List of kit.

purdeydog

Well-Known Member
Hi

I've decided to get into reloading. Trying to keep the cost of ammo down. Having been on this planet a while now I've worked out something's are worth paying for and others your just paying for the name. If anyone has a list of kit needed to get the Job done, and to start me off that would be great. I won't be making a huge volume of rounds. It will be .308 and .338.

What do I need on my ticket to get started? I take it you need permission to buy the primers, power and bullets?

Thanks in advance
 
You don't need anything else on your ticket as long as you have expanding ammo on your good to go your rfdon gunshopwill sell you all the bits on your ticket
Atb tom
 
Hi purdeydog,
I've just started reloading and I went for a Lee Breech Lock Challenger kit, you will still need calipers ,bullet puller ,dies and a good reloading manual as minimum kit.
It does become adictive, I find I shoot more just so I can reload more.
There's various kits on the market and I think Spud does a complete starter package.
You don't need anything on your FAC, but I think it is good practice to let your Fire arms Dept know. Just to keep them in the loop.
Mark
 
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Lee breech lock challenger kit
Lee reloading manual
Die set for each calibre (Sizing die/s, seating die, maybe crimping die)
Lee case trimming gauges for each calibre
Cheapish vernier caliper (£10-£15)
A bench or mobile frame to bolt the press to

This shouldn't cost more than £250-£300 dies included

You don't need any tumblers or ultrasonic cleaners for cleaning brass because clean brass doesn't shoot any better.
 
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If its 338 lap mag you are talking, it will be on the largest size which goes into standard presses. So I'd speak to someone who reloads that. All other standard rifle calibres, like your 308, I think will go through most presses with no drama. I started with an RCBS rockchucker, I remember it being a recommendation and costing an arm and a leg for the kit.
 
Great replies thanks a lot. I've been looking at the Lee kits. It's good to know that's what other people are using. With so much on the market it's hard to know your getting the right kit to start off. Think il treat myself!
 
If you're just having a go and don't want to shell out a big chunk of change try the Lee loader. £30-£40 for the kit, a plastic hammer and some measuring calipers and away you go. It's much maligned by some people but I reload accurate, repeatable, factory standard or better ammo in 243 and 308. You can easily do a round a minute when you get into the flow. Using the dipper in the kit is easy and if you dip it the same every time which is not hard I get the same charge +-.1 of a grain. It loads a conservative load so your pretty unlikely to overcharge a round and blow yourself up! If you're worried you can buy a scale and weigh each charge. I've bought lots of extras like a case trimmer, a primer pocket cleaner, a chamfer tool and a tumbler but these are surplus to requirements to get started. You don't want to shell out £300 on a press etc and find that you hate reloading or more importantly the wife hates you reloading!!!
 
Make sure you have 100 rounds for each calibre on your FAC though at the very least, as bullets come in boxes of 100. The ammo quantity counts for both complete rounds and expanding bullets. As you reload though, the overall quantity remains the same (i.e: 57 loose bullets, 43 complete rounds is still classed as a total quantity of 100) :thumb:

if you want to reload a variety of bullet weights you'll need to make sure your allowable quantity is sufficient (sorry if this is teaching you to suck eggs :oops:)

By the way, I bought the Lee Breech Lock Challenger kit for around the £150 mark. It has everything you need to get going, apart from a kinetic hammer

http://leeprecision.com/breech-lock-challenger-kit.html
 
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Good replies. I've just forked out on a semi custom rifle, everything but the action changed on my main hunting rifle. So makes sense to get the most accurate ammo. Hence why I've decided to try it. Think I could get quite into it. I'm just planning on replicating the factory hunting RWS ammo I use and then some match ammo for steel etc. Once I've worked that out I'll probably stick to the load. Cheers. Anyone fancy being a mentor for all the questions in my head lol
 
I've only been reloading for the past year or so myself. It's not a way to save a lot of money unless you're doing a LOT of shooting. But it's damn good fun :D And when you stalk and shoot a beast with a round you've developed and tested yourself it's a pretty satisfying experience :thumb:

I got a LOT of help from the other guys on the forum!
 
I've also only just started reloading . I spent months trying to learn as much as I could before giving it a go. So far so good , but the forum has a lot of knowledgable members with a lot of experience , who are and have been of great help .
If you can't find a mentor get a good reloading manual learn as much as you can and be methodical in your approach.
Enjoy
Mark :D
 
There are also some good videos on YouTube that will give you an idea of what is involved. Spud has some good ones regarding setting up the dies etc. It can get quite addictive,I'm sure you'll enjoy it. ATB.
 
