hello.
this is my first posting please be gentle!
im going to start reloading .243

im thinking of getting a lee kit.
what i would like to know is there everything in that kit
i need to start reloading?

how many dies do you need?

thanks in advance guys
steve

Welcome to AR!



You may want to read the info at the following links first. I also recommend getting the new Lyman manual. It has an excellent "how to" section.I would also add a hand primer like the RCBS or Hornady.



RCBS Reloading Guide Link

Sierra's Reloading Guide Link



Bob

My shpeal:
I got an RCBS Rockchucker kit and an RCBS Video, because I was overwhelmed with how to get started reloading.

If I were to advise someone on how to do it that was a friend, I would show him how, and then loan him enough stuff to do it at his home.

Telling someone how to do it on the internet, I would start out with the tasks that have to be done, and list the cheap tools to get, so the the guy can maintain a mental map of the goals:

38 Special [same die set and shell holder as 357 mag] is very easy and cheap to load, most people have one, and the guns have mountains of safety margin. They are a good place to start.

1) Get the old primer out of the case, called depriming or decapping.
2) Make the case small enough in inside diameter to grip a bullet and small enough on the outside to fit in the chamber. This is called resizing.
Both steps 1) & 2) are usually accomplished in one step as the resizing die has a decapping pin. This will require:
a) Shell holder ~$3 Lee #1 shell holder or ~$5 RCBS #6 shell holder.
The same size shell holder can be used later for 357 mag, 256 Win mag, etc.
b) A resizing die. This die will probably be bought in a kit with one, two, or three other dies. In straight wall cartridges, carbide resizing dies are available at an extra cost. It is always worth the extra to get carbide. Adjust the die [how far to screw it into the press] per the instructions that come with the die set.
Lee 3 die set for 38 special; $21 steel, $23 carbide
RCBS 3 die set for 38 special: $36
c) A press. Lee Reloader press $20 is a real cheapee, but will always find a use. RCBS Rockchucker $90 is a workhorse of the highest quality.
3) Clean the case. This step can be done with a couple twists of the wrist with steel wool, or expensive vibrators. Later when you get more tools, you will clean the primer pocket, but it is not needed.
4) Re prime the case.
a) One can buy a priming tool and do it in 2 seconds or fumble with the primer built into RCBS presses and do it 10 seconds.
Lee Auto prime II $13, RCBS priming tool $26
The two tools I mentioned use the same shell holder as used above in resizing. Beware that Lee also sells another priming system ["Lee auto prime" not "Lee auto primer II"] that uses special shell holders. I would avoid that system to start.
b) One must also buy, beg, borrow, or steal new primers.
To buy them mail order, one would have to pay a Hazardous Materials charge [Haz Mat]. Small purchases would be too expensive. Usually 100 primers can be purchased for $1 or $2 at the local gun store. Primers come in combinations of being; magnum or standard, pistol or rifle, and large or small. For 38 special, small pistol primers are what is needed, and will work with standard or magnum, but most published loads with be with standard primers.
5) Fill the case with powder. This is called charging the case. For this one will need powder and a way to measure powder. With black powder, one just fills the case, but with smokeless powder too much powder will fit. Start out using smokeless powder and measuring it. The amount to use depends on the bullet that will be used. The amount is published in load books, or better still on powder manufacturer's web sites for free.
a) Buy powder. There is the Haz Mat problem again, so off to the neighborhood gunstore. Any "pistol powder" will do. Expect to pay ~$20 for a pound in a gunstore. I like Bullseye or Unique powder made by Alliant, but AA#2 or AA#5 work just as well made by Accurate Arms, or Winchester 231, or Hodgdon HS-6, or Vihtavuori 3N37, or IMR SR7625, or dozens of others.
b) Measure the powder. This can be done with cheap plastic measuring cups with handles from Lee, but I would start out weighing the powder. The weighing scales: Lee Perfect powder measure $20, RCBS Uniflow Powder measure $60 [this tool is really nice]
6) Install the bullet. This is called seating the bullet.
a) Buy bullets. For 38 special, .357" diameter or .358" bullets are normally used. You can buy lead bullets or lead bullets covered with copper called jacketed bullets. I would start out with jacketed bullets. These will cost you 5 to 15 cents each and usually bought in 100's.
b) The seating die should have come in the reloading die kit. Put it in the press and put the primed and charged case in the shell holder. Set the bullet on top of the case and raise the ram [push down on the press lever]
c) Measure the over all length of the cartridge [OAL]. This can be done with a ruler, but is best done with dial calipers. Expect to pay $20 for some Chinese calipers or $100 for American.
7) Crimp the case into the bullet. This means the case must pinch the bullet so hard that recoil will not yank the bullet out when other chambers of the revolver are fired [or so the bullet will not get shoved deeper into the case from recoil in magazine or tube fed cartridge]. The type of crimp depends on the type of cartridge. The rimmed 38 special case should be roll crimped. The rimless 9mm cartridge should be taper crimped. The crimping step can be done in one step with the bullet seating, but I would start out doing it in two separate steps. The two steps look the same [cartridge goes into seating die], but can be different in how the seating die is adjusted. Again, adjust the die [how far to screw it into the press] per the instructions that come with the die set and with the seating die, there is also the adjustment of the seating stem [knurled knob on top of the die].
8) Take notes when you shoot your handloads. Write on the targets. Things like "125 gr. bullets shot way low, but 158 gr. bullets were right on." will come in handy next time you sit down to reload or buy bullets.

