UPDATE in Post 31. Total Reloading Newbie - Looking for help.

[Hillbilly77]

Hello all.

I've been wanting to get into reloading for a while. I even sold a gun last winter to fund it (I ended up buying a different gun with the money, but that's another story).


Tonight I finally made the plunge.

Based on research and talking to friends, I picked up a Hornady Lock-N-Load starter kit.

I'm asking for any helpful hints and/or suggestions. Methods, and any other ideas are welcome.


At this time, I am only interested in loading for .30-06 and .357 Magnum, primarily hunting loads.
I also might dabble with .38 Special a bit, but I'm more interested in .357's.

I know I'll need the dies. Besides that, I am open to suggestions.
I do have a digital caliper to measure the brass, etc.


What are the gotta-haves?
What are the oughta-haves?

I'm open to suggestions on powder, primers, etc.
What are some good powder brands, etc.?


I think I have the bullets picked out.
165 Grain Sierra for the '06 and 158 Grain Hornady XTP's for the .357.


Any help to get me started is appreciated.


Thank you in advance.

The kit:

The contents:

 

[weatherby]

carbide handgun dies and Imperial sizing die wax

 

[daveuspp]

1st thing is read the reloading book cover to cover. It will give you a wealth of knowledge

Start with the suggested load data they recommend. Stay away from load data posted online on reloading forums. Im not saying the people posting are wrong, but what is good in one gun is not in another.

You have to learn to see and understand pressure signs and what they mean.

I would also get some other reloading manuals... They are an excellent source of info and also getting the reloading manuals that go with the bullets you are planning to use helps. The manufacturers have already tested load data so its a good safe source.

If you plan on using Sierra, they have a 1800 line if you need help. I have not called it in many years but Im sure they still have it.

As for stuff needed: your going into a realm of unknown with that. I have bought so many small tools over the years I lost count.... some I used and others are still sitting on my reloading bench....

One tip is; Focus on reloading when you reload. Dont be talking on the phone, or whatever. You can read about endless stories of people blowing up guns. I can tell you for a fact, 99% of the blow ups happen from people not paying attention or thinking that case pressures don't mean anything...


good Luck and have fun

 

[rwsmith]

Looks pretty complete

Your kit looks pretty complete. Here is a list on Midway in case you feel like you need some other piece/part.

MidwayUSA ? Shooting Supplies, Reloading, Gunsmithing, Hunting, Ammunition, Gun Parts & Rifle Scopes

Don't forget shellholders to go with the dies.

You don't HAVE to have one with the cartridges you are loading now, but a caliper gets to be an essential tool, especially when reloading semi-auto cartridges.

I think a second loading block is essential to help prevent double charges. I made my own besides having a bought one.

 

[ken158]

Lots of good manuals out there but the Lyman should be considered a must have.

 

[daveuspp]

Lots of good manuals out there but the Lyman should be considered a must have.

Yes!!!!! Forgot that 1.... and if you feel like shelling out the money Pet Loads is another

 

[MJFlores]

Dont forget brass. I like Starline for handgun brass, and Norma for rifle brass. For the 06, consider a 180 gr Nosler partition. I've been loading them for years in mine...a little pricey but quite accurate, and deadly on game.

 

[Hillbilly77]

Dont forget brass. I like Starline for handgun brass, and Norma for rifle brass. For the 06, consider a 180 gr Nosler partition. I've been loading them for years in mine...a little pricey but quite accurate, and deadly on game.

Thanks for the suggestion.
I do have a few hundred pieces of .30-06 brass.
Some Hornady, mostly Winchester & Federal - all of it purchased as new factory ammo by me.
I have a little bit (couple hundred pieces) of Remington brass for the .357 to start me off with.

My rifle seems to prefer 165 Grain bullets - I've never been able to get decent 200 yd accuracy out of 180's.
The factory literature says that their test-load is a 168 grain bullet.

But, who knows? Being in control of the loading, I'm not against trying some different loads.

 

[arjay]

IMR 4350 for the 30-06 and 2400 and maybe some Unique for the 357

 

[FishingPilot]

I started a thread for 30-06 hunting loads here: thread link

 

[Rule3]

Start with loading the 357 Mag Handgun loads. They are less involved than loading bottle neck rifle loads. (NO trimming, or lubing etc) No headspace issues, case gauges and you use a lot less powder!!

