Thinking of getting into reloading

[Wingshooter]

I will prob be getting setup to reload at Christmas time. I have not priced it out yet, but I am sure it would be cheaper to reload 30-06 and 300 H&H mag as opposed to buying it all the time.

Not counting the initial cost of the equipment, about how much per round can you reload 30-06? Does anyone reload 300 H&H?

I would eventually like to reload 300 Savage and 44 mag as well, but I would start out on 30-06.

[Guest hawkeye10]

I have a friend that has some reloading stuff for sale. He has most every thing you need at a good price. If interested PM me and I will give you his number. Don

[gregintenn]

Assuming you've saved your brass, you can get blemished bullets for less than $20 per 100, let's say $5 per hundred for the primers, and about $22 for a pound of powder. You'll have some powder left over, but this would come to about $.47 per round. That's less than $10 per box.

The cool thing about reloading is that you'd spend the same to reload 100 rounds of the 300 Holland and Holland or the 300 Savage!!! That's where you'll really save.

44 Magnum ammo will be cheaper, as you can choose cast bullets which are less expensive, and a pound of powder will last a loooooong time.

Theoretically, you can save money reloading, but I don't know anyone who ever has. We all just shoot a lot more. The great thing about reloading is that your imagination is the limit on what you can shoot in your gun. You can tailor a load for optimum performance, tighter groups, etc. I've even loaded crushed walnut hulls in a 38 special for shooting bore bees. You can't buy those in the store.

What have you got that's chambered for 300 Savage? A 99 perhaps?

[Wingshooter]

Thanks greg, that helps a lot. I find myself wanting to shoot more but don't want to shoot up all my ammo. I am looking forward to the world of reloading. I have been saving my brass fou a couple of years now.

The 300 savage is a Rem model 722. The 300 h&h is a Remmy model 721.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Batman

[Wingshooter]

Double post

[Jonnin]

The expensive part of 308 sized rifles is the bullet. If you use cast lead cheap stuff, you can save a ton but you have to make them weak --- great for the range or hunting up close, but not tapping the potential of the cartridge, it is about like a 30-30. If you want full power loads you have to buy jacketed bullets and they cost a lot (relative). I think its about $25 per 100 for decent quality jacketed rounds, and if you reused your brass that is the bulk of the cost, primer and powder are not too bad. so $250 for 1k bullets, if you use less than 70 grains of whatever powder, $25 for a pound of powder or less, and $30 for 1k primers, or about $300 per 1000 ($15 per box of 50). All that is from what I just went thru learning to do .308 and 7.65, which is more or less the same thing as 30-06 apart from the brass.

44 mag is easier than a rifle round, straight pistol cases cut out a couple of steps and hassles. Using lead 44 special slugs and medium loads, you can make those for really cheap, easily under $10 per 50. As with the rifle, if you use jacketed rounds it costs a lot more, but unlike the rifle, you can make full power loads with lead bullets for the 44.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Jonnin

[Wingshooter]

More great info, thanks! It's good to hear how cheap I could be shooting my 44s

What's considered the best reloading manual, or is that all online these days?

[Jonnin]

I use the online manuals, and cross reference them. And, as I use lee dies mostly, they all came with a small set of data for each caliber as well. Between these sources I havent needed a true manual. Most of the powder companies have a manual online, use those, avoid the "favorite recipe" sites or only use those as verification.

[tnhawk]

I use several manuals as well as online and cross reference them.

[dlm37015]

glad someone talking about loading the 300 hand h one i have reloaded for years

when you start come see me i have lots of odd bullets you can have as i will never use them

when loading a 44 mag or spl imo there is no reason to use anything but a cast bullet some will differ but elk did ok with them

[gregintenn]

I haven't yet found a bad reloading manual. Lee, Speer, Sierra, Nosler, etc. all make comprensive reloading manuals. If you intend to load cast bullets, Lyman pretty much wrote the bible on that. Your 721 and 722 Remingtons are classic rifles in classic chamberings. Cool guns!! You will realize a lot of money savings reloading those.

You can load cast bullets in your 44 for somewhere around $.20 per round with cast bullets; even less if you get into casting as well.

[Hershmeister]

I have a bunch of extra reloading equipment and manuals. Pm me if youre interested and I can send a list

[netmindr]

I'm just getting into reloading for .44 myself. How much more trouble is casting and what would the investment be? I've read some talk about different alloys but haven't a clue about the benefits/pitfalls of them.

One of my biggest concerns about cast bullets was fouling and having to clean that out. Is that a valid concern? I would love to be able to shoot that much more with cheap bullets.

