Want to start reloading

[Zappaman]

There are lots of lesser used powders out there that can be found during times like now. But popular powders are often easier to load (and find load data) for and... if it's being used by the top shooters... there is a reason Every one wants the BEST... right?

 

[nhyrum]

Are those certain powders hard to find because they are superior or just something more exotic and “kewl”?


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It can be a bit of both. I remember a while back h4350 was hard to come by, because everyone and their dog got a 6.5 creedmoor and it was the magic unicorn dust. Then there's stuff like vihtavouri powders that are from Finland I believe?? And they're amazing, but just difficult to find, and more expensive because of the impartation.

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[ramsdude47]

Is there any clear winner for value of the $180 Lee Reloading kit vs $360 Hornady kit vs $480 RCBS kits?

 

[Zappaman]

If you aren't shooting 1000 yard competition- I find the LEE products to be an exceptional value for the average reloader. I use many of their dies and their "neck only" resizing die was THE deal for years (patented)- and is superb.

 

[nhyrum]

I loaded on a Lee press for a while, and shot 600 yard competition with them. It was even the turret press, and I did pretty well. After I changed to a "more solid" single stage and way fancier dies, I was chasing the groups and Chrono numbers of those loads. I'd go with the Lee kit.

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[OXN939]

Much appreciated! What’s everyone’s reason for reloading? Cost savings, desire for better performance, for fun, etc?

Think of a custom tailored suit versus one off the rack. Getting pretty spendy these days to end up with whatever happens to be in stock... which, in all likelihood, won't fit near as well as it could.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

How deep are you willing to get into this?

Option a- rcbs kit and just reload.

Option b. Listen to @unknownmuntions and Averie’s podcast on reloading.

Buy once cry once.

Minimum for presicion in my opinion
Forster coax press (also a decent value)
Fx120i scale
Access to an annealer
Decent trimmer
Good dies mandrel die


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[Mule3006Elk]

No issues with RCBS. I bought their starter kit years ago.
Redding competition dies.
Wilson trimmer.
Beam scales are great IMO.
I have a RCBS tumbler and feel no need to change.
I do uniform primer pockets and debur flash hole.
21st Century tool for seating the primers (phenomenal).

Hornady tools: o-give, shoulder, and their tool for measuring to the lands, bullet puller which you will need at some point.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

No issues with RCBS. I bought their starter kit years ago.
Redding competition dies.
Wilson trimmer.
Beam scales are great IMO.
I have a RCBS tumbler and feel no need to change.
I do uniform primer pockets and debur flash hole.
21st Century tool for seating the primers (phenomenal).

Hornady tools: o-give, shoulder, and their tool for measuring to the lands, bullet puller which you will need at some point.

something to think about uniforming primer pockets AND using the 21st century tool.
the 21st indexes off the top of the rim, the primer pocket uniformer indexes off of the case head. the uniformity from the factory of primer pocket depth is super consistent when measured off the top of the rim. It is also very inconsistent measuring off of the base. Erik Cortina and Greg Dykstra have an AMAZING youtube video on this. In essence, you are ruining primer pockets by uniforming them. I never thought of it like that!!! food for thought.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

something to think about uniforming primer pockets AND using the 21st century tool.
the 21st indexes off the top of the rim, the primer pocket uniformer indexes off of the case head. the uniformity from the factory of primer pocket depth is super consistent when measured off the top of the rim. It is also very inconsistent measuring off of the base. Erik Cortina and Greg Dykstra have an AMAZING youtube video on this. In essence, you are ruining primer pockets by uniforming them. I never thought of it like that!!! food for thought.

I'll have to look at. Usually very little if any is taken off. I use Lapua brass which is already very consistent.

I seat my primers 0.002-0.003. It does allow very consistent seating depth especially when using the 21st Century Seating tool. I feel like my accuracy increased with consistent seating depth. Whether that was the seating tool or primer pocket consistency I can't say. I did them at the same time so there was no control.

