reloading help

[scottbird]

I just bought a stevens 200 7mm-08. I have never done any reloading, but would like to start. my brother-in-law does reloading and said he would help me. I can use his press and equipment. He has a lee press, and I bought the rcbs 7mm-08 dies as he told me they were one of the best. he also gave me a nosler reloading manual, and I am reading it.

It is not making a lot of sense to me, I would say because I do not know anything about it. I have a friend that told me hornady had the best manual out there, and am wondering if I should buy one, or if the nosler book is enough.

I also ordered the basics of cartrige reloading from hornady. is there anything else I should be looking at?
it will be a couple weeks before we start loading anything, waiting for the weather to warm up.
thanks

what I have read so far is the maximum pressure is 50,000, how far away should you stay from that number? or just look for pressure signs as you go up

 

[abijohn]

All the manuals cover the same info, some maybe easier to understand than others as they are presented somewhat differently. Any chance that you could check one out at a local library??? I have one of each manufacturer, just kept collecting them and received as gifts. Personally i like the Hornady manuel, use mostly Hornady products as they are locally available. Check out Goodwill as well, maybe garage sales too??? Good luck and welcome to the addiction.

 

[Blue68f100]

The Lyman #48 Reloading book is a good starter. It covers all the steps and has load data too. ABC's of Reloading use to be a good book but other have indicated that it's not as good as the older ones.

 

[Nature Boy]

It will start to make sense when you start doing it. Having your BIL there to look over your shoulder when you make your fist batch will be a huge advantage. The folks on this forum will also be invaluable.

Unfortunately, after you send that first one down range you will be hooked. No one will be able to help you after that point. You can stop now before it's too late, or start setting aside funds for your own equipment.

 

[scottbird]

Nature Boy

thanks for that, I have been shooting for years just never got to reload, mainly because of work. I am now disabled and have the time. I do not have the money like I used to but I can save up. I like to shoot, and this lookes like an interestin hobby.

I have not loaded my first load, but am excited about it.

thanks all so far for the help!!!!!!!

 

[Reloadron]

The best manual out there? I really don't believe there is a best manual. Really depends on what you are after but when starting out any good manual will work.

I agree it is rather difficult to aquatint the text and pictures in any loading manual to actually doing it. Works well if you have someone to lead you through the process. Nature Boy summed that up nicely. Online videos help too but there is nothing like having someone take you through it a few times. When you do get started there will be plenty of help here.

The 7mm-08 is one that I happen to really like.

Ron

 

[bbqreloader]

Im with Blue68, the Lyman is a great beginner book. It was my first reloading book and still a go to for me when I run into issues.

 

[thomas15]

Another place to find used manuals is on amazon. But I think you are good manual wise for now. It is difficult to walk your mind through the steps before you actually start doing this.

The thing about handloading is you can make it fairly simple or as complex as you want. While it is difficult for me to recommend any youtube vids but there are a ton of them and some are good. So you might look at a few, just to get an idea of the steps involved. But don't take the word of anyone when it comes to this activity, trust only the manuals and manufactures of the tooling you use. But if your brother in law is willing to help you that will be very good.

As others have said get ready for the possibility that handloading will ruin your life as it has many others, including mine. It is very satisfying to make your own ammo.

 

[matrem]

I'd suggest slowing down a bit Scott. Probably don't absolutely have anything you need to load right now, do ya?
If your BIL has real experience, he's your best bet if you can get him to spend some time with you.

If not, another experienced loader and some one on one time is best.
If neither are an option, keep asking questions on this site as well as any others you like, watch folks on you tube, and read at least one or two manuals from established companies.

Once you're completely comfortable with something, put it into play.

Slow down and take it in piece by piece, you'll do fine.

 

[splattergun]

The Lyman #48 Reloading book is a good starter. It covers all the steps and has load data too. ABC's of Reloading use to be a good book but other have indicated that it's not as good as the older ones.

Older editions of The ABCs of Reloading are available free online in PDF format.
IMO, ABCs does an excellent job of describing the processes reloading anything, shotgun, pistol and rifle, even blackpowder.

For up-to-date loading data though you will want recent manuals on hand.

 

[scottbird]

Thanks all. I am sure I will have more questions as I go on, just reading for now. My BIL will sit with me. It will be sometime next month before we do anything. I have time. I will probably want to pick your minds the more I read, I just want to make sure I know what I am doing again thank you all

 

[Trickam]

Read it, read it again and then spend a day or two watching somebody and/or watching online videos (youtube,etc...). When you read the manual again I promise you the clouds will begin to part. I like the Nosler manual as well as any of them.

