Questions about primers, powder, and bullets?

[hometheaterman]

So I'm planning to buy a RCBS reloading kit. However, I also was planning on swinging by a store today that's known for great prices and usually has a pretty good selection of reloading stuff. I was going to check and see if they had the RCBS kit or dies I wanted before I ordered them. The problem is this store is about an hour away and I don't want to make a ton of trips there. So I thought while I was there maybe I should go ahead and get some primers, powder, and maybe even a few bullets if they had them.

This brought me to my question. I'm hoping to re load for a 9mm Luger, 243 Winchester, and a 30-06 Springfield. Which primers do I need for the 9mm and which ones for the 243 and 30-06? Or do the 243 and 30-06 take different ones? I see large and small rifle and pistol primers but how do I know which ones to get?

My next question is on the powder. Are there any recommendations on what kind of powder I should try for each of those calibers? I don't have a re loading manual yet as that will come in the kit so I was wondering if anyone here had any recommendations?

Then my last question is about the bullets. I often see them labeled as 30 caliber or 6mm. Are these what I'd want for the 243 and the 30-06? Or do I get ones specifically that say for 30-06 or 243? Just wondering how I tell which bullets I need?


Thanks guys. Sorry for all the dumb questions about this lately.

 

[Walkalong]

Small pistol for 9MM, and large rifle for both .243 & .30-06 for most applications. You will never need anything but small pistol for 9MM, but some rifle applications require large rifle mag primers. Stay away from ball powders in medium and smaller rifle calibers like those and the standard large rifle will work just fine.

.243 (6MM) cal bullets for .243 & .30 cal bullets for .30-06. Weights vary by the application. I am sure you have a load book, and it will give good suggestions. Also you can just buy the bullet weights you had been buying in finished ammo.

"dumb questions" - No such thing.

 

[Hardtarget]

There are several good reloading manuals on the market. Speer, Lyman, Hodgdon come to mind. I would suggest to get one and read before you pick up your equipment. It will answer a LOT of questions and get you started right. These people have been in this for a long time. They have the answers for you.

Have fun...but be safe. Shoot more!

Mark

 

[jagugator]

My recommendation would be for you too buy a reloading manual before you got any components and gear. One you can never have too many manuals and two it will be very helpful in answering most of your questions.

The ABC's of reloading and The Lee reloading manual are good books to start out with.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...aps&hvadid=18128289011&ref=pd_sl_6fwa54rsgk_b

For what it is worth:
9mm = small pistol primers
243 and 30.06 = large rifle primers

There are too many variables involved to tell you what powder to get because it can depend on what you are trying to do and what bullets you use.

Hope this helps a little and good luck!

 

[steve4102]

9mm takes Small Pistol, 243 and 30-06 take Large Rifle. Primers are hard to come by these days so don't worry to much about brand, just get what they have in the proper size.

Lots and lots of powders out there to choose from. In rifles, powder selection is one of the key ingredients for accuracy. I usually go through 3-4 different powders before I find the one that works best in My rifles. You don't have your manual yet so you can go to the powder manufactures web sites and check out their load data. BTW, IMR 3450 and H 4350 are very popular in the 30-06.

Pistols like the 9mm take fast shotgun or pistol powders. In the 9mm I like Silhouette and #7.

Bullets for your 30-06 will be marked either 30 Caliber or .308. Bullets for your 243 will be marked 243, .243 or 6MM. Bullets for the 9mm will be marked 9mm or .355.

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

http://accuratepowder.com/Default.htm

http://www.alliantpowder.com/

http://www.ramshot.com/powders/

http://www.lapua.com/fileadmin/user_upload/esitteet/VihtavuoriInternationalReloguide2009.pdf

 

[tribull]

After more searching and starting a thread on new to reloading, I find this one very, very helpful, and it cleared up alot of questions I had.