You Kit comes with the Hornady manual so it's a good one. Read it (the first sections)

You will need brass, primers and powder. Primers can be found but powder is still hard to find. Not sure in your area.

You need to decide are you wanting full magnum 357 loads or lighter target loads?? Plan on hunting with the 357??

Alliant 2400 is one of the best powders for the 357 Mag and does not require magnum primers. But other powders will work

I know you got Hornady but RCBS has excellent free how to and videos so the principal is the same.

Click here and also up top on resources for the videos
RCBS - Precisioneered Shooting Products - Step-By-Step Reloading

Have fun, be safe, ask questions.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Yes , for learning the mechanics of handloading the .357 ( strieght wall case, rimed ) will have fewer variables than '06 ( rimless , bottleneck).

Can't have too many manuals. .Loading blocks are inexpensive , more are handier than fewer.

Powder selection at this moment will be dependent on what you can actually find.. Yes , 4350 is on the short list of iconic powders for .30-06 , but there is published data for '06 for virtually every medimum to medimum-slow rifle powder.

Lots of choices for .357 also. WW296/H110 ( admitted by mfg to be same powder ) gives high vels , but I don't recomend for brand new loaders since it can't be downloaded. Traditional favorites for full powered .357 ( presuming that is your intentions ) include 2400 and 4227 . AA#9 and Lil' Gun are also good and popular choices. Norma and VitaVihouri powders are less widely distributed and not as often seen. But if your local store has N110 or VV110 on the shelf they are fine powders. Alliant MP300 is a new powder , but initial reports look promising.

 

[novalty]

You will need to make a list of usable powders and keep a constant look out for them.

You will need a trimmer for your rifle brass. I highly recommend the L.E. Wilson trimmer, but other's will do the job too.

While that digital scale that came in your kit might get the job done, I would recommend getting a balance beam like the RCBS 5-0-5, keep an eye out on FeeBay for an Ohaus 5-0-5 scale, as Ohaus makes for RCBS and several other companies, and they go for less money.

Storage bins like Akro brand are great for keeping your brass & bullets organized on your bench.

You're going to need more Lock n' Load bushings for your second caliber. The cheapest way to buy them is the 6-pack with conversion bushing through Cabelas.

 

[scooter123]

Scale, with your kit consider this as #1 on the need list. Because inexpensive digital scales are VERY prone to the zero setting drifting. If you see 0.2 grains on the digital when it's previously read zero with an empty pan it's lost zero and every charge weighed will be off by 0.2 grains. Treat your digital as a confirmation scale and get an old fashioned beam type scale for your primary. One I like a lot for it's simplicity and ease of use is the RCBS 502. However any Ohaus made scale with a notched beam for the heavy poise needs to have that poise "settled" into the notch by tapping it lightly.

Handgun Dies, I like RCBS sizing dies a lot, good price, carbide for handgun, and well made with inexpensive replacement decapping pins. Like Lee Powder through dies for charging handgun cases because they work well as a funnel for filling the case and you get the case flared at the same time. Also like Lee's Factory Crimp Die because they can be used as a Bulge Buster by removing the crimp ring. So, my Die sets are a bit mix and match. One note about 357 Magnum and crimping. If you want to use a combined seat and crimp setup you will need to trim your cases to the exact same length because if you don't you will buckle any long cases. I've been there done that enough that I now crimp all of my revolver loads in a separate crimp stage.

Rifle Dies. My rifles are 357 Magnum and 308 Winchester. For the 308 sizing full length I have a Dillon full length die. For Neck Sizing I have a Lee collet type Neck Sizing die. For seating it's back to Dillon. For crimping it's a Lee collet type Factory Crimp Die. Some say you don't need to crimp rifle ammo but nobody at Winchester or Federal believes that because both brands of commercial loads are crimped using some type of collet.

Powders. Based on what I've seen locally your choice for 30.06 at present is pretty much limited to IMR 4064. Good news is that it will work quite well in the 30.06. Yeah, you'll give up about 100 fps over using Varget but Varget is currently pretty unobtainable. Your choice for 357 Magnum is a real traditional powder for this caliber and happily relatively easy to find, that is H110 or Winchester 296. Hit a gun show in your area and you are likely to find both powders. Just limit your use with H110 to 140 grain or heavier bullets. Unfortunately finding powders well suited to 38 special will prove a bit difficult. For 38 special keep your fingers crossed and your eyes open for HP38, Accurate # 2 or # 5, Vihtavouri 3N37, N320 or N340. In a pinch you can use Unique for 38 special but it meters so poorly you'll have to hand weigh every charge.