 

[scottbird]

I know this may sound like a dumb question, but how on earth do you do powder selection. If I am looking at this right, do you choose a powder according to your bullet?

a friend of mine said to use what they say is the most accurate first, then build from there.

I watched a couple of videos on youtube, and I think I am getting the jist of it, or atleast a basic idea.

I just do not understand what method to use to find a starting powder. I was given a box of 120 grain serria .284 dia. (7mm) 120 gr. SPT by my neighbor, he said they do not shoot good in his magnum rifle.

maybe I am misreading something, going to go back to the books.

 

[Reloadron]

How to select a powder? A good start is a reloading manual. Keep in mind the 7mm-08 cartridge is a spawn of the 308 Winchester and they share many common powders. That means the 7mm-08 Remington can be loaded with a wide range of powders. The simple method would be to say I want to load some 7mm-08 Remington, so I go to my loading manual, in this case a Sierra Manual and I look up the 7mm-08 cartridge, I want to load 120 grain Spitzer bullets so I look for a 120 grain spitzer in a 7mm-08 loading. The load data suggest about a dozen different powders. Me? I am going to load with AA-2495 or IMR 4895 or maybe IMR 4060, IMR 4320 also works real well in my rifles. The exact choice comes with experience and seeing what loads work best for you in your rifle. What works for me may not work well for you. Also, the more you load you become familiar with how well powders meter and how they react to temperature extremes. Experience comes with time.

Back o the 120 grain spitzer. My old Sierra Manual using IMR 4064 powder states Minimum 40.5 grains and a maximum of 45.7 grains. My Hornady 9th for about the same 120 grain bullet shows a minimum of 37.4 grains and a maximum of 43.1 grains. Eventually you learn to start low and work up looking for signs of pressure along the way and noting your accuracy. I could pull a few more manuals but you get the idea and this is why several post back I mentioned there was no one single best reloading manual. The manual is a guide and that's about it. With each round you load comes experience.

Ron

 

[scottbird]

Reloadron

thanks for that, I am now going to go to the local library, they have a few reloading manuals there, I am going to photo copy all the info on my cartrige and do some studying. feels like I am back in school studying for that big test. well atleast it is something I am interested in.

 

[Reloadron]

No questions are "dumb" or "stupid" and there is a learning curve at work. There is no substitute for time and experience. It's like stock market advice of buy low and sell high but with loads we start low and look for pressure signs and pressure signs are another lesson.

Ron

 

[scottbird]

I am not sure what I am looking at when it comes to c.u.p. pressure, what pressure range should I be in. I just read an article that the pressure ranges from manufacturer. is there a do and do not. I just do not seem to understand what I am reading.

what I have read so far is the maximum pressure is 50,000, how far away should you stay from that number? or just look for pressure signs as you go up

 

[Reloadron]

I am not sure what I am looking at when it comes to c.u.p. pressure, what pressure range should I be in. I just read an article that the pressure ranges from manufacturer. is there a do and do not. I just do not seem to understand what I am reading.

what I have read so far is the maximum pressure is 50,000, how far away should you stay from that number? or just look for pressure signs as you go up

My advice for now is just to focus on basic loading once you start. Don't worry about pressure or any of the several ways pressure is measured. All of that comes later, much later and may never come at all.

CUP (Copper Units Pressure) and there is also LUP (Lead Units Pressure) are just means of measuring chamber pressure. Today in many cases transducers are used to electronically measure chamber pressure. The latter expresses the units as PSI (Pounds Square Inch).

what I have read so far is the maximum pressure is 50,000, how far away should you stay from that number? or just look for pressure signs as you go up

Where did you get 50,000 and you can't just say a number like 50,000 without expressing some engineering unit as a suffix. For example 50,000 CUP or 50,000 PSI. My readon the 7mm 08 Remington is a maximum chamber pressure of 7mm - 08 Remington - 61,000. It really matters not because you have no way to measure chamber pressure. Additionally when we see a chamber pressure listed in a manual it simply means it is the pressure measured in their test setup for a given load. It does not mean that will be the pressure in your chamber. Finally there is no simple formula to convert from CUP, LUP or PSI to one another. Load manuals are designed to have you start in a safe range. They assume you will be looking for pressure signs.

