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- #61
Reloading questions...
- Thread starter nikonNUT
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- #62
So I think I'm ready to reload! 
Finally found a unicorn of a powder (They're all kinda unicorns right now though) in the form of Retumbo to go with the H1000, RL33, and US869. Grabbed a case brush, a primer tray flipper (who knew?), and a Sinclair expander die with both standard and neck turning mandrels. Now I just gotta wait for the sizing dies to show up! I'm ready to do this! I guess I can deprime, uniform, and weigh cases in the meantime...
Finally found a unicorn of a powder (They're all kinda unicorns right now though) in the form of Retumbo to go with the H1000, RL33, and US869. Grabbed a case brush, a primer tray flipper (who knew?), and a Sinclair expander die with both standard and neck turning mandrels. Now I just gotta wait for the sizing dies to show up! I'm ready to do this! I guess I can deprime, uniform, and weigh cases in the meantime...
Retumbo is my "go to" powder in my 300RUM and 338RUM.
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- #64
Indeed! Retumbo seems to be THE powder of choice followed by H1000. ReLoader 33 gets some love but is a tad to temp sensitive from what I’ve read. Hoping some 8 pound kegs of Retumbo will show up. Hazmat sucks on 1 pound jars and so does the 1 per person rule I’m seeing most places right now 
Not trying to be greedy but at 90grains a case... well, you know.
Not trying to be greedy but at 90grains a case... well, you know. - Thread starter
- #65
So how did you decide to do your priming?
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- #67
For now I'll use the unit that comes on the Co-Ax but there might be a 21st Century ($$$) or Primal Rights ($$$$$) unit in my future! I kinda want an annealer first...
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- #68
So an update or six!
1) I have successfully reloaded! They all went bang and I didn't die!
2) I prefer Widden Gunworks dies to Forster
3) I think I actually found a node.
4) 200 yards ain't near far enough to get the vertical dispersion to verify the above 100% but I will soldier on! Seems like 300 to 600 yards would be a better distance for testing loads in the Wicked Witch (Yes, I named it!)
5) Case prep SUCKS but I understand it is part of the process. Thank goodness for a T.V. in the loading room!
6) My case O.A.L is WAY over SAMMI spec! 2.751 versus 2.724 SAMMI max. I won't have to trim brass for years!!!
1) I have successfully reloaded! They all went bang and I didn't die!
2) I prefer Widden Gunworks dies to Forster
3) I think I actually found a node.
4) 200 yards ain't near far enough to get the vertical dispersion to verify the above 100% but I will soldier on!
Seems like 300 to 600 yards would be a better distance for testing loads in the Wicked Witch (Yes, I named it!)5) Case prep SUCKS but I understand it is part of the process. Thank goodness for a T.V. in the loading room!
6) My case O.A.L is WAY over SAMMI spec! 2.751 versus 2.724 SAMMI max. I won't have to trim brass for years!!!
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I think a gracy case trimer should be in a reloadER’s wish list.So an update or six!
1) I have successfully reloaded! They all went bang and I didn't die!
2) I prefer Widden Gunworks dies to Forster
3) I think I actually found a node.
4) 200 yards ain't near far enough to get the vertical dispersion to verify the above 100% but I will soldier on!
5) Case prep SUCKS but I understand it is part of the process. Thank goodness for a T.V. in the loading room!
6) My case O.A.L is WAY over SAMMI spec! 2.751 versus 2.724 SAMMI max. I won't have to trim brass for years!!!
great machine.
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- #70
I mis-spoke myself. I meant that when I checked the chamber with a Sinclair chamber length gauge IT was way over SAMMI spec to the tune of the previously mentioned .027" over max. I see a nasty carbon ring in my future if I'm not mindful... I've not heard of Gracy but will check them out. I did grab a Lymann Brass Smith Case Trim Xpress and liked it the one time I used it (To shorten a case to check chamber O.A.L).
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after case sizing to correct dimensions the gracy gets the necks to the same length.
inside and outside chamfers at the same time. You can do buckets of brass done with no effort.
buckets! I had a lot of 223.
inside and outside chamfers at the same time. You can do buckets of brass done with no effort.
buckets! I had a lot of 223.
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- #72
Careful with that (Co-) ax(e), Eugene!
Indeed! Retumbo seems to be THE powder of choice followed by H1000. ReLoader 33 gets some love but is a tad to temp sensitive from what I’ve read. Hoping some 8 pound kegs of Retumbo will show up. Hazmat sucks on 1 pound jars and so does the 1 per person rule I’m seeing most places right now
I do know, my primary hunting rifle is a 375 Ruger and it consumes 80+ grains per round and bullets are not cheap either. I honestly could not justify owning(well shooting anyway) my rifle or a 338LM if I had to buy factory ammo, it's ridiculously expensive. Same for any Weatherby mag or any number of other medium or large bore rifles or magnum cartridges. Mind you, I'm a bit frugal(ok, I'm cheap, lol) and reload for my .32ACP, 9mm, 40S&W, 45 Colt, .223, .308, and 375.......and I'm almost ashamed to say it after seeing all the super nice reloading gear in this thread, but I do it with a cheap Lee Challenger single stage press and a combo of Lee, RCBS, and Hornady dies.
