I figured I would share my current reloading process for long range...This is not a "must do it this way" thread, this is to share my process that will hopefully  both help those who are just learning to reload precision ammo, as well as a few methods that may help those who have loaded quality long range ammo for years...So besides the equipment, you will also need some specifications for your caliber of choice...So I download a SAAMI spec drawing of both my chamber and cartridge..This gives me every dimension I will need to produce quality ammo...So lets get started...
Chamber...
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Cartridge...
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So the first step is to de-prime the cartridges with a universal de-primer...
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Once de-primed the cases are run thru a FART tumbler with soap and SS pins, then dried...

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The first step after getting them clean is a careful inspection..I am looking for obvious damage, I am looking for primer pocket sizing, split necks,  and I am looking for casehead separation..

First, I use a tool to check for primer fit and depth...if the big end of the tool fits, the pocket /case is junk... if the seat isn't deep enough it is cut to depth/uniformed...(same with flash hole deburring)..
Correct...
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Loose pocket...

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I use a modified hook tool to check for case head separation, it is easy to "feel" as you run the sharp point of the hook across the base of the inner wall right above the case head...It will actually "click" as it goes over the crack...

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Next each case will be annealed to soften the necks and shoulders for sizing..this will also extend case life...I anneal differently from most..I use a hotter Map gas torch and 750* Templaq with a electric screwdriver to spin the case...I used to paint the inside of the neck, but have found with the hotter torch that it is easier to just paint the outside..both melt the Templaq at the same time..This puts the burnt off templaq on the outside where it is easier to clean off instead of inside on the bullet seating surface..I do dump the hot cases in water, not to stop the heat, but because the water makes the burn't templaq come right off...

Cases ready to anneal..
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Once annealed, the cases are run thru a tumbler of corncob to dry and remove any contaminants....freshly annealed on the left, annealed and tumbled on the right..

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Next,  the cases are lubed and the shoulder is bumped back .002" from the longest case...I use a separate shoulder bump die and a separate neck bushing die..I prefer this method because it allows me to focus on each single operation performed..
Longest case from my chamber..
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So I set my shoulder die up in the press and slowly work down to the perfect spot, then put a line from the die body down across the press..this is my zero mark..Now as each case goes in I start with the die loosened slightly and "bump " the shoulder, measure, then tighten as needed to get to the correct 2.720" measurement..

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Bumped back .002"
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Next I will get the necks prepped..I use RP brass, not the best for neck consistency, but not the worse...I do a light neck turning on mine, I also use a bushing die and a mandrel die to control neck tension...I have found neck tension to be a big part of accuracy and consistency, so I spend a lot of time trying to get it right...I have found from thickest to thinnest spot over a large selection of RP brass for the neck thickness to run from .0135". to .016"..I set for .0145" which gives me an average .0145"+.0145"+.308"=.337"-.002"-.335" for my bushing size...But to turn the necks I need a certain size to go on the internal mandrel... So once run thru the bushing die, the cases will be run over a mandrel die which makes the internal neck perfectly round and opens it to the needed size for the turning mandrel..I use a RCBS manual trim pro with the RCBS neck turner kit for turning necks..

neck bushing die with an assortment of bushings...

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Mandrel die with mandrels..

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Neck turner set up...

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Turned neck, notice the goal isn't to remove all the material, just the high spots...

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Once the necks are turned the cases are run back thru the bushing die once more to set them for final neck sizing... Then the cases are run thru the mandrel die with the final neck tension mandrel(.306") in place.. Finally the cases are run over a case trimmer to set case length...I use an electric RCBS trim pro 2 with a RCBS 3-head cutter which trims case length, internally deburrs and chamfers all in one step...It has proven to be very consistent from case to case, and OAL is controlled from the casehead versus from a shoulder that may be inconsistent from case to case and throw off OAL..

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It produces very consistent cases...

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And the neck is very consistent from case to case..

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At this point, most reloaders  would consider this ammo ready to reload and good to go.. I add steps here that  I feel add neck tension consistency and those steps consist of a second annealing, followed by a second trip thru the tumbler full of corncob and a final trip under the mandrel die without lube...Then the cases are primed, charged with powder,  a bullet seated and concentricity checked and straightened as needed...I am not ready to  load this ammo yet, but will start in a few days, so I will leave a place to add to it if you guys want to see that part as well...

