell, what about progressive presses versus
manual presses, entry-level versus more sophisticated?"
Let's break it down into the basics allowing you to make the
right choice. Many of us start off with a basic manual press as it’s
very affordable and easily available, plus it’s easy to get started.
As we progress in reloading, we get more skill, we have greater
demands upon the finished level of ammunition that we produce,
and therefore we may want to consider a progressive press.
A progressive press is definitely faster for each pull of the
handle, as once the press is timed and organized, we're producing
a loaded round. So, for high-volume shooting, varmint hunting,
your tactical work, all of your ammunition that doesn't require the
ultra-care and precision that comes with a manual press, the
progressive press works very, very well. There's a lot of them
available on the market such as Dillon, Hornady, Forster, RCBS,
Lyman, Lee and more.
You need to be switched on when it comes to the use of the
progressive. You can't be distracted. You need to be running
powder measures, primers, and paying attention to what's going

185
on so you're not producing a round that didn't have a primer,
didn't have powder in it. This can be disastrous in that regard.
If you're going to be shooting competitively and the difference
between first and last is measured in thousands of an inch, in the
bench rest game, the F class game, you're probably not going to
be using ammunition loaded on the progressive press.
You will want to be weighing every powder charge precisely,
weighing and sorting your bullets, your brass and doing the best
possible job to produce the highest level of ammunition possible.
So, those are the major differences between a progressive press
and a manual press. Each has their application. Each is capable of
producing quality ammunition given the discipline at hand.
So, as we mentioned earlier, there are different types of
manual presses. We have the entry-level which usually has a
screw in the top for 7/8-14 TPI dies. Manufacturing tolerances on
these entry-level presses tend to be a little, lacking versus the
higher end ones. The alignment of the ram to the die produces
eccentricity in the loaded round.
When we graduate to a more precise manual press, the
tolerances are held closer. Higher end bench rest style presses or
the Forster press are better for precision. For example, the Forster
press allows the die to float during the sizing and seating
operations. These design improvements allow you to take your
ammunition to the next level, reducing eccentricity issues, keeping
the round very concentric so the bullet with near perfect
alignment in the chamber each and every time.

Takeaway:
As usual there’s a lot of choice, and it might be best to pick up a
press that your community uses to get some support as you get
started, or if you plan on the very best precision, consider a co-ax
press like the first model we will use in this course. If you load
various types of ammo, then having several different presses
(depending on your budget) may be the best way to go. Also
check that the press you choose has the dies and accessories to

186
meet your requirements, including a sufficient level of precision
for the application you plan to use the ammunition for.

187
 TWO
SINGLE STAGE PRESSES

A single stage press allows you to operate one operation at a time

through a very simple setup. It allows you to perform an
operation on a single cartridge at a time, so it is the slowest of
any of the presses, but you'll pay the most attention to each of
the rounds that you are producing.
The reloading operation requires the single die to be removed
from the press and subsequent dies inserted in sequence to
complete all the reloading tasks.

188
 A single stage press comes in various different price points and
levels of quality and features. But it is a simple device no matter
the model: it is little more than a lever arm which pushes a case
in a shell holder up into a reloading die and brings it back out
again. We'll discuss here the C-frame and the O-frame single
stage press choices.

The C-frame single stage press

The name describes the shape. It is one the most cost-
effective different types of presses that are available on the
market. The C-shape only has one major disadvantage: it relies on
its materials and design to remain exactly in alignment, not to
deflect under the pressure of pushing cartridges in and out under
heavy load. And that's where the O-frame single stage press came
in.

189
 The O-frame single stage press
The benefit of the O-frame relates mostly to larger cases
which require heavier sizing pressures. And the design of the
frame, while it's not exactly an O-shape, resembles a rounded
corner of a square, where the ram is centrally locked in the
bottom of the O and the die is directly above it. This design
eliminates any of the distortion under heavy load that a C-design
may suffer from.
There are other design and shapes (H, etc.), but these are the
key choices that you've got for a reloading press design. The
single stage press is generally used by the precision handloader so
that they can have total control over the process of making every
single cartridge, and they want to make that as perfect as
possible.

190
 The Co-Ax Press
This particular press is made by Forster, and it has several
unique features that are not found on other conventional screw
and die type presses. The Forster has a lock ring that's attached
to the dies, and they slide in and out of the die holder in this
fashion. Forster's locking ring design features an easy to use cross
bolt that connects the two ends of the ring instead of a traditional
screw design that tightens directly into the threads of the die. The
result is a more reliable alignment with no canting and no damage
to the die threads which remain untouched by the cross bolt. The
most important feature is that it allows the die to float during the
sizing and bullet-seating operation.
The Forster also has a very long handle. There is plenty of
mechanical advantage that comes into play to size even large
magnum calibers. The one advantage that you see with this type
of die system is it greatly improves the concentricity of the size
case, as well as the loaded-round when it comes to seating a
bullet. Often with conventional dies where you screw it into the
top of the press, the alignment between the die and the ram
becomes critical. If the die is just a little bit cocked one way or
another during the sizing or seating operation, this causes
concentricity issues in the loaded round (we check this by using
our concentricity gauge after sizing the brass).

191
Summary
Keep our suggestions in mind when you purchase a press.

Having a primer trap in the bottom as a handy accessory

keeps you from dropping primers. There are different types of
shell holders: the Forster has a universal shell holder so that as
the handle is raised, the jaws on the shell holder come into play,
gripping the base of the cartridge for the sizing and extraction
from the die. In other units, you're going to have a specific shell
holder that is caliber-specific, and that’s more expensive and time
consuming versus the Forster unit.

Takeaway:
A single stage press is often the go-to type of press used by the
precision handloading community as it allows for a careful and
precise loading procedure that turns out very high quality,
consistent ammunition for long range shooting.

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 THREE
TURRET RELOADING PRESSES

The main difference between a single-stage and a turret press is a

rotating disk at the top which allows multiple dies to be mounted
into a system where they can be rotated. This disk or turret has
multiple dies attached to it, and these rotate over the top of the
cartridge to perform each of the different processes, one after the
other, which saves switching out the dies from the single-stage
press and speeds up the operation.
Once you have the flexibility of a turret, then you can also add
things like a powder thrower to the process to speed up the

193
powdering of each of the cases in addition to any of the resizing
and seating operations.
One other thing to note with a turret press is that if you're
reloading multiple calibers, you should consider a removable turret
that you can switch out. With this, you can quickly change calibers
without needing to unscrew or remove each of the dies from the
turret head.
As with all things, user error can creep into the use of this type
of system because as you rotate the turret you can misalign even
in a very small way the process of bringing up the cartridge case
into the dies. With a single stage, that's almost eliminated
because there is no rotation of the turret head. So, when it comes
to precision, eliminating some of these inconsistencies can be
more important than some of the benefits of speed of operation.

Takeaway:
Turret presses offer additional speed and some level of
convenience, but they also need extra attention to avoid user
error. These designs don’t have some of the precision advantages
of the single stage press, but still make great ammunition.

194
 FOUR
PROGRESSIVE RELOADING PRESSES

The progressive press goes one stage further over the turret press
because it allows you to alternate and speed up the process of
switching between the different stations in the head. It can also
add a significant number of additional speed benefits over and
above a turret press. Instead of having a rotating head, it tends to
have a rotating base. The great thing about it is that as you pull
the arm of the machine, it rotates the base and performs each
next operation sequentially so that you can churn out rounds at a

195
much higher rate than you would with a single or a turret-stage
press.

Progressive reloading presses also tend to integrate a thrower

as part of the process. So again, you can quickly and easily create
the ammunition through a quick pull of the lever arm. However, a
downside of the progressive press is that you have to set up a
more complex machine. There is more human error that could
creep in, and generally speaking the ability to check and make
sure every single round “precision perfect” is compromised by the
process of moving through the different stages of the machine.

Note: you need to be switched on when it comes to the use of the

progressive. You can't be distracted. You need to be running
powder measures, primers, and paying attention to what's going on
so you're not producing a round that didn't have a primer or
doesn't have powder in it. This can be disastrous in that regard.

If this is your first time with handloading or reloading, we

recommend you start with a simple single stage press, which is
much less expensive than a progressive press. It has less
flexibility and it is slower, but the single stage press also allows
you to build up the knowledge and the care required to produce
the safest and best quality ammunition. Once you've done that

196
and you fully understand the process, moving to a progressive
press is a much simpler and easier transition than starting straight
out with a progressive press. However, if you're loading a ton of
different calibers including for handguns as well as rifles, then a
progressive press may be a better fit.

Takeaway:
In this book we are focused on a long-range precision shooting
process, and we suggest that you don't use the progressive press
for turning out the best quality ammunition.

197
 FIVE
THE ARBOR PRESS

Arbor presses are primarily used in

benchrest shooting when the
competitor is loading at a shooting
bench away from his home-base
camp.
These are two examples of
arbor presses. On the left is your
basic arbor press used for seating and sizing brass.
The one on the right is a little more sophisticated as it has a
pressure gauge on it. The pressure gauge allows the handloader
when they're seating the bullet to read the pressure and when the
bullet starts to seat, he's going to remember and record the
pressure that it took, and then sort his ammunition accordingly.
Because as we all know neck tension is a very, very important
aspect in lowering the standard deviations from shot to shot in
our precision ammunition.

Takeaway:
If you are going to be doing load development at the range,
having an arbor press at your disposal makes it fast and easy.

198
 SIX
RELOADING DIES (FOR THE PRESS)

When you use a reloading press, you'll also need reloading dies.
Reloading dies perform a varying set of operations.
First, they're used for decapping (removing) old primers from
used cases. They are also used to resize the case, either the neck
or the full length of the case and used to put a projectile into the
top of the case called bullet seating. If you're using different types
of cases like a handgun case they can also crimp the case, but
most rifle cases don't need crimping. They can also be used in
other functions depending on the process that you're working on.

199
For example, some dies also allow you to re-prime or put another
primer back into the case versus hand priming. These dies tend to
be screwed in or pushed in using a “bushing” depending on the
different setup of your reloading press.
Dies are precision items and
come in many different price points
and different options. The lower
cost and basic models require a
little bit more work and are less
precise than the more match or pro
models that we recommend for
precision handloading. The higher-
end models tend to come with a
micrometer, which means that you
can very finely adjust the different types of settings that you need
for the various dies, which you may not be able to do with the
cheaper models. Dies can also be made with different materials,
so if they're made of tungsten carbide or titanium nitride, they
tend to require a little less lubrication than other different steel
type dies.
In this book we will discuss dies used for rifle handloading and
reloading. Dies that do different processes are required for
different types of calibers and different types of weapons.
Handguns need a slightly different setup than rifles do.

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The Depriming/Resizing Die
This die is used, as the name suggests, to either decap or
deprime a used cartridge and resize it. A resizing die is just a
hollow tube cut to the original shape of a new cartridge case of a
specific caliber. Some dies have extra bushings to change the
shape of the neck area easily, too.
In the sizing operation there are two types of sizing dies. A
full-length sizing die which sizes the neck, the shoulder, and the
body of the case, and a neck sizing die which doesn't do anything
to the body, but it sizes the neck providing the grip needed on the
bullet.

Note: only use neck-sized reloads in the rifle it was originally fired
in. It is not recommended to neck-size for semi-autos as it can lead
to feeding issues.
As the die accepts a cartridge, it pushes a rod down through the
case which ejects the old used primer, and at the same time it
moves into the case to resize it, either just touching the case neck
or resizing the entire cartridge depending on the type of die being
used.
A full-length sizing all of the ammunition is recommended as it
eliminates malfunctions in the field, which neck sizing does not. A
full-length die is more reliable because when we use neck sizing, if
we fire the case repeatedly, it continues to get larger and it may
not fit in the case and will malfunction. For safety, convenience,
and repeatability each and every time, we suggest a full-length size
including the neck, the shoulder, and the body.

A brass case expands when it's being fired, so you have to

bring it back into the correct specification in order to re-shoot and
that what the die does. It squeezes the cartridge down slightly so
that it is smaller than the chamber's shape, and it allows for the
replacement of a new bullet in the neck. This is achieved by using
a reloading press which pushes the cartridge into the die and the
die then resizes the cartridge case. It also does something called
“bumping the case shoulder back,” which means setting it back a

201
few thousandths of an inch (.001-.0015”) to ensure the cartridge
will chamber and offer the correct headspace when you reuse it.
As we mentioned earlier, you will want to lube up these cases
when you put them in the press because this process of resizing
can cause them to stick inside the die if you're not careful. Case
lube needs to be used on the brass case placed inside the die, so
it can reshape the case back to a more reusable size. It then
releases it so that you can then carry on with other operations.
Depending on what you're trying to do, whether general range
or competition shooting, choose the die that best matches your
requirements the process that you're trying to achieve.
Most people should buy a set of dies, as that's the most cost-
effective way of buying them. If you're looking for precision, we
recommend that you also use the ones which have built-in
micrometers which will make small changes faster and easier.

Note: remember when choosing a resizing die that is caliber-

specific, and we recommend a full-length sizing die for general use
for precision rifle shooting, and one that resizes not only in the
neck but also the body of the case when it's in the operation of
resizing and putting the shoulder back.

Small base dies

A small base die is a type of full-length sizing die and is used
for reloading semi-automatic AR-style rifles. A small base die
compresses the brass usually about .001" more than a standard
full-length resizing die, and that extra bit of compression will
properly extract the brass case from the semi-automatic rifle. This
die works well for ARs but since it works the brass more it can
reduce the life of your cases.
Bushing dies
These dies have interchangeable bushings of various set sizes
that make it easier to quickly adjust the neck sizing. The bushing
die then has the advantage of not only doing a full length resizing
operation but also a setting a precise neck tension for each case.
For precision hand loading, we are looking for a neck tension
of one and half thousandths of an inch, i.e. we will resize the case

202
neck diameter 0.0015” less than
the loaded cartridge neck diameter
so that the case grips the bullet.
For other types of ammo, you may
increase the neck tension.
If we measure the loaded
cartridge neck, and then subtract
.003” from the loaded round
dimension, this gives us the correct
bushing size as we will experience roughly 0.001 spring back after
sizing resulting in our desired 0.0015-0.002” neck tension. Each
bushing will be marked and should be the right one for the die set
you intend to use. Magnums require greater neck tension (0.003”)
to prevent changing seating depth during magazine surge due to
the greater recoil.
Non-bushing dies
These have fixed dimensions for setting back the shoulder and
setting neck diameter in a full-length resizing process. Different
manufacturers dies may be slightly different in design, but this
process should be the same for most common dies.
Dedicated decapping dies
You can choose a dedicated decapping die that removes
primers from any type of case with a “boxer” primer pocket as an
alternative to doing both decapping and resizing operations at
once.

203
 Decapping assemblies
Most sizing dies also include a decapping pin that pushes out
used primers as the case is inserted into the die. These
assemblies usually also have an expander button that resizes the
case neck, so it has the right neck tension to hold the new bullet.
Decapping pins are usually made of a strong steel material to
stand up to the process, but be aware they can get damaged or
break, so having a replacement on hand can be useful.
Expander buttons
The expander button is a specially-shaped part attached to the
decapping assembly that resizes the inside case diameter to
ensure they are consistent from case to case as you run them
through the sizing die. When you run the press the expander
button, it moves through the case neck and expands to create
equal neck tension for every case you process.
Handloaders pay special attention to this process and the
button, and they ensure they are correctly lubricated to ensure a
smooth and repeatable process that doesn’t overly work the
brass. An alternative to regularly lubing these buttons is to replace
them with a carbide expander button which is both hard and
smooth.
Bump/headspace gauges
An essential tool for setting up your full-length sizing die as
close as possible to your rifle's chamber is the bump/headspace

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gauge, such as a Sinclair bump gauge or Hornady comparator kit.
These gauges let you resize the case as little as possible,
extending your case life.

Bullet Seating Die

Bullet seating dies do as the name suggests: they place a
projectile in the neck of the case to a precise depth. This depth is
absolutely critical to precision rifle shooting. The seating depth of
the bullet will make a big difference when fine-tuning the node
that you're looking for during load development. Therefore, if you
are just doing standard shooting, worrying too much about the
depth in very small increments is less important than if you're
looking for precision rifle shooting.

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 A basic standard seating die has a solid polished steel die
body, and these are affordable and simple and great for entry
level reloaders.
The match chamber style seating dies fully capture the whole
of the case in a sliding chamber sleeve and provide a much
greater level of support and precise alignment before bullet
seating actually takes place. These are much more repeatable,
and often have a micrometer at the top to get a super accurate
seating depth, and that seating depth will be fine-tuned for the
precision rifle shooter to get the absolutely perfect load for their
rifle. Therefore, precision and repeatability are critical in this type
of die when you're using them for precision rifle loading.
There is a high-end die called a chamber style hand die which
is often used with an arbor press that competition shooters use.
These are designed to be taken to the range and are very
accurate and high-quality, which allows you to measure in the
absolutely most precise way. This is crucial for maximizing your
accuracy for precision handloads.
Using die sets that feature a floating style seating stem helps
ensure the bullet is seated straight in the cartridge case. This is
important as it reduces run-out that affects the accuracy of the
load. Run-out should be kept below .004” (0.001-.003 is best and
we should strive for that in our loading technique) for long range
shooting and can be checked using a concentricity gauge.

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 Standard seating dies
Standard seater dies use a solid steel die body. These dies are
accurate, affordable, and have micrometer adjustable versions,
and are threaded to fit onto standard reloading presses.

Chamber-style seating dies

Chamber-style seater dies have an advantage over basic
seating dies in that they capture the full case in a spring-loaded,
sliding chamber sleeve that provides support and alignment to the
case. They are also accurate, available with micrometers, and go
to the next level for precision hand loaders. This style is
recommended in this course.
Arbor press hand dies
These dies are used with arbor presses. These hand dies work
just like the threaded chamber-style seating dies, except the die is
placed over the case and bullet for full support and alignment
before seating the bullet with an arbor press.
The Repriming Die
Some presses also offer a die set that enables a primer to be
reinstalled inside of the case base. These are fairly rare, and
there's usually a range of other tools used for priming cases that
we recommend rather than using a die to do it. Many of the
different reloading presses have built-in capabilities to reprime,
but we suggest that you be either hand prime or use a desktop
type priming process.

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The Use of Circumferential Die Rings
and Die Alignment
Most of your die rings are going to show a steel ring with a jam
screw, depending upon the manufacturer that you buy from.

When you tighten the jam screw, it causes the lock ring to
can’t on the die body itself. When we screw that into a press, the
die alignment is not going to be perfect with the press. This can
cause concentricity issues when we size our brass.

A better die ring is a circumferential ring which clamps

circumferentially around the threads, keeping the die square to
the lock ring. When we screw it into the press, the alignment of

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the die relative to the ramp is much more precise and closer
giving us the better sizing operation.
Remember, we talked earlier about using a concentricity
gauge. This is an important step to check our die alignment
during the sizing operation by having the proper lock rings, sizing
the brass, and then running it through our concentricity gauge
just to double check and confirm that we are doing it correctly.
This is an example of a competition seating die; a conventional
seating die is just going to have a long stem and you make coarse
adjustments to the top of the die. Coarse adjustments don't work
very well for precision handloading.

A micrometer adjustment allows us to seat that bullet deeper

in thousandths of an inch increments. Remember we are chasing
the harmonic node during load development. Seating that
becomes the fine-tuning of our load, hence the importance of a
micrometer die.
These dies are available from RCBS, Hornady, Lee, Redding,
Forster, Sinclair/ LE Wilson and more.

Takeaway:
Dies are some of the most important tools for reloading, and they
generally match the press you buy, if you buy a kit setup, but
precision handloaders may prefer more specialist dies that will fit
most presses versus a more basic version included with a kit.

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 SEVEN
SHELL HOLDER/PLATE (FOR THE PRESS)

A shell holder or a shell plate allows

you to mount a brass case inside a
press and hold it in place while you
perform certain types of operations
using the press and the various
dies. Shell holders tend to be
individual case holders, whereas a
shell plate may have more than one
different caliber of holder available.
The shell holder is specific not to the caliber, but to the
dimensions of the case head. A 300 series round that you're trying
to build would need a specific shell plate. You could use all the
300 series different calibers that you need to reload with that
same shell plate. And a shell plate is generally mated to a specific
type of press. Depending on the manufacturer of the press, you
will also need a shell plate or shell holder specific to the correct
series of rifle cartridge you're trying to resize or use a seating die
with.

