Biting the reloading bullet....so to speak

countryfarmer

Took the plunge and ordered a Lee single stage press set and dies to start reloading 30-30. I'll get some 38spl dies later. I have a bad feeling I have just aquired another bad habit.

charliemeyer007

Been at it about 50 years. Most of the time it has been fun. Use a system, no distractions, make sure by looking twice. When in doubt ask. Have fun. The 30-30 and 38 Special do well with cast bullets and give you many more variables to tune.

countryfarmer

I have one of the Lee kits for the 38spl that has everything and you use a mallet to load with. Being doing some practice rounds with it and it does a good job but slow as all get out, but on rainy days there is nothing else to do.

babun

I've got bad news for you.....
Some people here will post how much money you going to save by reloading... BULL !!
You are on a road to financial doom !!
Next it will be a nice press, then different scales, then a progressive press, then lead casting equipment, then......
Stop NOW, while you got the chance !!
The final and terminal stage of this sickness is when you buy equipment and supplies to reload for a cartridge you shoot 30 rounds a year of.[:D]

countryfarmer

quote:Originally posted by babun
I've got bad news for you.....
Some people here will post how much money you going to save by reloading... BULL !!
You are on a road to financial doom !!
Next it will be a nice press, then different scales, then a progressive press, then lead casting equipment, then......
Stop NOW, while you got the chance !!
The final and terminal stage of this sickness is when you buy equipment and supplies to reload for a cartridge you shoot 30 rounds a year of.[:D]



OH Noooooooooooooooooo [:0]

SoreShoulder

They say 30-30 is some of the most refined and developed ammo so you should not realize a massive gain in accuracy or velocity unless you have something much different than a lever action carbine, or you're willing to take tradeoffs like less reliability for not resizing your cases.

Same with good 38.

countryfarmer

That is one of the main reasons I went ahead and got a press, so I could full length resize the cases. I tried a couple unsized and even though they came out of that Marlin, it took way too much force to get them chambered.

FrancF

Save yourself now and only shoot rimfire![:o)][:D]

Oakie

The only advice I have for you is to pay strict attention to what you are doing and get a good reloading manual.Otherwise , you will enjoy it alot. It is my favorite pastime.

machine gun moran

I reload the 30-30 with both cast and jacketed bullets, and I like it a lot. Oakie and Charliemeyer have given good advice, get a good book, develop a method and then check everything twice. This is especially important when using fast pistol powder, as even a double-charge can hide in a case. I've shot everything in the 30-30 from 85 grain FMJ's ('trapper' loads) to 190 grain Silvertips that were designed for the .303 Savage. I don't 'hot-rod' it (or anything else).

Because I shoot several guns, I resize the cases to fit the most tightly chambered gun. If you shoot only one gun, you can resize the cases accordingly. There always seems to be plenty of .30-30 brass for sale from ranges, after the sighting-in days around deer season.

The .38 Special is also a good one to reload. The choice of bullets is very wide, and I just started making up some slow-flyer 200-grain loads again with the old hemispherical-nose design from Lyman (those particular bullets are available for reasonable cost from Western Bullet Co.). I will shoot these in a Cimarron Open Top.

I started loading for the 30-06 in a 1917 Enfield when I was a kid, and now I load for eight rifle calibers and fourteen pistol calibers. And this is nothing compared to a lot of other guys. Addicting, it is.

When reloading for anything, remember a salient rule: If you find yourself needing more power than the books indicate for what you have, don't try to stretch anything; just get a gun with a bigger hole.

Riomouse911

The only other items I would add are a digital scale and a kinetic bullet puller. The other stuff is not as vital as these two items are, IMHO.

Mk 19

the big question is what group are you going to belong to?

1) this group reloads so that they shoot more

2) this group shoots so that they can reload more

I am firmly locked into group #2

Rocky Raab

As a reloader for more than a half century, and a handloading writer for a quarter century, here are a few tidbits of wisdom:

Read your reloading books (note the plural) cover to cover - twice - before you pull that press handle even once.

Use data for the bullet as your primary reference, then data from the powder maker, and finally crosscheck them both with data from Lyman because they make neither but do perform extensive lab testing.

More faster isn't more better.

Finally, THE most important thought: The interval between trigger and tragedy is far too short to change your mind.

longspur rider

It's a sickness. You will find yourself looking at new guns so you'll have different calibers to reload. Then more brass, different weight bullets, different powders, primers, & more dies. You will start walking around looking at the ground to see if there is some usable brass. It never stops. Hi, my name is Longspur & I'm a reloadaholic.

bartman45

The equipment you have ordered will work fine. I go through 50 - 150 rounds per week of 45-70 and 45 colt. I use a single stage and when I was shooting smokeless, a RCBS powder dispenser, non digital type. I would avoid a progressive press for a beginner, and I know some experienced folks who have had a few problems with ammunition loaded on a progressive (Gee, I thought I had powder in that last case).

bambambam

Start looking for a support group in your area now.[:I]

Good luck in your reloading endeavors.[:D]


One thing I can offer as some advice. If your going to use 30-30 to start out......find a load that has enough powder that would make it impossible to double load.[B)]

This is not meant to load the hotest round! Find a powder that has a large volume of powder and still put you at a comfortable pressure/speed.

I tend to find %85 max is where I like my kick, speed, & powder consumption[:I]

countryfarmer

Last loads I tried for the 30-30 was with IMR 4895. One of he main reasons I went ahead and got the press was so that I could full length resize the 30-30. I might try some 3031, it looks to cover several different loadings and bullet weights.

sandwarrior

Don't do that...you'll only break your teeth!! [;)]

Glad to hear another one has joined the fold. The only bad habit you'll have gotten rid of is paying too much for less than the best ammo you can build yourself.

Good luck with this and don't hesitate to ask some questions.