Need help. Never reloaded before.

[THERIDDLER07SMS]

I am new to the idea of reloading shells. someone brought it up that i should start learning to reload my shells since i pay about 60 bucks a box. i shoot a .270 and 7mm RUM.

Can anyone put a list together for equipment that i need? I dont want the cheap **** and i dont want the most expensive. I want stuff that will last and work very well for a long time.

If there are websites out there that i can read up on or books i can get that would be great info too.

any help is welcome. thanks in advance

 

[AJ Peacock]

There is a wealth of info here on the site, use the search function within the reloading forum. Here are a few discussions:

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f28/recommended-reloading-equipment-40428/?highlight=rcbs

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f28/new-reloading-40619/?highlight=rcbs

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f28/getting-started-reloading-38978/?highlight=rcbs

http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...ing-reference-how-books-35264/?highlight=rcbs

Hope this helps,
AJ

 

[lever-hed]

+1
get a reloading manual such as Nosler or Lyman and readup, do some homework, and here also, lots of good info here.. when you'r;e ready you can ask more specific questions. Many good people here.

 

[THERIDDLER07SMS]

I wachted some you tube vids and he went through the entire process of hand reloading some shells.

from what i saw i need, a press, powder, primers, bullets, brass, scale, dies, book, a ruler thing that mesures brass, tumbler/ vibrator.

anything that i missed? I will deffanately be buying a book first and doing alot of reading but i want to get looking for some equipment.

any certain brand you guys like better?

 

[Winchester 69]

Get Lyman's "Reloading Handboook". If you have a favorite brand of bullet, get their book, too. The powder companies have pamphlets with load suggestions. Go to the mfr's websites; many have excellent info.

Your first consideration should the type of powder measuring equipment you'll want, whether to weigh manually or go with an electronic dispenser. RCBS's ChargeMaster Combo has gotten very reliable and is establishing a strong following. Forster and Redding make the better presses and dies. Do searches and read as much as you can. Get a Sinclair catalog; they sell the better equipment, although they have taken on a couple of mediocre lines the past couple of years. Their selection of accessories should be studied, although you won't need everything. You'll get lots of recommendations to buy a kit, but a well informed buyer can make better selections. It's not all about dollars. It has to do with the utility of what you buy, eliminating future replacement. Do your homework. Ask questions. You'll get varied recommendations, and those you'll have to sort out for yourself.

 

[THERIDDLER07SMS]

I have been in and out of cabelas and scheels the last couple days looking at equipments and on this forum lookin for waht everyone uses and have compiled a list of goodies.

the next question i have is about powder and bullets.

I have a 7mm RUM and wondering what bullets you would recommend for a match grade bullet. i want something that can take down a deer well over 700 yards. also there are many different types of powder and wondering if that is just a personal choice or is there one brand and powder better than the other brand?

If anyone reloads the 7mmRUM can u list the powder and bullet you use? and primers also. thanks a ton

 

[akhnaten]

I second what Winchester69 said. Get the reloading manual for the bullet you plan to use. I am reloading Nosler Accubonds so I bought the Nosler book. It is a great book that specifies which powder is the most accurate for a particular caliber. Get the reloading manual before buying any powder. I am reloading for the first time as well. I just went through the process of buying all the equipment. I bought a RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme press and dies. The press broke the first time I tried to pull a bullet out of of a case that I pushed in too far. I looked at the metal that broke (a powder coated part) and it was clearly very poor quality pot metal. Keep in mind that I am talking about the RCBS presses made in 2009. The older ones seem to be very good quality, but I have no faith now in the quality of RCBS metal parts. Needless to say I returned the RCBS press and dies to the store and got my money back. I ended up replacing it with the Forster Co-Ax press. All I have to say is WOW. it is incredible. The only thing to watch out for with this press is the bullet removing dies, the ones that go in the press, are inconvenient to use in this press. Forster sells a quick-removal tool for this press that I just ordered. I also bought the short handle which I would also recommend. I do use the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 combo and LOVE it. It is worth every penny. The only other thing I can say is do not skimp on the dies. I am starting with a Redding micrometer-based seater die and bushing-based neck and full-length sizer dies. The cost more but you won't outgrow them any time soon. Hope this helps.
akhnaten gun)

 

[boomtube]

"I dont want the cheap **** and i dont want the most expensive. I want stuff that will last and work very well for a long time."

Well, haveing reloaded for some 44 years with all current brands but Dillon, and a lot that have faded into history too, all I can suggest is you get current gear from Bonanza, Hornady, Lee, Lyman, Redding and RCBS, listed alphebetically.

Several of those makers do have less expensive, perhaps less durable stuff, but they all have excellant tools in their top brackets. None of them make bad stuff that will wear out in six months. Or six years. Actually, you're not likely to wear much of it out in sixty years. But a mechanical klutz user can damage an anvil with a spoon so I guess it's up to the owner how long most of it will last.

Buying by brand across the board is perhaps the poorest way to purchase reloading equipment. Each maker has some excellalnt items so it's good to follow the features on various items. Features do vary and no maker has a lock on the "best" of everything.

First thing you need to do is get a good loading manual and read it cover to cover a couple of times. It will let you know what you really need and suggest some nice to have items as well. Lyman's manual is perhaps the best for starters. Don't get more than one book for now. You will want more later but you are likely to drown in the flood of infomation if you get a bunch of books all at once.

 

[BountyHunter]

Go to ebay and buy a used RCBS Rockchucker, RCBS 10/10 scale. Both are about $190 new each and sell for lot less used. Riockchucker can be had for under $100 and about $50 for the scale.

Mine are 40 years old and still ticking.

Get a catalog from www.sinclairintl.com and RW Hart.

Most importantly find someone who is a good reloader to have them walk you thru how to actually do it and show you the mistakes most people make and how not to do them.

BH

 

[boomtube]

Bounty has some good thoughts. But, observations on the longivity from his RockChucker and 1010 , while correct, are limited.

I have a couple of scales and have used others. One of mine is a Lyman M-5, the immediate forerunner to the RCBS 1010 (both made by the Ohaus scale company). It's still as accurate as the day I first opened the box in 1965. But so is my other scale, a good used, much less expensive beam scale marketed by Herters (now defunct) that I got in a batch of estate stuff in the late 60s. Point being, any good scale is a good scale. (Digitals ain't good! JMO) The various scales from Redding, Hornady, Lyman, etc. are fully equal to my M-5/1010.

Ditto the Rock Chucker press. My first press was a Lyman Spar-T turret; cast iron and steel and it still works fine. A few years later, I got a new single stage RC based on reputation. It's good too. But I actually find it to be no better than simular presses made today by Lyman (Crusher), Redding (Boss), Hornady (LnL), Lee (Classic Cast), etc. None of us will wear out any steel/iron press, nor a trully good Alum. Alloy press (LnL), in our lifetimes.

I would NOT buy a new RC tho, it tosses many spent primers on the floor and I'm tired of that. The only reasonable priced press available, to my knowledge, that controls spent primers is the Lee Classic Cast with it's fully adjustable lever and massive ram. It's what I would replace my RC with if I bought a new iron press.

Seems the more esperience we have with other brands of equipment, the less focused on one brand we become. Again, it's best to choose tools by their features, not the color of their paint.