ORIGINAL: Norco
I am very interested in starting to load my own shells. I have a 270 wsm on the way and was wondering if it would be easy to load for? Are all loads the same degree of difficulty? As well are there saftey issues that must be applied when loading so a shell does not go off in your basement??? any info would be great
Cheers!!
Handle primers carefully, and seat them in the primer pocket with as little pressure as is required to seat them fully. Primers must be seated flush with the case head, so there is no protrusion. However, the components of reloading are not particularly sensitive or hazardous to handle, except for perhaps BLACK POWDER, which you won't be using anyway for that cartridge.
Get a good reloading manual, or three, and read them cover to cover before you start loading! To begin with, try to stick pretty much to the suggested or starting loads for each of the bullet weights you load. I recommend weighing each individual powder charge to begin with, and after you acquire some experience you can start using a powder measure to speed things up. Even when I use a powder measure, I weigh every fifth charge, just to make sure the setting didn't change any while I was throwing the charges.
Store your primers in the containers they come in, and keep them and your powder in a cool, dry place.
Never have more than one kind of powder out on the bench at any one time, and always empty the powder measure back into the correct powder can and put it away before getting out any other kind of powder. This is so you never make a mistake about the type of powder you're loading at any time!
I adjust my full-length resizing die by screwing it into the press just to the point that my resized cases will let me close the bolt of the rifle with a little friction. I DO NOT screw my die all the way in until it contacts the shellholder in the ram, as is recommended in some instructions that come with the dies! The reason for this is that, if fully screwed in, some dies will set the case shoulder back TOO MUCH each time you resize the case, and consequently the case will develop incipient case head separations due to overworking the brass. In fact, when reloading cases that have been fired in the gun I intend them for, I only size about 2/3rds of the case neck, (PARTIAL RESIZING) just enough to give a good grip on the new bullet. If your dies are set correctly and you are not using absolute maximum loads, your cases should last for ten or more reloadings!!
IMO the 270 WSM will be as easy to reload as any beltless, bottleneck rimless cartridge. Nothing strange or peculiar about loading this round.
Good luck, and have fun!!