reloading help

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chuck3721

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ok so i want to get into reloading and was going to ask what is the best equipment for reloading i will be reloading 308 so if u can point me in the right equipment it would be very helpful thanks
 
For general reloading, RCBS and Hornady make decent equipment. You will need a load manual, press, scale, powder measure, tumbler, precision calipers, and specific dies for the cartridges you plan to reload. You can buy kits that include most of what you need, but a load manual would be a good first buy, it will detail what is necessary. Once you start to reload, you'll never go back to factory ammo.
 
so reloading makes that big of a differents and is it hard to reload or does it just take more time to reload

ok so those are the ok brand which brands should i like for to buy i do want the equipment to later on for benchrest and prone shooting and i dont want the equipment up to par so thanks for all the help
 
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I suggest the first thing you do is buy a Hornady loading manual and read and learn to understand the loading procedure which is well detailed. Don't rush out and buy everything listed. A tumbler is about the last thing you may want. It is nice to have but certainly is not a necessity.
 
I agree with Dennis' suggestion - you're going to need a selection of loading manuals anyway (not every load combination you may be looking for will be listed in a given manual, and besides, it's good to be able to compare data between several manuals), and manuals from Hornady, Speer, Sierra, etc. all have tutorials on reloading - from getting started to advanced techniques.

I had a mentor when I started reloading (1968 when I was a junior in high school) - a retired rancher who was a friend of my grandfather's - who sold me all my equipment and advised me on safety considerations. I asked some questions that I was afraid were pretty dumb, but he assured me that no matter how dumb they seemed to me, it would be a lot dumber not to ask.
 
Plus & minus

+1 for green reloading equipment. -1 for red stuff.
 
I have to go along with two people questioning the need for a case tumbler, especially for a totally new start.

In a year or two, a tumbler might be a nice "add on."

There was a pretty lively disagreement on a different shooting forum. Similar question. New prospective loader asking about basic "start up" equipment.

A couple of guys persisted in championing the case tumbler, making many claims for it. For example, cleaning primer pockets. Heck, you can get a small hand tool that will clean your pockets for a few $$$, and save about $100 on the price of the tumbler plus medium.

I have never had a tumbler, and never used one. I don't care if the brass is shiny.

As for a digital caliper, I am not sure you need that to start out.

Good luck, and welcome to reloading.
 
Tumblers

And cleaning primer pockets-----If the tumbler cleans the primer pocket, then you will have to use a manual tool to remove media from a good many flash holes. MP is right about using a manual tool to clean primer pockets after decapping.
If/when you get to BR quality brass prep, you won't want to use a tumbler for fear of damaging case mouths.

Dennis
 
Before you buy any equipment, go on Ebay and buy a couple of outdated load books. They'll be a lot cheaper than buying new. Hornady is a good one. Lyman is another. And read them. Cover to cover. It doesn't make any difference that they are an edition or two out dated, the intro to reloading will be the same and most of the load data will be the same.
Once you've done that, you'll be in a much better position to decide what is a "got to have" item and what is a "nice to have" item. Both Lee and Hornady offer kits that will get you off the ground and can be added to as your skill and knowledge grows.
I think everyone that wants to get into reloading should look at a Lee Loader. That is all you NEED to reload. Everything else is whistles and bells. If a fellow will keep that in mind when he looks at the laundry lists of things folks say you must have in order to reload, he can save himself some money. :D
 
find a mentor, most reloader's are glad to help you get started, ready all the manual's you can find and believe in them, lee makes a starter ( with locking bushing to save reset uptime) set that sells for a little over $100.00 that only needs a set of die's and a set of calibers to get you going. for dies, I'd start with Redding "S" bushing,,,,,,,,

The wind is my friend,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

DD
 
Do not be brand loyal on your reloading equipment. Some make items better than others, such as powder measures.
I use Redding, RCBS, Lyman, Wilson, Forster, Sinclair, Bonanza, Hornady, and any other brand that does the job well enough to satisfy me.
 
What Dennis said about getting a Hornady (Speer is good too) manual. Getting all the equipment (including manual) can be spendy to start off with, but once it's bought it'll last forever given a little care. Once a press, dies, powder scale, and case trimmer though, and you've studied the procedure in a manual you're ready to go.

Make sure that you lube your cases, I can still remember the first case I ever sized nearly 40 years ago with no lube. Major panic, but got the case out of the die with no damage except for destroying the case. Imperial Sizing Die Wax is the best case lube available, a little on the fingers rubbed onto a case is all that's needed (a little inside the case neck eases the expander's exit from the case neck too).

As for tumblers, they do clean up powder residues from case necks - both inside and out. As for primer pockets they're useless except maybe with ceramic medium that I've never used. Clean cases are easier on the dies as well.

The only piece of Lee equipment that I use and recommend is their little hand priming tool. They're cheap, they work well, and allow you to feel the primer seating in its pocket - along with allowing you to feel if a pocket has expanded.

Unless you're starting off loading for BR competition, loading with standard equipment is plenty good. Loading for BR can get fairly exotic with turned necks, bushing sizing dies, and other items that aren't needed to get started.

If you know or can find someone who can give you some hands on instruction, that would be good for a start too.
 
ok thanks alot i'm going to go get the hornady reloading manual if u guys can tell me which is the reload brand i should try to get which are better than ava that would help alot thanks
 
Forster and Redding make the better presses and dies. Get a Sinclair catalog to see other top-of-the-line equipment. If you don't want to individually weigh each powder charge, get the RCBS ChargeMaster Combo. It's going to be difficult for you to make informed choices if you're not well informed. Learn all you can before buying.
 
yea getting the hornady reloading manual and than going out of town so i have some time for reading and i already the sinclair catalog order lol thanks so much for all the help
 
Where are you located? Maybe we can find someone close to you.
 
Chuck

You have a gun club there. Join and I'm sure you'll find someone to help you out.
Gun City in Bismark has a lot of stuff, they also handle used reloading equipment.

There is a gun show twice a year in Mandan.
Check out the new store on main in Mandan small but growing.

Once you get to know some of the people that hang around the gun places you'll find there are a lot of shooters in that area.

Hal
 
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