The Tips and Tricks of Precision Reloading - By: Bruce Mackay

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

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

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

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