• The Shot You’ll Never Forget Giveaway - Enter To Win A Barrel From Rifle Barrel Blanks!

    Tell us about the best or most memorable shot you’ve ever taken. Contest ends June 13th and remember: subscribe for a better chance of winning!

    Join contest Subscribe

New Reloader

S

steelejones

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 3, 2011
74
0
54
Maine
#1
Hi all, purchased my first precision rifle this week and should have it in a few days. Its a savage fp-sr and plan on venturing into reloading this winter in the basement.

I have a MidwayUSA catalog and see a gazillion reloading items that make my head spin while trying to pick out the essentials of what is good/bad/poor.

I want to buy once and make good solid choices, im hoping that you all can help me in the right direction. I see there are kits out there for sale, but i think i would rather buy each piece if i thought it was better quality and would eliminate a step in the process.

Let me know what you think I would need for basics to get started and what your favorite piece is.
 
#2
Re: New Reloader

First what caliber do you intend on reloading. Look at the RCBS master kit. It's got everything you'll need to reload pistol rounds. You may want to get a set of calibers with it. Now if your going to reload rifle rounds you need to add a trimmer and the correct flash hole deburring tool, case month chamfer tool inside and out.

But first and formost order you a lyman manual or any reloading manual and read the first sections of the book before you get to the load data. This will give you all the info on the reloading tools and how they work and what you need to do to get good ammo from your investment.

Most all the reloading equipment is ok evern the cheap Lee kits. I've used one for 15 years and I am now just updateing my stuff. If you go with the Lee kit you may want to get a better scale for there's just seems really cheap but it does work.

Ken
 
#6
Re: New Reloader

Also a side note put your location in your profile. You'll be better able to get help from members in your area. And maybe find someone to help you get started. They amy even give you a first hand show and see.
 
#9
Re: New Reloader

I suggest you start out simple, get your feet wet, and learn the basics. Then up your game from there.

So...you should try to spend as little money in the beginning as possible, because you'll end up upgrading all your shit later anyway. Also, you may find out that reloading isn't worth the time/effort, and you'd prefer to just buy ammo. I feel it's actually pretty hard to justify loading your own 223 ammo, with so many fine factory choices available at modest prices.

I always recommend the Speer manual. You do NOT need the latest/greatest version, it has hardly changed in the last 25 years...only to add a few of the newer calibers. The Speer manual has a good "how-to" selection and covers the basics well. Also pick up the free Hodgdon, Alliant, IMR manuals, which give very little how-to, but offer more load combinations. Invariably, you'll have to "read between the lines" occassionally to figure out a starting load.

As for kit:

Look for used stuff. These bits/pieces pretty much don't wear out. Any old iron press will be great. Don't buy new. There are just too many of these out there used and cheap to buy a new one, I think.

You'll need a full length size (FLS) die, a seater die, and it's nice to have a necksizing die. If you want to buy once, and buy right... Get the Forster FLS/Ultra-seater set, which come together as a package from Midway. Then, get the Forster bushing/bump die with the 3 bushings from midway. These 3 dies will serve EVERY 223 die need you will ever have, except if you want to load for an AR15 later on, in which case you may need a smallbase die.

Any 223 sizing set will work fine though, so if you wanna save the money and get some plain jain lame stuff, thats totally ok too.

Give us some feedback on your budget, what kind of shooting you think you'll honestly be getting into, how many rounds/month you'll need, how excited/anxious you are to do this (gives us an idea of what kinda quality stuff you oughtta get), and again....how much money you *can* spend, and how much you'd *like* to spend...
 
#10
Re: New Reloader

Thanks for the reply...

This is my first precision rifle. I plan to learn reloading this winter (pretty pumped). I plan to shoot most every weekend. Im in a small town with limited ammo choices. AE 223 55 gr FMJ is pretty much my only choice at this point.

All the guys are telling me ther is no way ill be getting tight groups 100-500yards with that stuff.

I also prefer to start out on the cheap side to realize what exactly I need. But was hoping to start out with good equipment but just not all the bells and whistles.

