When it comes to handloading ammo for a precision rifle, I know shooters who live for the hunt. There are guys at my club who have shot out more than one barrel looking for the ultimate load. They do test after test and never settle on a load. They’re always looking for the one that’s just a little bit better. That’s fine if that’s…
By John Bibby
Reloading rifle cases is much more complicated than reloading pistol cases.
There can be more complication in reloading for rifle as there are very few belted pistol cases and straight-wall cases are a bit easier to deal with (most pistol rounds). That being said, loading a bottleneck 5.56 (rifle round) is no…
Reloading Safety
When reloading, ALWAYS wear safety glasses and hearing protection.
Never force an operating handle on a loader. If the effort needed to cycle the loader drastically changes, don’t force it.
Stop and determine the cause. Don’t smoke, watch TV or cat videos while loading. Store primers and powder out of reach of children and away…
When reloading ammunition, you typically start out with empty, fired cases. These can typically be reused anywhere from five to 20 times or more, depending upon the specific cartridge. This empty case must undergo a series of steps to be converted back into a live, loaded cartridge:
Case Preparation
Resizing, Depriming, & Repriming
…
There are several reasons to reload ammunition.
Save Money
Typically, reloaded ammunition is significantly less expensive than factory ammunition; usually you can save between 25%-60%. This allows one to shoot more for the same amount of money.
Customize Your Load
Another reason to reload is for customization; for hunting and competitive shooting, one can assemble…
By John Bibby
.300 PRC
6.5 PRC
6mm Creedmoor
For those of us who reload, there are tons of options that factory ammo shooters do not have. This comes in many options, such as reduced load charges, subsonic options, heavy-for-caliber bullets and ammunition tailored to what a barrel likes. All these options fit squarely within…
By John Kleespies
A lot can be learned from gathering your spent brass and reading the primers. Here’s a few things to look for… but first…
As I discussed in a previous article, different brands of primers behave in different ways, so proceed accordingly. For instance, Federal primers are soft, whereas CCI primers are hard. Therefore,…
By John Kleespies
My car has a “hidden” storage compartment in the trunk, and I recently thought, “Hey, that’s a perfect place to transport my pistol and ammo.” I loaded up and headed to the range. When I got to my club, I had an “Uh-oh” moment when I found my 9mm ammunition almost too…
By John Bibby
Reloaders have customization options that factory options will not fulfill. They are targeting the sweet spot of the buying market, not the smaller niches. We as reloaders can put together powder, projectile and even barrel twist combinations far outside the ranges factories are willing to support. Here are five options that are…
By John Bibby
Yes, there is math. No, it isn’t difficult math.
If you are someone who routinely shoots past 200 yards with a rifle, it would be quite helpful to know how to build your own Ballistics/Dope Chart. By doing so, you can adjust your scope to have the crosshair line up with the…
By John Bibby
Every reloadable cartridge is built from the same four base components. These are primer, brass, powder and projectile.
Primer:
This is a small metal cup containing an explosive. Most US reloading uses Boxer primers. The primers are a onetime use item. As such, the old one must be pressed out of place,…
By John Bibby
Short Distance
.300 Blackout
.300 Ham’r
.458 SOCOM
Medium Distance
6.5 Grendel
.277 Wolverine
The AR-15 is a hotbed of innovation for cartridges that can thread the needle between providing great terminal performance and staying within a very small case footprint. The tremendous number of attempts at this means there are lots…