I love spending time in my shop, so I can picture myself enjoying it once I know how.
Savage 99 reloading
- Thread starter Gforce250
- Start date
I love spending time in my shop, so I can picture myself enjoying it once I know how.
This is what I did untill I found a second hand steal of a deal. I actually enjoy the process very much. I started making brass for my 9.3x57 and that is quite enjoyable.
OP if you shoot any other calibres that are hard to come by I’d say it’s worth a go. Just be patient and vigilant on ee/GP/TP/any where you can find used stuff. Primers are the really difficult one.
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300 Savage is NOT just trimmed down 308 brass ! MAYBE you should spent a bit of time googling things before you get into reloading as you have NO knowledge of what you are doing or gonna do ! And also you need a lot more then just a reloading press ! RJ
Sorry, I was on my way out for dinner, and didn’t do a complete write up. Of course I know it’s not as easy as just trimming them, I only meant to make the point that for reloading purposes, if you don’t have savage brass, then the accepted method of reloading is resized and trimmed.308
It’s a relatively moot point anyway, because I have found several shops that have savage brass.
- Location
- Nova Scotia
A manual that covers what you want. Figure out when the caliber was popular and find a reloading manual then. As alot of newer stuff don't list older cals.
Lyman often covers cast lead. But they teach you everything you need to know.
Lyman 46th covers 300 savage, that was printed in early 80s. I'm sure the 45th edt might be better, 70s.
But only problem with older manuals is some of the powders they suggest are discontinued.
Pre covid I was reloading reduced 308 loads for under 25 cents.
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No, Lee makes a lovely little "Hand Press" that neck resizes only and makes very consistent ammunition. It's an ideal system for a "one gun person" or a financially frugal/strapped individual
The whole rig, along with a neck resizing kit from Lee, which might include a set of powder dippers, would easily come in under $200 and if you're pressed for space, the whole system, including bullets, powder, primer, etc will fit into a mid-size fishing lure box, or something similar like a box for work boots.
Lee Precision, Inc.. Breech Lock Hand Press $79
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Ok and yes there’s always 300 sav brass to be had new and used - I always loaded 150 gr bullets with imr4064 powder and used cci200 primers .
It’s a great little cartridge . Get at it . RJ
Good recommendation. The bench mounted, non-hand press version is about the same price as well, so if you have a bench to mount it to that is a great choice. That plus a die set, hand priming tool, and a small digital scale will load .300 Savage quite nicely and scale to multiple cartridges easily. A handheld chamfer/deburr tool and primer pocket cleaner and you are good to go, sizing and tumbling and such can come in a few reloads' time.
I find it's just the "beginner" reloading kits that are a bit pricier than they need to be, and usually some of the components aren't what I would choose personally. But I've also been loading on an RCBS Partner press I've had for 20 years or more now so the last time I bought a complete starter kit it was well under $200 out the door.
Also, it's easy to become a bit of a reloading snob - my advice to beginners is if you can afford Lee, buy Lee. I have Lee 7-mag dies and I've been loading with those for 25 years or more. My ammo shoots great, the die set included a shell holder and a powder scoop, and the only thing I've done over the *decades* is change the "lock ring" out for Hornady lock rings (which aren't a must have, until you've used them). And don't worry about the whole Team Red vs. Team Green vs. Team Blue nonsense, my bench has gear from RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, Lee, Dillon, Redding, Frankfort Arsenal, Area 419, you name it.
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Hand press uses dies. It FL sizes if you're using standard dies. That is what I started with because I had nowhere to mount a press at the time, they work great once you get the hang of keeping things upright so you don't spill powder.
Perhaps you're confusing it and the Lee Classic Loaders which only neck size? But they don't make one of those in 300 Savage, at least not anymore. Google suggests they did make one at one point, but I bet they're hard to find these days.
My Speer#12 from 1994 has a good selection of 300 Savage data. I would think the cartridge is common enough that you'll find it in more recent manuals as well, but I can't confirm that.
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I have been reloading 300 Savage for years with my el-cheapo Lee Single Stage press. I feel any centerfire firearm you plan on keeping for more than (say) 10 years you should reload for it. Once you are set-up, in theory never need to worry about ammo supply.
303 British used to be cheap. Now, hunting rounds are about $4 each at CanTire. I've been reloading them for years and with the free brass I picked up at my local range during deer season (the best time to get free rifle brass!) I can reload target ammo for like $0.50 per round or hunting ammo for about $0.75 per round (YMMV).
303 British used to be cheap. Now, hunting rounds are about $4 each at CanTire. I've been reloading them for years and with the free brass I picked up at my local range during deer season (the best time to get free rifle brass!) I can reload target ammo for like $0.50 per round or hunting ammo for about $0.75 per round (YMMV).
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
You’re not wrong, it’s a gateway drug though. After a year loading one or two cartridges on a single stage press and all off a sudden there’s a turret and a second single stage press on your bench lol. Spending the winter on a single stage press is a great way to get to know the loading process.
If you are looking on the used market you should be able to find a press and maybe dies for a reasonable price, You should be able to pick up the rest of the gear on the cheap if you do you’re homework.
Suther"Hand press uses dies. It FL sizes if you're using standard dies. That is what I started with because I had nowhere to mount a press at the time, they work great once you get the hang of keeping things upright so you don't spill powder.
