Hello there....

I have seen products like RCSB and Lee and so on in catalogs and was always curious about how people reload.

The only thing I would be interested in, would be trying to learn how to reload some 30-30 rounds for my Marlin. But like my title says, I've never reloaded, never seen it done, and absolutely have no clue how to do it. Therefore, what would be the very first step?

Thanks...

Butch A.

Browse the loading manuals at your local sporting goods store, gunshop, bookstore, etc. Look for a section on how to reload. This will give you some idea on what reloading is all about and what tools you will need to accomplish this. If you like a particular book, purchase it as it will be invaluable later as a guide to reloading safely. Do your research as to what tools will fill your needs before buying. Some reloading companys offer a starter set priced below the cost of purchasing each piece individually. You don't have to spend a lot for tools but the "You get what you pay for" rule still applys. The beauty of reloading is the cost savings over purchasing factory ammunition and the ability to produce ammunition that will shoot best for your particular gun. If you have question, this forum is a great place to get answers.

Purchasing a reloading manual and reading the instructions portion before attempting to reload.

After that, the cheapest way to break into the hobby is to buy a Lee Handloader for the specific caliber you desire. Then, it's a matter of buying the bullets, powder and primers. Will anticipate you'll already have once-fired brass available.

Good luck - once the bug bites, you'll be up to your ears in reloading equipment and new firearms before you know it! :D

Hello there....

I have seen products like RCSB and Lee and so on in catalogs and was always curious about how people reload.

The only thing I would be interested in, would be trying to learn how to reload some 30-30 rounds for my Marlin. But like my title says, I've never reloaded, never seen it done, and absolutely have no clue how to do it. Therefore, what would be the very first step?

Thanks...

Butch A.

Butch

Order you a Lee Anniversery kit with the reloading manual. Get a lee case trimmer and a set of dies for your calibre. I suggest a couple of other reloading manuals for some diversity. Follow the directions in the manual. It is simple and fun.

I have been using this Lee stuff for a lot of years now and it is an excellent buy for the money and seems to last forever.

You will find that first step I suggested one of the most rewarding hobbys you will ever get into.

Good luck and welcome to the forum. There's lots of good folks here who will be glad to share their knowledge.

Hi ButchA,

Reloading for that 30A with the Glenfield scope? Nice looking rifle! I like the small scope - looks much better. I have a compact 4X32 on my 336.

I just started reloading myself. I started by using the reloading on a budget article found on this website - that's using the Lee Loader. It works good if you have the right bullets and are not interested in working with different amounts of powder to fine tune for accuracy. But I found out that I really needed a Lee Factory Crimp Die and a powder scale, too. I have all the dies but I still like to use the Lee Loader for sizing cases and seating bullets.

I'll tell you how I got started. First - I read all I could find about the subject. I read gobs of stuff I found on internet searches and advice I found in old internet forum threads. I also went to the library and got a book on it. Then I got a copy of the Lee Modern Reloading manual and read that. I highlighted what I thought were important parts and went back and reread those parts again. Then I started slowly and carefully. I have enjoyed every part of it. I haven't made many rounds and it takes me a relatively long time to reload some ammo than most people. But, I don't care about going fast - I do it for enjoyment anyway so I don't have to get alot of rounds made up real fast.

So, I guess that would be my advice - read alot first and then jump in and start doing it very carefully. You can spend as much or as little as you want on equipment to get started. Everybody has their own opinion on what manufacturer makes the best equipment - Lyman, Lee, RCBS, Dillon...etc.. I've only used the Lee stuff so I can't offer comparisons. But, I know the Lee equipment is the cheapest and in my experience if you take your time and are conscientious you can definitely turn out some great ammo using the cheap ol' Lee basic equipment. I'd start with some cheap basic equipment and later if you're really into it you can try out some more expensive stuff.

Come back here often with any questions you have. I did and the folks around here really helped me alot. We like reloading and like to talk about it so don't be afraid to ask.

Don't ignore the internet as a source of info. There is a ton of stuff published that you can find and read without ever leaving the house. This forum is also a great resource. All of us were in your shoes at one time. Don't be bashful about asking questions but do a little homework before you ask. The mechanics of reloading are pretty straightforward, especially for a 30-30 lever gun.

BuchA: We've all been there. My advice, don't buy a darn thing just yet. Read "the ABC of Reloading" by C. Rodney James. This book is the best one for an introduction to reloading, in my opinion. At first, all the terms of reloading will just kind of seem like a buzzing ideas and words, but this book will put it all together for you, and give you the overall, lenear concept of the hobby.

Next step, buy and look over a reloading manual. My first one was the Speer Manual, but virtually anyone will do. As time passes, I kind of like the Lyman the best.

