Reloading basics

T

TSPIRI

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Hi folks I'm considering getting into reloading for my rifles. I'd be reloading 3 calibers 270wsm 30-06 and .338wm. What is the basic equipment needed to get into reloading. I'm just curious, never reloaded before so I'm a total newbie. How big of an initial investment am I looking at?

I'm looking at the cost of reloading vs the cost of factory ammo. I don't shoot as much as I'd like to now due to the high cost of ammo. I'd love to get my groups tighter and practice more but any trip with my 338 is a quick 100 bucks and that's if I limit myself to one box of ammo. I'm an archer so I like building my arrows and measuring and weighing everything out and preparing all my gear it's part of the sport. Getting super consistent arrows is part of the fun and I'd like to do the same with my rifles.

I'm looking at over 4 bucks a round for my 338 the cheapest I've found locally is Remington core lokt at 70 bucks a box plus tax. I'm feeding my 270wsm federals right now and that's 52 to 55 bucks a box which comes to about 3.25 a round. The cheapest gun I can shoot is my 30-06 but I want to shoot my other guns more.

I know that the initial cost will not make for cheap shooting at first. In the long run eventually it'll become (hopefully) more cost effective the more I reload. Not trying to sound cheap or delusional. If it's anything like archery it'll become a very costly passtime

Thanks
 
Id look into the lee 50th anniversary kit . All you need then to get started is dies and a means of trimming brass and of course componants . Id also upgrade the scale . My advice before you get into anything , buy a good reloading manual and read and take in as much info as you can . That will get you started . Then just upgrade a part of your setup here and there . Eventually id get a chargemaster . End result is you will save money per round but i found i shot more after i started reloading lol i think i have a set of 338 dies collecting dust if your interested .
 
The way i started was, bought a cheap lee single stage press, dies, brass, powder, bullets, case trimmer and a digi scale 50.00g, i get my load data from hodgdons relaoding online. And ill check a few google search resluts to verify the data.
i used a rod and hammer to seat the primers using the bottom piece of a lee loader to hold the primer.

I loaded 1000 rounds (a box of primers)that way over 2 years. Then i began to upgrade, and got a hornady pro-jector press, lee hand primer, 2 powder throwers and a load more componants. You can start small and see how you like it.

Using just a lee laoder and powder, brass( you should have already) and bullets could get you relaoding for under 150$
and shooting cast bullets the price goes down again,
 
I started reloading about a year ago. I bought the Lee 50th Kit which comes with pretty well everything you need besides dies. Along with the loader the kit includes the powder measure, balance beam scale and a trimmer. You do need to purchase the trimmer die for each caliber (in my case the 223 trimmer die was 14.99 from Cabelas) You'll need your die sets and a tumbler. I went with the Frankford Arsenal tumber kit which included the strainer.
I've found the Lee 50th Kit to work out very nicely for me. Each of the components from the scale to powder measure to trimmer all work great.

For manuals I picked up the ABC's of reloading along with Lyman's 49th edition. Both are great reads and full of information. A fellow CGN'r shared some other manuals with me in PDF form which I'd be happy pass along.
 
Step 1: Collect your brass after you shoot. I suppose you've been doing just that since the 3 calibres you shoot are quite expensive. this is really important considering brass in your calibres is expensive.
Step 2: A Lee Anniversary kit is a good idea. I'd add a cheap electronic scale because it makes the whole process much faster, and you're good to go. I think the kit includes a reloading book (if not, either download or buy one. You can buy used, as long as it's not prehistoric). Then buy one set of die for one of your calibre. I suggest the Lee 3 die set: they're inexpensive and they work pretty well. Even if you decide to get really expensive dies, the factory crimp die included in the set is one of the best tool avaiable to a reloader and it's worth about 1/2 the price of the die set. Don't get a lee loader; reloading with that is so slow and boring you'll want to shoot yourself with your first round.
Step 3: Read the book, check the powders required for your calibre, and get some component (powder, bullets, primers). Then follow the instructions, it's pretty simple.

The only thing missing is something to clean your brass. Most people start with a dry tumbler because they are the cheapest. I prefer a wet tumbler with SS pins, but they cost a lot more.

