Reloading NOOB...

[J-Dub]

Ok i recieved a starter reloading kint in 2009 (ya i still havent used it) and i REALLY need to start using it.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Reloading/Presses-Dies%7C/pc/104792580/c/104761080/sc/104516280/Lee-Breech-Lock-Challenger-Reloading-Kit/731940.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-reloading-presses-dies%2Flee%2F_%2FN-1100195%2B1000003875%2FNe-1000003875%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104516280%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104792580%253Bcat104761080%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat104761080%3Bcat104516280

^^thats the kit i have. I know i need a caliper and maybe a digital scale. I also need to buy "The ABC's of Reloading". Other than that, what else do i need (as far as equipment).

I'll only be loading .223 (AR) and .243..

Dont really know what load i want to start with first...maybe a 75gr hp for the .223 and a 95gr TSX hunting round for my .243 bolt action

All help is appreciated!

[rjacobs]

Do some searching. Everything you want to know is posted in here somewhere. Brian Enos's site is also a very very good resource for loads and what not. For caliber specific books I like the little cheapy books Cabela's has. They have copies of all the pages from the various bullet and powder manufacturers data all in one. It wont help you get your press setup, but its a good resource for learning how to work up loads.

For .223 plinkin loads I load 25g of H335 with a SRM primer and a 55g FMJ bullet loaded to 2.250. Accurate enough for training ammo and it was a load I found a shit ton of people use.

For other loads you will have to work on what works best in your gun(most accurate). I typically load 10 rounds at the lowest powder value in the book and the longest OAL of 2.250(2.260 is the longest you can load for the AR due to mag restrictions so I back off a .01). Then I load 10 more upping the charge and keeping the same OAL until I hit the max charge in the book. Then I start over at the lowest charge and reduce the OAL slightly until I am at the min book OAL and I do this for all charge weights. Some people will use BR primers for their accuracy loads, but I havent really noticed a difference from the regular SRM primers I generally use. It can take a few hundred rounds to get a load dialed in for your gun.

And remember to match your bullet weight to your barrel twist. 75g ammo is great, unless you have a 1/9 barrel in your AR and then all the accuracy testing you do will never yield a good result because you wont stabilize the bullet.

[J-Dub]

Thanks for the info.

My twist is 1/7 (BCM) so 75gr should be gtg

[rjacobs]

I would suggest starting out loading some 55g plinking stuff to get used to running the press and what not and then start loading the more accurate stuff.

I have some 75g Hornady BTHP and 77g Sierra BTHP stuff that I didnt load for accuracy but just to have as a SHTF stash. Its loaded to the max book value and 2.250. It runs in my gun, not as accurate as my dedicated accuracy load, but it runs and I know it would do some damage if I needed it to.

[mizer67]

Ok i recieved a starter reloading kint in 2009 (ya i still havent used it) and i REALLY need to start using it.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Reloading/Presses-Dies%7C/pc/104792580/c/104761080/sc/104516280/Lee-Breech-Lock-Challenger-Reloading-Kit/731940.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-reloading-presses-dies%2Flee%2F_%2FN-1100195%2B1000003875%2FNe-1000003875%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104516280%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104792580%253Bcat104761080%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat104761080%3Bcat104516280

^^thats the kit i have. I know i need a caliper and maybe a digital scale. I also need to buy "The ABC's of Reloading". Other than that, what else do i need (as far as equipment).

I'll only be loading .223 (AR) and .243..

Dont really know what load i want to start with first...maybe a 75gr hp for the .223 and a 95gr TSX hunting round for my .243 bolt action

All help is appreciated!

The kit comes with some sort of trimmer I read. Most likely, that's not going to work for both of the calibers your reloading for. You'll need another insert for the trimmer.

You'll also want:

Micrometer
Different campher and deburring tool like an LE Wilson (will do double duty for mil crimped primer pockets)
Different scale most likely
Powder trickler or maybe just a little Lee dipper to dribble in some powder
Flash hold deburring tool
Tumbler and media
Media separater
Dies
Loading block

Probably some other odds and ends I'm forgetting. An OAL guage would be nice to have, and a dedicated reamer for the primer pockets.

[J-Dub]

I have dies, flash hole deburring tool, lee dipper.

Good call on the scale, i'd like a digital. Can i get a caliper from sears/home depot? Or does it need to be a reloading specific?


Thanks again.

[rjacobs]

Digital scale is kind of a waste. I have the dillon beam scale and its pretty damn good, cant complain. Its quick and easy to use.

Calipers, I guess you could go to a hardware store, just make sure you get ones that measure in thousands(.001).

Case gauges too for whatever you are going to be loading. A cheap 10-15 dollar tool to make sure your length is good and that your sizing die is actually working. For rifle stuff you basically have to use a gauge. For pistols you can use the barrel removed from the slide to test rounds.

[Thomas M-4]

I picked up a set of brown & sharp 0-6'' dial calipers at pawn shop Swiss made. I don't remember how much I paid for them except they were cheap maybe 20+ bucks :haha:most pawn shop customers wouldn't know how to read them.

[davidz71]

Midway USA as well as Brownells sell caliphers. The expensive dial caliphers I have used for over 30 years bit the dust and I replaced them with electronic ones. I miss the original dial type. I'm still using the balance beam style for powder weighing. No problem with it.

I use a Dillon 650 for loading .223. My LWRC 16" does well with 62 gr. FMJBTSC bullets, either pulls or new and 25 gr. of H335, CCI 450 mag primers, RP once fired .223 cases. I have a 1000 Hornady 55 gr. FMJBT bullets sitting on the bench waiting to be loaded up with either 24.5 or 25 gr. Ramshot TAC as soon as I can buy 8 lbs. of that powder. If they shoot well, I will probably use it for my practice loads.

I would recommend you have at least 2 loading manuals handy and go through each one before working up your loads.

[2238945]

For plinking .223 through my Spike's Carbine, I use 25 grains of IMR 4895 under a 55gr FMJ and CCI SRP. I am not sure of the exact brand of bullets. My grandfather passed 1NOV10 and I inherited an ENTIRE room of shooting supplies including Dillion 550 and set die-heads for about 15 calibers. I found in a ammo can 15K 55gr FMJ. My father and him did a bulk purchase of IMI in the mid 90's and he thinks this is the remainder.

[davidz71]

I bought a few thousand 55 gr. FMJBT IMI bullets and one thousand 62 gr. FMJBT years ago, loaded up all the 55 gr. and only shot a few hundred them. The 62 gr. are on the bench to be loaded next week. The 55 gr. seem to shoot well.

[slomo]

That looks like a pretty complete starter kit. Recommend you get a couple of loading blocks (to hold cases upright as you move through the steps). Also get a couple of reloading manuals especially for brand of bullets you plan to use. Manuals such as Hornady, Speer, Nosler and Sierra have good reloading sections to help you get safely started and ballistic information to help you predict performance. Well worth the $30 or so per manual.