New to Reloading

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 23 Jun 2021, 9:33 am

Hey guys and girls.

Tax time is coming up and normaly I get a pretty nice return.

Im looking at either a new rifle or reloading, so im gathering as much info as I can about this.

Reloading i am a complete beginner with this and not sure what I need, so far I have seen but not brought the following

Trimmer
Brass tumbler wet and dry
HORNADY H085521 IRON PRESS KIT WITH AUTO PRIME
Scales

and the list goes on.
My question is, i'm only wanting to reload .223 and .308 at the moment, I have about 300 .223 cases and 150 .308 cases that I have kept

What do I need to get started
Dry or wet tumbler - which one is better
Am I going to blow myself up
What is the best way of reloading, ie, wash first then deprime
Any tips would be really handy

Thanks
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Bello » 23 Jun 2021, 10:29 am

Hi Mate
Reloading can give you tighter groups. If you are punching paper this is great.
But if you only need minute of Deer accuracy, (By this, I mean, you are going out hunting occasionaly) then the ADI 223 and 308 ammo alreadly loaded is accurate enough, and will save you a load of time.

Once you start on the road to reloading your garage/shed will swell with all the lovely stuff you will aquire along the way such as hand trimmers, then electric trimmers, sonic cleaners then tumblers, different dies, hand primers and different hand tools and powders and more powders and primes and the different projectiles and then more different projectile weights, and cases etc etc....it can get away from you.. :lol:

Some of us reload for accuracy others for fun.
As for reloading, it can be dangerous, I have had cases seperate on me, no injuries luckily.
Read as much as you can about reloading, then read some more. Watch Youtube, ask anyone who reloads and even reload with then to get the basics if possible. Always start with the lowest powder levels and build your powder charges up and stop when u see the preasure signs.
Always use safety gear such as protective eye ware and earmuffs.

In Sydney, reloading clases are sometimes held at Silverdale rifle range on a weekend, this may help with the basics.
On this forum there are lots of past topics on reloading, if you can, have a read.
The guys and gals on here can be very helpful.
good luck and be safe
:thumbsup:
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by straightshooter » 23 Jun 2021, 10:46 am

Everything depends just how anally retentive you are.
My suggestion for an initial setup is sets of Lee collett dies in your desired calibers, a basic cast steel single stage O frame press, a hornady or similar hand priming tool and the paraphernalia for dispensing, measuring and pouring powder into the case.
The other items are 'nice to haves' but not essential especially if you are a low volume reloader.
A tip if you embark on wet tumbling and that is to ensure that internally the cases are bone dry. If there is any moisture remaining when the cases are reloaded then the consequences could range from troublesome to serious.
"Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about."
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Mick460 » 23 Jun 2021, 11:13 am

Buy yourself a decent reloading manual if you can spare $50 roughly, any one will do, Sierra, nosler, hornady,, Lymans latest edition is particularly good for learning, Nick Harvey loading manual if you want to support Australian. They hold more information and instructions in simple formats than anyone can type in a post here. If you don't end up reloading just sell or give the book away. You will be less confused and if you just read one manual to start with I can guarantee you won't get conflicting info. 1 book, 1 set of instructions by the people who make the components you will use. Safest way to begin.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by LawrenceA » 23 Jun 2021, 12:25 pm

I hunt and reload for maybe 12 calibres for about 40 years.
Can do 100 45-70's for about $25 and 500J for about $35 with cast pills.
All I have is a Lee kit but good scales and reasonable dies.
I have never had a trimmer other than Lee and do not own a tumbler yet.
But I have weird calibres and use cast bullets.

As said above if you are just hunting occasionally don't bother as the 2 calibres you mention are about as cheap as any and readily available.
If you intend on doing volume or getting the absolute best than reloading may be for you.
One well placed shot is all it takes.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 23 Jun 2021, 2:41 pm

Bello wrote:Hi Mate
Reloading can give you tighter groups. If you are punching paper this is great.
But if you only need minute of Deer accuracy, (By this, I mean, you are going out hunting occasionaly) then the ADI 223 and 308 ammo alreadly loaded is accurate enough, and will save you a load of time.

