getting started .30-06

Goose25

Goose25

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Im going to give reloading a try and I've decided to probably go with the lee anniversery kit. I'll be buying it at Higginson powders and will decide there and then if Im going to upgrade the press to the classic cast press or not. I was also recommended to buy the Lee deluxe rifle die set. Do I need anything else to get started?


I will start with a classic cartridge.... .30-06 for my T3, I'm getting into reloading to benefit from the greater accuracy found in handloads and as a general hobby.


Now where do I go from there?????

....unfortunetly I didn't collect my old brass:bangHead:, do you recommend I buy a pack of bulk brass to get started? Any real advantages/disadvantages between Remington, winchester, ect. bulk packs? Is nickle plated brass recommended?

which primers? again, any significant advantages/disadvantages one brand to an other?

suggestions for bullet selection and recipes would be greatly appreciated. (I mostly hunt whitetail and black bear, spend alot of time at the range also).
 
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You may want to stick with the press it comes with and find an RCBS scale.The LEE one is a bit of a pain in the ass. I don't target shoot with my 30-06, it's strictly a hunting rig, so I only use 1 load. I use a Hornady 180gr SP. and 55.5 grs of IMR 4350 in a Win case. And yes, I'd buy in bulk. I phoned Sierra once with that nickel question,and the tech said no. The reason was that since the nickel was less malleable than the brass it could chip of, embed itself into your bullet and score your barrel as it is fired.
 
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PMC brass is available in bulk bags of 50-100, and is a fair price. I have had no problem with it, and it can be loaded several times. Winchester, and Remington brass are good, but usually only purchased in boxes of 20, and it can be pricey, so shop around. I always neck size (at least) to get the necks round again, as sometimes they get dinged from bag handling. I also trim, and deburr them.

I use CCI 200 LR primers, for my -06, but if your hunting in extreme cold, you may want to use the "magnum" primer CCI 250. Federal primers are equally as good.

I have had good luck with Alliants Reloder 22 powder. It fills the case nicely, and pushes the 180gr bullets in the 2600fps range, with the load I worked up for my rifle. I use the Swift A-frame,(pricey), Nosler Accu-bond, and Nosler Ballistic tip bullets. All shoot the same group for me. The Nosler partition is a well respected bullet as well. For your hunting purposes, I think the partition, or the Accu-bond would be good choices.

I don't know what the kit you are buying comes with, but you need scales, powder dispenser, debur tool, micrometer, dies, powder trickle, loading blocks, case lube, lube tray, primer tray, and a case trimmer is nice as well. I like the hand primer tool, (LEE, or RCBS) as you get a nice feel on primer seating. You will also need a reloading manual, although there is information on load data on many powder manufactures websites. Nosler has an excellent one.

Personally I would spend a bit more, and buy the RCBS Master reloader kit. RCBS has a lifetime guarentee, service is fantastic, and that can pay back in the long term! Plus it come with a Speer reloaders manual, that has lots of info on reloading.

I wouldn't load anyones "favorite load" that you might see on this, or any other reloading forum. You need to "work up" a load that is safe, and accurate for your particular rifle. Read all you can to get a comfortable knowledge of what reloading involves before starting.

Hope that helps!:)
 
The .30-06 may very well be my favorite cartridge.

Before you begin reloading, purchase several reloading manuals. I would suggest at least three - which 3 doesn't really matter, although I think the Lyman should be one of them. If Richard Lee's manual is included with your Lee kit, consider it the 4th manual. You may wish to add others as you progress, and "Ken Waters' Pet Loads" will be very useful once you've got your feet wet.

Although the basic steps in the handloading process don't change, the way that each manual presents it's load data is different - some give velocity increases with each increase in powder weight, some give the corresponding powder weight to a specific velocity. Over the years I have found mistakes in loading manuals, although I do not recall finding any mistakes in the .30-06 data. Never the less, another good reason for having more than one manual is to check one lot of data against another. If something does not make sense to you, don't be afraid to question it. The Sierra help line is also a valuable resource tool for the handloader, regardless of his experience level, and the questions do not need to pertain the Sierra products.