Note: some presses like the Forster Co-ax have an option that
doesn’t require a shell plate, as its design clamps the base of a
case versus needing a specific holder. This saves time and is better

210
than having a load of different sized shell holders when using a
single stage press.

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 STAGES OF BUILDING YOUR
AMMUNITION

In this book we cover both the basic and advanced steps for
handloading your own rifle ammunition. These are combined
within the workflow and explanation, but we need to explain the
differences in steps and process between them first. In this
lesson, we will explain the basics, and later go into detail on the
more advanced processes. You can choose to either do all the
processes including the advanced options, or you can just
do the minimum to get started and familiar with how to
reload. You can always step up to the extra work later as
you move towards more precision handloading.

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 With a basic reloading process for a factory-type rifle, it's
pretty easy to develop a good load without a lot of fuss that's
going to shoot sub-MOA (3/4-1”) at 100 yards. It will produce
standard deviations from shot to shot 30 feet to 50 feet a second
in most cases, and it will allow the shooter and hunter to
effectively kill big game animals from 100 to 400 yards. This is
great hunting and practice ammo for the average shooter.
When you step up to competition grade precision ammunition,
a lot more detail goes into the production process to create
ammunition that’s capable of shooting from 1/4 to 1/2 MOA.
There’s quite a bit of a refinement, from 3/4” to half that. Most
importantly, looking at standard deviation, you now aim for 4 to
10 feet a second variants from shot to shot.
For the advanced processes, you will be weighing, batching by
lot and measuring each and every case, choosing the best brass
available, weighing, measuring and sorting the bullets, and
weighing the powder charges precisely to a granule. All this extra
preparation makes a difference in ammunition quality. With these
advanced processes, you will now be competitive from 100 yards
to 1,000 yards. The smaller standard deviation takes the
vertical dispersion out of our group size.
If you’re firing a shot that's coming out of the gun at 3,000 or
3,030 or 3,050 feet a second, due to the differing times of flight,
it's going to have a different vertical point of impact on the target.
For serious competitors, lowering the standard deviation in
conjunction with good accurate ammunition is the key to
becoming a winner.
This section lays out every part of the hand loading
workflow in detail, pick how you wish to learn, do
everything or just start with the basics and work up from
there.

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214
215
 This process and order may change depending on if you de-
prime separately to the resizing operations - here we assume they
are done together in order to get started. Also, depending on
what type of cleaning method you use, you may clean and de-
prime, or vice versa.

Handloading Workflow - Basic

The basic reloading process allows you to create ammunition that
will shoot a minute of angle (MOA) or a little bit better, depending
upon your rifle.
You need to purchase all of your components and consult your
reloading manual for the load development formula you will be
testing or using post testing.
Next, you need to inspect your brass. For new brass, you’re
looking for defects in brass, dents in the case mouth, or any
irregularity that may result in a culled piece of brass. Don't worry
if the case mouths have a little dent in them because you’re going
to come back and round those out. For fired brass, you’re going to
do the same process as for new brass. Inspect it for any flaws or
defects, especially pressure signs (explained later). Make sure you
haven't blown a primer somewhere along the line, and that the
ejection cycle hasn't caused a dent in the case mouth.
With used brass, you can clean it now (if you are tumbling it
with walnut or corn cob type media as keeping primers in saves
time on cleaning the brass of media later), or you can clean it
after you have removed the primer (this is better if you are using
steel type tubing as that will clean the primer pockets as you’ll as
the rest of the brass).
Once the brass is cleaned up, carefully add some lube and
then decap/resize the case to get the case the right size for bullet
seating. The next stage of cleaning is to the give the case necks
and primer pocket a clean-up. Remove the lube and inspect the
case again, along with measuring it against the SAAMI spec from
the reloading manual you are using.

216
 If the fired case has become too long (out of spec), you need
to trim it back to the right size clean up the case mount edges
(deburring and chamfering) and follow that with another measure
to ensure you are ready for the addition of a new primer. We
suggest using a bench based primer, but you can always hand
load or use a press here.
Next you need to setup your scales: we suggest using an
automated dispenser scale to save time. Also, you need to adjust
our dies based upon the caliber that you’re using and the overall
seating depth that you want to set. You'll set your die for seating
the bullet based upon an overall length in relation to the magazine
box size or a bullet seating gauge if you're using a custom rifle.
With all of this done, you prime the case.
Now powder the case. You’ll select a moderate powder charge
if you’re in load development mode based upon the reloading
manual. Again, don't go to the far side of the manual and look up
the maximum load. Always start at 10% to 15% below the
maximum powder charge and work your way up
accordingly, trying to find the best harmonic node for that
rifle/bullet/powder combination.
Next is seating the bullet to an initial overall length dimension.
Take the time to write this information down in your loading notes
so you can go back and reference it later. Once you have found
the appropriate bullet/powder combination and seating depth, you
can come back and fine tune the load by adjusting your seating
depth.
Finally, once you’re satisfied that you’ve loaded these rounds
right, it's time to inspect them one more time. Look for any dents,
look for any flaws in the ammunition that you’ve created. Make
sure and wipe the case down. Finally measure it to ensure it
meets the right spec for your load testing (OAL and CBTO) and
then store it with the date, time, and powder-bullet primer so you
have a reference down the road as to how this ammunition was
loaded.

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Handloading Workflow -
Advanced
We've talked about the basic steps required to load ammunition
for hunting, general practice, and pleasure.
We’ve split the workflow diagrams into two different paths,
one is if you have just bought new brass and the other is the
more extended process for used/fired, brass.
With our additional processes, it's time to take your loading
skills to the next step in advanced reloading.
In advanced handloading you need to weight sort the brass.
We need to keep the combustion chamber as close to one
case to another as we can, and that means sorting the
brass, plus or minus two-tenths of a grain. Match
competitors, people that are really dedicated and serious about
producing the best ammunition possible, need higher quality
components, and this applies to the brass casing as well. While
American brass is decent, it just can't compare to good European
brass by Lapua and Norma. If you're a serious competitive shooter
or you're trying to take your ammunition to the next level, it really
requires you making an upgrade in the brass to one of those
choices.
In advanced handloading you will be rounding out the case
mouth where required. You also want to do a full match prep,
which includes uniforming and chamfering the flash hole,
deburring/chamfering the inside and outside of the case mouth
and uniforming the primer pocket to a known depth. When
stepping up to advanced ammunition and advanced loading
techniques, you'll need to spend more money to get the best dies
possible. These dies are a precision dies: they usually have a
micrometer head or stop on them, and most importantly, you
graduated from a conventional sizing die with an expander button
to a bushing type die in removing the expander button, so you do
not pull the neck out of concentricity with the body.

218
 These things pay big dividends for the handloader and are the
minimum amount of detail that you need to apply to the brass.
Now, we highly recommend measuring the depths of the
primer pocket and sorting the primers by depth due to the
variance and manufacturing tolerances between brass and
primers.
Assuming you’ve uniformed the primer pocket to a known
depth, for example to 130 thousandths of an inch (0.130”) deep
measured with the depth micrometer, then the next step is to
measure the primers, so you can seat them correctly. The formula
for a seating depth set to 3,000 thousandths of an inch (0.003”)
below flush to cartridge the base would be a 130 thousandths of
an inch (0.130”) deep primer pocket and a 127 thousandths of an
inch thick primer.
When powdering a case, it’s all about being precise. Serious
competitors are weighing the powder charge to the granule. This
means you need a decent powder scale, so purchase a high-end
scale (e.g. a Sartorius scale). This allows you to weigh an
individual grain of powder or in some cases a half granule of
powder, depending upon the case capacity. Serious competitors
weigh each and every bullet and sort them into batches. If you're
shooting 107 grain Sierra MatchKings, each bullet that you load
into your competitive ammo will weigh exactly 107 grains. Those
bullets that are a tenth of a grain, two-tenths of a grain off get
cast aside and loaded in another batch of ammo with that bullet
being the exact same weight.
Next is seating the bullet depth. Once you have developed a
load for our particular rifle, you want to take great care in
measuring the base to ogive dimension and keeping that literally
to the thousandths of an inch from one round to the next. Take
the time to properly adjust your seating dies and take the time to
measure each individual round before you go into competition.
With the final inspection, the same thing applies as the basic
technique, you’re looking for any defect that may have occurred in
the loading, and checking your overall length, primer, seating
depth, etc.
In the competitive world, having complete confidence in the
ammunition that you produced is extremely important. You want

219
to eliminate as many variables as possible, so if there is an errant
shot, you will know it was a shooter error in technique, and not
your ammunition. Leave nothing to chance when it comes to your
loaded ammunition.
That’s a quick summary of advanced loading, now let’s
get into the details.

Visit our website for the handloading videos explaining everything:

https://www.precisionhandloading.org/book-videos/

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 PART ONE

THE CASE PREPARATION STAGE

(USED BRASS)

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 ONE
INTRODUCTION TO CASE PREPARATION

In this course we will explain the

full used-brass process as it
incorporates all the basic processes
for new brass. The new brass
section calls out the simple
differences in the process, i.e. less
steps and a focus on brass
selection.
The case preparation process is about making every part of
the system concentric relative to everything else. This is done in
order to get everything to line up on the same axis down the
center of the bore as it leads to more accurate and precise
ammunition.
In addition to uniformity of ammunition and its concentricity,
we are looking for consistency. That means every case being as
close to each other in size, weight, and neck size as possible in
order that the finished ammunition is also uniform and consistent.
The first step in making precision handloads is to carefully
choose the best brass for your application and the time available
for you to prepare the brass to the standard you need.
Even high-quality brass can have burrs around the flash hole
and need the primer pockets uniforming. The same goes for

222
weight and length of cases: everything needs to be checked and
sorted. Buying the brass in a large lot should allow you to get
better uniformity from a single manufactured run versus a mix of
differing brass lots. If you mix a range of case manufacturers, you
add to the complexity and issues. For basic reloading this is
unimportant, but for the detailed orientated precision handloader
details like this make a difference.

Takeaway:
Case preparation is the longest and most time-consuming part of
the process in creating precision ammunition. The basic process
tends to be fast and simple, whereas the advanced preparation
process is more involved, detail oriented, and time intensive.

223
224
225
 TWO
NEW BRASS: WHAT’S DIFFERENT IN THE
PROCESS

The difference between prepping

new versus used brass is that you
should not need to clean the brass,
otherwise you can simply load it in
the basic process, or you can
ensure its uniformity in the
advanced process.
The key thing about new brass
is the choice of manufacturer, if you choose very high-quality
brass it has been prepared to a much higher standard by the time
you get it. This means less preparation and checking from you, as
it has been made with precession handloading in mind.
So brass selection will depend on your budget and time to
dedicate to brass preparation.
Premium Brass Cases
The best brass is made by Lapua, Norma and Nosler. These
companies produce premium brass and is made out of better-
quality alloys and it is almost always factory annealed. Lapua
brass is made to strict tolerances in concentricity and wall
thickness. Norma brass is known for its very consistent wall
thickness and drilled (not punched) flash holes that reduce the
need to deburr. Nosler brass comes with the necks already sized,

226
and the case mouth chamfered both inside and outside saving
that step. In summary, these manufacturers cost more but mean
less work for you in the preparation stage.

New Brass Preparation

227
 Note: organize cases into groups based on manufacturing lot
number and the number of times they have been shot can help
with consistency.

When working with new brass, depending on the

manufacturer, you may need to perform some or all of these
tasks:

Inspect, measure, batch, and sort

Round out the case mouths, chamfer, and reset neck size
Uniform the primer pocket and measure depth
Deburr and chamfer the flash hole
Case neck turning
Case annealing
Case lube

Takeaway:
It’s unlikely you will buy new brass every time you shoot, so
getting new brass setup is usually the first step in the handloading
process. With used brass preparation, so it’s useful to know how
to prep with new brass and then how to continue afterwards with
a used brass preparation process.

228
 THREE
CASE GENERAL CLEANING

Depending on what type of

cleaning method you use, you may
clean and de-prime or vice versa.
We are placing cleaning first as
many reloaders use a media-based
tumbling cleaning method, and that
works best with the primer left in
the case (this prevents the flash
hole and primer pocket getting
media stuck in it). However, if you
prefer to remove the primer first, then change the order of
operations (if you plan to use stainless pin media and a wet
tumbling method it’s better to decap, then clean).
Removing the primer has the benefit of cleaning up the primer
pocket as well as the case itself.
Purpose for operation
A clean case ensures that you don’t damage your dies, and it
makes it much easier to inspect for hairline cracks or other forms
of wear.
It also looks tidier and nicer in your ammunition case, and it is
easier to feed in your rifle.
Operation timing

229
 Each time you fire your brass or
acquire used brass, clean it.
Equipment
Wet or dry timber or vibratory
cleaner equipment, cleaning
solution or media.
Time for operation
It varies based on method but
overnight is easiest, as the
machines can be set on a cycle.
Some methods need a drying time
of an hour after cleaning. Allow five
hours per batch.
Process
Clean used brass so it looks like new, it is shiny, and it is clean
inside and out. Ideally, you should clean the case necks and
primer pockets (if using a basic reloading process).

The dry tumbling method

This process is easy, cheap, and takes a few hours. The main
benefit is that it is dry from end to end, and there is no need to
wait for any drying process.
All you need to do is buy a
vibrating tumbler of some sort, the
right size for the batches of cases
you plan to clean at once, fill it with
a suitably abrasive material (and
polishing fluid) and set it to run for
a few hours or until the cases are
cleaned up to your satisfaction.
The friction of the process rubs
the oil and residues off the brass
and on to the media, leaving the brass pretty clean and shiny.
Because the media absorbs the dirt, you have to change out
your media frequently.

230
 Also, you will need to check and clean out the cases of any
residue media. Some dry tumblers have a drain hole, otherwise
you can use a separator to separate the cleaning media from the
clean brass.
Walnut shell media is generally used for dirty cases, and corn
cob media if you want nice looking brass.
Case tumblers are relatively cheap, and around $50-
200. Media and polish costs $15-20, depending on the type.

The wet ultrasonic method

Ultrasonic cleaners, like some toothbrushes and jewelry cleaners,
use water, detergent, heat, and sound waves to vibrate the
solution, breaking down the residues and cleaning the brass.
Ultrasonic cleaners tend to have lower capacity but clean
faster, so you will need to run more batches, but they will take
less time. The detergent and water are cheaper and easier to
change than dry media, and there’s no messing with a separator
to remove the media. With this method, you remove the primers
first which gives you a cleaner case overall, however they won’t
be as shiny in appearance as cleaning the cases using the dry
media method. After each batch, you will need to dry them off
before you can reload them.
Ultrasonic cleaners are relatively cheap, around $115. Case
driers retail for around $50.

The wet tumbling method

In this case, a wet tumbler uses a rotary motion rather than a
vibrating motion. It is still a friction process like dry tumbling
where the media scrubs the brass cases, but in this case the steel
pins don’t absorb the dirt as it collects in the solution just like
regular wet cleaning.

231
 Get a big enough tumbler that
works for your batches (the benefit
being you can buy large size
tumblers and therefore do big
batches). Add the cases, water,
“Lemishine”, and a small amount of
dishwashing detergent to the
tumbler spin the drum for a couple
of hours until the brass is cleaned
to your satisfaction.
With this method your brass will be much shinier than the
ultrasonic method, however you still need to remove the media
from the cases and dry the cases at the end of the process. As the
media is metal, you can use a large magnet to help separate the
water from the pins at the end of the process.
Case tumblers are relatively cheap, around $150-200. Media
costs $30 (5lbs). Case driers are around $50.
Stainless Pin Media vs. Cob Media
Using stainless media is wet media tumbling. Wet media
eliminates almost all the pocket preparation and the inside of the
cases are as clean and bright as the outside (no powder residue).
However, with wet media cleaning the cases can spot, and you
have to deal with added drying time.
Stainless pin media is generally quicker, taking two hours to
clean but then an hour to dry.
With stainless pin media, there’s no dust from tumbling (as
opposed to cob where you can get chunks in the flash holes that
must be removed). The primer pockets and flash holes are clean
(no pocket cleaning), plus the necks are clean and free from
powder residue so bullet insertion (seating) is just like a new case
(this means adding back some graphite to help with seating).
In terms of costs, cob and other media is cheap, and the
stainless pin media should last a long time. Cob and other media
must be regularly replaced; therefore, the initial cost is more for
stainless pin media upfront but there’s a long-term saving as no
renewal costs.
Cob is dusty, and you have to add polish, whereas with
stainless pin media you only add water and detergents. Cob and

232
other media work by absorbing the dirt from the cases and need
another agent to add any polish to the cases, and they don’t
burnish the cases to a nice shine inside and out (Inc. flash holes)
like Stainless pin media.
Drying brass after wet cleaning
To dry wet brass, you can use a number of methods
depending on how much time you want it to take. What’s
important is that your brass is completely dry before you
reload it. All you need to do is lay out the brass on cookie sheets
or a similar flat surface, and either leave them somewhere warm
or place them in a low oven (less than 170 deg.) to dry.
You can also use a food dehydrator which will dry your brass
quickly and thoroughly.

Takeaway:
There are several methods to cleaning your brass with benefits
and downsides to all choices. Dry cleaning is likely cheapest to get
started but will be more work, whereas using stainless pin media
will cost more to get started but offer a better result. Pick what
best suits your budget and lifestyle.

233
 FOUR
ADVANCED: CLEAN THE CASE AND CASE
NECK

Purpose for operation

Ensure the necks are clean, as
some cleaning methods are more
thorough than others and leave
residue on the case necks or in the
case.
You may wish to repeat this
process later after you have
cleaned up the flash holes and
primer pockets, as that process can leave some brass filings in the
case neck.
Equipment
Small wire brush and cotton ear buds.
Time for operation
10-15 minutes per batch.
Process
Blow out any media you can see in the case, then run a small
wire brush through the neck of the case holding it upside down.
Rotate a cotton swab around inside the case to remove any
other media or shavings on the case walls or base. Pay particular
attention to the inside neck area and flash holes.

234
 You may want to add back some graphite to the neck
before the seating process to make that smoother and
easier.

235
 FIVE
CASE INSPECTION AND MEASUREMENT

Whether new or used, inspect the brass for any imperfections and
either discard the brass or fix the issues.
Purpose for operation

236
 To determine if the case is suitable for reloading or if it needs
any remedial work.
Equipment
Calipers and good light source.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch of cleaned up brass.
Process
It’s important to inspect your brass several times through the
prep process, not only for safety but for performance purposes.
The older the brass is, the more important the process becomes.
Start with the top/neck end of the case, and check whether
the case mouths are round, and unblemished. Are there any split
case necks or bodies, or dents, dings, bulges or scratches in the
case body or damage to the shoulder?
Look for pressure signs (as explained
later), such as case separation signs
(bright rings around the base of the case
about 0.4 to 0.6 inches up from the rim
can indicate potential case separation),
damaged primer pockets or other issues.

Cases with case separation problems

At this stage, if you have a range of different brass

manufacturers or calibers, we suggest batching them up into
separate groups. Even if the cases are the same caliber, cases

237
from different manufacturers (even different lots) can have slight
differences in wall thickness and other specifications, and mixing
brands can alter velocities and pressures.
With small dents and rings, note why these might be
happening if this is your own used brass (i.e. too much lube) and
put the brass that can be fixed in to a batch for use, whereas
cases with pressure signs or damage you can’t easily repair should
be retired.
Cases dented by sizing lube
Too much sizing lube can cause dents
in cases even though most reloading dies
are built with a vent hole to allow
excessive lube to escape. When too much
lube is applied, it can build up in the die in
the case shoulder area and as it’s not
compressible the excess fluid can create dents in the brass cases.
Firing dented cases usually remedy the issue, but this should
be avoided for precision hand loading as it adds to the wear and
damage to a case.

