well im getting into reloading and have some qustions

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nova_scotian_guy

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ok so for the last couple weeks/months im thinking of getting into reloading centerfire rifle shells start out with my 308 and if i enjoy it enough get into reloading others... btw i might have some qustions rendomly tossed in ( if i think about them as i am going along)
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the books i am reading are a little old "ken waters pet loads vol1"... the load i am looking at is the following

180 grain bullet -- 41.0 grain charge -- powder is h-4895 -- case federal -- primer F210M -- fps should be around 2580fps with a 20 inch barrell -- case expansion should be normal
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i am thinking that it should be a decent load

i currently have

lee single stage press
rcbs powder dispenser
rcbs 5-10 scale
universale shell tray
i have been nickle and dimeing everything ... so far i am into it for $165ish



i know i need to get( not counting primers shells and projectiles)
primer installer ( thinking a hand held one)
digital micromiter
dies(thinking lee?)more qustions to follow below
primer pocket cleaner
deburing tool
case trimmer
tumbler,media, polish(more qustions comming about this aswell)
bullet puller
case lube/wax ( which is better btw?)
i think i am forgetting something if so please tell me

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ok i will start my next set of qustions asking about the dies

is there anything i should look for when it comes to dies ... i know they all do the same thing but some have more bells and wistle's then others like a built in micromiter

i know there is a die out there that will expand the neck opening a little bit to allow the ease of setting in your projectial is this to be used only for cast bullets or cast and copper jacketed?...and is it ok to shoot cast bullets from a 308?


about the tumbler media and polish

is there anything to look for when getting a tumbler or would any do?

i heard corn is the best media by some others say walnut and others say 50/50 mix some say add water others say dont???

and the polish is it important to use each time ?




those are the only qustions that come to mind right now .... i know there is more questions i have to ask but cannot remember them right now

... thanks for the help and please just be patient with me asking qustions
 
Regarding your equipment list- you don't absolutely need a primer pocket cleaner (I'm told it makes no difference whether the pocket gets cleaned or not, and I stopped doing so a while back), nor do you absolutely need a tumbler: if you start with new brass and salvage it as you go, you can clean it enough for most purposes with hot water and phosphoric acid, and let them air dry, or as I do, over a furnace vent. A tumbler can make a lot of sense, but isn't always a "must have". Ditto for a powder trickler, though you didn't mention it: another bit of kit that isn't necessary.
I like Imperial sizing wax: amazing stuff, a little goes a long way. Currently though, I'm using up a spray bottle of Dillon case lube.

Also, check out the Hodgdon's site: http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp Lot's of useful data there, and it always helps to get as many sources as you can.
 
For dies, no need to get fancy unless you are looking to get into extreme prescion shooting and even they, IMO, its questionable. No need to spend a buch of money, I have Lee dies and despite what some will say, they are as good as any. I only do 9mm and have about 10,000 rounds through them and no problems. I would recommend getting carbide dies and skip the case lube, others may disagree lol.

Tumblers, lol, 10 different people will give you 20 different answers. So to start you off here is my take. Stainless pins are GREAT, BUT you need to do it wet and so any tumbler you get will need to be water tight and, unless you make your own, more expensive. If you are going the corn cob, walnut, or blend route, pretty much any tumbler will do the job. I built one out of an 8 inch carboard tube used for making cement coloums, a couple pulleys and a motor and i am GTG. But I'm a cheap bastard lol. For media, in all honesty, you wont see a big difference between corn cob or walnut, some difference but not alot, and both work well. I use a 50/50 blend just cause I couldn't make up my mind when I first started and it works for me so I stuck with it. You only need to add polish to is when it starts to get dry and even then only a little bit. I do about 600 or so per batch and add about 2 TBSP evry 5 batches or so. Some people will throw out media afetr that many uses so it becomes a moot point. Personally I used my forst batch of 2 pounds of media for 8000 rounds and then changed it, just cause. Not that it was doing a bad job, just felt like it was time.

So, long story short, get and tumbler you can find and if you dont like it, upgrade later, after you have decided that youwant to keep doing it. Media, you cant go wrong either way but Tufnut (the walnut with jewlwes rouge in it) will, IMO, give slightly shinier cases. You can get big bags of untreated media at many pet stores to save a buck too. And then just add some car polish like Nu-finish every so often.

Hope that helps
MD
 
Everyone has there own personal preferance so you have to find what works best for you - below are some of the items i use

Check Powder manufacture web sites as they also have links for load data
I have only used cast lead in hand gun reloads so i cannot comment on using them in rifle loads

Hand primer works great on 308 - lee or others
Micrometer - a must for over all length digital takes out the guess work = princess auto or kms tools
Dies - Redding or Rcbs = you will have to decide full lenght or neck sizing only - I use both depending on how many times shells have been reloaded
Bullet seater with built in micrometer - only if you are really into precision shooting and have the extra cash
lyman pocket cleaners work great
I use a forster case trimmer but rcbs is great aswell
I use a kinetic bullet puller that works great so i have never needed a press mounted puller
I use 50-50 corn cob and walnut shell in my tumbler - no polishing liquid used and they turn out as new - i also use a sonic cleaner for the brass before tumbling
alot of people make there own case lube - saves cash and easy to do - look that one up in this forum in the Hornady one shot thread
Powder trickler - works great if you want to make sure you have the same load in each round - not every powder drop is consistant -
As far as a load it comes down to what you are shooting - what factory round has worked the best and then try matching that load - i use 42gr of varget and 168gr sierra awesome in my rem 700 sps- everyone is differant and its the fun of working up the load
 
Griffin6869 said:
Powder trickler - works great if you want to make sure you have the same load in each round - not every powder drop is consistant -
Click to expand...

