Thread: Thank you - First Handloads

Just a post to say thanks to all the knowledgeable people on this forum, so many great questions and answers that have helped guide my new reloading hobby. That and a solid addiction to Erik Cortina’s YouTube has gotten me to my first batch of hand loaded 6.5CM ammo! So stoked and can’t wait to keep developing and chasing that one hole group.



Have loaded 50 rounds in 5 round groups, each group has .3gr increases of RL16 from 41.4gr - 44.5gr. Have a magnetospeed v3 on order so once that arrives I’ll be checking each charge weight for pressure signs, velocity ES & SD to find optimal load prior to seating depth test.

Attempted to find Jam length on my barrel but seating at 2.175” CBTO doesn’t push the bullet back when chambering and is my max mag length so will just do the seating test from there, looking at group sizes in .003” increments until they’re all one hole 😂

Only concerns at this stage are some irregularities with shoulder bump (I don’t anneal so this is likely the cause) which I think in turn is causing some infrequent seating depth errors (only +-.001”), on the whole really happy with my gear thus far.

Redding Big Boss 2 Press
Redding Type S Match Die set (Full Length Die w/bushing & Competition micrometer seater)
Hornady Hand Held Primer
Hornady Balance Beam
Hornady once fired brass
Reloder 16
135gr A-Tip Match Bullets
CCI #200 LR Primers

Next purchase is definitely a chargemaster, balance beam is great but bloody tedious! 😂

Will post my results once I manage to get out to test everything