Want to start reloading...

[SoCalRebelHunter]

Only because my brother is just getting into shooting and he wants to do long range stuff with his new .308. He's gone crazy buying stuff for his new toy and expressed an interest in reloading, and splitting the cost, with me.

The good things are that we live only a mile apart. I shoot a .30-06 and everything I've found online is that we can shoot the same bullets between his 308 and my 06, which will make reloading both those rounds a little cheaper.

My only question is; is it worth it? I did a little math yesterday and found I could save money (or so it seems) if I reloaded my own ammo. 100 rounds of factory bulk ammo vs. 100 rounds of hand loaded showed on paper that I could save about $20. I didn't factor in my time but I figured it cancelled out if I was just buying factory stuff and discarding the brass afterwards anyways.

Let me know what yuo guys think. Cabelas has a Rock Chucker Supreme reloading kit on-sale right now and all the reviews for it are excellent; 4.8 out of 5 stars. Only things I'd need to buy further are the dies and bullet components, and a tumbler if deemed necessary. Sale ends tomorrow so I'm ready to pull the trigger.

 

[NBK]

You are about to embark on a very rewarding and fun hobby. If you are doing it only for the possible economical gain - its not enough reason (IMHO). The huge positive with reloading is being able to create custom loads for each gun you shoot. Custom meaning that you are able experiment with different loads to find out what your particular rifle likes the best; balancing accuracy and velocity. The Bullet selection is far greater than what is available through factory loads too, so it opens up a level of performance you would not have otherwise.

At the end of the day you may not save a penny but you will get a round that shoots (more than likely) better than a factory round. You will also get the satisfaction of developing your own loads while spending more time understanding the different facets of guns and accuracy. Once you amortize the cost of your gear, components, time etc. economics actually don't factor in. At least for the first couple of years anyway.

I looked at the Rock Chucker Supreme kit described and it is a good one (I have owned two Rock Chuckers). An $80 discount makes it attractive You will need a tumbler as having clean brass is essential regarding reliability (purchase the largest tumbler you can afford - you will also need tumbling media too). I would suggest that you purchase a manual for each brand bullet you choose (Barnes - Barnes manual/Nosler - Noser manual/Swift - Swift manual etc.). I know the kit comes with a manual but having one for each brand saves you time and components.

Another recommendation is a bullet depth seating gauge. Its not a must (there are many old school tricks to get around buying a gauge) but it is precise and makes for quick and easy bullet depth seating. The two links below are from Cabelas and in total will cost less than $50. You will thank me!

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hornady-Lock-N-Load8482-OAL-Gauges/731928.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Doal%2Bgage%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=oal+gage&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hornady-Lock-N-Load-OAL-Gauge-Modified-Cases/731927.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Doal%2Bgage%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=oal+gage&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products#productChart

I have been reloading for 24 years and never regret a day of it. When I hunt, there is a sense of accomplishment knowing I have taken game with loads I have developed. All of my rifles shoot very well and I attribute a large portion of that to custom loads etc.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Snake Charmer]

Rcbs is good equipment, They are the benchmark of the industry. It will take a few years of reloading to recover you initial investment costs but you will be able to build and tailor loads to your specific needs as well as achieve better accuracy with your weapon.

My suggestion is start with the bare minimum and add to your tools as you see the need, a tumbler is nice but not not mandatory I reloaded for over ten years before I purchased one ( you will buy one eventually) keep it simple and as you gain experience your knowledge will tell you what you need to make the next step. I started reloading forty years ago and am still using the same equipment. Its real easy to spend lot of money on this stuff and get carried away.

 

[SoCalRebelHunter]

Thanks for the input fellas. I'm excited to start this hobby and see where I can take it.

I can appreciate the tweaking aspect as far as different bullets for different situations and am REALLY excited about the lighter bullets for varmints. I've only ever used factory copper rounds because the damage to the hides tends to be less, and the bullets are ready to go. I'm looking forward to (eventually) loading some 125 gr varmint rounds and seeing what I can plow with them.

I've never really been happy with any particular factory round I've ever shot as I've found they all tend to be a little different box to box accuracy wise. I've shot Winchester ballistic tips, Remington Core-Lokts and Copper Solids; each different bullet choice was for something different, especially in the condor range.

I bought the RCBS kit from Cabelas. $269 for the kit; $31.99 for the .30-06 dies, $8.99 for the shell holder, and $61.99 for the Cabelas 400 tumbler with media (corn cob). I figured I probably didn't need the tumbler yet but I've managed to save lots of spent casings over the years and if I can clean them up and use them, I will. So I splurged. I figured I can do without a case trimmer for while I held off on that but I'm going to keep my eye on future sales they have.

Wether or not I save any money will be figured out after I start this process. The math I did was sound enough for my wife to sign off on my purchase so if the only thing I save is a gripe from her than money WELL spent! Lol.

Plan on hearing more, a lot more, from me on this in the future. I'm sure I'll want some recipes for other rounds as time goes on but for now, I'm only going to be doing my '06 and my brothers .308. Thanks for the input guys!

 

[SoCalRebelHunter]

Another recommendation is a bullet depth seating gauge. Its not a must (there are many old school tricks to get around buying a gauge) but it is precise and makes for quick and easy bullet depth seating. The two links below are from Cabelas and in total will cost less than $50. You will thank me!

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hornady-Lock-N-Load8482-OAL-Gauges/731928.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Doal%2Bgage%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=oal+gage&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hornady-Lock-N-Load-OAL-Gauge-Modified-Cases/731927.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Doal%2Bgage%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=oal+gage&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products#productChart

I have been reloading for 24 years and never regret a day of it. When I hunt, there is a sense of accomplishment knowing I have taken game with loads I have developed. All of my rifles shoot very well and I attribute a large portion of that too custom loads etc.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Went to purchase these guys and they have the casings on backorder. Have to order at least three for Cabelas to accept the order. I passed for now. I'll look at BassPro and see if they can get them ahead of Cabelas.

 

[NBK]

They have them at Midway USA -

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/570611/hornady-lock-n-load-overall-length-gage-bolt-action

 

[sherpa]

Only because my brother is just getting into shooting and he wants to do long range stuff with his new .308. He's gone crazy buying stuff for his new toy and expressed an interest in reloading, and splitting the cost, with me.

The good things are that we live only a mile apart. I shoot a .30-06 and everything I've found online is that we can shoot the same bullets between his 308 and my 06, which will make reloading both those rounds a little cheaper.

My only question is; is it worth it? I did a little math yesterday and found I could save money (or so it seems) if I reloaded my own ammo. 100 rounds of factory bulk ammo vs. 100 rounds of hand loaded showed on paper that I could save about $20. I didn't factor in my time but I figured it cancelled out if I was just buying factory stuff and discarding the brass afterwards anyways.

Let me know what yuo guys think. Cabelas has a Rock Chucker Supreme reloading kit on-sale right now and all the reviews for it are excellent; 4.8 out of 5 stars. Only things I'd need to buy further are the dies and bullet components, and a tumbler if deemed necessary. Sale ends tomorrow so I'm ready to pull the trigger.

The gun show is coming with in the next few weeks, they have some good deals on used presses if you look hard also check craigs list there have been a few items for sale good luck in something that will be very rewarding