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Reloading

This is what the guy is going to send me for the 120 or so 30-30 brass:

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Id throw him a 100 cases for that.

I got some brass from the inlaws let me see whats there when I get home next week. If theres a bunch of .30-30 Ill send you some. No promises cause I dont know whats there.

Dont stress it too much. Theres a lot of things to check but if you break it down and go step by step its actually pretty easy.

Theress nothing wrong with range brass, but its better to pull from the buckets than out of the dirt. I used to hit the range buckets all the time, especially for straight wall pistol cases. I dont gennerally use range brass for my precision rifle cases. I use once fired hornady or federal brass but if theres a pile of nice clean brass in my flavor Ill scoop it up and do a full resize. For .30-30 where you proba ly wont shoot over 200yds range is fine. Tumble it clean inspect it for cracks or signs of over pressure bulges or flattened primers(which means it may be someone elses hot reloads). If its good resize it and go to town.

Matter of fact Ill be at the range next week. With deer season coming up theres liable to be a bunch of people sighting in their deer guns. Ill check the buckets .30-30 probably a bunch of Rem cases. Lever gun guys loke their corelokts.

Last couple of times Ive been there Ive watched guys literally go through boxes of ammo on their "new" first guns trying to sight in before they asked for help. Lots and lots of new shooters that have no clue. The one guy was amazed that I zeroed his rifle with 3 shots after going through 2.5 boxes of .270 trying to get on paper. Used gun from a pawn shop. They slapped a scope on and called it done. He then killed his last box dinging the 200 yd steel smiling like a little girl. Yes I grabbed all of his empties after left. Hi. My name is Stuck and I am a brass whore. What was I supposed to do? My buddy shoots .270, and I do have dies for it.
 
Id throw him a 100 cases for that.

I got some brass from the inlaws let me see whats there when I get home next week. If theres a bunch of .30-30 Ill send you some. No promises cause I dont know whats there.

Dont stress it too much. Theres a lot of things to check but if you break it down and go step by step its actually pretty easy.

Theress nothing wrong with range brass, but its better to pull from the buckets than out of the dirt. I used to hit the range buckets all the time, especially for straight wall pistol cases. I dont gennerally use range brass for my precision rifle cases. I use once fired hornady or federal brass but if theres a pile of nice clean brass in my flavor Ill scoop it up and do a full resize. For .30-30 where you proba ly wont shoot over 200yds range is fine. Tumble it clean inspect it for cracks or signs of over pressure bulges or flattened primers(which means it may be someone elses hot reloads). If its good resize it and go to town.

Matter of fact Ill be at the range next week. With deer season coming up theres liable to be a bunch of people sighting in their deer guns. Ill check the buckets .30-30 probably a bunch of Rem cases. Lever gun guys loke their corelokts.

Last couple of times Ive been there Ive watched guys literally go through boxes of ammo on their "new" first guns trying to sight in before they asked for help. Lots and lots of new shooters that have no clue. The one guy was amazed that I zeroed his rifle with 3 shots after going through 2.5 boxes of .270 trying to get on paper. Used gun from a pawn shop. They slapped a scope on and called it done. He then killed his last box dinging the 200 yd steel smiling like a little girl. Yes I grabbed all of his empties after left. Hi. My name is Stuck and I am a brass whore. What was I supposed to do? My buddy shoots .270, and I do have dies for it.

That's neat.

I'm still a bit nervous about it. There just seems like there's a LOT to look over. I don't mind it, but I'm afraid to screw something up causing the firearm to detonate. Honestly, after going through a bit of the book, it almost turned me away some. Feels like I'm setting up a nuclear launch or something. I'm only invested in a tumbler, media, and the Lyman book. I'm looking forward to start something new and shoot more often (I suck at shooting). But man, I am nervous.
 
if you get a single stage I suggest you buy dies that have a set screw or squeeze, lock rings (or buy new lock rings for lee). Once you get it set, set the screw and now all you have to do is put the die in till it hits the lock ring and youre good. You can take them in and out without worrying about losing the setting.

Another thing dont be worried about all of the steps for rifle brass at first. That sounds like blasphemy to a lot of handloaders but hear me out.

To start use your own once fired brass. You wont need to worry about annealing because its only once fired, it hasnt hardened enough to worry about after just one firing.

Run it through it through your sizer and capper. Check the length. Again it most likely wont need trimmed after just one firing. If its within spec load it as is and dont stress about it.

Hand prime all of your cases or use the ram set on the press if it has one. Its slower but usually a better seat.

Find the starting load for your components and workup 10 cases with that amount of powder. Set the bullet, crimp and go shoot the bastards.

Dont worry about accuracy at this point. Youre getting confidence in your work and seeing that youre not going to blow up your gun. Put that brass in a box marked twice fired and forget about it for now. Grab some more of youre own once fired brass.

Again dont worry about annealing this is still your own empties. Work up 15 rounds starting at the lowest powder weight and do 3 rounds of it. Then add .2grains (notice thats point 2 grains as in 2/10ths of a grain) and do 3 rounds. Add .2 more grains and do 3 more and so on till you have 5 groups of 3. When youre load each group of 3 use a sharpie and write the powder weight right on the case. Now go shoot those groups of three at a different target for each. If you find a weight that groups well. Load some more of that and check to see if its consistent. Iif theres no good groups (learn how to shoot j/k) start where you left off and move up .2 grains at a time. Untill you hit the max suggested powder weight. Dont go over it. You dont have the experience to look for pressure signs.

Got it? Good now quit being a little girl and get after it.
 
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Woods, don't worry too much about it.

You are loading for a Winchester 94 in 30-30 it's not some super precision rifle that you are shooting 1000 yards, even then the basic process is the same, it's just the details that you really need to focus on.

Just start in a safe load range, don't go past the max pressure loads. Doubt they would preform any better in a 30-30. Keep it safe, if you are overly concerned you can check each powder load on the scale.
You will need some case lube and a case lube pad. Can't see if that press has a priming arm, if it doesn't, you will need to get a hand primer. Some reloaders prefer to hand prime everything.
 
I think I may still buy a full kit even after this guy makes me the trade. I can't help but think when I was piecing shit together to build my Samurai, and I had mismatched parts all over; nothing every lined up or ran right. Just get a full kit, top to bottom, a digital scale, and a quality caliper.

As for primers and powders, I think that is going to have to wait. There just aren't any primers around. Once the election is over, there should be a slight sigh of relief, and things start to head back to normal. I'm not going to be firing my rifle anyways since I hunt in my backyard and don't want to be scaring off any deer/bear during season.

Need to start collecting coffee tins to start storing and sorting the brass now.
 
I think I may still buy a full kit even after this guy makes me the trade. I can't help but think when I was piecing shit together to build my Samurai, and I had mismatched parts all over; nothing every lined up or ran right. Just get a full kit, top to bottom, a digital scale, and a quality caliper.

As for primers and powders, I think that is going to have to wait. There just aren't any primers around. Once the election is over, there should be a slight sigh of relief, and things start to head back to normal. I'm not going to be firing my rifle anyways since I hunt in my backyard and don't want to be scaring off any deer/bear during season.

Need to start collecting coffee tins to start storing and sorting the brass now.

If you wait till after the election and god forbid biden wins you aint gonna find shit.
 
If you wait till after the election and god forbid biden wins you aint gonna find shit.

Meh. Oh well. I'm not all I NEED TO RELOAD NOW GAHHHHHH. Demands peaks, supply cranks up, need plateaus, surplus starts to emerge, and deals start coming up.

Not too worried .
 
That looks like a complete setup... you just need the dies.

The big thing with reloading is getting OCD and "starting low".

OCD means fine tooth comb over the brass. Someone already mentioned all the checks. I didn't see looking around the base of the brass. That is another failure point. OCD means double and triple checking your powder; double charging is an issue with single stages when someone isn't paying attention. I don't know if 30-30 is one of those cases that allow it.

"Starting low" is starting with the low charge from your book and working your way up(called laddering). A low charge will squib a round and possibly get it stuck in the barrel... or semi-auto may not cycle. If I were working at an ultra low charge, I would do a barrel check after every shot to ensure no squib.
 
That looks like a complete setup... you just need the dies.

The big thing with reloading is getting OCD and "starting low".

OCD means fine tooth comb over the brass. Someone already mentioned all the checks. I didn't see looking around the base of the brass. That is another failure point. OCD means double and triple checking your powder; double charging is an issue with single stages when someone isn't paying attention. I don't know if 30-30 is one of those cases that allow it.

"Starting low" is starting with the low charge from your book and working your way up(called laddering). A low charge will squib a round and possibly get it stuck in the barrel... or semi-auto may not cycle. If I were working at an ultra low charge, I would do a barrel check after every shot to ensure no squib.

If hes using published low end powder charges theres no way hes going to squib a round. Most published charges for .30-30 are only about a 4 grain spread.
 
That's a Lee perfect powder measure. You can download data and instructions from Lee or get his book and load by volume. Close enough if you are careful.. Check the thrown loads with that POS RCBS balance scale. :flipoff2: Post up when you load up and then again after you BANG and smile !!!
 
That's a Lee perfect powder measure. You can download data and instructions from Lee or get his book and load by volume. Close enough if you are careful.. Check the thrown loads with that POS RCBS balance scale. :flipoff2: Post up when you load up and then again after you BANG and smile !!!

I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy a digital scale. Just make that part a bit easier. Then one of those tools, I forget the name, where you turn the dial and it feeds out a grain at a time.
 
I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy a digital scale. Just make that part a bit easier. Then one of those tools, I forget the name, where you turn the dial and it feeds out a grain at a time.

Never went that route but that comes very highly recommended. The Lee scale is incredibly accurate and consistent, the powder measure is decent for the original price. No longer made, there is a new "better" one that cost 2X and doesn't look to be set up to load by volume. Didital scales have gotten very good and very inexpensive. Dont get caught up in it just yet. :laughing: You can learn to throw very consistent charges, depending on powder with that Lee. Play with the side screw to get the throw and pressure where you want it. That RCBS scale should be just fine. I dont see a hand primer seater and I have never used a press mounted one so I can t comment on that. The manuals state that 30-30 brass is thin and stretches so dont expect 15 reloads like Lapua in .308. Make sure you lube your cases. Again, the Lee lube is really good shit.
 