Once you start on the road to reloading your garage/shed will swell with all the lovely stuff you will aquire along the way such as hand trimmers, then electric trimmers, sonic cleaners then tumblers, different dies, hand primers and different hand tools and powders and more powders and primes and the different projectiles and then more different projectile weights, and cases etc etc....it can get away from you.. :lol:

Some of us reload for accuracy others for fun.
As for reloading, it can be dangerous, I have had cases seperate on me, no injuries luckily.
Read as much as you can about reloading, then read some more. Watch Youtube, ask anyone who reloads and even reload with then to get the basics if possible. Always start with the lowest powder levels and build your powder charges up and stop when u see the preasure signs.
Always use safety gear such as protective eye ware and earmuffs.

In Sydney, reloading clases are sometimes held at Silverdale rifle range on a weekend, this may help with the basics.
On this forum there are lots of past topics on reloading, if you can, have a read.
The guys and gals on here can be very helpful.
good luck and be safe
:thumbsup:


This gave me a few things to have a look at , when I had a look, there was nothing about case seperation, now im researching it like crazy.
You mention earmuffs, do they go bang sometimes, and is it loud enough to make the neighbours panic.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 23 Jun 2021, 2:44 pm

straightshooter wrote:Everything depends just how anally retentive you are.
My suggestion for an initial setup is sets of Lee collett dies in your desired calibers, a basic cast steel single stage O frame press, a hornady or similar hand priming tool and the paraphernalia for dispensing, measuring and pouring powder into the case.
The other items are 'nice to haves' but not essential especially if you are a low volume reloader.
A tip if you embark on wet tumbling and that is to ensure that internally the cases are bone dry. If there is any moisture remaining when the cases are reloaded then the consequences could range from troublesome to serious.


Great thanks, I was looking at one of those do it all stations, but if i can do it cheaper, then that's the way to go, as long as I don't sacrifice quality .
With tumbling , is there any advantage to wet tumbling, or is it really just cosmetic.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 23 Jun 2021, 2:48 pm

LawrenceA wrote:I hunt and reload for maybe 12 calibres for about 40 years.
Can do 100 45-70's for about $25 and 500J for about $35 with cast pills.
All I have is a Lee kit but good scales and reasonable dies.
I have never had a trimmer other than Lee and do not own a tumbler yet.
But I have weird calibres and use cast bullets.

As said above if you are just hunting occasionally don't bother as the 2 calibres you mention are about as cheap as any and readily available.
If you intend on doing volume or getting the absolute best than reloading may be for you.


I do mostly target shooting and paying around $40 for .308 rounds gets abit expensive, If I can do it cheaper , then i will probley stay at the range longer.
My thinking was to load around 300 rounds and wait till I get to about 50 left and reload again.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Oldbloke » 23 Jun 2021, 2:56 pm

I started doing it to save, but do it for the pleasure now. You will save if you shoot enough. Some good basic info at this thread. Includes a couple of good links.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15524

You could get away with just 1 powder AR2208 or AR2206H and use it for both cartridges. Cheaper, easier, safer.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 23 Jun 2021, 9:47 pm

I managed to find the below site, it explains abit, also I have now downloaded Lyman 50th Edition Reloading Handbook on kindle
https://ultimatereloader.com/2020/03/23 ... reloading/
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by wanneroo » 24 Jun 2021, 12:05 am

Well when I decided I wanted to reload, I didn't know the first thing at all about it.

Bought a few reloading manuals as some have some good sections at the front about how to reload and then watched a lot of Youtube to get an understanding of the process.

I started with a simple press and a cartridge like 9mm and just learned each step at a time. I think Lee Dies are good for a beginner as they are very good with the instructions on how to set them up.

