Starting reloading!!

Things I wish I had when I started out that I do have now:

Forster or Bonaza FL dies sets. The old Bonanza/Forster dies are awesome and help make more concentric ammo than most others
Good beam scale, do your homework. I do not like the 502 scale because the 10th grain marker moves too much while loading
tumbler wet or dry
salt bath annealer - brass lasts forever
 
45C said:
I’m still using my balance beam scales that came with my RCBS kit, can’t go wrong.
You’ll want something for cleaning and prep of your brass, I’d recommend the Frankfurt Arsenal rotary wet tumbler and case prep center.
Also get yourself a stuck case removal set , it’ll come in handy,trust me on that.
You can get what you need at Canadian Tire that will work.
A good set of Calipers.

Maybe some other things , But that’s for later .. lol
Click to expand...

Agreed with all the above. The only thing I would add is LEE depriming die, with 2 or 3 extra pins. This $15 tool has stopped all my broken factory die pin replacement needs when resizing and depriming operations. Yes it is 1 more step (only single stage press), but it works for pistol and bottle neck cartridges. This tool has saved me countless hours of trying to find replacement pins for factory dies. The first PIN that came installed (i bought 5 extra) lasted 7 years and about 20K+ of depriming operations. The next most efficient and cost effective tool is the Franklin Arsenault Case and Trim prep machine, this machine has saved me 100s of hours of trim, inner and outer chamfer, plus primer pocket cleaning hours. Once set up for caliber using - repeatable and consistent workflow is achieved.
 
downwindtracker2 said:
The Lee handprimer requires special shellholders, but being Lee, the whole set is cheap enough. I watched a vid on Forester Co-Ax bench mounted primer, it was slick. I liked the way the primers were flipped and fed particularly. Being fixed income side of life, I use a Lee hand primer, it wears out, I'll buy another one.

Another inexpensive Lee product, is their case trimmers. I use mine mounted in a drill motor. Deburring is pretty tricky with power. The interior of the necks get a bronze or stainless brush cleaning.
Click to expand...

I have to agree on the LEE EZ Prime tool...it is garbage and bought the multi pack of special shell holders. It caused me no end of problem. I have the old LYMAN round tray for large and small primers, plus the RCBS hand primer attachment for Rock Chucker single stage press
 
The subject of dies will get a lot of responses . I have on my bench Lee, RCBS, Redding, Hornady, Forster, Bonanza ,and Lymans dies . They all work. Some are from the '60s .

On FL dies. Just by design, collet held stems are more accurate. I have been saying that for years, it took Lee some time to catch on from my posts and start advertising it. They hadn't thought about it, to them it was just cheaper to make. The interior finish of my Lee 30-06 was better than the interior finish of my RCBS 30-06 . I learned that by sticking a case in the RCBS. I sent a new Redding back to the factory to polish the interior. On the outside, Reddings are the best looking.

For seating dies, the best conventional ones are Forster. Hornady uses that same method except to make them to Hornady's price point, the tolerances are loose, negating a fine design. Lymans in the '70s used that design too. They weren't their standard line dies, so you rarely find them. The others work well enough for hunting rifles.
 
I subscribe to loaddata - I think is a compendium of loads from articles published in Handloader magazine - not certain that anything recorded there is pressure tested - I notice most of the stuff written by Brian Pearce in Handloader Magazine, used to pretty much follow the Hornady manual or similar.

I believe that Nosler has on-line data - as previously posted, a correspondent and I found at least one error - was replicated in Nosler 9 manual - I have notified them by email, but nothing changed, and no response from them - so pay attention if using H1000 powder in 7mm STW - the loadings shown for 160 grain and 175 grain bullets are identical - as if done by a clerical error. Nosler has also published some loads that no one else has achieved - 3,000 fps in 30-06 with 165 grain bullets and RL-22. I presume that is the number they got, at the time - no one else has, including the makers of RL-22. So, until you have done work up in your rifles with your gear, is useful to verify a loading with more than one source.
 
Potashminer said:
I subscribe to loaddata - I think is a compendium of loads from articles published in Handloader magazine - not certain that anything recorded there is pressure tested - I notice most of the stuff written by Brian Pearce in Handloader Magazine, used to pretty much follow the Hornady manual or similar.

I believe that Nosler has on-line data - as previously posted, a correspondent and I found at least one error - was replicated in Nosler 9 manual - I have notified them by email, but nothing changed, and no response from them - so pay attention if using H1000 powder in 7mm STW - the loadings shown for 160 grain and 175 grain bullets are identical - as if done by a clerical error. Nosler has also published some loads that no one else has achieved - 3,000 fps in 30-06 with 165 grain bullets and RL-22. I presume that is the number they got, at the time - no one else has, including the makers of RL-22. So, until you have done work up in your rifles with your gear, is useful to verify a loading with more than one source.
Click to expand...

I did subscribed to load data too. Really good site! I would prefer physical copies that I can pick up and look at, easier then booting up the computer and signing into something.
Gotta be on the lookout for reloading manuals!
 
The Alliant website has load data for Re19 in various calibers. Sooner or later you'll figure out that it pays to keep meticulous records of all your reloading activities, including screenshots or similar hardcopy of web-sourced data.
 
Not much else to offer except don’t forget to try small pistol primers in the 22 Hornet and Lil Gun. I use Federal in mine. Improved my groups dramatically.
 
https://www.nosler.com/25-06-remington

25-06-Rem-120gr-version-9-0.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom