New To Reloading Need Beginner Help

As I'm sure many have said, I kept telling myself I was going to start reloading but never did it. Then my fiancé bought me a lee 50th anniversary kit. I don't have any family/friends that reload so I'm starting from truly scratch.

Currently all I have is the kit. Hoping to order dies, a manual, and anything else I would need ASAP. I'm hoping for guidance on brands and selecting what I need to reload. Going to start reloading for my 308 savage hog hunter and looking for input on bullet and powder suggestions as well be shooting pigs/deer with it.

Thanks for any help,

Dale

Where are you located? Go to the local gun shop and ask who reloads, they will be more than happy to impart their wisdom upon you!

I live in myrtle beach SC. Talked to local gun range owner and asked if knew anyone that offered classes or anyone that would be willing to show me briefly the basics. Said he didn't... Going to the range today and will see if anyone there is talkative today

I tought myself how to tie flys when I was a teenager using videos/books. Hoping can accomplish something similar with this and be safe

OK, I'm in Savannah, GA.
Years ago I got a used kit with stuff I had no idea what it was. Had a buddy that reloaded so I wen tot his house and he showed me the basics, then reading (before the internet) and took it from there.

First thing buy a couple of good books. Hornady, ABC of reloading are really good lots of information. Also RCBS has a good video on reloading

Was planning on the hornady but didn't know if any better books. I'll order the abc book as well.

Most of the hard copy reloading manuals have a chapter on the basics in them. In addition, Youtube has quite a few videos on basic reloading procedures as well....some of them informative, some not....but you will get the idea after reading the manuals then watching the videos.
As for powder, primers, bullets, etc: We all have our favorites, so I'm sure if you ask for a specific "recipe", you'll get a ton of replies. My suggestion is to start out with one type of powder and 2 or three different bullets of the same or similar weight and start from there. As for choosing powders, look at the various reloading manuals and see what powders are in all the manuals (i.e., if you look at the .30/30 Winchester, you will most likely see IMR 3031 show up in just about all the manuals). I'd suggest starting with one of those powders, then advance from there. Nothing more frustrating than spending $30 on a pound of powder, only to find that it has very limited use (or none at all) for the caliber you are reloading for.
Make up your test loads, shoot some groups with them, and set up a system to keep a record of them! I have a loose leaf binder that has been on my shelf for 30+ years; it has every reload I've tried in various calibers since I've started reloading. I've had to replace that binder 2-3 times over the decades as it gets worn out.....but I know what loads shoot well in my particular rifles, and which ones don't.
Good luck and don't hesitate to post up questions (specific or general) as they arise..........most of us are here to help, and would be glad to do so.

I agree with the advice given. Buy the Hornady reloading manual. The fist part of the book has great information on the basics and what to look for getting started. When you buy the die sets, they will have detailed information on how to set them up in your press. Pay very close attention to details and be focused on what you are doing. Avoid distractions.
Reloading is a lot of fun, and the more you get into it, the more interesting it becomes.
Ask away with specific questions.

Mr 16 gauge is spot on!

Years ago I had many different powders and primers, etc.....

I mis-read the manual, I was working with one powder and read for another, resulted in a 10 grain overcharge!! Luckily no damage to the rifle but taught me a valuable lesson,

FOR ME: I use IMR 4350 in just about everything I own and shoot (except my 223) and I only use Federal Magnum Primers,
But part of the fun is working up different loads and powders - just got my attention when I could have destroyed the rifle and my face along with it!

I am relatively new too and the advice here is good. Just buy more than one manual, read them more than once and go slow . For example, with bullet seating you will read about seating it a certain distance off the lands for best accuracy. I found that for me I had to slow down the process a bit. I start by just seating to the COL listed in the specific reloading manual. after finding a decent load I monkey with seating depth. One thing for sure is that you will get to know your rifle very very well. have fun.

It is somewhat like the lessons in carpentry.. Measure twice, cut once!

Treat it like a chemistry lab. Lay out all the ingredients beforehand and check them twice.
Powder, bullets, brass, scale, etc.

