Thread: Learning to do my own reloads???!!

Hey guys I want to learn how to do my own reloads for my 308, where do i start or who do i talk to to get some knowledge as factoryu ammo can be pricey!!

Buy nothing but the best and in large quantities...so I can buy it all off you cheap when you join the army

If loading to save money, buy bulk Remington projectiles etc from Reloader supplies. A lee kit will get you going.

If you want to improve accuracy and tailor loads to your rifle, then you're not going to save much money - add up the total cost of the kit, then subtract the cost per round for factory ammo and work out how many rounds you'll have to shoot before you even break even...it depressingly high, so not worth doing if money is the main motivation.

kj

you will pick most of it up on you tube, or if you can find someone in your area to show you even better.
all you really need to get right is....

headspace measurement, ... measure a fired case for this, datum line on the shoulder to the head (push the primer out first)

over all length of a loaded round, this will be in a reloading manual, or buy an over all length gauge. also take note of the trim length of the case, in the same manual.

charge weight, or how much powder to put in. a manual will have a light start weight and a max weight. but you should also take a look on the net at what case pressure signs are, or what to look for.

that's really it, the rest is experiment with what your rifle likes. but in saying that, I didn't just type a complete manual google the things I just mentioned or look in manuals and make sure you understand them. the rest of the hype is about making better rounds. but you should be happy to just make something that is safe at this stage.
the adi powders sight has a brief manual for free.

I find the eventual savings is only one part of reloading goodness.

Easy mate, all you need to do is spueeze as much powder into the case as possible, when it doesnt fit more squash it down and put even more in. Then get a projectile of any cal and tape it to the end of the case and WALLAH!!!

You are definitely in the right place here though mate there is a lot of knowledge, just be careful of the stuff that's as useful as mine!

get a reloading manual, then have a good read. reloading is one of those things that just costs more and more over time.

reloading to save money would only happen if you had a hand press loader and wanted run of the mill loads

most here hand load to choose the projectile they want to shoot accurately out of their rifles at a good speed

thanks guys awsome

Originally Posted by wattee

thanks guys awsome

Wattee

What part are the country are you in?

Cheers
Pete

I think Toby has a video on here on how to load black powder shotshells, just do the opposite of that!

Find someone who reloads near you,get the powder projectiles and primers and use their gear for a start

If you are in Christchurch pm me and I will get you underway. Once I get in the garage I will check to see if I have any 308 dies. I'm pretty sure I have some in the mix somewhere. If not I will get you sorted with some.

i rather like hickoks stuff in general and this is a good vid to watch to help you on your way.

Agreed, good info.
I've been reloading 1 year now, and started by asking my friends who reload and have the gear. They each sat me down and showed me their process and equipment. Some had cheap setups ($500) ranging to more than $1500++++, not to mention the measurement tools etc. There is the one sports / hunting store in Auckland (forget the name) that has free use of their presses, as long as you buy your brass, projectiles etc from them. My friends let me borrow some gear for a while (still have it!) to get me started.
I ended up buying a Lee classic turret press with the idea of reloading multiple rifles eventually. It is a great cheap press, but I think a top quality (?expensive Forster coax) single stage 'O' type press would be better in the long run, as I only reload for rifles.

Most wisdom states that a kitset deal is cheap ($300) initially and has most / all of what you need immediately; HOWEVER if you stick with it, you will sooner or later replace some of the included junk in that package deal. One year on, I am constantly adding to my kit. All different brands and prices / quality. Lee, Hornady, Lyman, Redding, Sinclair... I just look up reviews of gear, and youtube videos, then find cheapest prices for the best rated stuff. Prices vary greatly here across NZ I found.

You need:

Reloading information: Buy a $70 Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, Lyman or Lee book whatever, or get free resources online. ADI powder booklet is free from their website, and has info for lots of cartridges. The big expensive books have the first hundred pages devoted to the reloading procedure though, whilst trying to advertise all their great gear and tools.

Press and dies (I have Lee classic turret with Redding deluxe .204 set: FL, NK and bullet seating)
-too many options here really. Do you need just the full-length resize die and bullet seater, or the neck-size die too? I reload only cases fired from my rifle, so neck sizing is enough for a few reloads, before checking headspace and full length resizing.

Bullet puller to fix your mistakes: Kinetic hammer or collet die (I have the Hornady camlok die bullet puller that fits in the fourth spot of my turret press.)

Powder Measure - scales or powder thrower (?scales better for rifle loads) My electronic scales seem a bit off, changes by 0.1grain as I go along every couple rounds. I'm waiting for my powder thrower to arrive. Manual balance scales are a bit tedious, but very accurate depending on make.

Case length trimmer (I use Lyman hand-lathe-style)
Case deburr tools after trimming.

Case lube kit (I use Imperial wax and Imperial dry graphite neck lube - no messy lube pads required). I found the lube kit I got (Hornady case care kit) frustrating to use - the lube pad is no longer used, but the deburr tool and primer pocket tools are used every session. The wax for full length sizing is amazing, the powdered graphite for case necks is life-changing!!!! Cheap too, available on TradeMe.

Case tumbler and corncob media (or clean by hand if small batches)

Vernier caliper to measure cases

Then there are headspace gauges, overall length gauges, concentricity gauges etc etc.

The initial powder ($70 for 500grams), projectiles $-$$$, and brass (~70c each to $2each??) will set you back, also. There goes $200-$300

I'm sure I'm forgetting plenty...


As you can see, it all gets out of hand pretty damn quick!!! You certainly will not save money initially! The saying is that you shoot more rounds for the same cash. eg my .204 costs over $2 per shot factory vs $1 or less reload, so for $40 I can shoot 20 rounds of Hornady, or reload about 40 of my used Hornady cases with Sierra Blitzking 39gr .204 and ADI powder.

IT IS AN ENJOYABLE hobby though. It does take a lot of your free time, mostly preparing, cleaning, measuring the cases. How much time do you have vs how much spare money do you have. For myself, I am reloading for accuracy. I need to reload many 1000's of rounds to break even financially. Don't even get me started on the time spent in the evenings etc reading, using press etc.

Hope this wasn't too scary.

Let people know what area you are in - they may introduce you and guide you through it?

I'm in Hamilton.

Cheers

Len

Great video post Konev!