Looking to start on reloading

Puffie40

Puffie40

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Hey guys!

I am interested in reloading my own rifle shells. I am starting from scratch, so I am open to suggestions on what you would recommend.

Since I am beginning, I know I would want a single stage press,
I'm still not too sure on what I need :confused:

I plan to reload 30-30, 30.06, .303 British and 762 x 39.

Thanks!
 
The Lee or RCBS starter kit will give you most of what you will immediately need to start loading. Of course you need a set of dies for every different caliber you reload. Powder ,primers and bullets and away you go. Most important is a good reloading book, one of which comes with the Lee kit. Read and reread all you do not understand and then get on here and ask before you do something you do not quite understand.
 
Look into the RCBS Beginner's Kit. Gives you everything you need less dies and shell holder. You'll need a set of dies and a shell holder for each of those cartridges. If you ever buy a .308(or any cartridge based on it or the .30-06), the .30-06 shell holder will be the same.
Go buy a copy of The ABC's of Reloading and another manual(preferably a Lyman) too. The kits come with a manual, but it's a Speer book. Only has loads for their bullets. There's nothing wrong with the Speer book though. The Lyman is just more versatile.
You'll need a solid bench too. No particle board tops. They break.
 
Lyman Manual
ABC's of reloading is as above mentioned also very good.


+1 on the RCBS kit, it has a better scale and stronger press than the Lee.

One thing that I use and recommend is a Lyman Ram prime, its cheap and provides a very uniform crimp. This I could not achive with the tool which was provided with my Redding Press, Im not sure how the one on the Rcbs press performs.

Other things to think about which may not be in a kit:

Digital Caliper
Bullet Puller (I use the rcbs inertia hammer)
case trimmer+pilot (I use Lee for this)

The list goes on. You can amass a great amount of kit for reloading all depending on how softicated you want to be or on how quick you want to do it. Once you to through a couple manuals it will become quite clear.
 
Thanks guys! I definitely got a idea on what I need for a start :D

I'm a bit of a hobby machinist, so the measuring tools have found another use :)

ABC's of Reloading
Click to expand...
I found (And bought) a copy that looks like it's from the 1960s a few months back. I guess that will do?

Since most of our 762x39 is berdan primed, Would I need a special primer tool to seat them?
 
"...Not so hard on the Lee's..." RCBS' warrantee is better. They'll fix or replace anything they make even if you buy used or you caused the damage, usually free, forever.
Lee's warrantee is two years, but they'll repair any currently made kit if you send it to them with a payment of half the retail value.
 
senior said:
Not so hard on the Lee's boys :)

I have been using one of these for years & would deff recommend one to a newbie!
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1206362224.2059=/html/catalog/turretpress.html

That & a Lyman reloading manual, great info with pics!
Click to expand...


From that page:
Proven design with compound leverage. No spring in this turret design. The turret is locked into a solid steel ring with big rifle bolt type lugs. Patented design puts the lugs on the circumference so there can be no tipping. The linkage is so powerful that the largest magnum cases are sized with ease.
Click to expand...


I bought one of the 4 hole jobs. I resized about 50 300win mag cases and the aluminum die holder split almost all the way around. I returned it lock stock and barrel, and bought the rockchucker. I'd like to pick up another turret someday, but if it's a Lee, I won't be loading anything but pistol rounds on it. The warranty is nice, but it doesn't do me any good when it breaks the night before I go to the range. I also had one of those little cheapy C presses of theirs. The handle broke off it when I was pulling back up. I took out the ram and I use it as the stand for holding my RCBS power measure. I also own one of those pro1000 presses. It's sitting in a bin collecting dust beside my bench. The case sensor broke on it almost on day one. The primers didn't feed well. That autodisk powder measure was forever jamming and breaking the chain. When the case pusher started to jam, that was the last straw. I guess I should put it in the EE as a parts machine for those who seem to have the patience to mess with them.
 
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In use reloading tool from a bunch of different suppliers.

Lee does make a few items that are very well made and dependable. Their hand held primer tool, case length gauges, and powder measure are among my favourite loading tools as well as a few die sets that have given me no trouble.

My press is an RCBS as are most of my dies. My beam scale and bullet puller is from Hornady.


.
 
blacksmithden said:
I bought one of the 4 hole jobs. I resized about 50 300win mag cases and the aluminum die holder split almost all the way around. I returned it lock stock and barrel, and bought the rockchucker. I'd like to pick up another turret someday, but if it's a Lee, I won't be loading anything but pistol rounds on it. The warranty is nice, but it doesn't do me any good when it breaks the night before I go to the range. I also had one of those little cheapy C presses of theirs. The handle broke off it when I was pulling back up. I took out the ram and I use it as the stand for holding my RCBS power measure. I also own one of those pro1000 presses. It's sitting in a bin collecting dust beside my bench. The case sensor broke on it almost on day one. The primers didn't feed well. That autodisk powder measure was forever jamming and breaking the chain. When the case pusher started to jam, that was the last straw. I guess I should put it in the EE as a parts machine for those who seem to have the patience to mess with them.
Click to expand...

Ever use case lube??...............just kidding :D
Mine is an old 3 hole maybe that made a diff?
I sized & made over 100 .308 Norma Mags for a guy & loaded for my own .300WM till I sold the gun with-out ever a hick-up!
 
senior said:
Ever use case lube??...............just kidding :D
Mine is an old 3 hole maybe that made a diff?
I sized & made over 100 .308 Norma Mags for a guy & loaded for my own .300WM till I sold the gun with-out ever a hick-up!
Click to expand...

Oh crap yes. There was no shortage of lube. Nothing jammed or did anything funky. I honestly didn't think that it should have split with the amount of pressure it was taking. Maybe there was a flaw in the aluminum.....who knows. This was a 4 holer, so maybe it's weaker because of the extra material that's been removed???? At any rate, one of the cheif cook and bottle washers at the store came out of the office and told me that he could send the part back to Lee and I'd have it back in 2 weeks. He also told me that the press really wasn't made to handle large magnum calibres. I'm not saying he's an expert or anything, but I'm guessing he's had more than a few of these back. I can't really argue against his opinion given my experience.
 
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