In terms of having a blow up, really shouldn't happen if you are paying attention and take care with what you are doing. Checking your math and your work should be habitual. That's where calipers, scales and case gauges come in. Blow ups happen when people don't check their work or pay attention to what the hell they are doing, such as using a pistol powder in a rifle case.

Personally I prefer to wet tumble. I did two videos on my Youtube channel on the process I do and how I do it:

https://youtu.be/TK2xDAnjftI

https://youtu.be/5gIyABKD0FQ

I also prefer to deprime spent cases before cleaning. Lee makes a universal depriming die which is very cheap. Frankford Arsenal also makes a hand depriming tool which works fine for the volume of cases you are doing. I load 10K plus a year so I deprime using a Lee APP.

Lastly, tips are plentiful, so when I started I asked questions online if I didn't understand something and people were happy to help.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by boingk » 24 Jun 2021, 4:50 am

Hi mate, give this a read. I posted it about a year ago.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13875

If you're after a cheap entry setup I'd go a Lee hand press kit like this one and couple it with dippers like these and a case tool kit like these

That will let you get into the game for under $200 and crank out basic loads. I've personally used the hand press kit and dippers I linked above to shell out about 40 rounds of 38 Special in half an hour, not a bad rate. The bonus of this thing is its small and portable and doesn't need fixing down.

If you are after a more sophisticated setup then I'd highly recommend a kit like the Lee 90304. I've been using mine for a bit over a year and love it. Quick setup and does all operations on the press - just put a case in, crank to size and prime, crank again for powder and then place a projectile in and crank a third time to seat it, then you have an option to crimp it in place as well with a fourth. It's a $500 kit but has the lot in it - press, powder thrower, scales, primer, case tools, lube and a bloody great big whopping reloading manual.

I know a some people don't go much on the Lee gear but its worked really well for me so far.

So far as cleaning I don't do it often unless there's some decent fouling going on. When I do I use a tupperware container with some rock salt, a squirt of dish soap and some hot tap water, then give them a good old shake. Throw them in a colander, rinse off, aim a hairdryer and them and stir til dry. Done!
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Jun 2021, 6:35 am

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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 24 Jun 2021, 8:20 am

Thanks all, this has given me alot of information, and alot of reading, keep it coming.

FYI if you can, download the digital copy of the reloading manual as it only costed me $26 for the Lyman 50th Edition, compaired to $60 for a paper copy.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Jun 2021, 9:08 am

Robin wrote:Thanks all, this has given me alot of information, and alot of reading, keep it coming.

FYI if you can, download the digital copy of the reloading manual as it only costed me $26 for the Lyman 50th Edition, compaired to $60 for a paper copy.


That's a shame.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthrea ... nd-current

That link was in the thread I posted yesterday.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 24 Jun 2021, 9:18 am

Oldbloke wrote:
Robin wrote:Thanks all, this has given me alot of information, and alot of reading, keep it coming.

FYI if you can, download the digital copy of the reloading manual as it only costed me $26 for the Lyman 50th Edition, compaired to $60 for a paper copy.


That's a shame.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthrea ... nd-current

That link was in the thread I posted yesterday.


O wow thanks, this should keep me busy
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Jun 2021, 10:03 am

As far as manuals go,,,you only need the "how to reload" info.
For data use the adi Web site.

