Finally had a play at reloading

[Born Hunter 17,831]

I've had this reloading gear for maybe two years now.  Finally run my factory stuff down and I'm getting shouted at to kill some foxes so here's my first reloads.

I had a few road bumps along the way. My decapping/sizing die is too tight to get the casing neck in, so had to blag my mates and my first batch of reloads I f****d up on the seating depth.

Conditions weren't ideal (windy) so I got some horizontal strings and poi was off zero but I reckon the half inch vertical spread of the 58gr N160 are the money!

I'll want to see what they are doing at 300yrds and of course group them on a calm day but they seem a vast improvement over the equivalent factory which was 2" on a good day.

 

[Born Hunter 17,831]

FYI it's 25-06rem with Nosler 85gr ballistic tips seated at 0.02" off lands.

I could f**k about half a grain either side of 58 but if 58 prints under an inch (potentially 0.5") at 200yrds and has less than 5" drop at 300 then I no longer care. 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Born Hunter

[walshie 2,804]

Best attitude to have mate, or you turn into a reloading tart and end up with worse grouping than you started with.

[shovel leaner 7,650]

Looks good to me BH .  I’ve recently taken up loading my own . I’d always done ok with factory stuff . I haven’t saved any money yet , in fact I seem to be constantly shelling out for different gadgets and bits and pieces. But it’s the improvement in accuracy that has me hooked . I found a load that suited my 223 straight away . The .243 is still a work in progress, but already I’ve improved on factory rounds . It’s interesting and actually enjoyable . I think it’s brought out the “anorak “ in me . . I can talk to others who load now about bullet weights , grains , fps and know what they are talking about , where as before it was a mystical world that I was not a part of . 

[Born Hunter 17,831]

Good stuff! I don't mind sitting down and doing a batch but it really is just a means to and end for me. these '06 cases take some powder and that's reflected in the price of factory, £38 a box! 

Coupled with, what I consider, poor groupings, it's a no brainer.

With reloading I can shoot for about 70p a bang (not including brass costs) compared with nearly £2 for factory.

[David.evans 5,323]

I’m thinking about having a go at this , what is the total kit I would need , and how much say for a middle of the road set , I really haven’t a clue 

 

atb 

[delswal 3,819]

8 hours ago, David.evans said:

I’m thinking about having a go at this , what is the total kit I would need , and how much say for a middle of the road set , I really haven’t a clue 

 

atb 

Look at CDSG website they have everything you need at decent prices Dave 

[Meece 1,958]

On 03/09/2019 at 07:31, shovel leaner said:

Looks good to me BH .  I’ve recently taken up loading my own . I’d always done ok with factory stuff . I haven’t saved any money yet , in fact I seem to be constantly shelling out for different gadgets and bits and pieces. But it’s the improvement in accuracy that has me hooked . I found a load that suited my 223 straight away . The .243 is still a work in progress, but already I’ve improved on factory rounds . It’s interesting and actually enjoyable . I think it’s brought out the “anorak “ in me . . I can talk to others who load now about bullet weights , grains , fps and know what they are talking about , where as before it was a mystical world that I was not a part of . 

I think it’s brought out the “anorak “ in me . . I can talk to others who load now about bullet weights , grains , fps >>>>>>>>>>>> and know what they are talking about , where as >>>>>>> before it was a mystical world that I was not a part of . 

 Two of the son in laws are like that.  it all goes straight over their heads.

I've been reloading for a long time, ( probably 25 years).  A parallel world. But reloading for centre fire is easy in comparison to shotshell reloading with something like a MEC 9000 progressive.  lots of processes and lots of opportunity to wreck the job at every station and spill powder or shot all over the place.  an ounce and a bit of #7 goes all over the place and jams the collet quite well.

[shovel leaner 7,650]

14 hours ago, David.evans said:

I’m thinking about having a go at this , what is the total kit I would need , and how much say for a middle of the road set , I really haven’t a clue 

 

atb 

Hi David , you can order kits that have everything you need apart from the dies , cases , powder and bullets . The entry level kit which is perfectly good enough is made by Lee . That will set you back £150-£200 . But RCBS rockchucker kit is about £450 . But if you really get into reloading and want to tighten your groups then you won’t need to upgrade , because it’s seriously good kit . If you also want to improve on that then get Redding dies for your rockchucker and you will have a good kit . But I would say the Lee anniversary kit will be good enough. I got my kit second hand off eBay, I’ve got a bit of a mix of all sorts. I’ve got an RCBS press , but I’ve got Lee dies , I’ve got Lee scales , but now want to get the RCBS scales because they are better . So as with everything in life you get what you pay for . ATB

[walshie 2,804]

15 hours ago, delswal said:

Look at CDSG website they have everything you need at decent prices Dave 

They sell reloading manuals too. 

[David.evans 5,323]

What book do I need

i should get one before I get the kit 

at least I won’t blow my head off 

if I read and inwardly digest

atb 

[shovel leaner 7,650]

7 minutes ago, David.evans said:

What book do I need

i should get one before I get the kit 

at least I won’t blow my head off 

if I read and inwardly digest

atb 

The kits come with Manuela , with loads of load data . Then I would go on YouTube and watch some of the videos on there . I find it better to watch , than read . 

[David.evans 5,323]

What book do I need

i should get one before I get the kit 

at least I won’t blow my head off 

if I read and inwardly digest

atb 

[David.evans 5,323]

This one 

[delswal 3,819]

9 hours ago, David.evans said:

This one 

yup!!! that's the one I use dave, bought from the very same place