Perhaps you're confusing it and the Lee Classic Loaders which only neck size? But they don't make one of those in 300 Savage, at least not anymore. Google suggests they did make one at one point, but I bet they're hard to find these days."
No, I meant what I suggested. "Lee Precision, Inc.. Breech Lock Hand Press $79"
Look it up.
This press now comes with interchangeable blocks that contain any standard 7/8 NC threaded die set.
I still have one of the earlier presses, which needed the individual dies the be turned in and out of the frame, rather than just using a drop/twist block.
I used it for extended gopher shoots, where I was using one or two rifles, chambered for the 223Rem. They both had chambers cut with the same reamer and cartridges loaded on the press were interchangeable.
I could get by with 250 cases and a few 500-count boxes of 50grn bullets, a sleeve of primers, a couple of pounds of BLC2, a hand press, a Universal decapper, a neck sizing die, and a seating die, with a single powder scoop. All of it fits into a 12in x 12in cube box.
My press doesn't seem to be available any longer as they've redesigned it to take BREECH BLOCKS.
MTN makes a very handy little powder scale as well if the OP wants to get fussy and play with different powders or charge weights. It's the model DS-750 and it's small enough to fit in the same box, with everything else.
Perhaps you're confusing it and the Lee Classic Loaders which only neck size? But they don't make one of those in 300 Savage, at least not anymore. Google suggests they did make one at one point, but I bet they're hard to find these days."
No, I meant what I suggested. "Lee Precision, Inc.. Breech Lock Hand Press $79"
Look it up.
This press now comes with interchangeable blocks that contain any standard 7/8 NC threaded die set.
I still have one of the earlier presses, which needed the individual dies the be turned in and out of the frame, rather than just using a drop/twist block.
I used it for extended gopher shoots, where I was using one or two rifles, chambered for the 223Rem. They both had chambers cut with the same reamer and cartridges loaded on the press were interchangeable.
I could get by with 250 cases and a few 500-count boxes of 50grn bullets, a sleeve of primers, a couple of pounds of BLC2, a hand press, a Universal decapper, a neck sizing die, and a seating die, with a single powder scoop. All of it fits into a 12in x 12in cube box.
My press doesn't seem to be available any longer as they've redesigned it to take BREECH BLOCKS.
MTN makes a very handy little powder scale as well if the OP wants to get fussy and play with different powders or charge weights. It's the model DS-750 and it's small enough to fit in the same box, with everything else.
Look it up? I own a Lee Hand Press. I literally said as much in the post you quoted. But they don't just neck size like you stated:
They CAN just neck size, with a neck sizing die or collet die, but they can just as well FL size, so I was making sure the OP knew as much. The change to the breech lock system makes no difference as to what you can or can't do with the press, it just makes changing dies faster.
OP we're talking about this: https://budgetshootersupply.ca/product/lee-breech-lock-hand-press-only/
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- Location
- Nova Scotia
Do you always gotta be right? Older manuals from when the cartage was more popular would have more bullets options, including lead. People that reload alot are going to recommend the Lyman, as Speer ones only has loads for their bullets. Also newer manuals cut back on loads.
Old manuals are old. Use modern, up-to-date data for modern, up-to-date components. The powder you pull off the shelf today is not the same as it was 30 or 40 years ago, even if the name is unchanged.
There is a lot of free resources for reloading data from reputable sources so you don't end up with Bubba's pissin' hot handloads.
Here's a few that offer .300 Savage recipes:
https://www.speer.com/reloading/rifle-data.html
https://www.nosler.com/300-savage
https://hodgdonreloading.com/rldc/?t=1
There is a lot of free resources for reloading data from reputable sources so you don't end up with Bubba's pissin' hot handloads.
Here's a few that offer .300 Savage recipes:
https://www.speer.com/reloading/rifle-data.html
https://www.nosler.com/300-savage
https://hodgdonreloading.com/rldc/?t=1
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Up to date can be wrong and less than it was. For example 30 carbine 110 grn with H110. CMP has H110 as 15grn as the GI spec load. Do not exceed. HODGDON powder has the data min 14 grn and 15 max. Speer has min 12grn Max 14. 2 grn less than min. That powder is one of those powder that don't like reduced.
Also I noticed with a bullet company having higher load data than powder manufacture.
Then check manuals from the same time frame. 3 had different results. Speer being the one with lower min and max. While Serra and Lyman closer to the same.
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A lot of times with older cartridges the only place to find data is in older manuals. A lot of plinking loads with shotgun/pistol powders has been dropped due to space. They put in their place the next newest wonder powder. Hype sells. Current Hornady has decent jacket loads for 300 Savage. The more manuals you look at the more choice you’re going to have for the components you have.
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Was researching why there is a difference between bullet mfg and powder mfg load data.. One person said they called Sierra and they told him to go by the powder mfg data. As the example I said above with Speer and 30 carbine. You be lucky for M1 carbine to cycle at 14grn.
Start reloading. If you enjoy working in a shop you'll enjoy reloading.
The cost of getting started in one cartridge seems excessive but you will eventually load other cartridges and the initial investment becomes trivial. Factory ammo will only get more expensive and oddball cartridges like 300 Savage will be more so. If you like old guns, then "This Is The Way".
Approx cost: Components $200-$300. A basic new reloading kit is $300-$400 incl dies, maybe less if you buy used. I load 300 Savage. If I knew where you were I might be able to help you load some 300 Savage rounds on my gear so you see what reloading consists of.
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