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Help Me Get Started Reloading...

WNCmotard

WNCmotard

.270 WIN
Supporter
So I've decided I want to get into reloading. For starting out, the only caliber I care about messing with is the .300 blackout. I figure that will keep my startup costs lower, and allow me to focus on one round until I gain some experience. I know we have quite a few of you here at MOF that reload, and I would greatly appreciate any advice or wisdom you can pass along for a noob starting out. And I mean that not only for safety or tips, but also gear to buy, must haves, etc.
 
I've started compiling components. Based on my observations from the 2013 ammogeddon.... powder disappeared first and stayed disappeared for over a year.

So I've been keeping my eye on powders and placing my notifications out at various companies.

I hear good things with hornady's lock n load single stage press. And you get 500 free bullets for buying the kit.
 
Hmmm, that's on sale at Midway right now. And the free bullets are worth about 2/3 of the price of the kit too. Luckily, powder for the .300 seems easy to find, and in stock anytime I've checked lately.
 
I think the press is the one thing you don't want to skimp on. I really like my buddy's new RCBS rockchucker. Much nicer than the old Lee it replaced, and a better press than the Hornaday.

Read the review that says the base isn't machined right and it sits crooked on the bench.

That kinda chit will drive you bonkers.
 
election season... stock up. Goes the wrong way and prices will jump and availability will diminish most ricki tick.

Buy cheap. Stack deep.

And all those other clichés.
 
Buddy of mine at work says he's got a cheaper press and some other stuff I can borrow to get started with and see if it's for me or not. I'll just buy what I don't have, and give it a try. Also, somebody needs to start manufacturing some cheap plinkin' boolits for the .300blk dammit. :D
 
Ive been content with my Lee single stage. Probably close to 3000 rounds of various caliber loaded to date. I bought it as the kit. And upgraded almost everything that came with it.
The powder measure does good with stick powders, terrible with ball or flake powders. A higher quality thrower does great with the ball and flake powders, but tend to shear stick powders, causing minor load inconsistencies in load weight.
A digital scale, or scale measure combo is handy for load development, or loading precision rounds slowly. But they are slow, as compared to just throwing loads.

Ive one set of Hornady dies, don't like them. They use the rim of the case as a stopping point when seating the bullet. An overzealous pull of the handle will crush the case neck. All my other dies are Lee, although cheap they work well. And with some patience can load accurate rounds.
 
I haven't been loading any 300 yet, so I still have a huge learning curve there. However, I have loaded a bunch of 9mm and shotgun shells.

I have an old (circa 1970's) RCBS single stage press. It may be slow by progressive reloader setups, but by George she works and works well. You just can't seem to kill them.

I also like Lee dies.

I don't have a case trimmer yet at all but the camlock Hornady seems to be my current favorite based on concept and expectations.

As for powder dispensing, I have a somewhat unusual setup that I like.

I have a Lee Perfect powder measure that I mounted so I can drop a charge directly into a RCBS scale pan with integrated funnel, which I leave sitting on a Hornady GS-1500 Grain Electronic Scale so I can essentially weigh each charge I drop and this saves me some time and steps in double checking. It just helps me streamline my process some and saves a step, while ensuring each one is spot on.

There are some powders (for subsonic) that I've found, but seems like those that have powders, don't have primers and vise versa. Which causes a big dilemma because I don't want to double up on haz mat charges because seems like shipping and haz mat turns into about $50 from each place.

Unfortunately, I don't have anywhere local to buy powder, so I'm very handicapped there due to the extreme shipping charges. So, I try to find all my powder and primers at the same place and the same time so I don't have to pay a penny more than I have to.
 
Thanks fellas.

I've been reading and researching for a while. I think when I buy, I'll go with a Lee turret press, and just not use the auto index feature. That way I can leave my dies in there and adjusted, but run it as a single stage press. Good tips on the powder chargers / measures, I wouldn't have known that powder was shaped differently. Good point on the shipping also, I live 12 miles past podunk and hang a left, snowballs chance buying powder and primers around here. Need to see what Amazon has on reloading to throw on the Kindle too.
 
