New to Reloading - Few Questions

I have picked up dies for both along with a Lee reloading single stage anniversary kit. From what I have read I also need to buy a tumbler/sonic cleaner, reloading trays, calipers, trimming dies for each caliber a reloading manual and I have seen people recommend a better powder scale. Is there anything else that I am missing?



Yes, you need a better scale, case lube and several MANUALS

Crimp is not required on rifles used for target shooting that are being single fed and its actually just one more variable to control. Hold your bullets with neck tension.

Cleaning is not required, if you eject into your hand and put them in the box, they are clean enough.

Do yourself a real favor and use redding sizing wax in the beginning so your not immediately posting about a stuck case. Once you use up the can you will be experienced enough to try whatever....

Get a few 100 round or 50 round boxes and use those to reload to start. 45acp trays will also hold 50 cases in processing.

I only have one reloading manual, Nosler.. The rest are redundant and unnecessary as well as a tumbler or sonic cleaner.
Im not sure what a trimming die is so perhaps some one can fill me in.
A good reliable beam scale is nice to have but some fellas use electric.
Oh yeah. . crimping g is not required either

ReedTX said:

I plan (so far) to only reload .308 and 6.5 creedmoor. I have picked up dies for both along with a Lee reloading single stage anniversary kit. From what I have read I also need to buy a tumbler/sonic cleaner, reloading trays, calipers, trimming dies for each caliber a reloading manual and I have seen people recommend a better powder scale. Is there anything else that I am missing?

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Cleaners are nice, but not necessary. As AJC mentions, as long as you keep the brass out of the dirt, a simple wipedown with a rag should suffice... having said that, I like shiny brass.

Trays help... I like the Frankford Arsenal ones... and the .308 and 6.5CM trays should be the same.

Yes, you need a good set of calipers.

Yes, eventually you will need to trim that brass. Something as simple as a hand cranked trimmer will do the job. You will also need a set of calipers... see my last comment.

Yes, buy a good balance beam type scale... I like the RCBS, but there are others out there.

If you have picked a powder brand you might like to use, that would be a good manual to pick up, as well as the specific brand of bullets you might use... but the more the merrier.

Also, assuming you don't have an aversion to people, it might be possible to find someone nearby that could help you through the first steps, and/or at least show you some of the equipment you might need.

You really should have and read a reloading book like THE ABC'S OF RELOADING and have some reloading manuals like Lyman and Lee..They aren't brand specific on bullets or powders. Many powder and bullet manufacturers put data on line for free. A sizing length gauge by Lyman and Lee hand held case trimmers can be had for pretty cheap. Have fun.

ReedTX said:

I have picked up dies for both along with a Lee reloading single stage anniversary kit.

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I don't know what all came in the "kit."

ReedTX said:

a tumbler/sonic cleaner

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You can get by without a tumbler/case cleaner for a while - maybe forever if you want to.

ReedTX said:

reloading trays

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Yep, at least one reloading tray is pretty much necessary. You can make your own if you have a drill press and a piece of wood, but making your own is not worth the effort.

ReedTX said:

calipers

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I only have one caliper (a dial caliper), but it gets used almost every time I'm at the loading bench.

ReedTX said:

trimming dies for each caliber

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Trim dies or case trimmer - one or the other. BTW, a trim die for each cartridge - NOT "caliber." A .264 Win Mag is the same "caliber" as your 6.5 Creed.

ReedTX said:

a reloading manual

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Yes - definitely. Two or more would be better.

ReedTX said:

a better powder scale

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I don't know what kind of scale you already have (the one that came in the "kit" perhaps?), but I'll bet you can get by with whatever powder scale you already have for now.

ReedTX said:

Is there anything else that I am missing?

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You're gonna need a powder funnel and some way of getting the powder from the can and dumping it into the funnel or onto the scale - I highly recommend a set of Lee dippers. They're not expensive, and I've been using the same set for over 40 years.
Also, a little tool for chamfering/beveling the mouths of your cases after you trim them will come in real handy. It won't cost much either, and it will be easy to use.
Did a lube pad and lube come with your "kit?" If not, you'll need both.
A primer pocket brush is nice, but not absolutely necessary.
Again - the reloading manual(s) IS "absolutely necessary."

