Reloading

[Shamous1]

Advice needed on reloading.

Due to the fact that I am just getting back into shooting I would like your comments on reloading. Told you I would annoy you with questions.

Is there a course you can do on reloading?
Are there any good video's or books on reloading?

If I am only going to be going out occasionally shooting ferals and monthly or so on the range am I best to reload or for now should I just keep buying ammo off the shelf (and keep the shells for future use)?

what would I need to get a reloading kit together (parts wise and cost wise) please consider the fact the Ministry for war and finance does not give me a great deal One thing to be thankfull for is she is more approving of guns than of the boys and mine reptile collection.

I just worry about reloading as I have never attempted it before and don't want to take risks or shut cuts that could lead to danger.

Cheers,

Shane

[woob614271]

Pity you're in Melbourne, the Elliot's (Stuart and Annie) are now in Bris and run them (monthly I think) through QGE... surely someone down there does it...
try talking to Peter van Meurs (Pro-Cal Trading)

[Ned Kelly]

G'Day shamous,
depending on the quantity of ammo per year you need is a big question. If you only shoot up to a max of 3-500 or so rounds a year, I dont think it is worth reloading as you wont really pay off the money spent on reloading gear with savings in ammo costs for a long time.

If you are after more accurate ammo, bigger choice in bullets, tailor made for your rifle(s), then reloading is generally the only way to go. So you will need to spend some dollars to get a basic set up.

If you are interested I'm sure one of us Victorians can show you the way to good quality reloading gear that wont cost a fortune that will safely deliver accurate ammo. I do a lot of reloading at Little River so if necessary I can show you the basics.

Another option is to find someone with the gear who wont mind reloading for you. You might only need to buy the reloading dies as they will have all the other gear.

Essentially, you will need the following:
A reloading press.
A set of dies for each calibre you own.
A shell holder for each calibre to fit the press.
A set of scales.
A powder trickler.
A reloading block.
maybe a powder thower.

This is a very basic set up and if you decide to reload, you may be able to buy most of the stuff second hand through the for sale section on this forum and other web sites.

What cartridges do you want to reload for? Somone may be able to help you out by having all the dies you need.

hope this helps

Cheerio Ned

[Shamous1]

At the moment I have .22, .222, .270 and a shotty.

Looking at possibly getting a .204 if I sell a couple more animals off.

Thanks for the detailed answer. What would you reckon a basic set-up may cost. As far as shooting each year, well tech stuff baffles me at the moment, after being out of the sport for so long. So if I can keep it basic the better it will be for me.

[Simpson]

If you decide to get into reloading I am sure if you ask a friend or fellow member from the site they will show you how to reload. It is how I learnt a few years ago.

I am not recommending Lee gear as I own mostly RCBS and Redding but there are some useful videos on the Lee website showing the process-

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/HelpVideos/video.html

[trevort]

I'm in Dingley, I'm happy to show you the ropes.

How much can you scrounge off the boss? Give us some $$ and we'll happily tell you how to spend it!

[Nixneuer]

I recently bought a RCBS rockchucker set so Shane we can learn together mate lol

[Ned Kelly]

G'Day shamous,
I'm sorry, like I said, i have'nt had to buy gear for a long time and then it has been BR stuff.
To all the others on the forum who follow prices, care to help out?

BTW, i have dies for .222.......

Cheerio Ned

[trevort]

you can load on a Lee anniversary kit. Its cheap. I did and loaded some good ammo but it is not top end gear so as soon as I thought i knew what i was doing I upgraded to a Rockchucker supreme kit. Dies, verniers and a powder trickler will be all thats needed in addition to get you going. there are other bits and bobs you can add later if you wish

[Con]

Reloading your own ammunition isn't rocket science. Buy a copy of Nick Harvey's Practical Reloading Manual as its got pretty good chapters on setting your gear up, preparing cases etc etc... and read it thoroughly. After that you can start making a more informed decision as to what level of gear you require. With half an idea of what you want to achieve, people here can give beter advice on the pros/cons of various gear. The "reloading kits" are nice as you get everything at once ... but damn some are expensive as you pay for the name brand. For example ... a Lee Classic Cast press will set you back $140ish, saving you around $100 on the equally as strong but "big name" RCBS Rockchucker. Nowadays ... I'd be tempted to get myself the Lee press and spend the money saved on an electronic scale ... not that an old style beam scale wont do you perfectly well ... but the electronics are convenient. We could argue all days the pros/cons of various reloading dies ... but Lee make the most economical and have a set that includes a neck sizer. I'd be tempted to say you wont need to pay for anything better than a set of Lee dies, plus they throw in the shellholder for the cartridge in question. So roughly speaking to load for both 222Rem and 270Win:
Lee Classic Cast press $140 (you could get away with an RCBS Partner Press $95 or Lee Challenger $75), x2 sets of Lee dies with shellholders $110, lube and lube pad $25 (dont really need the pad), Vernier calipers $80, beam scale $100, x2 Lee hand case trimmers $50, case chamferer $25. Naturally you can save buying some gear S/H. That should see you good. Then add components ... primers, powders, projectiles.
Cheers...
Con

[Shamous1]

I recently bought a RCBS rockchucker set so Shane we can learn together mate lol

You know I might just have to take you up on that. This will be another fine hobby you have gotten me back into.