New to reloading, Info needed!

[ryanu]

well today I was given a RCBS jr reloading kit to me by a family friend. I know nothing at all about reloading so im gonna post a pic of the stuff i have received. I want to get into reloading my .300 win mag and my 30-06 so i know that some dies, powder and primers and i dont know what else would be needed will be needed but I have no idea on what powder or primers to get. The guy gave me a set of RCBS .357 dies and about 200 primed brass for the .357 as well. Too bad I dont have a use for them because i dont have a .357.

Anyways thanks for the help

 

[Josh45]

For 30-06, Your gonna need Large Rifle Primers
For the 300 Win Mag, I think you would need Large Rifle Magnum Primers. Although, Don't hold me to it since I do not load it.

Get your dies according to your calibers. Get a Full Length Sizing die for the brass you pick up off the floor and get a Neck Sizing die for brass that has already been shot in your rifle. The kit will come with the Seating/Crimping die.

Powders, Well...That is very hard to say because you can use quite a few different kinds depending on the application and bullet weight.

You need a manual. Lymans 49th edition is a good manual.
Also, See if your local library has the "ABC'S Of Realoding" and get it.
Read it from cover to cover and you will get the basics down pretty quickly.
Also, Make sure to get lube for your rifle cases. Your going to need it to be able to FL Size them.

You can sell those dies and primed brass here on THR or maybe you can trade them for some 300 Win Mag or 30-06 dies to help you get started.

That press you have is what is called a "Single Stage" by the looks of it. It's good for reloading rifle rounds. I prefer a single stage myself when it comes to rifle. I'm not sure if that is the "Little Dandy Powder Measure" you got there. But it does look like it. I don't know much personally about it but I know some people here like it quite a bit.

That scale, Make sure to zero it out each time you go to use it before each reloading session. Get some check weights to make sure it is +/-.1 Gr which is acceptable.

First thing being, First, Get the book from the library if you can, If not order it. Once your done with that, Then you can move on from there.

Welcome to THR and to the world of Reloading.

Oh and this, http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=652872
If you have a Kindle, You can buy the ABC'S of Reloading for $0.99
Also, There is no load date in this book, But the Lymans 49th is a reloading manual which I mentioned this book earlier.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

but I have no idea on what powder or primers to get.

Primers for the 30-06 and 300 win Mag are easy, Large Rifle Primers. Like said above you will probably need Magnum primers in the 300 Win Mag but not because it's named a magnum but because of the amount of powder the case will hold.

Powder are a completely different matter. There are so many good powders available today it's very hard to tell you which is the best. People can only tell you what works well for them. In the 30-06 I use mostly H4350 but 4895 and IMR4064 are also good choices as are H414/W760, BL-C(2), Varget, AA4064. AA2495, AA2520, RL-19, Big Game and a whole bunch of others too.

You will need a slower powder for the 300 Win Mag but I don't load that caliber so I can't recommend a powder.

 

[Bassleg]

I would try IMR4831 or H4831 for both and us mag primers for both as far as case lube you
can us motor oil put it on a rag and use very little and wipe it off after sizing your brass.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I use Imperial Sizing Was and would not use anything else. It's the best available case lube IMO.

 

[kingmt]

Congratulatetions on the nice gift. Others should be able to give better advice then I can so I'll wait before offering.

 

[dragon813gt]

Buy every reloading manual you can get. Make your decision on powder based on the type of bullets you want to use. I tend to use powders that use the least amount to attain the performance I want.


Brought to you by TapaTalk.

 

[Ravenmoon]

Your powder measuer is a Lyman #55 and is great for "Ball" type powders for rifle. As said above Win 760 & H414 are great powders and the measure you have will be good with them. By a few manuals, dies (lee dies come with the shell holder), loading block and lube read the books then lube and size one case then read the manuals again. Go to this site http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/home/ to download the instructions for the #55 powder measure. Remember one thing at a time and do not be in a hurry, Saftey, Quality then Speed. The tools you have are good tools, get to know them and they should make you happy.

 

[Blue68f100]

I started out on that press work good but does not have a lot of mechanical advantage as the RC does. You will need a good solid bench to mount it too. I recommend using the Imperial Sizing Wax to make the larger brass easier to do. I did mainly 308 and Rem 7mm Mag when I had that press. Like the other have said Dies, shell holders, then supplies and your set.

