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Reloading - Beginner Setup

23 Oct 2019
@ 01:04 pm (GMT)

Alistair Birrell

G'day folks,

I'm looking to start my reloading journey. I purchased the book a few years back and have read it a couple of times. I still need to read it a couple more times but I think I've got the jist of it.

I'm on a very limited budget. After leaving the military, moving to the country and buying our first home and having a little one at foot we have not got a lot of $$ spare.

I'll be reloading for the 308. I have about 400 once fired factory hornady cases all from the rifle I use so I'll not be in hurry to buy brass anytime soon. I want to reload the 168gr ELD-M as my rifle likes them. A box of factory ammo is $60 and I could get the projectiles for just over 50c here so I reckon I can save a bit. I have enough factory ammo to keep me going for a month or three. Should I get a cheap Lee kit, get started and then slowly upgrade or should I save up and buy a piece of good gear (new or used - like a forster press) every couple of months as funds allow (buy once cry one principal) and start over the next 6-12 months?

I also have a Mitutoyo caliper that I got from my father in law. They are probably 50 years old. Is there a easy way to check calibration on them? Do they lose calibration?

Thanks in advance.

Replies

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23 Oct 2019 @ 03:45 pm (GMT)	Quote this Douglas Wood Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Buy a used or new single stage press like RCBS or Lee. Spend the most on a good scale. A set of dies and you have what you need.
23 Oct 2019 @ 05:57 pm (GMT)	Quote this Vince Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Hi Alistair I started reloading a couple of years ago with a cheap lee single stage press kit, came with a powder thrower and set of scales. I have a lee neck die for the 7mm08 and a Hornady f/l die for the 280AI. It may not be expensive but it works fine for me, have heard a few people complain about the scales, I guess they can be a bit fiddly to use if you are reloading in bulk and want speed but I haven't had any issues and don't see any reason to change. The 7mm08 shoots 3 shot averages about .75 at 100 over field rests (pack), the 280 shoots just under .5, I don't have the equipment to measure speeds and es but for the ranges I shoot the accuracy is fine and consistent so who cares! The only extras I have since got are a pair of calipers (manual dial cos I hate batteries) and a powder trickler, I set the powder thrower up to throw most of the charge then trickle up to the weight I want. I'm sure the more expensive eqipment is great, but unless you are shooting real long, benchrest shooting or churning out ammo like a sausage machine, I'm not sure it is necessary Hope this helps Vince
24 Oct 2019 @ 12:02 am (GMT)	Quote this Paul Leverman Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Hello Alistair. There is nothing wrong with getting the Lee kits. If you are only doing the .308, I would just buy the collet neck die set, Two dies (neck and seating), shell holder and scoop. Good to go. I've never priced their presses, so can't help there. Like the others have said, Lee is a good set-up. I've changed from RCB* to Lee in most calibres, and after using the Lee equipment for a few years, I have found it to be far superior, both in accuracy and ease of use.
24 Oct 2019 @ 03:54 am (GMT)	Quote this Joshua Mayfield Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Hi Alistair. You're getting sound advice here, I think. I'll add an idea and hope it is helpful rather than confusing. My first handloads were done with a Lee Loader (the "whack-a-mole") kit. It's not what I recommend to someone as their primary setup, but I do feel like I learned a few things tinkering around with that very basic set of tools. When I got ready to invest a little more money in handloading I spent a lot of time researching. Too much time, really. I read a small library's worth of articles, blogs, reviews, and books on equipment, components, and technique. Nathan's reloading book rendered most of the rest obsolete. It is the best resource on the topic that I've seen. Reading it saved me a ton of money and frustration. I'm pretty happy for the foreseeable future with my current setup. I currently load for .30-06 but could use my setup for any rifle caliber. The only thing that would demand significant changes in equipment would be if I needed to greatly increase volume. I have equipment other than what I'll list, but I'll list the things I regard as essential. This is what I'm running: Presses: Lee Breech Lock Hand press ($45 U.S.) and Lee Classic Turret Press (new one is $125) I load more rounds on the hand press and have achieved groups of less than half MOA with rounds from it. If I had to let one go, I'm keeping the hand press. Scale: Lee Safety Scale (<$30) - I will likely invest in a Hornady scale soon Dies: Lee Ultimate 4 Die Set (<$50) - I have used other dies, I like these Brass: you've got that covered for a while Brass Prep: have used very low end chamfer & deburring tools for years, recently bought the Lyman Case Prep Multi Tool ($30) but have not yet used it. Caliper: sounds like you're set Case Lube: I like Hornady Unique lube but opinions on this seem to be highly subjective... almost like perfume preferences Loading Trays: no need to spend a lot of money but you definitely want something that will keep rounds upright. I have a $5 FA tray and a wooden one I put together myself from scraps in the shop. Satern Funnel: I think this is a luxury item to a lot of guys and the plastic funnels work. But I love the Satern ($13). The perfect plastic spoon for pouring powder: Priceless. The quest to find it is its own odyssey. If you want to just use a powder trickler, fine. Twenty bucks. Since you've already identified your bullet you're in a great position. Are you settled on powder? My setup is not the best, not what lots of guys would do, but it is working for me. On this basis, when friends ask me what it costs to get into reloading, I tell them that they can be up and running for less than $250. I drool sometimes over the $300 presses that are out there, but if I'm starting from square one I would rather get a basic, operational setup running and base future upgrades on my own experiences. I hope all goes well, Alistair. Above all else, keep yourself safe handling the powder and primers.
24 Oct 2019 @ 12:38 pm (GMT)	Quote this Hamish Gibbs Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Another vote for Lee here, the aniversary breech lock kit think it was? Deluxe die kit with Collet neck size die(no lube needed) and lee hand trim stem/cutter in .308 Think its pretty hard to un calibrate quality manual vernier as long as it isin't all sloppy and reads zero at zero?? have had issues with cheaper digital ones. Put upgrading in the luxury not neccesity catagory. Spend on components and enjoy! My first upgrade was a powder trickler Second was scales recommended in the reloading book.
25 Oct 2019 @ 05:19 am (GMT)	Quote this Robert McLean Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup This is my reloading set up. Nathans reloading book is a given. I would recommend brand new dies and press. Clean them religiously if you want to maintain real concentricity. I get 1-3 thou consistently with this set up. Neck sizing is not in my realm yet.... Hope these work... 2 scales because the rbs is old and I like to be really sure.
25 Oct 2019 @ 05:41 am (GMT)	Quote this Robert McLean Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Case cleaning stuff is a bit small sorry. Neck deburing tool Neck brush Case length trimmer Lee Pocket cleaner Pocket cleaning brushes Pocket uniformer flash hole deburing tool Pick small paint brush Blower bulb I am meticulous on case cleaning by hand. Primer pocket and inside neck mostly. Its hours for a 20 pack but it is worth it. When I go to the range I try to do the amount of time it took me to build them justice in my patience when shooting. My sendero 7mm is now getting sub .5 moa with 2 loads consistently. 160 nosler partitions and 162 hornady SST's. Like Nathan says, the concentricity guage is paramount in my eyes. Really made me try hard... I just have a cheepo caliper. Seems to be consistent, if not accurate. Forgot the Lee hand primer.
25 Oct 2019 @ 08:25 am (GMT)	Quote this Alistair Birrell Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Thank you all for the recommendations and feedback . I'm rereading the book again on my train commute this morning. As tempting as the fancy gear is I simply can't afford it right now and the consensus is (both here and in the book) that it is not necessary when starting out. KISS principal applied. I can get most of the Lee gear for a good price so I'll start putting together a shopping list based in the above and let you know how I go. Thanks again and have a great weekend.
25 Oct 2019 @ 08:28 am (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Robert has the larger Lee Classic Cast Press (different to the anniversary kit). I quite like this press as it can be used with .50 BMG or any other oversized oddball dies, has been a joy to own and use. However, one can just as easily get good results with the smaller press. Some good advice and support in this thread.
25 Oct 2019 @ 08:43 am (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Hi Alister, here is a reminder for you about good basic gear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydqYFfn4T14&t=33s
25 Oct 2019 @ 06:12 pm (GMT)	Quote this Alistair Birrell Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Quote: Hi Alister, here is a reminder for you about good basic gear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydqYFfn4T14&t=33s Thanks Nathan. Much appreciated. I had watched this a year or so back but it was a good refresher to watch again. Thank you for your hard work and commitment.
08 Nov 2019 @ 12:26 pm (GMT)	Quote this Ryan Nafe Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup I picked up the Lee Aniversary kit this morning. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that I tend to have very specific preferences for the capabilities of my ammo and guns, and I had grown tired of the frustration of using factory ammunition that simply doesn’t offer what I want or is very expensive. The Lee kit should be a good starting point for working with a few different rifle and handgun cartridges, simple equipment to use while developing an understanding of all the different processes involved. —- Just a word on calipers, I have several years of professional experience in using them: - For the most part, they can’t really be “calibrated” in any way. They make the measurements that they make, they are what they are. - Generally what you want to watch for is any deformation on the jaws, careful work with a very fine sharpening stone can smooth out any dings you might put in them. - It is very important to develop a good feel for the individual tool you’re using. What should be done is to take a few different pieces of material and make repeated measurements of them, dozens and dozens of times, until you develop a feel for the amount of pressure you need to use in order to get the measurements. - In the type of work we’re usually doing within the context of reloading, doesn’t really matter if the caliper is telling you that (for example) your cases are 0.003” longer than they actually are, because the rest of your measurements will all be made by the same tool anyway and you’re not being held to blueprint specs or anything like that. - It’s often a good idea to not know beforehand what the nominal number of the measurement is. It’s significantly better to go in blind and just take your measurements, this way you reduce the potential for biasing the results. You’d be surprised how easy it is to make the tools read the numbers that you want to see.