Here is a short piece I wrote for another website and I've reproduced it many times on other sites in answer to queries so perhaps Admin here might like to make it a sticky.

Reloading – what do you need?.
This question pops up regularly, so if you are thinking about starting reloading, here are a few ideas. I’m not going to name many product names but, more or less, make a list of essentials. I assume you have the requisite brass, bullets, primers and powders. It's just a list of the very basic kit so as to keep costs to a minimum. Beware, however, there is an infinity of apparently “essential” gear out there, all “vital” to the reloading process but, at the very least, detrimental to your bank account!.
-Firstly, get one or more reloading manuals and read thoroughly(see Reading List). You will then have a better sense of the kit needed and the way things work in this game. The ‘net is also excellent for info.
-Secondly, and most importantly, get an experienced reloader to show you the ropes. A mentor in this business is worth his weight in gold.

A word of warning before we start – Remember you are dealing with pressures of 50,000 psi or more, so caution should be your watchword.

- Press – you’ll need one of those, of course. The type of press you need depends upon the cartridges you will be loading and a press capable of handling up to 30-06 length will suffice for most of the usual cartridges. Generally speaking, a single stage press may provide better control of the reloading process for a new reloader. If you decide to load for cartridges of Magnum length(eg 375 H&H), then your press will need to be larger and, consequently, more costly.
I cannot give an answer as to the best makes and models, just get the best you can afford, preferably of steel and cast iron. Such a press should last for many years with a little TLC. Oil or grease the pivots and the ram occasionally, keep the press free of dust and anything else that might cause wear. With the addition of the appropriate dies, you will be able to carry out all the necessary steps in the reloading process ie, depriming, sizing, priming and bullet seating.
- Dies. All the well known makers dies will, with a modicum of care, produce good ammunition. Dies usually come with the appropriate shellholders. Buy full length resizing dies to start. Neck sizing and other techniques can come later. To cut down on any possibility of wear in your dies make sure that your cases are clean before putting on the lube and resizing. I always wipe my cases and the interior of my dies with kitchen towel before starting. Occasionally cleaning your dies with your favourite bore cleaner is a good idea, too.
- Balance. A beam balance is probably as good as anything and reasonably priced. There are cheap electronic balances on the market but for cost-effectiveness the beam balance is probably best. Never leave your beam balance assembled, always lift the knife edges off the agates so as not wear them out. Agate is very hard, I know, but will wear in time and can make your balance inaccurate and/or inconsistent.. Put the balance away in it’s box to keep out dust and anything else which may damage it. Treated with care it will give good service for many, many years.
- Loading block. Most reloading companies do them and they are not expensive. You could make your own, of course, plywood or hardwood looks very nice. I made a couple from ¾” mahogony faced ply.
- Powder funnel. The usual plastic powder funnels are not expensive and serve their purpose very well . If you get powder granules sticking to the insides due to static, a wipe with one of those antistatic tumbledrier cloths will sort it out.
- Powder scoop. A small teaspoon(preferably stainless) is as good as anything for putting powder into the balance pan.
- Powder container. Small containers to contain sufficient powder for your loading session. I’ve used small plastic drinks beakers for many years.
- Calipers. A most important piece of kit. You’ll need a caliper to check the length of your resized cases as well as the final length of the completed round.. If your budget allows, a dial caliper of best quality, but there are a number of electronic models around £30 or less which will probably be just as good, although you do have to buy batteries. Don’t forget to remove the battery if not using the caliper for some time.
- Case trimmer or trim die. Trim or file dies are available to get all your cases to the same length but you’ll need one for every cartridge and it is probably cheaper in the end to get a case trimmer(like a small lathe, turned by hand). I’ve had my Lyman trimmer for many years.
-Case neck chamfer tool. This cleans up any burrs on the inside and outside of the mouth of the case after trimming or resizing. You’ll also use it to put a small chamfer on the inside of the case mouth to ensure smooth seating of the bullet. Lyman sell a good one.
- Primer pocket cleaners (large and/or small rifle). You can glue them into little wooden dowel handles for convenience
- Primer seating. This operation is usually taken care of by your press and will prove more than satisfactory to start – indeed, you may never feel the need to use any other method. If your budget will stretch to it, get a Lee Autoprime.
- Sizing Lube. I’ve used Imperial Wax for many years and never get stuck cases. Forget about the Lee Lube(lanolin based), I binned mine years ago after getting too many cases stuck in dies.
- Hard nylon bore brush. Use this to clean the inside of the case neck prior to resizing and another candidate for a small dowel handle. It is important to ensure, as far as possible that the inside of the neck is clean in order to help get consistent neck tension, one of the prerequisites of accuracy.
- Bristle brush or Cotton Buds. To put a very, very small amount of lube inside the case neck prior to sizing and after cleaning with the above hard nylon brush. Alternatively, you can use graphite.
- Paper kitchen towels or good quality duster to clean off the lube after resizing both from the exterior of the case and the inside of the neck – unless you intend cleaning some other way.
- Tumbler? I don’t own one and do not clean my cases other than by removing the lube by wiping with a cloth and cleaning the primer pockets. I do, however, run all cases through the ultrasonic bath about every five loadings, although perhaps it may not be really necessary. You don’t really need an ultrasonic or a tumbler if your budget is tight. OTOH you could pop your cases in the washing machine inside some sort of bag, I suppose.
- Bullet pullers. Just as a writer has a rubber to erase errors, a bullet puller erases reloading mistakes. I recommend the collet type. It’s like a reloading die and goes in the press and with it you can unload ammo easily. I have found that those inertia hammer things are too slow, messy and inconvenient.

