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Set up for reloading .308?
hey all!! im having trouble understanding all the essentials for reloading im looking to get the lee turrent press or the anniversary kit, would these work for the 308? and also can someone guide me on their dies im lost on what they offer ..which ones do i need for reloading
Thanks!
P.S an item number for the dies will help GREATLY
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1226560555.2586=/html/index.html
Reloading is kind of expensive at first. There can be a lot of equipment involved and a lot of it isn't very cheap.
Here is what I recommend (if it isn't essential, I'll note it)
1. A reloading manual: Buy yourself a good reloading manual from a bullet maker. Do not reply on data you got from the internet without having at least 1 manual to verify it. A manual from any major bullet maker should do
2. You need a reloading press (I used a simple, single stage press my whole life. The turrent presses are OK, but personally I'm not big on some of them with the auto powder dispensers and built in priming tools)
3. Reloading Dies: You will need reloading dies. For shouldered cartridges like the 308, there are 3 types of dies that you'd be interested in, a seating die, a neck sizing die, and a full-length sizing die. IMHO, one brand of die sets is as good as another. I have used many brands and never had a problem with any of them.
A neck sizing die only sizes the neck of the brass casing. It is supposed to extend the life of the case. It also allows a casing to be "fire formed" and allow an exact fit into your rifle's chamber. Neck sizers are mainly used with bolt-action and single-shot rifles. If you fire a brass casing in a rifle and use a neck sizer, the casing expands to the chamber of that particular rifle. A neck sized case from one rifle may not work in another rifle.
A full-length sizing die resizes a brass case to factory specs. As the name suggests, it resizes the entire case. A full length sizing die is a must for semi-auto rifles and a pretty good idea for lever actions and pump action rifles.
A seating die seats a bullet into a brass casing (that has been sized already).
There are other dies you can buy (crimp dies & trim dies for example). Also, straight sided cases have slightly different dies and involve some new terms like carbide, flaring, and roll crimps. You'll pick this up as you get more involved.
4. A Shell holder: a reloading press requires a shell holder. A shell holder holds the casing in place in the press. A specific size of shell holder will usually work for many different types of cartridges (just so you don't buy dupilicates)
5. A powder scale: You need a way to measure how much powder you are filling a case with.
6. A powder dispenser: You can live without one, but I rank it as a must have. Some presses have a dispenser built in. If not, you have to buy one.
7. A powder funnel: If your poweder dispenser isn't built into the reloading press, spend the buck and buy a powder funnel.
8. A priming tool: Some reloading presses have a priming tool built in. If not, you need a priming tool to insert primers into the bottom of the brass casing.
9. Components: You need the components to reload. This includes the brass casing, the primer, the bullet, and the powder.
10. A primer pocket cleaning tool: If you use anothing other than brand new brass, you'll need a primer pocket cleaner to ensure uniform ignition.
11. Chamfer/Deburring tool: This cleans the burrs from the case mouth. You can get away without this, but it makes seating the bullets a little bit smoother and easier.
12. A powder trickler: This isn't a must have, but if you are measuring every powder charge to ensure uniformity of your loads, this is almost a must have.
13. Case Lube: If you use a full-length sizing die, you need a case lube. For most things used in reloading, I will usually say that the brand doesn't matter. For case lube, I highly recommend the RCBS brand liquid lube (not the spray). I have used quite a few brands and most work well but the RCBS brand worked the best.
14. A caliper: A caliper is a precise measuring tool. You use it to measure the length of your cases on occasion, the overall length of a loaded round, and group size on the targets. You can get away without one, but they can make life much easier.
Other things?
There is a ton of other stuff that you'll want if this becomes a serios hobby. A case tumbler and media will allow you to clean cases effortlessly. A sifting screen and a bucket will make it even easier. There are tools that ensure uniform flash hole size and primer pocket depth if you get real serious about accuracy. As you shoot brass several times (or make brass for one cartridge out of brass made for a different cartridge), you'll need to trim the cases and that means a case trimmer is needed or a trim die. Case holders are nice if you have a single stage press. You'll probably need Ammo boxes eventually.
With reloading, when in doubt, stop what you are doing and ask for help. I'd recommend checking out http://www.midwayusa.com to price out reloading supplies. They are not the cheapest on the web, but I think they have the best selection of everything.
I hope this helps
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