Reloading

[mrklean]

Well i went to a few sporting good stores and saw how spendy my ammo has gotten so reloading came to mind. I live in an apt so i was looking maybe at the lee hand press, cheap, small and will do what i need. First question does anyone have one of these and what is the feedback on it. The next question is whats the diff between regular brass and nickel? Final question what are some of the basics i will need, ill be loading 7mm Rem Mags. Does anyone else load these? Thanks

[SDbowhunter]

I have heard that anything with lee on it and is made of metal is quality, anything plastic is junk. I use a rcbs rock chucker I use lee trimmers they are cheap and easy to use and fairly accurate.

You need to buy some reloading manuals. The ABC's of reloading is recommended by just about everyone as a starting point. I will be upgrading to progressive at some point in time. Search the internet you will find many good reloading websites and forums.

Take anybodies load recommendations with a grain of salt. Verify loads among different manual to make sure what you are doing is safe. Always work up loads and watch for signs of over pressure. If you change any variables such brass, bullet, primer, powder, powder amount, bullet seating depth etc. start over and work up the load

Expect to spend a fair amount of money even if going cheap. I figured my first box of ammunition cost me about $350 to produce. It will pay off in the long run and is an enjoyable hobby. I dont think you save money reloading it just allows you to shoot more for the same price.

Nickle plating can chip off I'd go with regular brass.

You need:

Press

Dies (Lee quality dies very inexpensive)

Case Lube

Trimmer (Lee hand trimmers and drill are good and cheap)

Powder Scale (I have an RCBS 505)

Powder Scale Weights (to verify scale)

Caliper to measure length

Tumbler (I couldnt imagine cleaning brass by hand)

Loading Blocks (make or buy minimum of 2)

Powder Funnel

Priming Tool (Most single stage presses you can buy an adapter I use rcbs hand priming tool.)

Safety Glasses (A primer will take out your eye)

Im sure im missing something.

Keep good records... Record Everything. Make, Model, Lot Numbers, Amounts, Wieghts, Lengths, of anything and everything

[Tom7227]

I had the same reaction shortly after I got my 7mm. I went and bought a reloading kit that had everything I needed except for the brass, primers, powder and bullets. SD Bowunter is right on with his list and you can get it in a kit. Maybe your biggest problem will be getting a table set up that you can mount the press on and have it sturdy enough to work.

My final advice is to go to a quality gun shop and spend some time and money getting set up and some sound advice. IMO if the place has more than 1,000 square feet of floor space you're not going to learn much, so forget the big box stores. You may think you're going to save money but I doubt it, and they certainly don't have any advice to offer that's worth the time.

[SDbowhunter]

I am going to be adding some to my reloading stuff shortly.

Case Gauges (Many people claim it is a necessity, I havent used one but can see the benefit.) Hornady Lock and Loads are relatively inexpensive. Just because I dont currently use one take that with a grain of salt make your own decision.

Head Space Gauges

Media Seperator

Chronograph

Lee Factory Crimp Dies

Bullet Puller

Primer Pocket Swager (for military brass with crimped primer pockets)

More Walnut Media

Plus if you have already have nickle plated brass you can reload it. Dont toss it if you want to make some plinking ammo.

I highly recommend buying the single stage press. If you do buy a progressive someday you'll still want the single.

There is alot to learn about reloading i've spent hours in the last two years reading and reloading and I am no where near an expert.

Buying in bulk will save you money and help with consistency between lot variations but when you first are working up a load it makes sense to buy in low volumes cause you may find some stuff just doesnt work and may end up not getting used.

[Tom7227]

Some gun clubs collect and then sell the brass. If you belong to one check with some of the officers and see if they do this. If you don't belong you may still be able to get some. If you do this you have to check each case carefully and get rid of any that look like there is a problem with them. I did this for my 7mm Rem Mag and ended up with way more brass than I'll ever need.

[walerak]

one thing to remember about reloading that all of these guys will probably agree on. you DONT save money reloading, i haven't seen anyone who does. you're just going to shoot alot more for the same money because you walk past the bullets and see their price.... say 20$ a box of 20 rounds... that means i can reload 40 rounds for $20, you spend just as much but spend more time at the range and get more bangs for the buck. its expensive to get set up, but its also a very rewarding hobby and can also make you a better shot, because you gain a better understanding of ballistics, and you can tune your ammo to your rifle. there is also a much greater variety of bullet options so you can form your ammo more to your needs.

[SDbowhunter]

+1 on that. Reloading also makes you more effective behind the trigger. I used to shoot 2 boxes of shells before & during hunting season. Now I shoot 10 or more. This has greatly increased my confidence with my abilities/understanding of my limitations. Also when I buy something in bulk once I can pretend that it didnt cost me anything.

[MUSKYMAN1011]

Is the 175 Grain bullet the Heaviest Bullet for the

7MM REM MAG?

Thanks in adavance

Brian