New to reloading, is it worth starting .308 in this market?
- Thread starter Fieldcannon
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Reloading is very expensive!!. I stopped picking up other peoples brass at the range because I end up buying another gun to shoot said new cartridge..
Is perhaps a sign that you have been "around the block" once too many times, when you notice that you already have a rifle for those brass. And already have bullets that size, and suitable powders and other reloading stuff, and so on ...
I’m currently reloading .308 for 1.10ish.. i have been patient and peiced all my stuff together with help from my uncle mentoring me.
As far as the ammo goes.. I’m cheap I just buy whatevers available and reload what I shoot.. Keep an eye out on all pages for supplies.. I’ve been doing quite well as lots of people are getting out of reloading because of the component issues.. if you’re patient and don’t mind being vigilant on #######/townpost/EE there’s lots of stuff out there.. that’s just me though.. I also live in a big city with lots of options.. this week I ended up with:
120 primed .303 Brit cases, 40 .311 180gr SP Speer , 33 .310 123gr sp Speer -$65
(Not relevant to .308 I know but a great deal on components none the less..)
2 lbs of imr4064 for $120
Pretty sure you can get 500 147 gr campro .308 FMJ for 99.99 at the moment.. that’s what I plink with my .308.. people are always doing safe and gun room clean outs and you can find just about anything if you look as I had said..
Get yourself a Lee anniversary kit I also use Lee dies.. the rest of the tooling gets expensive..
As far as the ammo goes.. I’m cheap I just buy whatevers available and reload what I shoot.. Keep an eye out on all pages for supplies.. I’ve been doing quite well as lots of people are getting out of reloading because of the component issues.. if you’re patient and don’t mind being vigilant on #######/townpost/EE there’s lots of stuff out there.. that’s just me though.. I also live in a big city with lots of options.. this week I ended up with:
120 primed .303 Brit cases, 40 .311 180gr SP Speer , 33 .310 123gr sp Speer -$65
(Not relevant to .308 I know but a great deal on components none the less..)
2 lbs of imr4064 for $120
Pretty sure you can get 500 147 gr campro .308 FMJ for 99.99 at the moment.. that’s what I plink with my .308.. people are always doing safe and gun room clean outs and you can find just about anything if you look as I had said..
Get yourself a Lee anniversary kit I also use Lee dies.. the rest of the tooling gets expensive..
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OP, if you have a very decent press, which you do, how long have you had it and how much more procratinating are you going to do??
I'm not trying to diss you here. Just making an observation from your post.
You obviously don't have a mentor??
Something to keep in mind about hand loading, is that it requires a space to fix your RCBS Supreme press to.
You need a surface that is strong, without flex and doesn't move around while going through the motions required to size your cases.
Your press is likely the most expensive component of what is required to start and it's a great start, well above some of the other offerings out there.
You can pick up an electronic "MTM" scale for around $60 and IMHO, a scale is a must have. Most powders and the loads for different cartridges are available online and the 308win has a huge following with all sorts of loads and advice.
Then you will need chamfering tools, for primer pockets, and case mouths. If you have a hand drill, you can purchase bits that will do the job well for both inside and outside neck chamfering to remove burrs etc for less than $10 for the set. None of this needs to be specifically labled for hand loading.
You will also need some way to lubricate your cartridges inside the necks and especially the outside of the cases properly.
There are all sorts of methods and lubes available, some are very cheap, most do the job well if you're careful
Hand loading is not for a LAZY individual or one that can't handle repetitious tasks that require constant attention.
As for having to load thousands of rounds to recoup costs, not so, if you do some due diligence and have the opportunity to join a local range, which you should do anyway, or can attend a couple of gun shows.
At the last gun show I went to, appx a month ago, there were a half dozen, excellent condition 308Win three die sets for sale and none of them were priced over $40, only one of them didn't have a shell head holder in the box.
308Win brass is one of the most common types available at most shows.
Powder, primers and bullets have gone way up in price over the last few years. That will be you major expense and difficulty in finding right now.
