Reloading beginner advice

ChrisA

WKR
Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Messages
406
Location
Belle Plaine, IA
I started with a Lee kit 21 years ago and it served me well. I upgraded to an RCBS Rock Chucker press and 505 scale then eventually a Chragemaster powder dispenser.

The Lee Perfect powder measure is quite accurate.

I was about to buy a tumbler when my mentor told me to get the Iosso brass cleaning kit. It's super easy and fast, you just have to wait for brass to dry. I usually set my wet brass next to the dehumidifier fan.

Good luck

Chris
 
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
12
First stop... buy a reloading book. The NRA has (or had at one time) a basic begginers guide book. Also most reloading manuals have the front section devoted to basic safety practices and general guidelines (at least my Speer’s do). Then buy the best you can afford. If that happens to be Lee, that’s no problem - their stuff may not be top of the line but it’s perfectly adequate (and I actually prefer a few of their products over others - Lee factory crimp die as an example). Read up before you take the plunge.
 
OP
lintond

lintond

WKR
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
1,424
Location
Oregon
Ok next question...dies. After quite a bit of research I’m probably the most confused with all the dies. Neck honing, micrometer, yada yada. Is any of that really necessary? I don’t like to buy crap but ain’t made of Benjamin’s either. 🤨

What dies would you recommend for a 6.5 CM?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

minengr

FNG
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
69
Location
IL
IME, the amount of brass prep required, depends on what brand you've chosen. With 6.5 CM, I'd buy a 100 pieces of Lapua and be done with it. I do little to no prep on Lapua brass. With nearly every other brand I'll do everything from flash hole uniformer and debur, to weight sort brass and turn necks. Honestly, I don't know how much the "extra" suff helps, I just do it. At a minimum, you must check OAL and I'd recommend chamfer/debur the neck. If you're not reloading a high volume the Lee case trimmer and length gauge work nice, and they are cheap. I recommending drilling out and gluing a wood sphere from Hobby Lobby onto the cutter. I can try and post a pic if you'd like.

I like Redding dies. Specifically the FL sizer "S" dies with the neck bushing.
 

Doc Holliday

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
2,616
If you re shooting bolt action rifles and only have one rifle per caliber, get a full length sizer for your first sizing of brass prior to first load, but after that only neck size and trim when necessary. The case fire forms to that rifle's chamber. Now if you have 5 different .308s that you shoot, you would want to full length resize every time, unless you kept batches separate per rifle, because you could have one old chamber that has expanded, and without resizing, a case fired in that larger chamber may not fit into a newer, tighter tolerance chamber.

I recommend RCBS equipment. The rockchucker press is what I learned on, and use. Get the digital RCBS scale as well. Make sure you have a sturdy table as well, preferably 6 ft or longer.

Welcome to the world of reloading. It is something you can get pretty deep into, or not. Is a great feeling to make your own rounds and find that right load for your rifle, and even better to go hunting and make lifetime memories with rounds that you loaded.
 
Last edited:
OP
lintond

lintond

WKR
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
1,424
Location
Oregon
So I finally got the RCBS kit and a few extras from the wife for Christmas. Need to do some load research and buy powder, primers, bullets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Sled

WKR
Joined
Jun 11, 2018
Messages
2,148
Location
Utah
So I finally got the RCBS kit and a few extras from the wife for Christmas. Need to do some load research and buy powder, primers, bullets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

it's mostly preference on how far you take things. quality trimmer, neck bushings vs full length, reamers, tumblers, lubes, etc.

my favorite lube so far is pam. that's right the cooking spray. i used one shot by hornady for a time but that stuff will kill you. just remember to tumble after you size if you're going to use a lot. even sprays that are designed to evaporate can cause fouled primers/powder if too much is used.

in chasing accuracy, neck tension has been where my largest gains have been realized. annealing has helped me there, as well as quality equipment. a simple mapp gas torch, appropriately sized deep well socket w/ drill and a bucket of water will get the job done cheap.

good luck
 

16Bore

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
3,020
Used for lots of it, although a used press I once had was a POS. Be prepared for handloading to nickel and dime you to death.

And late nights too. Worse than having a new baby in the house.
 

dla

WKR
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
302
Location
Oregon & Idaho
Ideal wire pulling lube (ACE hardware) is the best water-based case lube I've found. A bottle will be passed down from genetstion to generation and you dont have to clean your casings afterwards. Hornady one shot is the best expensive case lube.
 
Joined
May 24, 2016
Messages
1,774
Depends on what ur going for, after dumping and starting reloading 3 times I kinda got a handle on it.. I think?

Reload for either 2 reasons.. to get a particular rifle to shoot, or to shoot cheaply.

Me I hunt with hornady precision hunter ammo.

So I reload a cheap practice load..

necksize good brass, temp powder and a reasonable bc bullet. aim for a good node so you can use a powder measure and don't get too caught in the little stuff chasing little details.

Good shooting is laid on the foundation of deliberate practice and popped primers.

Make sure your drops are close out to a certain distance and practice from there on in.

I myself got caught in the distance game, but you look at it and most of the time Murphy gets us in the area we don't practice. Offhand at 200. Quick unsteady shot at 375. Etc etc.

Then again there's 8 million ways to skin the cat. Jus how I see it.
 
Top