Yet another 'beginner reloading setup' question: this list sufficient?

[SpookyPistolero]

I'm trying to get setup for reloading for my .308. Not a unique situation. But I think reloading is daunting enough, and then you sprinkle the word 'precision' on it and your head explodes! It's a lot to figure out from scratch, especially without the tools in front of you to give you some baseline. So my shameless disclaimer out of the way, do these items look sufficient to begin with? (I'm also picking up a timney trigger, konus spotting scope, and shooting mat, so I'm trying to keep it all at a sane dollar figure!)

- RCBS Rockchucker supreme master single stage kit (Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage press
505 scale
Uniflow Powder Measure
Speer Reloading Manual
Hand priming tool with small and large primer plugs
Folding Hex Key Set with 0.050", 1/16", 5/64", 3/32", 7/64", 1/8", 9/64" and 5/32" keys
Universal Case Loading Block, which holds 40 cases in most rifle and pistol calibers
Case Lube Kit, which includes a 2 oz bottle of Case Lube-2, a case lube pad, 2 case neck brushes for .22 through .30 calibers and an accessory handle
Powder Funnel for .22 to .45 caliber, including the Winchester Short Magnum calibers
Chamfer and deburring tool for .17 through .60 caliber)

- Tumbler / media
- Redding 308 shellholder
- Redding 3-piece die set
Redding Deluxe 3-Die Set 307 308 Winchester
- RCBS Powder trickler
- Lee case length gauge
- Hornady Dial Caliper
- Powder, bullets, primers, brass (don't know which of these to order yet)

I saw a kit at midway which sort of arbitrarily blows up my cart $ total, and I'm not sure I need these yet? It includes a case trimmer which isn't included in the above list.
Hornady Lock-N-Load Precision Reloaders Accessory Kit

I also don't have any primer pocket tools? How necessary is this?

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I know that the Master kits from Hornady and RCBS are nice for noobs. They're somewhat self-contained and work well.

If it were me and it's not, I'd start off with the Lee Classic Cast O-Frame press. Made in America, by Americans on American made CNC machines using American made railroad rails.

I don't know if Lee offers a kit, but that's the way I'd go. If I bought the press solo, I'd then start piece mealing a kit together from Ebay and any of the used sites here and over on ARFcom.

You'll end up saving if you choose wisely.

Most of the stuff you have there is decent stuff, but you can change up some little things.

Don't get a drop in case gauge. Buy the Hornady head space gauge set for $40.

This will do most all cartridges and will allow you to precisely set up your sizing die to mimic your chamber(s).

Now, I'm a guy with roughly 20 drop in gauges and they're fun to play with, but they don't really tell you a lot. They're better for checking pistol rounds.

Another issue would be that Hornady dial caliper. What are you paying for it? You can find the Chinese stuff for $15 bucks and if you look on Ebay, you might be able to buy a great one for not a lot of cash, like a Starrett, or Mitutoyo.

I use the RCBS' powder trickler (no biggie here) and their Case Lube II/pad. It's water soluble, so you don't have to tumble it off if you're doing small batches, just use a damp shop rag.

Otherwise, you seem to be good.

Chris

 

[rw496]

Depending on if you plan on playing with seating depths in the future you might want to get the die set with the micrometer seating die right off the bat..those things are great and the Redding is dead on. The Sinclair primer pocket uniformer is nice to chuck into a drill. It seems like there is always something you want to get. Have an idea where you're headed with this and get what you want now instead of trying to sell and buy different later

 

[Kosmos]

Spooky - I am about at the same stage/place as you are - only thing I really lack are dies and I have a question for Chris
Everybody says the redding dies are bad ass and I am going for MAX precision here, I also understand redding dies are expensive -but you get
what you pay for - with that said can you specifically suggest the die or die set for .308, (I am sold on full length resize and micrometer)
seems every time I look at the redding site I get lost in all the options. TIA.