Check your scale during the process, just to make sure.

Be methodical and follow the advice you have already received here.

Have fun.

Lots of good advice here already, but I'd like to add a few things that have helped me.

1. Print or make a log sheet to keep track of what powder and bullet type/weight you've used. Early on, I relied on memory and found a written record to be a much better bet for me. It's very frustrating to go to the range, shoot a good group and then not know how to replicate the load. It sounds basic, but I had to learn the hard way.

2. Good reloading manuals are invaluable and you should have them, but you can get reloading data free at Hodgdon's website. I trust data from manufactures, but am leary of using untested information from people online unless I know they're reputable.

3. If you get more into it and like the technical side of things, the book "Metallic Cartridge Handloading: Pursuit of the Perfect Cartridge" by Mic McPherson is an excellent reference on more advanced techniques as well as being very entertaining.

4. I haven't found reloading to save any money. You can significantly reduce your cost per round, but most people end up shooting more to offset the savings.

dailordasailor said:

I live in myrtle beach SC. Talked to local gun range owner and asked if knew anyone that offered classes or anyone that would be willing to show me briefly the basics. Said he didn't... Going to the range today and will see if anyone there is talkative today

I tought myself how to tie flys when I was a teenager using videos/books. Hoping can accomplish something similar with this and be safe

Click to expand...

Sending you a PM in just a moment with some info.

308win for hunting: Nosler Partition 150gr bullets. For target/plinking you can use the Noslers or any 150gr bullet you get cheaper. You do not need any bullet heavier in the 308win(or 30-06 and such) than 150gr for anything you will hunt. The Nosler Partition will work for everything. Powder: I use Win 748 mostly. other powders include TAC, RL15, IMR4064, Varget that are good choices..
The 4350 (IMR or H) is too slow for the 308win. Your speed will suffer too much.
So may say get the ABC book so I did after many years of loading. I thought it was a waste of time and money. I really like the Lyman #49 manual for newbies and experienced loaders. I strted loading in 1962 and load for about 35 different cartridges.
I taught myself and you can also. Get the lyman book(or Hornady etc) and read it. That will answer about 95% of your questions right off. only have one powder on your bench at a time. Use starting to mid-range loads to begin with. Then work up to max loads. I use mag primers in all loads and have never had a problem. Always use mag primers for ball type powders such as Win 748. You do not need to crimp your loads. Just back off the seater die so you do not. Load to book length to start with. You can change it later if you want. If you got lee dies then toss the so-called lock rings in the trash and get some real ones from Hornady or other manufacture. Then once they are set they will stay. Better yet get RCBS/Hornady/Lyman/Redding dies to start with. You do not need a " lee factory crimp" die. If you have it just set it aside. I found the RCBS SPRAY lube best to cases before sizing. Works on 204ruger to 50bmg just fine. The Hornady stuff sucks. Just toss brass in a Teflon baking pan and a couple of squirts, shake and squirt again and start sizing. Either toss into a tumbler for a few min or onto a large towel. Then fold towel over the brass and rub to remove lube. If brass are in tumbler check primer pockets to see no media is stick in them or the flashholes.

If you want some help PM me and I will give you my phone number.---Enjoy

PS--You will not save any money at the end of each year. But you will shoot more

You will need a good Powder scale and a set of calipers

The 308 and Varget just work. Most of the best target shooters use Varget and it has the added bonus of being insensitive to temperature. Further the Hog Hunter has a short barrel so if you don't want to lose a pile of velocity stay away from slow powders. http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/ is a great resource for safe loads. The 308 is one of the most unfussy calibers to load for. My savage 10FP 20" barrel using 165 accubonds, win brass win LR primers 45.5gr Varget nets sub 1/2" groups @ 2630fps. I use (waiting for the flames) lee dies and really can't tell the difference in accuracy with a set of reddings I bought. If it is a hunting rifle full length size for chambering.

