I am getting ready to start reloading and looking at purchasing a RCBS Master Kit from Cabela's. Would like to get some experienced opinions on this choice. I will be reloading rifle ammo in mostly .270, 30.06, .338WM, .35 WH, and .375H&H. Any help on getting started would be appreciated.
Ralph

You will get about as many different viewpoints as there are reloaders.

I don't know what comes in the kit, but you need to get a good set of dial indicator or electronic calipers. Take care of them, your safety depends on good length measurements.

I still use the original balance beam scale I got more than 25 years ago. If it doesn't have one, make a simple dust cover for yours.

Given your cartridges, I would buy one kind of primer. Get 1000 of them, so the lot number won't change after just a few loads. If you use ball powder, get Winchester Large Rifle primers. If you use stick powder (my preference) you can use either WLR or Fed GM210M primers. You can use either of these in all of your cartridges -- even the magnums -- if you use the stick powders.

I would start by buying no more than three powders, for example one pound cans of Reloder-15, RL-19 and RL-22 should cover your whole range of bullet weights in those cases.

The IMR line of powders could also cover your bases. I suggested the Reloder line because they meter well, and most savvy 375 reloaders use RL-15 for the all important 300 grain buffalo load.

Keep your life simple whenever possible. If you like the results using these three powders, buy 8 pound jugs of them, so you don't have to spend your life and fortune retesting a new lot of powder for every pound.

Be patient, and ASK QUESTIONS. There are a lot of people willing to help here.

Welcome and good shooting.

Don

I'm sure you won't regret your decision to reload, especially since you will save a bunch of money reloading the cartridges you mentioned. I bought a kit like you mentioned from Midway (www.midwayusa.com) when I started reloading. I had the intention of buying a progressive later, but I never have. The kit gives you everything you need with a few exceptions. In my opinion, you will need to purchase the following:

Tumbler (I believe midway has a good kit), Caliper, Reloading manual for the powder you intend to use, bullet puller (you'll need this eventually), primer pocket cleaner, and spray sizing lube (much easier than the lube pad). I'm sure you know you need dies for each caliber. Also, check the listing for the caliber pilots, etc. that come with the kit. The kit I bought didn't come with a .338 trim pilot, maybe they do now. It's worth a look.

I'm sure the more advanced loaders will recommend more things, but this has gotten me by for quite a few years. Don't be afraid to ask questions, read the loading manuals, and measure, measure, measure. Good luck reloading.

As to dies: I personally like Redding, but the last RCBS dies I saw were excellent. For years I was comparing latest production Redding to 30 year old RCBS, it was unfair of me.

I would get the two die set unless you want to try some competition. Neck sizing hunting loads with the full-length sizer die makes a lot of sense.

You will probably not need to crimp with those cartridges, unless your rifles are ultralight. I use Lee Factory Crimp dies when I need to crimp. (Only my 416 gets this treatment.)

I still trim cases with my 25 year old Forster trimmer, I'm sure it's not the best, but I have found it sufficient.

You will not save money unless you shoot a lot, but it is a good hobby, and lets you get what you want in a cartridge.

I learn something almost every day on this site.

Don

The NRA has a good basic manual on reloading with a lot of information in it that is useful across the board, cost about $11.00, on sale at MidwayUSA.com. I wish it was around when I started. It is my favorite gift to a beginner reloader.

You can spend a lot of money on reloading manuals which will gradually grow out of date. As a partial alternative, you can get a lot of load data and powder data from the internet and from this site.

You ought to try and learn about all the different powders and why you should care as a long term priority. My immediate goal would be to get one good load for each rifle and stick with it unless you just want to play around. Personally I do not have the time to keep adjusting my scopes for different loads.

Try to make a list of the various manufacturers and catalog sales vendors --- some with on line catalogs. Order or download their catalogs and study them. You can save a lot on components by shopping around and you will learn all the tools available to help. For advanced items I would check out Sinclair International but you may become confused there too.

It is not that hard to get started and get acceptable results, producing safe and accurate ammo. But there are a lot of little things to learn about and pay attention to if you want to be perfidious or just to become an advanced reloader. Most people do not save any money to put in the bank by reloading. They just shoot more and have better ammo.

My assessment is the folks who use this site are a very level headed and conscientious group who possess a great deal of useful knowledge and are happy to share it. If you have any quesitons just ask. This is one of the few places you will get unbiased opinions from the field. Obviously from some real pros.

Welcome.