I have looked around locally for used stuff but havnt seen much around at all. If i could I would like to start with $500 or so (Santa is coming around the corner)
smile.gif
 
#11
Re: New Reloader

To start, you need a press, single stage, its slow but more precise and far more affordable than a progressive, and you basically can't get a bad one just make sure its o-frame or whatever the manufacturer calls it, they're more rigid. You need a powder measure and scale. Calipers, and bullet puller. Then dies, starting out, just a two die set will do, seater and full length sizing, I like New Dimension Hornady dies mostly for the sliding alignment sleeve in the seating die, I've also had good experiences with RCBS and Redding. Some trays for holding cases, lube, maybe a seperate primer seater, and trim/chamfer tools, I like the Lee ones, they're cheap, and fast.
 
#12
Re: New Reloader

Well, just because your local shop doesn't carry good 223 target ammo doesn't mean you can't get it.

It's far from target ammo but the Fiocchi 62gr boat tail stuff holds the 10 ring at 600 yards from my service rifle...provided there isn't much wind.

$0.30/round SHIPPED

There is all kinds of used reloading gear for sale here, 6mmbr.com, ebay, craigslist etc etc. That said, the key items you should try to score used are the press, priming tool and vibratory tumbler. The dies I mentioned before you don't see used so buy them new. The lube, deburring tool, calipers etc etc are fairly inexpensive so just order those new too.
 
#14
Re: New Reloader

If your finances allow, I highly suggest taking your time, doing your researce and spending a little extra for quality gear to start with. I'm learning that the hard way and spending too much replacing mediocre stuff with quality eqiupment that I should have bought in the first place.
 
#15
Re: New Reloader

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BFMF</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If your finances allow, I highly suggest taking your time, doing your researce and spending a little extra for quality gear to start with. I'm learning that the hard way and spending too much replacing mediocre stuff with quality eqiupment that I should have bought in the first place. </div></div>

This is a catch 22 kind of thing...

Let me ask, did you know what you were buying in the first place? I mean no offense. When I got into reloading, a friend gave me a Lee press/dies. It was all junk, but I didnt know WTF I was doing. I made ammo. Honestly, it performed pretty well....as well as I could shoot at the time.

Since then, I've learned <span style="font-weight: bold"> A LOT </span> and replaced (and then some) all the shit I had in the beginning. However, I feel that I am a far better handliader, with a better understanding of the real reloading world, having come from such humble beginnings. I'm not convinced a newbie, beginning with all the "good" stuff, would gain such a solid understanding as starting with some usable crap, and learning what is actually needed to do a great job.

BTW: takes a lot of loading/shooting experience to end up with a signature like mine....just saying.
 
#18
Re: New Reloader

You may want to look at the inside case month deburing tool or chamfer tool with a handle. Something like this:

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/912908/rcbs-chamfer-tool-vld-very-low-drag

With the handle just makes it alot easier than the little hand held one. I use the one you posted to do the outside deburring it works fine for that, but for the inside you have to cut metal away not much but enough that the handle one work better. I have also been taking the VLD cutter out of the handle and chucking it up in my varible speed drill and chamfering case months this way when I have a bunch to do at once. This would also be a very handy tool for preping brass but isn't needed to get started just a nice and quicker way to go:

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/565099/rcbs-trim-mate-case-prep-center-110-volt

Ken
 
#19
Re: New Reloader

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Steelejones</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is 75 a good deal ? </div></div>

Dude.... would I have advised you to buy it if it wasn't totally reasonable?

Check out what all hes got, price it all out and see.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

faylix
Newbie looking to start reloading 6.5 creed
Replies
10
Views
356
ECK
E
jaguar0405
New reloader - list of components
Replies
35
Views
882
WeR0206
WeR0206
stello1001
General reloading questions
Replies
8
Views
455
RegionRat
R
J
Reloading dies for 6.5 cm
Replies
7
Views
342
AllenOne1
A
C
Question for you reloaders on Load Dev
Replies
9
Views
433
Im2bent
Im2bent
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Merch
Alerts