Looking for some guidance in reloading.

[savage M110 BAS]

Greetings, I am very eager to get into the world of reloading and need a bit of guidance.

I am looking into purchasing a Lyman single stage press kit. The reason I am going with a Lyman is because I can get a great deal from a shop owner that I know very well.
I am more into the accuracy side of reloading rather than the ability to pump out 1000 rounds in an hour.
I apologise for the lack of experience but is this kit everything I will need to get started? I am looking into reloading for .308 right now and later get some other dies for .270 and 7mm. I know that there is always bigger and better tools to make the job faster and more accurate but will this kit fit my needs for now, with the ability to expand later on in my reloading hobby?


thanks guys.

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

Dies, shell holders, components , lube ,some prep tools are the things you will likely need extra.

As time goes on you will pick up little things here and there that make life easier.

 

[MIRAMICHIER]

I bought a Lyman kit 20 years ago and still using it.What would really help you get started is to watch somebody doing the process properly.I also purchased a book called
Pet Loads By Ken Waters and had it a lot of useful information in it.Probably out of date by now.Anyway good luck in your new venture.

 

[aheppner]

same thing I tell every one who wants to start, read at least 1 reloading manual cover to cover. and read the reloading section a couple times at least

you should know what you need by then,

 

[Bananatole]

i just got into it as well. My first load was about 3 months ago and ive loaded 3 times since. Experience is key. I read a couple manuals, by read i mean i scanned the big words. Its really simple once you figure out how all the machinery works. First 100 rounds took about 10 hours. My last 100 rounds took 2, not including tumbling.

I have 2 scales and i really like to confirm each load. In the future id like a more precise powder pourer since it varies up to .4 gr for each pull.

If i was you id just read enough until you understand the general procedure then get into it.

I read all the manuals for the dies, press, and whatnot. Didnt sink in until i actually went to do it and re-read each step.

 

[ATOM]

A book called The ABCs of Reloading is strongly recommended. While short on 'recipes', it's one of the best introductions to reloading out there. Many questions will be answered.

The kit is a good start, but reloaders are bigger gear wh*res than fishermen and you will soon be on your way back for more bits-and-pieces. One thing I always do suggest is to toss the kit lube and get a can of Imperial sizing die wax; one tiny tin will last you for years and it's far less messy. I'd also drop $10 on some spare depriming pins and a stuck case remover - you'll need them sooner or later and better now than when it's too late.

 

[pbonura]

YouTube videos really work for me and you can see guys actually reloading on a press and priming and loading. I am a visual learner and videos really work for me. Also have two reloading manuals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zSG804HwVk

Watch this video and this guy is very very good and instructional.

 

[Ganderite]

I started with that kit. I suggest you get a good digital scale at the first opportunity to up grade.

A powder thrower has a + and - of about .2 gr with extruded powder and throws almost perfectly with ball powder.

As you get started, you could make life easier by starting with ball powder, such as BLC2 or Win 748. That way you will not have to measure each powder charge.

 

[savage M110 BAS]

YouTube videos really work for me and you can see guys actually reloading on a press and priming and loading. I am a visual learner and videos really work for me. Also have two reloading manuals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zSG804HwVk

Watch this video and this guy is very very good and instructional.

i watched that entire video and it was very helpful, thank you.

so from what people are saying, a new better digital scale would be the first thing i should be looking into when i purchase this kit? will the included digital scale be able to get me some good accurate reloads untill i can affort to get bigger and better? how off is this scale in terms of accuracy?

 

[pbonura]

i watched that entire video and it was very helpful, thank you.

so from what people are saying, a new better digital scale would be the first thing i should be looking into when i purchase this kit? will the included digital scale be able to get me some good accurate reloads untill i can affort to get bigger and better? how off is this scale in terms of accuracy?

Digital scales should be pretty accurate. I have a rcbs 505 and it works. If I upgrade I will invest in a good digital scale.