Griffin is quite right- if you want consistent loads, you drop or dump as close to (but under) your desired weight as possible, and add a few granules until you bring the load up to the correct weight. I just meant that you can add those final few flakes or granules using your thumb and forefinger- your own "built-in" trickler.
 
I have a Hornady trickler, a power trickler but the fastest method I have found is to use your finger and pinch in a few kernels of powder. I weigh every charge to within .02 gr.
I never clean primer pockets unless they are really full of crud. Ultra sonic cleaners do wonders to clean brass but you need a tumbler to make it shiney. Shiney brass does not shoot any better than dull brass. I use untreated corn cob media. For case lube, I am lazy, RCBS, Lyman or One Shot spray lube works great.
Dies, you are going to need full length resizing dies sooner or later.
 
It would seem that you are on a bit of a budget. First thing to go from your list, I think, should be the tumbler. You can wash cases with soap and water and dry in a low oven and that will do. I used to toss them into a cut-off sleeve from a flannel shirt, spray it with lighter fluid and shake like H - worked fine and dried quickly.

Lube - Imperial sizing die wax. A small tin will last you years - just tap (lightly) one finger on the wax and roll the case between your finger and thumb.

Bullet puller - a hammer-like bullet puller is the cheapest and do the job just fine (albeit a bit slower).

I would also suggest you invest in a mainline reloading manual, one by a major manufacturer like Sierra, Hornady, Lyman or Speer. I wouldn't get too fixed on a particular load; work on what's called a 'ladder test', loading powder charges increasing about one-half grain at a time, from minimum to close to maximum. One or two of those will group better than the rest and you can start fine-tuning from there.
 
I'd turf the tumbler. Cases get cleaned enough if you wipe them, lube them, and wipe them off, unless you are picking up range brass out of the dirt, then, wash them off first.
As to your question about cast bullets and expander dies: you will have to slug the bore to figure out what you have first, then buy something about .001 or .002 oversize, if you buy bullets. Your .308 sizer will likely size the brass to .304 or .305 or so, if you buy .309 bullets, you may want to try using a .307/.308 expander, for .310 bullets, a .307/.309 maybe.. Lyman makes a Universal body, add the appropriate dia expander. Or, for most dies at least, you can just buy a .307 or .308 button. Do some reading in the Lyman cast bullet handbook and on Castboolits and LASC first. Buying off the shelf cast bullets, is probably not likely to yield the best results.

Use the money you would have spent for a tumbler and buy the Lyman manuals, std reloading and cast bullet, and the manual for the brand of jacketed bullets you want to use. Powder manuals are all avail online, at the mfgr's websites.
 
If shiney brass is important to you, the very best method I've come across is using the shell-holder in a cordless drill while holding the round with a pinch of never-dull. Museum quality finish and that little bit more of personal confidence in your round. You'll need to spin the round in a clean shop rag after the never-dull round, but go ahead and comb your hair in it if you want.
My .02 cents
Jim
 
209jones said:
I'd turf the tumbler. Cases get cleaned enough if you wipe them, lube them, and wipe them off, unless you are picking up range brass out of the dirt, then, wash them off first.
As to your question about cast bullets and expander dies: you will have to slug the bore to figure out what you have first, then buy something about .001 or .002 oversize, if you buy bullets. Your .308 sizer will likely size the brass to .304 or .305 or so, if you buy .309 bullets, you may want to try using a .307/.308 expander, for .310 bullets, a .307/.309 maybe.. Lyman makes a Universal body, add the appropriate dia expander. Or, for most dies at least, you can just buy a .307 or .308 button. Do some reading in the Lyman cast bullet handbook and on Castboolits and LASC first. Buying off the shelf cast bullets, is probably not likely to yield the best results.

Use the money you would have spent for a tumbler and buy the Lyman manuals, std reloading and cast bullet, and the manual for the brand of jacketed bullets you want to use. Powder manuals are all avail online, at the mfgr's websites.
Click to expand...

um how do you go about sluging the bore..... and what should it be on a remengton sps tactical 308 with 40 rounds down the pipe?
 
I just picked up a sonic cleaner today, a used Eumax 2l digital one with heater, for 90.00..... I did a 100 rounds of horribly fouled .223 in it, and it did a fabulous job cleaning them out, inside and out, primer pockets were amazingly clean! The water was black when it was done! I had a gallon of acetone laying around from my fiber glassing days, and after i ran them through a 50% vinegar/water/3 drops dish soap solution for 45 mins, I ran them in water with a touch of baking soda to neutralize the acid for 5 mins, then dunked them in the acetone and they were instantly dried..... sounds like alot of work, but its easier than it sounds. Its a good addition to the re-loading bench.
 
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