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Posted: 12/9/2009 9:29:42 PM EDT
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I'm about to pull the trigger on a whole set of reloading equipment. Being a n3wb I'm looking to buy one of the all-inclusive packages (i.e. Lee Anniversary, Hornady Lock & Load kit, etc.), the appropriate set of dies (.223, 9mm, .308) and anything else I might need that isn't included in the package deal. Of course I'm full of questions, and I read all the awesome guides on here for n3wbs like myself. I came up with a few of my own that I couln't find answers for.
Are dies interchangeable? Sounds like an elementary question but I don't want to get stuck with an incompatible die/press combination Are the die sets the way to go or should I find everything individually? Will brass from cheap, inaccurate factory ammo always be innacurate when reloaded or does it depend more on the quality of the reloading and other components? My friend wants to reload .308 Norma Magnum rounds due to the fact that they cost about $3-$4 per round. Could we just share .308 bullets as long as he had his own set of dies? I have about 1,000 rounds of 9mm and 1,200 rounds of .223 sitting in my closet to shoot, which I bulk ordered from Cabela's. I have a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint and haven't fired a single round out of it. I'm a little skiddish about putting some of my first reloads into a brand new gun so I was thinking about buying a couple hundred rounds of .308 to shoot initially and then reload. Is that dumb? I can't think of any more so thanks in advance for the help. |
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Quoted: I'm about to pull the trigger on a whole set of reloading equipment. Being a n3wb I'm looking to buy one of the all-inclusive packages (i.e. Lee Anniversary, Hornady Lock & Load kit, etc.), the appropriate set of dies (.223, 9mm, .308) and anything else I might need that isn't included in the package deal. Of course I'm full of questions, and I read all the awesome guides on here for n3wbs like myself. I came up with a few of my own that I couln't find answers for. - Case trimmer for each caliber, Case lube, calipers, Tumbler and media (optional), reloading trays if going non-progressive.... Are dies interchangeable? Sounds like an elementary question but I don't want to get stuck with an incompatible die/press combination - As far as I know, yes but I'm sure others will reply. Are the die sets the way to go or should I find everything individually? - Get a set for each caliber to start with. Will brass from cheap, inaccurate factory ammo always be innacurate when reloaded or does it depend more on the quality of the reloading and other components? - the projectile and powder have a greater impact on accuracy than the brass My friend wants to reload .308 Norma Magnum rounds due to the fact that they cost about $3-$4 per round. Could we just share .308 bullets as long as he had his own set of dies? - Not sure, do not reload .308. But if you are using the same size projectile (grains) then the only variable should be the powder and dies.... I have about 1,000 rounds of 9mm and 1,200 rounds of .223 sitting in my closet to shoot, which I bulk ordered from Cabela's. I have a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint and haven't fired a single round out of it. I'm a little skiddish about putting some of my first reloads into a brand new gun so I was thinking about buying a couple hundred rounds of .308 to shoot initially and then reload. Is that dumb? - I would get 100 rounds of a good factory ammo to test the reliability and accuracy of the gun. Almost all gun makers will void the warranty for using reloads. Get 100 or so Hornady, Black Hills, GMM, etc to break in with. I can't think of any more so thanks in advance for the help. See above in red. I am also somewhat of a noob to reloading but I have learned a lot here. You picked a good place, with some very knowledge people, to start. |
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Quoted:
I'm about to pull the trigger on a whole set of reloading equipment. Being a n3wb I'm looking to buy one of the all-inclusive packages (i.e. Lee Anniversary, Hornady Lock & Load kit, etc.), the appropriate set of dies (.223, 9mm, .308) and anything else I might need that isn't included in the package deal. Of course I'm full of questions, and I read all the awesome guides on here for n3wbs like myself. I came up with a few of my own that I couln't find answers for. Are dies interchangeable? Sounds like an elementary question but I don't want to get stuck with an incompatible die/press combination Dillon SDB presses use unique dies. All the other presses on the market use dies with 7/8-14 threads. Some old presses no longer in the new market used dies with 3/4 inch threads - don't worry about that if you are buying new equipment. Are the die sets the way to go or should I find everything individually? Buy sets. After you get some experience, you might find out you want a single die for some reason. It's common to find reloaders that use a different make die for each operation, but most folks keep it simple. Will brass from cheap, inaccurate factory ammo always be innacurate when reloaded or does it depend more on the quality of the reloading and other components? The brass quality is a factor. But in general if the brass is safe to load, it can be made to shoot better than factory ammo. However, ammunition can't make up for the deficiencies of a firearm; horribly inaccurate rifles might not benefit at all. My friend wants to reload .308 Norma Magnum rounds due to the fact that they cost about $3-$4 per round. Could we just share .308 bullets as long as he had his own set of dies? The bullets are identical and cover the same range of weights as .30-06 or .300 Win Mag. I have about 1,000 rounds of 9mm and 1,200 rounds of .223 sitting in my closet to shoot, which I bulk ordered from Cabela's. I have a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint and haven't fired a single round out of it. I'm a little skiddish about putting some of my first reloads into a brand new gun so I was thinking about buying a couple hundred rounds of .308 to shoot initially and then reload. Is that dumb? Not dumb, if the rifle is a .308! That's one method for getting a supply of brass. However, if you follow good practices and get your questions cleared up here before shooting, there's no reason you can't shoot your new rifle with superior ammunition from the first shot. Several million people have preceded you on that path, and their guns were fine. I can't think of any more so thanks in advance for the help. Read the information in the Resources and tacked Gateway thread at the top of the forum. |
