I am looking at reloading for my 300 win mag.

I have never reloaded before and have no equipment. I am tring to gather info on what I need to start and also anything to avoid. I am also looking to reload 12 ga. shells. can anyone tell me what savings I can expect or price per box it cost to reload.

Hello bwortman
Welcome to the board. I would start by ordering noslers reloading manual and read it .Lots of good info. You can purchase hornady equipment very reasonable but I personaly prefer RCBS. As for the saving's it is a wife's tale (tell the wife you are saving money) <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> . You normaly dont save anything until you get most all the equipment purchased Bullets,powder,primers, there will just be so many that you will want to experiment with I dont think you ever save much.

ops forgot to mention I order most my stuff from http://www.midwayusa.com/
Mike

Edited by - old 3 shoot on 02/20/2002 17:58:36

it's true that the shells you load will cost less, but that only inspires you to shoot more. Not that, that's a bad thing. Take the advice from above and get a good manual first and read the instruction section. then start out with the minimum set up and add the frills latter. Basic set up will include:

Press, dies and shell holder, priming tool, scale, callipers or a case length gauge, powder measure and trickler, case lube (and pad maybe), case trimmer, primer pocket cleaner. Good luck and load safe.

true it doesnt save you money but shooting a lot more for the same price + a few hours realoding isnt a bad deal at all. as soon as i start casting my owen bullets ill be shooting my .357 for the cost of bulk .22 ammo.

I just started loading .300 win mag loads. I have a father in law that reloaded for 30 years. I have no problem. I have loaded 130 grain barnes XBT with a nice group just 2 grains below maximum load. It is nice to have someone to call to pick his brain.

[Deleted by Admins]

Just a begiiner myself, but I can say this:
Avoid a &quot;Lee Loader&quot; like the plague! I use some of Lee's stuff and even though many think its not ver y good stuff it does the work for me, but that particular tool, for around $25 I think, loads one caliber only, and you use a mallet to pound the primers and the bullets home, as well as driving the case into the sizer and back out. It works, and is ok I guess, but its slower than @#$@# and the first time you do a primer wrong and it goes bang your wife / significant other will strangle you ( after you both peel yourselves from the cieling *G*)besides, I just get nervous about using a mallet / hammer on live ammunition. The extra $$ spent on a regular press and dies is WELL worth it.

Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry

Edited by - Adui13 on 02/24/2002 00:28:31

if you are only going to ever want to reload on rile cartridges in not so large amounts get a rockchucker. if you want to start reloading cheap and then definatly expand to large quantities latter then get a lee anniversery kit and then after you make a decision like im going to shoot .38super in ISPC then you get yourself a Dillon 550B. im taking the second route, though not shooting ISPC, at least not yet

Lee makes some pretty good equipment, and I have been satisfied with their dies and moulds. RCBS, Redding, Hornady, and Lyman are all good, but I like the Forster Benchrest dies a little better than all the others. Good luck!!

Larry

initial cost can bite. i have been doing it for about 12 years and probably have saved some . but i do it because i enjoy it. i get a kick out of shooting my own handloaded ammo. if i need some i just go do it. i call it therepy sometimes. i look at the price of a box of 7mm stw or 300 win mag and am glad i load. but again you have to remember the price of materials. loading 300's a pound of powder doesnt go as far as it does on lessor calibers. you can literally see the powder drop every time you throw a charge in a uniflow and i mean drop. i like rcbs and thats all i own except for a lee shell holder set for rcbs. midway tumbler . oh yeah got a lee posi primer need to sell it.