Posted: 9/7/2013 9:07:34 AM EDT
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i know some of you local fellas reload your own stuff. i'm currently in the process of building a .300 blk so i've thought about possibly starting to reload my own as well.
my main question is how difficult is it to reload without worrying about complications with using the reloads. i know there's been quite a few threads where there's been some photos of damaged firearms due to crappy loads. my other question is how expensive would a decent beginner setup costs? just for the machine and such not counting brass, primers, powder ect... thanks fellas |
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It's no more dangerous then reloading any other caliber. If you use published data from respectable source you should have no problems. I've been reloading 300BLK for years and never had issues. I even use pulled AK bullets and resize them to .308 for great cheap plinkers, heck some people don't even resize them. Look on eBay for reloading equipment, <$300 should get you going. Be sure to get a chrony, it's very important for reloading. They are about $100.
Rob |
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It will be much easier if you can find someone to mentor you at least through the initial process, you'll have a million questions.
Where are you? Maybe someone nearby will take you under their wing.... The best thing to do, study youtube videos, and I mean from the retailers and manufacturers, like RCBS, Midway, etc, not Billy Bob's how I load my super duper hot load. Then buy the basics, a single stage press, scale, Powder measure, trickler, hand primer, and brass prep tools. Learn and become confident with a basic set up, doing each stage separately, before you ever consider a progressive. You can crank out plenty of ammo doing it that way for starters. And buy " the ABC's of Reloading", and a good manual, like Lymans. |
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ask yourself some ?s.
Do you like spending long hours doing the same thing over and over ? Do you have good mechanical skills and like working with your hands ? Do you think you'll save money by reloading ? Do you shoot this caliber enough to justify reloading it Fact the component's to reload( brass, projectiles ,powder and primers) will cost more than the hardware to do it with. In most cases and in any real volume. Fact is most people will just shoot more and don't save anything. Don't ask how I know. 
A year from now might be a better time to get into reloading. You might be better off finding someone set up for 300BO and trading them to get you started. That way you don't have to spend the money on the hardware right away and you get to see if it's for you or not. Personally I love reloading. It has been one of the best forms of stress relief I have ever found. It is one step below being in the wind. |
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Most of the issues I have seen with reloads is failure to pay attention to details.
Over charging of powder is a real concern for me. I tend to use powder that fills a case pretty well. Even on my progressive I visually check each case as it goes by, to see if it is approximately filled to the level that the previous cases were. The powder measure on my press is good, and even though it may look OK, I spot check weights constantly. When I find a load with the components and velocity I am looking for, I use a charge lower than the charge stated and go up in very small increments. Each increase I will look for any signs of issues. This takes several small batches, but is a necessary step. If anything ever seems like a question (example, primer seating does not feel like it does for a correct seting, etc...), stop and double check everything. Double checking powder levels, primers and seating may cause my rate on a progressive to be lower than what it may be capable of, but I feel better verifying the step(s). I already have an issue with damage to the nerves in my left hand from motorcycle accident, I never want to run into an issue with loaded ammunition. Brass, I will check as each new load is shot. Main point of inspecting at the range is to look for pressure signs (flattened primer, primers working out, case splits, case heads. I will then put the brass in my cleaner to prep it for depriming. Once it is clean, I will inspect the cases again looking for everything mentioned previously. My routine then has me checking the press setup again even though everything was set and locked from the last set of reloads I have done. Spot checking the powder drop is performed constantly and more frequently than most suggestions. I perform the same process for each new load combination and every time I change the powder supply I have been using. Exampele, even though I routinely use H335 if I go through a 1 lb container and by a new one, to me that is a new lot of powder and should be tested and checked. This is true of primers and primer types. I do a quick visual inspection of each round that comes off the press. I look for seating issues pill and primer, case damage etc... Friends think and ask why I reload since it takes so much time to come up with loads, and I tell them the attention to detail and finding a combination that works in my rifle(s) or pistol(s) is actually kind of fun. I spend the time reloading as quiet time of my own without disturbances from the wife or kid. Initial costs can widely vary. My friend uses a Lee hand primer and a single stage RCBS with really good efficiency. I ended up with a Hornady LNL progressive that I love after spending some time on a Lee Pro. I still want to get a single stage for working on more precision loading. Everything can be dangerous if care and time is not taken. I like the quiet time and focus. Ending up with good ammo is a good payout for me though. See if you can get with someone that reloads, preferably several people with different equipment. That way you can see how things go and equipment that is used and get an idea of what you may like. That can get you going with some of the right equipment up front. The cost on equipment, components or procedures (time savings) is not a place to cut corners on. Good luck, I hope when you get into reloading you like it as much as I do and have as good a set of experiences as I have had. |