Newbie to .243 reloading

[deebix]

I am interested in reloading .243. I don't think I need a press or anything fancy and have considered just reloading by hand and mallet. Are there any particular kits, dies, bullets, powder, and primers (that are available to buy lol) that any of you .243 shooters are happy with? The more information the more I appreciate

[Annex138]

I started reloading .243 with a lee classic loader. It gets the job done. It's good to try out reloading without spending a lot of money up front on a press.

For a first timer getting into reloading I would buy the following.
Lee classic loader for .243
Beam or electric scale. The single lee dipper that comes with the classic loader really limits you.
Lee primer pocket cleaner
Lee case length guage and cutter for .243

With the 4 things above will get you started loading ammo better then anything you can buy in stores.

As far as what type of powder and bullets. That's all depends on your gun. Every gun is different. You will have to try different combos of bullets and powder to find what you gun likes. My current loads I shoot through my .243 Stevens 200 use Varget powder and hornady 87gr. Vmaxs.

I started reloading with a classic loader then moved up to a turrent press so I could load .223 faster to feed my ARs.

[Bill Steele]

I started reloading .243 with a lee classic loader. It gets the job done. It's good to try out reloading without spending a lot of money up front on a press.

For a first timer getting into reloading I would buy the following.
Lee classic loader for .243
Beam or electric scale. The single lee dipper that comes with the classic loader really limits you.
Lee primer pocket cleaner
Lee case length guage and cutter for .243

With the 4 things above will get you started loading ammo better then anything you can buy in stores.

As far as what type of powder and bullets. That's all depends on your gun. Every gun is different. You will have to try different combos of bullets and powder to find what you gun likes. My current loads I shoot through my .243 Stevens 200 use Varget powder and hornady 87gr. Vmaxs.

I started reloading with a classic loader then moved up to a turrent press so I could load .223 faster to feed my ARs.

I agree, good advice.

The beam scale I would get is an RCBS 505, it will last a lifetime and if you don't like loading, you can sell it on the reloading for sale threads and your loss will be less than a box of 20 .243 ammo.

One final note is the brass should have been fired in your gun previously. If you plan to use someone else's brass, the Lee Classic loader only sizes the neck, so the rounds may not chamber in your gun if it was previously shot in in another chamber. You will want a press if you have to full length size the brass.

[classwarfare]

What weight bullets your rifle shoots best will roughly correlate to the twist of your barrel. The general rule is the faster the twist the heavier (actually longer) bullet you can stabilize. That will give you a good starting place.