begginner
02-28-2004, 07:29 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 19
begginner
hello everyone,
i am seriously looking into reloading. i shoot a lot and the ammunition for my .300 WSM gets very expensive. i want to start as soon as possible but i dont know how to go about it. what tools/machines do i need? what powders, bullets, and other components are reccommended? any help is appreciated, thank you all in advance for your input.
Joe
i am seriously looking into reloading. i shoot a lot and the ammunition for my .300 WSM gets very expensive. i want to start as soon as possible but i dont know how to go about it. what tools/machines do i need? what powders, bullets, and other components are reccommended? any help is appreciated, thank you all in advance for your input.
Joe
02-28-2004, 08:28 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 127
RE: begginner
Get yourself a good reloading manual(I like Speer). It will have sections on what you need, and how to reload as well as loads for each caliber with different bullets and powders. As far as equipment goes, you can get good starter kits that have just about everything you need except dies, like RCBS Rockchucker kit or Lee anniversary kit. Read the manual(or manuals) and take your time. And of course, once you get started you'll find that there is always something new that you "need" for relaoding.
02-28-2004, 11:03 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coralville, IA. USA
Posts: 3,802
RE: begginner
Um, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the idea that handloading will save you money is a blatant, flat out, dirty stinkin' LIE!
!
Sure you can handload a box of ammo for 1/3 the cost of factory ammo which seems like a great deal, until you realize that you're going to the range twice as often with twice as much ammo! Then you start going to the range just so you can shoot off the ammo you've already handloaded so you can free up the brass because you got a new tool that might shrink your groups by a fraction of an inch. Did I mention that the new tool that you just absolutely couldn't live without cost you $40?[8D]
So in the end you're probably not going to "save" any money. But what the heck, you're getting 3 or 4 times as much trigger time, and your rifle is probably going to be more accurate than ever before, and reloading is a lot of fun in itself, so it's still worth it. Just don't try using that logic with your wife, or she might turn it around on you so she can go buy 15 new pairs of shoes she'll never wear. My best advice is to pay cash, hide the boxes the stuff came in and throw them away when she's not home, and pretend like you've owned everything for years and it's just been boxed up in the garage...and that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Mike
!Sure you can handload a box of ammo for 1/3 the cost of factory ammo which seems like a great deal, until you realize that you're going to the range twice as often with twice as much ammo! Then you start going to the range just so you can shoot off the ammo you've already handloaded so you can free up the brass because you got a new tool that might shrink your groups by a fraction of an inch. Did I mention that the new tool that you just absolutely couldn't live without cost you $40?
[8D]So in the end you're probably not going to "save" any money. But what the heck, you're getting 3 or 4 times as much trigger time, and your rifle is probably going to be more accurate than ever before, and reloading is a lot of fun in itself, so it's still worth it. Just don't try using that logic with your wife, or she might turn it around on you so she can go buy 15 new pairs of shoes she'll never wear. My best advice is to pay cash, hide the boxes the stuff came in and throw them away when she's not home, and pretend like you've owned everything for years and it's just been boxed up in the garage...and that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Mike
02-28-2004, 11:11 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coralville, IA. USA
Posts: 3,802
RE: begginner
But seriously...
I just started out myself and I got the Rockchucker Supreme Master Kit, and a bunch of other things to start out. Spent $400 on the kit, some misc. tools, a set of Redding (3 die set) 22-250 dies, and the first pound of powder, primers, and bullets for two calibers.
I really like the Rockchucker press. It's built tough as nails and is simple to set up and use. Reloading 100 rounds of 45ACP at a time is a little slow and tedious, and in the future I'd like to get a Dillon 550 for loading bulk pistol rounds. I'll probably stick with the Rockchucker for all rifle handloading, though.
I've also spent quite a bit more since I bought the kit, too. Like icthruu said, there's always something you "need".
Good luck,
Mike
I just started out myself and I got the Rockchucker Supreme Master Kit, and a bunch of other things to start out. Spent $400 on the kit, some misc. tools, a set of Redding (3 die set) 22-250 dies, and the first pound of powder, primers, and bullets for two calibers.
I really like the Rockchucker press. It's built tough as nails and is simple to set up and use. Reloading 100 rounds of 45ACP at a time is a little slow and tedious, and in the future I'd like to get a Dillon 550 for loading bulk pistol rounds. I'll probably stick with the Rockchucker for all rifle handloading, though.
I've also spent quite a bit more since I bought the kit, too. Like icthruu said, there's always something you "need".
Good luck,
Mike
03-06-2004, 03:49 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Anchorage,Alaska
Posts: 512
RE: begginner
bowhuntermn
Here is my set-up. I started reloading many years ago when a friend turned me on to Gopher hunting. Since then I have bought and experimented with alot of gear and have found RCBS to be just fine for everything from my 22-250 to 338 Rum.
In the Winter when not much is going on I sit in my little room and make up thousands of rounds for my 22-250 in anticipation of the first little Gopher to come up for the year.
Instead of doing it half A$$ start out right with the right gear and pretty soon it will become second nature. Starting off cheap will give you a case of the (I should have's).
The other word of advice I could give you is read your manuals and better yet have an experianced friend help you get started. Good Luck
Here is my set-up. I started reloading many years ago when a friend turned me on to Gopher hunting. Since then I have bought and experimented with alot of gear and have found RCBS to be just fine for everything from my 22-250 to 338 Rum.
In the Winter when not much is going on I sit in my little room and make up thousands of rounds for my 22-250 in anticipation of the first little Gopher to come up for the year.
Instead of doing it half A$$ start out right with the right gear and pretty soon it will become second nature. Starting off cheap will give you a case of the (I should have's).
The other word of advice I could give you is read your manuals and better yet have an experianced friend help you get started. Good Luck
03-06-2004, 09:32 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Anchorage,Alaska
Posts: 512
RE: begginner
What you don't see is all the other junk,Powder,Bullets, Box's,Manuals on the other table next to this one. I figured I would clean it for the picture.
But it is never this clean.
and the power deburring tool is next to the power case trimmer.
But it is never this clean.
and the power deburring tool is next to the power case trimmer.