I just checked my Wholesale Sports catalog, and it appears that Lee does not include a set of dies with their kit. That being the case, you will need a set of dies. AS you are starting out, I think the best die set for you to buy from Lee is the RGB set, rather than the deluxe set. You will not need to neck-size in the foreseeable future, and the measuring spoons won't help you much unless you buy the entire set. Which brings us to the Lee scale. IMHO it is not much of a scale. As suggested by TN, I would suggest you get an RCBS 505, which is almost the industry standard. It runs about $100.00.

Another tool that is most useful for the handloader is the chronograph. I can't overstate the importance of this tool from a standpoint of safety. The chronograph will tell you when you are at maximum pressure, regardless of what your loading manual tells you your load should be. If the loading manual says that 2700 fps is the maximum velocity with a given combination of bullet, primer, and powder, when you get 2700 on your chronograph you know that you can go no farther. You are at maximum pressure. It does not matter if the loading manual says the maximum load is 1 gr of powder more - with your rifle the load that gives you 2700 is your maximum load.

On to components. When it comes to cartridge cases, I think Winchester is the best North American brass, from a stand point of consistent dimensions and volume. Right now that doesn't matter to you, cost is your biggest concern. Current prices have 50 .30-06 cases at about $20.00 unless you choose expensive European brass.

The best bang for the buck in jacketed bullets is the Hornady Interlock or the Remington Pointed CoreLokt, which is Remington's bulk bullet. Both cost about $20.00/100. If you want to try cast bullets for further savings, contact Ben Hanuck on this board.

You will have to choose between standard and magnum large rifle primers. My own criteria is to use a magnum primer for cold weather, or when the powder weight exceeds 50.0 grs. I've experienced more misfires with Remington primers than with any other brand. The Federal 215 is an excellent magnum primer, but it was designed to ignite the huge powder column in the .378 Weatherby, so the 215 might be stronger than you need for the .30-06. Nothing dangerous will occur by using them, but accuracy might suffer.

Your choice of powder will be determined by the bullet weight you choose and velocity you want. Over all IMR-4064 is very useful in the .30-06. If you choose to shoot cast SR-4759 works very well. If you want to shoot heavy hunting bullets at maximum velocity H-4350 or even R-22 are top choices. I wouldn't try to magnumize your .30-06. It is an accurate and powerful cartridge when loaded to the velocities for which it was designed - 150 gr. @ 2900 fps, 180 gr. @ 2800 fps, 200 gr. @ 2600 fps, and 220 gr. @ 2500 fps.

I hope you find this helpful.
 
You will need a set of calipers to measure the overall length of your reloads, to determine that you have the bullet seated to the correct depth. You can get one from Canadian Tire, Busy Bee, Princess Auto, or Lee Valley.

The kit you mentioned comes with the cutter and lockstud for case trimming. You will need to order the case length guage/shellholder for 30-06 to go with it. If you go with the RGB dies like Boomer recommended, you will need a shell hoder as well (it's included with the deluxe set).

If you are thinking of upgrading the press and you decide to upgrade to a better scale, it might be better to have Higginsons put a kit together for you (they have Hornady scales as well as Lee). Just ask them which way would work out cheaper, they won't screw you over.
 
the lee kit is on, but plan in the future to upgrade the scale and press. a case trimmer would be another good investment.

favorite loads.

168gr A-Max, 57gr IMR 4350
168gr A-max, 50gr IMR 4064

the 4064 load recoils alot less and is only 50 fps slower than 4350. both shoot .5 in my semi custom mauser.
 
You've been given some excellent advice above. I agree that Winchester brass is excellent. I do A LOT of shooting (I'm a competitive shooter), and I find that, of the American brass, Winchester is the best. It has the longest life and the best capacity. Having said that, if you find a few empty boxes of Federal or Remington, don't hesitate to use it. It's good, too.

