In the quest for an accurate 50 BMG rifle for an upcoming reloading and shooting series, I found out about the awesome HTI (Hard Target Interdiction) rifle system from a company called DesertTech. With many of the 50 BMG rifles out there shooting 1.5+ MOA, their sub-MOA HTI rifle was of immediate interest. When I […]
Tag: 308 Winchester
New Bottleneck Rifle Brass from Starline
Many of you are familiar with Starline- manufacturer of fine reloading brass. Recently, Starline has expanded their product offerings to include a selection of bottleneck rifle cases- in many popular chamberings (see Starline’s press release). I just got my hands on a bunch of this brass, and wanted to give you an “up close look” […]
M60 -vs- Laser Printer: Taking Care of Business
It was looking like the perfect weekend: Having a bunch of friends over, having a Type 07 FFL bring a collection of machine guns to the event, and a theme: “Death to the Printer”. This was a printer that I’ve struggled with many times over the last 8 years: random “offline” state, spurious low toner […]
.308 Tracer 7.62x39mm Reloads for the AK-47
What’s better than shooting your AK-47? Shooting your AK-47 with tracers! That’s what I’m going to cover in this post. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll want to get caught up with things by reading and watching the following resources I’ve published recently: Light Up the Sky: Reloading and Shooting .308 Tracers High-Performance 7.62x39mm […]
Light Up the Sky: Reloading and Shooting .308 Tracers
Since I was a boy I’ve been drawn to fire and fireworks. To me, the 4th of July wasn’t just a day of celebrating, it was an entire week of improvisational pyrotechnical “experiences”. Fast forward from 1985 to 2017, and I’m still just as excited about fire and destruction. So when friend Jim Findlay recently […]
MEC Marksman Single-Stage: Unboxing, Overview, Setup
There’s nothing like a solid piece of iron. Cast iron tools and machines are a lifetime investment, and I love it when I look at a tool and see “Made in USA”. Recently MEC (the Mayville Engineering Company) made an interesting announcement. This company which is known for top-notch shotshell reloading gear announced they are getting into […]
LEE Rifle Dies: In-Depth Overview and Setup
If you’re in the market for a new set of rifle dies, the sheer number of options and types of dies can be a bit overwhelming! Lee rifle dies have a great reputation for value and performance, but there are a total of seven die set types available from Lee (in almost every conceivable chambering), […]
Century Arms N-PAP AK Unboxing and First Shots
There’s nothing quite like the anticipation when you’re about to take a new gun to the range. You may have had your eye on a particular firearm for a long time, or put one on special order. Then comes the moment when you load the magazine and prepare for those first shots. That’s what I […]
TC Compass Hands-On: From Unboxing to 600 Yards
For value-minded rifle buyers, there’s never been a better time than right now! Over the last 10 years, the “standard equipment” list of features and attributes for entry-level rifles has gotten better and better. If you told me 10 years ago that I’d be able to buy a rifle for $350-ish that was loaded with […]
L.E. Wilson Full-Length Bushing Sizing Die Now Available for 14 Cartridges
I was excited to be one of the first people to try out the new L.E. Wilson full-length bushing-type sizing die. When I got my .243 Winchester version, it was literally one of the first off the production line, and I picked it up from L.E. Wilson president Daniel Reichert himself! Since then, Dan has […]
.25-45 Sharps AR-15 Part 3: First Loads
After months of planning, getting my rifles, and setting them up- it’s finally time to start loading .25-45 Sharps! I’m not sure exactly why, but every time I start to load for a new cartridge, I get a feeling of anticipation and excitement. It’s one of the great things about ammunition reloading as a hobby- […]
.25-45 Sharps AR-15 Part 1: Kick-Off and Rifles Overview
I absolutely love the AR-15 rifle platform. The AR-15 is iconic and historic, it’s modular, it’s affordable, it’s compact and light weight, it’s fun to shoot- and it even looks cool! The AR-15 platform is also quite versatile- a great option for defense, target shooting and competition, and even varmint hunting. But what about big game […]
LEE Auto Bench Priming Tool: Overview, Setup, Priming .223 and .308 Cases
Priming tools and systems come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations. Priming your cases is one of the most important aspects of reloading ammunition, and it can also involve a lot of frustration and trouble. So when I saw the introduction of the new the LEE Auto Bench Prime, I was curious. Could this be […]
