Short Siberia Load Development Questions...

[TattooedGun]

Okay, I'm currently doing 60 cases... (and am upto the point where cases are prepped and primed and now i need to weigh the powder!!

heres the process so far:


The Equipment!


Lube!


Lubed in fingers!


Into Press ready to Full length Resize and decap!


up she goes!


Success!


37 Prepped cases, THEN i realised that the person who gave me the brass can't count and I can't do 60 rounds with the same brass... okay, 30 of each brass with the same loads in... see if the brass effects the group and work out which is better for which rifle


30 RUAG decapped and sized brass, and 30 Lapua in same state!


Primer hole cleaner time!


Before


After (does this look about right? I can't seem to get it much cleaner!)


Electric Screwdriver! - so glad i got one, this would be an IMMENSE task without it (as it happens, its not the greatest - i wish i could lock the case holder in the screwdriver... it falls out sometimes :( ) - also... note i actually am tattooed, its not just a forum name... !


Case ready to go!


Trim First!


Inner Chamfer!


outter Chamfer!


Wire Wool cleaning


nice and shiny!


getting the brass shards off the neck (I don't know if this is critical, but i don't want a bit of brass snagging my bullet when its seated - i should have also done this whilst it was on the electric screwdriver! hindsights a *female dog*!)


30 prepped and shiny RUAGS!


Weighing the prepped brass - I know it may make no difference and I don't have enough to batch them properly, but if i order them then theres no big jumps from 168.9gr to the heaviest 172.8gr case


RUAG left, Lapua Right - the lapua doesnt seem to clean up as nice as the RUAG :(


Ready to prime!


Press arm down - primer rocker under and push back on the press arm to push the primer into its hole


one nicely prmied case! - my hands are pretty dirty by now - washed them twice, but it is stuck on solid!

So thats where I'm upto... I'm taking photos as hopefully I'll do a writeup on how to reload for my rifle clubs website - need to make sure they work first and then refine the stages

Let me know what you think of my process so far..

Just need to powder them and seat the bullet now!

what powder weights to use though :/ any suggestions?

[Christel]

Glad to see you found the thread, I moved it due to the reloading nature of it.

[Christel]

It all looks really good!

Gotta say, there is a picture missing...the Tattoo!

[TattooedGun]

Glad to see you found the thread, I moved it due to the reloading nature of it.

I noticed...

I didnt put it in here originally as I wasnt going to go into the reloading nature so much as trying to find out about short siberia... - I still don't know how I'm going to use the targets to find out the group sizes :-S

[ovenpaa]

Build to 2.800" with 44.5 to 46.5 grains of Varget would be a good start.

Incriment in .3 grain steps, this will give you 5 shots at each weight with a couple of foulers (low end of the loads) and can be tried with both case types, shoot for groups at this stage so get the MiL to stick a paper plate on the target or similar so you can take them down and look at them afterwards. make sure you number them or write the powder load on each so you can see how they grouped by charge.

If you have a spare RUAG and Lapau case prepare them, put a primer in them and then weigh them. Now fill each to the very top with water with a drop of washing up liquid in (Avoid bubbles!) Carefully dry the outside of the case with a tissue if wet and weigh them again, subtract the original weight from the wet weight and this will give you the case capacity in H2O - Handy to know in a bit.

[TattooedGun]

RE tattoos... I'll post a new thread, try and keep this one on topic!

[TattooedGun]

Build to 2.800" with 44.5 to 46.5 grains of Varget would be a good start.

Incriment in .3 grain steps, this will give you 5 shots at each weight with a couple of foulers (low end of the loads) and can be tried with both case types, shoot for groups at this stage so get the MiL to stick a paper plate on the target or similar so you can take them down and look at them afterwards. make sure you number them or write the powder load on each so you can see how they grouped by charge.

If you have a spare RUAG and Lapau case prepare them, put a primer in them and then weigh them. Now fill each to the very top with water with a drop of washing up liquid in (Avoid bubbles!) Carefully dry the outside of the case with a tissue if wet and weigh them again, subtract the original weight from the wet weight and this will give you the case capacity in H2O - Handy to know in a bit.

sorry to be pedantic, but do you mean from 44.5 to 46.6? that'd be 7 loads - unfortunately I need atleast 6 of each load - so 5 different loads (3 each for 2 rifles of each case/load)

so if i go

6 x 44.5 RUAG
6 x 44.5 Lap
6 x 45 RUAG
6 x 45 Lap
6 x 45.5 RUAG
6 x 45.5 Lap
6 x 46 RUAG
6 x 46 Lap
6 x 46.5 RUAG
6 x 46.5 Lap

both at 2.800" OAL

That sound about right?

I'd love to do mroe varients, but I don't have enough bullets! and I'm runnig out of time, I was hoping to be done by 7:30! Doh!

[ovenpaa]

sorry to be pedantic, but do you mean from 44.5 to 46.6? that'd be 7 loads - unfortunately I need atleast 6 of each load - so 5 different loads (3 each for 2 rifles of each case/load)

so if i go

6 x 44.5 RUAG
6 x 44.5 Lap
6 x 45 RUAG
6 x 45 Lap
6 x 45.5 RUAG
6 x 45.5 Lap
6 x 46 RUAG
6 x 46 Lap
6 x 46.5 RUAG
6 x 46.5 Lap

both at 2.800" OAL

That sound about right?

I'd love to do mroe varients, but I don't have enough bullets! and I'm runnig out of time, I was hoping to be done by 7:30! Doh!

That is a fine load spread, do you have any other ammunition of any kind? Even a couple would be good, then I would say put a couple of anything through the rifle first to warm it up, then shoot groups of 5, not 6.

Once all the groups are shot go back and shoot the last 4 Lapua in sequance, followed by the RUAG. It is a far from ideal way of doing things but what you are looking for is the shots that are closer together, you may find 46 and 46.5 RUAG are the closet two together which gives you something to look at for further development as do the 5 shot groups

[TattooedGun]

sorry to be pedantic, but do you mean from 44.5 to 46.6? that'd be 7 loads - unfortunately I need atleast 6 of each load - so 5 different loads (3 each for 2 rifles of each case/load)

so if i go

6 x 44.5 RUAG
6 x 44.5 Lap
6 x 45 RUAG
6 x 45 Lap
6 x 45.5 RUAG
6 x 45.5 Lap
6 x 46 RUAG
6 x 46 Lap
6 x 46.5 RUAG
6 x 46.5 Lap

both at 2.800" OAL

That sound about right?

I'd love to do mroe varients, but I don't have enough bullets! and I'm runnig out of time, I was hoping to be done by 7:30! Doh!

That is a fine load spread, do you have any other ammunition of any kind? Even a couple would be good, then I would say put a couple of anything through the rifle first to warm it up, then shoot groups of 5, not 6.

Once all the groups are shot go back and shoot the last 4 Lapua in sequance, followed by the RUAG. It is a far from ideal way of doing things but what you are looking for is the shots that are closer together, you may find 46 and 46.5 RUAG are the closet two together which gives you something to look at for further development as do the 5 shot groups

sorry If I'm being unclear, I'll only be able to shoot groups of 3 per rifle - I don't have enough rounds to be able to shoot 5 :(

I have some old factory ammo - I was going to use just for that purpose, and to give me a benchmark! - if I can't beat the 1976 surplus ammo then its time to give up on reloading now!

yeah, i was hoping to be able to narrow it down between the load developments of this time - I may have to do it again if there are too many flyers, but I'll try and control where they are pointed when i pull the trigger!

[ovenpaa]

You are taking two rifles?