easiest caliber to reload.
 

I am going to get a highpower rifle for hunting ky. My plan is spend a week down there during gun season during the 2010 season.

I plan on reloading proplery going to get the stuff this spring or summer when i buy the rifle. I was wondering what calibers are easier or harder for a newbi to reload. I had someone tell me some of the differnt calibers can be hard to reload

Generally, bigger means harder. Belted cartridges are usually worse than others to size. Throwing powder and seating bullets is easy all the way around.

:eek2:

How you figure? Can't wait until the answer. Bigz, do you reload?

Belted cases are not hard to reload in a bolt action. I neck size only, my cases are on the 8th reloading and have never needed a FL sizing.

Generally, sharper shouldered cases will be a bit easier because the cases will stretch less and therefore need to be trimmed to length less often. So a 308 should need trimming less often than a 243.

Honestly there's not a huge difference in reloading most common cartridges that you'd find in an off-the-shelf gun. The key is to understand basic reloading principles and not get yourself in trouble.

ok, I got one that is difficult to reload. Rest are the exact same unless your dealing with a wildcat or trying turn necks or something. The 357sig. I hate this round. Hard to get good neck tension. In fact, you have to go thru hoops to do it. Any rifle caliber that has a short neck, might introduce issues also. Never had problems myself with rounds like 300win mag with short necks, but some do I suppose.

I reckon I dun figgered that thar frum doin me sum reeeeelowdin.

removed by RD

Yeah. Proper sizing die set-up is paramount. If you want REAL case life, go AI.

In hopes of not sounding stupied what do you mean If you want real case like go AI Whats AI :pcwhack:

When I used to reload, 357 magnum, and 45 long were the easyest for me.
I allways uased a friends set up or my fathers set up.
I need to get my own set up, maybe after Christmas.
I loaded some 30-30 in gunsmithing school, that were pretty easy too.
And 12 gage shells, it was easy too.
And 357 magnum, that was easy too.
Useing the schools reloaders.
What Ever You Do, Make Sure To Follow The Book To All the way.
Don't change any thing from what the reloading book says.

AI is short for "Ackley Improved." These days it's a general term for any standard case that's been blown out (fireformed) to minimal body taper and a steep, usually 40 degree, shoulder angle, whether or not P.O. Ackley ever actually improved that particular cartridge himself.

Left is a 243 Win Ackley Improved standing next to a standard 243 Winchester on the right:


Any non-wildcat cartridge is easy to handload for, you just need dies, brass and components. Wildcats are a bit harder because they need extra brass forming steps. AI's are easy if you shoot factory ammo to form the AI cases. After that, it's just like loading a standard case. Forming AI cases from raw brass is a little more involved, but not too hard.

What I think you might mean is "what cartridges are the least finicky to find a good load for?" This is not a real easy question to answer, but certain cases (or really case families) seem to have a reputation as being more forgiving than others (like the 308 Win family, for example). I've heard that some folks find that some of the really big magnum cases can be finicky, but others have no problems, so it's hardly conclusive. Basically, if the rifle is of good quality and there isn't anything wrong with it that precludes good accuracy (like a damaged muzzle crown), then you should be able to find a good load for it. Sometimes you luck out and nail one one the first try, and sometimes it can be a long and frustrating process. Just the way it is, but the results are usually worth the effort.

Mike

Thanks I think i understand

I always had trouble with straight-walled cases like the 45-70. After you resize, you have to run it through a second die to flare out the case mouth before you can seat the bullet. Too much, the bullet won't seat firmly. Not enough, and you will crush the case in the press when you seat the bullet.

I found any bottle neck rifle cartridge is the same to reload. Although little ones like the 222 Rem are a little more of a PIA. To me at least.

I reload for a 7mm Mag, 300 Win Mag and a 300 Wby Mag and have no more difficulty resizing than I do with my 308, 30-06 or 25-06.

Exactly. That didn't take long to figure out. Especially after your last post. Cats out of the bag.

The easiest one that I have found to reload accurately is probably the .308 Winchester. I had a hard time getting .243 figured out, but that was mostly due to die settings. Boat Tail bullets will help you out when you first start too, since they aren't so picky about getting started. I enjoy reloading 30-30 winchester too since there are a lot of variations from lead bullets to all the different powders to try in it.

You know I was thinking about the answer. And I think you hit it on the head. I have worked up loads for I bet 50 guns, probably more. And every 308 and 7mm08 was the easiest most consistent fastest to get an accurate load.

BC, I'm surprised to hear you don't think something like a 7mmRM is a bit tougher to run through a FL sizer than something like a little 243

Nope, all the same. Actually smaller can be a bit tougher. Like my 204. when dealing with small bullets, can be easy to get runout issues. But pretty well all the same.

Maybe I'm just weird :D I've ran mag brass from a few different rifles into different brands of dies, always turned out harder than smaller ones. Maybe I need different case lube. I've been using one-shot for convenience

I would suggest you go out and buy a new reloading manual from Spreer, Hornady, or Sierra and start studying up on how to reload before doing anything. Learn the terms, the steps and tools. Then start studying the loading tables for the different cartridges, look at bullet weights, calibers, velocities, trajectory tables. All that will help you to understand the process of re-loading and also become familiar with the performance differences between the many different cartridges helping you to better choose what caliber gun to start with. Then I would go to some web sites that sell reloading components, look at the cost of the different components you will need. That will also help your choice of what caliber to buy. It's a lot more fun to load for a caliber that you can both find components easily and also afford to reload. The easier and cheaper it is the more you will be able to shoot. In general standard non magnum caliber cost less to load for. Everything you need to know will be in one of those reloading books. :party:

X2 on the bottle neck .I always had more trouble with the 30-30 than anything else.

You mean physically??? You are saying its harder to reload large cases because one might have to exert anther 2lbs of downward force? Anybody that has operated a singe stage press can tell you it takes very little force to even crush a mag case if not aligned correctly. Maybe if one is doing something like trying to make obsolete cases from existing ones.

Cases you have to be careful with are 22hornet. Very easy to crush with one finger if not lined up perfectly.

Well YEAH! I figured physical difficulty is about the only way you could compare how "hard" they are to reload :D

I had a little trouble with .45 acp. I flared it too much, and the resulting bulge didn't smooth out, and they would not chamber in my auto. Last thing you want in .45.

As has been said, there isnt much difference in difficulty of reloading modern chamberings.

Finding accurate loads, I don't know. Most of my guns would better serve as tomato stakes.

Bottlenecked rounds generally loaded for rifles are really all about the same to laod for....at least in degree of difficulty. I have or still load for 25 different rifle rounds and none are particularly difficult.
I would suggest something common to start out with as you will have less trouble finding components and if you should need assistance specific to that round, more help.

I find the exact opposite to be true, with my fingers ...... the 50 BMG is very easy handload due to the size of everything.

The hardest for me are the 17 Rem, getting powder through the tiny neck and small size of the pills and the 22 hornet due to the sometimes frail cases, you can easily render them useless with a stroke of the press.