about to get started reloading
I would like some input in list form hopefully of equipment to buy for reloading.
I have reloaded a long time ago with a single stage press but only 38/357.
Just finished putting my bench together yesterday just need to add some lights and additional shelving then its time to add equipment.
The press is not important to put on the list as I will either go with lee or rcbs single stage. I like to go slow and check every step.
The process is relaxing to me.
Now what I will be reloading.
I want to reload 260,6.5CM,338LM so die recommendations would be nice. Would like competition grade ammo when Im done.
So all equipment needed to get there is what I am looking for. I want to put a shopping list together and acquire it over a bit of time.
i.e. scales, trimmers, primer pocket cleaners, tumblers, shakers, calipers, etc etc. Oh and primer, powder suggestions as well as reloading manual. anything you think is important to have on hand that will actually get used to make very accurate target rounds in those calibers.
thought I would buy the "kit" from the press company as a basic set up then add the good stuff along the way but need to know the things I cant live without. With a wheel gun I didnt have to worry about a lot of things. If the case wasnt cracked and the bullet fit in the cylinder, it worked.
Thanks
about to get started reloading
There are so many choices out there in reloading equipment, most of them good quality as well. Which means that there are a bazillion differing opinions on what works best, and many of them are correct as well. I'll give you my .02 cents.
A good reloading manual, or four or five, is your most important piece of equipment. It's critical to understand exactly what happens to a rifle cartridge when you pull the trigger, and how you go about putting it back into the condition it was in before firing. A good manual will explain this in detail. I like the Hornady and Sierra manuals, but every one I've read has something to offer. If there is a bullet manufacturer that you think you will use most, buy their manual.
Case prep is probably the most critical aspect of making quality ammo. Buy tools that make this time-consuming process as painless as possible. The powered multi-station case prep tools are very good to have. Mine is the RCBS Case Prep tool, but there are many good ones out there. These make quick work of primer pocket cleaning and uniforming, flash hole deburring, inside and outside case neck deburring and chamfering, and case neck brushing, for example. You don't want to do all this with hand tools if you can help it.
A case tumbler with steel pin media, or a vibratory tumbler with treated corn cob media, is a good idea.
A case trimmer will be necessary. If you will be shooting any volume at all, a powered trimmer is nice. I have a Hornady hand-crank trimmer, which is functional but I do not recommend because it is a pain to adjust. I also have a RCBS powered trimmer that I use mostly, but I don't really recommend, for the same reason as the Hornady- it's a pain to adjust. Get something, whether manual or powered, with a true micrometer adjustment on it. As far as that goes, I wouldn't buy a seater die that didn't have a micrometer adjustment top as well.
You will have a hard time making consistent ammo if you don't have the means to measure your work. Get a couple of calipers, I prefer digital, but that's just me. The reason for having two or three is because you will end up attaching various case-and bullet-measurement tools to them, and it will slow you down if you have only one and you have to keep switching things on and off of it. My belief is that you don't have to spend big $$$ to get functional calipers. Heresy, I know, I can hear the flamers typing lol. My four Frankfort Arsenal calipers from Midway have served me well, and at around $25 each, I can't complain. Everything I've measured of known thickness with them has been right on. I realize that Starret or Mitutoyo probably make finer instruments, but mine work, too.
Get a good digital scale and a good balance beam. You will use the digital scale more, but the balance beam will be more reliable. Use one to keep the other honest.
You will want a means to measure case head-to-datum point (to set your dies and to know the headspace condition of your rifle's chamber). These can be caliper-mounted, or a device called the RCBS Precision Mic. (these are cartridge-specific and pricey, but I highly recommend them). Also, you will want a means to measure from case head to bullet ogive to track seating depth. You will also want something such as the Hornady Overall Length Gage (get the straight one for a bolt gun) to help with determining seating depths, to the ogive, in your rifle for various bullets. This is to be used in conjunction with the Hornady Bullet Comparator set, and a modified case in your specific cartridge to go along with the overall length gage. This is critical information. This will allow you to put exact measurements to all these critical parameters, and record them for future reference. Yes, you could get by with using once fired cases and smoke on a soft-seated bullet etc. but I prefer exact measurements that are repeatable and easily obtained.
As for dies, there are many good ones. If you are already leaning towards Redding, I'd suggest the Type-S full length bushing dies, and the competition micrometer seater. These can be bought separately or as a set. I also like the Lee Collet dies. Forster makes really good dies too, at a slightly better price than Redding. Did I mention to be sure to get a micrometer seating die?
You may be interested in a means to check your finished rounds for concentricity. There are various contraptions on the market that purport to give a reading on this important metric. Problem is, they all go about it from different angles. More directly, they support the case in different ways, which can skew the results. I have the Sinclair concentricity gauge, and the Hornady version, which claims the added bonus of actually being able to straighten the errant rounds. This is mostly bunk. Don't waste your money if you're hoping to straighten anything out. The concentricity gauge does work, though it often contradicts the Sinclair gauge due to the differences in the way they support the case. Still, either is better than nothing. There are others too, such as Neco and Redding. The Neco can measure many different things, I hear, though I have no experience with it.
Did I miss anything? Almost certainly. But it's late and my thumb hurts from typing so I'll call that a start for now. Feel free to pm me with questions if you wish. And again realize that there are a multitude of good equipment choices out there. Much of it comes down to personal preference. Good luck!