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Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

MrOneEyedBoh

MrOneEyedBoh

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 23, 2011
546
7
37
Maryland, USA!
#1
Im thinking about getting into reloading for my 308. Reason for it mainly is to lower ammo costs and when I ( hopefully ) get into competition shooting, I can then fine tune my ammo and have better accuracy through-out my rounds. My questions are, is there an all in one kit that is worth buying? I have the money now to spend, and Id like to get it while I have the money. As we know all things gun related usually go up in price at times more than other things and hobbies. So why not buy it and sit on it for the time being...

So all in all, what should I end up with in the end? What materials, misc items am I going to need? Id appreciate the help.
 
#2
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Over reviewing all the kits out there I came to a conclusion that they would be great for someone looking to get into reloading for the cost savings not the accuracy. So, I ended up purchasing all the items separately. I am very satisfied with the results although it cost me 3x the price of buying a kit.

I here is a brief list of my essential equipment to give you an idea...

Redding Big Boss 2
Redding Competition Seater
Redding Type-S FL Bushing Die
RCBS Charge Master
Redding Competition Shell Holders
Hornady Sonic Cleaner
Hornady Tumbler
Hornady Hand Priming Tool
Lyman Case Prep Kit (Chamfer, Debur, Primer Clenaner, Primer Reamer, Flashhole Uniformer)

Whatever you do you will be happy. Reloading is a joy if you take your time and not get too wrapped up in case prep.
 
#3
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Okay, thanks. So the above is mainly for getting round price down? Now what would make it good for accuracy? Change a few components? Or do I need to get a whole different setup?
 
#5
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Reloading saves you zero money! Infact it cost you more money in the big picture. Reloading allows you to make rounds cheaper that's true, but you WILL shoot more alot more! Then the chance for the perfect round begins!!!

That being said its one of the best decisions I've ever made!

As for hornady lock and load kit: its what I use and I love it. Build a good table and start reloading. There customer service is AWESOME also.I realize the scale will be my first up grade! You will make very accurate rounds with it but there are better "much more expensive" scales to be had.
 
#6
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RampedRaptor</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Reloading saves you zero money! Infact it cost you more money in the big picture. Reloading allows you to make rounds cheaper that's true, but you WILL shoot more alot more! Then the chance for the perfect round begins!!!

That being said its one of the best decisions I've ever made!</div></div>

So true lol

When I used to buy my 308 I would only shoot 50-60 rounds when I went out, now its more like a 100 rounds or more.

You cant beat the consisty and accuracy once you find some good loads for your rifle
 
#7
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Reloading is a means to an end. Ultimately, that "end" has to be determined by the individual.

With me, it's a happy sickness.
 
#8
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Start with a better press. I have only ever owned a Dillon RL550B.

Do the rest by starting out basic and simple. Complexity can follow later.

I went the 'complexity later' route, went full circle, and ended up going back to basics.

I figured out that peak attainable accuracy is costly and time consuming, and that in my own case (at very least), it tends to be an unnecessary exercise in futility. My shooting skills and equipment are good but not so good they warrant that kind of handloading time and expense.

In the end, I have determined that for me (and probably many others here), doing the basics well and consistently gives a very good balance between acceptable accuracy and the time/expense invested.

The best use for handloading time and money is for the cartridge components themselves. Get out and use the most of your possible available time for shooting, and keep the handloading time down to the necessary evil minimum.

Greg
 
#9
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

For me, reloading is "down-time" and relaxes me. It's been my experience that your own reloaded ammo is also usually far more accurate than factory ammo... Even "Match" ammo... and cheaper!

I have 2 presses for reloading .308. I use an RCBS Big Max for re-sizing because it feels very positive and solid and I feel like every case comes out the same. I have a cheap Lee Press that I used to use for everything but it felt inconsistent when re-sizing. I use that press for primer seating and bullet seating only. I have an L.E. Wilson trimmer that's probably as old as I am and I bought it right here on the Hide. I also have a little L.E. Wilson handheld thingy for cleaning up the edge of the case after trimming. I have a Dillon digital scale. I have less than $300 in all of it because I bought it all used.

The package deals are cool but usually one or more components is not exactly what you wanted and you end up spending more replacing them.

I did get a cheap Lee Pro 1000 for reloading 45 ACP because it's fast but sloppy and I don't need my 45 ACP Plinking rounds to be as precise as my rifle rounds... Note, I said "Plinking" rounds. I know the importance of accurately made pistol rounds too. I'm just not there yet.
 
