Thinking about getting into reloading
- Thread starter Dozer33
- Start date
Probably a good idea. 303 British?
Start out by purchasing a good reloading manual such as the Lyman, excellent step by step and a ton of data. Youtube great stuff on there, look at the Lee combination single stage kits, they have an anniversary kit that contains most everything you need to get started very economically priced and go from there. Start out slow and work your way into it. Handloading is a fabulous hobby into itself, adds another dimension to your shooting hobby.
I like the die with the collet, though I know there will lots of others who prefer the hammer. Hard for me to disagree with them as I have never actually used a hammer.
The only problem I have with the collet set up is that sometimes the neck of the cartridge is holding the bullet so tightly, that when you tighten the collet enough to pull the bullet out, it leaves a significant and unsightly ring on the bullet. I know that most often the bullet can be used again, with little or no effect on its path or velocity, but to me, it just looks like shyt. Unless the ring is very very faint, I usually toss the pulled bullet ... so it can get costly, but if I have to pay for my mistakes, I'm more likely to learn from them.
The only problem I have with the collet set up is that sometimes the neck of the cartridge is holding the bullet so tightly, that when you tighten the collet enough to pull the bullet out, it leaves a significant and unsightly ring on the bullet. I know that most often the bullet can be used again, with little or no effect on its path or velocity, but to me, it just looks like shyt. Unless the ring is very very faint, I usually toss the pulled bullet ... so it can get costly, but if I have to pay for my mistakes, I'm more likely to learn from them.
The hammer type works well for all bullet sizes and works well. It's what I started with and I still use it for small batches. Price is right, too.
Take that advice Greenbob gave you, send him a PM with your email address and he'll email you a link to dozens of free reloading manuals and how-to books that you can download. A very valuable resource, and no worries about security. I'll vouch for Greenbob 100%.
Take that advice Greenbob gave you, send him a PM with your email address and he'll email you a link to dozens of free reloading manuals and how-to books that you can download. A very valuable resource, and no worries about security. I'll vouch for Greenbob 100%.
Oh I already did
I am actually reading it. But slowly during breaks at work. Got too much to catch up on at home. Still have half a season of minor hockey to edit for my kids league. Trying to finish that before hockey starts ( if it starts) and before the reloading equipment arrives
- Location
- Western Manitoba
"Berdan primed" - if you are like some of us, that gets set to the side in it's own container for the day when you get that "round tuit" thingy and sort out how the Berdan primers are removed, and the multiple myriad of sizes of Berdan primers that exist, that are not interchangeable with "normal" boxer primers, to find the correct size for your brass and a vendor that actually sells it. You do all that, "because you have the brass", and because you are going to "hand load"...
Leatherstocking
CGN Regular
- Location
- BC Rockies
I like the Lee 4 die set, which comes with the full length resizing die, bullet seating die, collet neck sizing die, factory crimp die, shell holder and a dipper.