238
Advanced: Measure neck wall
thickness
You can measure the case neck wall thickness, or you can do this
after resizing.
Purpose for operation
This process checks the uniformity of the case neck all the way
around its circumference, with the goal being having a case neck
that is the same width, and therefore a known repeatable number
for every case. This assists in controlling the neck tension.
If you're using good consistent brass (such as Norma, Lapua
and Nosler) and the neck thickness is under a thousandth when
measuring in four different locations, neck turning is not
necessary.
Equipment
Micrometer, and a base to hold it.
Time for operation
20 minutes per batch of cleaned up brass.
Process
Use your neck-thickness micrometer and measure each case in
four different locations using the ratchet stop. Do not use your
neck-thickness micrometer on the main thimble as a C clamp and
over tighten it: bring the case up and allow a ratchet stop to give
you a consistent reading.
If you measure the four locations and end up with differing
amounts, say 14-eight (0.0148”), 13-eight (0.0138”), 13-eight
(0.0138”), and 14 (0.014”) for a thickness, then you need to turn
the new neck thickness down to thirteen-thousandths of an inch
(0.013”). This will clean out all the high spots, giving you a
perfectly uniform neck thickness.
You should now be able to batch up any brass that will also
need some remedial work in the case neck later, noting the
correct neck-thickness you require for the batch per the example
above.

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 SIX
CASE LUBRICATION

Purpose for operation

Lubricate the case so it doesn’t seize in the die during
recapping and resizing. There are two main reasons rifle cases get
stuck in reloading dies, either because there’s not enough lube, or
too much.
Equipment
Lube pad, your fingers, or gloves. Lube in the form you wish to
use it, wax or oil.
Time for operation
5-10 minutes per batch.
Process

240
 Imperial die sizing wax is simple and very easy to use.

Apply a little to the fingers and spread the lube on the cases
as you pick them up. For us this is the preferred way to do this,
but just remember a little lube will go a long way.
If you are using an oil, use a
few drops of case sizing lubricant
on a lube pad, a few rolls, and the
job is done. A lube pad makes it
easy to consistently apply the right
amount of lube but don’t forget to
wipe off excess lubricant. Hornady,
RCBS, Lyman, and others make oil
and lube pads.
Both of the above methods are best for low-volume
applications which will suit a precision hand loading process.
We suggest avoiding sprays as you can breathe in the oils, and
they are harder to control, and therefore you risk overdoing it.
However, if you are doing a large volume of reloading and want to
move much faster, then a spray is a very popular method.
Lubing cases makes sure the cases run smoothly through the
various dies on your reloading press. Choose the lube and process
that make the most sense for your reloading needs but be sure to
clean out your dies afterwards.
Finally, you can also lube the case necks using a fine graphite
powder. Dip the case neck straight into the media to apply a thin,

241
dry film that will make neck resizing smoother and less likely to
gall.

242
 SEVEN
SETTING UP THE RESIZING/DECAPPING
DIE

The resizing process can be a double step (resize/decap) or a

triple step (resize/decap/reprime) process. At this point, we will
adjust the sizing die and set the press to size and deprime only
with the repriming explained in the next chapter.

243
Setting Up the Resizing Die (for the
first time)

Remove the decapping pin

The first part of this process requires you to disassemble the

resizing die to remove the decapping pin, this will allow you to
make the measurements and get the base setup of the die right
before you then set the depth of the decapping pin.
Unscrew the top of the die, and remove the decapping pin by
unscrewing that from the head of the die.
Then reassemble the die as before less the pin and place the
die back into your press.
Getting the correct resizing dimensions
Next you need to get some base
measurements of a fired formed (in your
rifle) case and a new cartridge case size
so you can compare the difference.
To make the first measurements, use a
shoulder bump gauge/headspace
comparator gauge attached to your
calipers along with the correct headspace Headspace gauges
gauge for your caliber.
You also need a set of at least three fired/used cases to
establish the mean dimension of your chamber in order to be able
to set back (bump) the shoulder back the correct amount.

244
 First measure the size with the correct headspace gauge

Start by attaching the headspace comparator gauge to the

calipers and close the calipers onto the correct headspace gauge
to set a zero baseline.
Note the baseline dimension. 3.110” in this example.

Next measure the case length using a new case

Step two, measure new brass. Insert the new brass case neck
into the gauge, ensuring it is square and not canted, and close the
calipers up to the base of the case to get the measurement. Turn
the case a few times and keep measuring and go for the smallest
measurement.
Note the new brass dimension. 3.104” in this example. We
now have the difference between the new brass and expected size
using the headspace gauge - 3.110 vs. 3.104. This is expected,
new brass has to be smaller in order to chamber correctly in the
rifle.

245
 Finally measure the case length using a fired-formed case

Finally, insert the fired brass case neck into the gauge,
ensuring it is square and not canted, and close the calipers up to
the base of the case to get the measurement. Turn the case a few
times and keep measuring and go for the smallest measurement.
Repeat this process on several pieces of fired brass to check for a
consistent size from the datum line to the case base, then average
the measurements.
Note the fired brass dimension. 3.110” in this example, this
shows that the rifle specification is a very close match to the
expected size from the headspace gauge measurement. This final
“real-world” check is the dimension from which you will adjust the
resizing die.
The goal is to resize the case (smaller) back 1 to one and half
thousandths of an inch (0.001-0.0015”) from the size of the fire-
formed case (and/or the headspace gauge size) depending on
your rifle, application and setup. So, in this example, we will
resize to 1.308-1.309”.
For an AR rifle, you may need to resize to three to four
thousandths of an inch (0.003-0.004”) of an inch.

Note: for a precision process, we suggest that you remove the

primers from the fired brass you use to measure first in order that
you get a consistent measurement from the gauge. If you leave the
primers in these measured cases, you may get inconsistencies (as
the primers may protrude from the base) and therefore an
inaccurate final number. Just be sure to decap the case and not

246
 bump the shoulder back during this operation. You want to
achieve a neck tension of one to one and half thousandths of an
inch (0.001-0.0015”) for target ammo. and mild recoiling guns.
Magnums need three thousandths of an inch (0.003”) neck tension
unless a single shot. Benchrest rounds require one to one and half
thousandths of an inch (0.001-0.0015”) neck tension. bushing size
is determined by measuring the loaded round diameter and
subtracting two to three thousandths of an inch (0.002-0.003”) for
bushing size. Remember we will get roughly 0.001” of
"spring back" once sized with our bushing so adjust
accordingly.

Measure the cartridge to get the correct bushing size

Bushing die measurement and setup

The second measurement is to set the neck tension.
If you are using a bushing die, in this case you measure the
outside diameter of a new cartridge (with bullet) so you know the
correct neck size. Subtract 0.003” from that measurement to get
the correct sized bushing for the die.
Hunters may want a tighter setting of 2-3 thousandths of an
inch. That bushing is installed into the die before you start the
resizing process. For example, the neck dimensions of a 6.5
Creedmoor round are 0.291”, therefore you will need a bushing of
2.88” in order to resize the neck down to three thousandths of an
inch less (0.003”) for precision rifle ammo.
Installing the bushing correctly
Now that we know the correct bushing size, we need to install
that inside the die. The way you do that is to place it and the

247
locking assembly into the die and
tighten it all the way down, then
back off a sixteenth (1/16 of a
turn, just enough so the bushing
is not compressed in the die) and
shake the die, so you can hear the
bushing moving just slightly inside
the die (this allows it to float a
little for better alignment). Now Die with bushing
you need to setup the die depth in
the press itself in order that it only resizes the correct amount.

Getting the die setup in the press

There are several ways to do this, one is to simply lift the ram of
the press all the way up as if it has placed a cartridge up in to the
press. Then screw the die into the press until it hits the base of
shell holder, then back it out a quarter of a turn then lock it in
place to start testing. (Please check your press instructions as
they may vary slightly from this procedure depending on the type
and manufacturer etc.).
Using a headspace gauge to setup the die

248
 Use a headspace gauge to set a start point

Another more precise way to setup, if slightly more effort, is to

use a headspace gauge of the correct caliber (if you have a
standard rifle setup). To do this you need to disassemble the die
by removing the decapping pin if you didn’t do that already. You
need to remove the decapping pin from the die otherwise you
can’t get the headspace gauge in the die.
Follow the previous procedure and bottom out the die in the
press, but this time we are going to use the headspace gauge to
quickly check the depth required for the resizing die. Insert the
headspace gauge into the shell holder, and run that up into the
die, then adjust the die by turning the die body until it just comes
in contact with the headspace gauge and lock it down.
Now we have a precise start point where we expect a tiny
change to the setup of one to two thousandths of an inch
(0.001-.0002”).
You are now ready to test.
Testing the Die Setup
Now is the time to test the setup, so place the case in the shell
holder (having already lubed it) and run the press to resize the
case.

249
 Measure after each run of the press to check for the correct
size

Take out the case and re-check it versus the noted original
fired case measurement. Is it now one to two thousandths of
an inch (0.001-.0002”) shorter? In our example is should
now be 1.308-1.309”.
If not, keep adjusting in very small increments on the die
body.

Adjust the die as required

To do this you need to loosen the lock ring and adjust a tiny
amount, usually less than an eighth of a turn at a time. Re-tighten
the lock ring and re-test on another piece of fired brass (don’t
reuse the same piece of brass as you will have removed some of
the lube and it might stick).

250
 Using a trial and error process, keep adjusting and testing on
the comparator gauge until you get the die setup to the correct
resizing amount for your needs.

Tighten the lock ring after each adjustment and when done

Once you have the correct size set, carefully remove the die
and tighten the lock ring in place.
Once that’s done then you are good to go to start resizing the
rest of your brass.

Note: if you test resize and it looks like an odd size, it’s longer
because you have set the die too high and you are affecting the
body and not the shoulder at this setting. Keep changing the die
settings down.

This procedure is designed to work with cartridges

shot in one rifle and being reloaded for the same rifle.
These measurements are meant to all be in the same rifle
system to be consistent.

Setting Up the Depth of the

Decapping Pin

251
 This is an important final step
with resizing dies, assuming you
plan to use their dual purpose at
this stage and haven’t already
removed the primers.
If you have removed the
decapping pin to do the sizing
setup above then replace the pin by
screwing it back in place, using the reverse process used to
remove it.
To set the decapping depth correctly you need to adjust the
pin to around 15 thousandths of an inch (0.015”) below the base
of the die as a starting point, and then test that to check it
operates effectively in the process of punching out the used
primers.

First, take the die and measure the distance from the tip of the
recapping pin to the base of the die, and if it requires an
adjustment then go to the next step.
You adjust the depth by unscrewing the decapping assembly,
then adjusting the internal lock nuts in order to move the length
of the pin up and down. Having checked the depth you should be
able to make some small changes that allow you to remeasure
until the pin protrudes the correct amount.
It’s not a critical measure, it just needs to be around that 15
thousandths of an inch (0.015”) to do its job. Ideally, you want
the de-capping pin to just de-cap the primer, extending it too long
will result in the stem bottoming inside the case and often

252
breaking the decapping pin. Take your time and test pin depth
until it just decaps the primer and then adjust it 15 thousandths of
an inch (0.015”) more for positive ejecting of the primer.
In order to check this is right for our press and cartridge,
install the die into the press (directly or via a bushing) and loosen
the external lock ring (around the outside of the die) so that you
can close the press into the position where it pushes the cartridge
up inside the die. The press is empty at this stage, and you will
now adjust the lock ring on the outside off the die and rotate the
die clockwise until the die moves down and gently touches the
shell holder in the press, i.e. it is adjusted all the way down. Now
back off the die by rotating a 1/4 of a turn counter-clockwise to
leave a little space.
With this start position, you need to tighten the lock ring in
place, so you can do a test run.
Use a fired case with a primer in the base, run the process,
and check it pushes out the primer effectively.

The decapping pin needs more depth to push out the primer

253
 Change the depth of the decapping pin as required

If not, change the depth and repeat until it works smoothly.

Note: if you notice a problem of bending or breaking decapping

assemblies, check the setup to avoid having the expander button in
the neck of the cartridge during the decapping process. To fix this,
unscrew your decapping assembly and stand it next to a case to
check if your expander button is below the case neck, if not, then
lower it to prevent this issue in the future.

Once done, this die is set for our specific rifle,

headspace and press.
Please always consult both the die and press manufacturer
instructions as this is only a generic process and there are many
variations to this simple process depending on your specific setup.

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 EIGHT
CASE DEPRIMING (STANDALONE)

Case depriming is usually combined

with the resizing process (see the
next chapter), but for simplicity’s
sake we will cover the base process
on it’s own here.
The benefit of decapping
and depriming independently
of the resizing is that you may
wish to clean the cases without the primers in them, so
the cleaning media can clean the primer pocket, much like
a wet/steel media cleaning process.
If you want to use dry tumbling then leaving the primers in
and doing both decapping and resizing together may suit you
better, as explained in the cleaning chapter.
If you don’t wish to resize the case in this operation, as we are
suggesting, then you can change the settings of the resizing die
back out so they don’t affect the case in any way during this
process by using the technique from the previous chapter but in
reverse - find the baseline and then set the die length so that it
has no affect and test the on a case to be sure.
Or better yet simply use a dedicated decapping die for
simplicity.

255
 Note: do not decap live primers.

Purpose for operation

Remove the used primer.
Equipment
Depriming and resizing die, or a dedicated decapping die, rings
and a reloading press.
Time for operation
15-20 minutes per batch.
Process
Steps:

Set up either the resizing or dedicated decapping die per

the previous chapter, with the pin around 15 thousandths
of an inch (0.015”) below the base of the die
Lower the ram of the press
Place a cartridge case with primer in the shell holder
Lift the ram into the die and press firmly until the old
primer is released
Lower the ram, and repeat

Note: a quick (if a little risky) way to decap without resizing is to

not raise the ram up completely, but only far enough to decap the
brass.

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 NINE
CASE RESIZING (FULL LENGTH)

Purpose for operation

We suggest both decapping and resizing in one simple
process. We also suggest always do a full-length resize vs. simply
just bumping back the shoulder.

257
 Once fired, the brass will have expanded to fit your rifle
chamber, so resizing the case allows us to rechamber the
cartridge again easily. The process of full length resizing brings
the case back down to size by resizing the case body, pushing
(bump) back the shoulder area and resizing the circumference of
the neck in order for it to take a new bullet.
You can resize all your new brass as well to ensure consistency
as it will be smaller than the chamber but it may not all be the
exact same size or you may have differing lots with differing
dimensions (all depending on the quality of the brass and
manufacturer as new brass is not all created equal).
Equipment
Depriming and resizing die, lock ring and a reloading press.
Time for operation
15-20 minutes per batch.
Process
Before you start, ensure both the dies and cases are clean,
and lubed. Check they are right caliber for this operation.
Ensure the die is setup with the correct adjustments (per the
previous chapter), as each caliber and case will be different.
Ensure the lock ring is tight and mounted in the press correctly.

Note: if you change any part of the system that you tested before
this process, you should re-test for accuracy (i.e. even if you
change the shell holder etc.).

Steps to resize:

Place the die in the press

Lower the ram of the press
Place a case into the shell holder
Raise the ram and apply moderate pressure
Test the resizing procedure by measuring for the correct
new case dimension with the headspace comparator
gauge
To check for the amount of pressure to apply try to insert
a bullet manually. If the bullet enters the neck really easily

258
 then repeat the resizing with more force applied to the
ram
Once you have a feel for the correct pressure and the
resizing die is achieving the correct size run through the
batch of brass you wish to resize
Set aside cases as they are done for the next stage (if you
plan to wait until later to do other work then mark them
as resized so you know that stage has been completed)

Post-Resizing Inspection
Check the first few rounds for concentricity to ensure that the
press or process are not deforming the brass. How to use a
concentricity gauge is explained later in this course.

259
 TEN
LUBE REMOVAL/CASE
INSPECTION/CASE LENGTH
MEASUREMENT

Purpose for operation

260
 Lube removal and determining if the case is still suitable for
reloading or if it needs any remedial work. After resizing, the case
can be too long, and signs of wear may now be more obvious
(especially in the primer area). Dents from too much lube may
also now be apparent. Checking now allows you to take steps to
improve the brass and decide if trimming is required.
Equipment
Rag/cloth, calipers, good light source.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch of cleaned up brass.
Process
Remove the lube used in the resizing process and check for
damage that needs remedial work.

Make sure you have the correct SAAMI specifications for your
cartridge, including case length, from your reloading manuals.
The cases should then be measured for length using high
quality, reliable, calipers or a case length gauge tool.

Steps:

261
Clean the lube off the cases with a clean rag or cloth
Inspect the brass in a well light area for pressure signs or
damage
Check the length by measuring from the base to the top of
the neck with the calipers
Rotate the cases a few turns to ensure the base is squared
to the calipers for a more accurate measurement
Set aside any cases that are over the SAAMI specified
length for trimming

262
 ELEVEN
ADVANCED: ROUNDING OUT THE CASE
MOUTHS AND RESETTING NECK SIZE

Purpose for operation

Round out case mouths so that you can measure for consistent
case neck dimensions on new and used brass (for more uniform
cases), as well to remove ejection dents in the case mouth.
In addition, you can clean the case necks which facilitates the
smooth, straight line seating of a bullet.
Equipment
Expander mandrel die, correct diameter mandrel, lube.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch.
Process
To make uniform brass, lube it up, run it through the sizing
die, and then use an expander mandrel to properly size the inside
of the case mouth for proper bullet grip.
In this example you will use
0.0025-.003” of bullet grip for a
good secure grip on the bullet.
For example, using the 6mm
XC, the bullet diameter is 0.243”. If
we subtract three-thousandths of
an inch (0.03”) from that, we would
choose an expander mandrel that

263
measured 0.240”, and this gives us the proper grip.
The resizing process will make the case neck smaller than the
0.240” ID so when we use this method we expand the ID to the
right size of 0.240”.
For new brass, you will only size the neck area. To do this you
screw the die down to the shell holder and then back it out an
eighth to a quarter of a turn so you’re not bumping the shoulder
back. This creates greater head space than what the new brass
already offers.

Steps:

Select the correct mandrel size for your operation

Install the mandrel in the die and die in the press
Apply lube to the case neck (take a Q-Tip and just apply a
little bit of lube on the inside of the necks)
Run the case up into the die smoothly and gently
Back out smoothly and gently (the amount of friction that
you use is very, very light so you get a very precise
expansion on the inside of the case neck)
Remove the lube (Take another Q-Tip and clean that extra
residue outside of the case mouth)
Repeat the process through the brass batch, again, note
what part of the process you have completed if stopping
here

264
 Note: go slow and steady, if you move too fast in this process you
can easily ruin a piece of brass.

You are now ready to take the next step and prime the new
brass. For used brass, move on to the next process of case
trimming if required.

265
 TWELVE
CASE TRIMMING (IF REQUIRED)

After a number of firings and

resizing’s, the case length will be
out of SAAMI spec.
This can cause problems with
chambering, inserting bullets
consistently, and is potentially
dangerous at that point you will
need to trim the case back to the
correct length to avoid crimping
and hard chambering issues.

Note: it’s generally not necessary to trim new brass cases. All new
brass is typically undersized compared to loading manual maximum
specifications.

There are a lot of sophisticated brass trimmers on the market,

some that use a drill motor and electric screwdriver, and others
that are powered as part of a case prep. center.

266
 However, for precision hand loading we suggest a trimmer like
the L.E. Wilson manual trimmer.
A manual trimmer is easy to use, and its adjustment range is
incredibly simple. In just a few seconds, you can fine tune this
trimmer to trim your brass exactly to the dimension that you
need. On the L.E. Wilson trimmer, you get a case body which
supports the cartridge case.
Another helpful tool in this process is a case gauge. The
caliber specific gauge replicates the inside of a chamber so that by
putting your cartridge case into the gauge you can check if the
case requires trimming, if it is now is resized properly, and if the
head space is correct to SAAMI spec.
Purpose for operation
The case stretches after firing and resizing, so it will need to
be trimmed back to the correct length. AR type semi-auto rifles
tend to cause more case stretch than any other type of firearm.
Equipment
Case trimmer, holder if using a power tool, or prep center
Time for operation
20-30 minutes per batch for manual trimmers, less for power
tools
Process

267
 Get the correct SAAMI length for your cases from a reloading
manual.
Operations can vary by manufacturer, so check to see if your
model of choice requires specific size collets and guides for the
case base and mouth respectively.

Steps:

Verify the case trimmer is set to the correct length (one

can create a “master case” to reset the trimmer quickly in
the future)
Insert a case into the case holder (if that’s the way the
trimmer is setup), and place the case holder into the case
trimmer and hold the case firmly to prevent the trimmer
from pulling the case forward as it trims or insert the case
into the body with the L.E. Wilson trimmer

268
 Bring the cutter head up against the case and trim to
expected size, then check.
Take your time in set up and measuring to ensure precise
dimensioning
If you need to trim a little more, on the Wilson you simply
loosen the set screw on the top, adjust the micrometer
dial setting, lock it down again, hold it in place, come
back, and then trim
Check each case and set aside

Once you have finished trimming your batch off brass

to a specified dimension, you need to clean up the cases
per the next chapter.

Note: you can usually trim your brass two to three times before
the brass wears out, the best way to check for brass end of life is
checking the looseness of the primer pocket. Ensure you are
chamfering the inside and outside of the case mouth once you have
trimmed the case as trimming removes the chamfer in most cases.

Instead of this process you can also use power tools, and
there are many choices. The advantage there is speed, and some
versions will trim as well as bevel and deburr all in one pass,
saving a lot of time. Using a drill can speed things up, but it will
lack some of the precision of the simple lathe type manual
trimmer.

269
 There are also dedicated power
tools for trimming, case prep
stations that offer similar benefits
offering many operations in one
station, and press trimmers that
mount to single or progressive
presses.
All these options are available at
various price points, and it’s worth
checking them out if you do a volume of cartridges and are less
concerned about precision.
The benefit of the Wilson is the trimmer case holder, cutter
housing, and micrometer adjustment unit sit in perfect alignment.
No pilots or collets are utilized which could influence the trim
results negatively.
As with all things, you get what you pay for and the more time
and attention you pay to each part of the case prep, the better
the results downrange.

270
 THIRTEEN
CASE CHAMFER/DEBURRING

Purpose for operation

Trimming can leave an even
edge or burr on the neck, this
cleans that up and makes bullet
seating more uniform. Oftentimes
you'll feel just a little bit of a burr
on the outside of the case mouth,
and this is especially true on new
brass.
Some trimmer tools also perform this task so skip if done
already that way.
We recommend a solid carbide case mouth chamfer
tool with a 14 degree angle on it.
You want to choose a case mouth chamfer tool with a very
gradual angle.
This allows you see to seat flat base bullets as well as boat tail
bullets very precisely without any deformation to the bullet during
the seating operation.
Equipment
Hand deburring and chamfer tools, or power tools.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch

271
 Process
It’s a fast and simple job.

Turn the tool squarely against

the case neck a few times to
clean it up
Be careful to very gently rotate
it, producing a nice, smooth,
uniform chamfer on the inside
of the case mouth
Do the same with the case mouth chamfer tool
Check the edges are clean and smooth, and ready for the
bullet seating process

Power tool process

If you are using power tools, insert the case mouth chamfer
tool into the power-driven unit (the case mouth chamfer tool is
going to chamfer the inside of the case mouth at a very slight
angle allowing very consistent, smooth bullet seating of boat tails
or flat based bullets).

272
 Note: to produce the chamfer, the cartridge case should be square
and parallel to the cutter head. You don't want the base to be too
low or too high or be canted to the left or the right. It should be
centered on the cutter.

Turn the machine on, bring your cartridge into position, and let
it cut and then rotate the case and pull it off.
This will produce a very, very
slight chamfer on the case mouth.
The width of that facet, if you
were to measure it, is probably
going to be about 15 thousandths
of an inch, maybe a little more.
That is the correct amount of
chamfer that we want to produce
on the inside of the case mouth.

The top case has been chamfered too deep and has a razor
edge, the bottom case is correct

Note: you need to be careful that you don’t overdo this process
and create a razor edge and too deep a chamfer.

273
 Chamfering the outside edge
Now switch cutter heads and install the outside case mouth
chamfer tool in your power-driven unit.
Turn your machine on, take your brass case, and rotate your
wrist all the way to the left as you insert into the cutter head.
Spin it against the cutting edge.

This will produce a uniform and smooth chamfer on the

outside of the case, and a very, very fine chamfer removing the
burr on the outside of the case mouth.

274
 FOURTEEN
ADVANCED: CLEAN AND UNIFORM THE
PRIMER POCKET

Purpose for operation

The primer pocket collects
residues from firing which
interferes with correct primer
seating.
Uniforming and cutting to a
uniform size and depth ensures
that all primers are seated the
same depth minimizing any variations in firing-pin impact, creating
a more repeatable and precise batch of ammo. Uniforming primer
pockets provides more consistent ignition and potentially lower
more uniform “Standard Deviations”.
You have two methods of cleaning
primer pockets. You can use a primer
pocket cleaner and come in and just rotate
and to clean out the primer pocket.
The next method uses a solid carbide
primer pocket uniformer, re-establishing a
known depth in the primer pocket. Known
depth is the key here as manufacturing tolerances are varying
considerably amongst the different brass manufacturers: even the
primers themselves can have differing sizes.

275
 By uniforming the primer pocket, and measuring our primers,
we can seat primers precisely, improving the performance and
lowering the standard deviation of shot to shot velocity.

Note: after you’ve fired the cartridge case a couple of times, it's
not a bad idea to come back and uniform the primer pocket again.
Under firing the pressure builds and the brass gets set back slightly
in the primer pocket, and that dimension may change as much as
one to two thousandths of an inch.

Equipment
Hand or power tools for cleaning or reaming, Q-tips.
Time for operation
20 minutes per batch.
Process
To clean out the pocket, using
hand or power tools, simply place
the tool squarely in the pocket and
rotate several turns.
Be careful not to damage the
pocket or clean at an angle but be
sure totally clean and regular
primer pocket.
If required, clean out any
residue from cleaning using a Q-tip so the pocket is totally clean.

Power tool uniforming and cleaning

process
To uniform the pocket. Install the uniformer in your power-driven
tool.

276
 Lock it down and take the cartridge case, place it squarely on
the tool, rotate the case against the cutter using your wrist in a
clockwise fashion. Knock the chips out as you go along until the
cutter is no longer cutting and producing chips.
If required, clean out any residue from cutting using a Q-tip so
the pocket is clean.
You will now have a cleaned and uniformed primer
pocket to a known depth.

Cleaned and uniformed primer pockets

277
 The known depth is 131 thousandths of an inch (0.130-0.131”)
in depth in this example, which is the specific dimension that the
cutters are ground to.

Note: you want to measure your cutter depending upon who you
purchase it from so you have an exact depth from which to work
when sorting the primers.

278
 FIFTEEN
ADVANCED: MEASURE THE PRIMER
POCKET DEPTH

Purpose for operation

Once you've uniformed the
primer pockets to a known depth,
confirm the actual depth.
This is a tedious process, but
you need to know exactly the depth
of the primer pocket in order to
establish the number of
thousandths of an inch below flush that you seat a primer of a
given size.
Equipment
Depth micrometer.
Time for operation
Five minutes per batch.
Process
Hold the case against your chest, then put the depth
micrometer against it and gradually make contact with the bottom
of the primer pocket using the ratchet stop.
Now check the reading against the expected depth, in this
case you should get a reading on the depth micrometer of 131
thousandths of an inch (0.130-0.131”) in depth. That is the depth

279
that the primer pocket uniforming
tool machines into the primer
pocket.
Having done that, you can take
your primer thickness (which in an
example would be 128 thousandths
of an inch), going into a 131
thousandths of an inch (0.130-
0.131”) in depth hole.
When properly seated the primer will be three-thousandths of
an inch below flush. We’ll show you in detail how we achieve that
in the section on priming.

280
 SIXTEEN
ADVANCED: UNIFORMING AND
CHAMFERING THE FLASH HOLES

Purpose for operation

Cases can have punched or drilled flash
holes, and that process causes a small burr
which needs to be removed and
uniformed. You typically will need to
deburr the flash hole only once in a case’s
life.
Equipment
Hand or power flash hole tool.
Time for operation
20 minutes per batch.
Process
A deburring tool indexes in one
of two ways: by the cartridge case
length, or off the web of the case.
To index the tool, use a
correctly trimmed case, lightly
deburr the flash hole, and then
lock the pilot into place on the
stem of the tool. It’s now set for
use on all your properly trimmed A manual flash deburring tool
cases in that particular caliber.

281
 Using the indexed hand tool, pass the tip of the tool down into
the case neck and find the flash hole at the base. Rotate the tool
gently to deburr lightly in a uniform way around the small hole.
With a hand tool it is easy to
overdo it so be careful, but the
index should prevent you from
opening too big of a hole.
Check your work visually by
holding the case up against a
bright light source and looking
down inside the case through the
mouth. You should be producing a
A deburred flash hole
uniform, shiny ring around the
edge of the flash hole, and that
hole should not have been enlarged in the process but cleaned
up.

Note: a common mistake in hand deburring can be to remove too

much brass from around the flash hole. All you need to do is trim
off any burrs that might be sticking up and slightly chamfer the
mouth of the hole. The best tools have a depth stop that is
machined in the tool to prevent this issue.

Power tool process

Find the right depth manually

282
 The physical stop prevents over-chamfering

Once you have the right depth lock it in with an allen wrench

In this process, you will use a tool in your power driver and
this has an index stop.

Take the cartridge, loosen the set screw and back the
guide away
Now find and uniform the flash hole manually by turning it
in, burring it and uniforming the flash hole at the same
time
Once you’ve done this, you can bring the case mount
guide into play, bottom it out against the case and then
back it out just a little bit so you’ve got a little bit of
wobble and you're not limiting the amount of chamfer on
the inside
Tighten the stop down with an Allen wrench and set that
aside

283
Go ahead and power on your machine, and gently guide
the cartridge case in. The cutting tool will find the flash
hole and uniform it
Rotate the case against the cutting edge in a clockwise
fashion, then clean any brass shavings out
Work through your batch of cases, cleaning out any chips
on each case as you go

284
 SEVENTEEN
ADVANCED: CASE NECK TURNING (IF
REQUIRED)

Purpose for operation

If you're running good
consistent brass Norma, Lapua,
Winchester, or Remington and the
neck thickness is under a
thousandth when measuring in
four different locations, neck
turning is not required. The case on the right has been
However, if you have a specific turned
gun and chamber combination
that requires you to turn the outside diameter of the cartridge
case to fit precisely within your chamber dimensions, then neck
turning is required.
Cases are neck turned to create uniform expansion and neck
turning, if done correctly, will keep the neck in uniformity within
three to five-thousandths of an inch on all four locations. It
improves your brass to and it gives you that custom touch on a
precision target rifle chambering or cartridge.
If you don't want to go through the hassle of measuring and
sorting your brass by neck-wall thickness, and you just want to do
a cleanup pass on the brass to uniform it precisely, there’s nothing
wrong with that. However, keep in mind that every time you turn

285
a lot off of the exterior of the brass, it's going to expand more
given a factory chamber size. If you're using custom chambering,
you can fine-tune the neck dimension providing three or four-
thousandths of an inch' clearance between loaded round diameter
and what the neck diameter is in the cartridge case.
Equipment
You can neck turn by hand but
using a power tool is far superior
in this case. A case neck turning
tool is used primarily in a power
driver, and you can use it in either
a Brass Monkey or an electric drill.
A feeler gauge. Manual neck turning tool
Time for operation
30 minutes per batch.
Process

Note: chamfer the inside of the case mouth prior to measuring for
neck thickness and making an adjustment on your neck-turning
tool.

Measure the neck wall

thickness
To get started, use your neck-
thickness micrometer and
measure each case in four
different locations using the
ratchet stop. Do not use your
neck-thickness micrometer on the
main thimble as a C clamp and
Measure each case in four
over tighten it: bring the case up different locations
and allow a ratchet stop to give
you a consistent reading.
If you measure the four locations and end up with differing
amounts, say 14-eight (0.0148”), 13-eight (0.0138”), 13-eight
(0.0138”), and 14 (0.014”) for a thickness, then you need to turn
the new neck thickness down to thirteen-thousandths of an inch

286
(0.013”). This will clean out all the high spots, giving you a
perfectly uniform neck thickness.
Turn the necks
To start take your neck-turning tool and check the fit of the
cartridge case on the mandrel. You want a precise fit on the
cartridge during the turning operation, so it doesn't wobble and
move around giving you inconsistencies when you begin to turn
the neck.
Adjust the depth of the cut to
come in about fifteen-thousandths
of an inch (0.015”) below the
neck-shoulder junction. This will
prevent the brass from flowing
out from the shoulder into the
neck after multiple firings, and will
create what is called the
"Dounut", a movement of brass Ensure a precise fit on the
flowing up during the firing and cartridge
sizing operation that can cause a
constriction in the bullet.
Once you’ve sized the neck
tool properly and you’re confident
that you’ve got a good snug fit,
take a feeler gauge and using a
thirteen-thousandths of an inch
dimension, slide it into the cutter
and the turning mandrel. Next use
the adjustment screw, turn the
cutter into place where you feel a
Use a feeler gauge to set a
little friction off of the cutter itself, thirteen-thousandths of an inch
and then lock it down. gap
Some neck-turning tools have
a dial indicator on them for fine-tuning the adjustment. Once
you’ve made the initial adjustment with the feeler gauge, loosen
the gib screw on the dial indicator and turn it to zero.
You now have a repeatable reference if you need to make a
finer adjustment off of the initial turning.

287
 You are now ready to start
turning your cases. In this process
the case will be turning in the
power tool, and the cutter is
manually applied to the case.
Put each case in the case
holder on the power tool, tighten
it down, and turn the tool on.
Add a little bit of lube on the
Add a little bit of lube on the mandrel
mandrel and a little bit of cutting
fluid/lube on a Q-tip then apply
that to the case mouth.

Note: it's important when we put the mandrel on the case again
we allow it to float because our case doesn't turn always perfectly
concentric. But by allowing our cutter to float and follow the
mandrel, we can produce a very precise cut.

Feed the mandrel into the case

slowly and watch how the cutter
is starting to cut and move on the
brass. Use a feed process that is
very, very slow.
As the cutter starts to come
into the neck-shoulder junction,
Use a feed process that is very, you will create a bigger brass chip
very slow and that’s a good time to back the
cutter out slowly, producing a
very, very smooth finish on the case.
Once that's done, turn the power off, remove the piece of
brass.
Next, take a dimension check making sure that you’ve turned
the high spots off of the brass. In this example say you have got
about a half a thousandths of an inch to go, that's thirteen and a
half is the new measurement. This is where the dial indicator now
comes in handy to make that half-thousandths of an inch'
adjustment.

288
 Loosen the set screws and
watch the dial indicator as you
adjust the cutter stopping about a
half-thousandth more and then
lock the cutter back down again.
Finally, you’ll come back and
repeat the cut. Re-check the
dimensions and now you should
be on exactly thirteen
thousandths of an inch and have a Regularly take a dimension check
case with perfect uniformity.

Note: to get the process right, do it in two steps like above, and
don't get overaggressive and try and do it all at once. One option is
to turn some off in one pass and let that brass cartridge set
overnight. Let it normalize, as it may spring back. Come back the
next day and resize it and turn that last thousandths of an inch off
of the brass, keeping that uniformity within a couple of ten
thousandths of an inch.

If one is just turning the "high-spots” off this is not really

necessary. However, if you are turning to "Turned Neck" chamber
dimension then this is a good idea. On a turned neck gun the
clearance is often less i.e. two to three thousandths of an inch
(0.002-.003”) total clearance.

289
 EIGHTEEN
ADVANCED: CASE ANNEALING (IF
REQUIRED)

Purpose for operation

Brass work-hardens every time
it is sized and shot, with case necks
especially getting much harder.
Annealing extends brass life and
makes neck tension more
consistent, which is important for
accuracy.
Some of your new cases will be
pre-annealed from the manufacturer (Lapua brass is an example),
so you don’t need to anneal these on first use. It is recommended
that the brass is annealed multiple times through its life. The first
annealing should be completed on new brass if not done at the
factory.
We suggest you anneal after every firing, but that will be up to
your schedule and time available.

Note: make sure there are no live primers in the case or charged
cases when annealing.

290
 Only anneal the case neck, as any annealing of the cartridge
base is over-annealing and is dangerous. This area of the brass
must retain the properties it had when it left the factory.
Equipment
An adapter collet system or a case holder that fits a drill, and
drill and propane torch or a dedicated annealing machine.
Tempilaq when using direct heat from a flame.
Time for operation
30 minutes per batch, plus cooling time, depending on the
process.
Process
There are several ways to
anneal manually that are cost
effective and simple to do.
One is to place the cases in a
pan of water up to the shoulder,
and then heat the necks for a few
seconds each. Don’t overdo it and
try and be consistent for every
case.

Tempilaq coated case necks

The next method is to heat the case neck evenly with a torch
while rotating in a power tool to about 950ºF as measured by
Tempilaq color changes, for several seconds, then allow it to cool.
Tempilaq temperature-indicating paint can be used to ensure
you achieve proper temperature to anneal the case neck and
shoulder. 950ºF is a good temperature to anneal the brass for
approximately a four second time interval.

291
 Once you've determined the time and duration, there's no
need to paint all of your cases with the Templaq.

Note: use worn out cases for this test process, so you can save a
few of them and throw them in the box for this purpose when it
comes time to anneal.

Before and after using Templaq, the right is before and the left
after heating

Steps:

Get the batch of cases to be annealed, and coat with

Tempilaq around the neck. The coated cases give us an
idea as to time and duration against the flame to properly
anneal the cartridge case. Give it a generous coating.
Set it in your shell rack and allow it to dry.
Insert a case with coating into the shell holder and tighten
it down. This will hold the cartridge case in place as we
activate the drill motor.
Put on your safety glasses and light the propane torch. We
want to use a blue flame for this process.
Take the drill motor and get it close to the blue flame.
Turn it on and count out four seconds, the Templaq should
turn from the pale green to a black, and then almost a
clear, milky condition. Watch closely.
Remove it from the Templaq and allow it to cool in a
container that can take the heat.

292
 Repeat the above two steps a few times. Compare the
results to the first case, and after you are confident in
your timing, do the rest of the batch without the Tempilaq
coating.
Once they are all done and have cooled, clean up the
cases.

Process using the AMP (Annealing Made Perfect)

annealing machine

The AMP annealing machine

The AMP machines use induction heating (electromagnetic) to

heat only the neck and shoulder to very specific settings based on
the brass alloy and case size.
When getting the AMP, you will need different bushings or
heatsinks that hold the cartridge at the right depth relative to the
induction coil inside the machine.
The machine is simple to adjust. When you purchase the
machine, you will get all of the different calibers and
manufacturers of the different types of brass that you plan to use.
When you first setup you get the initial setting based upon the

293
neck thickness and manufacturer
of the brass you plan to anneal.
(If you're neck-turning the case,
you’re going to be removing some
of the brass, and that will change
the time and duration that the
brass is now placed in the
induction coil).
Note the neck thickness prior
to adjusting the setting on the
AMP reference settings
machine.

Using the AMP annealing machine

The setting on the machine is done on the panel and
programming up or down to the numeric setting described in the
manual. As an example, say using Norma six-millimeter XC brass
the appropriate setting for unturned brass is 90 on the machine.

Set the AMP annealer for your specific case on the

machine
Take a cartridge case and insert it into the appropriate
shell holder
From the shell holder, place it into the top of the AMP
cartridge holder
Press the "Start" button which turns red indicating
activation
When it turns off, you have an annealed cartridge case
Place that in your wire basket and insert another cartridge
case
Hit the "Start" button and repeat

294
 Get a good rhythm going, and you easily could do several
hundred of these an hour

Other automated machines

There are several other options for
automating annealing where a hopper is
filled with cases and these are passed
over the torch flame in a batch process.
These are lower cost than the AMP
machine, but less accurate.
They are a hybrid version of the torch
method, and include Annealeez, BENCH-
SOURCE, Giraud and more.