Case trimming. Yeah, you will need a case trimmer for your 30.06. Rifle cases that haven't been Fire Formed to a specific chamber WILL stretch at each firing cycle and a rifle case that is too long can pose the potential for a case head blowout, something really unpleasant in a rifle and potentially life threatening. NEVER EVER load a rifle case that is longer than the SAAMI specification for that rifle caliber. There are a lot of options out there for case trimmers but I like the RCBS bench top trimmer because it works well and it features a universal case holder. I do not bother with trimming handgun cases, they don't stretch like rifle cases and if you can't shoot 1/2 inch groups at 50 yards with a handgun you are wasting your time trimming handgun cases.

Load manuals. Plan on building a collection because you will not find every bullet listed in every manual. Modern Reloading 2nd Edition by Richard Lee is a good read and informative about procedures and why they can be critical. The Lyman 49th also contains an excellent section of descriptions of the various powders out there and where they are useful. So, starting off the Lee 2nd and Lyman 49th are easy to recommend. Also available is the Hornady 9th but as it's produced by a bullet manufacturer you'll only find Hornady bullets listed. Another manual produced by a bullet manufacturer is the Speer 14th. Then on the Net you can find load data at many of the powder manufacturers sights, so you should get familiar with them.

Now, some specifics on load manuals. First, most contain data that has been "hyped" to some extent by use of a longer than typical barrel. So, don't try and match the velocities you see listed unless you have that length barrel available. For instance Hodgdon use a 10 inch unvented barrel for their 357 Magnum handgun data and you'll need a TC Contender in that length to match those inflated velocities. Second, different barrels will produce different pressure results, so you will find a lot of data that seem to be conflicting. It's why it's so critical to start low and work your way up in stages while watching for over pressure indications. I will also note that I am not a believer in using just 5 rounds for a test load, that can lead you astray. I once loaded a batch of 140 grain Hornady XTP's in 357 Magnum and had issues with about 30% of the cases being difficult to extract due to relying on a 5 round test load. Per Hornady a 12.9 grain charge of AA #9 is max for that bullet and my test was at a Speer recommended 13.3 grains for a Gold Dot. Different bullet, different pressure curve and my 5 round test wasn't revealing enough. Since then I've found the sweet spot for this bullet and powder is 12.5 grains and it's a tack driver. Finally, most of the bullet manufacturers do not list pressures but most of the powder manufacturers do. Personally, I like to see the pressures for a specific recipe, so manuals that list pressures I view as being slightly more reliable than those that do not list pressure.

Final note. It's rather large but the full SAAMI manual for Cartridge Specifications and Testing Procedures is available on the net as a PDF. I would suggest that you download it simply because it provides an excellent reference for all the details about a specific caliber such as case minimum and maximum lengths.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Lots of good advice here... And I concur what Scooter stated about uniform brass for consistent crimping. I check almost all of my brass on the trimmer. I keep a "master" case in each die set that is at trim length. This makes setup of the case trimmer quick and easy.

I have found that "conventional" handgun loads, IE: 38spl, 45 Auto, 380 Auto, etc, most often don't need trimming... But the magnum stuff if run hot I have found trimming a little more frequently needed. It's all about having uniform length of brass, mainly for consistent crimping.

Also agree on the seating and crimping being done in 2 separate steps.

Along with our Hornady manual and a couple others, we lean on the powder manufacturers published data as well.. As you can probably already see, the Hornady manual only lists loads for their projectiles.. And any time you swap one component and deviate from a specific published load, it is a good idea to try and search out data for the exact recipe you are looking to make.. The main thing I am concerned with finding is C.O.L. There can be variances in COL from one brand of bullet to another even if the bullet weight is the same.

Here is some data that me and my brothers have found very helpful since we got into the game:

-Hodgdon, makers of Hodgdon, Winchester, and IMR- Hodgdon Reloading | Home

-Western Powders, makers of Accurate Arms and Ramshot. Very good database here in a downloadable PDF. I even have this one in my phone. Load Data « Accurate Powders

Alliant has some online data as well, but I find it leaving much to be desired compared to the ones I listed.

 

[SMSgt]

I use the Sierra 165 grain SPBT almost exclusively in my -06, powered by IMR 4064. IMR 4350 is also a great powder. Used it on up to caribou-size game with solid performance.

