who hear reloads?

[Stevens M200 30-06]

hey guys im thinking of going out and buying my reloading kit. ammos geting to expencive and such. but reload supplies are hard to find too. any idea on when this will stop and be able to buy bullets and shells again??

also any tips for first time reloaders?

[Topstrap]

There always seems to be a reloading setup or components on Craigslist or in our local trade paper.

When will the frenzy buying end? If you don't have it bought up now for summers shooting it's gonna be tough I think unless you are ready to pay frenzy pricing unless you are lucky to have a gunshop that is not going nuts with pricing.

Good luck,it is enjoyable and fulfilling to roll your own. It's pricey at first but if you shoot a lot it don't take long to recover and start saving money.

I see you are another Buckeye, I'm down near St. Clairsville, we shoot the long range matches at Rayners near Cambridge/Zanesville. Be glad to have you join us on a practice day or one of the matches the 4th Sunday of each month starting in February.

Dennis

[davemuzz]

Tips:

1)Read.
2)Buy the Hornady Reloading Manuel and read it at least 3 or 4 times. It's a good reference source.
3)Don't simply trust what's posted on any internet forum.
4)ALWAYS start below the maximum load and work up. Watch for pressure signs such as "sticky" extraction and brass splits. . Primers do NOT always indicate what a load is doing!!
5) Always measure and trim your bottle neck cases.

Component questions: Yes...it will come back to "normal". Reloaders are going a bit over board along with newbies getting into the sport, and hoarding components.

Dave

[thermaler]

I've heard some. : )

[missed]

I load too, only way to go in my opinion.

[Stevens M200 30-06]

yup. why do you have to trimm ammo?

[Dennis]

I personally like the RCBS RockChucker reloading kit. I bought the RCBS electronic chargemaster, but it a luxury. Get a good set of dies, again RCBS Competition Dies, a strong reloading table, a good caliber, headspaceing guages-Hornady, and a Hornady guage to determine your distance from the lands.

Brass, powder, primers, bullets, a litte wax for sizing and you should be in business.

[seanhagerty]

Hook up with a buddy that reloads and spend a session or two with him to learn what it should look like.

Get a reloading manual and read it. Get two.

Ask questions here. Ask a lot of questions.

Do not think faster is always better. More accurate beats more faster everytime.

Sean

[87predator]

You don't have to go out and buy the Cadillac of reloading supplies to get good stuff. There are lots of good choices out there. Heck, you don't even know if you'll like it. Read and research a lot. Always start loads low. Ask questions, there are lots of knowledgeable people out there who won't steer you in wrong direction. And have fun!

[thermaler]

I'm a beginner too and have been loading for a few months, and I did not have much money to start out with, so I bought the Lee anniversary kit for just over $100.00. A great deal for what you get, IMO. Dies are a matter of opinion, but of the brands that I'm likely to find in stock I generally go RCBS, though I will use Lee crimpers. You'll need at least $100.00 for all the reload manuals--they are an absolute necessity as important as any hardware. Always listen to the voices of experience (as I do) as they may save you from unnecessary damage or catastrophe--but also remember you are loading for YOUR weapons--not theirs, so what works for them may not work for you the same way. You're starting out at a bad time when equipment, cases and bullets for popular calibers are hard to find--It's gotten to the point where I would seriously consider buying an odd-ball caliber rifle that stuff is still commonly available for--that's easy to figure out by simply surfing the net and going to a few LGS's. : ) But it's a fantastic hobby that will bring you extra satisfaction and pride with that good grouping or when you drop your game on first shot. In fact, I'm getting set to head out the door to ladder-test a batch of new loads--this is the fun part! : )

[bower4311]

I just started out reloading with the Lee Anniversary kit. I would recommend it. I did not buy $100 worth of manuals. I used a lot of information from the Internet and I had the luxury of a gunsmith willing to spend time showing me what to do. You can use the Lee case trimmers which will set you back a few bucks per cartridge is all which is nice. Other than dies it has pretty much everything you need.

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[missed]

yup. why do you have to trimm ammo?

Cases will stretch a there shot and must be trimmed back to spec, very dangerous to shoot cases that are too long.

I have the lee breech lock kit and really like the lee press and dies, but I don't like there scale. I have one of the old American made rcbs / ohaus 10-10 scale. I am not real trusting on the less expensive digital scales. It's hard to cheat gravity.

[BillPa]

I am not real trusting on the less expensive digital scales. It's hard to cheat gravity.

A bit of advise from one who have been reloading over 50 years, buy and use a set of scale check weights. I don't care its a $5 yard sale gem or one plated in 24K gold costing $1,000. There is no other way to know if its weighing accurately and/or consistently.

For example, if I'm going to throw 45g charges, after zeroing I'll use a 40g and 50g weight to verify the scale is reading accurately within that span.