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Gamerancher » 24 Jun 2021, 10:25 am

Try this; http://westernfirearms.com.au/reloading ... -1371.html
or this; http://westernfirearms.com.au/reloading ... -1149.html

Buy a set of dies for each calibre, some primers, powder and projectiles and you're good to go.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Jun 2021, 2:28 pm

And if you have some time on your hands:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13453

And some of this is OK too. It is ONLY cheap but things like tricklers are far from rocket science. Scales are different. Get decent scales later.

https://www.xhunter.com.au/brand/smart-reloader/

To start off really cheap,
MUST HAVE
smart-reloader Press 27
smart-reloader Hand priming tool 30
Lee RGB Dies 223.. 308 about 90
Lee perfect Powder measure or DIY scoops 55
Case holders-come with pace setter Lee dies
$202


LATER
smart-reloader Tricker 10*
Decent beam balance Scales ?
smart-reloader Trimmer 102
smart-reloader Neck brush 10*
smart-reloader Deburrer & handle 28*
smart-reloader Lube pad 10*
smart-reloader Bullet puller 32

$192

DIY Case holder

Many people are very much "Brand" men. Don't take too much notice. Yeh, some is better than the cheaper stuff but to just dip your toe in the water its cheap to start out with the minimum. Scales are about the only gear you need to be fussy about buying.

* these i would just buy at the start as very cheap and save on postage

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/13345259678 ... 8ee50b8912
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 24 Jun 2021, 3:18 pm

Oldbloke wrote:And if you have some time on your hands:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13453

And some of this is OK too. It is ONLY cheap but things like tricklers are far from rocket science. Scales are different. Get decent scales later.

https://www.xhunter.com.au/brand/smart-reloader/

To start off really cheap,
MUST HAVE
smart-reloader Press 27
smart-reloader Hand priming tool 30
Lee RGB Dies 223.. 308 about 90
Lee perfect Powder measure or DIY scoops 55
Case holders-come with pace setter Lee dies
$202


LATER
smart-reloader Tricker 10*
Decent beam balance Scales ?
smart-reloader Trimmer 102
smart-reloader Neck brush 10*
smart-reloader Deburrer & handle 28*
smart-reloader Lube pad 10*
smart-reloader Bullet puller 32

$192

DIY Case holder

Many people are very much "Brand" men. Don't take too much notice. Yeh, some is better than the cheaper stuff but to just dip your toe in the water its cheap to start out with the minimum. Scales are about the only gear you need to be fussy about buying.

* these i would just buy at the start as very cheap and save on postage

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/13345259678 ... 8ee50b8912


Thanks for all that

As far as brand, I don't really care for brand so much, what I like is something that is good and worth the $$$ im payig for, I don't mind spending abit more to future proof myself up to a point , as long as I can get spares and parts I need, then im all good.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Jun 2021, 4:18 pm

In it the end is horses for courses. do you want to start off Cheap to toe in the water or pay a bit extra get something that will last.

Plenty of quality used gear out there at good prices too.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by bladeracer » 27 Jun 2021, 8:52 pm

Spent the week in bed but have been wanting to respond to your thread.
I have not yet read through the thread but I suspect I might run out of steam, so I'll respond first :-)

Interesting conundrum between buying another rifle or getting into reloading :-)
I'd get into reloading first, so you're ready when the new rifle arrives ;-)

You don't need a tumbler at all, just keep your brass clean. In the US where people are using semi-autos the brass can get grubby from being flung around, but here it shouldn't be any trouble at all to shoot and reload it over and over without it ever touching the ground or getting dirty. I have never cleaned brass, not even when I was shooting 9mm, and that brass got _very_ grubby indeed.

One of the starter press kits should have everything you need except dies, some sort of trimmer, and a caliper for measuring with. I prefer the Lee gear myself. Definitely get one of the interrupted thread systems (Breechlock or Lock-N-Load for example) as it takes just seconds to swap dies.

I spend time at the start doing thorough brass prep, then you'll just have to trim and deburr them occasionally. If you are using once-fired brass in .223 and .308 you are likely to come across some that have crimped primers, particularly Federal. A pain in the bum but can be fixed with a 10mm drill bit.

I also prefer to neck-size, but some milsurp stuff I FLS every time. Neck-sizing will still require a FLS die every few reloads so you can bump the shoulder back just enough to allow the brass to chamber.

