Just cranked out my first batch!

[SquirrelNuts]

I got the final bit of my reloading gear today, and I cranked out my first batch. I read everything I could get my hands on, and then read it again, and then read it twice more, and then once more for good measure.

I was loading new .30-06 Remington brass. It had to be resized as the case necks were dented, but not trimmed. I chamfered and deburred the necks.

I seated CCI 200 LR primers until they were below flush.

I measured out 47.0 grains of Hodgdon Varget using a lee 3.4cc dipper onto my RCBS Range Master 750 scale. I kept adding individual specs of powder until I hit 47.0 exactly.

I topped it off with 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets, seated to 3.250" and the group of five varies no more than 0.001" in O.A.L.

There are very very tiny scored rings around my bullets about a quarter inch from the tip. I assume this is from the seater plug. Is this normal? Is there a way to fix that?

-SquirrelNuts

 

[SquirrelNuts]

I was using RCBS dies on a RCBS RC Supreme press. I chamfered inside the neck with the VLD tool. This allowed me to seat the boat tail in the neck so the bullet was vertical going in to the die.

-SquirrelNuts

 

[Samgotit]

Did you check your unseated, new bullets. I have 500 Nosler Custom Competition BTHP's. Every one of them has marks from the nose on down as if they have be shoved into the lands on a rifle already.

Edit: I see your posting about a horizontal ring, not vertical marks. I get the same mark with .308. I'd like to know as well.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

I did. They were not there before I seated them. They look great right out of the box.

 

[Chawbaccer]

You have a burr around the plug, you can polish it off with a bit of extra fine sand paper and your pinkie finger. You can also contact RCBS and they will probably send you a new one, no charge.

 

[41 Mag]

There are very very tiny scored rings around my bullets about a quarter inch from the tip. I assume this is from the seater plug. Is this normal? Is there a way to fix that?

You have a burr around the plug, you can polish it off with a bit of extra fine sand paper and your pinkie finger.

+1 - Yep just got beat to the point. Emory cloth in around a 200 or 400 grit will take that edge off. Only takes a light touch as your only looking to polish it up a tad not remove any real amounts of metal.

Sounds like you on the right track. Good luck with your groups.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

Thanks!

 

[lgbloader]

Sounds like your right on track Squirrel. Seater plug need polishing but if that don't work, give RCBS a call. They make good.

The best invenstment I ever made is a $150 Mossberg 12 ga. that saved my life on 8/20/2005.

sorry to hijack but please tell us the story.

LGB

 

[Mal H]

As pointed out, the scored ring around the bullet is from the seating ram. You can smooth it out if you wish or you can leave it alone. The ring will not affect accuracy at all. In fact, you would be amazed at how much defacing a bullet can take before accuracy is compromised.

 

[lgbloader]

In fact, you would be amazed at how much defacing a bullet can take before accuracy is compromised.

Squirrell,

I had remembered reading an article about this very subject in Handloader magazine #256 issue November 2008.

The article was titled "Does it matter" and it basically was a study on bullets that were marred beyond the marred stage. Bullets noses were cut off diagonally, bases were notched and so forth. Bullet were even loaded base forward. The shot results were amazing and I learned that as long as the base of the bullet is in good shape (Don't nick it), the nose of the bullet can be banged up a little. Of course, No damage is encouraged.

LGB