Don't get bent out of shape about primers. They all work. Most people use the Federal 210. Personally, I use Winchester WLR primers. They are middle of the road between a normal and magnum primer in heat, and they work perfectly in a .30-06. For target loads in a .308, I use Federal 210 Match exclusively. The key is pick something and stick with it, unless you get erratic performance.

Loads: After years of playing, I finally stumbled upon a load that I believe is pretty close to the ideal recipe for the .30-06. It features 64.0 grains of Vihtavuori N560 pushing a 168-grain Barnes TripleShock (solid copper bullet). It gives the highest velocity of any .30-06 load I've ever fired (and there have been many), and the level of accuracy is comparable to a match load. I would not hesitate to use this load on a deer, bear or moose beyond 300 yards. Last year it blew a big muley literally off its feet from 300 yards across a deep draw.

I've also found that you can substitute a cheaper bullet like a Hornady 165 BTSP or Nosler Ballistic Tip with this load, for playing on the range, and the point of impact is basically identical out to 200 metres. I'm all for getting as much range practice as you can. There's no harm in using a cheaper bullet for paper punching, as long as you have your hunting load perfectly zeroed, and you have experience with its trajectory.

I agree that you should NEVER use this load or any other without working up from 7-10% below, probably in one-grain increments.

Other classic '06 loads include:

57-58.6 grains IMR 4350 with a 165-grain bullet.

55-56 grains IMR 4350 with a 180-grain bullet.

60 grains Reloder 22 or H4831 with a 180-grain bullet.

61.5 grains H4831 with a 165.

62 grains Reloder 22 with a 165.

50 grains Varget with a 165 (or 48 to 50 grains IMR 4064 with the same bullets).

The list goes on and on.

Personally, I think the N560/168 TSX load described above is superior to all of these, but the above loads have proven themselves over the years.

By the way, you definitely need to get a caliper. They're cheap. Another thing I can't do without anymore (even though it took me nearly 20 years to get it) is a Stoney Point OAL gauge. It'll cost you a bit over $40, and you need to get a Stoney Point modified cartridge case for every different cartridge that you reload for. It really takes the headache out of setting your bullet seating depth and makes the process simple and idiot-proof -- and more precise than any other method. I generally find that seating the bullet about .015 inches away from engaging the rifling works best, with the exception of the Barnes TSX, which requires a bit more jump.

I agree with your choice of the Lee kit. It'll get you started with what you need.
 
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Another couple of loads.
180 gr soft point (Winchester), 55.2 gr H 414, CCI 250 LR Mag primers, Winchester brass
brass trimmed to 2.484
COL 3.162

168 gr hollow point (Hornady), 56.5 gr H414, CCI 250 Lr Mag primers, Winchester brass
brass trimmed to 2.484
COL 3.295

Ball powders (like H414) not everyone's cup of tea. Probably better powders if you're looking for tack driving accuracy. But great for hunting. And those 168s will group tightly at longer ranges.
 
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Here's one more recipe that has excelled in several 30-06's rifles I have/do own, with the same caveat.....start lower and work up. 61.0 grains of Vihtavuori N160 and the 165 Partition in a Winchester case, fired by the WLR primer, accurate and fast, it kills everything up to moose very well. My pet load with the 180 Partition is: Same case and primer, but 61 grains of Norma MRP. Enjoy your 30-06, it's a winner! Regards, Eagleye
 
Don't forget to get a powder trickler. I like the RCBS one (LeBaron, about $15). My brother has the Hornady one, he thinks my RCBS trickler is better.

I say get the deluxe die set, neck sized ammo is more accurate and brass life is better. You'll want to get the Lee Factory Crimp Die too.