At today's prices, expect the cost of a round of 308 winchester, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE CASES, to be around $1.10 per round. This will be the approximate cost of your primers/bullets/powder. This is about 1/2 the cost or less than you can purchase loaded ammunition for.
Yes, there are "deals" to be had but they're mostly one offs, so don't let some nimrod try to influence you that they're available to everyone. I alway have to wonder about the person that will drive a hundred kliks, one way to ''save'' money on a box of bullets or primers or??????????
I'm not trying to diss you here. Just making an observation from your post.
You obviously don't have a mentor??
Something to keep in mind about hand loading, is that it requires a space to fix your RCBS Supreme press to.
You need a surface that is strong, without flex and doesn't move around while going through the motions required to size your cases.
Your press is likely the most expensive component of what is required to start and it's a great start, well above some of the other offerings out there.
You can pick up an electronic "MTM" scale for around $60 and IMHO, a scale is a must have. Most powders and the loads for different cartridges are available online and the 308win has a huge following with all sorts of loads and advice.
Then you will need chamfering tools, for primer pockets, and case mouths. If you have a hand drill, you can purchase bits that will do the job well for both inside and outside neck chamfering to remove burrs etc for less than $10 for the set. None of this needs to be specifically labled for hand loading.
You will also need some way to lubricate your cartridges inside the necks and especially the outside of the cases properly.
There are all sorts of methods and lubes available, some are very cheap, most do the job well if you're careful
Hand loading is not for a LAZY individual or one that can't handle repetitious tasks that require constant attention.
As for having to load thousands of rounds to recoup costs, not so, if you do some due diligence and have the opportunity to join a local range, which you should do anyway, or can attend a couple of gun shows.
At the last gun show I went to, appx a month ago, there were a half dozen, excellent condition 308Win three die sets for sale and none of them were priced over $40, only one of them didn't have a shell head holder in the box.
308Win brass is one of the most common types available at most shows.
Powder, primers and bullets have gone way up in price over the last few years. That will be you major expense and difficulty in finding right now.
At today's prices, expect the cost of a round of 308 winchester, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE CASES, to be around $1.10 per round. This will be the approximate cost of your primers/bullets/powder. This is about 1/2 the cost or less than you can purchase loaded ammunition for.
Yes, there are "deals" to be had but they're mostly one offs, so don't let some nimrod try to influence you that they're available to everyone. I alway have to wonder about the person that will drive a hundred kliks, one way to ''save'' money on a box of bullets or primers or??????????
Bearhunter touched on one source of cheap(er) components and equipment…your local gun shows. Amid all the higher-than-retail, wishful-thinking prices for stuff you can often pick up the bits of kit you need to set yourself up for some savings.
bdft
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Reloading takes time. Lots of time. If all you want to do is bang off a few rounds and go home then just buy ammo. If you want the most accurate round your rifle can shoot, then reload. Most people fall somewhere in the middle. I know people that only shoot so they can reload some more and people that take all day to load 10 very accurate rounds. Buy some components from Budget Shooter Supply and see what you think. You won't know until you've tried it. Plenty of Youtube videos available to get you started.
- Location
- glaslyn saskatchewan
I'm hearing best case scenario is ends of next year.
So yeah, worst time to get into reloading, ESPECIALLY the 308.
if you aren't doing precision shooting, here is a 30 USD solution. about 50 here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSCiRE4m70o
put the money you save per round loaded into the future purchase of something nicer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSCiRE4m70o
put the money you save per round loaded into the future purchase of something nicer.
Its always a good time to start reloading. - dan
100% agreed, unless a person is genuinely sure that they are not interested in reloading for any reason, reloading can make sense for a person for all the reasons listed above or just a couple of the reasons listed above. Don't worry about whether or not you can find all of the components and tools you'll need right away instead just chip away at it and you'll eventually get yourself setup. Unlike when buying components at least regarding your costs for your reloading tools and equipment there are some very good options available that can help you keep your overall costs down.
Fall 2023 I thought I read somewhere
Here it is: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...y-of-the-dealers-large-rifle-primers-in-stock
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