I would suggest you start with 30-06 out of your 3 calibres. The reason is you can buy campro 308 bullets for that calibre, and they're REALLY inexpensive compared to other bullets, so if you make mistakes, you can use a pair of vice-grip to pull the bullet out, throw it away, and start again using the same brass. In other calibres you'll need to go for more expensive brands like Barnes, Hornady, etc... They cost about a dollar a piece.

If you decide to start reloading, you'll quickly recoup your money, especially when you reload 338wm. I reload 300wsm, and even a box of "cheap plinking ammos" cost almost 60$, so I know your pain. If you start making 338wm for about 2$ a piece, you'll recoup you money within the first 100-200 ammos.
 
Look for a reloading kit on sale any of the major brands. they will come with press ,primer tool, a powder scale usually a balance beam. lube pad and lube. Then you will need a case trimer in the cal.you have. And a set of dies. with shell holder . Then as you get familiar with reloading you can add items that you think will make the job easier. In general a kit will cost you less over all then buying each item by itself. One thing to make sure of is the opening to the work area IE. ram and die is large enough to allow easy access with your rifle brass. Good luck.
 
...i started in 1975 with a lee loader 30-30 win, a pound of imr 3031, a box of winchester large rifle primers, and a box of 150 grain hornady bullets...didn't get much cheaper than that and loved it...no powder scale needed...gave me lots of ammo to waste and not hard on the brass...still think it's a respectable way to get into it

...in 1979 i graduated to an rcbs press and a set of 7mm rem mag dies, a pound of H4831, mag primers, 165 grain sierra gamekings, and a powder scale (ooooh!) and was on my way

...am much more complex now...case trimmers...chronographs...but all over 40 years and i still shun too many geegaws...but i am not a competition shooter...and cast bullets are easy to do and cheapcheap if you paper patch...i think my 45-70 rounds are about .07$ a pop...1600 fps with a 405 grain bullet...original load

...good stuff on the ee...i still find deals...any new press comes with a how-to...start simple, be attentive, keep records

...all the best

ps - i use a lee press for cast bullet resizing but really like cast steel presses best
 
Started with the 50th anniversary kit as well. I should've know it would spiral out of control. If you're the type of guy that likes to work with your hands and can get lost in a project for hours, it might be worth while buying a better kit to start with. I believe you can get a lee kit with the cast iron press. I know the rockchucker press from rcbs comes in a ready to go kit. They're closer to $3-$400, but will serve you better in the long run.
I reloaded without a manual for years. All the info is on the internet. Hodgdon has a great tool online. You'll have to search around for powder recipes depending on the powder you can find. I did eventually find a Lyman book on sale and am glad I bought it.
 
I started with a Lee Loader in 30-06 and the Lee case trimming tools. I'd say these are the bare minimum for trying reloading to see if it's something you want to do.

Lee Loader in your calibre (270 Win and 30-06 Lee Loaders are available; 338 WM is not available): http://leeprecision.com/reloading-kits/lee-loader-rifle/

Lee Case Length Gauge and Holder in your calibre: http://leeprecision.com/case-conditioning-tools/case-trimming-tools/case-length-gauge-holder/

Lee Case Conditioning Combo includes cutter, chamfer tool, primer pocket tool, holder stud: http://leeprecision.com/case-condtioning-combo.html

Soft mallet; do not use a steel hammer on the Lee Loader components; use something like this: https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/18-oz-double-faced-soft-mallet/A-p8608135e

That will do you for tools. The Lee Loaders come with a dipper and load data to get you started.

The Lee Loader will not go to waste if you decide to get a press and other tools. Keep it as a portable or emergency thing, or sell it for just a little less than what you paid for it. Or keep it and sell it on ebay in 20 years for three times the price as a vintage reloading tool :)
 
If you are interested in cost payoff times, I have an Excel programme for that. PM me with your email address.

I would start off by reading The ABCs of Reloading, from your local library of you can. It's a very good intro. You will then need a reloading manual from any of the major firms - Sierra, Lyman, Hornady, etc. They're all good and it's a question of taste. (Whatever you do, don't take reloading data from any forum, even this one, until you get a good feel for what makes sense. There are just too many cowboys out there.)