| This is my personal preference, but go with Hornady dies if you are going for single stage. They are easy to adjust, and in my opinion, high quality. I have probably 8 RCBS dies and 1 hornady die set (450 Bushmaster), and the Hornady seems to be much easier to use, might be pricier, but worth it. For me, the RCBS had quite a learning curve, but then again, I am still new to Reloading so it could just be me. |
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Quoted:
I'm about to pull the trigger on a whole set of reloading equipment. Being a n3wb I'm looking to buy one of the all-inclusive packages (i.e. Lee Anniversary, Hornady Lock & Load kit, etc.), the appropriate set of dies (.223, 9mm, .308) and anything else I might need that isn't included in the package deal. Of course I'm full of questions, and I read all the awesome guides on here for n3wbs like myself. I came up with a few of my own that I couldn't find answers for. Are dies interchangeable? Yes, except for SDB. Sounds like an elementary question but I don't want to get stuck with an incompatible die/press combination Are the die sets the way to go or should I find everything individually? Get Hornady die sets. Will brass from cheap, inaccurate factory ammo always be innacurate when reloaded or does it depend more on the quality of the reloading and other components? Make sure it is Boxer primed, not Berdan primed. Stay away from FC, get Winchester. My friend wants to reload .308 Norma Magnum rounds due to the fact that they cost about $3-$4 per round. Could we just share .308 bullets as long as he had his own set of dies? Dies and shell holders are different, bullets are the same diameter. I have about 1,000 rounds of 9mm and 1,200 rounds of .223 sitting in my closet to shoot, which I bulk ordered from Cabala's. I have a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint and haven't fired a single round out of it. I'm a little skittish about putting some of my first reloads into a brand new gun so I was thinking about buying a couple hundred rounds of .308 to shoot initially and then reload. Is that dumb? No, FC brass doesn't last as long as Win or Rem. I can't think of any more so thanks in advance for the help. Welcome to the reloading Forum. 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I'm about to pull the trigger on a whole set of reloading equipment. Being a n3wb I'm looking to buy one of the all-inclusive packages (i.e. Lee Anniversary, Hornady Lock & Load kit, etc.), the appropriate set of dies (.223, 9mm, .308) and anything else I might need that isn't included in the package deal. Of course I'm full of questions, and I read all the awesome guides on here for n3wbs like myself. I came up with a few of my own that I couln't find answers for. - Case trimmer for each caliber, Case lube, calipers, Tumbler and media (optional), reloading trays if going non-progressive.... Are dies interchangeable? Sounds like an elementary question but I don't want to get stuck with an incompatible die/press combination - As far as I know, yes but I'm sure others will reply. Are the die sets the way to go or should I find everything individually? - Get a set for each caliber to start with. Will brass from cheap, inaccurate factory ammo always be innacurate when reloaded or does it depend more on the quality of the reloading and other components? - the projectile and powder have a greater impact on accuracy than the brass My friend wants to reload .308 Norma Magnum rounds due to the fact that they cost about $3-$4 per round. Could we just share .308 bullets as long as he had his own set of dies? - Not sure, do not reload .308. But if you are using the same size projectile (grains) then the only variable should be the powder and dies.... I have about 1,000 rounds of 9mm and 1,200 rounds of .223 sitting in my closet to shoot, which I bulk ordered from Cabela's. I have a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint and haven't fired a single round out of it. I'm a little skiddish about putting some of my first reloads into a brand new gun so I was thinking about buying a couple hundred rounds of .308 to shoot initially and then reload. Is that dumb? - I would get 100 rounds of a good factory ammo to test the reliability and accuracy of the gun. Almost all gun makers will void the warranty for using reloads. Get 100 or so Hornady, Black Hills, GMM, etc to break in with. I can't think of any more so thanks in advance for the help. See above in red. I am also somewhat of a noob to reloading but I have learned a lot here. You picked a good place, with some very knowledge people, to start. Sir, first of all I don't believe the OP really needs a trimmer for 9mm. For most bottleneck rifle cartridges I've come to favor Redding die sets, second choice Forester/Bonanza. Both manufacturers have excellent micrometer type seating dies; Redding calls theirs a Competition seating die, and Forester calls theirs the "Ultra". Most rifle die sets come with a FL sizer and I recommend you buy in sets initially solely for the sake of some small savings of $. A .30 caliber bullet can be used in a wide variety of cartridges from .308Win, .30-06 and up through the .300 Winchester magnums. AFAIK they all have bore diameters compatible with a .308" diameter bullet. I recommend you buy a few factory cartridges to shoot in your new rifle. Once you have fired a few of the factory cartridges you can measure the shoulder set back for setting up your resizing die. You should set up your resizing die to produce a case with the shoulder set back between .002"-.003" from the dimension you measure on the case fired in your rifle. Use that die setting to resize all of your rifle cartridge cases to the same dimension. Make sure depending on which type resizing die you use to lube the interior of the case neck if you have an expander ball fitted to the decapping rod. You can buy a carbide expander ball for the decapping rod from Redding if you buy Redding dies, but you'll still probably need to lube the case neck interior to keep from stretching the case after resizing when you withdraw the decapping rod assembly from the case interior. Make sure to remove the lube from the inside of the case neck before you seat a bullet. Also I recommend you use Imperial sizing wax for case lube, but that's a whole 'nuther thread. Lastly, for sake of things to buy to enable you to produce quality ammo consider some device to measure case shoulder set back for setting up your sizing die. I use an RCBS case mic for each cartridge but there are other options available. Also, a caliper for various measurements is helpful, I use a stainless steel dial caliper made by Starrett. Once you have trimmed your brass you need to consider some form of champfer tool to deburr the case mouth inside and out depending on what type trimmer you select. HTH, 7zero1. |
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