Annealeez machine

Annealing tips from Darrell Holland

I'm often asked here, "What is
the right temperature for annealing
the brass? I see stuff on the
internet. I read a magazine article."
A lot of people are indicating 750
degrees as an appropriate
temperature choice for annealing
brass. I think you need to up that a
little bit and talking with the brass
experts who have made a science out of annealing brass say that
950 degrees over roughly a 4- to 5-second time interval seems to
produce the best results. When purchasing Templaq, pass on the
750 model and step up to 950, coat it liberally, and apply it to
your torch.
If you turn the case bright red, you just scrap the case at that
point. Back off on the time, get it a little further away from the
flame. Do something to make a change so you're not turning the
case red.
Remember, it’s the combination of time and
temperature that does the job.

295
Note: you can also use an annealing service, where you send your
brass to a third party and they’ll anneal it for you. This is a great
way to outsource annealing if you don’t want to make the initial
investment in the equipment yourself.

296
 NINETEEN
ADVANCED: CASE WEIGHING AND
SORTING

Purpose for operation

Batching your brass is an
important part of handloading as it
allows you to shoot and wear out
the same 50 or 100 cases, usually
from the same manufacturing lot,
to avoid large variances between
factory production runs. Batching
also avoids the need to change
dies, trimmer heads, case holders, and other parts of the
workflow frequently.
Weighing and sorting brass ensures an internal combustion
chamber of same volume in each case that we fire, and
significantly lowers the standard deviations from shot to shot,
which is important in long range shooting.
If you start with very high quality brass, you decrease the
need to weight-sort brass assuming you batch them on purchase
as they have far lower variances in weight. For example, Nosler
Custom brass is pre-sorted into lots that weigh within a half grain
of each other.
We suggest weighing and batching after you have finished
preparing the brass as the process can change the brass case

297
weights.

Note: we suggest no more than four tenths of a grain variation

from one piece of brass to the next. You can weigh a piece of brass
and go plus or minus two tenths from that baseline or establish a
baseline and run between 0 and 4 tenths increments.

Equipment
An electronic scale. Ensure its accuracy before starting this
process. An electronic pharmaceutical scale or RCBS
Chargemaster, ammo boxes or bags to keep the batches in, labels.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch.
Process

Start your scale, and zero the tare setting.

Add a case at a time, quickly sorting based on the weight
within a baseline between 0 and 4 tenths increments.
Bag the different weights and mark the range/baseline
weight, and date.

298
 LEARN WITH VIDEO

It can often be easier to understand complex processes with a

video to back up your book learning. We have an optional video
training course as well as mobile friendly online course that teach
this syllabus too.
If you prefer to learn visually then check out our video library
at the link below:

https://www.precisionhandloading.org/book-videos/

299
 PART TWO

THE CASE PRIMING STAGE

300
 ONE
CASE PRIMING ISSUES

Priming a case is a sensitive part of

the reloading process and getting
the right primer seating depth on
every cartridge is important. This
means a consistent depth, one that
has been carefully measured based
on the primer pocket depth and the
size of the primers being used. We
assume that you uniformed and measured the primer pocket, and
the primers themselves.
In order to achieve the goal of consistent primer seating, we
suggest you use a bench-based system that is designed to fix the
depth for every priming action such as the Holland’s Perfect
Primer Seater.
We will describe the popular ways to install a primer in this
chapter, but we suggest avoiding the hand squeezer type as they
require a certain amount of “feel” by the user to seat a primer
correctly. If the primer pocket is really tight on a new piece of
brass or you have a piece of brass that has been fired repeatedly,
the primer pocket starts to get loose. It's difficult to “feel” and
seat the primer correctly with those two types of brass. In the

301
end, feeling the depth is inconsistent and introduces human error
variances that you want to avoid.
Avoid handling primers
Avoid handling primers with your hands. Oils and such from
your skin interfere with reliable operation and ignition
performance. Most hand priming tools have trays that allow you to
dump primers right from their box onto the tray without handling.
Priming mistakes
Priming is a simple process but it’s easy
to make basic mistakes if you are not
careful. Some examples are a primer
seated upside down; a primer
seated/forced in at an angle/not square
and an incorrect seating depth of the
primer.
Also, any damage to the primer can
result in poor primer performance when igniting of the powder,
causing you to lose the single-digit standard deviations from shot
to shot that we are looking to achieve.
Primer seating depth

302
 Primer seating depth (how far the primer is inserted into the
shell case) is critical when reloading. Optimum seating depth is
three to five thousandths of an inch (0.003-0.005”) below the
case head depending on the size of the primer and the primer
pocket.
Seating the primer too deep below flush can damage the
internal components, leading to misfires and inconsistent ignition.
Seating the primer too high (above flush with the case base) will
prevent the bolt from closing correctly.
The ideal seating depth is just below flush a few thousandths
of an inch (depending on the primer pocket depth and thickness
of the primer). As you gain experience in loading, the feel to
accomplish this will become familiar. It is best to use your finger
to test every primed shell case or use a primer depth gauge.
Variations in the depth and
configuration of the primer pocket
can and will alter the effect of the
primer pin strike and this can be
dangerous.
If the firing pin strike is varied
from shot to shot due to the depth
the primer is seated, then it in turn
will vary the primer ignition.
This can vary the powder ignition resulting in different
pressures and velocities, which means point of impact shifts and
lack of repeatability in our ammo. due to differing Standard
Deviations.

Note: Never attempt to seat a primer deeper in a loaded round.

Discard the round in question. Or, one can pull the bullet, empty
the powder, seat the primer correctly and continue the process of
powdering, seating etc.

303
 TWO
ADVANCED: MEASURE AND SORT THE
PRIMERS

Purpose for operation

To ensure the correct and
consistent primer seating depth of
every case.
Equipment
Calipers, bags, labels and
gloves.
Time for operation
Five minutes per batch.
Process
Take a box of primers and measure each one and batch them
by their thickness, placing each group on your primer tray
allowing you to adjust the seating depth (below flush) based upon
their thickness relative to the primer pocket depth.
Using Federal 210 match primers, as an example, measured
128 to 128 1/2 thousandths of an inch in thickness.
Note this down for the priming step.

Note: avoid handling primers with your hands (Oils and such from
your skin can interfere with reliable operation and ignition
performance).

304
 THREE
HAND PRIMING

Purpose for operation

Priming the cases.
Handle primers with extreme
care.
Do not drop or subject to heat,
flame, friction, electricity,
percussion (i.e. hammering,
pounding, dropping) or other
impact.
Never smoke around primers.
Think safety when priming
Always wear glasses and make sure the open case mouth
points away from your face when you insert primers with the hand
tool in case a primer ignites. Never operate the tool without the
safety gate installed if it has one.
Equipment
Hand primer, shell holder (if required), gloves, safety glasses
and ammo block.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch.
Process

305
 Be sure the primer pocket of the case is the correct size: the
minimum diameter is 0.173 inch for small primers, and
0.2085 inch for large primers.
If you are using a hand priming tool, the primer seating depth
is controlled by feel as the primer is inserted.
First, it is important primers
are seated fully below the
surface of the case head.
Sliding a gloved finger across the
bottom of the primed shell case
can quickly determine if the
primer is above or below flush. If
the primer is above flush it can be
run through the seating operation
again to push it below flush. Measuring the depth of the primer
Some hand priming tools use with a depth gauge
specific shell holders for each
caliber you’re going to prime, so be sure to order the right holders
or use a model with a universal clamp base that fits almost all
cartridge case types i.e. the RCBS universal hand priming tool.
Also, you need to setup the tool for the size of primer you plan
to install: small or large.

Steps:

Put gloves/glasses on and get your packs of primers ready.

306
Remove the primers from the
packaging using gloved fingers
and put them into the primer
tray attached to the manual
press. Square trays make
this much easier.
Ensure all the primers are the
same way up (anvil up), and
that the top of the primer is face down in the tray. (This
should be obvious but check anyway, the closed silver top
of the primer should be facing down. Often primers have a
red base so it’s clear that’s the anvil side.)

Install the tray into the primer body

Place a case into the shell holder or primer tool base.
Rotate the tray lid clockwise until the notch is in the open
position, allowing primers to flow out into the press
Tilt the tool to cause a primer to enter the primer feed and
check the primer to ensure it is anvil up
Hold the primer tool upright with the tray near
horizontal when seating primers. Tilting the unit or

307
 holding the tray vertically can cause multiple primers to
feed and possibly detonate
Squeeze the handle of the primer tool and seat the primer
using slow, steady pressure. Never force the primer
into the primer pocket. If something is wrong then
stop and determine where/what the problem is?
(The correct seating of a primer is to have the anvil just
bottoming in the bottom of the primer pocket)
Check the primer is below flush. Be aware the Optimum
seating depth is three to five thousandths of an inch
(0.003-0.005”) below the case head
If the primer is not seated deep enough, apply a little
more pressure and gently seat little deeper. If the primer
is seated too deep, use it as a fouling shot, or wearing
safety glasses, one can carefully de-prime the case and
seat a new primer to the correct depth
Place the primed case in the loading block, and repeat for
the rest of the batch of cases

Each manufacturer of hand tool may be slightly different, so

check the manual before priming with that specific tool.

308
 FOUR
PRIMING WITH A SINGLE STAGE PRESS

Purpose for operation

Priming the cases.
Think safety when priming
Handle primers with extreme
care. Do not drop or subject to
heat, flame, friction, electricity,
percussion (e.g., hammering,
pounding, dropping) or other
impact. Never smoke around
primers.
Always wear glasses and Image credit: Tom McHale
make sure the open case
mouth points away from your
face when you insert primers with the hand tool in case a
primer ignites. Never operate the tool without the safety gate
installed (if it has one).
Equipment
Reloading press (and priming attachment as required), shell
holder, gloves, safety glasses and ammo block.
Time for operation
15 minutes per batch.
Process

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 Many single-stage reloading presses offer attachments that
allow you to insert a primer as well as an optional kit that allows
semi-automated feeding of primers into the press. Each press is a
little different, so the process will vary. We’ve provided a generic
process below.

Install the correct caliber shell holder in the top of the

press
Insert the die (depending on die/press being used this
may vary) into the bottom of the shell holder
If you are using the primer feed tube, load that up with
primers the correct orientation and attach, otherwise
insert a primer into the die cup using your gloved fingers,
ensuring it’s the correct way up
Slightly raise the ram and insert the case into the shell
holder
Gently and slowly raise the press handle and this will
lower the case down onto the primer which will be seated
into the primer pocket. Push the handle all the way up.
Never force the primer into the primer pocket. The
correct seating of a primer is to have the anvil just
bottoming in the bottom of the primer pocket
Check the primer is below flush, be aware the optimum
seating depth is three to five thousandths of an inch
(0.003-0.005”) below the case head
If the primer is not seated deep enough, apply a little
more pressure and gently seat little deeper. If the primer
is seated too deep, use it as a fouling shot, or wearing
safety glasses, one can carefully de-prime the case and
seat a new primer to the correct depth
Place the primed case in the loading block and repeat for
the rest of the batch of cases

Each manufacturer of press and die may be slightly different,

so check the manual before priming with that specific tool.

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 FIVE
ADVANCED: BENCH PRIMING

Purpose for operation

Priming the cases in a
repeatable way, avoiding “feel”
based priming.
Think safety when priming
Handle primers with extreme
care. Do not drop or subject to heat, flame, friction, electricity,
percussion (e.g., hammering, pounding, dropping) or other
impact. Never smoke around primers.
Always wear glasses and make sure the open case
mouth points away from your face when you insert
primers with the hand tool in case a primer ignites. Never
operate the tool without the safety gate installed if it has one.
Equipment
Holland’s Perfect Primer Seater (or similar), dial depth
indicator, gloves, safety glasses and ammo. block.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch.
Process
Before you start with this precise method for priming, you
need to have some measurements from the previous steps. You
will need the primer pocket depth and the depth of the primers.

311
These will be used to ensure the
correct seating depth every time vs.
the other methods used.
For example, if you have a
reading on the primer pocket depth
mic. of 131 thousandths of an inch
of (0.131”) for the primer pocket
depth and a primer thickness of
128 thousandths of an inch
(0.128”), the primer will be three thousandths of an inch (0.003”)
below flush when properly seated.
The correct seating of a primer is to have the anvil just
bottoming in the bottom of the primer pocket.
Remember if you use this type of a machine, you must uniform
and measure the primer pocket prior to seating. You can seat a
primer to a known depth once we've established a uniform primer
pocket and measured a primer thickness, as this tool has a
mechanical stop that allows you to seat the primer consistently to
the same depth.
The adjustment dial on the top
allows you to fine-tune the
measurement based upon the
primer thickness.
Steps:

If you are using the primer

feed tube, load that up with
primers in the correct
orientation and attach. Otherwise, insert a primer into the
die cup using your gloved fingers, ensuring it’s the correct
way up
Take a cartridge case and slide it into the primer seater
Gently push down on the handle seating the primer. You
will feel the handle compress, and then the primer being
seated into the cartridge case. Never force the primer
into the primer pocket. The correct seating of a primer
is to have the anvil just bottoming in the bottom of the
primer pocket

312
 Remove the primed case and use your
primer pocket depth micrometer to
determine the amount of depth that
you’ve seated the primer. For
example, if the primer is a thousandth
above flush, you have to make an
adjustment on the dial to fine tune the
depth, in this case four thousandths of an inch (0.004”)
deeper. Based upon the depth of the uniformed primer
pocket depth the below flush dimension will vary
depending on the primer thickness

Set the cartridge case back in, press

the handle again and come back and
make another measurement
Continue this process, tweaking the
depth with the dial until you have the
perfect seating depth of three
thousandths of an inch (0.003”) below
flush. Optimum seating depth is three to five thousandths
of an inch (0.003-0.005”) below the case head
Place the primed case in the loading block and repeat for
the rest of the batch of cases

With this tool you can now prime all your cases knowing they
are all exactly the correct depth vs. the other methods for
priming.

313
 PART THREE

POWDER/PROPELLANT STAGE

314
 ONE
INTRODUCTION

When you start load development, you experiment with several

factors, with powder charge weight and seating depth the main

315
ones. Powder loads require testing, trial and error to find
the best results.
Finer grained powders tend to meter the easiest, and this is
important when shooting long range as this powder allows the
variation to be as low as possible.
Carefully weighing and verifying each charge down to the half
grain is critical. It’s also useful to note that powder with
faster burn rates tend to produce better accuracy.
Be sure to work within the safe minimum and maximum
powder charges listed in your reloading manual. Starting with the
minimum load and load three rounds with each powder weight
working upwards in half grain increments. The load development
process is discussed in another chapter.
As you look at the powder charge options in the manual to find
the optimum velocity for your application, you may see a “C”
beside the maximum charge and/or gives one of the highest
velocities. The “C” means a lightly compressed charge of powder.
That is an ideal situation, as maximum or near maximum
charge weights that yield from 95% to 103% load density
tend to give the most uniform velocities and the best
accuracy. A full case (or lightly compressed charge), is an ideal
condition for creating loads with the most uniform velocities and
pressures, and therefore accuracy.

Powder and Load Tips

Be precise. If you're loading a six-millimeter BR with a

case capacity of only 29 to 30 grains of powder, that an
extra granule or two may make the difference to lowering
the standard deviations from shot to shot, which separates
the winners from losers
Accuracy is more important than speed at long range, so
don’t exchange consistency to gain an extra 50 fps
Always use a powder that has the least amount of
temperature sensitivity maintaining consistent velocities in

316
a variety of environmental/temperature conditions

317
 TWO
CHARGING THE CASES AND TESTING

Purpose for operation

Charge the case with the right
amount of powder, or differing
powder amounts if in load
development.
Equipment
Powder scale/dispenser, funnel,
trickler, loading block and safety
glasses.
Time for operation
Variable, 30-60 minutes per batch.
Process
Before you start you need to consult a reloading manual
(preferably several), to get the starting load when first testing a
load, or your loading notes after you have developed an accurate
load and have the right formula.
You can charge a case several ways: using an automated
dispenser, a hand operated powder measure or totally manually.

Note: before you start you should always ensure the scale is setup
right. This means placing it on a level surface and confirming

318
 readings with a check weight.

Charging cases should take place when you have no

distractions, so that you can work in a totally systematic way no
matter which method you choose to charge a case. You need to
follow the same process, moving the funnel each time before you
charge, in order to avoid double charging or skipping a case.
We also suggest you always use a well lighted area (and a
charging block), so you can look into the cases to double check
your process. If you see a fluctuation in what appears to be a low-
density charge, start over and pour that powder charge out, check
it on your scale again, confirming that you have charged the case
properly.

Charging cases, moving the funnel each time a charge is

poured into a case

Steps:

Place the empty cases into a loading block

Pour out the powder into the scale pan a little at a time
until you have the correct weight (or use an automated
dispenser)

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 To level up to the closest tenth of a grain, use a trickler
(see below)
After accurately dispensing the powder charge into a
powder pan, pour it into the case using a powder funnel
Move the funnel to the next case, measure more powder
into the pan, and pour it into the next case. Use the
funnel to remind you of the empty case each time,
so move it directly after each time your pour powder
Repeat through each case, moving the funnel between
charges
Check a batch of cases at the end by visually confirming
that every case has been filled with our correct powder
charge

Always carefully check the cases after charging

Using a Trickler
Use a powder trickler to add small amounts of powder (one or
two granules at a time) into your scale pan until a precise powder
weight is achieved. When measuring out the powder by hand, the
trickler is far easier and more precise to get to the exact load you
need each time.
Steps:

320
 Fill the hopper with the same
powder as you are loading.
Turn the handle until kernels of
powder drop out one at a time
from the end of the tube into
the scale pan
Weigh the pan again to check
the weight
Keep turning the handle until
you have the correct weight

Using a manual powder measure

If you are doing load development, we
don’t suggest a measure as it is
significantly slower. A measure works best
when you set it up and throw a volume of
charges versus changing the weight
constantly like you would with a
development process.
If you have a high quality, clean,
powder measure, you should be able to
throw consistent weights. If you are just
doing the basic reloading, then a check
every 10 loads or so can be measured to
check your accuracy. Be aware to throw
charges with minimum variation: it has to
be operated exactly the same for each
charge of powder. If you don’t charges
will likely vary more in weight.
If you are doing the precision Image credit: Hornady
hand load process, then you need to
check every case for the precise weight and therefore you
will be better off using the manual method of weighing
out each charge either manually or using an electronic
scale/dispenser. We suggest the latter. If you want to use a

321
measure for precision loads, we suggest you invest in the custom
products Micro-Measure or the Harrell and RFD/R from Sinclair
International.
Steps:

Set up the powder measure. This will be much the same

no matter which one you use and whether it’s on the
bench or in a press.
Fill the powder measure with powder (and put in a card in
the hopper so you know what powder it is). Run some
tests and throw several charges to establish flow and
settle the powder in the hopper. Use your reloading scale
to adjust the powder measure with each throw until it is
dispensing the correct amount, weighing every charge
until consecutive charges show the desired weight. Now
the measure can be used to throw out the same amount
of powder each time you rotate it over a powder pan - no
need to use scales.
Place the empty cases into a loading block.
After accurately dispensing the powder charge into a
powder pan, pour it into the case using a powder funnel.
If you wish to be more precise, measure each throw back
on the scales first. To level up to the closest 1/10
grain/kernel use a trickler. Then pour the powder into the
case.
Move the funnel to the next case, throw more powder into
the pan, and pour it into the next case. Use the funnel to
remind you of the empty case each time: move it after
each time your pour powder.
Repeat with each case, moving the funnel between
charges, and check a batch of cases at the end by
eyeballing each case.
Check the weights of the throws every ten or so to ensure
basic accuracy.

Note: be careful that you don't get distracted while filling cases
with powder and accidentally fill a case a second time. This can be

322
 dangerous.

Each manufacturer of these tools may be slightly different, so

check the manual before using that specific tool.

