In this post, I’ll give you an overview of the Hornady Lock-N-Load Rifle Bullet Feed 30 caliber conversion kit (Hornady product # 095345). With this kit, you can convert your .22 caliber Hornady Lock-N-Load Rifle Bullet Feeder to load 30 caliber bullets for cartridges like 308 Winchester, 30-06, and many others. In the above picture you […]
Tag: 308 Winchester
Video: Rifle Brass Prep Made Easy with the RCBS Trim Pro 3-Way Cutter
In a previous post, I demonstrated using machine shop equipment (a metal lathe and milling machine) for rifle brass prep. In this post, I’m following up on a suggestion to show the RCBS Trim Pro 3-Way cutter to collapse thee steps into one. Here’s the steps that I showed in the original post: Lube, size, […]
Hornady Rifle Bullet Feeder Part 3: Loading .223 on the Lock-N-Load AP
In recent posts, I’ve given an overview of the new Hornady Lock-N-Load Rifle Bullet Feeder, and shown high-level setup details for this new piece of machinery. In this post we’ll get down-to-business and load some .223/5.56 rounds on the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP 5-station progressive reloading press. Be sure to check out the video below showing […]
Hornady Rifle Bullet Feeder Part I: Overview
With this post, I’m excited to kick-off a new blog series covering Hornady’s Lock-N-Load Rifle Bullet Feeder. With a totally new and unique bullet feed die system and many other innovative features, this bullet feeder provides unique capabilities that I’m looking forward to showing you. We’ll cover an overview of this new system (this post), […]
Video: Use Your Machine Shop Equipment for Brass Prep
One of the most important aspects of reloading rifle ammunition is correct brass prep. This is especially true when you are reloading military brass like 5.56 NATO (similar to .223 Remington) and 7.62x51mm (similar to .308 Winchester). These military cases are a great deal, and in some cases you can buy once-fired machine gun brass […]
Starting to Loading Rifle, Part I: What You’ll Need
So you want to start loading rifle ammunition! Soon you’ll be realizing more accurate ammunition, complete control over cartridge characteristics, and also save a bunch of money. But first, there’s a bunch of information to absorb, and a bunch of things to buy. But what things to buy? That’s the reason for this article! There […]
Frankford Arsenal Vibraprime Speeds Up Primer Tube Loading
So how many rounds per hour does your press load? It’s a question we’ve all been asked. Well let’s see, if I can keep moving I can do about 700 rounds per hour, but I have to stop and refill powder, load primers, let’s figure about 500 rounds per hour with all of the stoppages […]
How to weigh the costs and benefits of reloading your own ammunition
We’ve all been there- walking past that neglected tool in the garage or exercise equipment in the den with accumulated dust so thick you could write your name in it. Then, you think back to the weeks that you agonized over which make/model to go with, and the rush of excitement when the delivery truck […]
Free Rifle Cartridge Guides
One of the first things you need to do when reloading your own ammo is to study up on the cartridge you’re loading for. A reloading manual is a great resource for this kind of information, but many times you need *more* data and information. Well, if you’re reloading for rifle, there’s some great free […]
5 Tips for Reloading Accurate Rifle Ammunition
There are many reasons to handload your own rifle ammunition. It’s fun, it’s economical, and you can attain maximum accuracy by carefully loading custom ammunition for your rifle. If you’re new to handloading rifle ammunition, here are some basic considerations for accuracy: Start with proven loads and load data Fire form your brass Optimize bullet […]
Tips for Preventing Stuck Cases
Excited to get started loading, I grabbed some .223 Remington brass that had been sitting for months since being sprayed down with lube. I prepared to validate my powder charge by running a single cartridge through the RCBS Pro 2000 progressive press. I pulled the lever to size the case, and *POP*, when trying to […]
Quick Tip: Indexing Your Dies
If you are reloading rifle ammunition on a progressive reloading press, you just may be one of those “attention to detail” kind of guys. Rifle reloaders tend to be a bit obsessive about their reloading supplies, equipment, and processes. But some times we overlook the simple details that can make a difference. If you’re loading […]
Range Results: AR-308 rifle – getting close to goal
Hey everyone- I’ve had quite a few inquiries as to how the range results are looking for the AR-308 project rifle. I didn’t set a formal accuracy goal for the project, but I would like to see consistent ~0.5″ groups at 100 yards. This involves shooting skills, load development, and time. This last week, I […]
Calling all RCBS Pro-2000 users!