Imperial Wax lube is thin and will last 10 years!

The Hornady dies have the crimp in the seating die. Just make sure you back the die body off to keep from crimping.

I just wiped my brass down before sizing for 20+ yrs before I bought a tumbler. Then migrated to wet cleaning 6 yrs ago. The Lee scales will work but are a little odd to use. Get your self a set of Check weights so you can verify the scales are reading correctly.

Trimming normally comes into play ether on the 1 firing if factory crimped or around the 3 depending on how much stretch your getting. The key is only push the shoulder back 0.001"-0.002" to minimize stretching, and possible case head separation.

My 2 oz tin of Imperial Sizing wax is going on 20+ yrs. Have maybe another 5-10 before I start on a new can.

Loading blocks are not required but greatly preferred. You can use most anything to hold the brass for you while you work. I prefer the RCBS ones.

Be Safe and have fun on your adventure.

Do you already have powder and primers? If you don't they aren't easy to find.

When I got started loading about 8 months ago, equipment and components were scarce. A guy I met had been gifted about 80% of one of these LEE kits and offered to sell it all......plus a bunch of other surplus stuff he had.....to me for a pretty good price. All of the kit parts work, some parts better than others. I now have 4 balance beam scales, including a LEE scale sold in these kits. It is accurate and will work, but not as well as some others like the older vintage Lyman/Ohaus scales, like the D5 and D7, which can be had on ebay for about $30. The advantage of those....to me anyway.....is the brass cup it comes with. Far easier to measure into and out of than the cup on the LEE.

The LEE Perfect Powder Measure is good. Works far better than it looks like it should. Combined, they will get you by. You will also need a powder trickler if you care about accuracy at all. The reason being that of the calibers you mention, many of the best powders are bulky stick powders that do not meter well....at least not accurately.

I'm using the LEE case length gauges, with run about $10 per caliber. Fast, easy, accurate and the same shell holder that you chuck up in a drill can be used to chamfer and debur your cases. Have never done it, but according to the LEE manual, you can use the same shell holder in a drill to clean/polish up your cases with a piece of steel wool.

You absolutely need a set of calipers......dial or digital.

To get started, the LEE lube will work. I prefer the Imperial case lube, and also run a set of brushes with graphite powder to clean and lube the inside of my case necks prior to resizing. Sizing die without that pulls about 2X as hard as with it. Neck lube kit is a Bonanza that I found in my dad's old reloading stash from 50 years ago. He bought it, never used it. Redding makes the same thing (graphite case neck lube) in a dip form....and if you want, you can brush the necks with a brush.

On the need to crimp bullets in.....as many say yes as say no.....and both with conviction.......so as far as I've been able to tell, your choice. As near as I can tell, does no harm, so when I can I am. I suspect the Hornady dies will crimp if you get them adjusted right. Does it while seating the bullet, as opposed to the LEE dies, which is another step......and different crimp type.

Biggest hurdle a beginner faces today is not equipment, but finding consumable components. Hardest to find are primers, followed by powders. Bullets relatively easy to find. Good news is things have begun to loosen up in past month, and getting easier to find. Won't get it all in one place, or in one day, and will be more expensive than in the past, but absolutely doable.

ReedTX said:

I am relatively new to shooting having only picked it up 3 years ago, I am not a consistent 1.moa shooter and I am confident that this is my fault, not my rifles.

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I'm not a "consistent 1. moa shooter" shooter either, and I've been at it for close to 70 years. As a matter of fact, I'm "confident" that there are more a lot more "consistent 1. moa" shooters on these internet message boards than actually exist in the real world.

ReedTX said:

I have read conflicting statements on whether to crimp or not, and if it is needed in bolt guns.

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If you have sufficient neck tension (enough so that the remaining bullets in your rifle's magazine don't get shoved deeper into their cases when your rifle recoils), you don't need to crimp the bullets in place for use in bolt action rifles. All of my bottlenecked rifle sizing dies provide that "sufficient" neck tension (I've checked many times), so I don't crimp any of my bottlenecked rifle cartridge cases, and I've had (have) some pretty hard-kicking bolt action rifles.