323
 THREE
ADVANCED: USING AN ELECTRONIC
DISPENSER

You now have several methods for

charging your cases with powder,
however we prefer to use an
electronic dispenser. It's faster and
reliable.
Today’s digital powder dispenser
systems made by Lyman, RCBS,
Hornady, Redding and others
digitally weigh and dispense
charges based on your load data. They usually have accurate
digital scales built in, and once setup you simply push a button
and the machine will dispense the load you set into the pan, and
you can check the weight on the digital scale. This way you get a
very fast, accurate and tested process: it’s like using a thrower
and scale in one process but it’s removes human error. Many allow
you to store different loads under several buttons, so you can
setup several calibers or rifle loads and save them for later, which
is both useful and time saving.
This type of machine is also very fast to change charge
weights, so ideal for load testing. In this training course we will be
using the RCBS Chargemaster combo machine.
Using a RCBS Chargemaster Combo

324
 Below we’ve provided a quick setup process, but please read
the full manual for detailed setup and programming procedures.
To get started, turn the machine on and calibrate it. Press the
on-off button and remove the pan and let it count down. Once it
comes into countdown mode, press the zero button, allowing the
machine to read zero. Now we can ensure its scale is accurate.
Chargemaster calibration
Press the calibrate button twice
and ensure the 50 appears.
Remove one of the 50-gram test
weights from the scale body and
set it on the pan, then press the
calibrate button again, requiring the
second 50-gram test weight. Set
that on the pan, and finally press
the calibrate button again. Wait for
it to read 100 (as we now have two
50g test weights on the scale) and then come back and press the
zero button. Wait for the chargemaster to reach zero and then
remove the two weights.
You're now ready to set the pan
back on the machine and get a pan
weight. Press the zero button
again, and now you're ready to
program the machine for charging
the powder. The chargemaster has
a simple keyboard at the top with
numbers one through nine,
allowing you to program charge
weights. Once we have
programmed the machine for our desired granule weight, we will
press enter, and that loads the charge weight into the machine
and the next step is to press the Dispense button.
As an example, we wish to charge a case 38.5 grains of
powder. To start, we program our machine for charging these
cartridges under our desired charge of 38.5. We will program in
38.3. We check the lower panel confirming our charge weight,
and press enter, and now we press the dispense button.

325
 The machine starts up auguring
powder into the tray. If everything
is working well, we should stop at
38.3 grains of powder. This is
obviously 0.2 grains too little, so
then we will trickle (using an
electric trickler) the last few grains
to get our final charge weight of
38.5 grains of powder.

Steps:

Set up the Chargemaster, this process will vary by

machine, see notes above.
Fill the powder hopper with powder (and put in a card in
the hopper so you know what powder it is). Then run
some tests, dispense several charges to establish flow and
settle the powder in the hopper.
Place the empty cases into a loading block.
Press the dispense button, trickle in the extra grains, then
check the final weight is correct.
After accurately dispensing the powder charge into a
powder pan, pour it into the case using a powder funnel.
Move the funnel to the next case, throw more powder into
the pan, pour into the next case. Use the funnel to remind
you of the empty case each time, so move it directly after
each time your pour powder.
Repeat through each case, moving the funnel between
charges, and check a batch of cases at the end by

326
 eyeballing each case.

Note: Be careful that you don't get distracted while filling cases
with powder and accidentally fill a case a second time. This can be
dangerous.

Each manufacturer of these machines may be slightly different,

so check the manual before using a specific tool.

Loading tips from Darrell Holland

When using an electronic scale, a good tip to use is to adjust the
scale under the charge weight that you want to use and then
come in and manually trickle in those last few granules of powder,
allowing the charge to be weighed precisely without running the
scale over the top.
A lot of electronic chargers that are out there feature an auger
that augers the powder into your display pan or your grip pan at
the bottom. Sometimes the pitch rate on the auger (or the fact
that the machine is not set level on the bench) allows the auger
to overflow and drop more granules than it should.
If you're using a powder like cordite with long half-inch
granules that you don't want to throw your charge out of whack,

327
simply elevate the front of the ChargeMaster combo using a little
piece of plywood. I use a three-sixteenths-inch thick piece of
waferboard that I place in the front, which changes the angle of
the auger, allowing a much slower feed rate of the powdered
granules. It slows the charge weight slightly, but it reduces
overcharging the cartridge case.

Note: if you mix powders or you can’t figure out what a powder is,
it's best just to take that powder, and go sprinkle it out in the yard,
and let it act as a little bit of fertilizer. Don't second-guess powder
choices, fast-burning, slow-burning powders. If you make the
wrong mistake, that can be very devastating to your loading career.

328
 PART FOUR

BULLET SEATING STAGE

329
 ONE
INTRODUCTION TO BULLET SEATING

Seating the bullet means inserting it into the cartridge case to a

known depth, usually using a reloading press and seating die to
control the process.

330
 Correct seating depth is required both for accuracy and safety.
Seating depth comes into play for the following:

The cartridge must be the correct overall length to fit the

chamber of your rifle
The cartridge must not be too long, or it may not fit in
your magazine, if you use one
The cartridge must not be too long, or it could protrude
too far into the grooves of the rifling, causing dangerously
high-pressure conditions.

In your reloading manual the Cartridge Overall Length

(COAL/OAL) is specified to control the interior volume of the
cartridge case for the bullet/powder combination that was tested.
If a bullet is not inserted to the correct depth in the case,
there will be an incorrect interior volume. If the same amount of
powder ignites in a smaller volume, pressure will be higher and if
there is more volume in the case pressure will be lower.
If bullets are seated too deeply, they have a longer distance to
travel unsupported to reach the bore and may enter it off-center.
In general, the less jump the bullet has before
engaging the rifling usually results in better accuracy as it
is better aligned with the bore.

Note: the ideal starting depth puts the bullet either touching the
rifling or almost touching it: the exact depth varies from rifle to rifle
and can be discovered only through testing.

Most factory rifles (Remington's, Winchester, Ruger's,

Weatherby's, etc.) are going to have a chamber dimension that is
quite long in terms of throat sections, straight section and lead
angle. This allows the purchaser of that firearm to be able to
shoot a variety of bullets without having an interference of the
bullet within the straight section or lead angle of the barrel.
On a custom rifle, those dimensions are usually set back,
allowing the shooter the ability to seat a bullet, to touch the rifling
initially during load development.

331
 If you have a factory gun, your ability to seat the bullet to
touch the rifling and still have it function through the magazine
box is going to be very limited if not impossible.
Seating depth facilitates fine tuning of the velocity but
can also lead to dangerous results if not measured
correctly.

Note: finding the optimum bullet seating depth for a specific

bullet/powder combination to be used in your rifle is critical to
precision shooting and is a key benefit of hand loading over using
factory loads that have a fixed overall length.

332
 TWO
DETERMINING BULLET SEATING DEPTH

Seating depth plays a very important role in developing an

accurate load for your particular rifle. It is not imperative to get an
accurate load that the bullet must touch the rifling, but it's a good

333
place to start. Long range bullets typically have long ogives which
tend to shoot best seated on or into the rifling.
Typically, a short jump of under three thousandths of
an inch (0.003”) provides the best accuracy.
If you're shooting a factory gun, we recommend taking the
magazine box length that's in the rifle and finding the inside
dimension of that magazine box, and then seating the bullet
slightly shallower than the depth of the box.
That is your starting point.

Seating depth examples

Using an example, the inside of your magazine box measures

three inches, giving you the ability to adjust the seating depth in
and out. Your first load development will take place with a
cartridge with an overall length that is 2.925”. So, the tip of the

334
bullet is within 75 thousandths of an inch (0.075”) off the end of
the magazine box. This gives you plenty of clearance, so the rifle
will still feed smoothly using the magazine box.
In this case, you take this cartridge length and proceed with
your ladder test, adjusting your powder up in different increments
to establish the coarse adjustment of your powder.
Now fine tune the load, changing the overall length in about
ten thousandths of an inch increments (0.01”), such as 2.935”,
2.945” or proceed to seat it in a little bit deeper using the same
methodology.
In a custom rifle in the example above, we have a chamber
with a leade diameter that is 3-5 tenths over bullet diameter,
providing minimal bullet clearance for better alignment to the
bore. The leade angle is going to be one degree, 30 minutes, a
very gradual lead angle guiding the bullet into the bore once the
cartridge is fired. So, in a custom gun, where the throat is cut a
little bit shorter, we want to seat our bullet to where it just comes
in contact with the lead angle or to just touch the rifling.
That becomes the baseline for load development.
Write that dimension down in your books and proceed with a
moderate load to work your way up through the powder charges,
using a ladder test strategy to determine the optimum powder to
bullet bore ratio.
From there, you can start to either seat the bullet out a little
bit further, or a little bit shallower, seating the bullet in and ten
thousandth of an inch increments, and doing some more load
testing to determine the base to ogive dimension that performs
best for your specific rifle caliber combination.
Once you’ve determined this, go back to your handloading
logbook, and write down all of the specifics of that particular load
(cartridge case, primer, amount of powder, base to ogive
dimension, bullet weight, etc.).
You now have a precision hand loading recipe to shoot
very effectively in the field or at the range.

Note: Berger’s website states that there is usually a sweet spot

that is 0.030-.040” wide in seating depth and is usually located
between the lands (the rifling) and 0.150” jump off the lands.

335
 Therefore, testing seating depth in increments of .040” should
allow you to find a length that shoots well. Berger recommends
groups of test loads at increments of 0.010”, 0.050”, 0.090”, and
0.130” off the lands. If that’s not successful now try finer
increments around the best depth from your first pass or split the
difference and try 0.030”, 0.070”, 0.110”, and 0.150”.

How to determine the correct OAL of your rifle

One method of finding the correct overall length is to use a
seating depth gauge, of which there are several models available.
For our example, we will use the Hornady lock-n-load® OAL
gauge with the correct caliber case attachment.
The modified case for your rifle caliber is part of the system,
and you order that separately. They will also take your own case
and modify that to work with the tool.
To use the Hornady gauge, clean the barrel before you begin
and take a modified case that fits your firearm's chamber and
thread it onto the gauge.
These specially prepared modified cases are threaded at the
case-head and have a two thousandths of an inch (0.002”)
oversized neck to accept the same bullets you intend to load.
Make sure you check this case with your own fired brass and
measure the difference to ensure you have an accurate
measurement for your rifle (or send your own fired case to the
manufacturer).
Chamfer and deburr both the inside and outside of the
modified case mouth to enable the bullet to slip freely. If in doubt
of the fit of the modified case with your chamber, insert the case
into the chamber, then close the bolt. It must close freely without
distorting the case.

336
Steps:

Remove the bolt or open the action to allow access to

chamber.
Thread-on appropriate modified case to the OAL Gauge.
Insert a bullet with an undamaged tip deeply into the case
mouth.
Insert assembly into firearm chamber, and slide bullet
adjustment rod (plunger) forward until you feel contact
with the rifling.
Lock the adjustment rod in place with thumb screw. The
bullet will most often stick to the rifling.
To remove the OAL Gauge assembly intact, gently push
the assembly out, using a wooden dowel or cleaning rod
inserted from the muzzle. We recommend using no more
than three or four pounds of pressure on the bullet
adjustment rod (about that of a light trigger pull).
Next, gently tap the bullet adjustment rod with your index
finger to ensure the bullet is in light contact with the
lands. Note that you can drive the bullet into the lands as
much as .025" by using excessive pressure or a heavy-
handed approach. The key is to find a relatively light, yet
positive touch point of the bullet’s ogive with the origin of
the rifling. It is from this touch point that adjustments can
be made in bullet seating depth.

337
 With the OAL Gauge in hand, you are now able to
measure the maximum overall cartridge (max. OAL) that
will fit your firearm with the selected bullet. Place the fixed
blade of your caliper in the measuring port on the OAL
Gauge, then ease the traveling blade against the bullet tip.
Remove all slack and take a reading.
Record data for use in setting up the seating die.

Each manufacturer of tools may be slightly different, so check

the manual before working with that specific tool.

338
 THREE
ADVANCED: BULLET SORTING BY
WEIGHT AND LENGTH

Purpose for operation

To ensure consistency, sort and
batch your bullets based on weight
and length. All bullets, whether
factory-or custom (custom bullets
are more concentric and uniform in
weight), benefit from batching and
sorting by brand, lot #, base to
ogive length and by weight.
Use the base to ogive length
(CBTO) as bullets often have
meplat (nose of the bullet on some designs) irregularities which
are normal but prevent consistent COAL measurements. This
meplat issue also means changes in BC between rounds, so you
also want to trim the meplats.
Equipment
Bullet comparator tool, scales, gloves and bags/labels.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch.
Process
Measure the base to ogive length (CBTO) using a bullet
comparator gauge and calipers or a dedicated tool.

339
 Set up the calipers with the gauge, then place each bullet into
the gauge and measure with the calipers to the base of the bullet,
rotating it a few times to ensure its square as possible. Keep
variation less than five thousandths of an inch (0.005”) and batch
accordingly.

With a dedicated bullet comparator tool

Steps:

Choose a bullet (in our

example we’re using a 107
Sierra MatchKing) and very
gently set it in the floating
chamber of the bullet
comparator.
Pull the dial indicator stem
back, set the bullet into place, and then very gently allow
the stem to come in contact with the base of the bullet.
Loosen the gib on the dial indicator and rotate the dial
indicator over to zero.
We now have a reference that we can work with, what is
called the master bullet.
Remove that bullet and set that aside for future use.
Now begin to take bullets and sort them.

340
 Note: if there is a bullet that’s a long way from the reference
length, for example three thousandths of an inch (0.003”) plus
difference, we need to discard that bullet because it's probably not
going to fire accurately and miss its target because it's changing
the exit timing relative to our harmonic node.

We are looking for all zero length (the same size as the master
bullet) for precision, those out of spec., you simply adjust the
seating depth of your die to maintain the same "base-to-ogive"
you've found in load development.

Weighing the bullets

Weigh the batches and re-batch into sub-batches if required.
Place the sorted batches into ziplock type bags, and label the
batches with brand, lot number, date, length, and weight for
record keeping.
When you move on to seat your cases, you can use the
batches to build out a uniform set of ammo for load testing or
use.

Uniform the Meplats (If Necessary)

341
 Uniforming the Meplat is also a
requirement in order maintain the
most uniform ballistic coefficient of
your bullet. Use a Meplat Trimmer,
which is a hand cranked tool that
quickly and accurately uniforms the
bullet tips (meplats) of long range
bullets or loaded ammunition.
We suggest trimming approximately five-thousandths of an
inch (0.005") of material from the bullet tips which will uniform
the ballistic coefficient (B.C.) with a B.C. reduction of about 2%.

342
 FOUR
THE BULLET SEATING PROCEDURE

Purpose for operation

Seat the bullet into the case.
Equipment
Reloading press, high end
seating dies with chamber and
micrometer recommended.
Time for operation
15 minutes per batch.
Note on the best lock ring setup
The die set you use affects
concentricity. Some dies have lock
rings that when tightened down
cause the die to cant slightly.
Even these small issues can cause
a problem with bullet
concentricity.
Use die lock-rings that clamp
the die circumferentially, remove
all die rings with use a Jam Screw Use circumferential lock rings
as this cants the die relative to the with your dies
ram alignment.
Process

343
 In a previous step, we determined the various seating depths
we need to use, either for load development, or if we have
completed load development the final base to ogive measurement
(CBTO) required for finished cartridges.

Bullet seating using a competition die

(with micrometer head)

Note: how to seat the cartridges with better concentricity.

Do not seat the bullet into the case in a single press movement.
Insert a little, then rotate the case 90 degrees, press a little more,
rotate 90 degrees again, and repeat until the bullet is firmly seated.
This will take a little longer but will help to ensure the bullet is
seated straight with minimal run-out. If you're able to consistently
produce ammunition that's under three thousandths of an inch
(0.003”) in concentricity, that's going to shoot very well for you.

Here you can see the micrometer head set to zero

Start by backing the lock ring out, bring the ram up to top
dead center, and screw the die down until it bottoms
against the shell plate.
Next, back it out a half to a turn, making sure that the
micrometer adjustment at the top is in full view so you can

344
 make precise adjustments.
Once this is done, remove the die and tighten down the
lock screw, set the die back in the press, bring the ram up,
so there's no resistance or cam-over.

Put graphite on the inside of the case necks

Take a Q-tip, put a little graphite on it, and lube the inside
of the case mouth lightly with this graphite compound.

Graphite on the inside of the case neck prior to seating the

bullet provides a little lubrication and an insulation barrier
between the copper jacket and the brass casing. Shooting the
ammunition over a chronograph, we find that the graphite
compound improves the standard deviation because we get a
perfect bullet grip with not too much friction, based upon the
amount of neck tension in the cartridge.

345
 Ensure the bullet is aligned vertically and guide it straight up
into the press

Next, take a bullet, set it in the top of the case, and align
it.
Place the case and bullet in the press ensuring that the
bullet is straight starting into the die. You don't want to
start a bullet into the die cockeyed as this can cause
alignment issues. Try and keep it straight.
Now bring the ram down and allow just the weight of the
ram or the handle to start seating the bullet into the die.

As you seat the bullet rotate the case and seat it little more
each time

Seat it a little bit, pull it out, rotate, seat it a little bit,

rotate, seat it a little bit deeper, rotate it one last time for
final seating.

346
You can hear and feel the cam-over in the operation.
Next you should test the seating depth (you want to start
the loading process and load development with the bullet
just touching the rifling).

Check the seating depth using a gauge to check progress

Set the bullet in the bullet seating gauge (for this caliber).
You may see that the shoulder of the cartridge now is not
coming into contact with the shoulder of the gauge. This
tells us that we need to seat the bullet deeper.

Adjust using the micrometer head until you get the correct
depth

Remove the bullet and adjust your die using the

micrometer head so it seats it a little bit deeper and repeat

347
 until the shoulder of the cartridge just touches the
shoulder of the bullet's seating gauge.

As you start to get close you can see we've got about a five or
ten thousandths of an inch (0.005-0.10”) gap between the
shoulder of the cartridge and the gauge.
This is the time to slow down and take just a few thousandths
of an inch at a time, seating the bullet deeper into the case.

Re-measure until you have the final CBTO length

When it’s the correct depth, you will see that the shoulder of
the cartridge is in contact with the shoulder of the gauge.
If you take your index finger and thumb and just rotate the
cartridge, it will leave a tiny little score mark that is barely visible
on the bullet. At this point, your bullet is just into the rifling, one
to two thousandths of an inch (0.001-0.002”) compressed into the
rifling.
This becomes the baseline or starting point for your load
development.

348
 Measure and note the correct baseline for all the cartridges

Now record this dimension (see next chapter for more

details).
Seat another bullet, hold the bullet straight, let the weight
of the handle come in and center the bullet in the seating
stamp.
Press it little bit, take it down, rotate it 90 degrees, seat it
a little deeper, a little deeper yet, and the fourth time
finally all the way down.
Take another measurement and check it’s the same.
Repeat this process to seat all your ammo. in this session.

Seating with a regular die

Much like the competition dies, you follow a process of trial and
error until you get to the correct seating depth. The process is the
same but the adjustment is a little less precise with a standard die
and take a little longer.

Insert the shell holder into the bottom of the press and
raise the ram
Screw the die into the top of the ram until the die contacts
the shell holder

349
 Lower the ram and turn the die counter-clockwise a half to
one full (1/2-1) turn. We do not want the die to cam over
on the shell holder, there needs to be clearance
Tighten the locking nut, this is the baseline

Adjustment using a standard seating gauge

Adjust the die to an CBTO longer than required using the

top adjustment nut
Seat a bullet in the case
Measure the cartridge CBTO using calipers and a bullet
comparator/Sinclair hex nut
Adjust the die to a closer CBTO
Remeasure the cartridge CBTO using calipers and a bullet
comparator
Repeat until the correct CBTO is achieved
Finish up the rest of the cartridges

Once you have seated the bullets you can check them
for concentricity and run out.
When done, this ammunition is ready to take to the range.
Shoot a ladder test and see how it shoots.
And once you've established the optimum powder-to-bullet-to-
bore ratio, you can come back in and fine-tune the seating depth,
adjusting that harmonic node by seating the bullet in deeper or

350
seating it out a little deeper, ten thousandths of an inch (0.01”) at
a time.

