Looking to start re-loading.. Where do I start??

steve750

steve750

Member
Rating - 92.6%
25   2   0
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Hey there.. I have been a long time shooter and have recently decided to start re-loading my own ammo.. mainly .223, .300 Win Mag, .308 and .303


where do I start?? What kind of equipment do i need?? How much should I be looking to spend..

In all due respect I would like someone who has MANY years of re-loading knowledge to answer this question. Thank You.


STeve
 
Loading gear

Steve weather you have been loading for 2 years or 22 you still need all the same basic gear.
Many gents such as your self may look to some of the all included kits that the various manufactures make. RCBS ,Lee, and Hornady all have starter pkg's that will have you loading in short order. Best place to start may be one of the great new manuals that are available. I like the new Nosler 6 the Sierra and the Hornady manuals. They all show you the steps needed with a lot of back round information about bullets and powders.
Kit prices for all but the Lee gear are around the $400.00 range, Lee kits are less money and have everything you need to get started with exception of powder , primers and die sets for the various calibers. Die sets will run around $40.00 new and less than that for used ones which there are lots for sale in the equipment exchange. FS
 
Additionally, I would suggest you get some current loading manuals. Most of them have good step by step instructions so you can develop a good understanding of what it is you are going to do before your start. Each loading manual comes at their data from a slightly different direction, so the data is not identical in each manual, and it is useful to have more than one manual so you can check one against another.

I use Lee products from time to time, and their dies are as good as anyone else's at a much better price. The only Lee product you really need to stay away from is their powder scale. The one I had was neither repeatable nor accurate, and an inaccurate scale can be dangerous. Get a good scale, and get a scale weight check set.
 
One thing you could do if you belong to a gun club, is see if someone there would show the ropes a couple of times. I guy that use to work for me showed me his set up and how it was done, and it was nice to have someone you could call if you had a question and couldn't find the answer in a book. And yes, a real good start is to buy a good reloading book...... and actually read it!!
 
I got a Lee 50th Anniversary Kit, a set of .308 and .303 dies, and a small tumbler for under $200 all in. Not a bad price when I consider the fact that I was spending between $80 and $100 a go whenever I bought ammo.
 
Great advice that I neglected to mention is having some one help you to get started. I had the help of friend who have loaded for longer than I have been alive and it can make quite a difference to your confidence level as you go along.
Buy your self a digital caliper for all of your measuring, and try not to use those new spray lubes for your brass, I had nothing but stuck cases the one time I tried it. FS
 
I would recommend starting with this: beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/51
You'll spend nothing comparing to factory ammo cost. Then you'll decide if reloading is for you or not.
Good Luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom