What say you?

[idnative1948]

Brother wants to start reloading for his .300 Savage and a friend has the equipment, but not the dies (which bro is willing to buy). Boxes upon boxes of once fired brass. Not knowing squat, I could use some help getting him going.

 

[elkantlers]

Get him a reloading manual and have him read it. I started reloading when I was 18. I had ne experience and my dad didn't reload. read the manual and went from there. There is also tons of stuff on youtube and some of the reloading websites.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to buy a couple of manuals. I have two, and could use a third. If he wants to shoot Barnes bullets he should buy that manual. I have a Hogdon manual that is a good one too.

Never reloaded that cartridge. Be careful, being overly ambitious is not a good trait for a reloader.

 

[sbhooper]

Get him a reloading manual and have him read it. I started reloading when I was 18. I had ne experience and my dad didn't reload. read the manual and went from there. There is also tons of stuff on youtube and some of the reloading websites.

Sounds like my story.

I say since you don't have to buy most of the equipment, go for it. Do your homework and prefereably find someone to give you some hands-on help for a bit. You will find yourself doing lots more shooting once you get into it. After you have done some loading with the friend's equipment, you will want your own. I have not shot a factory load in a centerfire rifle for many years.

I learned the hard way and it took me a long time to figure some things out. Now, there is so much info available on the internet, that there is no excuse for not being well-versed in the procedures.

Good luck.

 

[1_pointer]

Get him a reloading manual and have him read it. I started reloading when I was 18. I had ne experience and my dad didn't reload. read the manual and went from there. There is also tons of stuff on youtube and some of the reloading websites.

Another +1. Reloading is not rocket surgery. Just follow the instructions and rock on! That said, I would consider buying your own equipment. At least for me, I'd not want to have to rely on someone elses availability to load rounds. The equipment is not all that expensive and will last a LONG time.

 

[Hooligan]

Take your time. Be picky. To the point of anal retentiveness. The more exacting, and consistent your measurements and are, the more accurate your loads will be.

Be patient, it can be frustrating at first. Watch your headspacing. Not all guns are the same. ( I loaded 100 rds of .300 WIN MAG for a Browning A bolt that do not fire from my .300 WIN MAG Thompson Encore)

Read everything you can get your hands on...and invest in a good bullet puller!

 

[devon deer]

This a cheap way to get started, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwr0FyJOk-4 i have these in .243 and 30-06.
Cheers
Richard

 

[tarheel]

Larry, once you get started it never stops; that's a good thing. As suggested, get a good instructional manual, then a couple of powder company manuals, and I'd also get a Nosler #6 reloading guide. It goes through nearly all the rifle calibers and pistol, but only gives data for Nosler bullets. That's not too much of a problem where the more common weights and profiles of other brands will cross reference fairly close. The Nosler book also gives ballistic data based on BC, weight, speed, and has a section for wind drift also. I'm in the middle of cleaning, resizing, etc., etc. 600 .223 cases. I think today I'll take a break and mow the grass, for it gets pretty tedious doing that many small cases. Maybe if I weren't such a perfectionist it would go faster, but it's all about consistency. Having an experienced reloader as a mentor is a great resource and will reduce the start-up time drastically. Have fun! RT

 

[deer_shooter]

All good advice, especially getting more than one manual. Follow the instructions to the letter and resist the temptation to try the hottest load you can get - nothing good will come from that. The rifle will shoot great with a particular bullet/powder combination, the trick and fun part is to find it.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

When I started reloading my uncle told me "There are old reloaders, and brave reloaders, but there aren't many old AND brave reloaders".

 

[ridintail]

I have to agree with most on here.I have been reloading for a long time. It is worth every minute u spend doing it. After each year me and my hunting partner get together one week end and reload all our ammo. A good instruction manuel and taking your time it is something the whole family can do together, or friends and it saves you money in the end. When first getting started do a little shot and see how the ammo works. The first time it might take a few trys to get it were you want it,but in the end it is worth it. Midway has great instuction dvd and manuel and staff that is willing to help you every step of the way.

 

[sbhooper]

Since the friend has the equipment, he probably has some expertise to go with it.