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Hi guys,
I am looking to move on from the 270 to a magnum or short magnum caliber and was thinking of potentially looking into some reloading. The hornady classic lock n load kit looks like an option but though people might know of better sets in a similar price range
Cheers
The Hornady is a good choice RCBS do one as well it may be a bit pricer you can't go wrong with either a lot of people rate the Lee kits
the problem with Lee is you will start replacing some of the kit almost straight away the Hornady and RCBS you will not need to replace anything
just add more specialist tools.
Hard hat on
Don’t bother with a kit, buy things as you need them. Every brand has its weak bits, or you’ll just find you don’t like a particular something.
Pick a press and more importantly decent scales and have at it!
So with scales, press, dies and then the materials of the bullet is that all I would need to reload?
To start with, yes, with the addition of some case lube (imperial sizing wax), and assuming you can prime on the press, which most can. Some way to trim cases would come next...Quote:
Originally Posted by High Country Boy
If I was starting again I would get a Lee classic cast press (not the challenger), and some Ohaus scales (usually branded RCBS or Lyman, but made by a proper balance manufacturer). Dies come down to personal choice.
And a decent set of verniers!
Primer pocket cleaner, inside outside case neck chamfer.
Are ohaus scales beam scales?Quote:
Originally Posted by 7x64
yes. the lee beam scales are awful. The classic cast turret press is great. Ive been reloading for 10 years and still use it.Quote:
Originally Posted by High Country Boy
Digital scales are hit and miss at the cheap end. and the good ones get VERY expensive.
You’ll get away with a small screwdriver to start with for the former...Quote:
Originally Posted by stug
So would the rcbs m500 or the Lyman pro 500 be adequate as they look to be in my price range
Best thing to do IMO when starting out is to buy a good reloading manual, I've got the lyman one - but there are numerous other good ones. They'll provide a good detailed explanation on what you need and why. Then go forth and buy what you need when you've good solid understanding of the process, starting with a decent press.
I've bought the majority of my reloading gear mail order through sinclairs in the states.
Lyman 500 scales are good, I paid $170 for mine in the early 1990s and they are still working perfectly.Quote:
Originally Posted by High Country Boy
I finally splashed out on an electronic Hornady scale a few weeks ago, at one point they were reading 4 grains light, so everything still goes onto the Lyman scales to check.
Get the Lyman EZ-EE case length gauge too, very quick to check cases and does heaps of calibres. You will need a case trimmer at some point, but not until your cases are too long. You should chamfer and deburr every time, Lyman do a good handtool for this.
Good starting point, look after them and they’ll do you a very long time!Quote:
Originally Posted by High Country Boy
If you are just reloading for hunting out to 500 you can get away with very minimal and basic gear. You can make supprisingly good ammo. Once you start making a lot of ammo though, I make and shoot 2000 rounds for some of my rifles a year, you want a digital powder thrower. I don’t use anything I started with once upon a time. My one bit of advice would be to get a press that you are able to set your die up once like the Lee rotary press or the one that has the removable collets that just twist and come out, I think a hornady or Lee one. I used to use the Lee 100 and was good. Now use the Forster co-ax.
The amount of ammo most hunters shoot. And with company’s making ammo with pretty good bullets. You only hand load if trying to get super accuracy and shooting extended range, making a lot of ammo or doing a calibre and bullet type that is hard to obtain.
300 wm will still cost you 2-2.50 a round incl brass to make.
I’ve got a friend at Mt Sommers who will do load development and produce you ammo in batches saving you all the time and hassle
Depending on your needs a reloading setup will cost about $700. If you plan on reloading a few hundred rounds per year then I assume you really want to keep costs under control.
If loading a few thousand a year then I'd tend to go a bit more upmarket on the press getting a RCBS/Reading/Lyman/Hornady unit. Simply they all seem very good so pick on in the colour you like. Though I have a RCBS and what I dont like is the crap way it handles used primers they seem to go all over the place so if I was buying again I would look at a press that drops them in a better way. Probably a Hornady.
So I suggest and even mostly use Lee kit. Even today I mostly use Lee dies in my progressive and single stage presses for target shooting.
Excellent Lee Stuff,
dies
delux quick trim
Good (enough) Lee stuff
powder thrower
press
hand primer
Not so good (but OK)
Lee case prep tools.
You can certainly buy more expensive kit but most of it is at best as good as Lee and sometimes poorer and considerably more expensive.
For example Lee neck collet die and bullet crimper as as good if not better than any other die IMHO and a lot cheaper.
I do have some hornady dies (for the amax insert) but I find them no more accurate and consistent for installing a bullet than Lee.
Case cleaning, I bought a 6litre ultra sonic off Aliexpress, after 20mins the cases are functionally clean. I did think about buying smaller but for me anyway the 6L was the right size.
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by High Country Boy
Dont trust cheap digital scales without a cross check. I had a hornady one and it progressively under read getting worse over time, result 38gr of 2208 became 47gr of 2208 and it stretched my no4 mk2's receiver, I was lucky that all it did IMHO. I do now have a new hornady gen2 scale because its a good way to check quickly when setting up a thrower and as a final way to sample check 4 or 5 out of a 50 round batch. However when landholding for target work I use my Lee beam scale and trickle.
On and get a powder trickler I suggest. A metal RCBS one (or simialr) so they dont get knocked over easily.
Kinetic bullet puller for the stuff ups you are bound to make!
Fav bit of gear! Saves 15mins per batch of 50 tuned loads.Quote:
Originally Posted by steven
A powder trickler would be my number one pick for gear you don't need to have, but should have.Quote:
Originally Posted by steven
Hard to beat these for a starter kit iv got one add a powder trickler & away you go https://www.reloaders.co.nz/shop/Rel...rsary+Kit.html