Loading rifle question.

motoman247

motoman247

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Long story short I broke my leg and will be immobile for a few weeks.

All I have ever loaded is 9mm.

Besides dies what do I need to load 308. This will be for my Savage Axis. I have around 60 casings and wanna just have something to tinker on for the next couple weeks. Lets see how accurate I can get this 200 dollar rifle.

Can someone also point me to some good videos or a write up on the process?

I will be loading it on a lee turret in a single stage configuration. Leaving my loadmaster for 9mm.
 
Case lube is super important. Last thing you want is a stuck case.

Deprime
Resize
Check length after sizing
I always chamfer inside case mouth and deburr the outside
Deburr the flash hole
I ran mine Over a primer pocket uniformer

Lyman makes a hand set to do chamfering and deburring and all that with. No more cases than you’ll be messing with at once I’d recommend that.

I used the Lee Zip trim to trim my cases with fairly good results.
 
Burt Gummer said:
Case lube is super important. Last thing you want is a stuck case.

Deprime
Resize
Check length after sizing
I always chamfer inside case mouth and deburr the outside
Deburr the flash hole
I ran mine Over a primer pocket uniformer

Lyman makes a hand set to do chamfering and deburring and all that with. No more cases than you’ll be messing with at once I’d recommend that.

I used the Lee Zip trim to trim my cases with fairly good results.
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so do you lube after every step?

any load data you know of that works well?
 
Damn that sucks about your leg! I hate it for you. I also hate to answer your question like this, but...

The Lee handbook is a good place to begin. It explains all this in detail and provides load data.
 
motoman247 said:
so do you lube after every step?
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No. Lube the outside of the case and the inside of the neck when sizing. You need to use enough to make sure the case does not stick in the die. That is generally a rather small amount. A little lube inside the neck makes passing the sizing plug back through the neck much easier. Enough is enough. More is not better. There are many ways to lube the cases that work quite well. Some of the spray lubes are fine if used as directed. Imperial sizing wax is good, and I use it now most of the time with rifle cases. I used a water soluble lube with a lube pad for decades with no problems.
 
Catfish said:
Damn that sucks about your leg! I hate it for you. I also hate to answer your question like this, but...

The Lee handbook is a good place to begin. It explains all this in detail and provides load data.
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This, grab a caliber specific load manual, the abc’s of reloading, speer reloading manual or The Lee handbook. Always start at minimum load and work up
 
I had great performance with 165gn Nosler Ballistic Tips in my Axis II.

5 shots @ 100 meters
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I use Hornady Unique lube and it works great and last forever. Also, you need a set of calipers to measure your O.A.L. and before you start priming the case you need to measure the case (after resizing it) to make sure it has not stretched. I still use a case gauge to make sure your rounds will fit in the chamber. I know that you can use the rifle as a gauge but I do not want to go through the hassle messing with the rifle. One other thing that you might want to get If you are shooting a bolt gun and that is a Small Base die. I use a bunch of range pickup and some AR-10s have very sloppy chambers and the SB dies bring the die a little smaller than factory. If the brass has stretched, you are going to need a case trimmer. That can be very cheap to 80 dollars. I use the WFT trimmer in a drill press that works great and than a RCBS case prep station. The last to items I use because it makes the job a lot easier. If you have a drill or drill press you can get the above items for $300 and might find some used dies. Hornady and RCBS have lifetime warranties.
 
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Pretty much what others have said. For small quantity, I use Imperial case lube, just apply it with my fingers before sizing. Doesn't take much. I use the Lee trimmer for trimming brass, but I got the cutter that has a 8/32 stud so I can power it with my case prep station. You can use it with a drill as well. Simple, inexpensive and consistent. The Savage Axis is not the most accurate rifle, I would say about 1.5 moa is what you can expect. A better trigger will help. I had good results with Varget powder and Sierra TMK bullets and found a good load that gave 1.3" @ 100. For a bolt action rifle, you don't need to crimp, and you could get by with just a full-length sizing die and a seater die. If you have brass that you last shot in that rifle, you could possibly get by with just neck sizing, and the Lee collet neck sizer is a good option for that.

Good luck and I hope you heal quickly.
 
@motoman247
I’ve got a Lee turret set up for 308. Dies are unused but were purchased a few years ago

PM me your number, I can text photos.

Its the all in one kit with the three die set (FL Sizing/decapping, seater die, and crimp), shell holder, powder scoop, instructions with load/charge weights, plus a turret for cheaper than you can buy new (shipped!) if you need one or if it’s something you’re interested in

My steps:

Tumbling

Sort brass by headstamp / check for damage

I put my cases in a gallon ziploc and spray lube them. Prior to putting them in the press for the sizing process, I wipe the excess lube off the neck and shoulder to prevent hydraulic dents

Resize/Decap

Uniform primer pockets, Decrimp, chamfer case mouth to prevent damage to bullet during seating

Seat new primers

Powder charge

Seat bullet

Shoot
 
Didn’t @Chdamn do a good write up on this over in precision rifle?

Has anyone mentioned swaging primer pockets, uniforming flash holes, neck turning?

This pond is deep, very deep.
 
JimB said:
Didn’t @Chdamn do a good write up on this over in precision rifle?

Has anyone mentioned swaging primer pockets, uniforming flash holes, neck turning?

This pond is deep, very deep.
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There was a write up but it wasn’t me. I’ve never reloaded anything accept my whiskey glass.
 
Chdamn said:
There was a write up but it wasn’t me. I’ve never reloaded anything accept my whiskey glass.
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Ha!

It’s like I tell people when they ask me if I reload.

I HAVE PEOPLE FOR THAT!

And FWIW to the others in this thread, the OP is good peeps. Thanks for helping him out.
 
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What everyone has said. I will only add that you have selected a perfect path if you want to forget the medical bills. They will look like chump change in a year's time if you come to the same conclusions that most of us have. At some point we decide that we need the to make the best ammo we can so that our rifle performs to its maximum potential. Thereby confirming what crummy shots we are; necessitating much more time on the range; thereby justifying the added cost of high capacity reloading equipment so as to have said required range time. It recycles when you go back to deciding that the gun must truly be the limiting factor. Then you repeat the process (no broken bones required).

It seems harmless enough now though because it's perfect for the present, but make no mistake, the camel's nose is inside the tent now.
 
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Charlie R said:
What everyone has said. I will only add that you have selected a perfect path if you want to forget the medical bills. They will look like chump change in a year's time if you come to the same conclusions that most of us have. At some point we decide that we need the to make the best ammo we can so that our rifle performs to its maximum potential. Thereby confirming what crummy shots we are; necessitating much more time on the range; thereby justifying the added cost of high capacity reloading equipment so as to have said required range time. It recycles when you go back to deciding that the gun must truly be the limiting factor. Then you repeat the process (no broken bones required).

It seems harmless enough now though because it's perfect for the present, but make no mistake, the camel's nose is inside the tent now.
Click to expand...
Party pooper. :rolleyes:
 
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