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rem700mag View Drop Down
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    Posted: August/02/2007 at 15:12
I want to start reloading my 300 win mag but I don't know anything about it or what to buy to get into it. can someone advise me on the tools i would need to start reloading on a budget? Also what the lightest tip you could put on a 300 win mag shell? thanks
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/02/2007 at 17:06

you can go as low as 100 gr and all the way up to a 240 grain match bullet, i dont advise using a 100 gr bullet for anything you wanna eat unless you shoot it in the head i try to stick with 180gr bullets in mine.

 

stuff you need

1. a press unless you really wanna go cheap buy the leed loader sets that dont require a press i also dont advise that method, usually a pawn shop or an auction or a garage sale or ebay or a gun show are good places to look. rcbs redding lyman all make pretty good presses that arent to terribly expensive

2. dies, you will need dies for the calibers you plan to reload, once again there are a few companies that make dies and they arent all that expensive either.

3. a scale to weigh powder charges, balance beam or digital which ever you want.

4. a powder dispenser, this isnt a must have if your on a tight budget but it makes thing go faster and it less of a pain in the ass to reload.

5. a set of dial or digital calipers  once again not a real spendy item but a must have for reloading

6. a powder trickler, this isnt a must have but its nice when your a few tenths off, if you not to picky you may not need this i cant live with out one.

7. a bullet puller,this is used when you screw up its about the safest way to pull a load round apart if something happens to be done incorrectly.

8. a deburring/chamfer tool, cheap item must have for reloading

9.flash hole cleaner another cheap item makes this task a lot easier, eventhough it sucks any way you do it.

10. a reloading manual, depending on what kinds of powder you use, this is a good tool to have, although imr/hodgdon has an online data base that is pretty well stocked with a lot of data using there powders.

11. case trimmer, this is another item i cant see living without, cause after you reload a case a few times it stretches and you have to trim them to length again so they chamber up correctly.

12. a case lube of some sort either a pad or a liquid/spray type must have.

13. shell holder for your press, not all cases use the same shell holders so check your reloading manual for the right shell holders, your 300 uses a no4 from rcbs these number can be different from company to company most of your common cases use a no3 rcbs.

14. bullets, powder, primers of course,

15 a sturdy bench to mount your press to.

 

guys if i missed anything help me out i am just kinda going as things come to mind.

 

They call me "Boots"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rem700mag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/02/2007 at 17:21
Thanks alot ima try and work on acquiring all those items, does anybody know the speed of a 100 grain on a 300 win mag out the muzzle?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/02/2007 at 18:26
Pyro's list pretty much covers it.  Another good option is to just get one of the starter kits from RCBS, Redding, Lyman and a couple others that already includes most everything on Pyro's list except the actual cartridge components, dies, and bench.  Otherwise, these kits have everything to get you started.  You can get the kits from any large sporting goods stores that also carries reloading equipment.  You'll do a lot of reading and asking questions when you first get started, but pretty soon you'll see what other supplies you want/need and you can get those items incrementally as you learn more.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/02/2007 at 18:59
my books only go down to 110 gr bullets and that bullet is at about 3650 fps
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rem700mag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/02/2007 at 20:46
thanks everybody for the help. Do yall happen to know if bass pro sells these starter kits? I am going this weekend and could easy charge one on my card. Would it actually be cheaper to reload my 300 win mag and 30 06 bullets rather than buy?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/02/2007 at 21:23

can figure on saying at least 50% over reloading let me think here one pound of powder weighs 7000 grains the average weight in a 300 mag is 70 grains so one $20.00 pound of powder will load you 5 boxes of shells which requires one box of bullets and one carton of primers so lets do  the math here.

1 pound of powder  at the store i buy it at its     $20.00

1 box of sierra 180 gr .308 bullets (100 count)   $20.00

1 carton of magnum primers (100 count)            $ 4.00

 

so we just spent $44.00 to load up 5 boxes of shells that you made that you know are all done the same way  so lets use the competitor - catalog figures for factory ammo the cheapest box of federal 300's with a 180 grain bullet is $43.00 for one box of 20 shells for $1.00 more you just loaded 5 times that!!

it doesnt look like bass pro carries presses.

They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rem700mag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/02/2007 at 21:58
Thanks for everything guys! I am going to work on getting the stuff, I found a lee kit on competitor usa for 89.99 everything but dyes, would that be a good starter kits?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/03/2007 at 06:08
if its the anniversery kit its 20 bucks cheaper at competitor , i would use it but thats just me, course i got my new press from a friend wh was just going to pawn it off. i dont know how good of quality lees press is. i like rcbs myself but i doubt you wanna spend almost $300 too
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/03/2007 at 18:03

Originally posted by rem700mag rem700mag wrote:

Thanks for everything guys! I am going to work on getting the stuff, I found a lee kit on competitor usa for 89.99 everything but dyes, would that be a good starter kits?

 

Everybody has their preferences but I cannot stand Lee presses, or for that matter, most anything Lee makes besides their Auto Prime.  The frame on Lee presses are cheap die cast aluminum, and the handles have so much play in them, they don't look like they would last very long to me.  Even if they do last, with the amount of reloading I do, I'm sure I'd quickly tire of having to work the flimsy feeling, wobbly handle of a Lee press for 1,000s of rounds.  To each his own, but I would strongly advise you to avoid the Lee kit if you think you'd stick with reloading long term.  Spend a little extra and get a good, solid, heavy cast iron press that will last several lifetimes like the RCBS Rockchucker, Redding Boss or Big Boss II, etc.  Yes, they cost more, but you get what you pay for.

 

You can buy these reloading kits from "the World's Foremost Outfitter," that well-known competitor to Bass Pro that starts with a "C."  Or, Sportsman's Warehouse also has them.

Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/03/2007 at 18:34
i agree ted rcbs and redding make some good stuff
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bigdaddy0381 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/04/2007 at 04:55

 

  I bought the lyman turret kit (300$) and love it.I have used th rbs and redding but the lyman kit had more of what i wanted in a kit.The only thing other than the kit i HAD to buy was a shell holder and dies.

 

 



Edited by Bigdaddy0381
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/04/2007 at 07:39
i dont advise newbies to buy a turret type press, because they may forget a step and really hurt themselves or somebody else, im not saying i wouldnt buy a turret but for newbie i wouldnt do it. single stage one step at a time change the tools around to complete one task at a time.

Edited by pyro6999
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tip69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/18/2007 at 15:42
Originally posted by pyro6999 pyro6999 wrote:

can figure on saying at least 50% over reloading let me think here one pound of powder weighs 7000 grains the average weight in a 300 mag is 70 grains so one $20.00 pound of powder will load you 5 boxes of shells which requires one box of bullets and one carton of primers so lets do  the math here.

1 pound of powder  at the store i buy it at its     $20.00

1 box of sierra 180 gr .308 bullets (100 count)   $20.00

1 carton of magnum primers (100 count)            $ 4.00

 

so we just spent $44.00 to load up 5 boxes of shells that you made that you know are all done the same way  so lets use the competitor - catalog figures for factory ammo the cheapest box of federal 300's with a 180 grain bullet is $43.00 for one box of 20 shells for $1.00 more you just loaded 5 times that!!

it doesnt look like bass pro carries presses.

 

pyro6999
You haven't taken into account the cost of the reloading equipment........ which sounds like could be as much as $300 not counting

dies or brass.  I was at store last night and although I didn't spend a lot of time looking up 300 Win Mags..... I think there were some that weren't $43.00 a box.

 

I only point this out because I was going to open a thread asking what it costs to get set up, to try and figure out how many boxes it will take before I start saving money on reloading compared to factory loads.  I shoot 30-06, .243, .22-250 & .223 (actually this includes my boys too) and so far those aren't anywhere near $43.00 a box.  We don't shoot at the range that often and I would guess we shoot less than 100 rounds per caliber per year.

 

I heard some rumblings that ammo is going to start costing us more.... partly due to higher metal prices and partly due to higher taxes.  Will reloaders be able to get around the higher taxes?

 

Also, how much of a factor is the learning curve in $$.  I wouldn't think I will be able to load decent loads the first time out of the gate.

take em!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/18/2007 at 16:32

sure the initial startup cost is a lot but gun shows and pawn shops and garage sales actions etc are great places to pick up second hand stuff, and in your case its probably not worth doing. go look at prices on M-i-d-w-a-y for 300 win mags you will see $40 a box, i shoot a number of different calibers some you listed as owning, and i shoot a fair amount i wont run more than a 100 rounds per caliber a year either unless i am load testing then i will shoot 300 rounds per caliber. the whole thing about reloading is this its you doing the quality control and you directly affect the outcome of accuracy and also the tolerences you set can be as tight as you want all the way a tenth of a grain if you want.

 

as for loading a decent load out of the gate, i dont know of anyone who can sit down at the reloading bench and the first load they decide to try ends up as one ragged hole in a target every time it just doesnt happen, its all trial and error which is part of the fun.

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375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

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God Bless Chris Ledoux
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Longhunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/21/2007 at 15:50

I use the Lee collet dies.  They work great if you are reloading shells for the rifle they were fired in.  They also eliminate the bullet lube process (until the case needs to be full-length resized).

 

A turret press is a lot easier to deal with than a single stage, if you get a good sturdy one.  You can have all of your dies ready to go, until you change calibers.  You can always use a turret press the same way you would a single station press, i.e., one operation at a time.  The reverse is not true.  A PROGRESSIVE press is another matter, and probably best saved for the experienced reloader.

 

The two big dangers in reloading seem to be (1) primers setting each other off; and (2) double loading (or undercharging) the powder.  I don't use primer tubes for this reason.  Instead, I simply insert one primer at a time.  I invert each case before inserting powder, put powder in all of the cases as a separate step, and then inspect all of the powder charges in the cases with a flashlight.  Nothing original here, but it keeps things safe.

 

It's too bad the Classic Lee Loader isn't made for the .300 Win mag.  This kit is the best way to get started in reloading that I know.  If you have a revolver or rifle in a caliber for which this kit is available, you might like to try your hand first with this kit.

 

Unless you have other guns, or will be doing a lot of shooting with your .300 Win Mag, you might just want to use factory ammo until you have accumulated enough cases to make reloading worthwhile.   

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/21/2007 at 18:31
im going to disagree with ya on the lee classic, i wouldnt buy anything other than the rcbs rock chucker, toughest press for the money imo
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Longhunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/22/2007 at 01:03

Pyro6999:

 

I was referring to the little "pound-a-peg" Classic Lee Loader kit that sells for about $16. 

 

Lee does have a heavy duty reloading press called the Classic Turret Press.  I don't have any personal experience with this one, but it has received excellent reviews.  [I use an old CH 4-station press that handles everything I shoot quite nicely.]

 

RCBS does have great stuff.  Their mechanical scales are wonderful.  So is their Chargemaster 1500 Powder Scale and Dispenser Combo (my latest toy), which automatically dispenses the exact load you enter.

 

Longhunter

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/22/2007 at 06:32
yes i want a chargemaster myself
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/22/2007 at 10:25

two ways to get accuracy, tune the rifle or tune the loads, first case new stock, bedded, check barrel harmonics, true action and barrel, custom chamber etc 2nd method reloading, seems pretty cheap now doesn't it??

 

if you can't reload it on a dillon it doesn't exist.

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