Green reloader needs some help!

Eagle160

Eagle160

CGN Regular
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Location
Nova Scotia
Greetings folks,

I am preparing to take a small stab at reloading and instead of spending $1000 like I usually do then getting tired of it and selling it for $500 I'm going to go basic.
Going to do 6.5 x 55 and .303

Here's what I'm looking at so far

Lee hand press
Lee powder measure kit
Lee powder funnel
Lee deluxe die sets with collet neck sizing die (6.5 x 55 and .303)
Hornady .303 150 grain
Hornady 6.5 x 55 140 Gr SP bullets
Winchester .303 unprimed brass (50's)
Winchester 6.5 x 55 unprimed brass (50's)


What else should I consider and what powder and primers do I need for rifle ammunition? I am not doing any handgun stuff.
 
Get the Lee Anniversary kit. It includes more than what you have listed there and is a really good deal at about $125. You will need to separately buy your dies, a case length gauge, reloading manual, and something to clean your brass (ideally a tumbler or ultrasonic...I just use vinegar and a brillo pad). I would highly recommend a Lee decapping die as well...saves your good dies from being pushed through dirty brass to get the primers out.

With everything I've listed above, you're looking at an initial investment of about $200-250 for all your equipment.
 
Looked at the anniversary kit but I want to be more portable so I can move gear from home to back shop at work, etc. Thought I'd get a rubbermade container with some smaller cases inside for storage.
 
Lee powder measure kit
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If this is the set of Lee scoops, don't waste your money. They're not accurate, and why bother to load your own if you can't be sure what your powder charge weight is? The only use I have for the scoops is to get me close to the weight I want in the pan, then I trickle up to the exact weight of powder. Buy an electronic scale, they're not that expensive.

And a reloading manual
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What Mardig said. :D
 
A scale. Even with a powder thrower. Forget the scoops altogether. They can vary the powder charge plus or minus a full grain.
"...What about primers and powder selection?..." Large rifle primers, then pick a powder out of your manual and work up the load.
 
Calipers, weight scale, I got from dealextreme. really really cheap and works.
I load by volume, not by weight. so I really only use the scale to check every 20 rounds or so. I use the Lee disks and double disk set. Good for my pistol and good for my 308.
 
The scoops are good for dumping powder into your scale. Use one to get you close and then hold it on its side and tap it to get a few granules at a time to fall into the pan until you have the exact weight you want.
 
If you're planning on getting by with one powder, something like 4320 or 4064. If you're buying a pound of powder for each, possibly 4895 or H4895(.303) and H4350(6.5). Primer brand is probably not all that important.
Grouch
 
Great stuff guys, keep it coming!! I'm compiling a list and if anyone has any of the items mentioned so far that they want to part with please do PM me.

Thanks again.
 
I bought the lee aniversary kit and could not be happier. Honestly a little over 320 bucks and I had dies and everthing needed including bullets, primers and powder to make 300 rounds.

You could easily make it portable and c-clampable. Only things i've added are tumbler (75 bucks) a powder trickler (15 bucks) and a manual (20 bucks).

Worth every penny... those hand presses look like they may be a pain FL sizing brass too. But I don't know that first hand.
 
Real emphasis on the case trimmer/Length gauge for each calibre.. This can be a bit of a pain; if you're going to be doing more calibres, consider purchasing a universal trimmer (looks like a miniature lathe).
 
Eagle, don't be concerned about the portability of the lee kit. I have one and keep ALL my reloading gear in a milk crate that i can stash in a cupboard at work or i can take it home... i just have 3 holes drilled into my bench at work where i do most of my loading, but as said before you can also go the clamp route. the hand press is cool for taking out in the bush if thats your thing, but you will get tired of using it exclusively very quickly and in the end likely wish you had a press, and the BL Challenger is a good press for the money. i'd save yourself the hassle and put up the extra $ for the kit.
 
Seriously? only a couple hundred rounds a year. If I could believe that then I would tell you to get a simple Lee Loader, powder funnel, scale, case trimmer for each calibre, OAL gauge.

loader = $35
trimmer = $30
Funnel =$5
scale = $50
hammer = $5
powder = $30
primers = $8
brass = $60
total = $225
That will make about 150rds. the next 150 will only cost $40.
However, I do not believe that you will only load a couple of hundred a year, so you might just as well go ahead and spend about $500. I own two Lee kits. Both scales sucked a$$ so I turfed them. both powder measures sucked - gone as well. But the rest of the stuff I have works great. X2 on the powder scoops. I have no idea how anyone can dip consistently, I can't.
My basic setup would include a couple of good books (Lee's Modern Reloading and Lyman's are minimums), a press, a scale, die set (with factory crimp and collett die), a trickler, case length gauges, extra shell holders, powder funnel (I have one that doubles as a scale pan from Lyman), a reliable loading block, I would probably clean the brass with a scotch brite pad and my drill using the case length gauge set-up.
 
I have a couple of Lee Loaders...I ordered them and then took one look at them and promptly ordered a hand press and dies. For a little more money, you won't be driving yourself to drink, fiddling with the Lee Loader, but still be portable.
 
Forget Winchester cases for reloading the .303 and get Prvi Partizan they have thicker rims and the case walls are .010 thicker than any other brand of .303 case.

If you do not buy the Priv Partizan cases and do get Winchester cases do not take the chamber pressure over 43,000 cup.
 
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