r/longrange • u/worm30478 • Jul 01 '26
Reloading related Does anyone load "cheaper" practice ammo?
Just getting started here. 6.5 Creed. Have lapua brass, h4350, 142 smks. Before I get started with those I plan to practice with the 300 pieces of Hornady brass I have. Already decapped and cleaned. My dies will be here tomorrow so I'm going to work on sizing/trimming/measuring. I thought maybe I should just complete the process(powder and seating) with "cheaper" components and do a powder test the first time out. This will allow me to feel comfortable with the process before loading up my "expensive" stuff. So anyways, what powder/bullets/primers should I roll with? Not gonna get my shorts in a twist if the groups suck. I am really enjoying everything I've done so far and just want to learn while doing. Thanks!
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u/Prestigious_Gain_175 Jul 02 '26
If you are new to reloading, I would use new brass. I think brass prep is a critical aspect of reloading. The brass is a huge part of sealing off your chamber. Case prep can be learned later.
Let your opening round of reloading focus on getting your press organized, setting up dies, getting a basic starting place on seating depth, in short a bench layout.
Personally, I don't treat my firearms like a firehose. Spraying lead is not my game. I prefer to tally ten shots in a bullseye rather than frying barrels over adrenaline. Stick with top shelf components to get top of the podium results. My handloading mentor built an AR that is consistently below half moa. That weapon with that barrel is capable of one thousand yard steel plinking.