#11
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Yeah its a lot to take in when I know nothing about it. The thing is I can't shoot as much as I'd like. So this will help ease the 1.00 round count of fgmm when I do shoot. So yeah I'd like to keep it basic for now in reloading, in terms of not going to hunt down the most perfect round. But never say never haha but I'd like to just keep my price per round down for now. Then the accuracy part of reloading will follow later.
 
#12
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

No such thing as "308 reloading!" There's only "reloading!". Just kidding, but you'll probably get hooked into enjoying more than 308. Reloading is happy time for me. I've owned more expensive equipment that didn't perform any better than what I have now. Every manufacturer makes something great, but the most important thing is the info that you will learn as you go along and how you apply it. 308 Win is very easy to load. Generally, not a super picky cartridge so don't make it too hard. Solid fundamentals are always the core foundation.
 
#14
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Reloading can help bring the cost down.

I started shooting a lot when I got into competitions for pistol and 3 gun, and so I was loading a lot. However, when my rounds per month went through the roof, you guessed it, my overall cost was higher.

Now, I would always recommend that anyone who shoots a lot gets into reloading. There is too much benefit to reloading to not get into it. You can save yourself a lot of money, and you can also control the quality of the ammo.

We've all had bad ammo come out of a box at one time or another (unless you have only ever shot FGMM). You have the ability to put more QC into your ammo when doing it.

I would get a Dillon 550 to start, because you can do precision stuff, and you can crank plinking rounds out in a hurry. I particularly like their caliber conversion setup with the tool heads and shell plates. It makes it easy to switch between calibers or loads and you don't have to reset dies all the time.
 
#15
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.


"I figured out that peak attainable accuracy is costly and time consuming, and that in my own case (at very least), it tends to be an unnecessary exercise in futility. My shooting skills and equipment are good but not so good they warrant that kind of handloading time and expense "

^^^^
Very very wise and I think I'm almost to the point of excepting thisthis
 
#16
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

It's a very hard lesson to accept. My tendency was (sometimes,. still is...) to blame everything but myself when rounds went astray.

There is a common mindset that A) anything less than the best is not good enough, B) I'm worth it, and C) How can I know if it was me or the ammo?

Answers; A) You must have a lot more money and time than me to spend on something that isn't actually shooting; B) Of course you are, but your skills aren't saying the same thing, and C) Don't BS yourself, you know...; guns don't up and commit treason all on their own.

I look at the time and money I've spent on peak-accuracy ammo and I cringe at every time I've blown the shot and thereby thrown X amount of time and money down the drain.

I figure the effort should be put into good load development based on very basic cartridge assembly regimens and the least finicky components.

I.e. I use standard, not match, primers for load development. I then try the match primers as the last step, to see if they are actually needed. Usually they aren't, or the development wasn't done right.

To me, a load should stand on its own, be so robust in its most basic attributes that it does not depend on the extra 'bits and polish' that pricey precision components provide. That way, if the basic bits work well enough, the performance can only get better with more pricey precision bits.

Like with the .22LR, the most desirable attribute is consistency. The point is to narrow down the variables to just one, the shooter. When, and only when, the shooter ceases to be a variable does hardware and ammunition improvement pay a dividend. BTW, training with anything but a .22LR until that 'shooter variable' becomes manageable is not cost effective.

Greg
 
#17
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It's a very hard lesson to accept. My tendency was (sometimes,. still is...) to blame everything but myself when rounds went astray.

There is a common mindset that A) anything less than the best is not good enough, B) I'm worth it, and C) How can I know if it was me or the ammo?

Answers; A) You must have a lot more money and time than me to spend on something that isn't actually shooting; B) Of course you are, but your skills aren't saying the same thing, and C) Don't BS yourself, you know...; guns don't up and commit treason all on their own.

I look at the time and money I've spent on peak-accuracy ammo and I cringe at every time I've blown the shot and thereby thrown X amount of time and money down the drain.

I figure the effort should be put into good load development based on very basic cartridge assembly regimens and the least finicky components.

I.e. I use standard, not match, primers for load development. I then try the match primers as the last step, to see if they are actually needed. Usually they aren't, or the development wasn't done right.

To me, a load should stand on its own, be so robust in its most basic attributes that it does not depend on the extra 'bits and polish' that pricey precision components provide. That way, if the basic bits work well enough, the performance can only get better with more pricey precision bits.

Like with the .22LR, the most desirable attribute is consistency. The point is to narrow down the variables to just one, the shooter. When, and only when, the shooter ceases to be a variable does hardware and ammunition improvement pay a dividend. BTW, training with anything but a .22LR until that 'shooter variable' becomes manageable is not cost effective.

