Reloading, getting started?

[wildfowler.250]

So I’m keen to start rifle reloading. Mainly for the increased accuracy than any cost saving exercise. I have a friend who’s knocked together a few rounds for me in the past,(and they’ve shot well) but I’d like to be able to do it for myself.

 

Starting questions are:

 

1) Best reloading manual?

 

2) best reloading setup?

 

I’ve heard good stuff about rcbs? And a few places seem to do a starter pack for approx £400. I appreciate buying everything second hand would save some money but at the same time, it would be nice to get everything in one go. Is there any pitfalls or essential bits of kit? Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Thanks!

[markm]

I would suggest you start with a lee reloading kit. They do 2, one is called the anniversary or the breech lock and a set of dies.  Should be ready to go with equipment for £200, of course you need powder, primers, cases and bullets (commonly called heads, which is wrong)  

This will reload as good as any and is the staple diet for a whole load of people. 

If you feel the need to upgrade any parts you won’t lose a load of cash. 

Edited January 14, 2018 by markm

[6.5x55SE]

59 minutes ago, markm said:

I would suggest you start with a lee reloading kit. They do 2, one is called the anniversary or the breech lock and a set of dies.  Should be ready to go with equipment for £200, of course you need powder, primers, cases and bullets (commonly called heads, which is wrong)  

This will reload as good as any and is the staple diet for a whole load of people. 

If you feel the need to upgrade any parts you won’t lose a load of cash. 

And i agree with your sound advice.

I would like to add better accuracy is not always achieved by hand loading there are many reasons to why a rifle can be accurate or not.

In a .223 and .220 swift i had i could get nothing to shoot better than factory ammunition.

The soul reason i reload is i can use Projectiles that suit my needs that are not loaded in factory ammunition. Good luck 

[wildfowler.250]

Thank you for the replies! I’ll look at the Lee reloading gear then. Out of interest, why is the rcbs stuff more expensive? Better make? As you say I only need entry level gear at the moment anyway.

 

I did notice a substantial difference in accuuracy from factory to homeloads. But as you say, I’d like to be be to tailor my rounds slightly. The bullets I’ve been using are nosler ballistic tips,(I believe). They hit like a train but I’m getting very little exit wound so I’d like to experiment with other options.

 

 

Thanks again!

[markm]

RCBS is just a slightly better (more the finish) product. It’s a bit like cars, a ford can do just about the same as an Audi. 

 

As you’re using ballistic tip (on vermin) there being no exit wound is not a bad thing as that’s what the bullets are designed to do, it also means all the energy is being released and absorbed inside the quarry. 

[Newbie to this]

I would recommend getting a turret press rather than a single press, something like this

https://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/lee-classic-turret-press-kit

Then just add the dies and a powder trickler and you should be good to go and maybe a puller.

I'm also new to reloading so someone with more experience might say different, but this is what I was advised to get by the blokes at my club.

[Flyboy1950]

I have used the Breech Lock kit for years and its trouble free.  The latest Lee single turret presses have quick loading bushes which are great and only take seconds to refit another die. You will need to purchase another pair of reducing bushes and a depth gauge and cutter for your selected calibre dies (about £20.00) and a vernier caliper to check cartridge over all length (COAL). My Vernier came from ALDI and cost about £9.00. A Lee reloading book (about £20.00) is a great read and has thousands of recipes for reloading, one of my most used books, though I have others to cross check loads.   

Current thinking is to full length size your cases rather than just neck sizing,  may save you a lot of effort trying to develop your own loads.

Be warned, reloading can get quite addictive and my pal OldMan and I have been seeking the "Holy Grail" of the cheapest cartridges with the cheapest reloading components for the best accuracy for several years! (We still produce more accurate home loads this way than far more expensive factory produced stuff).

[Robertt]

I would take a step back and look at the expense of setting up , and what are you going to gain from reloading.

I used an awful amount of time reloading , load testing etc because at that time accurate factory ammunition was not available. 

Now it is !

With a bit of hindsight , If it had of existed I would have just got factory ammo end of.

More time for shooting.

As mentioned , very addictive and very time consuming.

[matone]

8 hours ago, Robertt said:

I would take a step back and look at the expense of setting up , and what are you going to gain from reloading.

I used an awful amount of time reloading , load testing etc because at that time accurate factory ammunition was not available. 

Now it is !

With a bit of hindsight , If it had of existed I would have just got factory ammo end of.

More time for shooting.

As mentioned , very addictive and very time consuming.

The law of diminishing returns definitely applies !

[Savhmr]

If you only shoot a few hundred a year, reloading isn't really worth the investment or time as long as you can find a factory load which is readily available (and consistently available throughout the year).  If you shoot more or just fancy learning more about ballistics, it's a good thing to do and more CF shooters should take the step as they'll learn a lot more about their shooting, safety and ballistics.

I would advise not splashing out a lot to start with because you may not get on with it or just decide you don't have the time and to KEEP IT SIMPLE.  I'd advise that you start with the Lee Anniversary kit and add either a set of Pace Setter dies or a set of the excellent Redding dies (which I prefer).  All you need is a full length sizing die and a seating die...that's it.  Even more straightforward if you don't plan on reloading much is the Lee Loader kit which is cheap, easy to use and produces good ammunition if used correctly:  https://leeprecision.com/lee-loader-223-rem.html.

As for manuals, the Lee Precision Modern Reloading Manual is a good place to start and also the excellent inexpensive paperback version of the ABC of Reloading in addition is also worth having.  Read them cover to cover before you start, and not after you get into difficulties!  Knowledge is needed before you start.  There's no shortcut to learning and a little experience following reading the manual and help from a fellow reloader will be invaluable.

Lee safety scales are accurate but slow to use, but they are easy to use and pretty fool proof.

The quick trim is a waste of time though. It binds up quickly so you're better buying the calibre specific insert for the hand trimmer and using a cordless drill. The powder thrower is excellent.

Add a Lymann Turbo tumbler and corn media, or a good US cleaner and you're ready to go.

I can reload my .223 for around 45p/shot compared with £25/20 factory ammo, and you can usually find a node for accuracy that few factory loads can match.  The thing with factory is that if you find a load that suits your rifle, you may have to travel to get it.  Why do some work well and some group like a scatter gun?  Barrel harmonics.  Your barrel whips in a sinusoidal motion when you fire a shot and unless the bullet exit coincides with the muzzle coming onto axis,  it may not group well.  Re-loading allows you to vary both the charge and seating depth to find the barrel time for your load that coincides with the accuracy node. It takes patience, a disciplined systematic approach and consistency to load consistently accurate ammo but it is worth it and it does start to become addictive.

What is an accurate load?  Many would argue that you should aim for moa and a 223 is easily capable of that or better.  

Once bitten and you have the bug, it won't be long before you fill that "secret cupboard" used to hide things away from the Mrs.   I'm horrified by just how much I've spent over the past few years on reloading for long range precision shooting. It becomes a hobby in itself and one of the biggest benefits is that it has helped me become a better shot as it has taught me more than I thought I'd ever know about ballistics and prompted me to pay more attention to shooting technique as part of the aim for precision results.

[Loki]

Hi

Usually worth picking up your items from the sales section as others move on to other equipment. Usually a fair turnover so no waiting too long or just the odd new purchase.

Look on other Forums too. Pre-owned will do the job just as well, but without new outlay.

L