The accuracy of those powder throwers is very dependant on the type of powder youre using. Theres flake, spherical, cylindrical. They work well with spherical not so well with flake, cylindrical is hit or miss depending on the size.

Youre thinking of a powder trickler and it is absolutley essential for precision loads. A beam scale is just as easy and as fast to use as a digital scale. I have both and I use the beam 99% of the time. I think its easier to creep up on the weight.
 
Guy followed up this morning:

Weight is 10#+. I'll find out for 12# and let you know. I also added a new RCBS prime-on-press tool, some lanolin case lube and what's called in certain industries, a "Golden" bullet, weight verified and used as a cal standard within a shop to verify equipment. That scale ir dead on. 180.1 grains, exactly what your golden bullet weighs.

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So looks good to me then. I threw in a brand new AR vice block; I had an extra. Probably toss in a $25 gift card to BassPro or Cabellas or something.
 
Guy's shipping the stuff today. Two Day whatever. Picked up a BassPro gift card. Going to send off the 30-30 brass and a few boxes of 9mm brass.

Also ordered a Frankford Arsenal trickler.
 
Oh, calipers. So it seems like the most popular one on Amazon is the same one I got from Harbor Freight. Is that going to work? Or am I going to need some NASA approved one?
 
Oh, calipers. So it seems like the most popular one on Amazon is the same one I got from Harbor Freight. Is that going to work? Or am I going to need some NASA approved one?

new calipers under about $50 flat suck to use. keep an eye out a pawn stores or spend the 50-100 for a decent pair
 
Like Provience said most of the ones under 50$ are just some cheap model that likely all came from the same shop in China. That said I got some cheap ones from the auto parts store to get me going and they have been fine. I tested them against some Mitutoyo calipers and they were within .001 and pretty consistent. This is good enough to let you know you are in spec.
 
Hrm. mmk.

I see this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GSLKIW/?tag=91812054244-20&th=1

But I should hold out for something better then, huh?

https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Sharpe...al+caliper+6+inch&qid=1599591731&s=hi&sr=1-12

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-505...ial+caliper+6+inch&qid=1599591781&s=hi&sr=1-6

https://www.amazon.com/Starrett-320...ial+caliper+6+inch&qid=1599591796&s=hi&sr=1-4

i'd buy any of these 3, but any of those brands at a pawn shop made in the last 50 years will be better than what you've posted in my opinion.

yeah sure, i'm generally against digital stuff as a rule but that is because I hate batteries and it is much harder to tell if a cheap digital is actually repeating itself or just the numbers are fucking itself up, dial is quicker and more reliable in my opinion.

I also understand that not everybody needs a quality measuring tool, but they sure don't wear out and a low quality one is just a pain in the ass. I own and use very nice, mid range (what I've posted above) and ship cheap ($20 etc). the shit cheap ones, well, i'm impressed I haven't snapped them in frustration and for some reason keep them around. they really do suck and don't inspire confidence.

another thing to keep an eye out for used/pawnshop/garage sales is an older set of micrometers. for $20 you can likely get a quality set that will be faster and more accurate than you'll need

now you can have 20 people chime in about how their cheap import digitals work plenty good enough for this stuff :flipoff2:
 
Man, I haven't touched a micrometer since high school. Iunno, I'm fine with digital. I do still wear a mechanical watch so there is that. I'm not a full millennial. :flipoff2:

now you can have 20 people chime in about how their cheap import digitals work plenty good enough for this stuff :flipoff2:

That's where I'm at. After reading all about this, I'm kind of iffy on skimping out on quality gear. "Good enough" doesn't really appear in a lot of the stuff I'm been reading lately.
 
Buy the $22 ones. You dont need a pair of Mitutoyo calipers for this.
 
Man, I haven't touched a micrometer since high school. Iunno, I'm fine with digital. I do still wear a mechanical watch so there is that. I'm not a full millennial. :flipoff2:



That's where I'm at. After reading all about this, I'm kind of iffy on skimping out on quality gear. "Good enough" doesn't really appear in a lot of the stuff I'm been reading lately.

I can pick up a dial caliper that has been sitting for a year or two, quickly verify zero and be in use. fuck me running if my "extra" batteries aren't also always dead and a pain in the dick to find and buy :shaking: my cheap digital calipers are really just used for +/- 0.100 stuff now so that I can just use the scale and ignore the screen.

1 decent set of calipers will do a lifetime of work, smoothly and consistently, and you'll never need to deal with the frustration of "oh hell, now it needs to be reset" in the middle of a project. I bought an 8" Mitutoyo dial from a pawn shop for $10, last calibrated in 1991 according to the sticker. little gummy, cleaned it up and works smooth and flawless.
 
Ordered.

Man, this nickel and diming is killer. :flipoff2:
 
it would be cheaper if you'd've bought a good set of measuring sticks years ago for checking u joint caps and bearing journals :flipoff2:

Bah. Just slap that shit together and move on. :flipoff2:
 
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