This reloading lark?!

[M99]

Whilst sat watching the wind, I have decided that I "should" get my finger out and learn this reloading lark. I shoot .223 and .308 - so what kit do you ladies and gentleman recommend me getting?

Obviously I am going to need to the full shabang, so........................................

Mike

[DaveT]

The list is almost endless but I would do some SERIOUS reading first because you can spend / waste an enormous amount of cash in buying 'cheap' and then wanting to upgrade.

Also consider whether or not you want Dies which by their design preset things like neck tension and headspace as the manufacturer saw fit or whether you want the types where YOU have that control...... again I can explian that in more detail if you wish but its basically straightforward FLS dies or Bushing NS dies and shoulder bump dies.

Your biggest-cost single items are going to be press and dies and these vary enormously depending upon manufacturer and build quality etc .

I can send you a list of my prefered kit if that helps BUT then so can everyone else and they will all be different!

[Robin128]

Buy a good manual ... Sierra.

RCBS press, dies, uniflow and beam scales.

Lee auto prime.

Couple of second hand micometers.

I load both 223rem and 308win...both are good for 1/2 MOA at 100.

Look out!...incoming.

http://www.full-bore.co.uk/viewtopic.ph ... low#p32559

[ovenpaa]

So many things....

I will start the ball rolling. Starting off I would say a robust press, bolted to an equally robust platform, a G Clamp on the dining room table is not ideal, I like the Lee Cast Classic press and I also like Forster dies over some of the others. Reloading equipment is such a personal thing and is often based on colour/look/feel/recommendation as much as budget.

You will need scales, choice is dependant upon volumes to be built, a beam scale is very accurate albeit time consuming, digital scales are very accurate but susceptible to so many factors such as vibration, electrical interference, temperature and drafts. If you want to throw 100 rounds at a time and like automation look at the British made Target Master coupled to a beam scale (1066 of this forum builds them) Alternatively look at the all electronic ChargeMaster.

Allow for primer pocket cleaners, primer tools, case cleaning equipment, a digital vernier and comparator insert plus a host of other things. If you have kept your old cases you have just made a significant saving on set up costs and will save the initial expense of case trimmers etc.

Looking back over my reloading I have purchased the same purpose items three and four times sometimes until I found the one that suited my means, if I knew then what I know now I could have saved a lot of money and time and frustration.

[Mike357]

Research! I have been asking questions for nearly a year and am just completing my kit although I have been reloading pistol ammo at a friend's house for a while now.

Next question is what kind of accuracy are you expecting? If you are happy with the accuracy of factory or milsurp ammo then a basic set up will do. If you are chasing ultra accuracy then that I'm afraid exponentially related to more coin!

I have a Lee Turret press for my 44mag and 303 but am leaning towards an Arbor Press and Wilson dies for my 308 ammo. I'm getting a good set of scales 2nd hand soon. The Lee Auto prime is a top piece of kit.

Best advice, spend more now rather than bin the cheap stuff in a year or twos time.

[Sim G]

Reloading, as much as I enjoy it, is not for everyone. As has already been intimated, you can spend an awful lot of money putting kit together and find out that kit is neither for you or, reloading is not your bag.

A manual is a definite. All of them include "how to's" as well. But, a lot of them are powder or bullet specific. Get the Lee Modern Reloading. It's generic, with clear, concise instructions and plenty of "subject material" to pad it out and give a good knoledge base.

Likewise, I would recommend Lee kit highly.

The hand press is an exceptional piece of kit. Doesn't require mounting and you have great control, especially when learning. You have to go a long way to beat dies and other things, such as case length gauges, primer pocket cleaners, powder funnels and case cutters only cost a couple of quid each. Their scales though, are pants!

A decent beam balance scale, Lee powder dippers and a trickler are a perfect way to start.

Lee manual.
Lee handpress.
Lee Dies.
Lee primer pocket cleaner.
Lee case length gauges.
Lee ball cutter.
Lee chamfer and de-burr tool.
Lee auto prime and corresponding shell holders.
Lyman Quick shot case lube.
Lee dippers.
RCBS beam scales.
RCBS powder trickler.
Digital calipers.
Loading block.