 

[ATOM]

i watched that entire video and it was very helpful, thank you.

so from what people are saying, a new better digital scale would be the first thing i should be looking into when i purchase this kit? will the included digital scale be able to get me some good accurate reloads untill i can affort to get bigger and better? how off is this scale in terms of accuracy?

It's a question of how much you load and how accurate you need to be.

The manual scales that come with the kits are accurate enough, but they are not as convenient or quick as the electronic ones.

My reference to accuracy is WRT how precise you need your reloads to be. If I am putting together a coyote load for my .270, I want it to be very precise and therefore measure out each charge of propellent with the scales. For 9mm, on the other hand, such precision is hardly necessary and I just use the powder thrower, with a check every so often from the scales to make sure nothing's shifted.

 

[savage M110 BAS]

It's a question of how much you load and how accurate you need to be.

The manual scales that come with the kits are accurate enough, but they are not as convenient or quick as the electronic ones.

My reference to accuracy is WRT how precise you need your reloads to be. If I am putting together a coyote load for my .270, I want it to be very precise and therefore measure out each charge of propellent with the scales. For 9mm, on the other hand, such precision is hardly necessary and I just use the powder thrower, with a check every so often from the scales to make sure nothing's shifted.

I understand where you are coming from. For now I am only interested in reloading VERY accurate .308 rounds for my long range setup. I plan on measuring each charge before I seat the bullet. When I get into reloading my 9mm I will look for a good quality powder thrower like you suggested.

On another note, In the Lyman reloading kit, will the book give me proper detail like bullet seating depth, OAL of the complete cartridge and other key measurements needed to make reloaded bullets?

 

[ATOM]

I understand where you are coming from. For now I am only interested in reloading VERY accurate .308 rounds for my long range setup. I plan on measuring each charge before I seat the bullet. When I get into reloading my 9mm I will look for a good quality powder thrower like you suggested.

On another note, In the Lyman reloading kit, will the book give me proper detail like bullet seating depth, OAL of the complete cartridge and other key measurements needed to make reloaded bullets?

Not sure if the Lyman kit comes with a proper reloading manual or just a basic instruction manual on how to use the equipment. You certainly need a reloading manual. (I would be very, very cautious taking any loads off the internet until you get a feel for what you are doing. A lot of good info out there, but also some scary-dangerous cowboys with more enthusiasm than common sense.) As to which manual, I tend to buy a new one every few years, switching brands each time and think all of the major companies' books are OK. By coincidence, my last purchase was the Lyman 49th edition; it certainly have COAL and other measurements. If the kit doesn't have a proper book, buy one.

WRT the degree of accuracy for scales, you can easily get into the law of diminishing returns. The highest degree of accuracy you can possibly use is the weight of one grain of propellent. That can be quite low, of course, but you're not going to benefit from a lab-quality rig. Most shooters work to levels of 1/10 of a grain. I'm quite satisfied with a beam scale. I've tried electronic ones but keep coming back to the manual one. Other people's opinions may differ, of course.

 

[209jones]

Powder charge "weight" is something that can mislead people a lot. You can affect a shot far more, with the bench technique of a shot, than you will by being +/- 1/10th of a grain. As you are talking about "maximum accuracy at long range", you are talking about 300yds and out, in which a puff of wind at the bench or mirage makes more difference. And you are likely talking about match grade chambers and barrels and action tuning. Then you get to the reloading aspect of it, bullet concentricity to the round, neck concentricity, case volumes and etc.
You can reload very accurate ammo with the standard tools and some decent dies, and good case prep. Whether or not you can shoot that accuracy in the gun you have, or with your shooting technique and knowledge, is another question.
Start with a kit with the basics, progress from there. A good beam scale or an electronic scale is really a question of of what you feel most comfortable in using, which one you trust the most.
Any of the major mfgr's kits are going to produce accurate ammo up to a point, after that , you get into some specialty stuff, if that type of accuracy is what you are really after.