On 3/30/2013 9:01 PM, DoN. Nichols wrote:
On 2013-03-30, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:36:56 -0500, Richard
wrote:

It IS an interesting question for any shooter, tho.

I have my new cowboy assault rifle to feed. (Eddie Likes!)
So I'm interested in rifle rounds (of the 30.30 Winchester flavor)

How does one get started reloading?
What is the basic equipment requirement?
Obvious mistakes not to make?

Assuming a minimum cost startup.
Buy bullets vs cast?
Gas seals?
Metal work on brass?
Primers?
Assembly?
Lube?

All that stuff?

1. Put the word out that you are looking for a reloading press. Just
about any reloading press...even...cringe..a Lee. (more on this later)

What I currently have

RCBS (check Ebay for examples)

Pacific
Lyman

I started with this

C&H

Never even heard of the one below. :-)

Hollywood

and way down at the bottom...Lee

Yep!

Dies are readily available

Very. I've gotten extras to upgrade my setup from hamfests and
eBay. (In particular, going for the carbide sizing dies for revolver
rounds.

If you are going to be reloading thousands of rounds per
sitting...then a progressive such as a Dillion are indicated. But they
really arent necessary for average reloaders and are not for beginners

Agreed. I've never felt the need for that, actually.

The 3030 Winchester shoots cast bullets just fine. Cast bullets can
be shot at speeds up to 2000 FPS or a little faster, given a good
clean and crisp rifle barrel and are dirt cheap to make, to prepare
and to keep on hand. Marlins...not so good for cast bullets...if you
have the "microgroove" barrel. The new Ballard barrels shoot cast just
fine.

In fact..the 3030 can be fired with lead bullets at speeds matching
factory jacketed ammo, with some knowledge of what you are doing.

Gas checks..the little bit of metal added to the base of "some"
bullets have gone up in price over the last couple years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_check

And -- somewhere between factory jacketed bullets and ones with
gas checks are the ones made with a swaging press. A top-end RCBS could
handle both that and the normal reloading tasks.

For cast bullets -- you want an alloy which is harder than plain
lead. Find things like old linotype metal or used wheel weights --
though I understand that they are now lead-free thanks to the
worry-warts. :-)

For swaged bullets, you start with soft plain lead.

I don't remember seeing swaging tools being pushed these days.

However..there are a number of really good tools out there today that
use aluminum flashing that make your own gas checks with. Figure $100
for a unit in one caliber, or look at one, and then machine your very
own.
http://www.freechex.net/

http://www.patmarlins.com/

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/37...aker_Dies.html

Interesting.

I tend to prefer (for revolvers) half jacketed semi-wadcutters.
And soft-point 3/4 jacketed bullets for the .22 Jet (no semi-wadcutters
for that caliber, and I'm n to sure how they would like the velocity
from the .22 Jet anyway. :-)

Gas checks are used on bullets that are going to be fired at speeds
over 1600 fps (in general in rifles) and the bullet has to be a gas
check type

Many of us out there dont bother using gas checks until we are up to
2000 fps, but it does take some knowledge of what works and what
doesnt work...got an experienced friend around and they can help you.

Now here is a caviat. You MAY get cast bullets to shoot just as
accurately as jacketed bullets. And in fact..you probably will. But it
does take a bit more "fiddly" to get them to shoot as well.

Including tuning the alloy.

There is
a trade off...some big money involved to shoot jacketed bullets..or
little money and a bit more time to get cast to shoot properly.

My RCBS Jr was purchased by me, new in 1977.

Hmm ... my RCBS A2 was closer to 1970 or so.

Its cranked out somewhere
over 2 million rnds since then. No issues. My RockChucker was
purchased in 1980ish..and its cranked out at least that many rounds.
No issues.

*Very* good tools.

My C&H AutoChamp III was used when I bought it in the early
1980s...and its approaching a million rounds. No issues.
My Lyman turret tool has done at least that many rounds. No issues.

I passed mine on to a friend who was getting started.

Ive had a number of Lee tools and the only ones that are still
around..are the "auto primes"..and Ive broken at least 3 of the
toggles in them over the years. Cost a couple bucks to replace..but
they broke. So I ordered extras the last time.

:-)

Figure if you buy new setup..it will cost $450 with a mold, Lee
melting pot, press, RCBS/Lyman lubricator and die, powder measure,
reloading press, shell holder and trays etc etc.

Or -- for swaged bullets, you need the swaging dies, a more
powerful and rigid press, but you don't need the mold, melting pot, and
lubricator.

[ ... ]

Now..if you want to simply try your hand at reloading ..buy a Lee
Loader and a hammer. Order bullets ..jacketed or cast online.
Powder, primers etc etc and you will be set to load your own for well
under $100, total.

However -- if you use this, be *sure* to wear safety glasses. I
started with one of these (.38 Special, FWIW). Fine-tuning the force
generated by the hammer is tricky, and you will pop a certain number of
primers. (Maybe having just the right weight hammer would help, but I
did not have a variety to try back then. :-) My eyes never got hit, but
I got primer blast on my forehead a few times, and a lot more often on
my fingers holding the rod. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEl9wZyabc

Its not rocket science at the consumer level.

Agreed.

Good Luck,
DoN.