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Posted: 3/13/2014 6:50:43 PM EDT
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I've never reloaded before, but I'm very excited to get started. I've done a bit of research into the subject. I just wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations for a first time reloader regarding anything that I might have looked over.
I'm buying the RCBS rockchucker as I've read generally good reviews about it. Purchased some lake city brass, CCI #41 primers, nosler bullets (69gr custom competitions) and a couple of different powders (H335 and 2230) to try out. I have a 1:9 twist barrel on my gun. You guys have recommendations for powder scales or calipers? Thanks so much in advance. |
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Do you have any intentions of reloading pistol ammo? I would go so far as to say that's a better medium to get started with. There's a lot more you have to do with shouldered rifle cases, so that makes it more complicated and difficult.
If you plan to use a lot of 5.56 NATO brass with crimped primer pockets, invest in equipment to deal with decrimping the primer pocket, unless you want to have a new primer accidentally go caboom in your brand new Rockchucker. I use a Trim Mate case prep system. |
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My advice would be to visit the Reloading Forum.
I think you may have overlooked it. 
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What's your budget? I think I'd recommend some Lee dippers and an Ohaus/RCBS 10-10 scale to start off, and then get like a Redding BR-30 measure after a while.
I like my Mitutoyo calipers, but Starret, Brown & Sharpe, and even SPI make decent stuff. Ebay is a good source for tools like that. Get some mics, too. Mine are Starret. |
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Quoted: I've never reloaded before, but I'm very excited to get started. I've done a bit of research into the subject. I just wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations for a first time reloader regarding anything that I might have looked over. I'm buying the RCBS rockchucker as I've read generally good reviews about it. Purchased some lake city brass, CCI #41 primers, nosler bullets (69gr custom competitions) and a couple of different powders (H335 and 2230) to try out. I have a 1:9 twist barrel on my gun. You guys have recommendations for powder scales or calipers? Thanks so much in advance.   Many different brands of digital calipers will work fine. No need to spend a fortune on one. Mine attacked to a Hornady headspace gauge for setting sizing die. Do some reading at the top of the page, start in FAQ's. Welcome to Arfcom and the Reloading Forum.
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Hahaha yes, you are correct. I did overlook it. :-) |
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Quoted:
I was looking into the mitutoyo calipers. Someone indicated to me that analog is a better idea than digital for reliability. Has anyone had a digital caliper fail on them before? I use digital Mitutoyos at work. They are +/- 0.001" resolution, and claim +/- 0.005" error (new ones are +/- 0.001"). I wouldn't spend $100 on digital calipers in today's market. There are a lot of no-name options out there that will perform just as well for $15-$20. As long as they last 1/5th the time of the expensive ones, you're all set. FWIW, we had 2 sets of Mitutoyos in the lab/production area at work, and they broke. We replaced them with cheap ones two years ago, and they still work fine. These get abused -- no cases, tossed around on the bench, dropped, scratched, etc. I would go digital as opposed to analog as well. The digital stuff out there today is just as accurate. |
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1. Imperial sizing wax
2. Use a beam scale, not digital; I like my Redding 3.My daughter bought me a set of Mitutoyos for fathers day a few years back, CD-6-CSX, worth every penny. 4. I don't use a powder thrower, enjoy weighing each load. 5. I like both RCBS & Redding Dies. Luv the competition models with micrometer tops. 6.Get a Lyman Book 7.Luv my Sinclair Priming Tool 8.I like those Frankfort (blue) loading blocks 9.Get an OAL guage, to determine bullet seating depth. 10. Don't get in too deep until you figure it all out. I wasted money on neck turning tools, concentricity & run out gauges, bunch of tools that I couldn't apply or use to improve reloading until I learned more about reloading with time. I am just beginning to use those tools now, but still can't see the improvement. 11. And last: you will spend more time reloading than you now imagine, takes time actually. I have a big bench in basement where I store everything, but also have a 4 inch thick 3 foot by 4 foot table top upstairs so I can reload while watching TV with the family rather than down in the dungeon. |
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Quoted: I was looking into the mitutoyo calipers. Someone indicated to me that analog is a better idea than digital for reliability. Has anyone had a digital caliper fail on them before? You can spend that kind of money if you want to, but you don't need to. Digitals are so much easier to use. The machinists always disagree, but we are not machining, we are reloading here. |
Here is a Mitutoyo 8" caliper that I bought off of eBay 14 years ago. They have been used nearly every day since then in my work as a machinist. They have hit the deck several times and still work correctly.
Untitled by zweitakt250, on Flickr I also have a Starett 6" dial caliper that is super nice. It stays on my reloading bench. The most reliable type are vernier calipers, one moving part. Dial calipers a much more fragile and have several moving parts, but are easier to read. Electronic calipers are the easiest to use and read, but if the guts get fouled up you've got a brick. Measuring tools are a lifetime investment. Choose wisely. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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