Reloading - Beginner getting worried

[tackb]

if your primers are exploding your doing it wrong!

[toffe wrapper]

I have a lee hand primer & lee perfect powder mesure you can have.

Don't blame Nick ask someone else.

TW

[Mike357]

Portable press such as the Sinclair type that use Wilson dies? Take it wherever you go with together with a powder measuring device and your consumables.

[ovenpaa]

Don't blame Nick ask someone else.TW

Erm... Do you mean Nick who used to shoot a 30-06 at the club?

[Alpha1]

If you are only loading for your .308 and you have kept all your once fired brass that has been fired in your rifle.
I would suggest you buy a set of Lee loader dies in .308 from Henry Kranks they neck size only. They cost £29 posted. Buy a good beam scale new or second hand not sure how much scales are now a days(Not Lee) and a powder trickler £15 that's all you need to load neck sized ammo.

[meles meles]

neck sizing ? Sounds like something Albert Pierrepoint might have done...

[Maggot]

You might be able to pick up some second hand kit to help keep cost down

There is a lot of quality kit about, I picked up a redding micrometer powder measure for £35 a few months back.

It needed a new tube and a clean but works very well.

I never really considered hand loading as being cheaper, rather more consistent and taylored to the rifle, that is why I got into it.

That said, when you look at the price of RUAG and compare it to the perfomance of a decent Lapua palma/berger re-load I will stick to hand loading.

It is also a good way of cheating the max allowance to a point in that you can shoot and re-load as and when, but stay under the max allowed without worrying too much where the next load is coming from.

[User702]

Don't blame Nick ask someone else.

But blaming Nick is both easy and fun!

Do you mean Nick who used to shoot a 30-06 at the club?

Not sure he had a 30-06. He might have done though.

Going back to the more serious subject of reloading for a bit, I think it is time I started off planning what I am going to do and where I am going to do it. My office seems to be the obvious choice, so I think I'll start off with getting a proper solid desk sorted out. After that it's going to be deciding on the press and working on from there.

[kennyc]

which would make me break even in roughly about 600 shots. That would be probably between 18 months

If I was your other half I'd be convinced. In fact, I'd be upset if you wasted any more family money on factory ammo!

I have some dies that were originally given to me to get me started. You are welcome to them if they are of any use (as long as you also pass them on to a new reloader if you grow out of them). Also a powder funnel.

If you get yourself a Lee hand press, hand priming tool, beam balance, trickler, loading tray, wax or graphite lube, calipers and comparator, then you should be in a position to neck size your first batch (assuming your brass was fired in your rifle and is not too long). You can save up for lube pad & lube plus a trimmer (such as the Lee trimmer that fits in a power drill) ready for when you need to FL size. All of this should be well within budget to get you going, and then you can keep your eyes peeled for an 'O' press for your bench. Maybe other forummers have some of these items that aren't bring used. (Just remembered - I have a Lee trimmer which I never use).

Garage or office?

Wherever you are most comfortable and least likely to be disturbed.

..

+1 for the Lee hand press, a truly useful bit of kit that can do everything you need (albeit with a little elbow grease required) it will take Lee or RCBS dies (and probably many others too)

[Dangermouse]

Re loading is a hobby in it's self and one that you will easily spend more time doing than actually shooting. You have to remember that it is very similar to fishing/ golf/ photography etc, there is always some more must have kit that you have just read about that will make your bullets faster, straighter, more accurate or more consistent.

Make sure you get a good councillor,

DM