Best reloading for savage 12 bench rest

[Savagebenchrest]

Hey guys,
I just bought a 308 savage 12 bench rest. I would like to know if anyone has experience with match reloading. I am very new to all of this. I have SMG Brass with 175 gr. Lapua bullets. Rate of twist is 12 barrel length is 29. Is this a good combo to go with? What and how much gun prouder should I use? Rang is set up from 100 yards to 1000 yards. Any info would be a great help. hgfdrtf

Thanks all,
Happy shooting
-Brad

[steve4102]

What manuals do you have?

Check out this sticky.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=435562

[jwrowland77]

Wow, you're jumping in with both feet. Follow the sticky steve4102 posted, that'll get you started.

Shooting 600yd? 1000yd?

With loading precision match loads, the more consistent you can make EVERYTHING, the better. It's all about making the every round exactly the same. With match ammo, generally consist of A LOT of brass prep, checking case capacity and sorting those cases into lots. Weighing, measuring and sorting bullets into like lots (I've never used Lapua bullets before, but if their bullets are like their brass, they'll be consistent).

With brass, check case capacity, neck turning, annealing, uniforming primer pockets, uniforming flash holes, trimming to consistent length.

Powder weights need to be exact and consistent. Benchrest primers used for consistency.

Notice a theme yet?

Consistency = Accuracy!

It's taken me about a year of testing and tweaking loads to find a really accurate load that shoots 1/3 MOA.

Remember, everything your load does, and everything you as the shooter gets amplified at 600yd and 1000yd.

Practice a lot reading wind and mirage. These two things can ruin and good string.

[rkittine]

There is also a lot of information on the home page of www.AccurateShooter.com and in the Forum reloading section.

Bob

[trigger643]

What the other's have said. If you're knew to reloading, I'd start by picking up one of the many good reloading manuals out there. Lyman 49th Reloading Handbook is a good introduction and contains many useful pointers and base line recipes.

Another good source of information on reloading can be found here:

http://www.handloadersbench.com/index.php

[KEYBEAR]

You have a long way to go . You need manuals and lots of them .
Go to the Benchrest forum and start their . Also master 100 yards first .
It takes a bunch of time money and powder .

[KEYBEAR]

This is a Bench gun as it is now I have $3500.00 in it and it is far from a 1000 yard gun .

[tobnpr]

Where to start?
You need a reloading setup...which will be from a few hundred to well into four figures depending on how "precise" you want your "precision reloading" to be.

Your rifle is (well, should be ) capable. The 12BR will shoot better than you for many rounds to come.

Provide a budget, and you'll get a gazillion responses telling you that blue is better than green is better than red... Fact is, the big three (Dillon, Hornady, RCBS) all make good "stuff".

Every rifle is different; I've no experience with the Lapua 175 but many thousands of the Sierra MK's in that weight and they are a "staple" for the .308.
Generally, you can't go wrong with Varget- it too, is regarded as a staple for this chambering. Problem is going to be finding it for sale..

All of the relevant load data is online nowadays, manuals are obsolete for this notwithstanding the general information on the reloading basics and procedures- which you need to get either in paper form, or find online.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

[tobnpr]

This is a Bench gun as it is now I have $3500.00 in it and it is far from a 1000 yard gun .

You've spent $3500 on a stick, and it's not capable of shooting accurately to 1K yards? How's that?

[jwrowland77]

Originally Posted by tobnpr

You've spent $3500 on a stick, and it's not capable of shooting accurately to 1K yards? How's that?

I watched a guy at a match, that had about 3500 with complete setup, but all his rounds keyholed. At 1000yd, it's about if the reloads can get there and a lot about the shooter.

[KEYBEAR]

tobnpr What a stupid statement . So you think buying a rifle or building a rifle makes a shooter competitive at 1000 yards . No I never shoot that far for reasons you may not understand . I shoot for fun I have my own range in my backyard . I shoot 100 and 200 yards for a number of reasons one is age it is a lot of walking even at 100 yards . I would think you would ask what Caliber is the Rifle but no you just post your drible ( maybe it is not a 1000 yard gun) .

[Bart B.]

I don't think a lot of case prep is needed for excellent accuracy at 1000 yards. Nor is exact case weight nor capacity across all cases used. Especially when I and others get sub 3/4 MOA accuracy at that range with new virgin brass. Spend case prep time earning money to buy the best barrels.

Judge your stuff's accuracy by the largest groups shot. Pay no attention to the tiny groups. Most winning and record setting loads do very well across all good barrels properly chambered.

[Savagebenchrest]

I'm sorry guys I am using Lapua brass and Sierra match king (smk) 175 bullets RL15 powder

Thanks for all the response!

[tobnpr]

tobnpr What a stupid statement . So you think buying a rifle or building a rifle makes a shooter competitive at 1000 yards .

Even though I'm tempted, I'll refrain from the insults such as you just hurled and suggest you re-read your OWN post...

This is a Bench gun as it is now I have $3500.00 in it and it is far from a 1000 yard gun .

Where, exactly, did your post reference your (or anyone's) ability, and not the hardware itself? You stated the GUN is incapable of shooting 1K yards...

Now, back to YOUR "drible" (sic)...

[KEYBEAR]

tobnpr Please slow down and read my post again slowly this time . You may see this time(maybe not) I said IT IS FAR FROM A 1000 YARD GUN . Now I see the problem .