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sounds like you don't need much help.....research what powder/projectile companies have put in the most work on the BLK , they will likely have the data and knowledge you want.....buy that companies reloading manual......read it.



the lighter stuff like 110gr you can sight 1/2" high at 100Y, at 200 yards your looking at 4" drop, 20" at 300Y

for the heavy stuff like 220gr you can sight 0 at 50 yards, at 100Y your looking at a little over 6" drop, 21" at 150Y, at 200Y 45"



Accurate 1680 and H110 good all around powder....very narrow powder choices , magnum pistol....there is only so many magnum pistol powders and only a few work good

Get decent calipers, metal ,these days $40 digital calipers are quite decent

case prep stuff, debur tool, stuck case removal set up
 
My buddy Bobby has been reloading for at least 30 of the 40 years I've known him.
He just retired his 30+ y.o. old Lee press this year, after untold thousands of loads, and he bought the RCBS rockchucker.
(Except for powder sticking to the plastic hopper, its a real cool press. I told him about the dryer sheets, and he likes them a lot.)

But that Lee did at least 100,000 rounds in 30 years.
So I doubt you'll ever wear it out except for the dies.

I bought him some carbide dies to load my .30-30s. they cost about $25 more a set but will last forever.
 
Welcome to reloading! There are several members here who are very good at this and they are posting here. Take their advice and you'll be off to a good start.
 
Thank you, thank you for all the good info. My buddy brought the stuff in today, got a three hole Lee turret press, and powder measure that my limited research says will work for the .300blk. I ordered my dies, and will slowly start rounding up other stuff weekly. Hope to get going by early May or so, I'm in no hurry though.
 
I use an old colander over a bowl to dump the walnut through too. But the tumbler makes stuff shine like a new penny.

reloading bench 008.JPG

My tumbler is pretty small, but I've managed to clean about a thousand pieces of 223 brass today.

(Getting my bench ready for blackout and 223 now). I have 500 cast bullets coming from leatherhead for the BLK and 500 55 gr Hornady that were on sale for $50/500 for 223 coming next week some time.

1680 powder seems to be the most versatile for BLK super or subs. I chose H4198 to start with because I can load the BO subs and 55 gr .223 with it, but I have a couple pounds of Ramshot Tac for the 223 mostly and am going to use the 4198 for sub blackout.

Ideally, I would like to get several more pounds of powder, primers, and a couple thousand bullets to stockpile up before November. I don't have the warm and fuzzies about the election, so I will be concentrating more on components than I will guns and mags at this point. I may even flip one or two toward December and put it back into ammo like I did in '08.

reloading bench 001.JPG
 
Here are some of the things you'll need.

You said you already had a single stage press and tumbler.

Smart Reloader Bullet puller $11 (because nobodys perfect and comes in handy when setting the depth of the seating die)
https://www.natchezss.com/lvlp2s-300-aac-blackout.html

Lyman Digital Caliper $24
https://www.natchezss.com/battenfield-technologies-economy-electronic-caliper.html

Hornady Unique Case Lube $4
https://www.natchezss.com/hornady-unique-case-lube.html

lube pad (old mousepad would probably work if you have an old one laying around) $11
https://www.natchezss.com/rcbs-case-lube-pad.html

Lee Pacesetter 300 blackout die set ($29--includes crimp die if you want to use it)
https://www.natchezss.com/lvlp2s-300-aac-blackout.html

Lee perfect powder measure $21
https://www.natchezss.com/lee-perfect-powder-measure.html

Scale pan and funnel (This is the best funnel I have used) $8
https://www.natchezss.com/rcbs-scale-pan-with-integrated-funnel.html

Hornady digital scale $25
http://www.amazon.com/Hornady-Electronic-Scale-1500-Grains/dp/B015ZLBL7Y
 
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