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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 15,745
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2008
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,000
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,000 |
And here we go. Suggesting chidt that is absolutely unnecessary to a newbie wanting to learn about reloading... Trust me, if he reads through the load manuals and learns how to find proper OAL by sooting the bullet, he'll be money ahead. Also, no need to know his exact chamber length for trimming brass. Just trim to book suggested length, which is .010" under SAAMI spec and you are golden. I agree about the case prep centers, also your pics aren't showing up. Here's a pic from some ammo I loaded doing it the oldschool way. No freeking fluff unnecessary tools: ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/hzq5syf.jpg) I always know how far off the lands my bullets are running. My loads always chamber and fire and are extremely accurate. This reloading chidt can get expensive if you take into account buying all the unnecessary chidt some of you are suggesting... By the way, guess how much the 10 shot group would have cost, had it been factory ammo... Any takers?: 286gr Nosler partiton factory 9.3x62mm ammo cost...Yes, reloading saves a chidt ton of money. Its stupid to think otherwise.
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,592
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,592 |
All of them do something better than the 30-06, but none of them do everything as well.
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,518
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,518 |
OP, the best advice you have gotten or will get is to buy a couple of good loading manuals and spend days reading and studying. Many people here will tell you what you need, but you need to understand what you are going to be doing and decide for yourself what you need. Other than the purchase of the manuals, my only advice is “buy quality”.
If we live long enough, we all have regrets. But the ones that nag at us the most are the ones in which we know we had a choice.
Doug
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 500
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 500 |
Speer, Hodgdon and Western Powders all offer free online reloading manuals.
I recommend getting a book off Amazon called The ABC’s of Reloading.
Kits are an okay place to start. Honestly, with reloading equipment it’s a Catch-22 - there are many tools or methods out there to give the same end result, but with differences in how you do it. A lot of which way you choose is based on personal preference and personal goals. You won’t know what works best until you get out there and try it.
Don’t fall in to the trap of somehow thinking of you just do enough research you’ll figure out exactly what will work best for you without ever actually doing any reloading.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,366
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,366 |
I'm mostly planning to ease into reloading for my hunting rifles (not as interested in my handguns, at least not right now)... so a couple questions:
1. What manual would you recommend?
2. Would you recommend starting with a kit or just buying equipment separately and piecing one together? You made a good choice for a starting reloading kit with the Lee, they are not fancy but they will do everything needed and do it well. The Western Powders loading manual (I am referring to the full printed manual - not the freebie paper copy or the on-line version) has one of the best instructional section for reloading of any of the manuals IMO. If you have an opportunity to take a look at one I think you will be impressed, it is written in a very well laid out style, simple to understand for a beginning reloader, and lots of quality photos. I am also fond of the Western Powder / Ramshot offerings of powder. I wish it would have been available back in the dark ages when I started reloading. western Powder manual - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019858118?pid=592562drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 500
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 500 |
And here we go. Suggesting chidt that is absolutely unnecessary to a newbie wanting to learn about reloading... Trust me, if he reads through the load manuals and learns how to find proper OAL by sooting the bullet, he'll be money ahead. Also, no need to know his exact chamber length for trimming brass. Just trim to book suggested length, which is .010" under SAAMI spec and you are golden. I agree about the case prep centers, also your pics aren't showing up. Here's a pic from some ammo I loaded doing it the oldschool way. No freeking fluff unnecessary tools: I always know how far off the lands my bullets are running. My loads always chamber and fire and are extremely accurate. This reloading chidt can get expensive if you take into account buying all the unnecessary chidt some of you are suggesting... By the way, guess how much the 10 shot group would have cost, had it been factory ammo... Any takers?: 286gr Nosler partiton factory 9.3x62mm ammo cost...Yes, reloading saves a chidt ton of money. Its stupid to think otherwise. I agree that starting reloaders can produce accurate ammo with simple tools. There should be a mistrial process to reloading. Start with simple tools and basic processes. My first .308 rifle loads were simply following the reloading manual, trim length, seating depth, etc. and working up through a charge ladder, I was able to find a load about 3/4 of the way between start and max that gave me consistent, repeatable 1” groups at 100 yards. I’ve since gone down the rabbit hole but IMHO it is better to start simple then add on complexity and tools (or not, depending on the end goal).
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 4,680
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 4,680 |
Thanks for all of the input. I'm all ears for thoughts on brass quality (I know this could start a few fights)... especially for new brass. Recommendations?
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 9,079
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 9,079 |
Hands down, the Lyman manual #49 or #50, they ain't sellin' powder nor bullets. Equipment? Get a Lee Loader classic, and a cheapo manual scale, then much later you can dash out and buy all the classy toys to load ammo almost as good as your hand dies.
Well this is a fine pickle we're in, should'a listened to Joe McCarthy and George Orwell I guess.
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,513
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,513 |
I got a Lee whack-a-mole...in 223. So I could load 63SMP and 70 Speed RN for my slow twist Ruger. Maybe some mono's and interlocks and partitions and some bondeds.
Shouldn't take too long to recoup my investment.
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,735
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,735 |
Thanks for all of the input. I'm all ears for thoughts on brass quality (I know this could start a few fights)... especially for new brass. Recommendations? Hornady has been both available, and consistently good in my parts. I thought the 2 chamberings of Nosler brass I bought were soft. FC
"Every day is a holiday, and every meal is a banquet."
- Mrs. FC
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 500
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 500 |
Thanks for all of the input. I'm all ears for thoughts on brass quality (I know this could start a few fights)... especially for new brass. Recommendations? I usually go with whatever once fired brass I have in my stash. Barring that, I tend to go with Starline or Hornady for virgin brass.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 20,879
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 20,879 |
Get a couple of reload manuals and study the written chapters hard.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day that a U.S. president would raise an army to invade his own country."
Robert E. Lee
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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,688
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,688 |
Thanks, all. Midway has a Lee kit on sale with free shipping right now, so I snagged it as a start, along with some dies and gauges.
Looks like brass and powder might be a different story at the moment. As good of start as any AND it will suffice In a SHTF scenario as well without any doubt. Did you get the Lee Dies? The Lee Collet Neck Die will save you from an unbelievable amount of excessive bullshit and you don't have to use case lube! Its called Neck sizing only instead of full length sizing and many of us here do just that with great results Trystan
Good bullets properly placed always work, but not everyone knows what good bullets are, or can reliably place them in the field
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,927
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,927 |
Agree with EFW and others. Get the Lee kit and collet dies. Read the book -sure , but go to Lee's website and watch the very short and helpful videos on how to set up dies and do stuff. No easier way to get started.
Last edited by kenjs1; 03/30/20.
When a country is well governed, poverty and a mean condition are something to be ashamed of. When a country is ill governed, riches and honors are something to be ashamed of
. Confucius
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