The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

MiLisCer

I would suggest that you just go in to the property store and take several deep breaths near the locked cabinet. You will be a lot happier and it is a lot cheaper.

Hand loading or re loading, is a lot like golf or fishing in the respect that a lot of people have just the tool that you need to make your ammunition just that bit better.

Do not underestimate the amount of time that you can spend on this, it quickly becomes a second hobby requiring an equal amount of time to be spent on it, I am sure that it would be a safe statement to say that you spend twice as long hand loading as yo do shooting, some as they chase the dragon (as I call it) of more and more accurate loads, will give it a lot more time. I am sure that it is no coincidence that many at the top of their game are retired or are in the shooting business.

I do not regret taking up hand loading but I do pine for the simple days of buying some RG in the range office and that being the end of the matter.

Good luck,
DM

of course you could always go old school

Dangermouse wrote:MiLisCer

I would suggest that you just go in to the property store and take several deep breaths near the locked cabinet. You will be a lot happier and it is a lot cheaper.

Hand loading or re loading, is a lot like golf or fishing in the respect that a lot of people have just the tool that you need to make your ammunition just that bit better.

Do not underestimate the amount of time that you can spend on this, it quickly becomes a second hobby requiring an equal amount of time to be spent on it, I am sure that it would be a safe statement to say that you spend twice as long hand loading as yo do shooting, some as they chase the dragon (as I call it) of more and more accurate loads, will give it a lot more time. I am sure that it is no coincidence that many at the top of their game are retired or are in the shooting business.

I do not regret taking up hand loading but I do pine for the simple days of buying some RG in the range office and that being the end of the matter.

Good luck,
DM

Well said, is there any cure for this infliction we have.

Dangermouse wrote:MiLisCer

I would suggest that you just go in to the property store and take several deep breaths near the locked cabinet. You will be a lot happier and it is a lot cheaper.

Hand loading or re loading, is a lot like golf or fishing in the respect that a lot of people have just the tool that you need to make your ammunition just that bit better.

Do not underestimate the amount of time that you can spend on this, it quickly becomes a second hobby requiring an equal amount of time to be spent on it, I am sure that it would be a safe statement to say that you spend twice as long hand loading as yo do shooting, some as they chase the dragon (as I call it) of more and more accurate loads, will give it a lot more time. I am sure that it is no coincidence that many at the top of their game are retired or are in the shooting business.

I do not regret taking up hand loading but I do pine for the simple days of buying some RG in the range office and that being the end of the matter.

Good luck,
DM

Retired so can't go and see the nice property man anymore

I know what is being said about "Time" and it becoming yet another "hobby" to take over from shooting - I tie my own flies, and spend far longer at the vice than on the water!

Hey ho - something I wish to get in to, Ill keep my reading going and keep pestering people!

Thanks for the replies

Mike

For arguments sake , why not give us a budget and see what we can get for that budget. Then we can discuss merits and non merits for selected items.

I find it very therapeutic and can't wait to slow it all down for when I start on the 308. What I'm dreading is the time I'll spend reloading 44mag next year as I'm gonna be chewing through them. I might have to go progressive

We could have hours of fun spending your money

Just a suggestion but maybe its worth looking at this from another 'slant'...... rather than get tangled up in tool selection from the outset instead firstly be sure that you understand the basic reloading steps.....Brass Prep, Priming, Powder charging and Bullet seating.....break down and research each stage to get a sense of the 'must do' and optional techniques THEN look at the tool options based upon NEED & BUDGET.

As a simple example you can pay something like £16 for a Lee primer tool or £100 for a Sinclair and both do a good job.... I have & love my Sinclair but would struggle to justify the cost.

Conversely I have standard Forster dies in 308 which seem to work well BUT I am far happier using Redding bushing Neck sizers where I can decide what neck tension I want along with Body dies to adjust the case shoulder if I think that the headspace needs a slight adjustment to make chambering easier.... I KNOW what case sizing I am getting because I CHOOSE it based upon undertanding the related dangers and limits.

With standard dies you get whatever case resizing the manufacturer decides and if , for example , that creates greater headspace than is desireable (or worse still .. than is safe) then without understanding what this measure is AND checking it...... you could get into trouble.