Equipment? First off, a warning. The only bigger gear whores than reloaders are fishermen. You can spend and spend and spend in search of that mythical 'perfect' load. So the advice above about getting a starter kit on sale makes good sense. Use that for a while before buying anything else. Again, all the brands are decent. It started RCBS and have no complaints, but YMMV.)

Exceptions to that:
- stuck case remover ('cause you will need it sooner or later, generally after the store closes)
- a spare primer ejector pin or two (ditto)
- safety glasses (wear them)
- fire extinguisher
- good lighting
 
TSPIRI said:
Ok obviously this is about as newb a question as possible but are dies and presses interchangeable? Can lee dies fit in rcbs and vice versa? Thanks
Click to expand...

99% of them, yes. Those for the .50 BMG are obviously larger and some very expensive ultra-precision ones are, too, but if you walk into any gun store in Canada or the USA, what you will get are 7/8" x 14 threads. Some quite old sets are different, but anything you find on shelves will be the same.

Oh, and everybody once was where you are now. Keep asking those questions.
 
I've already figured out a basic press is enough for me. I'm not going to be producing hundreds of handgun rounds every week. I'm looking at maybe 20-60 rifle rounds at a time as I tinker with my rifles. I've read some people saying one press is more accurate than another but how big a difference is there between the machines themselves. I mean they're basically a ram that pushes brass back and forth into dies. Does the brand of the press have that big an impact on the finished product or are people being brand snobs. I don't mean to offend anyone but I can drive to work every day in an old beater truck or a Mercedes. Both will get me to work every day one is fancier and way more expensive. I've found some presses that are hundreds of dollars more expensive than their competition. I work with tools every day. I learned long ago that buying junk today to save a few bucks will cost you a lot more when you have to replace junk equipment later.
 
To be clear, none of the major manufacturers makes junk.

Lee has a reputation in some circles for building cheap cr*p, but IMHO that's not quite fair. They sell stuff which is quite low-cost and to make that possible make it a little lighter. I have their bottom-of-the-line C-press which I leave permanently set up for decapping. It works just fine for that and there was no need to spend more money for the task. Back to Rule One - you get what you pay for. Particularly for somebody with a low budget, Lee is a good starting place.

I bought an RCBS Rockchucker a bazillion years ago. In all that time, I've had one fairly minor problem and RCBS stood by their stuff and had a replacement part in the mail to me the next day. In short, I'm totally satisfied and would buy another one tomorrow if I needed a replacement. Would I be that happy if I wanted to churn out hundreds of rounds a week? Probably not, but the Rockchucker is perfect for my purposes. (I am sure other people have the same sort of comments about different brands; that just happens to be mine.)

Take the question to another level. Based on what you have said, a single-stage press would be fine for you. No need for a progressive press (in effect a miniature, semi-automated factory setup.

So look around, find a deal on a starter kit, don't buy any of the flashy toys until you find your feet in the sport (art? science? hobby?). A few hundred rounds will tell you what extras you might want to look at.

Oh, and yeah, MDF is quite right about the Lee Loader. Less than $50 will get you a seat at the table. It substitutes elbow grease for speed, but that's OK. It's what I got first and I still use it once in a while.

Welcome to reloading, Grasshopper.
 
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I use a Lee Classic Cast press and mostly Lee dies and case trimmers. So far my handloads shoot under 1MOA. An electronic scale too, mine is Hornady.
 
I like the RCBS Rock Chucker. Solid and should last a lifetime. Just don't pay for shipping!
My reloading is more precision than volume by a long shot (pun intended). So, cases get cleaned by hand with 000 steel wool and brass polish, powder drops are measured out with Lee dippers and a trickler, and I use an RCBS beam scale. I have lots of time, so building a dozen rounds at a time isn't a problem. If you're patient, you can buy most of what you need used on the EE, or locally on sale. If you're handy and have access to machine tools you can build other odds and ends.
You're asking good questions, I had the same ones six months ago.
 
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