A case trimmer for the rifle cases. I don't necessarily agree that starting out with handgun is better. I didn't and never considered reloading rifle rounds complicated.

A good set of scales. I prefer RCBS 505 beam scales over any electronic gadget. It's quick, accurate, repeatable.

I've always seated and crimped handgun rounds in one step. Never a problem. Do whatever you prefer to do.

You will find working up an accurate rifle load interesting. Two things I found to have the most effect are not type/amount of powder or primer, but flash hole uniformity and COL.

Lyman makes a nice tool for the flash hole. Many cases have punched flash holes and if you look closely you can see the jagged edges. The primer flame will react just like fuel thru a dirty fuel injector.

I played around with powder loads for quite a while until I settled on the 4064 at a medium loading. More powder is not necessarily better. Then I adjusted COL and--Bingo--my 1 1/4" groups suddenly dropped to under 1".

 

[Rule3]

In case no one mention scales.

A good balance beam, non electric scale is the Droid you seek.

 

[rg1]

Having other manuals to compare data is helpful. For .357 Mag. powders for 158 XTP's and hunting best choices are AA#9, H110 or Win 296 ( the same powder with different names) or 2400. Magnum pistol primers for Win 296/H110. Standard Large Rifle primers for 30-06. IMR 4350 powder for 30-06 bolt action rifles for bullets up to 165 grains but I prefer IMR 4831 for 180 grain or heavier bullets. For semi-auto 30-06 rifles I'd use IMR 4895 or IMR 4064 powder especially for a M1 Garand or Remington or Browning semi-auto. Definitely need a case trimmer for rifle cases. I highly recommend a cartridge headspace gauge to adjust your sizing die to push the shoulder back a measured amount. Hornady's Headspace Gauge Set is inexpensive, works by mounting on your calipers, and will help make sure your cases will chamber plus stop oversizing shoulders. It will extend brass life, make the cases safer by preventing case stretching and possible case separations. Set you sizing die to only push the shoulder back .002-.004" from fired case dimensions fired in your rifle. I like to use a inside primer flash hole deburring tool. I'd get a vibratory case tumbler similar to a Lyman 1200 for cleaning and polishing cases plus to remove sizing lube from your sized cases. I think you need a tumbler and headspace gauge for sure. Possibly a primer pocket depth uniformer which also makes a good primer pocket cleaner. I do like to trim .357 Mag cases for uniform length which makes crimping more uniform. The list goes on but any tools that make better ammo plus speeds up and makes loading easier.

 

[rwsmith]

Another thing about manuals.....

Different manuals show powder combinations that others don't. I've got a Lyman, Lyman cast and a Speer. I wouldn't mind having more but that covers my bases ok. Especially with the company web sites having data on them.

 

[Twoboxer]

Scooter123 (and others) gave LOTS of good advice, so I'll offer stuff only to clarify or where I differ from his recommendations:

Scale: Agree. RCBS 505. Now.

Dies: Only use Carbide dies for pistol, and buy a Lee set that includes the Factory Crimp Die. For rifle buy an RCBS set for each caliber. Later you may learn to like other dies better but this approach will get you started quite well for lots less money. And you may never need to change.

Powder: Buy 1 pounders now, and 8 pounders once you are sure you have found your powder. Either IMR 4064 or IMR 4350 are very good and both are likely to be available locally. I mention that Vihtavuori N140 is also excellent only because your LGS may be one that stocks it, and due to price it may still be there lol. Good luck on pistol powder; learn all the online sellers who are worthy (eg Powder Valley) and check them and your LGS daily.

Case Trimming: (Especially if you have a hand drill) buy the nearly free Lee case trimmer and gauge for your 30-06. Works very well, no need to spend more money now. Later you will know much more and form a personal preference for case preparation methods. And the Lee Trimmer will still be the perfect tool to trim that one case that fell on the floor and missed out on prep

Calipers: Unlike your scale where quality REALLY matters, buy a ~$30 set of digital calipers. They are easy to read without making an error, and they work very well at the tolerances we require.

Load Manuals: (Heresy warning!!) You have enough manuals for now with the Hornady. The Lyman manual is virtually useless for modern loads. ALL powder manufacturers provide data on line, so you have access to a second source to cross check load info.

Youtube: Watch videos on every piece of equipment you own or plan to buy. Sometimes you may need to turn the sound down because the advice can range from annoying through misleading to dangerous, but the videos showing stuff IN USE are invaluable.