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Saved...

I’m interested in seeing the rest of your process.
What does the 2nd annealing do that wasnt covered in the first?

Takes the tension out of the neck from the sizing work..ever notice when you either anneal once every 4-5 reloads versus once every reload how different the tension on the handle is as you seat each bullet? Or ever hear of guys talking about preferring to only load new cases versus  fired cases, and they feel they get more consistent neck tension (and performance) when they do?... Ever notice all the  brass makers all anneal during the forming process..normal right, but the top makers all anneal after all forming is done and the ammo is otherwise ready to use..they spend the time,  effort, and money to do a final anneal..they aren't doing that for the fun of it...I feel it has closed up SD and improved accuracy due to more consistent bullet tension/release  from case to case..

Nice tutorial, looking forward to the rest of it.

Of course, what else are you going to do in AK in the winter

Thanks...

I will add here, this brass started as 215 once fired new ammo cases I set out last winter for use with this  rebuilt rifle...I started working up loads with 50 cases, then once the load was established added in the rest of the cases...The load is stout, and consists of the Berger 230 grain hybrid target,  RL-33 powder and a RP 9.5 magnum primer...The rifle is chambered for the 230 and pushes the 230 to 3220fps...

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I put just over 650 rounds thru it last summer, and lost 29 cases total, the initial 50 cases are now on their 11th reload I have lost 29 cases total over that time period...13 to internal casehead cracks, 10 to loose primer pockets, 3 early on to split necks,  and 3 to physical damage from the earthquake we had....

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Ballistics...
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Nice write up. Appreciate the step by step pics too.

I haven't turned necks yet, but interested in learning the process. Curious what gauge are you using to measure the wall thickness at the neck? Tubing micrometer or something else?

Definitely looking forward to seeing the rest of your loading process.

Thanks, I use a Sinclair neck sorting gauge...makes it pretty fast and simple...The only thing you need to watch for is the brass isn't building a donut at the internal base of the neck...I originally went dial on this tool and did digital on my Sinclair concentricity gauge, once I used them a bit, I swapped and put the digital on this one...works much better because you can zero it on the low spot with a button push,  and measure the diff between low and high directly off the digital, rather then having to zero a dial ring...

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Neck tension is a critical part to precision reloading/shooting that's not talked about enough ,nice write-up so far

You could save yourself a ton of time by changing your annealing process.
How many bottles of templaq do you go through in a year?

Meh, I like the way I do it.... With that said sure I could do it different, but the process keeps me busy,  and it gives me repeatable results..as for how much templaq..not much just over a bottle last year...

Haven't been feeling very good this week, but  will try and get some ammo loaded tomorrow..

Besides loading my normal long range load with the 230 Berger's, I will also start  load work on some 200 grain barnes LRX's and some 125 grain barnes solids that I have had for years...

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Excellent writeup. I admire your patience. How big a lots do you do?

Thanks,  this lot is 175 cases, most are just getting reloaded for the 230 Berger load this rifle was chambered for, then some to work up a test load for the barnes 200 grain LRX for a bear bullet and then some for a barnes 125 grain solid for a screamer(4000fps) round...for some 1/2" AR 500 just for fun..Normally I just process brass as fast as its shot, but late last summer we got out to my cabin for 4 days which I can shoot miles in any direction at..so I turned the boys loose and let them shoot the shit out of it so incase they needed to take a long poke during hunting season they would be able to...Pretty funny watching guys and girls get first hit shots at 2000 yards...Was a damn fine time..

OK,  got the 230 Bergers loaded today,  74 rounds done....
I can use both an old RCBS(Pact built)dispenser/scale combo and a new RCBS charge master lite...today I only used the CM-L for dispensing charges, which were then run across a gem pro 250 to verify..I have had great results doing it this way and today was no different, My charge weight for this load is 99.0 grains of RL-33..If anyone tries any of my loads, they must be worked up to..

