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 New to reloading - .308 
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I'm thinking it's time to bite the bullet and buy reloading equipment so I can reload for my .308.

My main question, is what is the opinion of the "Kits" that come with a basic press, powder dispenser, and scale? Is the kit worth it, or should I go straight to separate items?

Also, what is the best place locally to buy Powder and Primers? I'd rather not deal with hazmat fees.

My shopping list so far:
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Sun May 20, 2018 7:16 am
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I'd sooner buy an rcbs set, I think their hand primer and powder thrower is nicer than the Hornady. Sell the rcbs press that comes with the set and buy a Lee classic turret press. Then a set of Lee deluxe dies that includes the factory crimp die. Calipers, tumbler/ media separator, and powder trickler and you're loading 308.

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Sun May 20, 2018 7:25 am
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I bought all my stuff separately as I saw things on sale. Also bought used stuff at gun shows and on other forums. I should add it all up and see if it was cheaper. Almost all of it is RCBS, they had a bunch of rebates when I bought the press. I'm using mostly Lee dies for rifle and RCBS for pistol.

The Lee universal deprimer is a little bit cheaper than the RCBS and works fine.

I'd look into wet tumbling in stead of the vibratory tumbler. The cases come out cleaner and there's no dust. I built mine out of a treadmill I got free off craigslist. 5 lbs. of pins are about $35.

I buy Unis Ginex primers from Dougja, he's in University Place not far from me. Bullets come from a variety of places but Berry's plated bullets seem to be a good value. I have used their 300 blackout and 9mm. Powder I usually get at Cabela's. They are almost always full retail but I have a Cabela's visa card and use points and/or buy gift cards when they go on sale on fleabay ($80 for $100 so it's 20% off).

You'll need a case trimmer too. It doesn't look like one comes with that set.

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Sun May 20, 2018 8:30 am
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sinus211 wrote:
I'd sooner buy an rcbs set, I think their hand primer and powder thrower is nicer than the Hornady. Sell the rcbs press that comes with the set and buy a Lee classic turret press. Then a set of Lee deluxe dies that includes the factory crimp die. Calipers, tumbler/ media separator, and powder trickler and you're loading 308.

This is what I would do.


Sun May 20, 2018 8:38 am
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Arisaka wrote:
sinus211 wrote:
I'd sooner buy an rcbs set, I think their hand primer and powder thrower is nicer than the Hornady. Sell the rcbs press that comes with the set and buy a Lee classic turret press. Then a set of Lee deluxe dies that includes the factory crimp die. Calipers, tumbler/ media separator, and powder trickler and you're loading 308.

This is what I would do.

If I'd just sell the press, is there any reason to buy the kit?

Is a dispenser/scale like this worth the extra money?

EdIT: That picture was too big.


Last edited by snozzberries on Sun May 20, 2018 3:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Sun May 20, 2018 10:54 am
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Yes, the kit gets you quite a few accessories you need at discounted prices. I bought the RCBS rock chucker kit to start me off. Sold the rock chucker press for $100 and bought a Lee Turret press with the $100. Being able to rotate through dies instead of having to change the die for every step is a big time saver. Strongly recommend a turret press.

Auto powder tricklers are great but expensive. You might want to see if you even enjoy reloading before dropping that kind of money on a powder dispenser. The RCBS powder thrower and a $20 hand trickler will do just fine to start. I still load precision rifle ammo on a beam scale with my RCBS powder thrower a hand trickler.

I'm old school in that I trust beam scales more than digi scales. If you're using a digi scale make sure to keep test weights on hand to make sure it stays accurate. Minus or plus a tenth to fifth grain can ruin the consistency of a load.

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Sun May 20, 2018 11:08 am
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Turrets are nice but another option is to get the hornady lock and load adapter Bushing kit for the rockchucker. It makes changing dies a breeze. And if you are totally new at reloading you really don’t need fancy dies for precision bullet seating.

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Sun May 20, 2018 11:22 am
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mcyclonegt wrote:
Turrets are nice but another option is to get the hornady lock and load adapter Bushing kit for the rockchucker. It makes changing dies a breeze. And if you are totally new at reloading you really don’t need fancy dies for precision bullet seating.

The RCBS kit is $294 vs $231 for the Hornady, which already includes the lock n' load. Plus it comes with a 500 .45 ACP bullet coupon. I figure I'll eventually reload .45 as well. That's $120 in bullets. Means the Hornady kit is only $111.

Is the RCBS worth that much more money? I figure I can always buy the Lee Turret press later as an upgrade.


Sun May 20, 2018 11:49 am
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Check with Mark @ marcusp323.

He often has used reloading equipment.
And a good man to deal with.

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Sun May 20, 2018 12:15 pm
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Snozz, is your reloading going to be strictly for .308 or similar rifle calibers, in relatively low volumes? Or do you have something in the back of your mind telling you that you might be loading larger quantities of .223 or handgun calibers in the future?

On a separate note, I agree with a couple of the comments above. I'd ditch the fancy seating die and whatever that giant case holder is. Go with a standard set of dies, which includes a full-length sizing die. Keep the neck-sizing die if that interests you.