 

[mtang45]

Spooky - I am about at the same stage/place as you are - only thing I really lack are dies and I have a question for Chris
Everybody says the redding dies are bad ass and I am going for MAX precision here, I also understand redding dies are expensive -but you get
what you pay for - with that said can you specifically suggest the die or die set for .308, (I am sold on full length resize and micrometer)
seems every time I look at the redding site I get lost in all the options. TIA.

Redding #58155 is top of the line if you plan on eventually needing that capability; requires neck bushings as well so it likely would be well over $300 total. Also consider the Forster Ultra Micrometer die set, great quality, but doesn't allow the flexibility of neck bushings at half the price.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Spooky - I am about at the same stage/place as you are - only thing I really lack are dies and I have a question for Chris
Everybody says the redding dies are bad ass and I am going for MAX precision here, I also understand redding dies are expensive -but you get
what you pay for - with that said can you specifically suggest the die or die set for .308, (I am sold on full length resize and micrometer)
seems every time I look at the redding site I get lost in all the options. TIA.

I've got a lot of brands of dies. I've been happy with Hornady in-line New Dimension seating dies with their micro seating stem, but that being said, I've got mostly Redding bushing dies, either neck bushing dies, or their FL bushing dies. I also use a lot of their body dies for the times that I need to bump the shoulders back.

Other brands I use are the Forster micro seater for seating my 338LM bullets, along with the Redding bushing dies (w/body die) for sizing duties on the 338LM.

I'm a bushing guy, so most of my stuff (223, 22-250, 308, 7RM and 338LM) is either FL bushing dies, or bushing neck sizing dies, along with the Hornady seaters with micro seating stem (223, 22-250, 308.)

To answer your question and not knowing your budget, I'd get the Redding 308 bushing neck sizing die, a couple/few bushings, their body die and I'd buy their competition micro seating die.

You'd be set for life with that combo.

Chris

 

[Kosmos]

Okay - this is helping me - so the Redding #58155 is a 3 die set looking at the Midway page (figures on back order) So I understand - using this kit would be 2 step process to size the case correct ? full length size then bushing neck size or
is the proper order reverse of that? (after that I guess I'll be trimming the cases) I will be using a T7 press (it is sitting here in the box quivering to put on a bench and played with) so the 2 step sizing won't be a big deal. Now if I compare that with say the "S" which is a full sizer die and bushing - is the consensus the 2 steps from 3 die set will yield better performance ?
(if I am going to do this I am going for max performance and precision) I don't mind saving another month or 2 to get the right setup - really trying to avoid
repurchase later etc. I can see those bushings adding up FAST....

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I've never felt the need to buy a Micro Sizing die. You're either going to run the bushing down to the bottom of the neck, or you're not. Having 1/1000ths movement is't a big issue for me, but that's just me.

Get a standard FL, or neck bushing, die and buy the Competition seater with body die and call it a day.

Chris

 

[snuffy671]

Relatively new reloader myself. Been loading .308, .223, 9mm & .45ACP. My suggestion is concerning lube. For rifle, get the Imperial Sizing Wax and skip the spray on junk. Worst thing that can happen is to get all these new toys for loading and then you do something stupid and stick a case up in your die. Totally shuts down all your reloading activities. At least that's what happened to me. Then, once I spent two days freeing the case from the die; I went overboard with the lube. Which then caused me to start dimpling and ruining my cases. I tried Hornady One Shot and Dillon lube. I then started using the Imperial Sizing Die and haven't had a problem since.


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[Kosmos]

Noted!! Thank you - have a can of it sitting in a box next to the T-7 along with powder, bullets, primers, Hornady decapping-die, case blocks, saturn powder funnels..... All I need is dies, power measure/trickler/scale and some knowledge... (getting a little fatigued reading - want to start reloading...)

Relatively new reloader myself. Been loading .308, .223, 9mm & .45ACP. My suggestion is concerning lube. For rifle, get the Imperial Sizing Wax and skip the spray on junk. Worst thing that can happen is to get all these new toys for loading and then you do something stupid and stick a case up in your die. Totally shuts down all your reloading activities. At least that's what happened to me. Then, once I spent two days freeing the case from the die; I went overboard with the lube. Which then caused me to start dimpling and ruining my cases. I tried Hornady One Shot and Dillon lube. I then started using the Imperial Sizing Die and haven't had a problem since.