[LngRngShtr]

One of my biggest concerns about cast bullets was fouling and having to clean that out. Is that a valid concern? I would love to be able to shoot that much more with cheap bullets.

Depends on 2 or 3 factors,.. 1. alloy or Hardness of the lead 2. velocity of loading 3. lubrication used

harder the lead the faster you can drive them.. and you can change that also by using things called "gas checks"

I have driven cast bullets 1200 fps out of my 10mm with no leading except the compensator.. and 1300 fps. out of a .38Super but that supply is dwindling ..

so a good hard alloy and keep them under 1000 you should be safe from any real fouling.

John

P.S. look for your .30 projectiles by the 1000 it will save you and you will shoot them anyways..bulk is the key..saw awhile back somebody selling 168 gr Sierra Match pulled projectiles for $200 a thousand... not bad as they sell in these parts for 37 a hundred..

[Jonnin]

I am using the missouri bullet company 44 sp slugs which are $40 or so for 500 and shipping is with the PO boxes so get more them to fill a box. Works great in both revolver and semi auto, no significant lead buildup but I am loading them light, just enough to cycle the semi. I can't imagine that cooking your own is a lot cheaper than buying -- you may enjoy it, but the savings are probably smallish.

[Caster]

I'm just getting into reloading for .44 myself. How much more trouble is casting and what would the investment be? I've read some talk about different alloys but haven't a clue about the benefits/pitfalls of them.

One of my biggest concerns about cast bullets was fouling and having to clean that out. Is that a valid concern? I would love to be able to shoot that much more with cheap bullets.

It's a lot of trouble to some people. It's no trouble to me. I love it. In fact, as crazy as this sounds, I enjoy casting and reloading as much as I enjoy actually shooting. Unlike most I can save a fortune reloading for most of my pistol calibers. I don't save anything on rifle calibers though. My only gain from reloading for rifle is that they are custom tailored to my rifles and I get to use the best bullet out there for the same price as standard fodder.

Lead fouling is a very valid concern with cast boolits.......for those who do not follow the rules closely. Improper size, lube and excessive velocity will get you leading that takes an act of congress to get out. Conversely, I can shoot hundreds upon hundreds of rounds from my 9mm with VERY little leading. It took a while to get there, but bore fouling is less than many commercial brands I have tried.

Casting is easy and relatively inexpensive to get into provided you have a source for lead. The days of cheap/free lead wheel weights are long gone. So you need to explore that option first. If you have to buy your lead at market price, you'll save nothing. That does NOT mean it ain't worth it!

I cast not only for the savings I get for my time (which is considerable, good thing I love it!) but for the love of weird things. From homemade hollow points; I cast a 310g gas check 45 for 45 long colt, then using a 7 degree tapered carbide end mill, make a hollow point whose depth is nearly 80% the length of the bullet. DEEEEP it comes out 260g and I can drive it upwards of 1400 fps out of my Blackhawk. It's devastating.

I can water quench, straight from the mold, a select brand of wheel weight with a high antimony and arsenic content and get the hardness up so high that a RN bullet will perform identical to a FMJ. I've lathe turned zinc slugs for 12g, as well as a limited run of .357 mag bullets I am working on made from sterling silver. No matter what you see or read, you can't cast silver at home. Not unless you are really well of in the equipment area. I save pre '83 pennies that I melt in a homemade furnace and then pound into bars that I then turn into bullets. There's no reason for this other than "Because I CAN":)

How far down this rabbit hole do you want to go? I haven't scratched the surface yet. There's paper patching, swaging, good lord, I could be here all day!

[mikegideon]

I don't load pistol. I currently only load 2 calibers. I'll probably wind up saving money on .458 SOCOM once I have done enough of them. I MAY save some money on .223 on the high end stuff, but I'm going for quality. I'll keep buying Wolf for my noise makers. Reloading is way too much work for target shredding.

[Caster]

Mike, you're gonna keep yappin' about that 458 till I get the bug for one. Hmmm wonder how a turned copper slug of say 350-400g would work in that thing?

[mikegideon]

Mike, you're gonna keep yappin' about that 458 till I get the bug for one. Hmmm wonder how a turned copper slug of say 350-400g would work in that thing?

Turned brass works pretty well. You need a real good lathe. Bottom of the page...

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[gregintenn]

Depends on 2 or 3 factors,.. 1. alloy or Hardness of the lead 2. velocity of loading 3. lubrication used

...and #4, bullet sizing. Some 44's will lead like crazy with .429 bullets, and shoot .430 bullets with no problems. Some like the .429s.