Handloading help

[OutwardBound]

Ok peeps, I've searched high and low with very little luck for 6.5 x 55's in full cartidges in 156gr and faster 140grs. So I'm looking into getting into handloading to get the most out of this cartridge.

Now I'm not a total idiot with this stuff, but I feel like I'm in over my head. This is for sure new ventured territory and there is so much information out there it starts to look like japanese to me! We have a few aquaintances that handload and will look to them for some guidance, but there is a wealth of knowledge here on this board and I'm hoping to some insight.

Is it fairly expensive to get into handloading to buy all the tools, powders, casings, bullets, books etc?

What book(s) do you guys recommend, what bullet types do you like (sp, hp, bt, etc), what is the easiest way to get into all the handloading gear without having to designate a whole room in our house to it (meaning bare minumum tools for this yr)?

Feel free to pipe in with any tips you think would be relevant and even stories that can help me find my way! Thanks!!

Danni

[Mad_Mikee]

Im definately not a pro when it comes to hand loading but I can offer a bit.

My hunting parter and I have been handloading for a year or two now. Our loads seem to work pretty good and I've taken a few deer last season with mine.

I load for 30-06 and he loads for 22-250, 270wsm and 45/70.

The biggest thing I found was the lack of availability of components. I've never really had trouble finding bullets but powder and primers have been bad.

I started loading using a powder which I later found out wasnt readily available. The load I worked up was good but I later changed to a different powder that was easier to find. I have a bit of both so I'm okay for now.

Primers have been tricky to find. I started using CCI large rifle primers but later decided to try federal primers. The federal 210m primers are impossible to find.

I'm going to start loading for a couple new rifles (22-250 and 7mm RUM) and I now know to work up my loads using powder and primers that are easy to find.

As for load workup, I start with the reccomendations I have in my Lyman reloading guide or from the bullet manufacturers website (Nosler and Barnes).

For me, I usually load 3-5 of each different load. Then I go to the range and see how the shoot accuracy wise. One day when I get a chrono I'll check out the speeds.

[Dick284]

OK so here is a short list of must haves for reloading equipt:
Press
Dies
Shell holders
Hand priming tool (sure some presses have a priming tool, but go the hand primer route)
Case trimmer(pilots, collets etc)
Chamfering and deburring tool
Primer pocket cleaner
Dial calipers
Case tumbler(media too)
Powder scale
Loading funnel
Loading block
Powder dispenser (rotory style)
Powder trickler
A manual or two.
Now for the extra things for the more niggly operations
Primer pocket depth uniformer
Falsh hole deburing tool
Case neck turner

A lot can be said about diffrent makes of equiptment but as a whole you do get what you pay for, so be warey of ridiculously low and disparaging prices.

As for manuals everyone has their favorites, but I feel Speer has one of the better how to sections at the front of their manual, and well the rest is pretty much available on the web.

As for no dedicated room, Well been there done that, and will never do it again. If you want good results and a hobby you will just love to do, having to hide it or take it down, just to set it up every time is not gonna give you any of the above. You dont need a stand alone room, but you need a space that is dedicated to your reloading, it should be tidy, well lit, and provide a degree of peace and tranquility.

Hope this helps.

Good luck

[mac_xi@hotmail.com]

Its just a general safety one. My wife says if I start handloading I have to do it on the garage. Its not normally heated but has a ceiling furnace (nat gas). Should I be concerned about having the furnace running in the winter with the powder exposed?? I hope I can convince her that it is safe for indoors as, but as for now I am in the garage. Thanks

[bingo1010]

put her in the garage while you reload in the house... seriously though the powder won't burst into flames in your hands because of the furnace. but what about storage? where are you going to store your primers and powder? inless you plan to heat the garage to a constant temp i think the changing temp/humidity may cause you problems

[eric2381]

If you look to the Wholesale sports catalogue, RCBS offers a complete kit to get you started. It has almost everything you need, including a good Speer manual. The rockcrusher press would suit all of your needs, and will last a lifetime. Reloading is addictive, and you'll add to you equipment as you see fit. Good luck, Eric

[twofifty]

Maybe her sewing room could be relocated to the garage....juts point out how there's much more danger from stabbing one's feet on dropped needles and pins than there is from your powder stash going whooosh.

