Hi i am thinking about getting into reloading my 270 shells. What would a good starter kit or would it better to get a good reloader the first time? thank you scott (virginia)

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:

1) Clean and inspect 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. Throw out cases with split necks, loose primer pockets, big dents, separated shoulders or bases, etc.

2) Get the old primer out of the case, called depriming or decapping.

3) 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 2) & 3) are usually accomplished in one step as the resizing die has a decapping pin. This will require:
a) Shell holder ~$3 Lee #2 shell holder or ~$5 RCBS #3 shell holder, #2 Lyman, or #1 Hornady shell holder.
The same size shell holder can be used later for 270 Win, 30-06, 7mm Mauser, 308, 243, 22-250 etc.
b) A resizing die. This die will probably be bought in a kit with two dies.
Lee 2 die set for 270Win; $13, RCBS, $27, Forster $57
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.
d) Lubrication, I like Redding Imperial sizing wax $8, will do a few thousand reloads.

4) Trim the case if it is now too long. Forster case trimmer $50
a) chamfer and de burr the case mouth if trimmed. $15 for tool.

5) 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 270 Win, Large rifle primers are what is needed, and will work with standard or magnum, but most published loads with be with standard primers.

6) 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 gun store. Any "rifle powder" will do. Expect to pay ~$20 for a pound in a gun store. I like IMR4895 or IMR4560 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]

7) Install the bullet. This is called seating the bullet.
a) Buy bullets. For 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.

8) 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 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].

9) Take notes when you shoot your handloads. Write on the targets. Things like "130 gr. bullets shot way low, but 150 gr. bullets were right on." will come in handy next time you sit down to reload or buy bullets.

Shortcuts:
1) Don't adjust the resize die so that the shoulder gets pushed back. The brass will then last longer and not need trimming.
2) Don't use the expander ball on the decapping stem. No lube inside the brass will be needed and the ammo will be more accurate. Get the case deprimed some other way.
3) Don't crimp unless you have a need, like the recoil of an elephant gun.
4) Don't chamfer the case mouth until it is a sharp cookie cutter.
5) Don't be cheap with the lube. The sizer die will run dry in one or two cases and be hard to work. Cases can get stuck in there.
6) Experiment with seating depth for accuracy. The bullet tips may be shaped differently and give erroneous readings with the caliper. There is a Sinclair bullet comparator to help this. The bullet jamming into the lands will have a higher start pressure and act like it has a few more grains of powder. The bullet may get stuck there and if the cartridge is pulled out, powder may spill all over the action. The bullet seated long, will however sometimes give much better accuracy.

My philosophy is to buy good stuff the first time. It is cheaper in the long run. The RCBS Rockchucker kit is a good quality kit that will last most folks the rest of their life. I would get a couple of good handloading books as well as the video.

Also check the following link, they have a lot of good information on starting to handload, as well as a list of NRA Handloading Instructors by zip code.

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

I really don't think that there is any "bad" reloading equipment being made right now, a lot of the Lee stuff is plastic and cast aluminium or zinc instead of cast iron; but they also sell it for less, so the value evens out over the long run.
The first thing to do is buy a how-to book like "The ABC's of Reloading" by Dean Grennell, or one of the Lyman manuals, or the Hornady manual or the NRA Guide to Reloading, the A-Square manual has tips & data you don't find elsewhere for the Big Bore cartridges etc. The actual load data is in the manuals, on the internet, Hodgdon also does a yearly magazine style manual of latest data for all their powders. There are also Videos to teach reloading, the NRA lists their certified intstructors classes on the NRA website . You can also ask on the internet forums like this one if there is someone local to you that might let you look over their shoulder for awhile, or ask at your local shooting ranges or gun stores

I totally second CMcDermott! The ABC's of reloding is a must before diving in to reloading. It will put just about everything into easy to read and see terms so you will have a very good idea of what you will need. Also I ahve found the Speer reloading manualvery usefull. You can also download load data from every powder company.

Kits are good. Kits usually have a number of key pieces of equipment that you’ll need to reload at a price less than buying each piece individually. I haven’t seen a kit that has everything you need though.

If you can find someone to take you under their wing and show you the whats and whys of reloading that would be the best way to get started.

Although I don’t own it I have looked through the ABC book and liked what I saw. Speer, Hornady, Sierra, and Nosler all have information about reloading. I started with the Speer manual, it was one of the best reloading references at the time.

After you have loaded for a while and get comfortable with what you’re doing a good book to add to your reference library would be the Sinclair International’s Precision Reloading and Shooting Handbook. Whether you target shoot or not there’s a lot of good advice there.

For what's its worth, Midsouth has the RCBS rock chucker supream kit on sale for $220.00. You ain't gonna beat that with a stick.

Get that and you grand kids will still not wear it out.

The Rockchucker Supreme kit is a great way to start and the press will last a lifetime. The only thing extra needed would be a priber pocket cleaner, case trimmer and another loading block. Next is dies and make sure you get a shellholder. They are sold seperately.
I talked with a guy this weekend that had his list put together and he thought he was done until I told him he had to buy the shell holder seperately.
Good Luck

The Rockchucher kit or the Partner kits from RCBS are a good starting point. I have loaded 1000's of rounds on my single stage press as well as my Dillions. But as most have said above that they include the basics to start with but you will end up wanting more equipment. Once you start in handloading you will go one of 2 ways. You will either give up on it or you will be hooked for life. Whether starting out to load better of less expensive rounds. In the end you will spend more money loading your own unless you shoot a tremendous amount but I am sure you will enjoy the experience. I started out small but have slowly added stuuf over the years. Books, dies, case trimmers, powder throwers, scales, presses, gauges ect. The list never ends.
Hope you enjoy your new journey.

thank you so much i will look into this thanks alot .Scott

thank you i have to decide after the holidays. thanks scott

thanks for taking time out to write all this stuff for me. Thank you alottt scott