Rifle reloading help please

[Ricky A]

Hey folks, I'm a new member and looking for advice on a turret press. I want to get into reloading my own 30-06 ammo and my sons .243 ammo. What press or kit would suit my needs the best? Keep in mind; I'm a greenhorn at reloading. Ha!

Thanks for any and all advice.
Ricky

 

[ranger335v]

Rick, any of them will get you started, none of them are totally complete. All of them give good value for the money so you can't lose. Once you, and we, know what is included in your kit we can tell you what/need to add to it.

Unless you expect to get heavy into reloading I'd suggest a Lee Anniversary single stage press kit as a starting point. It includes a good loading manual, one of which you MUST have to make your first round!

 

[Grumulkin]

I started out with a single stage press which I used (actually I still use it) for years but you say you want a turret press. Actually, there is a lot to recommend a turret press.

I have a Redding T-7 turret press which I can highly recommend. Its construction is robust and with 7 stations, you can keep 2 or 3 sets of dies in place which is handy if you frequently reload for several cartridges.

If you get a kit, it will come with a single stage press. As I mentioned above, it's what I used for years to reload everything from 38 Special up to 458 Lott. My kit was from RCBS. It included a powder measure and scale. You have to buy the dies you need, a reloading manual or two and a case trimmer. Of course, when you get into reloading, you will accumulate a lot more trinkets.

Another thing to consider, the warranties of RCBS and Redding as well as most other die manufactures are lifetime. The warranty on Lee dies is 2 years.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Midway has the RCBS kits available. The Midway number 646599 is an excellent choice. They have all essentials included (yes, even a good loading manual ). I like RCBS because I've not had any problems with mine in 40 years now.

I recommend a single stage press for rifle. You will want far better accuracy with the rifle and the single stage promotes the consistency you will want, to get the accuracy.

I recommend you stay with middle range powder charges. Far too many people try to get a rhino gun out of a .270 or .308 (for example) by loading them far too hot. When you are in the middle to warm range, the accuracy is (in general) far better.

Take you time, be safe and have fun!

 

[Ricky A]

Ranger335v,thanks for the info. so you think i would be better off with a single stage. I was thinking of the turret and getting a seperate head.that way i could have the 30-06 die set in one head and the .243 set up in another.with the single i would need to be changing out the dies.would this not work?

 

[Ricky A]

Pat-inCO,I shoot a horndy 150 sst in the 06 with a custom load my friend set up for me. Its not a hot load and taken form a manual with a little tweking.I can get a fuzz less than a 1\2 inch group at 1 3\4" high at 100 yards out of my A-Bolt. My friend has relocated but left with me the recipe on the load.If you all are telling me I can get better accuacy out of a single stage than thats what I want. That helps out a lot.Thanks for the info.

 

[spec26]

Ricky, PM sent

 

[lgbloader]

Get yourself a copy of the ABC's of Loading and a copy of Lyman's 48th Edition (purty cheap now that the 49th is out) Once you read these a couple of times, RCBS makes a turret kit although I would get the RCBS Rock chucker supreme kit and the dies for each caliber. You will also need to get a trimmer and tumber. I suggest LEE System trimmers to start off with as they are inexpensive. You can upgrade to better one later. Tumblers can be had fairly cheap as well. You will also need to get a set of Calipers to measure your brass and finished rounds OAL, ect.

Cheers...

 

[TX1911fan]

I'm using a Lee Classic Turret and really like it. It is my first press, so I'm a newbie. I don't use the auto indexing, so it is a true single stage, and the turret just means I don't have to change dies between batches or between calibers. I just change the turret.

 

[kennedy]

A lee turrent was also my first press, started using it without the auto indexing, but since have been using it and a lee auto disk for pistol ammo. start slow then learn how to use the extra features.

 

[CU74]

When I started reloading, my first press was a Lee turret, and it works just fine for handgun cartridges. Shortly after I started reloading for rifles (.30-06 initially) I got a Lee Classic Cast single stage press to use for de-capping, swaging and full-length resizing, not because the turret couldn't handle it but to save the "wear and tear" on the turret. I still use the turret for priming, bullet seating and crimping.

If all you are going to reload is necked rifle brass, then I recommend the Lee Classic Cast single-stage press - don't get the cheaper "C" press. A turret press will work, but it may not have a long life when used in the "heavy service" of necked rifle reloading. (Since Lee presses are relatively economical, what I would really recommend is both a turret and a cast single stage.)

 

[The Bushmaster]

The Lee Classic Cast "O" press and the Lee Classic Cast Turret press make an excellent pair on any loading bench.

 

[Griz44]

I load 30.06 with a Loadmaster progressive. Plenty beefy for that, cranks out a batch quick.