351
 LEARN WITH VIDEO

It can often be easier to understand complex processes with a

video to back up your book learning. We have an optional video
training course as well as mobile friendly online course that teach
this syllabus too.
If you prefer to learn visually then check out our video library
at the link below:

https://www.precisionhandloading.org/book-videos/

352
 PART FIVE

FINISHING UP YOUR AMMUNITION

353
 ONE
ADVANCED: CONCENTRICITY AND
BULLET RUN OUT

Purpose for operation

To test the hand loading process
for excessive run-out with a
concentricity gauge on cases and
cartridges.
Bullet run out means the way
the bullet “runs out” into the rifling.
The ideal cartridge concentricity is
zero Total Indicated Runout (TIR),
as this means the bullet travels into
the rifling the same way every time
and is properly aligned down the center of the bore.
With concentric ammunition, the case neck and the bullet are
parallel with the centerline of the cartridge.
Equipment
A concentricity gauge.
Time for operation
15 minutes per batch.
Full cartridge test (post bullet seating)
By testing loaded cartridges you can check if you’re creating
concentric ammunition.

354
 Take a loaded round that you
have made earlier
In order to test the full
cartridge, not just the case,
adjust the gauge by loosening
the screw on the back and
adjusting the needle, moving it
just ahead of the case mouth
Space the contact points on
the concentricity gauge such that they support the
cartridge on the base and shoulder. Keep the base of the
cartridge up against the dowel pin in the back, and with
downward pressure rotate the cartridge case around on
the contact points and watch the needle on the dial
indicator
Take a reading
Press down firmly on the cartridge and rotate it, and
watch the needle move
Take more readings
Check the recorded runout

Note: if you’re looking for the best precision, you’ll want bullet
runout of less than three thousandths of an inch (0.003”).

Fired case test

Testing your fired brass tells you
if your rifle’s chamber is straight.
To test this, take a fired case
from your rifle and check the
quality of the chamber in the gun.
The case is now expanded to
conform to that chamber.

355
 Follow the above procedure but move the needle to the neck
of the case.
If you have neck runout of more than one thousandth of an
inch (0.001”) on fired brass, you have a chamber problem.

Resized case test

Testing sized brass tells you if your dies are working properly. To
test this, take a fired case and run it through the sizing die,
making sure that during the sizing operation you are not pulling
the neck out of concentricity with the body.
Remove the case from the die and set it back in the
concentricity gauge and repeat the fired case test above.
If your fired brass tests OK, size five more cases and check
them.
If these cases average more than one thousandth of an inch
(0.001”) runout, you have a problem with your sizing die or
the setup of your reloading press. The expander ball could be
the problem.

356
 TWO
MEASURING FINAL CARTRIDGE LENGTH
(CBTO)

357
 Note: CBTO is not a universal measurement. There is a lack of
uniformity in comparators and measuring devices used to
determine CBTO, so it’s specific to your gauge, your bullets and
your rifle only. If you tried this with different bullets and gauges,
the CBTO would be different due to the shapes and tolerances
being different. With your carefully prepared cases you can
easily achieve a CBTO that varies less than one thousandth
of an inch (+/- 0.001”).

Purpose for operation

You already measured the case and bullet lengths, so now that
you have a completed cartridge you need to go back and check
the overall length of the round with the specifications you set out
when seating the bullets. If you use a magazine box this
measurement is important.
If you are in load development, you will also likely have
batches of rounds with differing lengths. Remember that
measuring to the ogive (CBTO) is a more consistent measurement
than measuring to the bullet tip (COAL).
Equipment
Calipers, bullet comparator, and OAL gauge.
Time for operation
Ten minutes per batch.
Process

Insert the bullet in the six-

millimeter caliber size Sinclair
hex nut, take your dial
caliper, turn it on, and get an
overall dimension (commonly
referred to as a Base to Ogive
(CBTO))
Take your thumb and index Measuring the CBTO
finger and rotate it across the
nut, squaring everything up,
for example you get a reading of 2 inches, 965 1/2
thousandths of an inch to the Base To Ogive dimension

358
Making sure that you're not using the calipers as a C-
clamp, gently insert the bullet, come in and apply it, and
get a second reading, say it’s the same at 2.9655”
Write this down as your reference length for load testing

Note: since we measured our and sorted our bullets with a bullet
comparator, and they are all the same, when you seat another
bullet, it should be that same dimension.

359
 THREE
RECORDS, CLEAN UP AND STORAGE

Once you fine-tune the load, write

and record that information in your
log book for that specific rifle,
caliber, bullet, powder, and primer
combination. You need to store and
label the cartridges and make notes
for future reference.
When you have finished up, put
your various completed rounds into storage boxes and label your
loads.
Identify the components (manufacturer of brass, primer,
powder and bullet along with their model, lot # and type) and
date the reloading session.
You should be able to pick up a box of any ammunition you
have made and know when and how it was made. Always do this
before finishing a session.
Cleaning up your reloading bench
To keep with the precision theme, a tidy organized bench leads
to a precise, consistent reloading process. Put things back where
they belong.
Bullets, primers, and powder should all be returned to their
original containers. It can be dangerous to leave powder in your

360
powder measure, not because anything will happen to it, but
because it may be misidentified later.
So, too, with primers. We believe that neatness and order is
important.
Keeping notes and records
In addition to labeling, we
suggest you keep a basic journal of
the reloading session, and then the
range sessions to test and use this
ammo. This is a requirement in
load development in order to find
the ideal load for a specific rifle.
If you have multiple calibers,
rifles, and loads, it becomes very
easy to lose track of progress, observations, and the test data you
gather over the years.
Testing loads in different environmental conditions yields
different results, and if you have to change a component due to
lack of supply or to test a new formula having the old records
helps.
We suggest a proper reloading log-book, but you can a
simple journal and notebook to keep track of your
reloading history.
This data is also helpful when used in conjunction with your
DOPE books.

361
TESTING YOUR HANDLOADED
AMMUNITION

362
 ONE
INTRODUCTION TO LOAD
DEVELOPMENT

You have built a set of test rounds

of varying powder loads to find the
most accurate optimum setup for
your rifle. You will be not only
looking for the most accurate and
precise formula, but also the fastest
and safest, for your ammo/rifle
combination and this requires testing at the range.
The next step is to go through a trial and error process to find
the best “formula” for your rifle i.e. what we call “load
development”.
There are several different ways to “develop” and test your
load, such a ladder testing, OCW load development and
chronograph-based testing.
Testing takes several trips to the range, initially to test various
powder/bullet combinations (the coarse adjustment).

Note: be sure to load all of the rounds exactly the same except for
the charge weight. If you change more than one variable at a time,
you won't be able to identify which variable changed your results.

363
 As you progress through the weights, you should see your
groups shrink down and then open back up again.
As you work your way up the powder weights towards the
maximum load, be on the lookout for signs of excess pressure
such as heavier recoil, difficult bolt lift, sticky extraction,
flattened primers, or other signs of excess pressure (see
the pressure signs chapter).
If you get these signs, stop firing these rounds
immediately as you have reached your pressure limit.
You are looking for the charge weight that shoots on the
same horizontal plane on the ladder test.
Having found a “node,” go back
to the reloading bench and change
the seating depth of the loads and
test again, this time looking for the
tightest groups – (the fine
adjustment) to find the most
accurate and precise final load
formula that you will repeat when
making the ammo for that rifle.
The final test is over a chronograph to find the load
with the highest velocity, lowest SD and tightest groups.

Load Development Example with

Darrel Holland
Let's assume that you're going to shoot a 7-08 Remington. You've
purchased your brass, you've looked through the reloading
manuals, and you've decided that you want to shoot a 168 grain
Sierra MatchKing in 7 millimeter. Pick an arbitrary overall length,
using the overall length listed with the load in your manual. That
is a good place to start.
Running down the powder columns in the loading manuals,
you've decided upon 4350 with a federal 210 Match primer. Next
pick a mid-load, somewhere 10%-15% below the maximum

364
charge listed in the reloading manual to begin the loading
process. Next, you're going to match prep your brass, and go over
all of the details mentioned earlier in preparation for load
development.
In this case you start out with a powder charge range of 40,
40.5, 41, 41.5 and 42 grains etc., approaching your near-
maximum load. I like recommending three shot groups. If it's not
shooting three rounds accurately, then five aren't going to change
the load development at all: we simply have not found the right
node for the rifle. A three shot group will determine everything we
need to know regarding load development.
Now, you're going to watch loads expand, and much like the
hourglass get larger and smaller as we go in and out of that
harmonic node. As an example, you find that 43 grains of H4350
starts to shoot well in the rifle. That's a good point to stop if
you're shooting good three shot groups.
Then you go back to the reloading bench and given that
powder charge weight you want to fine-tune the load by adjusting
your seating depth. You'll need to take a measurement of the
base-to-ogive dimension that was your base line when performing
the ladder test, the ogive dimension of the cartridge, and then
either seat the bullet in or out in ten-thousandths of an inch
increments. Take the same load development, the same primer,
the same powder charge, and run that load in a three shot group
out to the range for the second time.
You will quickly notice that by adjusting the seating depth,
you're going to get a change in point of impact and/or group size.
Following these steps will allow you to find the perfect the node
for that rifle.
Next, run the load you like best through the chronograph.
What are your standard deviations? Are they single-digit? Double-
digit? Try and lower those standard deviations to as close to
single-digit as you can.
As mentioned earlier in the advanced versus basic techniques,
if you're trying to get lower SDs, you're going to have more work
to do and use all of the case preparation and advanced methods
outlined.
What if the first formula is not successful?

365
 Let's assume now that your batch of 4350 powder from 40 to
45 grains will not group well at all. The rifle or the barrel is telling
us, "I don't like 4350 in this particular bullet. I need you to try a
little different recipe, a little different flavor of powder." You will
notice in your burn rate charts that powders are listed from
fastest to slowest in terms of order.
As an example, let's say on the powder burn rate chart, 4350
comes in at number 50. We don't want to go to a powder with a
burn rate of a 49 or a 51. The burn rate is too close to our 4350
burn rate of 50 to really make much difference in load
development. So, go up or down on the scale four or five points in
the powder chart and try that alternative powder. So, you may go
from 4350 to say, 4831.
Look in the loading manual, start out 10% or 15% below the
maximum load, and work your way up in half-grain increments.
And we say, "4831 is showing a significant improvement over
4350. My groups are getting tighter, my standard deviations are
much closer from shot to shot."
Go in and fine-tune that load with the seating depth, and you
should be able to seek perfection for your application, given those
parameters.

Takeaway:
We all know cartridges should never be loaded with powder
charges above the maximum or below the minimum charge
weight specified in the reloading manual. Therefore, load testing
is about working from the minimum up to the optimum safe load
for our shooting setup without getting to the maximum.

366
 TWO
LADDER TESTING

A ladder test is a way of testing a

load combination with continuous
increments in powder weights,
looking for a set of consecutive
shots showing similar points of
impact (only in vertical separation
and ignoring horizontal POI
A ladder test target
shifts).
You are looking for a node or
"sweet-spot" in the barrel harmonics by testing at a “ladder” of
increasing powder weights and checking the resulting the impact
on a target.
Each “rung” of the ladder test is a new powder weight or
seating depth variable (not both).
Ladder test one is powder, and test two is seating
depth.

Note: you have found an accuracy node when three consecutive

load steps are in tighter groups on the target with less dispersion
vertically. If you see that on all three ladders, then choose the
middle load. The fact that it grouped with charges above and below

367
 it indicates that it won’t be overly sensitive to powder and pressure
variations.

Power charge testing - Step One

For the first stage, you will want to test 8-10 powder increments
(rungs of the ladder) to make sure you start low enough to be
safe, and end on a high enough powder charge to assure you
have found the maximum safe pressure but stop testing once you
feel or see pressure signs. You may need to stop before you
get to the final “rung” of the ladder.
To do the ladder test you use a horizontal line on the target
paper, aiming at that line at different points with each set of test
rounds per test group.

Noting the change vertically (and the load number in the

ladder of tests) as you shoot different load groups (powder
weights/charges) looking for a point that the node surfaces and
you get several shots that are on the same horizontal plane.
Choose the middle powder weight and go on to the second
step and fine tune with seating depth.

368
Seating depth testing - Step Two
In the second test for seating depth, you are looking for tight
groups of shots for each cartridge length as you fine tune the
formula, and you want to pick the length that’s offers the best
grouping.
The ladder test should be performed at 200 to 300
yards. You can do it at 100 yards, but at closer ranges the bullets
impact too close together, making it hard to determine which load
works best. The best distance to conduct any test is the distance
at which you will be using the load i.e. what’s your planned range
for this ammo.

Note: it is common to run three sets of ladder tests, so you have

plenty of data to work with, and doing so can reveal what happens
with a warmer barrel, or differing wind/environmental conditions.

Ladder test example with Darrel

Holland
In this example, you're using the .308 loading a 160 grain Sierra
bullet using 44 grains of Varget. That is our starting load. To
create the rungs of the ladder, use the 1% rule, which means you
will take roughly 1% of the case capacity or operational capacity
of the cartridge case, to increase the powder weight. In this
example, it would be four-tenths of a grain of powder increment
or increase from one load to the next.
Now, look in the reloading manual, and say it shows the
maximum load is 48 grains of Varget.
It's always best to start a little bit lower and work our way up,
but never start load development with the maximum load as it’s
dangerous.

369
 45.2 grains of powder. That's our coarse adjustment in load development.

So, you're going to start with 44 grains of powder. Our next

charge is going to be 44.4, 44.8, 45.2, 45.6, and 46 grains. You
get the idea. you're increasing the powder charge four-tenths of a
grain at a time.
Load one round with each of these powder charges, and zero
the rifle on a horizontal line at 200 yards. So, shot number one,
bullet impacts the target and we note the position and load. That
was 44 grains of powder. Load the next round at 44.4, again
watch and note the impact point for shot 2. The next load is 44.8,
comes in and cuts our line on the target, 45.2, very close on the
line, 45.6, right on the line, and then 46 grains, slightly above the
line of the target.
So, in looking at this, shots three, four, and five were in an
oscillation pattern on the barrel that were very consistent through
that velocity.
We have found a node at which the rifle shoots well.
So, in order to have the greatest flexibility or versatility in the
load, you pick powder charge number four as our baseline,
because any change above or below in velocity you're still within
the harmonic node.

370
 So, in this example you're going to run with 45.2 grains
of powder. That's our coarse adjustment in load
development.

Now for the fine adjustment ladder

test, the seating depth test.

3 inches and fifteen thousandths of an inch (3.015”) shoots the tightest

group

Go back to the loading bench and create three rounds with a

powder weight of 45.2 with a baseline dimension of overall
seating depth. Then a further set of three at ten thousandths of
an inch longer and so on, so that you can test different
lengths/seating depths in three shot groups looking for the
tightest group on target.
So, for base to ogive dimension in this example, if we loaded
all of those cartridges to three inches, we can start there, and we
go from 3 inches to 3 inches and ten-thousandths of an inch.

371
Shoot another three-shot group, tightened up a little bit by
increasing or changing the seating depth.
Go back and load some more cartridges at 3 inches and
fifteen thousandths of an inch (3.015”) and that shoots
the tightest group.

Summary
You now take your base to ogive dimension at 3 inches and fifteen
thousandths of an inch (3.015”) and a powder weight of 45.2 as
your ideal load for the rifle.
Write down all the measurements, primer, powder, bullet
weight, base to ogive dimensioning, and keep that information in
your loading records.

372
 THREE
LADDER TESTING TIPS

What is the best data to

look for in your load?
Single digit SD’s, extreme
spread less than 10 FPS, the
maximum velocity for that
round and 0.25 MOA groups
are all good goals for a long
range load
Find a friend to spot for
you
Have a friend spot the
impacts and record the
position of each shot
(shooting with a
chronograph) and each
velocity on a duplicate target
at the bench, labeling every Color code the loads
hole with its powder charge.
The friend can either spot
impacts or watch the bullet trace to make sure that the
shots are not missing the target due to poor conditions,
especially at longer ranges

373
Warm up/foul the barrel before testing or do a cold
bore shot
You need to choose to do the testing on a cold or warm
barrel depending on if your shooting is multiple rounds
(competition/benchrest) or hunting/one shot type
shooting. It’s common to shoot a few shots to zero the
scope and foul the barrel, then let the barrel cool and
follow up with 1-2 sighters to warm the barrel and confirm
zero, followed immediately by the testing rounds. With
hunting you might want to test from a cold barrel because
that is how the rifle will be used. Basically, you want to
simulate the conditions in which you will use the load and
rifle. Leave plenty of time between shots to allow barrel
heat to dissipate. Test results will get skewed if the barrel
is hotter and hotter after each shot
Color code the loads
Color-coding the bullets with permanent marker helps to
identify each shot if you don't have someone to spot and
record the location . Don't forget to record the colors you
used for each powder charge
Remember the wind/conditions
Ideally, this test should be shot with fairly calm conditions.
Wind may affect your groups and mislead you on the load
that works best
Be honest with yourself
If you make a bad shot, note that in your log so that a bad
data point doesn’t cloud your judgment
Use the same brass for all steps of the testing
The same 20-30 pieces of brass can be used for all stages
for uniformity

374
 FOUR
WATCHING FOR PRESSURE SIGNS

When you started the reloading process, you needed to carefully

check any used brass cases for pressure signs, and this is also
part of the safety process as we test the rounds we have built.

375
 Reloading is really just one big experiment looking for the best
formula for you and your setup. If you want an accurate and
precise system, you need to tune the performance of the loads to
match the barrel nodes to find the most consistent performing
powder and charge combination.
Part of that process is to compare a safe factory baseline with
what you have made, and then check each batch of cartridges as
the pressure increases for signs of danger.
Assuming you did a good job with brass inspection, you will be
looking for pressure signs around the primer, case markings and
how the round feels when being shot.

Note: if you are using factory ammo as the baseline, keep a fired
cartridge from each caliber or manufacturer for later reference.

Testing and Pressure Signs

As we have already suggested, start with what you know, such
as how the system works with a known cartridge and setup. This
is your testing baseline, and it is the state from which you will
measure the various hand loaded batches.
This means knowing the amount of felt recoil, the feel of the
bolt-lift (during extraction and ejection), the state of the used
primer after shooting, and so forth.
Start with a conservative load and build up in small
increments, checking how each round feeds when shooting, how
it extracts, and how the primer looks. Also take note of how it
does down range on the paper target.
If you have access to a chronograph, ensure you check the
muzzle velocity of each round in a match as well as everything
else.
Checks made as you shoot each batch:

How does the recoil feel versus baseline? Has it increased?

how much?
How does the bolt lift feel after a shot? Is it harder to
operate? How much harder?

376
 How does the velocity of each shot compare the factory
speed?
Check the spent case. How does the primer look? Are
there any signs of overpressure?
How does the brass look, any signs of damage, splits,
bulges or marks?
How does the case head (base) look? Any marks or
damage?

What do signs of overpressure feel like in rifle

operation?
The first possible (if somewhat subjective) potential sign is felt
recoil. Assuming the cartridges are very similar in projectile weight
and you feel significantly more recoil, this could be sign of the
batch reaching a pressure limit. If you feel more recoil, you can
then check other areas more carefully at that point.
If the round is hard to extract, this is also a sign of pressure
increasing (this is because the case expands to seal the chamber
when shot, if there is excess pressure the case can over expand).
This issue could be in the form of a harder bolt lift, and harder
extraction of the round from the chamber. These are examples of
pressure issues that should be checked with the chronograph and
more checks below.

