Getting started reloading
- Thread starter RossP
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I started off with the Lee anniversary kit tbh and list had to get a set of callipers and some dies for my calibre on top.
To be fair after about 4 years most of it is still going strong. I went to digital scales in the end as the Lee ones were a bit of a faff but most of the other bits are still going strong.
As is normal with any bit of the hobby there is more stuff to buy and make certain bits more convenient but I have loaded .17 hornet, .223, .243 and .270 with this base kit (did have to buy a specific powder funnel for the .17 hornet though
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www.reloading.co.uk
To be fair after about 4 years most of it is still going strong. I went to digital scales in the end as the Lee ones were a bit of a faff but most of the other bits are still going strong.
As is normal with any bit of the hobby there is more stuff to buy and make certain bits more convenient but I have loaded .17 hornet, .223, .243 and .270 with this base kit (did have to buy a specific powder funnel for the .17 hornet though
) Lee Precision 50th Anniversary Reloading Kit 90050 - Reloading UK
<p><span>Add a set of dies to this kit and you'll have all the equipment needed to reload virtually any cartridge. This convenient package is built around the sturdy Lee Challenger Single Stage Press</span></p>
www.reloading.co.uk
It is addictive im now eyeing up an RCBS chargemaster lolThat’s a word not even to be in the same sentence as reloading.
DG
You can absolutely do it.
The most eminently sensible way, if I was to do it all again, would be to buy a good 2nd hand press.
I would buy new dies, something like the Lee ultimate 4 die set, so you can full length resize and crimp.
Hornady chamfer tool.
Lee case trimmer and lock stud and associated brass case length insert.
Reloading block.
Calipers (digital are fine).
Scales - buy a second hand RCBS 5-0-5, or get a good digital scale and a Lee manual scale to cross reference with.
Lee tube of lube.
RCBS primer pocket cleaner tool.
Lee perfect powder measure.
Lee hand priming tool.
Some 0000 wire wool (no need for a costly tumbler/sonic cleaner).
The most eminently sensible way, if I was to do it all again, would be to buy a good 2nd hand press.
I would buy new dies, something like the Lee ultimate 4 die set, so you can full length resize and crimp.
Hornady chamfer tool.
Lee case trimmer and lock stud and associated brass case length insert.
Reloading block.
Calipers (digital are fine).
Scales - buy a second hand RCBS 5-0-5, or get a good digital scale and a Lee manual scale to cross reference with.
Lee tube of lube.
RCBS primer pocket cleaner tool.
Lee perfect powder measure.
Lee hand priming tool.
Some 0000 wire wool (no need for a costly tumbler/sonic cleaner).
Stalker-of-the-deer
Well-Known Member
It's a cost vs efficency thing with reloading.
Basic kits are great but once you get into it you will probably sell it off and upgrade!
Charge masters are great as you getting rid of a powder dropper off your desk and ita automatically does it for you. Saves alot of time
A good press and dies works wonders aswell.
If I was to do it again I would sit down, write a list of things you need then shop about. Works out a little more expensive but you get what you want.
Ps buy redding imperial lube, its an absolute game changer vs pads and spray cans
Basic kits are great but once you get into it you will probably sell it off and upgrade!
Charge masters are great as you getting rid of a powder dropper off your desk and ita automatically does it for you. Saves alot of time
A good press and dies works wonders aswell.
If I was to do it again I would sit down, write a list of things you need then shop about. Works out a little more expensive but you get what you want.
Ps buy redding imperial lube, its an absolute game changer vs pads and spray cans
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
I started with a mix of new and second hand to make it cost effective at the time and added or replaced stuff from there. Use the Lee reloading kit list as a guide for what you need. I wanted the Lee Classic Cast Iron press and found one locally at a great price that must have been old stock.
@Rory and @Stalker-of-the-deer posts are a good guide, I use the RCBS Chargemaster Lite and find it makes my reloading a lot more efficient in terms of time and worktop space.
The lube sold on here by @Dr. Strangelove works well and lasts well, and you are supporting a very worthwhile charity.
@Rory and @Stalker-of-the-deer posts are a good guide, I use the RCBS Chargemaster Lite and find it makes my reloading a lot more efficient in terms of time and worktop space.
The lube sold on here by @Dr. Strangelove works well and lasts well, and you are supporting a very worthwhile charity.
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The Lee anniversary kit is ok but the quality of the kit can feel a little cheap. I would recommend getting the list of items you need and then browse the classifieds as reloading equipment seems to come up for sale regularly.
The actual list required for loading is very simple. When if comes to deciding what length to load your rounds stick with the book and don’t even think about measuring distance to the lands. Make sure the round comfortably fits into the magazine and feeds.
People say reloading is addictive. I hate it, I find the process of depriming brass, cleaning, sizing, trimming, chamfering, priming, weighing powder, filling cases with powder and seating a bullet a complete chore.
Some might call me crazy but I don’t tumble my brass. I use the primer pocket tool to scrape the pockets clean. Wipe the outside of the brass with a baby wipe to make sure it is free from dirt and grit and away we go, sometimes wire wool for particularly stubborn or cases I haven’t loaded for a while. It works and I’ve not seen any detriment to accuracy. I should probably get a tumbler. I used to ultra sonic clean my brass but it was so time consuming and after reading some articles on super clean brass I decided for me it really isn’t required.
I’ve been using a hand press for the last few years. Admittedly it’s a fancy one but it shows you don’t need a big heavy press for making accurate ammunition. Remember the big heavy cast ones were designed way back when and the designs haven’t changed for decades.
List of basic kit that you need;
Press- single stage like an RCBS partner or rockchucker if you do want to go big.
Dies- full length and seater. Neck dies are for competition and even then have fallen out of fashion. I like Redding or Forster. The boxes are easier to store than Lee cylinders
Case Trimmer
Inside and outside neck chamfer tool
Primer pocket cleaning tool to scrape stubborn pockets.
Primer seater
Calliper
Brass cleaner- dry media tumbler/wet tumbler
Scales- I recommend a combination and spending big here. RCBS chargemaster is a worthwhile investment. Speeds up the process no end and is accurate. Balance beams are cheap and you need a mechanical trickled to trickle small amounts of powder to be accurate. Takes an age when being accurate and careful.
Powder funnel
Trays for holding your cases when filling with powder.
It really is that simple. No need for a reloading book that I’m sure someone will be along to suggest you need to buy (oops someone has while I’ve been typing). Online resources are so encompassing now days. Free apps from powder manufacturers like Vihtavuori et al will provide data. Youtube will show you how to use the items you have bought. Just type in the product name. Watch a few different ones as not everyone will be doing it the same way or the right way
.
The actual list required for loading is very simple. When if comes to deciding what length to load your rounds stick with the book and don’t even think about measuring distance to the lands. Make sure the round comfortably fits into the magazine and feeds.
People say reloading is addictive. I hate it, I find the process of depriming brass, cleaning, sizing, trimming, chamfering, priming, weighing powder, filling cases with powder and seating a bullet a complete chore.
Some might call me crazy but I don’t tumble my brass. I use the primer pocket tool to scrape the pockets clean. Wipe the outside of the brass with a baby wipe to make sure it is free from dirt and grit and away we go, sometimes wire wool for particularly stubborn or cases I haven’t loaded for a while. It works and I’ve not seen any detriment to accuracy. I should probably get a tumbler. I used to ultra sonic clean my brass but it was so time consuming and after reading some articles on super clean brass I decided for me it really isn’t required.
I’ve been using a hand press for the last few years. Admittedly it’s a fancy one but it shows you don’t need a big heavy press for making accurate ammunition. Remember the big heavy cast ones were designed way back when and the designs haven’t changed for decades.
List of basic kit that you need;
Press- single stage like an RCBS partner or rockchucker if you do want to go big.
Dies- full length and seater. Neck dies are for competition and even then have fallen out of fashion. I like Redding or Forster. The boxes are easier to store than Lee cylinders
Case Trimmer
Inside and outside neck chamfer tool
Primer pocket cleaning tool to scrape stubborn pockets.
Primer seater
Calliper
Brass cleaner- dry media tumbler/wet tumbler
Scales- I recommend a combination and spending big here. RCBS chargemaster is a worthwhile investment. Speeds up the process no end and is accurate. Balance beams are cheap and you need a mechanical trickled to trickle small amounts of powder to be accurate. Takes an age when being accurate and careful.
Powder funnel
Trays for holding your cases when filling with powder.
It really is that simple. No need for a reloading book that I’m sure someone will be along to suggest you need to buy (oops someone has while I’ve been typing). Online resources are so encompassing now days. Free apps from powder manufacturers like Vihtavuori et al will provide data. Youtube will show you how to use the items you have bought. Just type in the product name. Watch a few different ones as not everyone will be doing it the same way or the right way
.As I like to say," reloading can be a really expensive way of saving money"
You could buy a cheap starter kit, and if you get into reloading, and especially if you shoot target and go through a lot of rounds, you will very likely upgrade all the kit, as kits are usually the most basic hardware you can buy, and you will want better, faster etc. and you will basically buy twice.
Ask someone locally to show you what to do, or if a member of a shooting club, they probably have people who will help and might even run courses
Also if you ask 10 people who do reload, you might get 10 different ideas/answers.
But basically reloading is 2 stages, 1) preparing your brass, some people run the brass through a press, pop out the primer, and that is it , others will neck size, clean out the primer pockets, tumble the brass, measure and weigh each case and trim to thousand's of an inch to have a uniform case.
2nd stage)... assembly of rounds, so primer in, powder in, seating the bullet in case, and guess what, again , some will use manual or electronic scales, measure the chamber of their rifle and take the bullet to a few thou off the lands etc.......possibly crimp the round etc other people take much less care.
With some trial and effort you can almost always get a center fire rifle more accurate, compared to factory ammo, but for hunting you probably wont notice.
However you should be able to reload for about 60% of the cost of factory,........after you have bought all the equipment !
As said, ideally find someone, or ideally a couple of people who will show you. Reloading can become almost a hobby in its own right, it can be a bit addictive, and it will certainly give you more knowledge of the science behind shooting, and you can find out useless things like its possible to have a 243 with the right bullet outshooting a 300win mag at a thousand yards , good luck.
You could buy a cheap starter kit, and if you get into reloading, and especially if you shoot target and go through a lot of rounds, you will very likely upgrade all the kit, as kits are usually the most basic hardware you can buy, and you will want better, faster etc. and you will basically buy twice.
Ask someone locally to show you what to do, or if a member of a shooting club, they probably have people who will help and might even run courses
Also if you ask 10 people who do reload, you might get 10 different ideas/answers.
But basically reloading is 2 stages, 1) preparing your brass, some people run the brass through a press, pop out the primer, and that is it , others will neck size, clean out the primer pockets, tumble the brass, measure and weigh each case and trim to thousand's of an inch to have a uniform case.
2nd stage)... assembly of rounds, so primer in, powder in, seating the bullet in case, and guess what, again , some will use manual or electronic scales, measure the chamber of their rifle and take the bullet to a few thou off the lands etc.......possibly crimp the round etc other people take much less care.
With some trial and effort you can almost always get a center fire rifle more accurate, compared to factory ammo, but for hunting you probably wont notice.
However you should be able to reload for about 60% of the cost of factory,........after you have bought all the equipment !
As said, ideally find someone, or ideally a couple of people who will show you. Reloading can become almost a hobby in its own right, it can be a bit addictive, and it will certainly give you more knowledge of the science behind shooting, and you can find out useless things like its possible to have a 243 with the right bullet outshooting a 300win mag at a thousand yards , good luck.
