.338 Lapua last minute reloading questions

J

jamesf553

New member
Hey guys.

With your advice I purchased 3 reloading books and have been going bananas on them. They are very fun to read. I got the lymans 50th, ABCs of reloading, as well as the handbook that came with my hornady lock n load classic kit. I purchased a bench from home depot and assembled everything from the kit today. It actually turned into a fun father/son project with my dad.

So after doing my reading and getting everything set up I just had a couple questions before i begin to load my first cartridges.

#1: I am using the hornady match grade .338 lapua die. With it, it came 2 seating stems: an "Elliptical expander" and an "ELD Match" stem. Does anyone know what the difference is or if I should be using one over the other? I just put the ELD match stem in. It looks like it has something to do with the neck sizing.

#2: The bullet seating die has a ton of different height adjustments on it which to be honest are a bit overwhelming at first glance. My plan was to basically take a cartridge (not loaded or primed), use the press to insert a bullet using the seat die, and measure the amount of bullet sticking out of the case. If it doesn't line up with the correct measurement from the lyman guide on the .338 lm caliber, i'd adjust the die accordingly. Is that an ok strategy to go about doing it? The resizing die was easy to adjust because it basically just said tighten it down until it hits the shell holder at max stroke height.

#3: Judging by the reviews on Lapua brass. Everyone says they are pretty much ready to load. I wouldn't need to run them through the resizing die before loading them correct? I could just load them as is if the measurements check out?

#4: Any last minute advice before I embark on my first attempt? I am using 300 grain scenars with Retumbo poweder and CCI primers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VvXMXQ1AVkbnLxz_geQhZ2i_-Qc0LNC6/view?usp=sharing
 
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What lubricant are you using? For the .338 L, I would suggest the RCBS lube 2 or similar over the Hornady One Shot. If your brass is new, just running the necks over the expander may suffice as far as any initial sizing is concerned.
 
condor bravo said:
What lubricant are you using? For the .338 L, I would suggest the RCBS lube 2 or similar over the Hornady One Shot. If your brass is new, just running the necks over the expander may suffice as far as any initial sizing is concerned.
Click to expand...
Condor,

I am using the lubricant that came with the kit. It is the one-shot lube. I can purchase some RCBS as a primary though.
 
#1: I am using the hornady match grade .338 lapua die. With it, it came 2 seating stems: an "Elliptical expander" and an "ELD Match" stem. Does anyone know what the difference is or if I should be using one over the other? I just put the ELD match stem in. It looks like it has something to do with the neck sizing.

One of us is confused. The "elliptical expander" is the neck expanding ball on the decapping rod in the sizing die. Is the sizing die a conventional full length sizing die or a bushing die? If the latter, do you have a bushing to suit? Seems strange, one point of the bushing die is to get the neck diameter just right so it doesn't need to be expanded back.
ELD is the Hornady plastic pointed target bullet and the seating stem is cut to suit it. It will probably do ok for other brands.

#2: The bullet seating die has a ton of different height adjustments on it which to be honest are a bit overwhelming at first glance. My plan was to basically take a cartridge (not loaded or primed), use the press to insert a bullet using the seat die, and measure the amount of bullet sticking out of the case. If it doesn't line up with the correct measurement from the lyman guide on the .338 lm caliber, i'd adjust the die accordingly. Is that an ok strategy to go about doing it? The resizing die was easy to adjust because it basically just said tighten it down until it hits the shell holder at max stroke height.

I cannot tell what seating die you have and my only Hornadys are in pistol calibers. I suggest you follow instructions. There are a lot of refinements you can apply as you learn.
Putting the sizing die down on the shell holder is the easy way out, you can adjust to control headspace.

#3: Judging by the reviews on Lapua brass. Everyone says they are pretty much ready to load. I wouldn't need to run them through the resizing die before loading them correct? I could just load them as is if the measurements check out?

I run new brass through the sizing die. It may have gotten bumped and dinged in transit. I also deburr the case mouth. I don't do any other prep on Lapua brass as I would on cheaper brands.
 
STP is an engine additive and is not a neutral lube per One Shot or the RCBS
It also a sticky mess.

Stick with case lubes designed for it.

Try an empty case in your gun. It should enter and the bolt close with the same force as without it. Some guns like (at least the older) Sako and the one Rem 700 I have worked the action are a bit tight with empty chamber. Lock up is solid, can fool you.