Now you are ready to buy. My two cents worth is this: after reading about the hobby, you will get a good idea if it is for you. If all you really and truly ever want to do is load for that 30-30, then the Lee kit might fit the bill. I'm not knocking the Lee kit, but as Marshall said above, you get what you pay for, and that old saying never holds as true as it does in firearms and reloading. I started with the RCBS reloading kit, which is considerably more than the Lee, and it was a great place to start.

Final step: don't get discouraged when your first attempts don't chamber perfectly. Hang in there. --Mykal

Yeah, I'm with Marshal and Mykal. Read, read, read, and then read some more. Also, find a buddy somewhere, maybe from on here, who can show you the ins and outs. It's easy, fun, and inexpensive once you've invested in the equipment. I have both Lee and RCBS setups. All my dies are RCBS, and I use the famous RockChucker press. Great stuff, excellent help and customer service. I also like Lee's stuff, it's portable, so I take it to our deer camp and load right there! The Lee Handpress, portable powder funnel, Handprimer...you're on your way for cheapo money.

BuchA: We've all been there. My advice, don't buy a darn thing just yet. Read "the ABC of Reloading" by C. Rodney James. This book is the best one for an introduction to reloading, in my opinion. At first, all the terms of reloading will just kind of seem like a buzzing ideas and words, but this book will put it all together for you, and give you the overall, lenear concept of the hobby.

How true it is ! Mate there is so much gear around these days it will make your head spin ! Get the book .Then sit down & work out how much shooting your actualy doing :ie how many shots are you fireing a Week,month Or year .As A Pro shooter I fired any thing from one round to sixty a night 6nights a week.So it made sense for me to go progressive .I think for the average shooter a good single stage o type Press is the way to go .This coupled with a good reloading manual ,scales case trimer ,primer pocket cleaner & of course Dies & your on your way .I like LEE & they do several really decient starter kits inwhich everything is included .Also ask around your shooting colleages to see what their useing .
But be warned once you start Re-loading there is no turning back it ,is highly addictive ( and great fun :D ) .The problem is it starts with just a simple hobby .Of putting your own ammo together & then you'll start thinking about .What if I was to cast my own slugs & so it goes on ! Look at all of us we've all been bitten.Good luck welcome to the world of "Rollin Ya Own" & above all else Enjoy :D

There's an excellent introduction and how-to article right here at Beartooth, courtesy of flashhole.
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/49

Bye
Jack

Hi ButchA,
Reloading for that 30A with the Glenfield scope? Nice looking rifle! I like the small scope - looks much better. I have a compact 4X32 on my 336.

Thanks... Yes, as far as rifles, all I have is the Marlin 30AS in 30-30. It was one of those things where I just fell in love with it at the range and bought it off a buddy at work. :cool:

So, I want to learn more about the 30-30 round and how it gets reloaded. As it stands right now, my 30AS has shown a preference for Remington Core-Lokt 170gr rounds. So now I am thinking, if I hand load some 170gr rounds, I might save a few bucks in the long run.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice! I appreciate it.

Butch A.

Take a look at this link. It's in the archives of this forum.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/49

Maybe it will help answer some questions. This is for a 45-70 but you could substitute the 30-30 and all would be the same. You would not need to do the case mouth expander step but it should give you a good idea of what is involved.

Thanks.... I checked out the link and am impressed! I sat there reading the article and closely looking at all the pictures and thinking "Wow, now this looks like fun!" :)

Before I even think of doing anything, I will buy one of the books on reloading and then look into a simple Lee kit for the 30-30.

Thanks again!

Butch A.

.....and another reloader is born...... :D


Dave

You might take a look at this site as well http://www.rcbs.com/default.asp?menu=1&s1=5 I started loading about a year and a half ago. I use RCBS equipment for the most part. that is just my preference, works great and there customer service flat out rocks. Watch ebay for some good deals

.and another reloader is born...... :D

and another tuorched soul begins the journey of enlightenment to find the perfect Load /Rifle combination !
:D
Remember "Grass hopper" he who dies with the most "reloading Toys" is the winner :D :D

ButchA,

I just started reloading for my .35 Remington and am using 200grain Rem Cor-Lokt bullets. If you want to use those bullets in your gun, you really need to get some kind of press and a Lee Factory Crimp Die. I just got a hand press for about $18 to use with the LFCD. A Lee Loader or any kind of die trying to put on a roll crimp just won't work for those bullets in your gun.

The problem with the Rem Cor-Lokt bullet is that it doesn't have a crimp groove to crimp the brass case mouth into. There is a band of hash marks around the bullet, but it's not really a groove. With your tubular magazine you really need to keep that bullet from being forced deeper into the cartridge by the force of the spring in the tubular magazine. So, you must use either 1) A bullet with a real crimp groove or 2) the Lee Factory Crimp Die with your Rem Cor-Lokt bullets.

That's just a tip I learned the hard way. I hope it saves you some trouble.