377
 What do signs of overpressure look like on a primer?
Before you do this check, make
sure you have that factory baseline
round to check against.
That round should show
(assuming it was good quality) the
primer in a good condition versus a
flattened or highly indented primer.
If
the
hand
load
ed
roun
d’s
prim
er
seem
s much flatter and fills the rounded edges/bevels that a regular
primer has then that could be a sign of pressure issues.
Keep in mind that this is not a 100% reliable test, and other
things can cause the look of a flattened primer such as poor

378
installation and headspace issues.
In the same token, if the firing pin indentations on the primer
base seem different (usually shallower), then this could be
another sign of pressure.
Less common signs on the
primer are an extruded primer
where pressure has forced the
primer into the space between the
breech and firing pin hole.
You know this is an issue if
your test round shows no such
signs, but this batch does. This is
Image credit: Wayne Weihrauch a strong sign of pressure issues.

Of course, if there is no primer

present in fresh or fairly new brass
then this shows pressure issues as
it was bad enough to blow out the
primer!
If the case has been reloaded
several times it could also mean
that cleaning of the primer pocket
on the case has made the fit poor
and the space too large, and in that
case, you need to discard that case in an event as it’s no longer
viable.
This issue can also cause a black ring to form around the
edges of the primer where gases have escaped due to the poor
fit.
This could also be a pressure sign but is less reliable.
Finally, holes in the primer itself where the firing pin hit is
another sign. This is usually an indent, but now it’s a hole. This is
a big sign of danger as the blow back was so severe that it
pierced the primer, so stop now!

379
 What do signs of overpressure look like on a case?
In this set of checks, we need
the baseline brass case to check
against. We need to check the
case very closely for cracks, splits,
or bulges as these are signs of
wear or pressure damage.
Most case bulge problems are
caused by thinned brass that
bulges during any downward Image credit: Cliff Steele

pressure on the case when

reloading.
Next, we need to check the case head (base) for differences.
If there is a difference, what is it?
One sign of overpressure is an additional lump on the case
head in the shape of the extractor cutout where the hot brass has
been forced into the extractor during firing. This should be very
obvious. The forces required to do this to good quality brass are

380
obviously very large, and this is a sign to stop testing as pressure
is now too high.
Indentations/scuff marks in the case head are another sign.
These often look like crescent shaped dents where there were
none in the baseline case. Again, this is a sign to stop testing as
pressure is now too high.
Watching the chronograph
When shooting long range, we
are often looking for high muzzle
velocity (MV) to assist with better
wind deflection, but it also makes
sense to avoid pressure issues as
the goal is also consistency.
When you start testing make
sure you have noted an expected
MV in fps and also the same for the
baseline rounds. This will allow you to check your loads versus
expected MV as you move though the batches. This is a reliable
and more scientific way to check how hot your loads are getting,
and when to stop based on pressure versus what you are seeing
on your test paper targets.
Logically as you increase the powder charge, you will expect
an increase in the pressure; and an increase in pressure should
show an increase in muzzle velocity.
You need to record each shot and then check, if you
don’t see the expected increases then there must be
something wrong and that’s a sure sign to stop testing
and to investigate.
When to stop testing?
The whole point of this exercise is to find the best batch of
cartridges for your setup, and ideally the most accurate and
consistent batch. It is not about testing the limits of powder
charge and the load formula.
Using a combination of inspection and the feeling of the firing
process should give you enough signs when enough is enough
and pressure has increased to the maximum.
You should stop the exercise after you have tested all the
batches of rounds you made and can compare them to find the

381
best batch/formula, or if you reach an unsafe or limit of
performance in your test batches.

Note: This type of testing is not perfect, and there are no definitive
signs of overpressure: you can have a problem and not even know
it. Be conservative when reloading and choosing powder weights,
and if you suspect your having a pressure issue stop testing until
you figure out the cause. Sometimes it may not be the cartridge
load but issues with headspace or the rifle itself. Once an accurate
load has been developed you should be able to fire/reload the case
at least 5 times before the primer pocket gets loose. This indicates
our load pressure is around 55-58,000 PSI well within normal load
specifications.

Diagnosis of pressure signs

Once you have stopped due to pressure signs, consider some
common causes and look to remedy these before restarting your
tests.

The most obvious first cause for pressure issues is that

you are using too much powder for that round, so use one
of your lighter loads or restart testing with a different
lower powder charge.
You could have used too much or the wrong powder due
to using the wrong data. Don’t be tempted to get a load
setup from a friend or the internet unless you are very
experienced and know it works, it’s better to be
conservative and use a known formula from a good
reloading manual. Also, remember that reloading data can
change between manuals too.
You are pressure “stacking” by changing the load recipe. if
you use different components (i.e. cases, primer, powder,
or projectile) from an acceptable load formula or the
manual. Its best to stick with a formula that works than
change all the comments around, if you need to change
try one at a time to try and get the formula right for you.
Other ideas for issues could be your cases are too long as
you didn’t measure and trim them as required or your

382
 bullet seating depths are wrong.

There are other causes, but these are good start for refining
your reloading process.

Note: Excessive pressure signs can be evident even when a load is

safely within the recommended charge weight range from the
manual. Remember that data can vary between manuals, and that
data is aimed at a safe “middle ground” of setup for a specific test
system. The manual won’t match your personal setup for obvious
reasons, and therefore it is just a guideline.

Pressure can build up even when using the loading

manual formula
When using a load formula, it’s easy to change the expected
results by changing any of the parts of the formula. For example,
each load formula uses a specific test environment (this is made
of up a range of parameters, and if you change any of these, you
can stack pressure increases and build an unsafe load).

Takeaway:
To repeat: cartridges should never be loaded with powder charges
above the maximum or below the minimum charge weight
specified in the reloading manual. Load testing is about working
from the minimum up to the optimum safe load for our shooting
setup without getting to the maximum.

383
 LEARN WITH VIDEO

It can often be easier to understand complex processes with a

video to back up your book learning. We have an optional video
training course as well as mobile friendly online course that teach
this syllabus too.
If you prefer to learn visually then check out our video library
at the link below:

https://www.precisionhandloading.org/book-videos/

384
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

385
 ONE
HOW TO CLEAN RELOADING DIES

Reloading die need cleaning they will get a buildup of oils and
lubes, lead, copper or dust from the reloading process over time.
You need to clean dies, just like the rest of your precision
equipment, or you will introduce problems in the process.
We suggest every 1000 rounds or so, assuming you keep the
dies in good condition and in their boxes or covered after each
session.
You should have a good idea on how to deconstruct your dies
as you often have the need to do so when first seating them up,
but it helps to consult the manual as each can be slightly different
in features and parts.
Cleaning sizing dies

For most sizing dies, remove the decapping assembly from

the die body by turning the nut at the top of the die body.
If you have a micrometer version, follow the instructions
for that model. You may also need to remove the washer
and spindle bushing to free the decapping assembly.
Once taken apart, give the decapping assembly a wipe
down with clean patch and lube.
If the die has a vent hole, push a needle through the vent
hole to remove any dirt.

386
 Clean the body of the die like any firearm with a non-
corrosive cleaner solvent/degreaser. Use a cleaning rod
and patches - clean, degrease and dry.
Put the spindle and the expander ball back into the sizing
die in the same order that you removed them.
Lube the threads of the sizing die and replace the nuts or
bushing.
Set the cleaned and reassembled die back in its storage
box.

Cleaning seating dies

Consult the manufacturer’s instructions as there are several
types of dies, some with bushings, etc.

For most seating dies, unscrew the lock nut and remove
the seating stem from the die body with any bushings.
Clean the body of the die like any firearm with a non-
corrosive cleaner solvent/degreaser. Use a cleaning rod
and patches: clean, degrease and dry.
Clean any bushings with a Q-tip to remove any dirt and
lightly lube.
Clean the bottom of the seating stem with another
wet/dry patch.
Lube the threads of the sizing die.
Reassemble the die, with bushings if needed.
Set the cleaned and reassembled die back in its storage
box.

387
 TWO
HOW TO DECONSTRUCT A CARTRIDGE

You shouldn’t need to pull a bullet

very often, but it’s useful when
doing load development as you
will likely have rounds that have
not been required as part of the
testing process and you can reuse
those parts.
When you make a mistake or
Collet-Type Bullet Puller
want to disassemble rounds,
having a bullet puller at your
disposal is handy.
A Collet-Type Bullet Puller screws into the top of your press,
the collet goes in the top and you will insert your bullet in.
The collet grips it and then you manually lower the ram,
pulling the bullet from the cartridge case. Simple.
There's another type that many of you may be familiar with,
which is a Kinetic Bullet Puller.
It looks a little bit like a hammer.
You screw the cartridge in, and you start whacking it on the
bench top, and ultimately the bullet pulls free and powder goes
everywhere.

388
 As you can tell, we prefer the
former should you need to pull a
bullet.

389
 JOIN OUR LONG RANGE COMMUNITY

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T hanks for reading our book , we worked hard for a few years to bring you
what we hope is a punchy, but comprehensive resource you can rely on for
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We have setup a newsletter you can join to get access to a ton of extra
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390
 EVEN BETTER…We have produced a fully interactive online training course!
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391
 NEXT STEPS…GET BOOK TWO

In the Second Book we cover the more advanced topics of

Equipment usage and setup, Shooting technique and the
fundamentals, Ballistics and Reading the Wind.
You will learn the how to use your equipment and a precision
rifle, the “fundamentals” of marksmanship, shooting positions,
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drag, angles and transonic effects) the environment (density
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Go to the store to get your copy:

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Volume 2 contents:

Equipment usage and setup - rifle

Equipment usage and setup - scopes
Equipment usage and setup - support
Shooting technique
Getting set up to shoot
Ballistics

392
Reading the wind

393
 MORE LONG RANGE SHOOTING BOOKS,
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visit our website for special deals, offers and details:

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Vol. 1: Getting started, caliber and equipment choices

In the First Volume of the Ultimate Guide to Long Range Precision Shooting
And Hunting, we help you save money and time with your equipment choices.
Vol. 2: Fundamentals, ballistics and reading the wind

394
 Covering topics of equipment usage and setup, shooting technique, ballistics
and reading the wind. The core technical skills and knowledge required to be a
competent long range shooter.
Vol 3: Choosing and using a Long Range Rifle Scope
Find the ideal scope for your needs from over 1,000 brand and model
choices with full details on the key features to consider. Then learn how to
install, zero and use it for long range shooting or hunting.
Vol 4: Precision Rifle Handloading (Reloading)
Both entry level and advanced reloading techniques are covered in detail.
Every nuance of match quality handloading covered, including safety, selection,
sorting, preparation, seating and load development. This resource is focused on
long range precision handloading to give the shooter the most accurate
precision setup.
And even more are being added all the time…to learn more visit us
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Prefer learning online or on

your phone with videos?

395
We offer courses online. Our multimedia lessons offer a great deal more: lots of
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396
 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

This book, streaming video and online course was built by a

professional team. The main content was developed by Mr Gillespie-
Brown and Mr Holland from years of teaching experience in both
long-range shooting and the art of handloading ammunition.

Primary author - Jon Gillespie-

Brown
The primary author of this book, Mr.
Gillespie-Brown, has been shooting since
he was a young man. He started in the
Army Cadets as shooting team captain
where he achieved marksman status on a
whole range of weapons and calibers, but
his favorite was always the 7.62mm rifle.
Since that time, he has shot in
competitions and for fun for more than 30
years across hand gun, rifle and shotgun
disciplines. He is the CEO of a number of
high tech companies, and has a great deal
of experience in online interactive training and software. He is also an inventor
with a number of US patents. Mr. Gillespie-Brown is the author of numerous
best selling books, training DVDs and online courses covering learning how to
shoot long range, fly light aircraft and helicopters, how to sail yachts, dinghies
and powerboats with more outdoor teaching topics coming all the time.
Mr. Gillespie-Brown is also the author of the popular business book So You
Want To Be An Entrepreneur? (Wiley), and has been a lecturer, mentor and
judge on this topic at the London Business School, Stanford University and U.C.
Berkeley University for over 15 years.
Mr. Gillespie-Brown is a passionate precision shooter and long range hunter.

397
Primary contributor - Darrell
Holland
Darrell Holland's life quest has been
researching, building and providing the
very best rifles, gear and guidance for long
range shooters and hunters.
Darrell Holland has been in the
firearms business his whole life. He started
out making custom rifles, innovative gun
brake designs and custom rifle stocks as
well as consulting work for Savage Arms in
design and production techniques. He is a qualified Gunsmith, producing
educational videos for the American Gunsmithing Institute, as well as being the
first Gunsite Gunsmith with Jeff Cooper.
He is a prolific inventor with a number of US patents, and he has designed
everything from field bags, ballistic software, stock designs, scope mounts for
long-range shooters as well as designing and developing scope levels that are
the official Level for the USA F-Class Shooting Team. In addition to those
achievements, he is a pioneer in reticle technology developing “Advanced
Reticle Technology” in Leupold and Schmidt & Bender rifle scopes. Hunting in
the US, New Zealand, and Africa for 40 years led him to design hunter survival
tools such as the Holland's Lightning Strike Fire Starter sold on Amazon.
In addition to being an inventor, he is also a teacher. He has taught
defensive pistol shooting all over the US, presented SCI Hunter Survival and
long-range shooting seminars, run his shooting school teaching hunters
worldwide for 20 years. He teaches both long range shooting techniques as
well as handloading ammunition at his Oregon-based school.
He is an NRA Endowment member, SCI Life Member, and VHA Life Member.

Our Skills & Expertise

TeachMe Interactive produces high quality, in-depth, books, e-books,
videos and online courses to help you learn new skills quickly and
easily.

398
 We have packed our books and our courses full of simple and informative
videos, diagrams, illustrations and short text so you can learn in your own way,
but absorb the materials in minutes. There’s no need to wade through pages of
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Visit: https://www.teachmeinteractive.com for details about the

other courses that will help you enjoy your hobbies and pastimes.

399
 LEGAL NOTICE & DISCLAIMER

Every effort has been made to make this publication as complete

and as accurate as possible, but no warranty as to suitability or
fitness for any particular purpose is given or implied. The
information provided is on an 'as is' basis. The author and the
publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any
person or entity with respect to any loss or damage arising from
the information or the use or application (in whole or in part) of
the information contained in this publication. The author and the
publisher expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility
to any person reading or using this guide in respect of anything,
and of any consequences of anything, done or omitted to be done
by any such person in reliance, whether wholly or in part, upon
the whole or part of this guide. In particular, but without limiting
the foregoing, the publisher and author assume no responsibility
for errors or omissions or any actions taken on the basis of the
information contained in this guide.
IN NO EVENT WILL TEACHME INTERACTIVE BE LIABLE TO
YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST
SAVINGS, LOST REVENUES, LOSS OF DATA OR ANY INDIRECT,
SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING
OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE COURSE, EVEN
IF TEACHME INTERACTIVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

400
 WARNING NOTICE

FIREARMS CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO THE USER

AND TO OTHERS.

This book and course encourages the safe and responsible

ownership and use of firearms. You agree and acknowledge that
there are risks associated with firearms training, including but not
limited to: risk of serious injury or death due to firearms
discharge by you or another individual, exposure to loud noises,
and exposure to noxious fumes and hazardous material. Despite
the risks, you knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently choose to
participate in this firearms training course even though you will
not be doing any live fire during this theory-only course.
At all times, TeachMe Interactive intends for the gun safety
information contained in this class to be used for educational
purposes only. No information presented within this class should
be construed as advice requiring professional licensure and a
relationship with a patient/client, including medical, psychological,
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attorney/client, or other such legal relationship is formed or
intended to be formed by your participation in this course.

401
-INDX-
Title Page 1
Copyright notice 2
Contents 4
Join Our Long Range Community 8
Book content and audience 10
Learn from videos or online/mobile courses 14
General safety and legal 17
Hand loading safety tips 20
Keep in touch 24
An Introduction to Handloading 25
1. Factory vs. Handloaded Ammo 26
2. Handloading vs. Reloading 29
3. Why Make Your Own Ammunition? 32
4. How safe is Handloading? 34
5. What skills are required to make ammunition? 36
6. Precision and Accuracy for Long Range Shooting 38
7. The Importance of Consistent Ammunition 41
Learn with video 43
Understanding Ammunition 44
1. Barrel Anatomy 45
2. Barrel Harmonics 49
3. Bullets and Projectile Twist Rate 52
4. Caliber Selection 56
5. Ballistic Coefficient 63
6. Brass Life 66
7. Fire Forming a Cartridge Case 68
I. Cartridge Measurements 70
1. Introduction 71

402
 2. Understanding Headspace 73
3. Understanding COAL/CBTO/Seating Depth 76
4. Understanding Neck Tension 79
5. Weights Used in Ammunition 82
II. Components of a Cartridge 84
1. Introduction 85
2. Anatomy of a Projectile (The Bullet) 90
3. Anatomy of a Case (The Brass) 96
4. Propellant (The Powder) 99
5. Primers Explained 102
Getting Started Making Ammunition 105
1. Introduction 106
2. How to Develop Your Own “Loads” 107
3. The Load Development Process 111
4. The Use of Reloading Manuals and Data 116
I. Sourcing the Best Cartridge Parts 121
1. Brass Selection 123
2. Bullet Selection 127
3. Powder Selection 129
4. Primer Selection 132
5. Next Steps… 135
Handloading Equipment 137
1. Introduction 138
2. The Reloading Bench 140
3. Reloading Manuals 145
4. Reloading Record Book 147
5. Essential Equipment to Get Started 149
6. Brass Case Cleaners 159
7. Powder Measures and Dispensers 164
8. Automated Powder Dispensing Scales 166
9. Annealing Tools 168
10. Handloading Tools for Match Level Preparation 171

403
 I. Reloading Presses 182
1. Introduction 183
2. Single Stage Presses 188
3. Turret Reloading Presses 193
4. Progressive Reloading Presses 195
5. The Arbor Press 198
6. Reloading Dies (For the Press) 199
7. Shell Holder/Plate (For the Press) 210
Stages of Building Your Ammunition 212
I. The Case Preparation Stage (Used Brass) 221
1. Introduction to Case Preparation 222
2. New Brass: What’s Different in the Process 226
3. Case General Cleaning 229
4. Advanced: Clean the Case and Case Neck 234
5. Case Inspection and Measurement 236
6. Case Lubrication 240
7. Setting Up the Resizing/Decapping Die 243
8. Case Depriming (standalone) 255
9. Case Resizing (Full Length) 257
10. Lube Removal/Case Inspection/Case Length
260
Measurement
11. Advanced: Rounding Out the Case Mouths and
263
Resetting Neck Size
12. Case Trimming (If Required) 266
13. Case Chamfer/Deburring 271
14. Advanced: Clean and Uniform the Primer Pocket 275
15. Advanced: Measure the Primer Pocket Depth 279
16. Advanced: Uniforming and Chamfering the Flash Holes 281
17. Advanced: Case Neck Turning (If Required) 285
18. Advanced: Case Annealing (If Required) 290
19. Advanced: Case Weighing and Sorting 297
Learn with video 299
II. The Case Priming Stage 300

404
 1. Case Priming Issues 301
2. Advanced: Measure and Sort the Primers 304
3. Hand Priming 305
4. Priming With a Single Stage Press 309
5. Advanced: Bench Priming 311
III. Powder/Propellant Stage 314
1. Introduction 315
2. Charging the Cases and Testing 318
3. Advanced: Using an Electronic Dispenser 324
IV. Bullet Seating Stage 329
1. Introduction to Bullet Seating 330
2. Determining Bullet Seating Depth 333
3. Advanced: Bullet Sorting by Weight and Length 339
4. The Bullet Seating Procedure 343
Learn with video 352
V. Finishing Up Your Ammunition 353
1. Advanced: Concentricity and Bullet Run Out 354
2. Measuring Final Cartridge Length (CBTO) 357
3. Records, Clean Up and Storage 360
Testing Your Handloaded Ammunition 362
1. Introduction to Load Development 363
2. Ladder Testing 367
3. Ladder Testing Tips 373
4. Watching for Pressure Signs 375
Learn with video 384
Equipment Maintenance 385
1. How to Clean Reloading Dies 386
2. How to Deconstruct a Cartridge 388
Join Our Long Range Community 390
Next steps…Get Book Two 392
More long range shooting books, videos and
394
courses…

405
About the Authors 397
Legal Notice & Disclaimer 400
Warning notice 401

406