Welcome to the forum and to reloading.

The lee kit is nice and has some stuff you likely will use a long time.

The lee scale can work but generally is regarded as ornery and not as good as an RCBS 505 or similar. I'd try it first before getting another. That said, I use an RCBS 505 I got secondhand.

You need a lee quick trim die for each caliber you intend to trim. Since the kit has a quick trim cutter.

You need calipers. I use RCBS calipers made in china. Any brand will do okay though.

You need a manual. The Lyman
is my favorite. But I also have read and own several others.

You dont need a tumbler. You can wipe cases clean and reload them if they aren't shiny. Start without it.

The anniversary kit has most everything you need.

Finding a mentor is a good idea too.

Blue68f100 said:

The Hornady dies have the crimp in the seating die. Just make sure you back the die body off to keep from crimping.

I just wiped my brass down before sizing for 20+ yrs before I bought a tumbler. Then migrated to wet cleaning 6 yrs ago. The Lee scales will work but are a little odd to use. Get your self a set of Check weights so you can verify the scales are reading correctly.

Trimming normally comes into play ether on the 1 firing if factory crimped or around the 3 depending on how much stretch your getting. The key is only push the shoulder back 0.001"-0.002" to minimize stretching, and possible case head separation.

My 2 oz tin of Imperial Sizing wax is going on 20+ yrs. Have maybe another 5-10 before I start on a new can.

Loading blocks are not required but greatly preferred. You can use most anything to hold the brass for you while you work. I prefer the RCBS ones.

Be Safe and have fun on your adventure.

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My Wax is the best value since Lee App. I think a good RCBS loading blocks is a must for single stage. I drop powder like I’m decorating a cake, and easy to confirm charge.

If the lee kit is the same one I started out using you will probably figure out very quickly how much the "Kit" is not filled with the greatest components. The only parts of the kit I still use is the press, Lee safety prime and sometimes the powder drop if I'm loading rifle.

My kit also came with lube. I don't reload a whole lot of rifle and the tube of lube that came in the kit is still being used about 3 years later.

Like others have said invest in a good scale and quality calipers. I bought a Hornady auto charger a couple of years ago and I really like it. Not to mention it has really helped speed things up. I also just bought a world's cheapest trimmer off of eBay for $25. I've used it a couple of times and don't know how I used the old manual arbor trimmer until I would get blisters.

Mark_Mark said:

Imperial Wax lube is thin and will last 10 years!

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Did you notice the setup in my post

I use a couple of lee perfect powder measures, but the old style. The kit has the new style ppm. It ain't perfect, but it works. I tuned mine to not leak powder by lapping the drum to the body with lapping compound.

As per loading block, you can use the tray out of a 45 auto cartridge box. I made my own out of wood.

My technique is that I use Tupperware this for brass processing. Sizing, flaring, priming. Then, the only time I use a loading block is when I charge a case. I grab the case out of the bowl, charge it, and place it in the block. I repeat until I have as many as I want to load. Then, I look with a flashlight to be certain every case has powder, and an appearant same amount of powder.

AJC1 said:

Did you notice the setup in my post

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oooh yeah! the ammo tray don’t give me too much space to work with. I like the Green tray cuz of the space between brass. I charge by taking the powder drop right on top of the brass. Like a dna lab test.

Im not sure what a trimming die is so perhaps some one can fill me in.

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Here is an example: https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/13240

They are hardened steel and are an exact trim length for the cartridge spec.
Run a case up into the die all the way, take a file and file the neck of the case flush with the top of the die. They work great, but then you have to buy one for each caliber.
At $30+ per unit, that can get expensive very fast!

I hope this helps.

Yes sir it does.
Thx

ReedTX said:

Thank you all for posting your advice and making we welcome to the forum. I am pleased about not needing a cleaner right away, you have saved me some money!

I do have a mentor of sorts, he has not reloaded in a long while but I am hoping he will be able to show me the basics. He is getting back into it after seeing my interest.