Recently, I gathered feedback from Lee Loadmaster owners. Today it’s time to call out to all you RCBS Pro-2000 owners! You APS-loving cast iron frame equipped people know who you are. 🙂 So what was it about the RCBS Pro-2000 that made you decide to buy into that system? What do you like about it […]
Poll: What Rifle Cartridge Do You Reload Most Often?
If you’re like me, as soon as you get a new rifle, you start to anticipate reloading for it. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing your groups shrink after careful planning and successive batches of reloads. For most of us, there’s a particular rifle cartridge that we tend to reload most frequently. Which […]
AR-308 – RCBS Pro-2000 and 30 cal RCBS Rifle Bullet Feeder
Now that we’ve covered the precision loading process for the AR-308 project, it’s time now to move on to progressive reloading. This will enable us to load ammunition very quickly. If we select the right equipment, and are careful and strategic to setup this equipment, we can also attain very high consistency for the ammo […]
AR-308 – Precision Loading Pt. 4 – Seating Bullets Checking Concentricity
In my last video, I covered priming and charging cases, see AR-308 – Precision Loading Pt. 3 – Priming and Charging Cases. Now we need to seat bullets, and also check/correct for concentricity of the bullet. If we have a consistent charge, a benchrest primer, consistent case neck thickness, and a properly/optimally seated bullet, we’re […]
AR-308 – Precision Loading Pt. 3 – Priming and Charging Cases
In my last post, I walked through the process of using the Redding Case Neck Gage to sort our 7.62×51 (Military 308 Winchester) brass into buckets based on both thickness and uniformity. Below is a picture showing the distribution. The numbers I’m using here (0.016″ +/- .0005″ for example) reference the total variation in thickness, […]
AR-308 – Precision Loading Pt. 2 – Case Neck Thickness and Uniformity
Now that we’ve cleaned, sized, trimmed, and finished the basis brass prep steps, it’s time to sort the brass that we’ve prepped so that we can uses batches of consistent brass for precision loads. We are now at the final stage of brass prep as covered in the brass prep overview post. For this stage, […]
AR-308 – Precision Loading Pt. 1 – Case sizing and trimming
It’s time to start loading some precision 308 Winchester ammo for the LR-308 project! Our rifle is all tuned up and tricked out, and now we need some capable ammunition to shoot. In this video, I’ll walk through the process of validating sizing die setup with the new Redding Instant Indicator, and we’ll see how […]
AR-308 – Brass and Brass Prep Basics
Now that we’ve finished provisioning the LR-308B rifle for the AR-308 project, it’s time to gear up for precision handloading! Before we start loading, we need to get brass, and prep that brass. It turns out that for precision rifle loading, much of the labor and attention to detail is really related to the brass. […]
AR-308 – Redding equipment overview
One of the things I like most about these kinds of projects (AR-MPR, AR-308) is the opportunity to showcase new reloading equipment (new to the market, or new to my shop :)). For the next phase of the AR-308 project, we’ll transition to a focus on precision single stage reloading. This will involve things like […]
AR-308 – 308 Winchester Cartridge Overview
The 308 Winchester cartridge is one of the most popular, flexible, and accurate rifle cartridges in existence. Whether it be for big game hunting, military sniping, competition shooting, or just having fun, the 308 Winchester is well suited and very capable for these applications. The fact that this cartridge is so popular means that brass […]
AR-308 – Millett TRS-1 Scope Install
Following up on the last post covering the Millett Tactical TRS-1 scope, in this video I’ll cover the mounting procedure for this scope using a pair of Millett tactical scope rings (medium height). I’ll also demonstrate the use of the Wheeler Engineering Firearms Accurizing Torque (FAT) wrench. This is a simple scope mounting procedure where […]
AR-308 – Millett TRS-1 Scope Specifications and Details
In my last post, we took a look at the features and overall fit/finish for the Millett TRS-1 tactical scope. In this post, we’ll get into more details and look at the specs for this scope. When you purchase the Millett TRS-1 scope, you get the following: Scope Dust caps (for objective and eyepiece) – […]
