Reloading Questions

[Sinixstar]

Got a .270 that's kinda spendy to shoot very often. Went through two boxes the other day, and kinda wanted to :banghead: when i realized how much money I just blew up. Thinking about getting into reloading to help with that cost, and have a bit more control over the rounds i'm shooting (local ammo selection is limited).
On a side note - I do have some basic knowledge of reloading. My dad used to reload for .44mag and .45LC - I've spend countless hours in a garage helping him out. That was many years ago though.

Couple questions:
Is there an alternative method to cleaning brass besides a tumbler?

Does anyone have a favorite powder/load they like to use in .270, and why?

I was thinking about getting one of the really basic Lee Classic Loader packages to get started ( http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=749577 ). Are these kits any good? Not going to be loading a tremendous amount of ammo at a time, so spending hundreds of dollars on a press set up seems kind of counter-productive for my needs.

Aside from midway - what's a few good sites for reloading components/equipment?

thanks!

 

[Jim Watson]

You don't have to tumble brass. Just wipe it off with a rag so you don't drag grit into the dies. Or wash it with one of the commercial or homebrew cleaners.

I think loading ammo on the original Lee Loader is one of the more tedious experiences in life. But it is cheap and does work.

 

[Walkalong]

I cleaned brass with a rag a couple of years before getting a second hand tumbler. It shoots just as well, it just isn't as pretty.

 

[Sinixstar]

But it is cheap and does work.

Yea- that's kinda what i'm goin for right now.
Space is also a pretty big issue. Don't have a whole heck of a lot of room for storage of any of this stuff. Need something I can stash away in a pretty compact package.

 

[rcmodel]

I really can't recommend a Lee loader kit to anyone.

Sure they will work, but so will levering up your car with sawed down tree trunk to change a flat tire.

There are much better methods, that don't cost all that much more.

At the very least, I would suggest the Lee Hand press & real reloading dies.
But even that will be a real workout loading .270 Winchester.

You can wash cases in the kitchen sink with dish soap.
Then spend days waiting for the water to completely dry out of the innerds of all of them.

In the grand scheme of things, a tumbler is much faster & far less trouble.

A Loading manual should be your first purchase.
In it you will find complete loading instructions, as well as dozens of tested loads for the .270.

In general, the best powder choice henges on what bullet weight you want to use. Your loading manual will help you with that choice.

rcmodel

 

[Sinixstar]

Sure they will work, but so will levering up your car with sawed down tree trunk to change a flat tire.

wait, that's not how you change a tire? (point taken)

At the very least, I would suggest the Lee Hand press & real reloading dies.
But even that will be a real workout loading .270 Winchester.

I was considering the hand press as well. Seems there a handful of other parts that need to go with that, no? (again, cost - i'm way over my allowance as it is)

A Loading manual should be your first purchase.
In it you will find complete loading instructions, as well as dozens of tested loads for the .270.

In general, the best powder choice henges on what bullet weight you want to use. Your loading manual will help you with that choice.

Absolutely. I was speaking more in terms of clean burning and consistency for the .270.

 

[sqlbullet]

Go to lee's site and buy the LEE ANNIVERSARY PACK. For $35.00 plus shipping you get a lee manual, and a press. Dies will run you another $33.00.

Even better would the the 50th anniversary kit. It includes priming and weighing tools.

 

[WNTFW]

Sinixstar,
I would second the Lee hand Press.

If you get a Lee timmer like this
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=476992
(Lee Case Trimmer Cutter and Lock Stud and the pilot & shell holder)
You can use it to hold a case in a drill press or hand drill and spin it in to clean it with steel wool, scotchbrite, polish etc. I do that on some cases I want to get going quickly

I was able to get my .270 down to .594 MOA using cheap Remington bullets and a starting load. Less than 50 cents a round for sure, closer to 43 cents but I 'd have to check the prices to be sure.

You scale & powder trickler are going to be what you need to rely on. The scale is what is hardest to trust. Figure out a good place to set it up & a way to store it.

Maybe you can think of someone that will let you use their press for the sizing operation.

Later,
WNTFW

 

[bullseye308]

For a press, go with e Lee Reloader press for 25.00 with the Lee manual and bolt it to a 2x6 that you can C-clamp to a table to work on. I use some and they are mounted with 1/4-20 bolts and wingnuts. Spin them on and off in no time.

 

[SASS#23149]

for rife,you will definately need a micrometer and a trimmer of some sort as rifle brass 'grows' where as pistol/revolver brass is not so much a problem.
If you have more time than money the Classic Lee kit,plus a micro and maybe a Lee Zip trimmer will get you loading ammo.
I would definately reccomend a scale to couble check your dipper-thrown charges.SAFETY FIRST
Be SURE that you only load cases that have been fired in your rifle as IIm pretty sure the Lee kit only neck sizes the brass.
My 1st many hundreds of shotgun shells were done on Classic,it's do--able end not much dinero.
The kit comes iwth a powder dipper,and the loads shown in the directions will limit you to the powder selection.A full dipper kit with mor loads is about 10 bucks,no biggee.
you will prolly evventually 'graduate' to a press and real dies,but this will get you started,and only the Kit itself will be gathering dust,the other tools will still get used.

 

[Sinixstar]

for rife,you will definately need a micrometer and a trimmer of some sort as rifle brass 'grows' where as pistol/revolver brass is not so much a problem.
If you have more time than money the Classic Lee kit,plus a micro and maybe a Lee Zip trimmer will get you loading ammo.
I would definately reccomend a scale to couble check your dipper-thrown charges.SAFETY FIRST
Be SURE that you only load cases that have been fired in your rifle as IIm pretty sure the Lee kit only neck sizes the brass.
My 1st many hundreds of shotgun shells were done on Classic,it's do--able end not much dinero.
The kit comes iwth a powder dipper,and the loads shown in the directions will limit you to the powder selection.A full dipper kit with mor loads is about 10 bucks,no biggee.
you will prolly evventually 'graduate' to a press and real dies,but this will get you started,and only the Kit itself will be gathering dust,the other tools will still get used.

Yea - i planned on a scale as it is. Aside from safety - i figure a scale can get a lot more consistency then a dipper.

Eventually I will move up to bigger and better things, but right now space and money are pretty big limitations. Only place I really have to do this would be the guest room/office - and it's pretty packed in there as it is. Adding one more gadget to the mix just isn't an option.

Might go with the hand press, or see if I can figure a takedown setup for the reloader press. We'll see...

As for brass - I'm saving all the factory cartridges i'm shooting now. Once shot, and I know they'll fit my rifle. Although i'm sure before too long, my girlfriend's going to want to know why i have all these spent casings piling up.

 

[bullseye308]

before too long, my girlfriend's going to want to know why i have all these spent casings piling up.

Use empty coffee cans and store them under the bed. A small piece of masking tape on the outside with the caliber is enough for you to tell them apart.

 

[33rowdy]

I'd sugest that kit for someone to explore the reloading hobbies . I will not say its a quality unit.

Why are you trying to avoid a tumbler?

My .270 load is;
130 gr bullet
H380 Powder
CCI mag primer.

 

[Sinixstar]

Why are you trying to avoid a tumbler?

Money + Space.
Trying to keep initial costs as low as possible, and if i buy another "thing" - I have to find somewhere to store it. Storage space is extremely hard to come by in my apartment right now.