I need yalls help.
 

Between myself and my kids I am starting to aquire enough rifles that it is getting expensive to go to the range every other week. So I am going to have to start reloading seriously. I have dabbled a little in the past but have lost some equipment over the years with moving. So what I need from you experts is a review of what I think I am going to need to tool back up. I will be reloading for a .270, 444 Marlin, 30-06, 300WSM, 338 RUM, 30 carbine, and very likely a .243.

About all I have anymore is an old but very useable Rock Chucker press and dies for the 444 and 270. Most everything else I will be purchasing.

Here is a list of the items I 'think' I will be needing. Feel free to comment and advise on different pieces you may have found to work better and/ or easier than what I have listed. Or an item that works equally well but may cost less.;) Keeping in mind that all of this reloading will be for hunting applications and general range time.

RCBS standard precision die sets for all calibers.
RCBS case tumbler
RCBS manual case trimmer
RCBS hand priming tool
RCBS primer tray
RCBS range master 750 electronic scale
RCBS flash hole deburing tool
RCBS case deburing tool
*not sure on the best case lube kit*
*Planning on weighing each charge but if the powder throwers are equally as accurate I will consider this as well.*
Of course a few reloading manuals such as Barnes, Nosler, Hornady, Speer.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

Also a set of calipers to measure case and cartridge length.
Allen key tool. RCBS makes one, pretty handy
Some loading blocks.
And maybe in the future, at least an inertia bullet puller. You may think you won't reload a round that just will not work, but trust me, you will, hehehe;)

RE: I need yalls help.
 

I suggest a 505 beam scale. I can load much faster on a beam than electronic. Digitals are nice to have but not necassary. Also, for those big cases, you need a powder trickler. Hey if you need anything, email me. You have helped me out a bunch with my bowtech, and would like to help anyway I can.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

Bigbulls, you disappoint me. I though you were like the rest of us and knew everything!!
Judging from your list, it looks like you have been doing some homework. You can eliminate the primer tray as the hand primer will have on with it.
As for the lube, I'd go with Hornady One Shot. Great stuff and no mess.
Also, the other guys guys gave good advice. I'd also opt for the RCBS 505 scale and a dial caliper.
RCBS' Trim pro is an excellent case trimmer and it come with the popular sized pilots and shell holders.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

I would get Redding dies, not RCBS. For powder measures, Irecommend the old Lyman Model 55 (Culver conversion optional). I also agree with Big Country on the powder scales - digital is no advantage for me.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

I personally find that I can weigh charges much faster with equal precisionon my electronic scale.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

primer pocket cleaner too..... and I have an electronic scale (rcbs) which I have abandon due to inconsistent weights. I would weigh a charge up, dump it back in and get sometimes +/- .3 grain. I went back to my 505 beam scale and havent looked back. I think some of my initial problems in accuracy were due to this.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

Stoney Point guage so you can measure distance to lands based on bullet ogive.

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

RE: I need yalls help.
 

you can make your own gauges if you are handy and have access to a lathe... take a piece of aluminum round stock... and face an end.. part it off, flip it around, face the other end then run the center drill in it... measure the groove (smallest) diameter of the bore of your rifle and run a drill of this size through the aluminum in the lathe... then change to a drill that is just a wee bit larger than bullet diameter and run it half way down...

I bought a rcbs rockchucker kit a long time ago... to that i've added a digital scale, powder trickler, more reloading blocks, an rcbs hand priming tool (comes iwth the priming tray for orientation)... primer pocket sizer, cleaners and deburrers... i also have a tumbler and i also have the rcbs case trimmer and a few pilots it doesn't come with but i also find myself using the Lee case trimmer setups.. you need one for each cartridge variation though...

i also have measuring tools but then again i have those cause i need them in my line of work...

an electric drill makes trimming and cleaning operations much more efficient...

RE: I need yalls help.
 

Congrads. I don't know how that is possible, cause there is always a lag in electronics and a beam is real time as it gets, but whatever floats your boat. You have anything to suggest to the man, or just refute my suggestion?

RE: I need yalls help.
 

Persoally like the electronic scale myself, but to each his own--- I found that sveral paper towels folded oner several times makes a fair lube pad. I use a q-tip or two to lube the pad with, and also a light touch around the inside of the neck. Regular old Vaseline works fine for lube. I guess this doesn't save too much, but every little bit helps---

RE: I need yalls help.
 

I am not refuting your suggestion,I am merely offering another opinion.I bought the first ohaus scale sold by RCBS several years ago,and although it was quite expensive,I found that it is very accurate and quick to use.I have howeverused some electronic scales that did not perform nearly a well.But then again,I have used some balance beams that were not very good either.
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RE: I need yalls help.
 

my RCBS electronic scale has a 5 second update time but if it is CLOSE say +/- .05 grains since that is all of the resolution it is capable of, it can take up to 10 seconds to update.. unless i give the pan a nudge... but in doing that you run the risk of messing up your calibration or tare... i find that you need to let electronics "get to temp" before they'll be stable with a tare... and i calibrate before every session of use... with a beam scale your tare doesn't change and neither does your calibration unless you specifically change the height or position of the scales settings...

