First reloads...my cherry is offcially popped!

Bronco Boy

Bronco Boy

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Well all after 2 years of collecting reloading stuff, buying a house where I have room for a reloading center, finding a bench, installing my press and reading everything I could about the subject here are my very first reloads. Basically I have wanted to get into reloading for a long time; it's been a process. I am pretty jazzed now that I have started.

Really looking forward to getting to the range and giving these puppies a go.

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With deer season just around the corner I decided to start with a hunting round. These will be used in my Browning BAR .308 Win. They are 165 Nosler Partitions over 40 grains of IMR 4064. I will hopefully have a good load worked up by deer season. I'm gonna load some at 41, 42 & 43 grains before heading to the range. The brass is once fired Winchester; CCI large rifle primers, OAL 2.79.

I wasted several bullets and brass experimenting with dummy loads trying to get my dies set. It's tricky when you are starting with zero knowledge of the process. I learned a lot. Give me a year and I'll be a pro...;)
 
Bronco Boy said:
I wasted several bullets and brass experimenting with dummy loads trying to get my dies set. It's tricky when you are starting with zero knowledge of the process. I learned a lot. Give me a year and I'll be a pro...;)
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For the cost of a $15 kinetic bullet pulling hammer, those bullets will not be wasted. Get one, you'll need it, again and again. I think mine is approaching 3-400 uses, and I've only been loading a year and a half.

If by being a pro in a year, you think you'll be a trusted source of unquestioned knowledge, read the forum and see how many guys argue with H4831 (Bruce), he's been loading 20 years longer than I've been breathing :p
 
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Curtmg is right, just set them aside and pull them when you get a bullet puller.

Welcome to reloading.:wave: I'm a newbie too, just finished my first batch of 1,100 rounds and I LOVE it.
Reloading is almost as much fun as shooting them off :p
 
curtmg said:
If by being a pro in a year, you think you'll be a trusted source of unquestioned knowledge, read the forum and see how many guys argue with H4831 (Bruce), he's been loading 20 years longer than I've been breathing.
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Wow so your not as old as your avatar. :D


sorry. :p
 
curtmg said:
If by being a pro in a year, you think you'll be a trusted source of unquestioned knowledge, read the forum and see how many guys argue with H4831 (Bruce), he's been loading 20 years longer than I've been breathing.
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See the ;) at the end of my sentence claiming that I'll be a pro? In case you didn't know that indicates (in my case extreme) sarcasm.
 
I used to have a bullet puller hammer but much prefer the RCBS die type of puller with the collets. Just but a new collet for like $10 when you change calibres.

I've used it a ton. Sometimes you seat a bullet to deep and just want to pull it out a bit.
 
Like the metal plate you mounted on. May want to try 41.5 and 42.5 too. I remember getting laughed at for not having a bullet puller when I started reloading - didnt take long to get one, very useful tool.
 
I've got about 49 .303 cartridges in a ziploc bag that I'm going to pull once my hammer arrives, guess what happened to number 50
 
novega said:
Curtmg is right, just set them aside and pull them when you get a bullet puller.

Welcome to reloading.:wave: I'm a newbie too, just finished my first batch of 1,100 rounds and I LOVE it.
Reloading is almost as much fun as shooting them off :p
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wait wait wait, so you've charged 1100rounds in your first session?
you were never worried that if you made an error on your first trip you'd make that error 1099 other times?
Did you at least try a dozen before completing the 1000+?

chise said:
I've got about 49 .303 cartridges in a ziploc bag that I'm going to pull once my hammer arrives, guess what happened to number 50
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boom chicka wah wah
 
Not sure if you know him or not, but there is a terrific fellow (John Parsons) who has "Precision Reloading ltd.". He operates from his house in Maple Ridge and has - or can get - anything reloading related. Best prices and I bent that guy's ear so many times when i was learning to reload. I can't rave enough about him.
 
Obtunded said:
Not sure if you know him or not, but there is a terrific fellow (John Parsons) who has "Precision Reloading ltd.". He operates from his house in Maple Ridge and has - or can get - anything reloading related. Best prices and I bent that guy's ear so many times when i was learning to reload. I can't rave enough about him.
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Can you please PM me his contact info. I have heard about him but have not tracked him down, I think he lives only 5 minutes from me.
 
Definately don't try to pull bullets with a pair of pliers and expect the bullet to make it. Don't ask me how I know this ;)
 
One thing about reloading......you'll never stop learning some interesting tidbit or other. I started in 1965 or so, and it has provided me with hours of enjoyment, plus think of all that shooting!! Oh, I've screwed up a few times, but carefully stored the screwups permanently in memory to prevent reruns. Nothing brings me more satisfaction than watching that Elk [insert whichever game animal you choose here] etc, fold up from a solid hit with a load I developed for my rifle and that is dependable and has my complete confidence. Except in rimfire/shotgun, I have fired less than 50 rounds of factory ammo in the past 40 years. Enjoy! Eagleye.
 
Thanks guys, for the comments, now I really find it tough to say anything more.
But chise, the usual cause of head seperation is too much headspace, not an overload. The way it works is when the firing pin hits the primer, it pushes the cartridge forward, then it fires, resulting in the case expanding against the chamber and holding it forward. The next result being the base of the cartridge is blown back to the bolt face. The result of this is a stretching of the case near the base, and it weakens, or seperates just above the web. With proper headspace the cartridge can't be pushed forwad.
In short, your loaded cartridges may be fine, if the rifle didn't have so much headspace.
Lee Enfields have a great way to change heaqdspace, they just change a screw on head on the bolt. These are made in different lengths. If you could get it to a gunsmith he would likely have spare bolt heads and a way to measure which one you need.
Failing that, you could make custom cartridges for it, but it is a bit of a hassle, getting the cases to proper size, the first time.
After you pull the bullets, get some cast bullets, if possible. Unsized .308 size would do. Load a light load of faster powder and seat the bullets out so they make tight contact with the lands. That is, the bolt should close hard. The cartridge now can not move forward from the hit of the firing pin and teh case will be perfectly fire formed, to fit the chamber on your rifle. Just neck size after this.
 
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