Quote Originally Posted by Sundo
I'm getting started in reloading also. After my own research I decided to get a complete set of Lee dies for .30-06. For powders, I'm trying to get the Ramshot brand. The few people who have tried Ramshot powders say it's accurate, clean burning, and meters very well. Ramshot is hard to find off the shelf, though.

What are the specs on your 6.5 Swede barrel? I originally bought my Savage 116 to be rebarreled to 6.5 Swede. I'm in the process of checking out the accuracy in .30-06 before I order a 6.5 Swede barrel.
I choose Hodgdon powders for the reports of temp stability and lot to lot consistancy. It is also easily availible locally.

I went with a stainless 22" McGowen with a #5 profile (varmint) with 8" twist. I picked the 8" twist and had it throated for the longer 140gr bullets I intend to use. I chose 22" because it is long enough to work well with the 6.5 Swede, and still short enough to be stiff, especially when combined with the varmint profile. When I finally get it put together it should make for a pretty sweet rifle... Although now with the 6.5x284 being a factory chambered round, I am not sure if I see the reason in building a 6.5x55 (other than I aready have the barrel)...

Quote Originally Posted by GaCop
You may also want to consider the Hornady Over All Length Gauge with correct caliber collet for the calibers you load. With it, You will know the max length to the lands for each bullet weight you load.

You will love the Forester dies. I use them for all my bench rest loading.
Yeah, I forgot to mention I was also ordering the Hornady Comparator and OAL gauges...

A couple things I have not figured out...


What shell holder to use with the Forster dies? Forster says to use the shell holders suggested by the press manufacturer, and RCBS says to use the shell holder reccomended by the die manufacturer...

What brass? Do I stick with the once fired nickle coated Winchester I have (I have around 50 to 70 pieces of this left)? Or do I go ahead and buy new brass? I will be FL sizing (for now anyway) and when I swap the recoil lug I will be setting headspace to SAAMI minimum anyway...

Trgger? SSS? Sav-2? others?