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Sun May 20, 2018 12:21 pm
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MadPick wrote:
Snozz, is your reloading going to be strictly for .308 or similar rifle calibers, in relatively low volumes? Or do you have something in the back of your mind telling you that you might be loading larger quantities of .223 or handgun calibers in the future?

On a separate note, I agree with a couple of the comments above. I'd ditch the fancy seating die and whatever that giant case holder is. Go with a standard set of dies, which includes a full-length sizing die. Keep the neck-sizing die if that interests you.

I'm out of .308 ammo and don't want to buy more, I figure it's time to reload it for cost/accuracy. I have enough brass. 800 rounds probably.

I figure I'll reload .45 eventually, as I've bought a couple cases of it and have been saving the brass. It's my only pistol I enjoy shooting. (Besides the .22 which I can't reload)

I have tons of .223 brass, but for high-output I'd want a progressive press. (That's my understanding) I'm not buying this setup with reloading .223 in mind.

My .308 is bolt-action, so it's my understanding I don't want to do full-length resizing, only neck-resizing. What is the "giant case holder" you speak of?


Sun May 20, 2018 12:48 pm
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snozzberries wrote:
mcyclonegt wrote:
Turrets are nice but another option is to get the hornady lock and load adapter Bushing kit for the rockchucker. It makes changing dies a breeze. And if you are totally new at reloading you really don’t need fancy dies for precision bullet seating.

The RCBS kit is $294 vs $231 for the Hornady, which already includes the lock n' load. Plus it comes with a 500 .45 ACP bullet coupon. I figure I'll eventually reload .45 as well. That's $120 in bullets. Means the Hornady kit is only $111.

Is the RCBS worth that much more money? I figure I can always buy the Lee Turret press later as an upgrade.


I have zero experience with Hornady stuff except a LNL single stage press like the one in the picture. I recently sold it. I also have a Rockchucker from 1975 and it just feels more solid and has obviously stood the test of time. RCBS also does rebates, not sure what this year is, I think it is just money. Hornady dies are also decent. You can always add to a set as time goes on. A depriming die is only needed if you like to wet tumble with primers out, otherwise you deprime when you size. I use an older RCBS hand primer on everything that does not go through my progressive. The RCBS Uniflow powder thrower is real nice. Honestly, that would be my main focus, everything else aside, being able to throw consistent charges is vital. I would do some research on the Hornady powder thrower and make sure it is solid. I imagine you will be happy with either setup in the end. These of course are just my experiences. There are guys that will spend 1000 bucks on reloading gear for an AK47. A lot depends on budget. As mentioned, Marcusp323 is the man when it comes to used reloading gear.

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Sun May 20, 2018 1:03 pm
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snozzberries wrote:
What is the "giant case holder" you speak of?


I was talking about the extended shellholder. I read up on it, I guess it's what you need if you buy the fancy seating die.

snozzberries wrote:
I'm out of .308 ammo and don't want to buy more, I figure it's time to reload it for cost/accuracy. I have enough brass. 800 rounds probably.

I figure I'll reload .45 eventually, as I've bought a couple cases of it and have been saving the brass. It's my only pistol I enjoy shooting. (Besides the .22 which I can't reload)

I have tons of .223 brass, but for high-output I'd want a progressive press. (That's my understanding) I'm not buying this setup with reloading .223 in mind.

My .308 is bolt-action, so it's my understanding I don't want to do full-length resizing, only neck-resizing. What is the "giant case holder" you speak of?


Well, my input is that you should buy this with reloading both .223 and .45 in mind. I'm in the "go big or go home" camp when it comes to reloading; buy the good gear, even if it costs more, because your time and your body (e.g., avoiding repetitive motion injuries) is worth something. Plus, if you do it the hard way, you won't enjoy it.

So yes, I'd buy a progressive press. You'll still be able to make excellent ammo with a progressive.

Neck-sizing: Even if you choose to do this (I don't, even for my bolt-action rifles), you still need to full-length size your brass initially, and then occasionally. So yes, you'll need a full-length sizing die.

I have a Hornady LNL progressive and a Lee turret press. I use the turret press for oddball calibers for which I can't get a Hornady shellplate (and I'm talking REALLY oddball calibers here), but when I have a choice I always use the LNL. It's just THAT much faster and easier, it really is.

The Lee turret is a nice simple press, I'm not knocking it at all, it's just not a progressive. :bigsmile: There is still a little bit of wobble in the turret press, since the turret head tips slightly when you engage the die. If you really get to the point where you're an international competitor and need your ammo down to the one-millionth of an inch, I think a true single stage is what you'll want.

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Sun May 20, 2018 1:13 pm
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I think for what you’re doing a single stage is the way to go. Down the road if you get a progressive you’ll still want a single stage for decapping and loading for precision.

If your .308 brass was military you’ll need a swagger or cutter to remove the primer crimp. I prefer the RCBS swagger that works in the press. They get mixed reviews but I’ve never had a problem with it.

http://rcbs.com/Products/Case-Preparation/Accessories/Primer-Pocket-Swager-Combo-2.aspx


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Sun May 20, 2018 1:53 pm
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No matter which path you go, I'll say that the Hornady bushings are pretty damn awesome.

Adjusting dies is a pain in the ass; why you'd want to do it every time you swap a die is beyond me. :bigsmile:

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Sun May 20, 2018 2:34 pm
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