I would like to start reloading for my 243 rifle. I have very little experience on this practice. I would like to also reload for 38sp's and 45acp's eventually. I have done a little bit of research and have found this product, the Lee Loader kit, and it seems to simple to be professional and safe: http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalo ... oader.html
Does anybody have any advice as to direction to go as far as equipment and manf's ?
H
243 reloading
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Downeaster
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My advice would be to start reloading the handgun ammo first.
Over all the procedure is the same, but handgun ammo is easier on a couple of counts:
1. Straightwall handgun cases can be resized in a carbide die with no lubing/prepping other than maybe tumbling them in some media.
2. .38 spl and .45acp target loads are very forgiving. +/- a couple of tenths on the charge weight (as long as you are NOT loading near the upper limits) are not even noticable.
Once you've loaded a few hundred rounds you'll know a lot more about the process and feel much more comfortable with it. At that point you'll have the basic equipment (press, dies, scales, etc) and all you'll need to do to move up to bottleneck rifle cases is buy the dies and a lube pad (or even just a can of resizing spray lube) and you're good to go.
Reloading for rifles is a bit more involved with more decisions to be made (full length vs. neck resizing) and will eventually require a bit more equipment , such as a trimmer to trim cases back to lenght as they stretch.
I've never used a Lee Loader so perhaps someone that has can render a better opinion on that, but at the price of a nice single stage, I find it hard to believe it's worth the effort to fool with anything less unless you have space issues.
ANY of the major brand names Lee, RCBS, Hornady, Dillon and others are fine for equipment. A simple single stage press is a good place to start and you'll always have a use for it for small lots of rifle ammo. It's common to load less than 20 rounds at a sitting for rifles. If you REALLY get into the pistol reloading, Loading several hundred rounds at a sitting, a big progressive starts to make sense.
Best place to start is to buy a good reloading manual (Lyman and Speer are two well-thought-of names) and read the section on reloading throroughly.
One warning, tho: It's addictive...
Over all the procedure is the same, but handgun ammo is easier on a couple of counts:
1. Straightwall handgun cases can be resized in a carbide die with no lubing/prepping other than maybe tumbling them in some media.
2. .38 spl and .45acp target loads are very forgiving. +/- a couple of tenths on the charge weight (as long as you are NOT loading near the upper limits) are not even noticable.
Once you've loaded a few hundred rounds you'll know a lot more about the process and feel much more comfortable with it. At that point you'll have the basic equipment (press, dies, scales, etc) and all you'll need to do to move up to bottleneck rifle cases is buy the dies and a lube pad (or even just a can of resizing spray lube) and you're good to go.
Reloading for rifles is a bit more involved with more decisions to be made (full length vs. neck resizing) and will eventually require a bit more equipment , such as a trimmer to trim cases back to lenght as they stretch.
I've never used a Lee Loader so perhaps someone that has can render a better opinion on that, but at the price of a nice single stage, I find it hard to believe it's worth the effort to fool with anything less unless you have space issues.
ANY of the major brand names Lee, RCBS, Hornady, Dillon and others are fine for equipment. A simple single stage press is a good place to start and you'll always have a use for it for small lots of rifle ammo. It's common to load less than 20 rounds at a sitting for rifles. If you REALLY get into the pistol reloading, Loading several hundred rounds at a sitting, a big progressive starts to make sense.
Best place to start is to buy a good reloading manual (Lyman and Speer are two well-thought-of names) and read the section on reloading throroughly.
One warning, tho: It's addictive...
An empty weapon is just a very expensive hammer.
Thanks downeaster, I appreciate the detailed response. I have a friend that reloads, and maybe he and I can get together and teach me some that way. I think I would enjoy reloading, making ammo for myself. I have been told, and understand why, that reloading is vital to accuracy. I need all the help I can get!Best place to start is to buy a good reloading manual (Lyman and Speer are two well-thought-of names) and read the section on reloading throroughly.
H
Hakaman,
you're on the right track with having an experienced reloader to mentor your in the learning stage. He will pick up on things you do that there is a safe shortcut on that isn't in the books.
Some words of caution. Try to stay only with properly documented, researched, and tested loads. Don't give loads that aren't proven a try just because Joe Blaster at the range said this is the only load that works good. Trust, but verify.
Good Luck.
Stork
you're on the right track with having an experienced reloader to mentor your in the learning stage. He will pick up on things you do that there is a safe shortcut on that isn't in the books.
Some words of caution. Try to stay only with properly documented, researched, and tested loads. Don't give loads that aren't proven a try just because Joe Blaster at the range said this is the only load that works good. Trust, but verify.
Good Luck.
Stork
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” – George Washington
thanks for your reply, Stork
Post: Mon May 04, 2009 11:49 am
Hakaman,
you're on the right track with having an experienced reloader to mentor your in the learning stage. He will pick up on things you do that there is a safe shortcut on that isn't in the books.
Some words of caution. Try to stay only with properly documented, researched, and tested loads. Don't give loads that aren't proven a try just because Joe Blaster at the range said this is the only load that works good. Trust, but verify.
Good Luck.
Stork
Yes, definately be very careful is my aim. When it comes to something this serious, I will stay very cautious and within the tested rules.
Haka