Ammo costs are stupid expensive in Canada comparatively I think, good chance that I'd only load for the .308, 45 Colt, and 375 if I lived anywhere in the U.S., reloading for semi-autos on a single stage is a killjoy.
I'm actually amazed you weren't already a reloader before buying that .338, roughly how much is the per round cost for factory ammo for that beast?
Anyway, nice choices on the reloading gear, I've wanted a Forster Co-Ax for some time now, have heard nothing but great things about them. I do think investing money in quality gear as you have will probably make your time at the reloading bench more enjoyable.
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- #75
I did have a Dillion 550B back in the day and loaded TONS of .45ACP and .40 S&W but it is my little brothers possession these days. If I start reloading 6.5CM I’ll probably spring for a Dillion 750xl and grab their new .338LM conversion while I’m at it. Lapua was a no brainer as I can spit out a round for $1.12 (yay sales and thinking my time is worthless! ) while Sellei and Beloit ammo is $2.99/round and the be all to end all, factory Lapua ammo, is $7.00/round! The loading gear will pay for itself fairly quickly I’m thinking. I have been pondering something in a .375 caliber as while, as you mentioned, the bullets are not cheap they aren’t that much more. A .375 390gr A-Tip is only about $0.10 more that a .338 300gr SMK and the ballistics on the the .375s are out of this world!
) while Sellei and Beloit ammo is $2.99/round and the be all to end all, factory Lapua ammo, is $7.00/round! The loading gear will pay for itself fairly quickly I’m thinking. I have been pondering something in a .375 caliber as while, as you mentioned, the bullets are not cheap they aren’t that much more. A .375 390gr A-Tip is only about $0.10 more that a .338 300gr SMK and the ballistics on the the .375s are out of this world!One thing I didn't see anyone suggest is the.... case extraction tool set. If you ever rip the rim from a case while it is in the sizing die, you will wish you have the set. And yes, IT DOES HAPPEN!!
They are pretty cheap, and you may never need it, but when you do...you will wish you had one.
In my 50 years of reloading, I think I have used it maybe half a dozen times (either for myself or extracting friends cases).
My Dillon press has been with me since 1980 and still cranking fine. I taught my daughters to use it.
When my eldest got married, I asked her what she wanted for a gift, she said, "a Dillon Press".
I ordered one from Dillon and told them the reason. That was when Mike was still with us. He said that he had never had that request and added some goodies plus a special note.
They are pretty cheap, and you may never need it, but when you do...you will wish you had one.
In my 50 years of reloading, I think I have used it maybe half a dozen times (either for myself or extracting friends cases).
My Dillon press has been with me since 1980 and still cranking fine. I taught my daughters to use it.
When my eldest got married, I asked her what she wanted for a gift, she said, "a Dillon Press".
I ordered one from Dillon and told them the reason. That was when Mike was still with us. He said that he had never had that request and added some goodies plus a special note.
Bumping because I will likely have questions soon. I spent some time today convincing myself that I am getting an RCBS setup versus a Lee (buy once, cry once), but there will be a lot of questions
Lee is actually pretty decent. I have had Lee, RCBS and Dillon. Still use Lee does in my dillon. If you are starting out you can get a Lee setup to learn on and won’t regret it. The only two items I will say that Lee falls very short on is a good powder measure and beam scale. The Dillon beam scale is an exceptional value over the RCBS both made in the same factory receiving different colors of paint and about $40 difference in price. As for a powder measure I have a good RCBS model and love it. Even if you do end up upgrading presses after some time, an extra Lee press will surprise you how much of a welcomed price of equipment it would be on your bench.
if you have grand plans of going progressive right out of the gate, you might still like to have an extra single stage press around to use for load development as well.
my RCBS rockchucker lives in my garage with a universal decapping die from Lee living in it. Occasionally i through primer pocket swaging setup on it. Otherwise I’m Dillon progressive full time. For what I’m using the RCBS for, a lee would do the job just as well or without enough of a difference to justify the higher end press.
Lee isn’t garbage, is it value, yes. I loaded close to 20k assorted pistol and rifle rounds on a Lee single stage press with only one failure around 16k rounds into it. I ha: to order one part and was back in business for $7.
Love Lee carbide dies, myself.
AA
AA
Lee equipment is a viable way to get into reloading with some caveats. Like any tool, you get what you pay for. It all depends on what you expect it to do. Lee dies work, Lee presses work as single stage and simple turrets, but the Lee Pro 1000 progressive that I bought trying to save some money was a disaster. I have and use most of the major brands of reloading equipment and some of the more obscure ones. I concur that you won't regret getting a good single stage press even if you eventually go progressive. An extra press is very handy and can be dedicated to a specific task like de-priming. The heavier built a press is, the better. Light weight equipment is fine for most pistol rounds but you may find it lacking for rifle rounds.
