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looking to get in to reloading .308

texasfan85

.270 WIN
Ok im looking to get in to reloading and have a few questions to ask first is what do i need to get to srat out with what as far as equipment. Ive seen alot of differnt set ups out there wanting to go single stage and if i get a kit what else do i need to get with it. Next is what powder do i need to get ive seen alot of them out there. I think im going to go with hornady and nosler brass and bullets is that good choice im going to be hunting whitetail and boar. My final question is what about primers i know cci makes some and they make the best or some of the best .22 shells IMO. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I like most all presses. I use an RCBS and a Lyman. I like most dies but am really falling for the Lee carbides. If you get carbide dies it is more convenient because you don’t have to lube case mouths, one less step. I have never bought a kit, but Nitesite has a post or two here that recommends a Lee kit from Midsouth.

Press/ might need some acc like primer tubes, to hold primers.
Dies
Scale
Powder dispenser of some sort, but if you aren’t loading a shit ton then you could weigh each load by scooping powder onto the scale
Calipers
Case trimmer, cases sretch afer a couple reloading and sometime have to be trimmed down.
Some tarys to hold cases in the different stages.


I havent reloaded 308 but some research should net you a powder. Look under the reloading data post I have and go to the manufactures sites in the links and look at some load data, that can give you an idea.

Hornady and Nossler are great. I have only bought brass for the 10mm because I didn’t have any to start. You should be saving your spent brass so you don’t have to buy any. ALL my brass has come from my shooting factory round OR scrounging around the woods, and ranges

Load data will denote the primer. You are going to be after Large rifle primer. You might get lucky and find some of those. That being said I personally wont think twice about using a Federal to replace a cci depending on what’s around.

If you can find reloading gear at this point your doing good. Best thing for you to do is try to secure the basic items I listed and read some data, buy a Hornady loading manual or Nossler if those are the projo’s you want to start with…
 
oli gave some really great advice.

For most hunters with a bolt gun you will really be just fine with a single stage press. And a hand primer from Lee, Lyman or RCBS. And a case trimmer. And calipers. All the things previously suggested by oli700.

The dies for bottle necked rifle require case lubing or your case(s) will stick almost permanently in your sizing/decapping die. If you want to lube each case you would be fine with a two-die set that (1) decaps and re-sizes and with the second die (2) seats the bullet. A three die set from Lee includes a case-neck-sizing die that doesn't full-length re-size your brass as long as you are going to shoot your handloads from the same rifle it originally was fired in. If you are shooting the brass over again in your one rifle you just need to size the case neck smaller to hold the bullet firmly. This is the advantage of the Lee 3-die set.

The advantage to doing that is that (1) you don't have to individually lube every case before sizing because it only bumps the shoulder back and sizes the case mouth and neck and it leaves the long case walls alone, and (2) doing this almost eliminates case trimming for the first 5-6 reloads. It is almost effortless to neck-size only with the Lee 3-die set (you don't use the #1 full length sizer doing it this way).

I think the .308 Winchester shines with extruded powders and Hodgdon Varget is a good start. Being a "stick" powder, I agree with oli700 that individually weighing each charge on the scale (which you need anyway) makes sense. You can spend $75 on a powder measure but extruded/stick powders have some variance between each throw because of how the sticks flow thru the measure.

Varget-1.jpg


Hodgdon BL-(C)2 is a spherical fine grain powder originally developed for the 7.62mm cartridge and it goes thru a powder measure very consistently if you choose to go with a measure as well as a scale. Ball-See is a pretty good powder for .308 Winchester. It looks exactly like H-335 seen here.

H335-1.jpg


Primers should be whatever you find locally. CCI, Winchester, Federal, Remington.... all good. You should not need magnum rifle primers. And whatever you do, buy at least one bound reloading manual, and don't simply rely on what you can get via the internet. The bound books have a forward section detailing the reloading process far beyond simply knowing that this much powder and this primer and this bullet and this OAL makes a safe load.
 
oh man, been doing SO MANY pistol lately....listen to NS about lube and dies as it pertains to RIFLE....lol
 
ok will look in to that thanks for the input since ive just got this rifle and its the first .308 ive ever owned only found one box of shells so far and im saving them i have 10 so far and will have 10 more friday seen as im goin hog hunting.
 
I've loaded a fair amount of 30-06 on a small single stage press. It can go pretty quick once you get into the flow of things.
 
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