I am purchasing a lee loader as my first means of rolling my own 30-06 rounds. A coworker who also reloads said that I should full length resize all new brass I order. Is that true? I know the lee loaders only come with neck sizers and I want to make sure I have all the equipment I need. Thanks for your help!
new reloader with a resizing question
- Thread starter SD Mike
- Start date
I agree I'd do it all once at first so they are all the same but yes get a press even if it's a cheap one. You can get used for cheap or a new back strap only press for 50 bucks new. It's very worth a small in investment
All I can say is dont take reloading lightly. I check, resize, and trim if needed all my 30-06 brass. Thats a lot of powder in that chamber next to your face. Even though we have high speed Dillon loaders I took about 5 hours to hand load all my 30-06 brass a few weeks ago but I know they are perfect and exactly what I want. 30-06 really isnt something you will shoot a ton of. Take your time do it right and you will have a sense of pride when you shoot your own loads. Especially when you stack three on top of each other at 100 yds. The 100 loads that I loaded will last me a at least a few years and I have confidence everytime I pull the trigger.
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I'll heed your advice and invest in a single stage system with a set of dies for my -06. Shooting at least 60 rounds a time at the range is doing some damage to my wallet! Also, do you all ever do group buys on powder and primers to alleviate the hazmat and dot fees? I'd be interested if so...
SD Mike said:
Fine firearms is starting to get a good selection of powder and bullets you should check there.
Don't forget at least a good scale, calipers, "one shot" case & die lube, Chamfering and Deburring Tool, funnel, 50 shell block holder I like two of them........then add the other stuff to make it go faster when you can. Get a spiral note book to record your reloading sessions and resaults of working up loads and how well they shoot.
If your a big target shooter or you like the best go with redding dies & shell holder they are the best around and stand behind their stuff.
You'll want to buy some good brass and all from the same manufacture this helps keep things consistant and when one fails it's time to dump them all to be safe. Now if your just a hunter it doesn't matter as much but target guys can wear out brass especially with a lot of hot loads over & over.
http://www.redding-reloading.com
You also need to meaaure the seating depth for your rifle and then you'll be set to get some good groups.
As for the rest in primers I like federal match grade, hodgen powders & load data. I've heard good stuff on the RL powder but haven't tried it......once I get a good load it's hard for me to change.
Good luck it's fun!
If your a big target shooter or you like the best go with redding dies & shell holder they are the best around and stand behind their stuff.
You'll want to buy some good brass and all from the same manufacture this helps keep things consistant and when one fails it's time to dump them all to be safe. Now if your just a hunter it doesn't matter as much but target guys can wear out brass especially with a lot of hot loads over & over.
http://www.redding-reloading.com
You also need to meaaure the seating depth for your rifle and then you'll be set to get some good groups.
As for the rest in primers I like federal match grade, hodgen powders & load data. I've heard good stuff on the RL powder but haven't tried it......once I get a good load it's hard for me to change.
Good luck it's fun!
I use Lee stuff and have found for the money it is amazing. And with copper being mandatory I save plenty of money. Since they are going to start punishing shotgun shooters I am thinking about getting Lee Stuff to reload for my 20 ga. in non-toxic. Just wish Sinterfire would make bird shot.
Good luck. Don't worry about producing 10,000 rounds an hour. Go slow, watch what you are doing and work up some good loads for your guns.
Good luck. Don't worry about producing 10,000 rounds an hour. Go slow, watch what you are doing and work up some good loads for your guns.
Lots of good info here. Definitely get a standard press. Used is fine. The only Lee item(s) I like and use are the Lee lock stud and cutter and the shell holder and case length gauges (one for each caliber). Both items will only run you about $16. I would get the ball handle cutter. It's MUCH easier to use and is far more comfortable than the standard cutter. The reason I like them is that they do the same exact job as a much more expensive case trimmer (like around $100) but are FAR less expensive and they do more for you. With the lock stud in a drill, you just attach the shellholder for the case you are trimming, screw the case length gauge into the cutter and you're done. Put a case in the shellholder on the drill and trim your case to the exact length for that case. Now, don't take the case out of the drill yet. Do your inside and outside chamfer using the drill...just a quick and LIGHT touch with the chamfer tool(s) and then hit the case with some 4/0 steel wool to polish it up. This also makes any defects, like dents and cracks, really stand out. As for the sizing question, if you are using a bolt rifle, you can just neck size the cases. The rest of the case is already fire-formed to your rifle. If you are using the ammo in different rifles, or in a semi-auto, you ALWAYS full-length resize those. Also, if you wind up crimping your cases into a cannelure groove, they should always be trimmed to the same length so you crimp correctly. If you try to crimp a case that's too long, you could wind up bulging the neck or body of the case.