Loading your own ammo

[wiking]

Anyone here load their own ammo?

at the moment i'm looking at getting a Lee Enfield No 4 in .303, and will probably start to load my own. Mostly since .303 isn't the most common caliber, and it will defenitely be cost effective to load by myself.

I'm guessing it'll be used for some fun shooting on and off range, and possibly a bit of hunting later on. And the fact that it's a little piece of history is another reason i'd like to own it.

[dangerdan87]

I relaod my own .223 with 77gr SMK and VARGET powder.

I have a Lee Aniversarry set up for now. I'd get the sed since its a good beginners set up. Make sure you have a sturdy table to mount your equipment to.
Reloading is cost effective, time consuming, and can be VERY dangerous.

If you do get the Enfield, buy LOTS and LOTS of .303. Thats way, when you do reload, you will have like 400+ cases to reload. Dont buy 20 at a time and shoot them and reload them. Buy bulk, then reload.

Reloading is cheaper if you have a store that sells primers and powder within driving distance. That saves you the hefty surcharge and most places dont ship over seas. Look around for a source to buy powder, primers, and possibly bullets first. Make sure you get powder suitible for .303 (.300s, .270s, .308s etc). Aslo, look up reload data, and if you have your mind set, buy the Lee kit and the Lee Pacesetter dies. It also helps to buy case lube that you can spray on multiple bullets at one time. The lube thats in the Lee kit takes FOREVER and you have to do a case at a time. Make sure you DONT load your rounds hot. I load mine hot, but thats because my rifle was made about a month ago. For a Relic like an Enfield, that gun has some age on it.
Also, you want calipers to make sure your case length as good. Cases expand over time of shooting.

Reloading is easy, but be very cautious and dont get in a hurry.

There are lots of thing about reloading that I cant list here off the top of my head. I've only listed the most important thing. Do your homework and research and good luck and be carefull.

[DeltaWhisky58]

I have reloaded c/f rifle calibres (.222Rem, .220 Swift, .243Win, 6.5x54mmMS, 7x57mm, 7x64mm, .308Win) for about 20 years, and have also loaded .32ACP, 9x19mm .38Spl, .357 Mag, .44-40, .44Mag & .45ACP in the past.

If you are seriously planning loading for the .303 British, you really ought to take the bull by the horns and buy decent boxer primed modern commercial ammo (or unfired cases) in the first instance to get good reloadable brass - remember almost all military-surplus .303 brass is Berdan primed and therefore a bitch to de/re-prime, and some of it is also corrosive.

Another tip - don't buy budget priced re-loading gear such as Lee unlerss you are only going to load low volumes of ammo, buy better quality Kit such as RCBS or Lyman, it might be a bit more expensive initially, but it'll pay-off in the long run. I bought a cheap Lee press many years ago, and it was crap - bought an RCBS Rockchucker after about a year, and many thousands of rounds later it is still as good as the day I bought it.

[ekranoplan]

http://www.reloadbench.com/

Try this website...

[Seraphim]

I have reloaded c/f rifle calibres (.222Rem, .220 Swift, .243Win, 6.5x54mmMS, 7x57mm, 7x64mm, .308Win) for about 20 years, and have also loaded .32ACP, 9x19mm .38Spl, .357 Mag, .44-40, .44Mag & .45ACP in the past.

If you are seriously planning loading for the .303 British, you really ought to take the bull by the horns and buy decent boxer primed modern commercial ammo (or unfired cases) in the first instance to get good reloadable brass - remember almost all military-surplus .303 brass is Berdan primed and therefore a bitch to de/re-prime, and some of it is also corrosive.

Another tip - don't buy budget priced re-loading gear such as Lee unlerss you are only going to load low volumes of ammo, buy better quality Kit such as RCBS or Lyman, it might be a bit more expensive initially, but it'll pay-off in the long run. I bought a cheap Lee press many years ago, and it was crap - bought an RCBS Rockchucker after about a year, and many thousands of rounds later it is still as good as the day I bought it.
I have a LEE Loadmaster :oops: but I only load .45acp

[wiking]

I'll probably go for the cheap stuff i'm afraid.
I don't intend to load massive amounts, it'll probably be ca. 50-100 or so rounds ready at all times. A bit of range fun now and then mostly.