There are many other bits and pieces which are supposed to help to make more accurate ammo, but my advice is to concentrate on producing good safe ammunition, finessing can come along as you gain experience and expertise.

- A place to reload. This can be a problem and depends on your circumstances, house layout etc. One of the essentials is a sturdy reloading bench on which to mount your press. Now, I suspect that “Management” would object to holes in the dining room table so you’ll have to find a solution that suits your circumstances. One answer is a folding Workmate type bench. Your press can be bolted to a sturdy lump of wood and clamped in the bench “jaws”. The bench can be folded up after use and the press and its attached timber put away.
Don’t load in a room where there is a lot of traffic as the draughts will upset your balance. Find a nice quiet corner where you won’t be disturbed and draught free. Avoid distractions like TV or radio, you will need all your concentration, especially at the beginning. A bedroom/boxroom or the kitchen if disturbance can be kept to a minimum..
- Safety. I advise the use of safety glasses, particularly when priming. Although, by and large, the process of reloading is quite safe, you are dealing with powders which are flammable and primers which are quite sensitive to shock or static. Keep primers in their packaging (usually little trays), take only as many as you need at a time and make sure that those bits of kit which come in contact with them are wiped clean to ensure they do not have dust on the surfaces. Those tumbledrier antistatic cloths are good for this.

-For those addicted to the weed – need I remind you not to smoke whilst reloading?.

- Reading list
The ABC's of Reloading (I strongly advise starting with this one.)
Metallic Cartridge Reloading
Modern Reloading by Richard Lee
Manufacturers Manuals:
Speer Manual
Lyman Metallic Reloading Handbook
Hornady Reloading Handbook
Sierra Manual

I hope this may prove useful
Peter
 
Just been working out the cost effectiveness of reloading. My current factory ammo costs £150/100 and that's conservative. 1st batch of reloads I do I've cost at £1.13/round or £113/100. That's new brass, primer, bullet and powder. After that the second batch should cost 65 pence or £65/100 that's powder primer and bullet. That's a saving of £85 per 100 rounds. Seems a no brainier to me. Should take me about 470 reloaded rounds to break even and then I'm laughing! Does that match other people's costs.
 
Just been working out the cost effectiveness of reloading. My current factory ammo costs £150/100 and that's conservative. 1st batch of reloads I do I've cost at £1.13/round or £113/100. That's new brass, primer, bullet and powder. After that the second batch should cost 65 pence or £65/100 that's powder primer and bullet. That's a saving of £85 per 100 rounds. Seems a no brainier to me. Should take me about 470 reloaded rounds to break even and then I'm laughing! Does that match other people's costs.

I bought a RCBS rock chucker kit the other week. I picked it up for £300. That's a lot of factory ammo.

I bought it cos I wanted it and I read that it's one of the good presses. Also the Rock Chucker is renowned in shooting culture.
I used it for the first time tonight, taking a few hours to set up and learn each little bit, reading about it, watching youtube videos etc.

I really enjoyed it! For me it's well worth the cost. I'm really excited to get out and see how the rounds fire, so I can come home and reload some new concoctions and see how they shoot!
I am almost amazed at the accuracy of the stuff, how someone can machine something to such tiny detail is amazing.
 
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