First step is to prime the cases,  I use an old RCBS hand primer,  because I like the feel better...Alway verify your primers are seated a couple thousandths under flush..
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Next I use a flashlight to verify every case is empty inside and a primer is seated..This insures flash hole aren't plugged/primers seated backwards/SS pins stuck in case...
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Now I start throwing charges,  checking them and charging cases...
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Once all the cases are charged, I again verify with a flashlight that none are over/under charged...
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Next comes bullet seating, again, because of the long magnum case, long bullet, and a sleeved seating die, this work is done on a summit press.

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Compared to a loaded round in the rock chucker with no die screwed into it..

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I set COAL off of the ogive, in this case 3.1110"(.010" off lands)  which gives an Cartridge OAL of 3.8755"...And this is where your neck tension variations will show up..I have found if neck tension varies much from case to case, seating depth will vary as well..Yes the pressure you put on the handle can affect it as well, but I find the more consistent my neck tension is, the better the bullets seat case to case...out of 74 cases tonight, only 3 varied by more then .0005"..All 3 that did  were .001" or a touch more from seated depth and required a second throw with a firm bottom on the press handle. This I feel is a direct result of the second anneal/mandrel die...Those 3 rounds will be used as sighters/foulers...

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The final operation is to run them over a concentricity gauge and verify runout..I keep runout under .001", anything over that becomes a sighter/fouler..I find the high side, then use the handle of a snap on screwdriver(holding it by the shank) to lightly "tap" down the high side..

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Low point found, gauge "zeroed"...

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Then spun to find the high side..
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Once found I hold  the case with my finger under the neck with the "high" side pointed up...

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And then a light tap with the screwdriver handle and recheck...
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So I still need to work up some loads for the 200 grain barnes LRX and the 125 grain barnes solids..Maybe this weekend...This is the system that works for me, not "the" way to reload all ammo, but "a" way to..Hopefully if nothing else maybe it will give someone a new method/step that helps their ammo be more consistent/accurate/reliable...

'

Timing couldn't be more perfect for this thread.  I'm headed down this path currently; your insight and information sharing has been very valuable to me.  

Many thanks!

SS

What SideSalad said x1000.  Thank you so much AKSnowRider for this post. I am not new to reloading (been loading pistol cartridges for 15+ years), but I am new to rifle ammo reloading (specifically high accuracy/quality LR rifle) and trying to get the best accuracy and rounds I can possibly make. Your post has really helped me get my "process" in order. Thanks again!

AKSR;

Beautifully done tutorial.  Thanx for the time & effort!  

- R -

Fantastic write-up.  
I will never get close to that level of preparation.

But there are a few items I think I can incorporate that may get me tighter.

Txl

Thanks guys... not feeling good enough too load today,  but here's most of the equipment I use...

Case prep...

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Powder dispensing..

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Measuring...

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Thanks again for this write up and providing pics of all your process tools. I'm lacking any tools for neck turning and gives me a good idea how deep the dive can be to get into it.

Curious... when using mandrels to expand the neck, did you discover any difference between the Rockchucker and Summit press for obtaining concentric necks?

I pretty much do all case prep on the rock chucker, except for bullet seating...due to the extra vertical room on the summit...But with that said,  I would not hesitate to do all the cases prep on the summit either, just happens that all of my processes start on the left side of the bench and finish on the right which makes using the rock chucker easier.. As for the Sinclair mandrel die/mandrels, the die has a rubber o-ring under the cap that holds the mandrel in place, so the mandrel follows the necks position, not sure it can move the neck out of alignment...If that makes sense....

Thanks, yes it makes sense.

Back on the loading bench today...loaded up 30 Barnes 200 grain LRX BT  rounds for a magazine loadable bear round...

Barnes specifies 84-93 grains for the 200 grain TX FT,  but does not show a load for the LRX BT, so we went 85.0 up to 94.0 in 1 grain increments  loading 3 at each...

First thing I had to do was figure out mag length for the accurate mag AICS CIP mags..

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Then I built a dummy round using junk brass to make sure of seating depth...

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Then I stacked 4 more cases on to make sure that length would work .....

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Which gave me an Ogive-OAL of

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I subtracted an extra .020" for a final OOAL of 3.0940"(COAL 3.760"), and commenced charging cases starting at 85.0 grains..
86.0 charge ready to go...

