New to reloading - 308

S

s20Merlin

New member
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Location
Ottawa, Canada
I am looking for a decent press/kit to start with. I dont mind spending a bit more for a progressive since I do not think ill have the patience to work a single stage one for very long before i sell it and buy progressive.

I was looking at this :
http://cgi.ebay.ca/LEE-308-WIN-Load...in_0?hash=item5ad30202a2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

What do you guys think?

Also, where do you guys buy your reloading equipment from? (I need brass, primers, bullets and powder still).

I have been looking at a few loads, but I am having trouble finding the exact components on canadian websites. Any recommendations?

Rifle : Win. model 70 stealth 2, 26" heavy barrel.
Range : The range I go too, only goes out to 200 yards.

Thanks

Alex
 
I just started reloading actual cartidges my self a couple weeks ago. 308 as well for my 700. I had the press and various manuals and books for a month or two before creating my first load. Prior to that I started asking around at the range. You really should consider that patience is a key virtue in reloading. The single stage will likely serve you well for many years of reloading (I am not one to say for sure, but many here who do will echo this).

I picked up an RCBS Rock Chucker kit single stage press from Le Baron, on Marivale. Read, re-read the Speer Manual that came with it, then picked up a Hornady manual (the bullets I started to load with) read, and re-read it. Spent many hours reading forums like this one, web sites like RCBS and Lee to get an idea of what the dies are and do, the various parts the help like shell holders, primer pocket cleaners, plus the assorted other pieces of equipment like pullers, calipers, etc. I'm a computer programmer by trade and understand complex things, reloading is not hard, but the risks involved and so many factors to consider forced me to be extra careful.

After all this reading, I proceeded to load 100 rounds with varying grains of powder starting at minimal load never approaching the max load (that will wait until I have more reloads under my belt), testing neck tension, testing, re-testing the mass of the charge on the scale, with extreme care and patience. I'd rather have fewer cartridges made per hour and keep my face and gun intact.

Powder, bullets, primers, brass and anything else is available from LeBaron or from Higginson powders in Hawkesbury. The guys at both places are easy to talk to and are a wealth of knowledge. Reloading is a hell of a lot of fun, I'd say even comparable to shooting the things. Having just spent the last three months procuring and learning about this, let me know if you want more info on what I got where, I'll fill you in while it's still fresh.

Have fun,
Adam
 
You could save some money and get a Lee Turret Press. Likely produces a more uniform cartridge than a progressive as well. My .02

Also, if you're a rook, going straight to a progressive might not be the best plan. The turret press will give you a better understanding of all the variables at each stage than a progressive.
 
what's to understand?- you lube the case, deprime, resize, move the lever to the bottom, and the shelplate moves to the next station that primes, do it again, the powder charge drops, do it again, and the bullet gets seated and/or crimped- all you have to worry about really is weighing the powder charge- i wish i had gone progressive 38 years ago when i started this- i've still got a turret , gave a couple of single stages away along the road-
now as to the choice , i'm not sure the loadmaster is right for the 308 for a couple of reasons-
1) the powder measure MAY be inadequate for 308- even with the double disc kit- you need about 40 grains a pop or better -and that resevoir is awful small, compared to a dillon-ie you have to re-fill more often
2 with the rifle version, you don't get the case feeder mechanism, just the feeder itself- which might be a way to make sure you LUBE YOUR CASES before doing ANYTHING else-
when i wanted to go 308, i saved up and GOT A DILLON 550 - it has a MUCH larger powder measure
as for supplies, i have one word for you HIGGENSON
 
I will go to hawksbury tomorrow and checkout le baron today. Thanks! I think ill work on my patience, it will probably be better in the long run if I start with the basics.

Thanks again
 
I started with the rockchucker kit too. I have added some items to it since then and a happy with it. I also reload .308 and am about to do 223. When I do pistol I will be going progressive but rifle I prefer single stage.
 
My first press was a single stage. After a year or two i got a turret. This allows all 3 or 4 dies to stay installed. it can be used as a single stage, sizing all the cases in one step, or you can spin the head and do all operations on the case until it is loaded.

I suggest you start with a single stage or a turret. I still have and use a pair of single stage presses, as well as my turret and a pair of progressives. Different kinds of tinkering require different presses.
 
If you buy a loadmaster there's a good chance the first cartridge you make will be the last thing you do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom