Bad plan to get started?

[Hschweers]

Lots of good replies here. The real question I have is where do you want to go with this? Do you want to wring all the accuracy you can get out of each rifle you have and get your velocity extreme spreads down below 20 ft per second so you're good at long range? Or, do you simply want to get something that shoots as good or better than the best factory ammo you can buy? There comes a point where you have to weigh every charge, consider neck turning, using competition dies and checking concentricity..... And so on.

My thoughts for you are
Buy a real press. Like a used Rock chucker off of eBay. Buy competition dies with a micrometer to set bullet depth. I bought a RCBS chargemaster lite, and quit using my balance beam scale. I'm not anymore accurate now, but I'm a lot faster, and reloading is more enjoyable. Honestly, you can take it or leave it. And you really will have a hard time without a good set of calipers. Other than that you can go as cheaper as rich as you want to.

Prices are coming down as the economy slows down and ammo manufacturers are catching up. When you find recipes that work really well, you probably need to be thinking in terms of getting a five-year supply of components. The Obama shortage lasted almost 3 years. The pandemic shortage has lasted almost 3 years and we're about to come out of it.

Appreciate the advice. Right now my primary goal is to load bullets I can’t shoot from factory. I love partitions, and I can’t get a factory partition in 6.5 PRC (I get it, that bullet doesn’t maximize BC and long range efficiency in the PRC. I don’t care. I bought the PRC cause it was shiny and new, I don’t shoot 1000y). Also, if I wanted to shoot accubonds (which is my ultimate plan when I can find them), it’s $5+ a shot for trophy grade loaded Ammo.

In my 308 I want to use exclusively partitions. I’d prefer 150 loaded slow(ish) since I live in the south and the majority of my hunting is close shots. The factory loaded 150gr loads don’t shoot well in my 308 (and it’s faster than I’d like) so I’ve been shooting 180s.

That’s my primary reason right now. I’d also like to get better accuracy/consistency (which knowing my personality I’ll soon be obsessed with group sizes and MV and how to get the best of the best). And, it doesn’t hurt that I can put a nosler custom competition 140gr bullet together for 6.5 PRC for about $1.25/shot, vs $2/shot at a minimum from factory.

And lastly, it just seems like fun.

I’m pretty set on bushing sizers and micrometer seaters because I know I’ll likely want to replace cheap ones quickly as I become obsessed with accuracy and tinkering. I’ll get mitutoyo calipers from the start. After that, I think I’ll use a kit’s tools (one with a beam scale) and replace as I have a desire.

I appreciate everyone’s help!

 

[seand]

There is a lot of ways to spend money(and waste time) on reloading gear and processes that arent necessary for reloading hunting ammo.

A cheapo lee reloading kit/press will make great ammo.

You don’t need an electronic powder measure for hunting ammo. Typically for rifle ammo I set a manual lee powder measure with a beam scale and dump powder directly into cases 50 at a time in a loading block. My 13yo shot the group below couple days ago in a new rifle, thrown charges of RL16 directly out of the lee drum measure.

 

[Hschweers]

Okay quick question regarding bushing dies. Sitting at my desk and had this thought

Bushings are ordered off of case neck thickness x2 + bullet diameter - .001/.002/.003 (desired neck tension), correct?

Do you remeasure and reorder bushings after every (or every other/every third) firing? If I understand everything correctly, between the firing and resizing process a case neck is bound to stretch, and therefore thin out the walls. So your case neck thickness dimension is ever changing with each firing/sizing. Do people change bushings based on number of firings? I haven’t read anything saying people do, which makes me think the bushing dies and neck tension is all a bunch of mental masturbation and isn’t what people think it is beyond the first firing.

Again, I have no idea what I’m talking about. I haven’t loaded a single round yet. Just thinking out loud.

Edit: added too many 0s to get to the thousandths place

Edit 2: I would also think that staying consistent with one manufacturer doesn’t matter after the first firing since every case neck is going to react differently. First time around they may be a consistent thickness by using all of the same manufacturer, but after a firing or 2, all 100 cases are going to have a handful of different thickness measurements depending on how each one reacted with the firing and sizing.

 

[Gila]

Okay quick question regarding bushing dies. Sitting at my desk and had this thought

Bushings are ordered off of case neck thickness x2 + bullet diameter - .001/.002/.003 (desired neck tension), correct?

Do you remeasure and reorder bushings after every (or every other/every third) firing? If I understand everything correctly, between the firing and resizing process a case neck is bound to stretch, and therefore thin out the walls. So your case neck thickness dimension is ever changing with each firing/sizing. Do people change bushings based on number of firings? I haven’t read anything saying people do, which makes me think the bushing dies and neck tension is all a bunch of mental masturbation and isn’t what people think it is beyond the first firing.

Again, I have no idea what I’m talking about. I haven’t loaded a single round yet. Just thinking out loud.

Edit: added too many 0s to get to the thousandths place

Edit 2: I would also think that staying consistent with one manufacturer doesn’t matter after the first firing since every case neck is going to react differently. First time around they may be a consistent thickness by using all of the same manufacturer, but after a firing or 2, all 100 cases are going to have a handful of different thickness measurements depending on how each one reacted with the firing and sizing.

I am strapped for time right now but you select the bushing size by a) doubling the neck wall thickness and adding in .308 (bullet diameter) OR simply measure the outer neck diameter of a loaded round (with accurate calipers) subtract .003 to give you .002 neck tension (.001 for spring back). You can get more consistent neck tension if you a) anneal your brass every other firing b) use a mandrel c) turn the necks.

 

[Thinkingman]

I started reloading over 30 years ago. Started with hand gun ammo, then added rifle and now also do some shotgun ammo. Went I first started I had zero money. I asked my family for a Lee Anniversary reloading kit for Christmas one year so I could have my own stuff. It included a cheap press, scale, powder dump, case trimmer and a few other things. I reloaded many thousands of handgun and rifle ammo on that setup. The ammo I made was always better than I could shoot, more accurate than I was. I think it was around $100 back then. I always planned on upgrading to either an RCBS rockchucker or a Lyman press. Never ended up being able to. I still use that setup and it still works great. Teaching my kids how to use it now.

Morale of the story….buy the best that you can, but keep it in perspective. Make sure you have plenty of money around for powder, primers and bullets. It’s a great hobby and will make you a better shooter.

People like to throw shade at Lee but I can tell you I've loaded a bit of sub-moa rifle ammo with that Anniversary kit.
It's not fast and it won't impress your friends but it definitely works.