Greg </div></div>

Greg is right on (IMNSHO).... +1

Consistency is King! Get gin' on the handloading - you won't regret it....
 
#18
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

The thing that is swaying me on reloading is that am I going to spend more time etc etc versus just buying a box of FGMM? I shot FGMM out to 1061 yards and I was hitting the steel. Im not looking for crazy accuracy just more consistent ammo ( I heard that there can be issues between ammo lots from manufactures ) and to lower my round count. I hate spending 1.00+ a round for FGMM. If I were to reload Im guessing it would be around .40 cents if that a round?
 
#19
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MrOneEyedBoh</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The thing that is swaying me on reloading is that am I going to spend more time etc etc versus just buying a box of FGMM? I shot FGMM out to 1061 yards and I was hitting the steel. Im not looking for crazy accuracy just more consistent ammo ( I heard that there can be issues between ammo lots from manufactures ) and to lower my round count. I hate spending 1.00+ a round for FGMM. If I were to reload Im guessing it would be around .40 cents if that a round?</div></div>

Maybe not so cheap as 40 cents ~ SMK's are almost that by themselves.
BTW crazy accurate is a good thing.
 
#20
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

DAmn really? So maybe then 1 buck a round isn't that bad. By the time you add in my time ( which isn't worth really anything but its time I can spend with my wife ) the powder, shells etc damn near 1 buck a round eh?
 
#21
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Yes but you don't have to use smk or similar in cost bullets! You can by cheap bulk bullets and still achieve just find accuracy and save the $$$$.

Gives insight to a possible future thread "cheapest moa or better round"
 
#22
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

"Reloading" is just a process, you have to figure out why you are doing it.

With .45 and .223, my goal is to save money. By using bulk, inexpensive components, I am able to do just that - I can load reasonable-quality ammo for about 30-40% less than similar store-bought ammo, and around the same price as the cheap steel-cased shit that I refuse to run through my guns.

With .308, my goal is ultimate precision. I'm probably not saving any money, but I can create customized cartridges that shoot best from my rifles. If I had to choose between paying $1 per round for store-bought FGMM or homemade ammo that shoots a little better, I would choose my handloads. Plus, I enjoy the process of creating them, though some people might find it tedious.

The bottom line is that you can indeed save money by reloading if you are content with middle-of-the-road quality and are not trying to create top-shelf ammo. Conversely, if you are willing to spend more, you can create that top-shelf ammo without paying much more than premium factory cartridges.
 
#24
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MrOneEyedBoh</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The thing that is swaying me on reloading is ...

Im not looking for crazy accuracy just more consistent ammo ... </div></div>


It's what I live for!
 
#25
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

Handloading isn't really going to make shooting less expensive. What it will do is open a door to the potentials for accuracy in ammo that is tailered to your specific rifle, and allow you to shoot more of that good load for the same overall cost as the FGMM.

Greg
 
#26
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It's a very hard lesson to accept. My tendency was (sometimes,. still is...) to blame everything but myself when rounds went astray.

There is a common mindset that A) anything less than the best is not good enough, B) I'm worth it, and C) How can I know if it was me or the ammo?

Answers; A) You must have a lot more money and time than me to spend on something that isn't actually shooting; B) Of course you are, but your skills aren't saying the same thing, and C) Don't BS yourself, you know...; guns don't up and commit treason all on their own.

I look at the time and money I've spent on peak-accuracy ammo and I cringe at every time I've blown the shot and thereby thrown X amount of time and money down the drain.

I figure the effort should be put into good load development based on very basic cartridge assembly regimens and the least finicky components.

I.e. I use standard, not match, primers for load development. I then try the match primers as the last step, to see if they are actually needed. Usually they aren't, or the development wasn't done right.

To me, a load should stand on its own, be so robust in its most basic attributes that it does not depend on the extra 'bits and polish' that pricey precision components provide. That way, if the basic bits work well enough, the performance can only get better with more pricey precision bits.

Like with the .22LR, the most desirable attribute is consistency. The point is to narrow down the variables to just one, the shooter. When, and only when, the shooter ceases to be a variable does hardware and ammunition improvement pay a dividend. BTW, training with anything but a .22LR until that 'shooter variable' becomes manageable is not cost effective.

Greg </div></div>
Greg,

I'm interesting in knowing what you consider the basics...

My process is something along the lines of trimming,neck sizing,primer pocket uniforming,flash hole deburr, inside and outside case neck deburr, primer, powder then seat.
 
#28
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

You can keep the price down by getting free brass at the range. You might be able to get it down to .40-.55 a round doing that. I can't tell you how much free gold medal match an hornady match brass I've gotten at the range people were just going to throw away. Just ask if someone is shooting the same caliber as you just ask them of they reload if not more than likely they will give you there brass.
 