I'll listen to the video. I open to new tricks OR not wasting my time with old ones.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

something to think about uniforming primer pockets AND using the 21st century tool.
the 21st indexes off the top of the rim, the primer pocket uniformer indexes off of the case head. the uniformity from the factory of primer pocket depth is super consistent when measured off the top of the rim. It is also very inconsistent measuring off of the base. Erik Cortina and Greg Dykstra have an AMAZING youtube video on this. In essence, you are ruining primer pockets by uniforming them. I never thought of it like that!!! food for thought.

The primer pocket uniformer I use indexes off the rim not the case head. If I'm understanding you correctly.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

What uniformer do you use?


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[Travis Bertrand]

Also, in the video, they talk about how primer pocket depth changes with each firing. It’s a super long video. I want to say 2 hours but man so informative and really challenged my thoughts on uniformity


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[Mule3006Elk]

What uniformer do you use?


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21st Century: Depth Adjustable Primer Pocket Uniformer with Carbide Cutter

 

[Doc Holliday]

What dies do y’all recommend and what ones will I need? From what I’ve read I’ll need a re-sizing die and seating die. Am I missing anything? What is being referred to when it says full length and bushing die?


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If you are only shooting out of 1 rifle (ie: you do not have other rifles of the same caliber), I would buy the Full length sizing die to size your new unfired brass, seating die for the bullet, and then use the neck sizing die after firing to "resize" instead of FL sizing die. So I would get all 3 for each caliber, unless you have multiple rifles in a caliber, in which case you would get the FL sizing die and the seating die.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

If you are only shooting out of 1 rifle (ie: you do not have other rifles of the same caliber), I would buy the Full length sizing die to size your new unfired brass, seating die for the bullet, and then use the neck sizing die after firing to "resize" instead of FL sizing die. So I would get all 3 for each caliber, unless you have multiple rifles in a caliber, in which case you would get the FL sizing die and the seating die.

I have to disagree with you sir, on this neck sizer and here is why.
You are trying to be as consistent as possible right? running your brass through a FL die only once every 3-4 reloads is not being consistent. Only neck sizing will also not bump the shoulder back. Your brass will get tighter and tighter in your chamber. The last thing you want is a round that won't chamber ESPECIALLY when it comes to an animal or competition.


OP-
Standard FL sizer die sizes the whole brass, and the neck to typically SAAMI spec. they size the neck down so it will fit in just about any chamber and will give you a lot of "neck Tension" to keep the bullet seated.

FL Bushing die lets you control the squeeze on neck tension a little more by placing a specific size bushing in your die. the problem with busing dies it is controlling the neck tension from the OUTSIDE diameter of your neck.
to really control neck tension you will need a mandrel die and size the INSIDE of your neck for proper neck tension.

With that said, I use both when sizing brass (bushing and mandrel) the reason is a standard FL die will squeeze the brass lets say .008 and then I open it up with my mandrel .002. that is .006 of unnecessary expanding and contracting of your brass if that makes sense. I can control that with bushing die to .001-.002.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

I have to disagree with you sir, on this neck sizer and here is why.
You are trying to be as consistent as possible right? running your brass through a FL die only once every 3-4 reloads is not being consistent. Only neck sizing will also not bump the shoulder back. Your brass will get tighter and tighter in your chamber. The last thing you want is a round that won't chamber ESPECIALLY when it comes to an animal or competition.


OP-
Standard FL sizer die sizes the whole brass, and the neck to typically SAAMI spec. they size the neck down so it will fit in just about any chamber and will give you a lot of "neck Tension" to keep the bullet seated.

FL Bushing die lets you control the squeeze on neck tension a little more by placing a specific size bushing in your die. the problem with busing dies it is controlling the neck tension from the OUTSIDE diameter of your neck.
to really control neck tension you will need a mandrel die and size the INSIDE of your neck for proper neck tension.