Ron

 

[scottbird]

Reloadron

thanks, I thought it was something I had to pay close attention to. I found an older copy of the ABC,s of reloading on line, I should get it in a few days.

I also found some videos that my brother in law is giving me, made by LEE that he got several years ago when he bought his press. he said they are very good, and instructive.

thanks for everything.

I am hoping the videos will put more of what I have been reading into light.

 

[Nature Boy]

how on earth do you do powder selection.

I assume you mean how do you select from the list of powders designated for a specific bullet/cartridge in an official published reference manual, because that's really the only place to start. Since you have some Sierra bullets to try, Sierra's manual (which Ron references) would be good to look at. It will have several powders to choose from for that exact bullet, and includes the powder brand and charge that Sierra found to be the most accurate. That's always a good place to start. One caveat. If that happens to also be the max charge listed for the range of that powder, it's prudent if you work your way up to that charge and not start there.

I'll also add that the powder you choose is often dictated to what you can find. For instance, I would love to try some Vitavouri for some of my .308 loads as it has a good reputation and is listed in several manuals as the accuracy load for many bullets, but finding it is like getting a golden ticket in a willy wonka chocolate bar

 

[Reloadron]

I assume you mean how do you select from the list of powders designated for a specific bullet/cartridge in an official published reference manual, because that's really the only place to start. Since you have some Sierra bullets to try, Sierra's manual (which Ron references) would be good to look at. It will have several powders to choose from for that exact bullet, and includes the powder brand and charge that Sierra found to be the most accurate. That's always a good place to start. One caveat. If that happens to also be the max charge listed for the range of that powder, it's prudent if you work your way up to that charge and not start there.

I'll also add that the powder you choose is often dictated to what you can find. For instance, I would love to try some Vitavouri for some of my .308 loads as it has a good reputation and is listed in several manuals as the accuracy load for many bullets, but finding it is like getting a golden ticket in a willy wonka chocolate bar

Nature Boy, on a side note I shoot quite a bit of VV powder. The bench rest range where I shoot got me into it many years ago and I get a good deal on it there. Goes back to when Kaltron Pettibone Inc. was the importer of the powder. Right now it looks like Powder Valley has a good stock of the rifle powders at least they are showing N133, N135, N140, N150 and N160. The N130 and N140 were among my favorites for cartridges like the 30-06 Springfield and 308 Winchester. The VV powders while really great do reflect great in their price tags.

Ron

 

[Reloadron]

Reloadron

thanks, I thought it was something I had to pay close attention to. I found an older copy of the ABC,s of reloading on line, I should get it in a few days.

I also found some videos that my brother in law is giving me, made by LEE that he got several years ago when he bought his press. he said they are very good, and instructive.

thanks for everything.

I am hoping the videos will put more of what I have been reading into light.

You will do just fine and when you have questions ask. Initially just stick with the minimum loads (or close to minimum) you find in published loading manuals.

Ron

 

[tcoz]

Stay away from specifics right now. Choosing powders, pressure, velocity etc will come in due time. For now just get two, three, four manuals. Read the reloading sections and read them again. Concentrate on learning the basic principles. Become familiar with each step of the process and learn exactly what is happening at each step of the process. You don't want to be a reloading robot.
There are also a lot of reloading videos on YouTube. Watch some of them but keep in mind that different people may do some things in different ways so keep an open mind.

If you have a thorough understanding of the basics everything will make a lot more sense when you actually begin.

 

[scottbird]

thanks, I am going over to my brother in laws tomaroow, he asked me to come, he is going to load some of his 30-06 loads, and wants me to see how he does them. I think this will help a lot.

thanks to each of you, please keep the advice coming. if you happen to find anything you think might help me, by all means send it my way.

 

[Hondo 60]

Nosler, Sierra, Hornady etc are all bullet manufacturers.
Each one has a manual, but they only have data for their bullets (projectiles).

I found the Lyman Manual to be have the best "How-To" section.
Until you decide who's bullets to buy, what about checking at the local library to see if you can borrow a manual.

My local library had Lyman's 47th edition, so that's what I read.
In gratitude I purchased 2 copies of their current one - No. 49.
I kept one & gave the other to the library, hoping to "Pass it on".

Blue68f100 mentioned the Lyman No 48. - as stated above the current one is 49.