For those asking the Lee kit I bought came with the following;

- Press
- 1 x breachlock quick fitting
- Perfect powder scale
- Hand cranked trimmer (excluding trimming die - Thanks Poper for posting the link)
- Scale
- Tools for cleaning out primer pockets and chamfering neck
- On press priming
- Powder Funnel
- Lube
- Basic load data pull out

As for primers and powders, at the moment I do not have any. I do live close to an Academy and drop in a few times a week but not seen anything yet. Luckily I have a fair amount of factory loads and I need to make a bench for my press so I have plenty of time. Realistically with hunting and the holidays I will probably start reloading in January all being well.

Thanks all,

Reed.

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get to known the gun guys at the counter, bring them a bag of chips and soda, ask them about the delivery truck arrival day. And, tell them you are new to reloading and ask about primers and powder. good luck bud

A file trim die is not the same thing as a lee quick trim die. The lee die is specific to their cutter system.

Lee part numbers 90812 for 6.5 creedmoor, 90231 for 308 winchester.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...EQFnoECAoQAg&usg=AOvVaw0EXKmN4nFDWkpyIaMX5ePc




Just because you have the lee quick trim cutter, doesn't mean you have to go that route. You might consider the lee cutter and lock stud trimmer 90110 part number. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012835597

You'd need part 90139 for 308 and 90814 for 6.5 crdmr. These work well and with a drill. Cheap and easy.

I use the lyman universal trimmer, and the Lyman ezee trim, which is a copy of the lee case trimmer I just mentioned.

I have the lee catalog in front of me. You should get a copy of their catalog as well as Lyman, RCBS, redding, Hornady

The primer pocket cleaner and the little chamfer tool have their uses and I actually still use them from time to time. I mostly shoot and reload for pistol. I started out using a cheap ebay ultrasonic cleaner to clean my cases. The ground at the range I frequent has a lot of decomposed granite spread out where the cases land after being ejected. The casings blend into the ground and it can be very hard to see your spent casings.

To make the cases stand out better I actually bought a cheap ebay tumbler and some stainless steel pins. Shiney brass is not important to me but when it shines it's definitely easier to see. I'm into my cheapo tumbler and stainless steel pins for well under $100. It's not exactly necessary but it turns into a pride thing. #1 goal is to be safe and #2 is to produce accurate consistent ammo. #3 I guess is make it look good especially if it helps you retrieve your spent cases.

This is a labor of love. It can take over your life if you let it. Be safe and be careful.

ReedTX said:

Thank you all for posting your advice and making we welcome to the forum. I am pleased about not needing a cleaner right away, you have saved me some money!

I do have a mentor of sorts, he has not reloaded in a long while but I am hoping he will be able to show me the basics. He is getting back into it after seeing my interest.

For those asking the Lee kit I bought came with the following;

- Press
- 1 x breachlock quick fitting
- Perfect powder scale
- Hand cranked trimmer (excluding trimming die - Thanks Poper for posting the link)
- Scale
- Tools for cleaning out primer pockets and chamfering neck
- On press priming
- Powder Funnel
- Lube
- Basic load data pull out

As for primers and powders, at the moment I do not have any. I do live close to an Academy and drop in a few times a week but not seen anything yet. Luckily I have a fair amount of factory loads and I need to make a bench for my press so I have plenty of time. Realistically with hunting and the holidays I will probably start reloading in January all being well.

Thanks all,

Reed.

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Hello, Reed, and welcome to THR. Great folks here with oodles of wisdom!
For trimming, I strongly suggest you buy 1 of these:
https://anyandallauctions.com/ItemImages/000015/15217j_med.jpeg
For each caliber you are going to load for (.308 W & 6.5 CM) and one of these: https://maxedbuy.com/en/detail/1446...html?msclkid=c9dc3219b7f71d9d415153605c7a7ebf

Chuck the lock stud into your drill, tighten a case in it, insert the trimmer stem with the cutter head screwed on tight and trim away. This is the least expensive, very accurate, very consistent way to trim brass. I have used several lathe type, crank trimmers and the Lee unit beats them all for consistency and speed. I found the one for my .30-06 left the cases about .006" longer than my preferred trim-to length and it was a simple thing to nip it with a Dremel tool. (Careful tho! The dremmel takes material off REALLY fast!)

(My apologies to Bazoo! Didn't read his post first!)