Start off by buying a notebook and record what you do when you're reloading. The Lee manual is a useful introduction.
Make sure that you have access to a range for testing your loads. Set a budget and you're likely to spend double whatever budget that you set.
Have fun.
JCS
Make sure that you have access to a range for testing your loads. Set a budget and you're likely to spend double whatever budget that you set.
Have fun.
JCS
Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to reply. I had noticed from looking online that everyone has a different approach but it's great to get a list of the necessary equipment and a small insight in to how to get going. I realise 'sensible' is a relative term and will change as I get into it but I will be starting off with small volumes for hunting and practice on paper and steel.
Rascal2018
Well-Known Member
Hi bud,
I have just started out and i was after the same list but its a never ending list haha
So this is what i would say (others may disagree)
•Press
•Scales (i have a set of lee balance scales you can have) i went cheap digi
•Trickler
•Set of dies
•Priming tool
•De burr tool
•Lube kit
•Loading block
•Powder Funnel
•Cleaning brushes
•Manuals
I went mainly 2nd hand and this forum has some good bits pop up.
I have added a few other bits like measuring cups etc and have been lucky to have been given a few bits by members. But i think that should get you started.
Then its just what load you want to make up and powders etc
As muir said, reading a book but not the data side of it first helped me to understand the process before starting also. You can download some so you can get familiar with the process.
Good luck
I have just started out and i was after the same list but its a never ending list haha
So this is what i would say (others may disagree)
•Press
•Scales (i have a set of lee balance scales you can have) i went cheap digi
•Trickler
•Set of dies
•Priming tool
•De burr tool
•Lube kit
•Loading block
•Powder Funnel
•Cleaning brushes
•Manuals
I went mainly 2nd hand and this forum has some good bits pop up.
I have added a few other bits like measuring cups etc and have been lucky to have been given a few bits by members. But i think that should get you started.
Then its just what load you want to make up and powders etc
As muir said, reading a book but not the data side of it first helped me to understand the process before starting also. You can download some so you can get familiar with the process.
Good luck
mike243
Well-Known Member
other members have listed all the gear you will need, a couple of additions or changes that will save a good lot of swearing will be a press mounted priming tool, Lee Ram Prime £25ish or similar and a Hornady Sure-Loc or similar split locking ring for each die £4.50ish each
What are you trying to reload? first task may be check you can actually buy the primers, powders and bullets you need.
I am hoping to load for my 6.5cm for hunting purposes mostly and then 6.5prc when it arrives more for target stuff and some hunting.
LeftHandGuy
Well-Known Member
All the information you need is here. Read a book, understand that there are only 4 steps (prep brass, prime, charge, seat bullet).
Don't overcomplicate.
Don't assume that more expensive is necessarily "better".
Assuming you have brass from factory rounds shot in your rifle, you can make competition winning ammunition with a £35 Lee Loader. Conversely, you could spend North of £500 on an RCBS kit and produce rounds that group like the proverbial shotgun.
I would start with the Lee or Lyman manual (you may get on with the Hornady or Speer ones but I personally didn't find them to be as good).
If budget is important to you (it is for me!) I would show a strong preference for Lee equipment.
Don't overcomplicate.
Don't assume that more expensive is necessarily "better".
Assuming you have brass from factory rounds shot in your rifle, you can make competition winning ammunition with a £35 Lee Loader. Conversely, you could spend North of £500 on an RCBS kit and produce rounds that group like the proverbial shotgun.
I would start with the Lee or Lyman manual (you may get on with the Hornady or Speer ones but I personally didn't find them to be as good).
If budget is important to you (it is for me!) I would show a strong preference for Lee equipment.
I don't see anything posts yet, setting out a statistically meaningful load testing strategy. What testing strategy should be followed?
Regards
JCS
Regards
JCS
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