If you have not done so already, start acquiring all you need for reloading.
A Baffling Buffet of Bullets
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I have already purchased a RCBS kit second hand. I believe it has the Supreme press. It's missing a plastic tray and the book. I have no dies, primers or powders. I only paid $125 for it. My plan is to buy the things that I'll need along the way. I will only reload 7mm08, 30-30 and 41mag. Maybe 270 and 9mm. I know absolutely nothing about reloading.
In my experience Primers are most difficult to find followed by powder. Most other stuff can be found without too much difficulty.
It will take you several years to Break even on reloading when you buy the equipment. My stuff is several decades old, newer press and scales but I have Herters dies from the late 40s and 50s. Really old.but they work, I use the 38/357 dies made by them. My advice is to not over do it. Just the basics. Let it pay for itself, then expand.
Get a manual, read it, Then read it again. Pay close attention to seating depth and pressure. After that, if you can bake brownies, you can load ammo. What gets reloaders in trouble is thinking, what the heck, another grain of powder won't hurt. Or, you can do what a late friend did. He was loading for his 44 mag. Got into a dust up with a teenage daughter and forgot to change powder when he started loading for a 300 Win mag. It was awe inspiring.
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Yes, I have also been saving my brass for a while now. About 150 Hornady 30-30 brass and 220 7mm08 Hornady brass.
Good start.
You'll be surprised by what you can accumulate with incremental purchases. I started this thread 3 years ago, https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/my-never-leave-the-local-gun-store-empty-handed-rule.255740/
birddog 68
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have a great start on reloading. If you have any spare time before retirement I would start the process of reloading now. By the looks of your factory ammo you have purchased and then buying a few more of what shoots well you probably could have bought enough components to load a couple hundred rounds. I'm assuming factory ammo is about $40 a box?
I wasn't very clear with my post. What I meant is if you are going to get into reloading the time is now. Try and stock up on large rifle primers and the powders you will need to load the cartridges you plan on reloading for. As others posted the other components like bullets and cases seem to be around most of the time. JMO
Yes, I agree. I just don't know anything about primers and powders yet.
Have used this cartridge for past 30+ years. Have used Gameking, Prohunter, Ballistic Tip, SST, Interlock, Corelokt, Partition, Classic Hunter, Speer SBT.
But for off the shelf ammo, Winchester Supreme with the 140gr Ballistic Silvertip, or the Federal Premium with 140gr Ballistic Tip. I love the SST, but the superformance stuff for me shoots like crap. Precision Hunter woth 150gr ELDX is another option.
I tried the 140gr Accubond from Federal Premium, shot good but the Accubond is too tough for the speed of this cartridge.
But for off the shelf ammo, Winchester Supreme with the 140gr Ballistic Silvertip, or the Federal Premium with 140gr Ballistic Tip. I love the SST, but the superformance stuff for me shoots like crap. Precision Hunter woth 150gr ELDX is another option.
I tried the 140gr Accubond from Federal Premium, shot good but the Accubond is too tough for the speed of this cartridge.
I missed this post, had forgotten the Hornady whitetail with the Interlock, that stuff also shoots great.
I had read some of this thread. Great idea. I kinda have been doing this with various hunting items over the years. Helps keep the wife out of loop if you pay cash for a few things. Except for today. I ordered 4 more boxes of shells to take out to the ranch. Federal Fusion 120 and 140 , Hornady Precision Hunters ELDx 150 and Barnes VorTx ttsx bt 120. Should keep me busy for a day. And thanks for all those other links to bullets, didn't know there was so many choices.