No flame here. If you like the lee then good. I hate the POS o-ring so called locking rings. I do like the crimp die for pistol rounds but it is a waste for rifle rounds. Never needed to crip for any of my rifles including the mags/pump/semi-autos. "I" also have had total crap when dealing with lee about warr stuff including stuff marked lifetime warr.
Varget works but I get more speed with Win 748 and excellent accuracy. Even better accuracy than the Varget in some rifles. "I" want speed with hunting rounds so I do not have to estimate drop/drift as much. Too each their own. Remember target shooters and hunting are do different set of rules. Usually target shooter do not care about anything (speed, type of bullets, etc) except putting all bullets thru one hole. Hunters need to be concerned about terminal performance of the bullet, speed, cartridges fitting in the mag, the round chambering without trouble etc.

If you want the best accuracy and speed for hunting in your rifle you will need to test different powders and such.

Divernhunter said:

No flame here. If you like the lee then good. I hate the POS o-ring so called locking rings. I do like the crimp die for pistol rounds but it is a waste for rifle rounds. Never needed to crip for any of my rifles including the mags/pump/semi-autos. "I" also have had total crap when dealing with lee about warr stuff including stuff marked lifetime warr.
Varget works but I get more speed with Win 748 and excellent accuracy. Even better accuracy than the Varget in some rifles. "I" want speed with hunting rounds so I do not have to estimate drop/drift as much. Too each their own. Remember target shooters and hunting are do different set of rules. Usually target shooter do not care about anything (speed, type of bullets, etc) except putting all bullets thru one hole. Hunters need to be concerned about terminal performance of the bullet, speed, cartridges fitting in the mag, the round chambering without trouble etc.

If you want the best accuracy and speed for hunting in your rifle you will need to test different powders and such.

Click to expand...

No offense taken I'm just used to flames when you mention lee, in some cases with good reason, like that loadmaster I have. I agree 100% about the o-ring and the pistol crimp die. All my newer dies are Redding BTW. I crimp for my ar15, 180b and m305 just because the feed ramps aren't the greatest and I'm overly cautious. As for powder up here in Canuckistan selection is limited so I never found any 748 to try. Too bad superformance doesn't work for the 308 because the extra 200fps it gets me for the 300wsm would make a huge difference for the old 308

I started a little bit different than a lot of the members here. I had no one close to me that reloaded anything other than shotgun shells so I read. The first reloading set that I purchased came with a Speer reloading manual and I read the pages off of that book. I also read all the gun magazines that I could purchase and paid a lot of attention to the loads that they were putting together and what they said.

One thing that I did learn from another person was what too much of the wrong powder would do to a pistol. A police officer in southern Utah purchased a brand new Colt Python in .357 magnum. He also purchased a old hand held Lee reloading set for $9.95, a can of powder (I have no idea of what kind), some primers, and bullets and then decided to load himself up some rounds. Well, it is a testament to how well built that Colt Python was. It held together for 4 shots before it let loose and when it did he was lucky that it didn't take his hand with it. The last time that I saw that pistol it was hanging above the gun counter in the store where he purchased it at. The top strap looks like someone tried to stretch it straight up. There is nothing left of the top of the cylinder, where it went no one knows. The .357 mag case is still there in that chamber, forever welded into place with 1/2 of it missing. It went with the top strap.

So if you can't find someone to give you a hand read the manuals and believe it when they say to back off the starting load by 10% and then working up checking for any signs of excessive pressure. The life you save may be your own.

^^^^ NEVER BACK OFF the STARTING LOAD when using H-110 or Win 296! You can have a 2nd pistol to mount on the wall doing that. Also use mag primers with these powders and all ball powders.
Read the manuals and follow directions. That said I use mag primers for all loads and have for many years. Never had a problem.

Icq-- I understand about the lee stuff. Also some of their stuff is good but I do not count on any war from them. Other manufactures war is better than great and their products better made so for me it is worth the extra cost to start with. My AR does fine without the crimp as does my M1A and M1 Garands. Different rifles of the same kind sometimes require different loading processes.