Thread: Reloading begginer info needed

Some good bugger put this search advice up.
Works a charm
Just substitute for the 222 bit

site:nzhuntingandshooting.co.nz .222


PS a Lee kit will get you going.
Some of us started with the old whack a mole ones.

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....5/#post1206929

Originally Posted by Countryside

Righto, could anyone enlighten me on what reloading equipment I would need to start out reloading?
Have allways used shop bought ammo without any issues, but with old lock down I thought I would have been a good time to do some research on what to purchase, I hunt with 223 and 7mm08, any info would be greatly appreciated! All the best stay safe, be good and if you can't be good then be careful!!

You are in Auckland, join one of the NZDA branches there are two of them even if only for one year you will learn more from their members than
going it alone they both have Ranges, I think Auckland branch has a Web page check them out before spend any money on gear But do buy a Reloading
Manual first the Hornady is good and most shooters use Hornady projectiles.

There are no shortcuts in reloading. There's a rather delightful long winded old fella on YouTube who can tell you all you need to know to get started and he knows what he is talking about..Google Gunblue490 and look for his series on reloading and settle back

Thanks for all the info! Really appreciate it cheers

I have found when full length sizing size a case, try it, and If further adjustment is needed select another case, make the adjustment, try this case.
What I found is that if using the same case and making small adjustments till satisfactory bolt closure the next case sized ends up oversized.
I think this is caused by hysteresis/springback with small adjustments.

However, I now anneal every firing so the above may hold hold true anymore.

I reload for one deer rifle (6.5x55) and do it as an extension of my shooting hobby. I have not saved any money doing if but I am (pretty) confident my reloads are more accurate than factory.
I bought a Lee anniversary reloading kit and it is fit for my purpose. There is everything in the Lee kit you need to get going and if you look at the list from @Magnetite minus the comments from @mimms2 you pretty much have the Lee kit. The Lee kit has a manual and a quick start guide too.

I have added a set of digital calipers and the thingy to measure OAL from the olgive as well as a neck resizing die.
Using the Lee power thrower and scales is a slow process but I can get accuracy down to single grains (individual powder pieces, not grains of weight) of powder and I only reload for one rifle so I don't care.
I do spend a lot of time f***ing around when I seat my projectile to ensure the OAL is exactly what I want and I suspect a higher quality press might help here but again, one rifle, hobby, I enjoy it.

The Lee is not to everyone's taste and is a "less expensive" set when compared to others but it is fit for my purpose, it might be fit for yours

Cheers

Countryside, having a mentor to guide you would be a great way to dip a toe in and hopefully a local can offer an olive branch. I often offer my services to folks getting started. if they take it up it's up to them, but i encourage you to think on it.

You don't need to spend a fortune to reload quality ammunition. If you're needs are a small volume each year, say a few hundred per rifle and two rifles. You can load with a lee hand tool, a set of scales or dippers, a lube pad and lube. A set of verniers will also help. I did it this way all through uni in my dorm and worked just fine.

Next step up is a small press (hand or bench) and dies. Like any hobby you can spend as much or as little as you want depending on your objectives.

Ive had lee challenger forever...and Mrs spotted a 3 turret press in bargain bin for $15 so Ive got one of them now too....there is a bit of slack in it but once adjusted to take it into account....my micrometre says its doing job just as good.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Ive had lee challenger forever...and Mrs spotted a 3 turret press in bargain bin for $15 so Ive got one of them now too....there is a bit of slack in it but once adjusted to take it into account....my micrometre says its doing job just as good.

The play in Lee turret presses is a non-issue that people who don't know how they work love to diss them with. Yes there is play, it has no effect on the finished goods, they are designed to have the play in them which is taken up in action and has zero effect on any of the reloading processes. The worst thing about the old 3 hole turret was the auto index. Totally unreliable and frustrating. Ultimately abandoned by Lee. So a bit agricultural for volume Pistol loading with manual index but still doable. Rifle is a diffent story. The dies can be set up and left. You can then do batch mode or take a case from size and decap to powder to bullet seating and a finished round. The turrets are cheap enough to have several calibres permanently setup. Great for storing the dies. Folk have cottoned on I think and you'd be lucky to find one for $15 these days.

$30 new for the 3 hole turret itself...not the press just the bit the dies screw into...yes spotted the indexing COULD be issue....but I RECKON a couple of felt pen marks will do fine...it doesnt move much and I worked out the slack bit on first round...seated 40 .270 rounds without issue and micrometre says they all same length overall...so it works fine.......just as well as unscrewed ols challenger to fit this one on bench...it has been altered,one of the four legs has been removed and a cut up projectie box held in by bolt in its place to catch primers as the y pop......its rock solid on three so cant see any issue.