Help getting setup for reloading`

[Inzaneriderz]

Hi All, was looking for some input on equipment to do some reloading. I am going to start with .308 Win for my precision bolt gun. I am looking to make the most consistent/accurate ammo possible for shooting up to 1K. After doing a little reading and research I think I want the following but am very open to opinions and would love to hear what the Hide has to say...

Forster Coax press or redding T7 (leaning toward forster)
Redding .308 comp die set w/ micrometer for seating ( might use the hornady lock rings?)
I know I will need a tool to help set my bullet to a specified distance from the rifling but I forget what it's called
Bullet puller die
Hand primer, thinking I heard Sinclair was really nice
RCBS chargemaster (atleast for throwing a charge close to what I need, then maybe something to fine tune? not sure yet)
Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17 Stainless Steel Media tumbler maybe a brass dryer
RCBS concentricity gauge
Digital calipers (mitutoyo i think)
Not sure of case trimmer yet, power or not, I know people like the Giraud

If there is anything else you guys think that I could maybe research that would make my reloading process better as far as equipment is concerned I would love to hear it, Thank you in advance

 

[summy]

It looks like you have most of the basics figured out. At a glance I would say also look for a primer pocket uniformer and a flash hole deburring tool. You may also want to look at a neck turner and an ultrasonic cleaner. The tumbler will get the outside of the case very well and make them nice and shiny, but the ultrasonic will get the inside of the case as well making everything just a little more consistent. And don't forget reloading manuals! Let us know how it all turns out for you!

 

[rgrmike]

tag.

 

[Boxcar]

It looks like you have most of the basics figured out. At a glance I would say also look for a primer pocket uniformer and a flash hole deburring tool. You may also want to look at a neck turner and an ultrasonic cleaner. The tumbler will get the outside of the case very well and make them nice and shiny,but the ultrasonic will get the inside of the case as well making everything just a little more consistent. And don't forget reloading manuals! Let us know how it all turns out for you!

My stainless media tumbler has no problem cleaning the inside of the cases as well as the primer pocket.

My take;
Reloading manuals read them cover to cover then re-read the safety section twice.
Sounds like a good setup though you might want to rethink the hornady lock rings and go with the Forster lock rings.
A hornady overall length gauge a set of bullet comparator gauges and a set of hornady headspace gauges are nice. Don't forget those. And for calipers any decent set will do. Mitutoyo If you insist, but my $30.00 Lyman dial caliper serves me just fine for reloading.
Charge master = Thumbs up! If I was shooting bench rest I might worry about something else. It's plenty accurate for ringing steel.

For case trimming I like the Wilson case trimmer. The Giraud is nice but for what little reloading I do, I cannot justify the cost. Maybe some day.

If you do take up the hobby, welcome to the addiction

Edit; might want to add a Chronograph in there some time in the future. It's nice to see where your hard work is getting you.

 

[culater]

buy your bullets,primers,powder in the same lot number and cases in bulk.

 

[woojos]

I have a set of the Redding competition dies for a 308 with the micrometer seater and a forster benchrest set with no micrometer for a 223. The micrometer is convenient, but after you have a load figured out, you won't be playing with seating depth much. Changing things on the Forster is as simple as figuring out how much 1/4 or so turn of the screw affects the depth, then going from there. Micrometer is nice, but if you have a hard time finding dies or find a good deal on a used one without the micrometer, it shouldn't be a deal breaker. You will also need bushings for the redding.

You will want an accurate scale. I have one of the 5-0-5 balance scales that came with my reloading kit a gempro 250. Both work fine. I know some people use the chargemaster only and others use it to throw close then trickle on a more precise scale, but you may want another scale if the electronic one starts acting screwy. I really like the gempro an if it acts up, which it does every once in awhile usually after I do something like press too hard on the plate or pick it up to clean out, I just recalibrate it and it is back to normal.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

You MUST get a tool to measure case "headspace". The Hornady comparator works well. You can get extra inserts to measure cartridge length to the ogive.

I'd skip Mitutoyo calipers. They're really nice and all, but a $10 dial caliper from harbor freight is more than adequate. Truly.

Sinclair priming tool is OK, but its an expensive way to make priming really tedious. Any hand priming tool from Horny, RCBS or even LEE will do you just fine and make priming go by much quicker.

Use the money saved on high falutin caliper and priming tool to put towards the Giraud trimmer. You will not regret this.

RCBS CM1500 is a good call. Arguably, you ought to have a beam scale also. Not to double check every charge, but as a sanity check from time to time, and/or when the lights go out.

I'd also skip the concentricity gage for now. You'll have enough to worry about without it. Maybe your addiction will develop to the point where you "must have" one - but thats a ways down the road.

 

[Inzaneriderz]

Thanks for the responses thus far, I was wondering if using a primer pocket uniformer could do more damage than good in terms of making the pocket worse, I have heard stories it may be too easy to mess up?

 

[summy]

It shouldn't do any harm as long as you have a depth stop set firmly and you don't go crazy with it. I found dimensions for tolerances of primer pockets and went from there. A good idea may be to measure your primers and set the depth based on that (I'm running .12" for CCI small rifles to give you an idea). Its important to check that your depth stop hasn't wandered on you though as that will screw up consistency. Read through the posts from TresMon in the stickies section, theres a wealth of knowledge there to help you start reloading for precision.

 

[SeattleDude]

Here is what I have for my precision 308 loading

Forster Co-Ax
Redding S base FL sizing die with Bushings
Redding S base Bushing Neck Sizing die only
Redding Competition Micrometer Bullet seater
Same lot Lapua Brass

For Lapua brass I use .336 bushing to give me .002-.0025 neck tension.

Once brass is fired for the first time I de prime it and SS Wet Clean.

Neck on my fired brass gets to around .344 so I resize in two steps to minimize run out.

Once its cleaned and dried I run it through Redding S type Neck only sizing die with TI/NI .339 bushing.

Then I goes through Redding S Type FL sizer with .336 TI/NI bushing. (Die adjusted to bump the shoulder .002)

I seat primers by hand using RCBS Universal Hand primer. I have two of them for Small and Large primers.

Then powder gets discharged via Chargemaster and Trickled to perfection on Omega Trickler and RCBS Beam Scale 505.

Then bullet gets carefully seated ... you get an Idea =)

 

[Twoboxer]

Save money on the expensive calipers . . . get a cheap digital tool.

Use the money saved to buy a good beam scale (eg, RCBS 5-0-5 and a set of RCBS check weights. The scale on the Chargemaster is not enough, and only the beam scale can be calibrated close to the grain weights you will actually be targeting.