For a beginner I would recommend just sticking with one powder that is versatile enough for most of what you're likely to be loading - AR2206H, AR2208, AR2207, and BM8208 are all good choices for rifles. These are marketed in the US as Hodgdon H4895, Varget, H4198, and 8208XBR - Hodgdon do not manufacture powders, they rebrand other manufacturer's powders.

I also recommend charging all the brass with powder, then use a torch to visually confirm all have similar powder levels, before you start seating bullets.

Don't get caught up in chasing velocities, accuracy is always more important than how fast the bullet hits the target.



Robin wrote:Hey guys and girls.

Tax time is coming up and normaly I get a pretty nice return.

Im looking at either a new rifle or reloading, so im gathering as much info as I can about this.

Reloading i am a complete beginner with this and not sure what I need, so far I have seen but not brought the following

Trimmer
Brass tumbler wet and dry
HORNADY H085521 IRON PRESS KIT WITH AUTO PRIME
Scales

and the list goes on.
My question is, i'm only wanting to reload .223 and .308 at the moment, I have about 300 .223 cases and 150 .308 cases that I have kept

What do I need to get started
Dry or wet tumbler - which one is better
Am I going to blow myself up
What is the best way of reloading, ie, wash first then deprime
Any tips would be really handy

Thanks
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by boingk » 27 Jun 2021, 9:34 pm

Robin wrote:As far as brand, I don't really care for brand so much, what I like is something that is good and worth the $$$ im payig for, I don't mind spending abit more to future proof myself up to a point , as long as I can get spares and parts I need, then im all good.


Can't emphasise enough how good I've found the Lee 90304 kit. The turret based system really lets you crank out the rounds, and is light years ahead of the single-stage presses I've used in the past. They have their place but I love the speed and convenience of the turret system. Being able to buy more disks to insert dies into goes a long way with this, too, and they aren't terribly dear either.

For the price of the kit you sure get a lot in it.

Turret press
Powder dispenser
Auto-primer system
Scales (beam type, magnetically damped)
Reloading manual
Case tools

I've used the case tools to debur, inside chamfer, primer-pocket clean and resize with the right resizing die and an electric drill. Very quick and easy for all operations.

Best part is that you crank out completed rounds one at a time. Fantastic for a beginner and really good if you just want to do a few before you hit the range, or even if you are interupted - there are no primed or powdered cases left over, just completed rounds.

- boingk
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Downunder » 29 Jun 2021, 3:10 pm

Buy once cry once......get quality
If your low volume reloading MOA< and only for 2 cartridges then a kit will do (SS press, deburring tools, flashhole brush, case neck brush priming tool, trimmer, beam scales, powder funnels, powder scoop, vernier calliper (extras may include powder thrower))

Consumables - Caselube, powder, projectile, acetone to wipe cases.
Calibre specific FLR And decap die, proji seating die (including VLD stem if needed) and case head specific case holders

If you want to keep building on your handloading for accuracy and or speed then half the kit will become redundant pretty quick as your substitute more high end and faster tools.

If your looking for bling then shiny enema flushed brass needs cleaning, tumblers, ultra sonic....

If you thinking of making a meal and not a snack out of hand loading and have the coin then I’d suggest future proofing to a degree with assembling tools Into a kit after doing some further researched.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Robin » 29 Jun 2021, 4:32 pm

Downunder wrote:Buy once cry once......get quality
If your low volume reloading MOA< and only for 2 cartridges then a kit will do (SS press, deburring tools, flashhole brush, case neck brush priming tool, trimmer, beam scales, powder funnels, powder scoop, vernier calliper (extras may include powder thrower))

Consumables - Caselube, powder, projectile, acetone to wipe cases.
Calibre specific FLR And decap die, proji seating die (including VLD stem if needed) and case head specific case holders

If you want to keep building on your handloading for accuracy and or speed then half the kit will become redundant pretty quick as your substitute more high end and faster tools.

If your looking for bling then shiny enema flushed brass needs cleaning, tumblers, ultra sonic....