With that said, I use both when sizing brass (bushing and mandrel) the reason is a standard FL die will squeeze the brass lets say .008 and then I open it up with my mandrel .002. that is .006 of unnecessary expanding and contracting of your brass if that makes sense. I can control that with bushing die to .001-.002.

That's an interesting approach. How do you determine the size of the mandrel. Bullet O.D. (-0.002)

 

[Travis Bertrand]

21st Century: Depth Adjustable Primer Pocket Uniformer with Carbide Cutter

I just looked it up. looks like a nice tool! but its like any other uniformer and indexes off of the base of the case. What I mean by that, is it stops cutting when the flat surface does in contact with the case.
when you are priming. you use a shell holder which grabs the rim as you push a primer into it thus indexing off the top of the case rim. . When you measure a primer pocket, you typically measure off the base of the case (which come to find out, is always changing and not consistent)
my point is we are measuring for consistency using one method, and seating primers and adjusting depth using another.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

I just looked it up. looks like a nice tool! but its like any other uniformer and indexes off of the base of the case. What I mean by that, is it stops cutting when the flat surface does in contact with the case.
when you are priming. you use a shell holder which grabs the rim as you push a primer into it thus indexing off the top of the case rim. . When you measure a primer pocket, you typically measure off the base of the case (which come to find out, is always changing and not consistent)
my point is we are measuring for consistency using one method, and seating primers and adjusting depth using another.

BUT...the tool indexes off the base.

I here what you're saying grabbing the rim to seat the primer. However, if doesn't matter because I still measure for seating depth, 0.002-0.003 below flush, using my calipers which measure off the base.

I understand the cases are dynamic and changing to some degree with every firing. The brass is flowing etc. BUT..it makes me feel better knowing at least from the baseline my cases are consistent. I shoot < 500 yards but I always strive for good reloads in hopes to make clean/fast harvest.

Realistically, if I took the time to find out which pieces of brass shoots best, it would be time well spent!! Shoot the brass, if shoots good, put it in the good lot. If still shoots good 2nd time around keep them in the good lot. Etc. If brass shoots bad, goes in the bad lot, shoot 2nd time if still bad, be done with it. If shoots good keep it in the bad > good lot. If shoots good a 3rd time likely good brass but poor first shot. If it shoots bad, now 2/3 bad, if goes in the bad lot permanently. I probably end up with a dam good lot of brass regardless of brass specs. Truth be told I don't have the time.

Point is some brass shoots well but it's not always clear why. Some brass may have near perfect specs but be inconsistent. Other brass have have subpar specs but consistently shoots well.
It's the rabbit hole of reloading. You think you figured it out then you realize you haven't. HaHa!

 

[Travis Bertrand]

BUT...the tool indexes off the base.

I here what you're saying grabbing the rim to seat the primer. However, if doesn't matter because I still measure for seating depth, 0.002-0.003 below flush, using my calipers which measure off the base.

I understand the cases are dynamic and changing to some degree with every firing. The brass is flowing etc. BUT..it makes me feel better knowing at least from the baseline my cases are consistent. I shoot < 500 yards but I always strive for good reloads in hopes to make clean/fast harvest.

Realistically, if I took the time to find out which pieces of brass shoots best, it would be time well spent!! Shoot the brass, if shoots good, put it in the good lot. If still shoots good 2nd time around keep them in the good lot. Etc. If brass shoots bad, goes in the bad lot, shoot 2nd time if still bad, be done with it. If shoots good keep it in the bad > good lot. If shoots good a 3rd time likely good brass but poor first shot. If it shoots bad, now 2/3 bad, if goes in the bad lot permanently. I probably end up with a dam good lot of brass regardless of brass specs. Truth be told I don't have the time.

Point is some brass shoots well but it's not always clear why. Some brass may have near perfect specs but be inconsistent. Other brass have have subpar specs but consistently shoots well.
It's the rabbit hole of reloading. You think you figured it out then you realize you haven't. HaHa!

definitely hit the nail on the head on the last statement!