#29
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

I am at about $0.63 per round for my .308 gasgun load. It has held just at or slighty over 0.5 MOA for me out to 805yds. For me the "right amount of attention" with my reloading keeps it fun. I do as little as possible to achieve the accuracy results I am after. The load I reference above is as follows:

LC LR brass (assumes 10x reloads)
44.4 Varget
FED 210M
175 SMK

I don't neck turn, primer pocket uniform, or debur flash holes. I FL size every reload and ID/OD chamfer the mouth after trimming. My reloading setup is as follows:

Forster CO-AX press
Forster ultra micrometer dies
Chargemaster 1500
Lyman DPS 2
Harrell's powder dispenser
Lee hand primer

I like the chargemaster a bit better than the Lyman digital dispener/scale unit, but IMHO the Harrell's is the way to go. It is such a faster way to get the powder into the case. I throw each charge into the case and then weigh each charge quickly on a digital scale. 8 out of 10 will be spot on. The other two I simply trickle to weight quickly or pull a few kernals out as needed.

For me this is still faster than either the Chargemaster or Lyman unit. The truth is that the Harrell's has never been off by more than 0.2 grains (with Varget yet, which isn't exactly renowned for its metering qualities), and with a properly developed OCW, I could probably just throw them and not even worry about the weighing - speeding the process even further.

For me, the CO-AX is the press. They are a bit more, but that's the direction I would head.
 
#30
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

uhhh...paying about 40.00 for 20 175gr FGMM's in my area. It's safe to say reloading has not only saved me money, it has saved me from mortgaging my house! Yes, you shoot a lot more, but that is because it is cheaper to do so. If I had only stuck with buying FGMM, I'd be able to shoot only 1/4 of what I do now. The start up "capital" is obviously costly, but when we delve into how much it will save in the long run (several years for many folks, depending on how much one shoots), that start up is not too bad.

OP - also look at the RCBS Supreme Deluxe kit, which is only available through Cabela's. It is 800.00, but it takes many of the time-consuming aspects of reloading (brass prep, powder measuring) and speeds them way up.
 
#32
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cacciatore</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Over reviewing all the kits out there I came to a conclusion that they would be great for someone looking to get into reloading for the cost savings not the accuracy. So, I ended up purchasing all the items separately. I am very satisfied with the results although it cost me 3x the price of buying a kit.

I here is a brief list of my essential equipment to give you an idea...

Redding Big Boss 2
Redding Competition Seater
Redding Type-S FL Bushing Die
RCBS Charge Master
Redding Competition Shell Holders
Hornady Sonic Cleaner
Hornady Tumbler
Hornady Hand Priming Tool
Lyman Case Prep Kit (Chamfer, Debur, Primer Clenaner, Primer Reamer, Flashhole Uniformer)

Whatever you do you will be happy. Reloading is a joy if you take your time and not get too wrapped up in case prep.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MrOneEyedBoh</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Okay, thanks. So the above is mainly for getting round price down? Now what would make it good for accuracy? Change a few components? Or do I need to get a whole different setup? </div></div> </div></div>

No. The list above is for accuracy. It is by no means cheap but they are all premium reloading gear.
 
#33
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

BTW, I just realized what your user name is... My mom is from Sicily and she cooks Chicken Cacciatore all the time.. love it haha

anyway,
the list that you gave me, is that a complete list, or is there more that is needed?
 
#34
Re: Thinking about getting into 308 reloading.

My process basics are, tumble brass clean, resize/decap/recap and remove lube. Drop, weigh, and adjust each charge. Seat projectile, and wipe down each cartridge.

Aside from a pocket swage (if needed) and a flash hole reaming first time up, I never mess the primer end of the case again.

I don't own a trimmer. I check case length, and keep my charges well below max. I almost never find a case that's grown too long, and when I do it's scrap. Most of the time necks get too hard or primer pockets get too loose before case length becomes an issue for me. Since I don't trim, I have no need to chamfer.

If seating causes copper shaving, I will manually flare the case mouth slightly. The seater usually lightly taper crimps the mouth back during seating. But usually, this is an indicator of excessive neck hardness, and that will be the last loading cycle for that batch of brass.

I manage neck tension by doing partial length neck sizing.

How much length gets sized is adjusted to keep neck tension at the minimum neceassary to prevent the bullet from being turned in the neck by thumb and forefinger.

It's hardly scientific, but it does have some basis in a demonstrable relationship to neck tension. When necks get too hard for this to be consistent, the cases are scrap.

Greg
 
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