If you thinking of making a meal and not a snack out of hand loading and have the coin then I’d suggest future proofing to a degree with assembling tools Into a kit after doing some further researched.


I'm looking at future proofing to a point, am not fussed on shiny brass as it's just going to get dirty pretty quickly, and if thats the only reason to have a ultra sonic or wet tumbler, then i'll live without it, might just get a dry tumblier if it does the same job, might save on drying time.

I do like the idea of making up some ammo before a shoot.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2021, 4:47 pm

Downunder wrote:If you thinking of making a meal and not a snack out of hand loading and have the coin then I’d suggest future proofing to a degree with assembling tools Into a kit after doing some further researched.


The cheaper stuff can be particularly useful in allowing you to try different designs while you're still learning your preferred technique.
Buying anything because it has a bigger price tag will not guarantee you'll prefer using it over the $10 option made by somebody else.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2021, 5:02 pm

Robin wrote:I'm looking at future proofing to a point, am not fussed on shiny brass as it's just going to get dirty pretty quickly, and if thats the only reason to have a ultra sonic or wet tumbler, then i'll live without it, might just get a dry tumbler if it does the same job, might save on drying time.

I do like the idea of making up some ammo before a shoot.


I have some brass that's been loaded 15+ times (.204, .223, 7mm-08, .30-30, 8x57mm, .38 Special, .44 Mag. .45 Colt - sometimes when I'm doing load development I'll just load the same five or ten rounds over and over) without ever being cleaned. It's not shiny, but I wouldn't consider it dirty either.

I load a bunch of whatever load I decide is going to be my "bulk" one so I know I will always have plenty of ammo ready to go if I decide to have a big plinking session, or if a mate shows up. Then I'll have smaller batches (50 to 100rds) of specialised loads, reduced or subsonic, different bullets, precision, and such.
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by Woden » 15 Jul 2021, 9:09 pm

Robin wrote:I managed to find the below site, it explains abit, also I have now downloaded Lyman 50th Edition Reloading Handbook on kindle
https://ultimatereloader.com/2020/03/23 ... reloading/


Thanks for this link. This answers all my questions succinctly. Much appreciated!
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Re: New to Reloading

Post by JohnV » 16 Jul 2021, 12:33 pm

I think you should base your reloading on the Australian powders from ADI .
Next DO NOT RUSH IN and buy kits or the first stuff that takes your fancy .
Do a lot of research and ask lots of " specific questions " .
Someone mentioned Lee collet dies , yes that's a good way to neck size but you need to make sure you buy the right press and learn how to use them properly . The press should go over centre a bit like an RCBS does to make it easier to get consistent results from a Lee Collet die with less arm fatigue .
Now if you go the Lee Colet die route then it is a good idea to also go the Redding Body die route as the two dies systems compliment each other and will later help you do more complicated accuracy stuff , do less hardening to the cases and make them last longer .
My advice is buy :-
RCBS Rock Chucker Press ( you can prime on the press just fine ) . ( Primer feeder tubes are not really required )
Redding Powder measure , Model for rifles .
Redding scales .
Redding , Hornady , Lyman or Wilson case trimmer .
Lee Collet neck die .
Redding body die .
Redding Competition bullet seater .
RCBS or Hornady hand chamfer tool .
Sinclair inside neck brush and handle . ( or use an old worn cleaning brush wrapped with some steel wool in an battery screw driver )
Sinclair Tungsten primer pocket uniformer kit which cleans and uniforms the primer pocket .
Couple of containers of CLR from Bunnings , to clean cases .
Roll of fine steel wool ( Bunnings ) .
Roll of Chux towelling for bore cleaning patches ( While you at Bunnings )
Bottle of RCBS liquid case lube and pad ( for body sizing )
and that's about all you need to get going as far as the basic tools go unless I have missed something .
Also I can give you detailed information on how to use it all .
JohnV
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