To Start Reloading...?
 

hey guys, i'm new to the forum and thought this would be a great place to get a couple of my questions answered about reloading...

Looking to buy a kit or package deal, does anyone know of good brands, etc? Equipment that will last.

How much am i looking to spend?

What will i need, besides a basic kit?

Where do i find dies?

How many and what different kinds of dies do i need? ( i shoot a .307 Winchester and would like to start reloading for it first)

what powder would you suggest?

Leads?

Brass?

I have these questions and more, would really appreciate some help.

Thank you guys/gals in advance!

RCBS Hornady and Lyman all have good and complete kits.
Would be in the 500.00 area
You can get dies where you buy the kit.
WSS has a good and complete selection of dies bullets primers and powder

Thank you, would it be worth it to purchase or search out a used kit?

Also, i have looked online and i cannot find any dies that are .307 caliber. Any suggestions?

You could go two routes: Top of the line or a set that will work. For a set that will work, I would buy a basic lee anniversary addition kit for around $130. I have loaded 500 or more with my Lee kit with no issues. If you shoot a tonne, you might want to upgrade to a better press. Get a basic 2 die kit one that resizes the brass and one to seat the bullets for around $40 or so. It will be marked .307 Win on the box. I use RCBS and they work good for me and they have lifetime warranty.

If you go here http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storef...prod87635.html
It is marked 308/307Win I believe.

RCBS has a good step by step to reloading.

http://www.rcbs.com/guide/step_by_step_reloading.aspx

Thank you so much for the advice! really appreciate it!

i am curious if you happen to know where i could find a set of .307 dies? I have looked online and i haven't really been able to find anything. Thanks again :)

By the way the 307winchester cartridge is not .307 caliber, so when you shop for bullets, you will be looking for .308" bullets.

The following link is all i could really find for .307 dies, but it says .307/.308, would that be okay to use and if so, could i not just use a set of .308 dies?

http://www.thegunsource.com/category...Reloading.aspx

Dies are cartridge specific...not calibre specific...you need to use the proper die for your cartridge. What cartridge is it that you want to reload for?

Edit...sorry I missed your link.

308win dies are correct, but you need a shellholder to fit the 307win.

Alright thanks a lot! That makes sense, sorry for my "blonde" questions, i'm very new to reloading

That's not a bad question! Not many are like this!

Try and find used brass but it might be tough for the 307 Win.
Used reloading equipment is great if you can find it. Post in the buy and sell as you never know who is selling their equipment.

I have a few brass now (6) and 14 un-shot rounds, i think that if i had reloading equipment or knew it was coming, i would be a lot less-reluctant to use my remaining ammo. I will defiantly make a post right away in buy and sell. Thanks! Do retailers sell used brass in bulk?

Look at this thread. Seems to explain a bit about the 307 Win.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=106275

Sounds like you will not be shooting too much. I would go with the basic Lee anniversary kit.
I don't think retailers sell used brass. You can buy new stuff though. It will one of the more expensive parts of reloading when you get going!

Thanks for the link,

Where would i post "WTB reloading kit" under in Buy and Sell?

Thank you guys very much

Hunting items for sale section

Under "Hunting"

You might want to try P&D in Edmonton. They had some smoking deals on the Hornady Kits at Huntfest.

Alright thanks again! Now one more stupid question. So if i am going to purchase lead, what do i buy?

Also, what size of primers?

A couple more items you will need/want for reloading if you buy the Lee kit.
A caliper (digital one comes on sale at Crappy tire for $15)
Lee case length guage for a 307 Win ( I am not sure if it exists though as it is not on the wholesale website)
Lube Pad
A tray which will hold the shells
Also a shell holder that will work for the 307 Win.
Reloading book for the type of bullets you plan on using

I cannot help you there as I have never reloaded for a 307 Win. Depends what type of animal you plan on shooting and what works in your rifle.

a Kit im looking at on Cabela's, contains the... here is a link :)

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/produ...out/basket.jsp

Also looking at purchasing a whole set of shell holders so I will defiantly have what i need.

As for caliper, what does it do nd how important is it?

What is a lube pad?

Caliper measures the length of your cartridge as the brass expands every time you resize it. It is very important. You will probably not need to resize the first couple of times you reload the brass but I always measure to make sure.
A lube pad is just a piece of plastic that you can roll the shells over to make sure all sides of the shell are coated in lube.

oh okay, well is it more personal preference than? How can i find out what works in my rifle? right now, factory rounds hare flat-tipped if that helps.

What type of powder is to be used with .307?

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoot...3Bcat104275080

but there are so many options within this brand, what is the difference?

Likely best to pick up a current reloading manual. It will help a lot.

before you start reloading pick up a bunch of manuals. Read all of them. All of these questions you have asked are covered in different ways in the manuals.

The latest Hornady manual is a good one. It covers everything you need to know and more.

Do Not reload a shell until you have done the reading. This is not something to take lightly. Remember that you are holding a bomb next to your face! If done correctly, there is nothing to worry about. Jump in with both feet without research or a good understanding and you could be in trouble early.

A lube pad is CRITICAL!! before you run your brass through the dies make sure you lume them or they can get stuck in your die and then your hooped. It will damage and wear your dies out. As for powder, look online or pick up a handloading book. they have loads of info in them as for recomended powder types, amounts, bullets, weights etc.

OH and lastly, after your done pressing your bullets, give every shell a quick shake and listen for the powder to make SURE there is powder in every one... sounds dumb but trust me. You will have a bad day if you forgot to put powder in one of them and find a bullet half way down the barrel of your rifle.
Take your time. you can develop a round that can work very well for your rifle