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30 rounds ready to run over the chrony...(as soon as the weather warms up)

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Awesome write up. Where did you get the tool to measure the primer pockets? With brass prep like that I'd be shocked if those rounds didn't shoot lights out!

ETA: Looks like This one?

Thanks, the tool is from Ballistic tools...

https://ballistictools.com/store/

It's threads like this that remind me I'm a slacker

Do you mind going into more detail about your annealing process? That's next on my list to try.

Awesome write up. Thanks!

@right_ruddder
Sure thing... So as I said earlier I use a hotter map gas torch..

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I also use a B&D screw-driver to spin the brass..doesn't have to be fast, just consistent...I pick a socket that will just allow the brass to slide in/out easily..in this case a 1/4" drive 9/16" semi deep...

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And for knowing when the right temp is reached, liquid Tempilaq(750*)with thinner..

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I "paint" the top of the outside of the case necks/shoulders, I paint the whole thing, a simple line that is visible as its spinning in the flame is all that's needed,  but I like the ease of seeing the whole top coated... With a propane torch it may not get hot fast enough to allow the brass to hit temp when the temp indicator melts if its on the outside, so for cooler torch setups you may have to paint inside the neck..I don't like this method because first, it is hard to know if you got the shoulder to temp, and because as the Tempilaq burns off it leaves a residue...I prefer my inner necks to stay pristine brass, and not have to worry about the tempilaq residue thats remains...

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I use a pan with a bit of water in it..not to keep the case head from getting to hot, but because the water helps soften the Tempilaq residue, making it easier to get it all off...

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The easy thing to do here would be buy/build your own annealing machine, which may be the best way to accomplish annealing..I don't mind the "hand" method,  and by using tempilaq on every cases I know that every case got to temp...I also would experiment with junk cases before jumping right to throwing your 3 buck a case super widget cases into the flame...

You can end up with not enough heat on the brass...

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Or too much heat...

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Instead of the right amount of heat...

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Hopefully this explains my process, if not please ask any questions you have..

That's awesome. I think this might be my spring project.

Holy crap, you are doing all of this work for hunting loads?

Well, sort of, I have shot the same rifle/load out to 2000 yards on steel and rocks, it also happens to be my long distance hunting round...I shot my moose this year at 720 yards...The work up load is an under 400 yard bear round because I prefer barnes bullets for bears...The Bergers work fine on moose and caribou...Just one of our best hunting holes is a long range shot or no moose deal...Closest we have ever gotten to a moose in this area is 600 yards..

I figured I should update this thread, after finally getting out to shoot for the first time this summer..I shot the 200 grain barnes LRX rounds...Results weren't bad, I yanked 2 shots when the guy a few benches down fired off his 50 bmg right as I was firing, both yanks are marked... I will be doing a further load up on the 4 red circled loads, all show potential  with best accuracy off the low(86) node but a better node at the 89-90-91 node...Will have to test and see what a 10 shot round produces...

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Curious what 90.2gr would do.

Hopefully I will know soon enough..really doesn't matter, this is just going to be a close range(200yard) bear bullet that will fit the magazine... I already have my long range hunting load with the 230 Berger...

This is a great write up and thank you @aksnowrider for giving such a detailed explanation. I am going to steal a couple of things from your post to add to my process

Thanks, that was my intent when I made it was to help others, if nothing else show them some of the processes a person can do, and hopefully at least give their own process a once over to make it better....

Terrific write up on your process. Love to watch.

Great stuff OP. My son is a top level PRS shooter and I got him started doing his own loading years ago. I was a range officer for many years in the league and I'm begging you to add ONE MORE STEP to your process. No tools required. I see that you use a light to verify that you charged each case. Great! Now after you seat a bullet hold the round up to your ear and shake it to CONFIRM there is powder in that case. After watching untold hundreds of thousands of rounds go down range I only had ONE shooter with a squib round that popped with primer only and the guy didn't catch it and JAMMED another round in and pulled the trigger. I was only a couple of feet from him when it went off. Fortunately he was shooting through a wooden barricade such that the wood caught almost all of the flying metal. His face caught some and it scared the piss out of the guy. Destroyed his gun.

Damn, great advice, and I will add it to the list, I am very anal about double and triple checking everything....

This thread is much appreciated!!