If the case is not sized right the bolt will close a lot harder and sometimes not at all.

Inspect the Lapua case mouths, I have gotten them with dents in them.

Otherwise they were good to load directly.

I don't know about the two type neck sizers. New to me.

I don't like that tug on the brass from the ones on the sizer and have gone to the Lyman M die that does that much better.
 
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Comment on one of RC20's statements above:

Dents in new cases are common and OK since they will fire form out. However creases are not OK, should not be used, and creases rather than dents may be what RC had in mind.
 
Jim Watson said:
#1: I am using the hornady match grade .338 lapua die. With it, it came 2 seating stems: an "Elliptical expander" and an "ELD Match" stem. Does anyone know what the difference is or if I should be using one over the other? I just put the ELD match stem in. It looks like it has something to do with the neck sizing.

One of us is confused. The "elliptical expander" is the neck expanding ball on the decapping rod in the sizing die. Is the sizing die a conventional full length sizing die or a bushing die? If the latter, do you have a bushing to suit? Seems strange, one point of the bushing die is to get the neck diameter just right so it doesn't need to be expanded back.
ELD is the Hornady plastic pointed target bullet and the seating stem is cut to suit it. It will probably do ok for other brands.

#2: The bullet seating die has a ton of different height adjustments on it which to be honest are a bit overwhelming at first glance. My plan was to basically take a cartridge (not loaded or primed), use the press to insert a bullet using the seat die, and measure the amount of bullet sticking out of the case. If it doesn't line up with the correct measurement from the lyman guide on the .338 lm caliber, i'd adjust the die accordingly. Is that an ok strategy to go about doing it? The resizing die was easy to adjust because it basically just said tighten it down until it hits the shell holder at max stroke height.

I cannot tell what seating die you have and my only Hornadys are in pistol calibers. I suggest you follow instructions. There are a lot of refinements you can apply as you learn.
Putting the sizing die down on the shell holder is the easy way out, you can adjust to control headspace.

#3: Judging by the reviews on Lapua brass. Everyone says they are pretty much ready to load. I wouldn't need to run them through the resizing die before loading them correct? I could just load them as is if the measurements check out?

I run new brass through the sizing die. It may have gotten bumped and dinged in transit. I also deburr the case mouth. I don't do any other prep on Lapua brass as I would on cheaper brands.
Click to expand...
It's a full length sizing die. It had 2 options for the neck expander which goes over the decapping for. Just didn't know which 1 I should use, the eld match or the elliptical. Just looking at them, the elliptical seemed wider.
 
Beats me. You said "seating stem" which makes sense for the bullet in the seating die, but I can't see why a plastic nose would call for a different expander ball.
 
Jim Watson said:
Beats me. You said "seating stem" which makes sense for the bullet in the seating die, but I can't see why a plastic nose would call for a different expander ball.
Click to expand...
Crap you know what, I meant to say elliptical expander, not stem! There were 2 expanders that go on the deprimer rod and the elliptical was bigger than the other which I think was the eld.
 
Comment on one of RC20's statements above:

Dents in new cases are common and OK since they will fire form out. However creases are not OK, should not be used, and creases rather than dents may be what RC had in mind.
Click to expand...

Fully agreed no creased case should be used. Period.

My Lapua has come with dented mouths though.

Had to straighten those out before trying to seat a bullet.

In that I was disappointed as I expect new brass to be case mouth (and rest) dent free.

Again the Lyman M die works nicely for that. I didn't have it then but an dent issue (which I do from time to time) it irons out nicely.
 
James:

I would go with the smaller one (have a micrometer?) Otherwise if you can afford it...

You might just get a Lyman M die and solve all that.

You don't need the flare part of it, its a torpedo shape.

As such it does not go into the case beyond the shoulder and you don't have that yank when you pull it out.

I have taken all the expanders off my sizer dies and then run them through the M die.
 
RC20 said:
James:

I would go with the smaller one (have a micrometer?) Otherwise if you can afford it...

You might just get a Lyman M die and solve all that.

You don't need the flare part of it, its a torpedo shape.

As such it does not go into the case beyond the shoulder and you don't have that yank when you pull it out.

I have taken all the expanders off my sizer dies and then run them through the M die.
Click to expand...
I will measure both with my caliper and see what the difference is.
 
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