quality reloader ?

[Nessal]

Start with a Lee Breechlock kit. I have and couldnt be happier. Even when I moved up to a Hornady LNL AP, i still use the Lee to load my precision rifle rounds. I shoot sub half MOA at 100 all day with my Lee loaded .308 and I'm far from a good shot.

[bollero]

i just bought my Reloader today... from Brian's store... Dillon 550b..
I can't wait to start reloading soon... Im going to stick with 308Win for a while Till i get good at it then move up to other rounds.

[Chief-7700]

i just bought my Reloader today... from Brian's store... Dillon 550b..
I can't wait to start reloading soon... Im going to stick with 308Win for a while Till i get good at it then move up to other rounds.

Just slow way down and take your time. Questions just post them here, we are here to help. Welcome to the world of Blue.

[bollero]

Thanks.. I will..

[grammaton76]

Don't forget this app, once you start looking at buying more caliber conversions:

http://gunwiki.net/apps/calconversion/

[RaymondMillbrae]

Funny that you should say that you are "starting" with the .308 Winchester, as that is a round that people tweek their equipment for.

I use a Dillon XL650 (click the tutorial below my signature), and I have two seperate toolheads for reloading precision .308. One is a regular one for prepping (sizing/trimming), and the other is a Whiddon toolhead with floater dies. (For seating). I have the Redding Competition Dies (the seating die has a micrometer), and the Dillon trimmer.

If loading for precision .308, you will find that it is not really a "starter round" at all. Anything "bolt-action" requires attention to detail.

My set-up for reloading .223 has the Unique-Tek Micrometer Powder Bar Kit. I need this because I reload two different powder charges. One for my "plinking/practice" ammo, and the other for my match ammo. And using H335, it can be a bear to adjust the powder charge back and forth. With the Unique-Tek Micrometer Powder Bar Kit, I just dial it to my preset numbers, and it is spot-on!

OK...enough psycho-babble. Enjoy the blue. You will get many years of satisfaction from it!!!

In Christ: Raymond

[bollero]

The only reason i wanna start on 308 is that i have 2 FAL's that don't see to much action plinking/practice because the rounds are kinda expensive.. so I'm not really looking for anything kind of competition round..

[sonnyt650]

For rifle rounds I would have gone a different way than a progressive for my first press, but that doesn't matter for you now.

I think my .308s with "match" Hornady bullets run around 40 cents per with 14 cents of powder, 3 cents for the primer, 23 cents for the bullet. I've purchased different components resulting in ammo both slightly higher and lower (bulk .308 bullets might be 14 cents, haven't tried those though), but the savings is seen only when compared to the cost of factory match ammo -- dusty surplus ammo is about the same. Depends on your rifles too, but for me the amazing accuracy makes up for the extra effort and I shoot slower to get those extra tight (for me anyway, happy with sub 1") groups.

[Cowboy T]

Wow...you went with a 550B for .308 Win? Well, OK, you certainly got a good press, no doubt, but will you really be shooting that much .308?

[downfall]

good choice...see my post on should have bought a Dillon

[EL_NinO619]

I thought .50bmg was illegal in Kommiforinia? I use a LEE SS for rifle, and my buddy's Dillon for large quantity's and it's a very good machine. Me personally, i am going to buy the LNL

[grammaton76]

I thought .50bmg was illegal in Kommiforinia? I use a LEE SS for rifle, and my buddy's Dillon for large quantity's and it's a very good machine. Me personally, i am going to buy the LNL

BMG is illegal here. DTC is perfectly fine - same load and components, just trimmed/reformed brass.

[707ace]

I was given a well used RCBS Rock chucker 18 years ago and i'm still using it

[08'er]

You might want to consider having multiple powder bars and dedicating bars to particular loads vs. a Unique-Tek micrometer bar.

My friend has bars dedicated to his most used loads/calibers and a few bars to adjust as needed for lesser used loads/calibers. Of course he started in reloading prior to the Unique-Teks being available.

[bubbapug1]

One thing you may not know, and which is a well unknow fact is...you can own your dillon or Hornandy progressive for years and sell it for at least 80 cents on the dollar to what the retail price is when you sell it, not when you bought it. So...bottom line...reloading presses ARE FREE to own if you own them for at least 2 years. And if you sell them during a craze, you will actually recoup over 100% of your initial investment.

So don't buy a cheap press, and don't believe the propaganda about how good a cheap press is. Cheap is cheap, quality is quality, and there is no comparison over the long haul. And don't buy the Lee handloaders bible...buy a real book on reloading, not a bunch of paper filled with marketing nonsense. I recommend the ABC's of reloading, but Lymans manual is good as is Hornandy's.

I'd but at least a dillon 550 or a Hornandy lock and load for the small stuff...308, 9mm, 45 acp, 223...and a RCBS or hornandy 50 bmg press. I would NOT but a Lee 50 bmg press and dies or a Lee regular press and dies even though they look tempting price wise, they just are not that heavy duty.

You just have to have a progressive. They aren't complicated, they can and do produce just as good of a round as single stage machines, and you can produce a lot more ammo per man hour with a progressive.

I'd also buy a girard or a gracey trimmer if you are going to load in any quantities, the giraud is a superiour machine, but the gracey works fine if you buy a carbide cutter from Giraurd for your Gracey

YOU ALSO NEED CASE GAGES for every rifle caliber you load. Don't try it without them, it will be a mess. Trim and size the cases to fit the gages.

I also find its easier to load 308 and 45 acp than 9mm and 223 because they are just easier to handle.

You can crank out around 350 rounds per minute of pistol rounds per hour, and around 200 of rifle rounds an hour AFTER you blow the same amount or more doing brass prep on the rifle cases.

You will however make better match ammo for rifles, and you will save money on pistol ammo, especially 45 acp.

Did I mention reloading is very relaxing and theraputic, and opens a whole other aspect of shooting to you which broadens your knowledge of the sport and also your appreciation for the science and technology that goes into guns and ammo?

Reloading can be as enjoyable as shooting.

I have three dillon 550's and 1 RCBS 50 bmg press. I bought a Hornandy 50 BMG powder measure, its great too....very accurate, holds =/- 0.2 grains on a 230 grain throw.

Start on pistol, than move up to rifle after you load 3000 rounds of pistol.

Buy as big of a tumbler/polisher as you can afford. Also buy a brass sorter.

have fun...thats what its all about.