Your powder dispenser may be setup for Pistol ONLY. Meaning it will not throw more than 15 gr of powder. If this is the case and you can not locate the Rifle Rotor you may want another one. Or you can go the cheap lee dippers.

Save the 357 stuff, you may need it down the road....

 

[Searcher4851]

Nice gift.
Besides the other things already mentioned, you're going to end up needing something to trim your cases to length, chamfer, and deburr, as well as something to measure them with. You can spend a little or a lot, but either way, it's going to be needed.

 

[kingmt]

The first thing you will need to get is some Bullseye & 158gn bullets(I would go ahead & get some small pistol primers). Next you need a 357.

Later if you decide it is your thing then you can add more dies, sizing lube, trimers, LPP, a few more powders, & several different bullets(by weight, brand, shape, & purpose). You might decide to go with a different press, powder measure, or scale.

 

[mdi]

"You need a manual. Lymans 49th edition is a good manual.
Also, See if your local library has the "ABC'S Of Realoding" and get it.
Read it from cover to cover and you will get the basics down pretty quickly." Josh45

100%. Before you purchase anything, get these two books and read 'em. The ABCs of Reloading first, read it, then Lyman's 49th Edition Reloading Handbook. When you're ready to start assembling ammo use load data from the Lyman manual (start at the suggested start loads). Once you get rolling I'd suggest more manuals; one from the manufacturer of your powder choice (Allient, Hodgen, Winchester, etc.), and one from the manufacturer of your bullet choice (Barnes, Sierra, Hornady, etc).

Most important, go slow, double check everything, and enjoy...

 

[gamestalker]

For the 300 win. mag. I would go with RL22 or RL25. Both are very good powders ( slow burning) for the 300 WM. For the 30-06 RL19 is a very good powder as well. I've used IMR-4350 for the 06 with excellent results also. Regarding other powders, there are lots of good choices, but on a personal note I would stay clear of faster burning powders as they are not as forgiving. They will be more reactive to small variations in charge weight. The slower burning powders provide a dense powder charge, often filling the case full, or near full. Another plus of using the slow burner's is it makes it very hard for a new relaoder to over charge a case to the extent it causes extreme pressure problems.

Primers will be standard large rifle for the 06, and large rifle magnum for the 300 WM.

You will need some way to trim brass. I would go with a Lee case length guage, stud / threaded shell holder, and cutter for this. They are an inexpensive trimming set up, and do a very good job. Also need a ream and chamfer tool. I recomend the RCBS (Wilson).

Lube. I used Lee dry lube for many years. It's a really great lube and isn't sticky or oily at all. Avoid getting any on the shoulder of the case or you'll wind up with lube dents. There are lots of other elements to lube with that work, but not all are good choices.

Motor oil is not something I would never consider using as it is messy, hard to clean off the brass, and any residue could cause powder or primer fouling. Any oil or lube residue remaining on the outside of the brass will prevent necessary case sieze during firing. If a case has lube on it, even a light residue it can allow the case to slam against the bolt face, possibly setting the lugs or bolt face back. So in this respect, don't use motor oil or any other oils not intended for brass lubing purposes.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=649184


There is some extremely good reading here. Especially the one "For the New Reloader: ect"
Check it out. It's very helpful.
Great gift by the way. RCBS is great equipment that will last a lifetime.
Happy loading.

 

[cactus02]

I bought a quart of 80-90 rear end gear lube 30 years ago and still have some left. I felt it was closer to the RCBS lube than motor oil.

 

[FROGO207]

Welcome to the world of reloading. You have a great basic setup. All good advice in posts above.
First I would hold onto the pistol reloading stuff as you may one day want to reload it if you ever get a 357.

You do want to start off by reading a lot, then read some more. There are some videos on youtube that can be watched to get an idea of the whole reloading process. BUT be forewarned not all reloaders are necessarily experts. We all can at times post something wrong or that will work safely in one firearm and not in another. It is up to you to sort through the good the bad and the insane in order to manufacture safe loads for your firearm. The ABC's of reloading and factory manuals for the propellant, reloading, and bullet manufacturers all have the best and safest information available. Just remember to always cross check with several sources when deciding what combo of components to load. Best policy is just because a load is on the internet do not assume it is safe. After you read/research a bunch and want some more specific answers ask us then and we can help further. Everyone here in the reloading subforum will happily answer any other of your questions then.