Loading for the AR-15 with the LEE Auto-Drum Powder Measure
Here on Ultimate Reloader you can count on a LOT of AR-15 content coming over the next year: everything from reloading .223/5.56, to hunting, a lot more with suppressors, and some custom AR-15 rifle action! In this post, I’ve got some great highlights including the LEE Auto-Drum powder measure, the RCBS Pro Chucker 5 progressive […]
LEE Auto-Drum Powder Measure: From Unboxing to Loading Pistol
The powder measure is one of the most important components integral to any reloading press setup. A good powder measure can make for smooth reloading room workflow, help to produce consistent and accurate ammunition, and also help to ensure your safety when shooting your handloaded ammunition. LEE Precision has recently released a new product who’s goal is to […]
Overview: New Enduron Powders from IMR
It’s always exciting to see new reloading products that make things “that much better”. That was my first impression when trying Hodgdon’s CFE-223 and CFE-Pistol powders. These powders have performed great, and I love the fact that copper de-fouling is “built in”. There’s a new crop of powders from IMR that feature copper de-fouling plus […]
Ruger Precision Rifle: Loading 6.5 Creedmoor with the Hornady Lock-N-Load Iron
It’s time to take the reloading for the Ruger Precision Rifle to the next level! I’ve been loading ammunition “factory style” (new brass) on the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP 5-station progressive, and now it’s time to go single-stage. I’ve already gotten GREAT results- with groups in the sub-3/4″ range (a first-group-of-the-day 5-shot group measured just over […]
Hornady Lock-N-Load Iron Press Kit: Unboxing and Overview
If you are like me, you’ve been eagerly awaiting the availability of the new Hornady Lock-N-Load Iron reloading press system. I have been working with Hornady on getting the first videos up for this press, and literally received the first kit off the line. In this series, I’ll cover this new press system and kit […]
Ruger Precision Rifle Part 5: 6.5 Creedmoor Load Prep
It’s been fun getting to know the Ruger Precision Rifle platform. It’s a precision shooting instrument, but you can only get maximum precision if you reload for your rifle. There are so many variables specific to each instance of each specific rifle that can affect the precision of the ammunition you shoot. Some of these […]
Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Unboxing, Overview, and Setup
The Hornady Lock-N-Load AP 5 station progressive reloading press is a popular tool for loading both pistol and rifle ammunition. I’ve published a lot of content related to this press, but one thing I have not yet covered is unboxing- so here you go! Time to take a look up close at the very latest (2016) version of […]
RCBS Pro Chucker 5: Loading .223 Remington
It’s time for Part 7 in the series I’ve been covering on the RCBS Pro Chucker 5. This time we’ll get down-and-dirty loading .223 Remington, something any AR-15 owner will be interested in! I like to show different loading setups in each blog/video, and this time I thought I would try the “.223 equivalent” of […]
Ruger Precision Rifle Part 2: 600 yard and 1000 yard Range Day with the 6.5 Guys
In my last post, I walked through the unboxing, overview, setup, and sight in of the Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. With only a quick 100-yard sighting completed, I was off to the range the next morning with Jim Findlay and the 6.5 Guys: Ed Mobley and Steve Lawrence. Sure, I had fired a […]
Essential Gear: Using the L.E. Wilson Rifle Case Gage
There are certain tools that can save you a lot of time, effort, and money. For reloaders of ammunition, a case gage is one such tool. Have you ever gone to the range and discovered an issue with your handloads? I certainly have. While a case gage can’t prevent all ammunition problems, it is what […]
Cleaning Brass with the RCBS Ultrasonic Cleaner
Brass prep is a critical part of the reloading process, but it can be a huge pain to deal with. I’ve traditionally been a dry tumbler, but I’ve been curious to try some new processes including ultrasonic case cleaning, and stainless media wet tumbling. In this article I’ll give you the low-down on my experience […]
Hornady Rifle Bullet Feeder Part 5: Loading 308 for the AR-10
I am known to be a bit of an extremist. If shooting an AR-15 is fun, wouldn’t shooting an AR-10 be more fun? I actually enjoy both, but I do shoot my DPMS LR-308B quite a bit. That means I’m loading 308 Winchester quite a bit, and that’s what this post is about: loading for […]