The point is that you need to get deeper into the reloading process technicalities (and gain a better understanding of the related efficiency / safety aspects) in order to make informed choices about tools....even if you have a limitless budget.

spud wrote:For arguments sake , why not give us a budget and see what we can get for that budget. Then we can discuss merits and non merits for selected items.

No, the wife keeps looking over my shoulder!

DaveT wrote:Just a suggestion but maybe its worth looking at this from another 'slant'...... rather than get tangled up in tool selection from the outset instead firstly be sure that you understand the basic reloading steps.....Brass Prep, Priming, Powder charging and Bullet seating.....break down and research each stage to get a sense of the 'must do' and optional techniques THEN look at the tool options based upon NEED & BUDGET.

As a simple example you can pay something like £16 for a Lee primer tool or £100 for a Sinclair and both do a good job.... I have & love my Sinclair but would struggle to justify the cost.

Conversely I have standard Forster dies in 308 which seem to work well BUT I am far happier using Redding bushing Neck sizers where I can decide what neck tension I want along with Body dies to adjust the case shoulder if I think that the headspace needs a slight adjustment to make chambering easier.... I KNOW what case sizing I am getting because I CHOOSE it based upon undertanding the related dangers and limits.

With standard dies you get whatever case resizing the manufacturer decides and if , for example , that creates greater headspace than is desireable (or worse still .. than is safe) then without understanding what this measure is AND checking it...... you could get into trouble.

The point is that you need to get deeper into the reloading process technicalities (and gain a better understanding of the related efficiency / safety aspects) in order to make informed choices about tools....even if you have a limitless budget.

Dave - I like this post - Ill keep my reading going and then I think I'll be seeing you on one of your courses with BASC (I am a trade member)

I have a friendly "old" soul who has agreed to show me the ropes locally - he was around when Noah built the ark, so should be interesting - I can listen to him for hours anyway!

Mike

MiLisCer wrote:

spud wrote:For arguments sake , why not give us a budget and see what we can get for that budget. Then we can discuss merits and non merits for selected items.

No, the wife keeps looking over my shoulder!

DaveT wrote:Just a suggestion but maybe its worth looking at this from another 'slant'...... rather than get tangled up in tool selection from the outset instead firstly be sure that you understand the basic reloading steps.....Brass Prep, Priming, Powder charging and Bullet seating.....break down and research each stage to get a sense of the 'must do' and optional techniques THEN look at the tool options based upon NEED & BUDGET.

As a simple example you can pay something like £16 for a Lee primer tool or £100 for a Sinclair and both do a good job.... I have & love my Sinclair but would struggle to justify the cost.

Conversely I have standard Forster dies in 308 which seem to work well BUT I am far happier using Redding bushing Neck sizers where I can decide what neck tension I want along with Body dies to adjust the case shoulder if I think that the headspace needs a slight adjustment to make chambering easier.... I KNOW what case sizing I am getting because I CHOOSE it based upon undertanding the related dangers and limits.

With standard dies you get whatever case resizing the manufacturer decides and if , for example , that creates greater headspace than is desireable (or worse still .. than is safe) then without understanding what this measure is AND checking it...... you could get into trouble.

The point is that you need to get deeper into the reloading process technicalities (and gain a better understanding of the related efficiency / safety aspects) in order to make informed choices about tools....even if you have a limitless budget.

Dave - I like this post - Ill keep my reading going and then I think I'll be seeing you on one of your courses with BASC (I am a trade member)

I have a friendly "old" soul who has agreed to show me the ropes locally - he was around when Noah built the ark, so should be interesting - I can listen to him for hours anyway!

Mike

Getting someone to show you is worth a thousand words of printed advice BUT please DON'T assume that anyones advice is 'gospel'....... continue your own research... I can thoroughly recommend a read of Glen Zedickers book 'Handloading for Competition ...Making the target bigger'....... the language is quirky / folksy Americana but the content is first class stuff. Most reloading books are pretty basic which is fine as far as they go whilst most reloading manuals assume that you know your stuff ...this book covers the intervening and advanced techniques in language which outlines the WHY.