10 Nov 2019 @ 05:08 am (GMT)	Quote this Paul Leverman Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Alistair - just an addition to Ryan's post. Even though the calipers themselves cannot be calibrated, the readings can be verified by using micrometer "standards". This will at least give you the error factor. Like Ryan said, the number is what it is. If it is out of spec by a small margin it will not be a problem, but personally I would hold it to no more than +/-.001". If it was more of an error, then just remember to do the arithmetic to get the real value.
12 Nov 2019 @ 10:21 am (GMT)	Quote this Scott Struif Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup I know . . . I should buy the book. But I'm trying to decide if I want to take the plunge into reloading. I've read Nathan's stub article on determinatiing maximum coal with a dowel. Ingenious, but with the myriad quality hunting bullets out there, it seems like the dowell would be pretty marked up. Plus, I don't know that I'd trust myself to hold the pencil just right, or sharpen it just right, with the recessed crown and all, to get an accurate reading close to +/_ .001. Wouldn't it be worth the $45 or so for the Hornady OAL and Comparator tools?
12 Nov 2019 @ 10:28 am (GMT)	Quote this Scott Struif Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup I meant +/- .010. Also, "determining." How google let "determinatiing" stand is a mystery. It's not even a word.
12 Nov 2019 @ 01:18 pm (GMT)	Quote this Paul Leverman Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Scott - you can try to wrap the dowel in masking tape and put your pencil line on it. When it gets too busy, just rip it off and start again.
12 Nov 2019 @ 05:44 pm (GMT)	Quote this Scott Struif Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Good idea, Paul . . . as long as increasing jump is your objective.
13 Nov 2019 @ 12:18 am (GMT)	Quote this Paul Leverman Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Obviously, I missed your meaning or methodology. Sorry.
13 Nov 2019 @ 04:32 am (GMT)	Quote this Scott Struif Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Paul, What I meant was, what if you want to minimize jump to, say, .010? Maybe that's just not done. I like your idea. I've been following this thread, trying to decide if I want a new hobby. I'm wondering why there's no mention of a comparator. Seems like it would be a useful tool if you want to test an assortment of bullets.
13 Nov 2019 @ 09:04 am (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup OK, try not to overthink this. If its a .308, bullet jump is going to be about 2.5mm or roughly .100" so a comparator isn't going to be of much help. It won't even be accurate as the reading is from the shoulder of the dummy case to the lands, not the bolt face. In other words, it neglects head space. Again, keep things simple. In the .308 (standard sporting magazine box), obtain a general yet repeatable reading simply to ascertain whether it has actually been cut properly, not cut with a blunt / worn reamer (or in re-barrels a tight custom match reamer). The reading will give you basic info. For example, if the throat is short, you are going to have to be extra careful with powder charges. Basic common sense stuff. Generally, once you have your readings, you will most likely find that you cannot seat the .308 anywhere near close to the lands. You'll need to seat the ammo so that the projectile is fully housed and guided by the case neck and also so that it fits and feeds smoothly from the short factory rifle magazine box. The Lee dies have suitable OAL's for this stamped on the die instruction sheet. If you have a long magazine box (Accuracy International) and wish to use a 195gr bullet, this is the time to get finicky with seating depths. All of this is covered in the reloading book including comparators and home made dummy round comparators.
13 Nov 2019 @ 10:28 am (GMT)	Quote this Scott Struif Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Thanks, Nathan. I bought your book just now. Not to be argumentative, but I read Berger's articles on seating their VLDs. I have no interest in using VLDs, but their logic would seem to apply to any bullet, even though the tangent ogive designs are meant to be more forgiving. My understanding from Berger's articles is that the comparator, coupled with the OAL gauge, gives you the dimension from the base of the case to the ogive (i.e., the lands), which would account for headspace. I get that the MOAL (magazine overall length) is a major limitation, but wouldn't be opposed to using a bolt gun as a single-shot if I knew a .001 jump produced the best accuracy.
13 Nov 2019 @ 10:43 am (GMT)	Quote this Scott Struif Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup One would have to decide whether to full-length resize, or use "fire-formed" cases for the measurement to be accurate, of course.
13 Nov 2019 @ 10:55 am (GMT)	Quote this Scott Struif Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup On second thought, one would have to use fire-formed, neck-sized-only cases for a truly accurate measurment that accounted for headspace. Chambering and extraction could be an issue. Not fishing for a reply. I'll read the book.
13 Nov 2019 @ 10:58 am (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup Thanks Scott, hope you find the book useful. The measurement from the base of the case to the ogive (using a Hornady Comparator) is not the same as bolt face to ogive. Every gun is slightly different. If you want to get close measurements, you need to use a fully fireformed (firm bolt feel) case as per the book methods. The trouble is, this kind of talk is not helpful for beginners, its too intimidating. The book goes into all such detail, but the beginner need not be so concerned if he is shooting a .308 (one reason why the .308 is so good for new shooters). It is quite possible to follow very basic steps and achieve one hole group accuracy. lately I have been posting such videos, a simple 7mm rem Mag load, shooting the .30-06 out to 600 yards before the modern age of apps etc. I want to make sure my beginners are empowered as they get started. I don't want folk feeling intimidated by complex talk in a beginner set up thread.
13 Nov 2019 @ 10:59 am (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: Reloading - Beginner Setup You got it Scott!