Reloading Newby questions...help please

[schoolcraft]

I used to reload, but wound up getting out of it over the years.

I remember quite a bit, except for a couple things.

1. What's the best way to determine what the overall length of the round should be for my particular rifle?

2. What is headspace? How do I determine it? How do I make it right if there's too much or not enough?

School me. I need a refresher course

[Vapodog]

Originally Posted by schoolcraft

I used to reload, but wound up getting out of it over the years.
1. What's the best way to determine what the overall length of the round should be for my particular rifle?

1. measure your magazine length and record it in your loading manual....obviously you cannot exceed this!

2. I like to start working up a load seating the bullet one diameter into the case....there is no right or wrong here.... Continue working up your load with all the powders and amounts and then seating depths and when you're done record the COAL in your loading manual along with the bullet number etc....this is the "correct" COAL.....at least for your gun....

3. If you really want, you can load longer than the magazine.....but then you have a single shot. This isn't always bad!

FWIW....I never load a bullet less than 2/3 rd of it's diameter in the case....again it's neither right or wrong....it's just ME!

[schoolcraft]

when you say "seating the bullet ONE DIAMETER into the case"...what exactly does that mean?

I'm loading for a .270 Winchester. Does that mean seat the bullet .277" into the case mouth to start.

Forgive my ignorance, so much of this I never got into when I reloaded before.

[Vapodog]

Originally Posted by schoolcraft

I used to reload, but wound up getting out of it over the years.
2. What is headspace? How do I determine it? How do I make it right if there's too much or not enough?

Headspace is the distance from the bolt face to a specified place in the barrel.....usually on the forward shoulder of the chamber but can also be to the eld of the case or to the end of a belt.

The best way to determine it is to use a set of headspace gages... but we usually don't have these.....what we can do however is to measure a fired case using a gage from Stony Point (I think Hornady has it now) and then merely reload such that we don't shorten the body of the case.....maybe a few thousandths at the most and now we don't care too much about the headspace.....unless it's severe and then I strongly recommend removing a thread from the barrel and rechambering.

We can control the headspace of the case by "partial" full length resizing.....or many folks neck size only! I like PFL resizing and set the dies to push back the shoulder of the case about .002 if I can get it there..... You will improve case life doing this as you don't "work" the brass so much.

Here's a photo of the device to measure the cases.

[fisher1]

Are you reloading for a bolt gun or somthing else?

[Big Uncle]

Originally Posted by schoolcraft

1. What's the best way to determine what the overall length of the round should be for my particular rifle?

2. What is headspace? How do I determine it? How do I make it right if there's too much or not enough?

1) An easy way to determine max OAL is to put some tape on a cleaning rod (with a flat tipped jag attached), insert it into the muzzle, and mark the distance to the bolt face. Next you push a bullet gently into the open chamber until it touched the lands and mark that distance on the rod. Measure the distance between the two marks. Different shapes of bullets will have different max OAL. Set your dies to make the OAL of your rounds a bit less than the max OAL.

2) As a rifle issue - if you have doubt about the headspace of the rifles chamber, have a smith (or do it yourself) use go/no-go gauges.
As a reloading issue - if you don't push the shoulder back by an excessive amount when sizing your .270 brass there will be no headspace issue to worry about.

[schoolcraft]

Yes. Bolt rifle. Remington CDL and a Ruger M77 both in .270