Craig
 
Bulk brass of the same make will do nicely. You will have to full length resize them for at least the first load. Then you can neck size them if you will be using them in only one rifle.
The .30-06 likes 165 grain hunting bullets with IMR4064. Any large rifle primer will be fine. Then beginning with the starting load, in your manual, load 5 rounds only. Go up by half a grain of powder, loading 5 of each keeping them separate until you get to the max load in your manual.
Then go shooting. Shoot at 100 yards, for group only, slowly and deliberately off a bench.
Change targets between strings of 5 and allow time for the barrel to cool.
When you find the best group, sight in 4" high at 100. That'll put you on target out to about 300 yards with no hold over.
 
damn... all that useful info about what I might or might not need with the Lee kit and here I go bidding on a RCBS kit on Egay:D

I got a RCBS Reloading Starter Kit - (New in Box!) for a little under 210$cdn on egay. Did I do good?

what else am I missing to get started? (besides powder, brass, primer, bullets)

how many times can I expect to be able to use my brass before having to trim my cases?

which die set do I need (.30-06)? can I only use RCBS die's with the rcbs press? do I really need a crimp die if I use a neck sizing die?
 
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sunray said:
Bulk brass of the same make will do nicely. You will have to full length resize them for at least the first load. Then you can neck size them if you will be using them in only one rifle.
Click to expand...

I don't normally jump on comments I disagree with from other posters, but neck sizing .30-06 brass intended for use in a hunting rifle is a terrible idea. Even the bench rest crowd has discovered it is better to bump the shoulder back a touch. A hunting rifle needs to be reliable first and foremost. Trying to chamber a round that you can't close the bolt on might not be a big deal during informal practice at the range, but in the real world it can have significant consequences.

All handloaded ammo should be checked for functioning in the rifle prior to heading out into the toolies. Neck sizing is just a problem waiting to happen.
 
more questions....

I only hunt black bear (20-100yards) and deer (50-300yards), would you say I would be better off trying my first loads with 165/168's or 180's? would 165's offer a significant flatter tragectory for those 300yards shot that I might encounter on my deer hunts? on the other hand, would 180's pack more punch on a HUGE black bears shoulder at 20 yards?


Maybe two different rounds with similar tragectories would be ideal for me,

-The first with cheaper bullets (ie, interlocks, Rem PSPCL, ect)as I plan on doing alot of bench shooting(180's might kick a lilttle harder with my 7lbs tikka)... something that may offer great accuracy is a must!!!

-The second with pricey'r bullets (ie TSX, Partitions, accubonds, interbond) for long range shots on deer and close range shots on blackies.

What bullet and weight do you recommend for my particular needs? should I consider a light load and lighter bullets for longer sessions at the range (with completely different tragectory than my hunting rounds)?
 
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Personally, I like the 165-168 grain bullets best in the .30-06. Like I said above, you can go with a premium bullet like a 168 TSX for everything, saving the cheaper 165s for paper punching practice.

A 180-grain bullet is classic in the .30-06, but in my opinion, the newer generation of super premium bullets like the 168 TSX are at least as good, if not better, than, say, a 180 Partition, in terms of penetration.
 
Almost all the dies are the standard 7/8"x14,so they all fit.For dies I like Lee Pacesetter,they come with a shellholder and the Factory crimp die for the same price as others without them. Lees are very very plain ,but I have found my 30-06 to have a better interior finish then my RCBS 30-06.

For practice rounds I like Hornady 165 Boattail Spire point.Lighter bullets are cheaper and the BT is easier to load. I don't like the square corners on bullets. All Hornadies are nicely shaped,inexpensive and they fly well.But 150s work well and hurt the wallet and shoulder less. For hunting the 180 soon go as fast as the 165. The bonded core bullets have best of all worlds,a wide impact range and good flight.Nosler Accubonds fly better(more accurate)than Hornady's bonded core Interbond but are twice the price. I use Interbonds.

A Hornady 165 flat base and any brand of a 4350 powder for a 30-06,it doesn't get simpler.
 
I'm a little confused when it comes to the die's I need. If i got it right you need to size and deprime with die #1, what type of sizing am I doing here? case lenght? then once i've primed and added my powder I seat the bullet with a die #2...right? where does the crimp or neck sizing die come in? are they necessary?

How about trimming my case's, my kit doesn't seem to have come with anything to trim the case (only deburring tool)... is case trimming mandatory?

finally... how did RCBS intend owners of the starter kit to prime thier cases?




I know...I know.... total NOOB:redface:
 
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