[Roaming East]

reload my own 8mm mauser. thinking of moving on to 6mm Swedish if i ever find a good rifle in that caliber...CZ550 i guess

[DeltaWhisky58]

I have a LEE Loadmaster :oops: but I only load .45acp

I used a Lee press for full length sizing .243/308 cases, but it wasn't up to the job for large number - OK for occasional use. Admittedly this was one of their basic "C" type presses.

[Mark Sman]

The RCBS is truly superior to the Lee press.

It sounds like you aren't going to be loading enough rounds to justify the expense though. Good results can be had in small quantities with the Lee Loader, and for cheap. Get a better scale though. The issued one is beneath a joke.

The first thing to buy is good reloading manuals. I would get the most recent Speer and Lyman reloading manuals.

If you do use surplus ammo as cases for reloads, get the stuff marked HXP. Greek surplus which is both boxer primed and non-corrosive.

Check out some of these articles.
http://303british.com/

If you get lost, ask for help over here.
http://gunboards.com/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=44

[Durandal]

I have reloaded c/f rifle calibres (.222Rem, .220 Swift, .243Win, 6.5x54mmMS, 7x57mm, 7x64mm, .308Win) for about 20 years, and have also loaded .32ACP, 9x19mm .38Spl, .357 Mag, .44-40, .44Mag & .45ACP in the past.

If you are seriously planning loading for the .303 British, you really ought to take the bull by the horns and buy decent boxer primed modern commercial ammo (or unfired cases) in the first instance to get good reloadable brass - remember almost all military-surplus .303 brass is Berdan primed and therefore a bitch to de/re-prime, and some of it is also corrosive.

Another tip - don't buy budget priced re-loading gear such as Lee unlerss you are only going to load low volumes of ammo, buy better quality Kit such as RCBS or Lyman, it might be a bit more expensive initially, but it'll pay-off in the long run. I bought a cheap Lee press many years ago, and it was crap - bought an RCBS Rockchucker after about a year, and many thousands of rounds later it is still as good as the day I bought it.

He speaks heaps of wisdom here...

X2

[Amandil]

Dad & I just bought some second-hand RCBS stuff off this old timer who's losing his mind. I've bought some .303 dies off another guy, and plan to reload my old casings in the near future (once we figure out how to do it, and I buy the bullets etc.). I hope to end up reloading 8mm Mauser too, maybe even the two NATO rounds (.308 & .222?).

Speaking of which (although this is off topic), is the .222 NATO round a good flat-trajectory varmint round (reloaded, not with FMJ either)? T'would be cool to get a mil-sup rifle in that calibre and then use it for coyote hunting.

[dangerdan87]

I hope to end up reloading 8mm Mauser too, maybe even the two NATO rounds (.308 & .222?).

Speaking of which (although this is off topic), is the .222 NATO round a good flat-trajectory varmint round (reloaded, not with FMJ either)? T'would be cool to get a mil-sup rifle in that calibre and then use it for coyote hunting.

I see you have A LOT of learning to do...

.222 is not a NATO round. Your being confused of .223. .223 is not NATO, 5.56mm IS NATO. NATO rounds should not be fired in a .223 chambered rifle due to 5.56 NATO high pressure loads. Your safer (and hell of alot easier) loading .223 casings than NATO casings (NATO are always marked by a little crosshair mark on the head of the case). Why? NATO casings have crimped primers, and it is a good idea to remove the crimp.

There are alot fo rules and differences about .223 and 5.56x45mm. A lot of people just assumer that .223 and 5.56x45mm is the same. And we all know what happens when you assume, you make an a$$ out of you and me, and I dont feel like being an a$$ today :p

For more info: www.ammo-oracle.com

ETA: You can re-load NATO casings to shoot in a .223 chambered rifle, but make sure that your not crimping the hell out of it and making it an unsafe hot load

[Amandil]

I do have a lot of learning to do! (...should have asked that in the first place.)