Several rifles same cartridge ? Standardize loads

Lodgepole

New member
I guess i have too many 223s and 22-250s! I am considering going to the COAL in the manuals .I am not into benchrest or competition ,just hunting . How do you guys handle this by marking or containers ?
 
I have 3 7mm08's that i load for. These are strictly short range hunting rifles(-200yds).
Back when i did load development for these "COAL"is all i new how to do it. All loads shoot under an inch at a 100 yds, which in my circumstance was good enough AND STILL IS FOR THESE GUNS.
I just mark on the box which rifle the ammo is for. I actually had a load that would shoot good in all 3 rifles. That made it real easy! But as reloaders we like to throw money in the wind and i use a different bullet in each gun now.
 
I work up loads for different rifles using specified brass for each rifle. E.G. my Remington rifle gets Remington brass, another Winchester, another L C, another FC, etc. that way the headstamp tells what rifle it is for.
 
i have loads that are developed for a specific rifle, but i also test them in others of similar caliber for safety and basic accuracy testing. i seperate those specific loads into bags which are marked with the load info, and the if its a load i shoot a lot of - it gets its own ammo can.

if i have a specific hunting load for a firearm, i isolate them in 50rd mtm boxes with a label on top with the load info clearly marked.

for calibers that i have a hunting, shooting and plinking load for but dont shoot a lot of, they share the same can with the rounds separated by projectile type in marked bags (or other containers) inside the caliber specific ammo can. IE: my 450 bushmaster has two sets of ammo - hunting (250 ftx) and plinking (225 ftx). the plinking ammo is stored in the midway usa blue blem bullet boxes cuz they fit nicely. my hunting ammo lives in the MTM 50 round boxes. when i go out to go plinking, i just dump a blue box into a ziplock bag for ease of transport into my range can.

HTH
 
I have separate sizing dies set up & permanently marked for each rifle; use different brass for different rifles:

WW brass for 308 Savage LC brass for BAR in 50 rd boxes w/load data/caliber on box and on the zero target taped inside lid. Additional benefit is that brass is kept in original box so that each case in that box has been recycled same number of times.

Both rifles are hunting rifles and shot all too seldom any more so the sight in group showing POI serves as a good reference when I do get out.

Regards,
hm

 
I start off pretty organized then in the course of time and in the heat of battle it gets mixed up in if I do not mark the case its self . I think Hellgate has my answer !!!
 
Lodgepole,
To be even more anal, I will often take various colored sharpies and mark the primers or back of the case head with various colors or designs (a slash, "X" or solid color) to indicate a specific load. I load a lot of black powder cartridges and mark the primers black for BP (black powder) and blue for BP substitute powders. I use green for match primers. Just be sure to draw a diagram on the box to match your markings as a reminder.
 
50,100 round boxes are marked with the load and rifle info. In an effort to simplify the loads for my buddy and my 22-250 and to have more accurate rifles, we had our rifles barreled with new matching Lilja tubes. I ordered a custom Manson reamer and told the gunsmith I wanted matching headspace. I have the go gage/comparator measurement so reloading for both rifles is easy, don't even need the rifles to setup sizing. Both rifles shoot the same handloads and several factory ammunition brands very well. This project worked better than I expected, and I wouldn't hesitate to have the smith cut another pair(or more) rifles in other cartridges.
 
If you go to a standard load, think about using a bullet with a tangent ogive. Tangent ogive's are generally more forgiving with "jump" than secant. This is part of the reason why SMK's are so popular
 
When I have only one brand of brass, two rifles, I will do one of two things with the brass:

Dip the brass in Insta- blue, turns part of the brass black

or

Use a triangle file on the rim of the cases for one rifle

Winchester or Rem brass, easy to keep straight
 
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Good ideas . In General I am a Sierra Gameking fan and trying to settle down to a few standard components . In light of my field shooting abilities and the field conditions (cold and snow ) I think most ammo is more accurate than me .
 
Tangent bullet shapes have a shorter ogive, relative to the bearing surface of the bullet. Secant shaped bullets have a long ogive and a shorter bearing surface. Ogive is the forward potion of bullet that is smaller than the caliber(diameter). The bearing or cylinder potion of the bullet is the potion that is the actual diameter or caliber of the bullet. A Berger vld would be an example of a secant shape. The measurement of 2 arcs on the bullet determine which category the bullet shape belongs to.
 
Originally Posted By: LodgepoleI guess i have too many 223s and 22-250s! I am considering going to the COAL in the manuals .I am not into benchrest or competition ,just hunting . How do you guys handle this by marking or containers ?

I designate on the 50 round case guard what rifle the brass goes to.

Other methods do apply:

dipping the case half way in Blueing solutions that will permanently die the case bottom black

Notch the rim of the case with a very small jeweler's triangle file.

Just use a different brand of brass for each gun.

One gun's brass will go in green Case guard 50's, while the other gun will be in Red.

Rub a black magic marker across the bottom of the shell for one rifle, put a ring in the extraction groove of another.

The possibilities are endless.

As far as working up one load for all rifles, this will depend on your accuracy requirements. As barrels wear, the load will change. Different barrels require different powder charges and seating depths for the most accurate loads...perhaps even different bullets.
 
Generally all my rifles that share calibers are for different purposes therefor they shoot a different bullet and powder combo. Between that and actually hardmarking the box, i can tell what rifle they are for.
 
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