Hey guys,

Yes.... I am a newbie...... but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night....

I am trying to get back into reloading. I have been away for several years. I have a RCBS Rockchucker, powder measure, dies for several calibers I have, yada yada yada.....

How long are primers good for? I have some primers that were purchased new about 20 years ago. They have been stored in a dry shop. I hope I can still use them as I have quite alot of them.

Bullets that have tarnished.... and the pointed soft point.... kinda crappy looking..... can I put them through a tumbler or something? Would it be better to do that after they are loaded?

What are some good online sites to get supplies that are reputable and don't charge an arm and a leg for shipping?

Are there any good shareware programs or utilities out there for ballistics/trajectory .... etc. ?

I am fixing to load up bullets for 2 calibers I have...... one is a 308 (Rem 600 Mohawk) and the other is a 25-06 (custom rifle w/ 98 mouser action with a douglass heavy barrel). I have used.... and like 4350 powder for my 308. I have never loaded for my 25-06..... but I think I might need a slower powder.... like IMR 4831........ Does this seem logical?

Sorry for all the questions.... but I have to start somewhere.

Thanks in advance.

If you looking into plinking shoot the bullets and primer. Primers really don't have a shelf life I don't think, but materials have changed some in the last 40 years. Not sure about the last 20.

Good place to buys stuff.

www.midwayusa.com
www.grafs.com
www.cabelas.com
I love all three.

I use Varget and IMR4064 for my 308Win loads. Never used 4350. Sounds a little slow to me. With a 165gr bullet, 47 to 48gr of Varget is what most people use.

I am into reloading for the accuracy. So I don't skimp on much. If it was me I would buy modern bullets, and primers. Brass won't matter much.

I would strongly suggest as to NEVER put a loaded round into a tumbler. Even if you were to tumble the bullets by themselves it would only ruin the soft point. I'd load them as is as its only the apperance that will be affected.

The primers should be good if your not sure just prime some brass don't bother with bullets or powder and run them through your gun if they all fire you should be good to go if you get a couple misfires I'd buy new.

Crawdaddy

As long as the primers haven't been stored in a barn and seen freezing and hot alternations they will be fine.

Bullets are as good as they were when they was new. If you have 20 year old powder and it's not "wet" (deteriorated powder looks wet) it's ok as well.

Tumbling after reloading is done more often than anyone will admit.....and at least one major reloading manufacturer eludes to doing it, then says that they didn't say to do it.

If the case is full of powder and the powder cant tumble in the case, it really isn't that bad.....but you didn't hear me say that it's a good thing to do!!! Yes, I've done it and have no fear of doing so again.....even though I don't recommend it......

Wow, I would hate to see your bullet runout after tumbling a loaded round.

Actually the only rounds I've "tumbled" was hollow points and polycarbonate Tipped bullets.

They still shot minute of prairie dog........

And why again would a reloader want to tumble them after being loaded?

You know I'm not rich or anything, (I work in Public schools), but primers are so cheap that to me, they aren't worth the risk to use them. I just threw away a couple of hundred primers last week. They were only three years old, but I don't think they are worth the trouble. Besides, it was fun to hear them cooking off in the burn-barrel. (about ten at a time)

I would hate to have the buck of my dreams to run off because of trying to save 2 or 3 cents.

I hunt.....and plink........ I only suggested the tumbling after they were loaded because.... it seemd logical if the bullets and cases needed attention. I have no idea how this would affect runout though.

My goal is to achieve the best accuracy possible without losing sight of velocity... and a good hunting bullet. I hunt mostly whitetail deer...... if that makes a difference. My most recent loads for my 308 were 42.5 grains of IMR 4350 (as best as I can recall...... I will have to go dig the exact info up)... on a 165 gran BT ballistic tip bullet. It shot real well.... and of the deer I shot with it..... I shot most if not all very high in the neck..... which didn't hurt any meat. I am not convinced however, that the ballistic tip bullets hold together as well as a good ole flat base Hornady with a soft point.

Well..... I finally got around to unboxing all my reloading stuff. It appears I was loading 42.5 grains of 4895 and not 4350. I circled that powder in my reloading manual. I seemed to have misplaced one of my sets of dies[:@]..... I hate when I know I had something and can't find it.