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[dabibbee]

Good point snuffy671! Every issue I have seen with a stuck case in a die has come from spray on lubricant. If done correctly it works fine but I have gotten sloppy in the past and did not do a good enough job spraying the cases and it gets stuck. I changed to a pad and RCBS water based lubricant and have never experienced another stuck case. A damp rag is all you need to wipe off the lubricant as Chris earlier indicated.

 

[Chanonry]

An alternative view...!

This list is OTT (!)/ What you need are:

Lee press

Lee press priming tool - I have wasted too much money on crappy hand priming tools that promise much, cost plenty and are a crock of ^&*(. The press tool works fine and gives plenty 'feel'.

Lee case length tool

Lee chamfering tool

Any old 308 shell holder

Micrometer

OAL gauge

Better quality scales so Dillon, RCBS or whatever.

Don't need a thrower, buy a set of scoops and a trickler.

I would buy Redding dies from the go if you want to maximise precision. Body die, Neck die, Seating die. I also have RCBS and Forster dies of this sort and they work well too. Avoid anything with an expander mandrel like the plague. It is the dies that make them straight and you want them straight. So spend the money here and save it elsewhere.

You will need an portable electric drill to speed up trimming and chamfering but you probably have one anyway.

Forget the tumbler buy a load of fine grade steel wool and run it up the case when it is in the drill.

Buy a concentricity gauge. Get some QA/QC into your processes or you will never know if you are producing crap or not. Use it after every stage to start with to check you are producing low run outs. Work at each stage until you can consistently achieve this. Once the whole process is repeatable you can just to the odd check to ensure nothing has changed.

Just buying expensive kit and assuming that you will produce excellent ammunition is NOT how this works. There is an element of art as well as science.

A chunk of this is about confidence which is one reason people pay more. If that's you fine, don't sweat it.

Lots of guys make low runout ammunition with the Lee Collet dies. Very low cost may be worth a try for $30 or whatever. I tried it but could not do it consistently. Thinking about it that may have been for other reasons. Damn.

You want to spend money on kit that makes things straight and the same 'length' every time.

 

[damoncali]

Skip the lee case gage and get a hornady comparator set for cases and bullets. These are required to set up your sizing die properly and to get a consistent seating depth.

You only need two dies - a full length sizer and a seater. I like the Redding full length bushing sizers and the competition seaters, but they're a little pricey. Bushings will add to your learning curve, but if you bite the bullet now, you won't be buying another sizer later. Skip any neck sizing die - there is no need for one. If you don't heed this advice, you will eventually wind up with a case stuck in your chamber, or worse yet, a live round with the bolt part way open.

You don't need a primer pocket tool of any kind.

You will need a case trimmer sooner rather than later, but you can get a few loadings under your belt before the brass gets long enough to trim.

I assume the kit comes with a scale? I'm partial to digital scales (and the Chargemaster), but some people prefer a balance beam.

I like the Lyman manual for instructions. People seem to like the ABC's of reloading (I haven't read it, but feedback is universally good).

Don't forget ammo boxes.

More opinions here: Beginner's Guide to Reloading Equipment

 

[Maelstrom]

I started with the same RCBS kit and built on it over time. As suggested earlier get the imperial die wax, also get a stuck case remover Redding Stuck Case Remover. I recommend getting a set of decapping dies Redding Universal Depriming Decapping Die Kit that way you can deprime prior to cleaning. This can help prevent damage to your sizing dies if your cases are not cleaned prior to sizing. What type of tumbler and media are you planning on getting? Rotary tumbler with stainless steel media or vibratory tumbler with dry media? Also get the reloading manual for the brand of bullets and poweder you plan on using. I was recommended to get a carbide size button Redding Carbide Size Button Kit 30 Cal when I started reloading. YMMV.