>From the above it looks like it will cost $110 to get started.
That is 1/3 of what it cost ME to get started.

There are more steps to loading a bottle shaped rifle cartridge, and even more to get them to be very accurate, but after one masters the 38 special, it will make more sense.

--
A society that teaches evolution as fact will breed a generation of atheists that will destroy the society. It is Darwinian.

Several items first,
The Lee kit is adiquate for starting out, but there are several pieces that should be upgraded immeadatly, starting with the scale.
IMHO the best use for the LEE manual is as a paper supply, in the outhouse.
Die's come in a set, you need a 2 die set (deprime/resize and seat) and a shellholder. The 243 does not need crimping, but some people do so anyway.
Dies are (for the most part, there are a few exceptions) interchangable between press brands.

The first thing to get is a good manual and study the "how to's". Lyman, Speer, Nosler, Sierra, Hornady are all good, chose the one from the maker of the bullets your planning to use, data changes with bullet construction and materials as well as with brand of case used, it's not safe to assume that data for 1 brand is the same as for another.

Fist of all I don't reload for little bitty groups, I pick a bullet I want to use and then work up acceptable (1" or so at 100yds) groups with it. I reload quite a bit now for 7x57, 308, 300 Win, 7.65 Argentine, 338 Win and a little bit for 300 Sherwood, 380 Long, 8x57, 458 Win.

I started with the small Lee press about 18 months ago, still use the press, bought lots of new dies (mostly Lee). I've loaded up to 458 Win wihtout a problem in mine. I also use the Lee powder dippers, with a little practice you can get accurate and reasonably fast with them although I still check every load on a Lee scale.

I'm not absolutely sure what all comes with the kit but here are some of the items I feel you'll need on top of those listed above.

You'll need a case trimmer at some point, I use the Lee case length gauge with shellholder for each caliber, very easy to do with the Lee Zip Trim.

I use a RCBS hand primer. You'll also want a case neck chamfering tool, a primer pocket cleaning tool, a case lube pad, cartridge boxes (I use MTM), and go ahead and get an impact bullet puller. Sooner or later you'll need to pull bullets either because you screwed up the powder load, forgot what you loaded rounds with and didn't mark the load, or got some reloads and you're not sure what's in them.

Powder, primers, bullets and dies, a couple of manuals and you're ready to go. You can also find lots of loads on-line at Hodgdon, Accurate and the other powder and bullet manufacturers sites so having lots of books isn't really required anymore.

When I started, I looked around for a single powder that I could use in lots of different cartridges (nearly impossible by the way). I wound up with H4350 and H380, I use these in 7x57 up to 338 Win. These gave reasonably good loads in 3-4 cartridges each. I've added Reloader 7 for light 400 grain loads in my 458 and Bluedot for my Martini action small bores. Since I've got several rifles to choose from when hunting, rather than finiding several good loads for each gun I concentrated on getting a good load with the bullet I wanted to use in that rifle. For example in my 7.65 Argentine I wanted to use a 180 gr. SP and have found a good load with 46 grains of H4350 so I'm finished, reasonable velocity and more accurate than I am with open sights.

A Lee Loader will start you out fine. A good reloading book(s) should be your first purchase. Even before the Loader. Read it cover to cover. IMO, after the loader, your next purchase should be a powder scale. This will give you more versatility in your loading. I'm not sure, but somewhere along here, I'd get a Chrony of some sort. This will help you a great deal with your load development. By this time, however, you will have reloaded enough and lurked around these rooms enough to begin to know what you truly need and what would be a "nice to have" item.
Enjoy.

guys thanks for all the info.
sorry ive taken so long to reply.
ive read quite a bit of the info on the sites ive been on and im thinking get a manual first thing!
ive been looking on ebay for reloading gear, theres
loads of stuff on there, trouble is its all in the us not uk emailed loads for shipping costs ouchhhh!
so im going to find a supplier in the uk and visit him soon! but im still looking on ebay as there has been a few bits and bobs on there in the uk(you never know).
got to get a .243 for deer as my .22-250 isnt legal over here in the uk (scotland exempt)you can hunt roe with any
.22 centerfire rifle up there, and at a pound around i think i better get it together fast!
like i said thanks for all the advise guys im sure you will be hereing more from me in the very near future!
swath