i do have an RCBS 5-0-5 that i use and it works juuuust fine... i will often times calibrate between the 5-0-5 and the electronic just to see how far each deviates...

my best friend is a die hard beam scale guy... i prefer to use my electronic for the most part... it is just preference...

i only weigh rifle and handgun hunting loads... plinking ammo goes through the Lee progressive with the auto dispenser...

the spray on case lube is nice and eliminates the need for a lube pad... if you neck size only on bottle necks you don;t need but a dab around the mouth... no lube needed for straight walled cartridges running through a carbide sizer...

i must admit i probably go WAY overboard when it comes to reloading... i fall somewhere between average and obsessive benchrest fanatic... more toward the benchrest side... i even weigh bullets sometimes... then i have to stop and tell myself... "this isnt going to alter a danged thing when it comes to shooting a critter at 50 yds you idiot"

JMHO

Jamie

RE: I need yalls help.
 

My scale is the RCBS model 90.The scale indicates when it reads a constant weight which takes about 2-1/2 seconds after an object is placed on the pan.To rezero you simply push the zero button and the zero is instantly reset.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

I WISHED I could get my electronic to work that well. In fact, I have to use batteries in it, because when I plug it in it just blinks. I called RCBS and they said my house had "DIRTY ELECTRICITY" in it. (MY house is 6 years old) and wouldnt operate the scale properly. arrrgg [:@]

RE: I need yalls help.
 

When you pick up the primer pocket brushes, get the case neck nylon brush as well.

Just to comment, you have the correct hand primer picked for the cartridges you listed. I had to buy the RCBS for my 338 RUM and 44 mag as the Lee tool was not wide enough to accept these cases - be careful if you have a last second change of heart in picking a hand primer to make sure they accept the 338 RUM and 44 Mag cases.

Have fun, you've helped so many of us on the board it's nice to return the fav.

Just to weigh in on a couple of things, I like the Stoney point gauges with custom cases, and have been kept happy with a beam scale, have not tried an electronic scale.

If I could ask another question - does anyone know if there is a limit on the amount of powder an individual can buy? For some reason I'm thinking it was limited to 8 lbs without a FFL. I'm asking because I'm getting low on several powders, and have a long shopping list with a coming gun show. Will I be limited to 8 lbs?

RE: I need yalls help.
 

Thank you all for your help. Glad I asked cause you all mentioned some things I didn't think of like a bullet puller and Stoney Point gauge. It also seems that most of you prefer the beam scales so I will definetly check them out.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

Most of my stuff is RCBS, including my inertia bullet puller.

RCBS stuff:
[ul][*]Rock Chucker press[*]powder measure[*]505 scale[*]hand priming tool (came with tray)[*]loading blocks[*]cleaning, deburring, etc. accessories[/ul]

Non-RCBS stuff:
[ul][*]Redding Case Trimmer[*]Hornady One-Shot Spray Lube[*]Frankford Arsenal Digital Caliper[*]Redding Powder Trickler[*]Hornady Custom-Grade New DimensionDies[*]Lee Powder Measure Kit[*]Lyman tumbler[/ul]
I would recommend any of this stuff. The Redding trimmer came with the accessories I needed, and it is fairly accurate and fairly fast. For powder, I normally use the powder measure that came with my kit. I'm a fan of Win. 748 and H4831 for that reason. It takes a couple minutes to dial in, but it is accurate and speeds things up tremendously. For some of the longer cylindrical powders like IMR 4320 and IMR 4350, I use the Lee powder measure Kit. The spray lube is a no-brainer. The Redding powder trickler is heavier than the RCBS, making it more stable. The digital calipers are awesome. I can't tell much difference on resizing dies, but I like the Hornady bullet seating die a lot better than the RCBS. It handles the bullet a little smoother and is easier to adjust for seating depth.

Any tumbler will do, just make sure it has the little drain plug. That way you can leave the tumbler on for a minute longer and the media will empty out, leaving only polished cases. Otherwise, you have to sift through the media to find them.

Loadbooks USA makes a little manual of loads for each caliber. I use them more than my othermanuals. You also don't need a Stoney Point if you load to standard specs. Buy the gauge if you want to start tinkering with cartridge length.

RE: I need yalls help.
 

my RCBS digital scale is fairly old.. maybe pushing a decade... may be time to see what is out there for new stuff with better electronics...

funny.. bout the power... yes you can get "dirty" electricity... all that means is that you have a lot of noise in the sinusoidal wave or the frequency is not a constant 60 Hz. you may be able to get a filter to plug into the wall and then plug the scale into the filter... surprised because most scales and such should have a filter built into them.

whenever my cell phone rings my scale goes nuts... freaked me out the first time it happened... had never done it before but i got a new phone a few months back and now it does... weird...

and yes the ATF has rules on how much gunpowder a person can have at one time...

13-3.7 Smokeless propellants intended for personal use in quantities not exceeding 20 lb (9.1 kg) shall be permitted to be stored in original containers in residences. Quantities exceeding 20 lb (9.1 kg), but not exceeding 50 lb (22.7 kg), shall be permitted to be stored in residences where kept in a wooden box or cabinet having walls of at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) nominal thickness.