Come to think of it, maybe is's best to quietly head to the garage. Wherever you do end up, I am sure you will have lots of fun with the reloading aspects of shooting.

My dedicated space is small but efficient, but only for a single stage press setup: 36" wide by 30" deep top, made of 3/4 plywood, in the spare bedroom.
Solid, no flexing.

All the gizmos and whatnots are kept within reach in a small shelf unit that sits on the bench and can be move about on the bench. The scale sits at eye level on this shelf. Everything else is stored in a couple drawers below the bench surface. The powder dispenser and press are 'permanently' mounted near each other.

At first I was going to go all out and build a custom bench with all the bells and whistles. Then I decided to start simple and find out what my requirements really are. Simple still works just fine.

Don't forget that with your dies you will need a case lube kit. In addition to a regular Full Length sizing die and bullet seating die, many reloaders also use a neck sizing (or neck collet) die so as not to full length size their brass each time. A bullet puller will likely come in handy the first time you get your steps out of sequence. lol

I am still getting by without a case tumbler as I don't mind cleaning my cases by hand. A bullet's flight is not improved by how shiny the brass looks in the ammo box. ymmv

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by twofifty

I am still getting by without a case tumbler as I don't mind cleaning my cases by hand. A bullet's flight is not improved by how shiny the brass looks in the ammo box. ymmv

Tumbling brass cleans any crud out of the inside of the case, but also helps eliminate chambering and ejection problems as well as helping to keep your lube pad clean.

Lee collet dies can run into problems with the collet not releasing, and tumbled brass can help prevent this also.
If I had to clean my brass by hand, I'd go crazy, as I tend to shoot 1,000's of rounds out of my target rifles, and sometimes run as many as 200 45's in one stint at the range!
However, for the average fella, ( or when Ii am working up loads)
cleaning by hand is perfect, as it tends to make you handle the brass more, and the more you handle it, the greater the chance that you will discover little imperfections as cracks in the brass....
Cat

[twofifty]

I shoot HP much less than you do cat - my 140 cases are ready for their 7th reloading and I've been reloading for a year. That's not even 900/year.

But now I know why some of them have started to collapse their shoulder in the Lee collet die. I've been using a neck brush, and also removing most of the thin black (carbon?) buildup on the outside. But still not clean enough it seems. When I put a bit of case lube on the collet, the collapsing stopped.

I may need to take my head out of the sand ... and bury it into a bucket of coconut husks or cracked corn. The resulting fine dust, incl. lead primer compounds, is not appealing to have around the house.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by twofifty

I shoot HP much less than you do cat - my 140 cases are ready for their 7th reloading and I've been reloading for a year. That's not even 900/year.

But now I know why some of them have started to collapse their shoulder in the Lee collet die. I've been using a neck brush, and also removing most of the thin black (carbon?) buildup on the outside. But still not clean enough it seems. When I put a bit of case lube on the collet, the collapsing stopped.

I may need to take my head out of the sand ... and bury it into a bucket of coconut husks or cracked corn. The resulting fine dust, incl. lead primer compounds, is not appealing to have around the house.

When I am cleaning my cases by hand, i spray a bit of Amzoil foaming engine tuner or similar type stuff on a rag.
That carbon stuff comes off FAST!
In fact, many people know I use Amzoil for my main fouling cleaner, for cleaning rust off tools and dies, in fact for almost everything I would need a gunk cleaning/penetrating type cleaner for.
Heck, I even sprayed it into the official Team Wingnut range vehicle's motor the other night!
Cat

[honda450]

"GUNK" Super Lubricant is also an amazing product. Won't use WD40 on anything. Gotta try that stuff you mentioned Cat.