You could probably put all of this together for arounf 150 quid. It will all fit into a box that you could keep under the stairs and do it all at the kitchen table. This will certainly introduce you to the aspect and even though it's cheap, still allow you to produce top quality ammunition, particularly suited to your rifles. And considering the cost of top quality factory ammo, you'd have the kit "paid for" within a couple of hundred roundes of each caliber home loaded.....

Likewise, the secret to accuracy is a quality bullet, fired down a quality barrel. All other things just build a better mouse trap....

Again, finding out if you "like" reloading, you don't want to spend a fortune on several different powder and bullet combinations straight off. .223 and .308 are two popular cartridges where so much testing and adjusting has already been done by a plethora of different shooters. I would say start with a box of Sierra Matchkings for each cal and a single powder that has proved useful in both. For a single powder to cover both, I'd recommend either Hodgdons H335 or Vhitavouri N140. The Vhit probably just had the edge....

[kennyc]

Reloading, as much as I enjoy it, is not for everyone. As has already been intimated, you can spend an awful lot of money putting kit together and find out that kit is neither for you or, reloading is not your bag.

A manual is a definite. All of them include "how to's" as well. But, a lot of them are powder or bullet specific. Get the Lee Modern Reloading. It's generic, with clear, concise instructions and plenty of "subject material" to pad it out and give a good knoledge base.

Likewise, I would recommend Lee kit highly.

The hand press is an exceptional piece of kit. Doesn't require mounting and you have great control, especially when learning. You have to go a long way to beat dies and other things, such as case length gauges, primer pocket cleaners, powder funnels and case cutters only cost a couple of quid each. Their scales though, are pants!

A decent beam balance scale, Lee powder dippers and a trickler are a perfect way to start.

Lee manual.
Lee handpress.
Lee Dies.
Lee primer pocket cleaner.
Lee case length gauges.
Lee ball cutter.
Lee chamfer and de-burr tool.
Lee auto prime and corresponding shell holders.
Lyman Quick shot case lube.
Lee dippers.
RCBS beam scales.
RCBS powder trickler.
Digital calipers.
Loading block.

You could probably put all of this together for arounf 150 quid. It will all fit into a box that you could keep under the stairs and do it all at the kitchen table. This will certainly introduce you to the aspect and even though it's cheap, still allow you to produce top quality ammunition, particularly suited to your rifles. And considering the cost of top quality factory ammo, you'd have the kit "paid for" within a couple of hundred roundes of each caliber home loaded.....

Likewise, the secret to accuracy is a quality bullet, fired down a quality barrel. All other things just build a better mouse trap....

Again, finding out if you "like" reloading, you don't want to spend a fortune on several different powder and bullet combinations straight off. .223 and .308 are two popular cartridges where so much testing and adjusting has already been done by a plethora of different shooters. I would say start with a box of Sierra Matchkings for each cal and a single powder that has proved useful in both. For a single powder to cover both, I'd recommend either Hodgdons H335 or Vhitavouri N140. The Vhit probably just had the edge....

+1 I reload 50-60 .308's at a sitting with my Lee hand press and the whole lot sits on top of my gun cabinet in a cardboard box, if you like reloading and get into the ultra-precise mind set then you can buy a lot more expensive kit, but for beginning this will do fine

[spud]

buy once cry once

[Robin128]

buy once cry once

[Sim G]

buy once cry once

I disagree. You do not have to spend a load of money to make top notch ammunition. I actually learned the reloading saga on a Dillon progressive in the pistol days. I was shooting 5 to 600 rounds a week and was running two machines permanantly set up in 9mm and .45 acp. When it came to reloading for rifles, the progressive was really not the way to go as it lacked "feel". So I got a Lyman Crusher to compliment. I put together the rifle reloading kit exactly as above, but went to the hand press when I started to load for .32-20 and .44-40 which have very thin case mouths and the Crusher was just too "powerful".

I've added avrious other bits over the years, primer pocket uniformers, Stony Point OAL gauges and bullet comparitors. And sprung for the best bit of kit I ever bought, an RCBS Chargemaster Combo, but in all honesty, it's no more accurate than the RCBS scales, trickler and Lee dippers, just convienient and quicker.

You can buy once and cry once, or you can just buy.........