:cool:

Or find a better bullet than the CoreLokt, which I've never read anything good about....

Or find a better bullet than the CoreLokt, which I've never read anything good about....

Hogs, deer, turkey, coyotes.... everything I've shot with 200gr. Cor-Lokts in my .35 Rem is still dead!

Have had pretty good luck using the Corelokt on elk. All have fallen with a one-shot hit.

If you are loading 30-30, you could always get into bullet casting too!

Remember that when you're reloading to keep your wits about you.. that means - dont get distracted! Heard of a lot of people doing strange(?) things at the reloading bench when they were'nt concentrating on what they were doing.

Thanks... I just ordered the 2nd edition reloading book made by Lee. It has like 750 pages of info, guidelines, charts, etc...etc... so I'll have a ton of reading to do.

Basically, I am just interested in the classic 30-30 round for my Marlin and want to learn what is the best powder, the best bullet (150gr or 170gr), etc... and eventually make my own deer hunting rounds.

As it stands right now, my Marlin does not care too much for the Winchester 150gr Power Points. But it got incredible groups with the 170gr Remington Core-Lokt rounds. I have a new box of Federal Power Shok 150gr rounds that I have not tested yet, to see how they perform.

I did closely examine a 30-30 round the other night (as crazy as this sounds...) I took a big magifying glass and looked at the Federal Power Shok round very closely. I see a groove around the bullet and the edge of the casing looks like it was crimped in.

Thanks again for all the replies. This is going to be great! Reloading the timeless classic 30-30 round will be a great experience and will be cheaper in the long run.

Butch A.

Thanks... I just ordered the 2nd edition reloading book made by Lee. It has like 750 pages of info, guidelines, charts, etc...etc... so I'll have a ton of reading to do.

Basically, I am just interested in the classic 30-30 round for my Marlin and want to learn what is the best powder, the best bullet (150gr or 170gr), etc... and eventually make my own deer hunting rounds.

As it stands right now, my Marlin does not care too much for the Winchester 150gr Power Points. But it got incredible groups with the 170gr Remington Core-Lokt rounds. I have a new box of Federal Power Shok 150gr rounds that I have not tested yet, to see how they perform.

I did closely examine a 30-30 round the other night (as crazy as this sounds...) I took a big magifying glass and looked at the Federal Power Shok round very closely. I see a groove around the bullet and the edge of the casing looks like it was crimped in.

Thanks again for all the replies. This is going to be great! Reloading the timeless classic 30-30 round will be a great experience and will be cheaper in the long run.

Butch A.

Butch A.
If you want to save even more money you may want to eventually start shooting cast lead bullets. If you don't want to cast your own there are several bullet casting companies out there you can buy from. You can get 500 Laser Cast 170 Gr. Round Nose Flat Point bullets from Cabelas's for $25 a box. Their shipping prices are good as well. That works out to be a good price. I just got a free sample of these bullets in the mail from Laser Cast to try out. Visually they look great.

Thanks... I just ordered the 2nd edition reloading book made by Lee. It has like 750 pages of info, guidelines, charts, etc...etc... so I'll have a ton of reading to do.

Basically, I am just interested in the classic 30-30 round for my Marlin and want to learn what is the best powder, the best bullet (150gr or 170gr), etc... and eventually make my own deer hunting rounds.

As it stands right now, my Marlin does not care too much for the Winchester 150gr Power Points. But it got incredible groups with the 170gr Remington Core-Lokt rounds. I have a new box of Federal Power Shok 150gr rounds that I have not tested yet, to see how they perform.

I did closely examine a 30-30 round the other night (as crazy as this sounds...) I took a big magifying glass and looked at the Federal Power Shok round very closely. I see a groove around the bullet and the edge of the casing looks like it was crimped in.

Thanks again for all the replies. This is going to be great! Reloading the timeless classic 30-30 round will be a great experience and will be cheaper in the long run.

Butch A.

Most factory rounds have a crimp that bends the mouth of the case into the cannelure (groove) of the bullet, which is what you described. As for it being cheaper in the long run, NO! Like the rest of us, you will be lured in by the chance to make cheap reloads, but you won't save anything because you'll start shooting ten times more.

Anyway, welcome to your new hobby, and here's to your savings being burned in brilliant flashes of nitrocellulose goodness :D

amndouglas

Thanks again! Believe it or not, my book just came via UPS today just before dinner! Woo-hoo!!!!! :D

I can't believe it came that quick. "Modern Reloading - 2nd Edition" by Richard Lee. Now, I am going to read and read and study this book! It is amazing.... I want to load 30-30 rounds, and this book covers virtually everything! So, if I wanted to load 9mm handgun, I could do that. If I went out and bought a .270 rifle, I could load rounds for that too. I can see how this could be an incredible hobby that is extremely addicting, ha ha ha.... ;)

Butch A.