Ralph -
1. Get a stuck case removal kit. You'll need it eventually, and it's nice to have one around BEFORE you need it.
2. If you can afford it, a second scale is nice to have. You can use it as a double check on your primary one, as well as to prevent a possible mistake in weighing charges.
3. Don G. is right. Don't go crazy trying every different powder/bullet/primer/brass combo there is, at least at first. There is a lot of overlap in characteristics between the manufacturers of powder, for instance. It will make your life much simpler.
As you gain experience (a LOT of which can be gathered by asking questions on this forum), you can start trying different things.
4. This really isn't a component thing, but, try to be sure ANY/ALL distractions are minimized during the reloading process. Get off in a room with the door closed, or a corner where nobody will bother you. I'm sure someone other than me has been joking around with his buddies instead of paying attention to what he was doing, and forgot to put powder in one case. That was a real shock when I squeezed the trigger (fortunately it only involved a target and not a brown bear), but, lessons learned like that tend to stick with you.
Good luck,
R-WEST

Thanks to all for the info. I have been reading the forum and am starting a notebook. If I would have found this site a long time ago I would already be reloading.
Ralph

The biggest problem I had when I started reloading was bullet runout. To make a long story short when I got a handle on runout/concentricity my groups shrank quickly. The gage I bought to measure runout is an RCBS Casemaster, available from Sinclair International for about $70.

Good Luck
ZM

All the suggestions so far are good but before you buy any reloading equipment I would get a few reloading manuals (at least 3) and read them, at least a couple of times. I would recommend: Hornady's latest, Sierra's latest, Speer's latest for a start and then get a copy of precision reloading guide form Sinclair Int.
Heck, Call Sinclair and get all the manuals form them along with there Precision Reloading book.
or order it all online:
http://www.sinclairintl.com/

Welcome aboard.

Jeff in ND

One other thing--enjoy yourself.

I can still remember the excitement I felt when I first finished a loaded round. I had constructed a small table from 4x4's and had loaded some light loads for .44 Mag.

When I seated the bullet on that shiny case, I took it from the press (an RCBS Partner) and literally ran from the room to show my wife. Fortunately, she was just as interested as I was in the process. Nowadays, even though she doesn't shoot as much as I do, she will still talk about reloading with me on occasion.

Have fun! The first time you fire a round you loaded yourself, you'll experience a boost in self confidence that is hard to beat.

Follow all of the safety precautions, keep your head, and don't take shortcuts.

Finally, the graduating exercise for a reloader (I think) is when you start passing your knowledge on to others.

Be safe, welcome to my favorite pastime, and enjoy! See you on the firing line.

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Happiness is a 200 yard bughole.

Ralph,

Don't do it. This is a horribly addictive thing.

Just kidding. You should be able to achieve accuracy and consistency that the users of factory ammunition only dream about. And you WILL save money.

Be painstakingly careful, read the manuals over, and you can have a whole lot of fun.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that you will start to think that just one more change will result in the perfect load. that rarely, if ever, ends.
Good shooting,

Patrick

Ralph, There is a reloading manual in the kit you are looking to buy that will be a big help. You can reload a long time before you need to get a lot of other things to improve your reloads. You will be able to improve your accuracy with what is in the kit. If you want to do more then there are a few good books to buy - Two of which you could start out with is Precision shooting - reloading guide and The Ultimate in Rifle Accuracy - Both will answer a lot of questions. Good Luck.

I am going to build my reloading table this weekend and my press hasn't arrived yet. My question is how much overhang do I need to mount the press and any other accessories.
Ralph

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Ya gotta realize that the reloaders in here are a bunch of zealots, addicts, and nutz. (Nice guys though . . . )

Start out simple. Basic loads, one bullet weight, one powder for a load. You want to start out by getting the components together so they fit in your gun and go "bang" when you pull the trigger.

Then . . . then you can start working with comparitors, weighing cases, weighing bullets, using OAL guages for your leade . . . Basically it's the difference between driving to the corner grocery for a quart of milk and racing at LeMans. Start with the basics. Keep it simple.

Your caliper and scale are precision instruments. (All reloading stuff is precision.) Your scale and caliper are what give you your data. Buy quality. Treat them like the delicate precision instruments they are. Dust cover on the scale. Caliper is ALWAYS returned to its case.

We have meds for this reloading jones . . . but I've never met anyone who would take them on a regular basis . . .

Keep notes (I just write in a spiral . . . a lot.)

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PowderBurns Black Powder / Muzzle Loading Forum:

www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=powderburns

Ralph, I cannot recall any press that needs an Overhang on the bench. I may be mistaken but I believe a flush top is all thats required....Ray

If you want through bolts holding your press, leave a five inch overhang. This has worked for all my vises, etc.

If you wind up over a support beam, just use a lag bolt.

Good luck,
Don

When you build your bench.

Bolt and screw it together. Do not use nails. They will work loose. It will have a lot of repeated stress.

Look at using a solid core door for the top. Find a factory second or one with cosmetic damage if you can to get a good buy. They make super bench tops.