RELOADING

The_Professor

The_Professor

New member
Due to the recent shortage of .223 ammo in my local stores, ive decided i may want to try reloading on my own, my only problem is i have no idea where to start. Id appriciate any information on basic supplies and must have equipment. Also any techniques or special hot loads and powders. I use a remmington 700 LVSF with 40 and sometimes 50 gr v-max factory ammo.
 
Purchase a Lyman 49th edition reloading manual and read the front half a couple of times and get a feel for what reloading is about, it should answer most of your questions and be a handy refference once you get started. When you get to something that you don't understand start to ask questions. Right now you won't have any idea what people are even talking about.

AWS
 
First off you should check out the reloading section and read the post about helping new reloaders. Then buy a reloading manual and read it front to back. I started this past winter a Christmas purchasing components presses reading manuals and within 2-4 months I had begun punching out my own. Itll take time to find the secret recipe but when you do you will not want to change. Have fun and good luck. Remember only load what is safe. Be safe.
 
Also buy a copy of the ABCs of Reloading. There's a lot of useful information in there about every aspect of reloading, and the pictures can be a big help.

Quote:...special hot loads and powders.

You'll want to start at a lower level and work up to what is a "hot load" in your rifle. Personally, I've never had as good of accuracy with a "hot" load as I have if I step back some. You gotta hit them before you can kill them.
If you're shooting Hornady factory ammo, that's not a "hot" load.
If you take some random guy's load data from a random web site, you'll eventually find a "hot" load that you'll regret pulling the trigger on.

I'm just sayin.
 
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If IdBob were still around, he'd tell ya to get a Lee Anniversary kit,"or something of that nature" He would also reccomend reading reloading manuals. He was a firm believer that you didnt have to buy the top drawer stuff to produce quality ammo. If you find a kit that has everything that you need in a price that you like, Buy it. Many think that you need top of the line stuff to hunt critters. I dont think along those lines. You can go from there. You can sell off the equipment wether you decide its below your standards and upgrade, or you can sell the stuff, and go back to buying New ammo, or, you can let folks spend Your money talking you into the latest and greatest. Its up to you and where you want to go. Me? I took the Lee stuff.. It makes good ammo for what I want. Look at prices, ask yourself where you want to go with your reloading. Its all up to you. Good Luck !
 
Ummmm First I would see if small rifle primers are even available in your area. Without those your screwed.
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Lee Anniversary kit will make some good ammo, get you started without breaking the bank.

I started off with the Lee "nutcracker" type of sizer and bullet seater. It was a while before I owned a press and a RCBS full length sizing dies.

The first upgrade off the Lee Anniversary kit would be the RCBS 10/10 powder scale of which there is one listed for sale in the classifieds on this site.

The 223 is easy to load for, accurate ammo is easily attainable.
 
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Originally Posted By: VASHTIUmmmm First I would see if small rifle primers are even available in your area. Without those your screwed.
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Also hope you have been saving your brass. Primers might be hard to come by but they are out there.
 
Hey Ackleyman- Was that nutcracker the kind you had to use a mallet to drive out the primers with and make one bullet at a time? I think my first was a Lee in that funky little plastic red box. Took all day to make enough ammo for about an hours worth of shooting on the river bank. My,my, how times have changed. I have a Lyman III now. Took me about an hour to load up 100/223 this evening.
 
+1 on the Lee Anniversary Kit. I have one and it works great! I don't use the scale, I had a Hornady scale that I use. I think that the Lee one is serviceable, though. I also use the Lee RGB dies. They are good quality, and don't cost much. I have used my setup to make some good ammo.

kevlars
 
I also started with the Lee Anniversary kit and loaded thousands of rounds on it before upgrading to RCBS. I think for the money, you can't go wrong. Matt
 
Quote:Was that nutcracker the kind you had to use a mallet to drive out the primers with and make one bullet at a time? I think my first was a Lee in that funky little plastic red box.

The "nutcracker" one was the more advanced one that you and I couldn't afford.
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The red box is the Lee Loader, I've still got one here somewhere for .357 mag.
And a full set of powder dippers.
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It made perfect sense, I had a brand new Colt Python and $25 worth of reloading equipment. I was good to go!

Then the sickness set in.
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Lee loader
 
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I had one of those Lee Loaders in 6mm Rem and used to crank out ammo in the living room of my college apartment. Everything I knew about reloading came from the directions in the box, its a wonder I never hurt myself!
I'm all high tech now with my 15 year old Lee Aniversery kit, lol. Cheap works, but it sure is alot slower...
 
Originally Posted By: The_ProfessorDue to the recent shortage of .223 ammo in my local stores, ive decided i may want to try reloading on my own, my only problem is i have no idea where to start. Id appriciate any information on basic supplies and must have equipment. Also any techniques or special hot loads and powders. I use a remmington 700 LVSF with 40 and sometimes 50 gr v-max factory ammo.

As mentioned, buy the book ABC's of Reloading, plus several of the reloading manuals and read the "how to's" in all of them.
Then look at how much money you want to spend and go from there. The Lee Anniversary Kit is one way to get into loading, and at a little higher price is the RCBS kit.
There are advantages obviously in buying the higher priced RCBS kit, but the Lee kit will get the job done.
 
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