Brand new to reloading (scary thought), just bought a RCBS RC II. I almost have too many questions for one discussion: I need your many years of expertise to help a brand new reloader. What equipment other than a good scale do I need, can you recommend what make & type of dies do I need ( will only be loading .270win,30.30,30.06spr,300wsm), any other equipment I will be needing. Let me say beforehand how much I appreciate all the help you can give me. Honestly I have no idea what I'm doing.

The next thing to buy is a manual. The speer one has a particularly good section on the reloading process. Read it a time or two.
I'd start out with RCBS dies. You'll need a #3 shellholder for the 270 and 30-06 and a #43 (I think) for the WSM I forget the number for the 30-30 but it will be on the die box.
You probably should try H-48831 powder because they will work in all but the 30-30.
I like the RCBS hand priming tools, get the one with the universal shellholder -it's more convenient.
I like digital scales as they are more convenient but the balance beam types are a little less expensive and work fine.

If I were you I'd start with just one of the calibers and load for just it first. Try starting at 56 or so grains of H-4831 with 130 gr bullets in your 270. Load up 3 rounds each of 56.0, 56.5 etc. up to 60grs. See which seems to shoot best. Then load more of the one your rifle seems to like best.

You'll streamline things from there but H-4831 almost always shoot well with 130gr bullets in a 270.

Oh and don't forget to lube your cases before resizing.
You probably should just full length resize on your first cases. Put the ram with the shellholder to the top and screw in your dies until it touches it firmly. Later on you will learn a couple other tricks.

There's a few random thoughts, the most important one is to read thoroughly at least 1 reloading manuals instruction section. 2 or 3 is even better. Having a Speer, Nosler and Hornady (and other) manuals on hand to double check loads with is one of the best investments you'll make in reloading...........................DJ

Check out the National Reloading Manufacturers association site, great "How to" section, videos, safety, etc.

http://www.reload-nrma.com/

One item I like to recommend to any handloader is a stuck case remover. I've been hanloading for a long time and still get a case stuck now and then (like the day before yesterday). And quite often I get the call from one of my buddies, "Hey man, can I borrow your stuck case remover?"

Welcome to the fun!!!!...Get a good manual and read the basics.....I also would start with RCBS dies and later you can get speciality dies if you need/want them....the RCBS hand primer with the tray....haven't used the strip model.....a name brand-non-China balance beam scale and some Lee powder dippers-kit..loading blocks and generic deburr/champer tool...Imperial sizing wax for case lube.....load detail labels are nice but masking tape and pen will work....web has many sites for load data from powder or bullet companies to supp the bench manual.....log book....record your load details....later a bullet comparator will help for accuracy tunning and 6in dial/digital quality caliper for use with the comparator.....use bore cleaner to clean the dies and use good med oil-CLP,RemOil ect on press ram and linkage.....not too much and cover press with towell or similar as well as light cover for the scales if they don't come with one.....good luck and good shooting-loading!!

Tazfla,

Welcome. I too just started rifle reloading. I also had more questions than answers. Everyone has their ideas and everyone is so enthusiastic. I've not met one person on this forum who wouldn't bend over backwards to help you. The one thing I was told, above all else that still sticks in my mind, beyond all the "my personal opinion is this, or try that, ream this, neck size that, this bullet here, that powder there"...beyond all of that was to get a good manual, or two or three (I'm anal, I have like 6 now...LOL!) and go to the basics. Its the basics!

A good analogy: you can have the Shilen barrel, the Jewell trigger, this scope or sight...but the bottom line IS: sight alignment, sight picture, breath, relax, aim, and squeeze! I would bet that any National or Internationally ranked 1000 meter shooter could take an off the shelf rifle and ding all day long vice someone who is new to shooting with a $5000-$10000 rifle! Why? Basics!

Before you start doing anything, get the manual. Read it and re-read it. Every single componenet manufacturer from brass, powder, and bullets has a website. Most have a basic reloading section on their website.

And if you get in a bind...there are three places that have helped me overwhelmingly AND it truly didn't make a difference what manufacturer 's component I was using: Accurate Reloading forums, RCBS techs and Sierra Bullet techs! Not to say that the others coz they will. I just found these right off and have stuck with them.

I think Hornady has a good manual for new reloaders.

Don

I knew I'd get all the help I needed from the best of the best. Thank all of you for your help, as always it's been outstanding.
On a sad note: I've had the pleasure of hunting for many years with my best friend & maker of some of the most accurate handloads available to man. My friend just passed away & now I need to try & learn the art of relaoding he shared with me. Hopefully some day I'll take the load data he used for my loads & be able to try to replicate them. Till then I'll practice, practice, practice.
On the off chance you are out in the woods & the day is just right, raise a glass & remember those friends & family that can't be with us anymore.
Here's one to my friend & ARMY brother......Hoooorah!!!!!!!!!

Hey Taz

Sorry for your loss and here's one for your lost buddy.

I lost a good friend not too long ago. Made a decision to change my will to leave some of my special guns to friends, like I wish I had one of his old guns to take hunting and remembering. Good chance for all of us to make plans to show someone how to reload.

Do you know what equipment and load your friend used?

If all you have is the press then it might be useful to see what RCBS lists in their starter kit.

For dies I would recommend you get a combination Lee Collet Neck Sizer for $17.00, a Redding Body Die for $22.00 and an RCBS Competition Seater. That way for $100.00 you will have what you need to load concentric loads. If you get anything else you will wind up replacing it later.

quote:

Originally posted by Tazfla:
I knew I'd get all the help I needed from the best of the best. Thank all of you for your help, as always it's been outstanding.
On a sad note: I've had the pleasure of hunting for many years with my best friend & maker of some of the most accurate handloads available to man. My friend just passed away & now I need to try & learn the art of relaoding he shared with me. Hopefully some day I'll take the load data he used for my loads & be able to try to replicate them. Till then I'll practice, practice, practice.
On the off chance you are out in the woods & the day is just right, raise a glass & remember those friends & family that can't be with us anymore.
Here's one to my friend & ARMY brother......Hoooorah!!!!!!!!!

I know what you mean and regret your loss. My hunting buddy has parkinsons now and it is dis heartening to see him go downhill.

Before you take any advice fro anyone, including me, get the latest edition of the Lyman reload manual and a highligter pen to mark those juicy bits of knowledge. The first section of the Lyman book is a virtual Ph.D education in reloading. Study that book. Once your have the basics down, then you can start thinking about the equipment you want to purchase. Since I told you not to accept any advice from anyone, including me, I won't give you any.

Some good advice here,

Notice the repeated advice about manuals. You simply CANNOT have too many reloading manuals... I think I have 8 or 10 different ones on my bench. I would recommend you start with at least 2 of the large hardbound type, we aren't talking about the free pamphlet types you can get from various powder manufacturers, those are OK, but they don't have the "how to" sections with the great illustrations to REALLY help you understand the process.

The other thing I would STRONGLY encourage you to do is to get a notebook, like a 3-ring binder type, and take good, carefull notes of each load you try, for each caliber you are loading for. Every "load" gets it's own page in the book, and seperate your book into "chapters" for each caliber. It gets impossible to remember your load for a given bullet without a good load notebook.

I load for 25-30 calibers, and there is NO WAY I could keep track without my notebook. Don't rely on memory!