"Hard to cheat gravity"? You might be surprised how one small sliver of steel wool on a magnetic dampened scale does!


Bill

[thermaler]

I just started out reloading with the Lee Anniversary kit. I would recommend it. I did not buy $100 worth of manuals. I used a lot of information from the Internet and I had the luxury of a gunsmith willing to spend time showing me what to do. You can use the Lee case trimmers which will set you back a few bucks per cartridge is all which is nice. Other than dies it has pretty much everything you need.

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Don't buy the reload books? I guess there's no sense in knowing what the bullet/cartridge dimensions are, min/max loads, ballistic coefficients, drop tables etc are. : )

[bigedp51]

who hear reloads?

I "hear" all my reloads when I pull the trigger.

"Here" in this forum davemuzz and others have given you very good advice.
Read the front of your reloading manuals, I have been reloading for over 45 years and at least once a year I pick up one of my manuals and read and refresh my brain.

"All the information in the world is written in books and all you have to do is read"
Attila the Hun

In heaven there is no beer.
That's why we drink it here
When we're gone from here,
all our friends will be drinking all our beer!

Remember here, I stink and you smell.................

Sorry my oldest sister is an English teacher, after she reads my emails, she corrects them and sends them back to me. (I just wanted someone else to feel the pain)

[mattm0812]

I'm 18 and I do.

Going to start to anneal sometime this week.

[BillPa]

why do you have to trim ammo?

Why?


Of interest is the cartridge and the cast below it. Notice where the case mouth of the cartridge is compared to where it would be in the chamber. Also notice the transition(step) from the portion of the chamber where the neck would be to the freebore is tapered, not a square shoulder.

Now suppose the neck is too long on a loaded cartridge, the tapered transition would crimp the mouth of the cartridge on the bullet and without room for the neck to expand and release the bullet....Kaboom! The powder gases will take the path of least resistance, back in the action and your snot locker!

Bill

[thermaler]

Why?


Of interest is the cartridge and the cast below it. Notice where the case mouth of the cartridge is compared to where it would be in the chamber. Also notice the transition(step) from the portion of the chamber where the neck would be to the freebore is tapered, not a square shoulder.

Now suppose the neck is too long on a loaded cartridge, the tapered transition would crimp the mouth of the cartridge on the bullet and without room for the neck to expand and release the bullet....Kaboom! The powder gases will take the path of least resistance, back in the action and your snot locker!

Bill

What are those two things below the cartridge? Are they pieces/casts inside of of the actual receiver and barrel with barrel blown off just past the lands??

[pitsnipe]

They are casts of his chamber. Like the CSI guys do with foot prints and tire treads. But this is the guys barrel chamber and a bit of the lands/grooves.

[acemisser]

All good sound advice..I have gotten 30 or more started in reloading over the past years..I have always had them start out with the Lyman manuals..Myself and several other think they are the most informative out there..You do not need a ton of manuals like some seem to think..I have over 75 different manuals and they all tell you the basics...I want to wish you the best of luck and be careful..In fact I am going to be cleaning out most of my collection of books and post them on E Bay.....I have to clean this place out...

[BillPa]

What are those two things below the cartridge?

Chamber casts made with Cerosafe. It the only way I know of to determine some of the chamber dimensions without having the reamer used to cut it. No, it wasn't blown off. Its were the patch was in the barrel to hold the molten Cerosafe.

A couple more...


A cast of my 338 Federal FL die, the chamber cast and a case.

Bill

[bower4311]

Don't buy the reload books? I guess there's no sense in knowing what the bullet/cartridge dimensions are, min/max loads, ballistic coefficients, drop tables etc are. : )

Most all of that information can be had online. I did buy a cartridge specific book for 15 dollars which was a compilation of all available bullet and powder information.

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[thermaler]

Most all of that information can be had online. I did buy a cartridge specific book for 15 dollars which was a compilation of all available bullet and powder information.

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More power to ya. I couldn't imagine not having them--but maybe that's because I'm a beginner--and I also like the advantage of being able to have everything at my fingertips where and when I want them.

[bower4311]

I was set up by a gun shop owner and can call him at any point for information. I do have some "downloaded" copies of manuals that I can refer to. I am a beginner and I'm doing it without 100 dollars of manuals is all I'm trying to say. They are very useful though.

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[acemisser]

I have to say that I agree..One does NOT need all the books..But if you want to cross reference you will need another book to do so..lol

Alot of stuff on line I would be careful of..Unless you know for sure it is a reliable source..That is why I tell people to get the Lyman manual.It covers a lot more than the others..Of course there is the ABC's of reloading and it is not a bad book..I read it...

But suit yourself and do as you will..If you got everything people in forums tell you to get or what you need,you better be rich and have a huge reloading room...lol...John