Reloading Ultra Novice Here

WakeCountyHates2A

WakeCountyHates2A

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So I've got the dies I need to reload 30-06 and 6.5X52 Carcano. What I want to know is what would be an affordable jig/press for decapping, fitting, etc. Any bootleg, DIY, or store/online bought options that are cheap are welcome. I don't have any desire to really reload anything else for a while. Any help is appreciated.
 
What he said ∆

www.midwayusa.com

Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Kit

The Lee Precision Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Kit is a great kit for the beginning reloader or seasoned reloader looking to add to their...
www.midwayusa.com www.midwayusa.com

Tough to beat for a complete package. Add dies, powder, primers, read up, start low and go
 
WakeCountyHates2A said:
So I've got the dies I need to reload 30-06 and 6.5X52 Carcano. What I want to know is what would be an affordable jig/press for decapping, fitting, etc. Any bootleg, DIY, or store/online bought options that are cheap are welcome. I don't have any desire to really reload anything else for a while. Any help is appreciated.
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Look in the Reloading section of the BST. I see a new in box RCBS single stage press with a scale and a Reloading Book for cheap. Also, one guy has a used turret press, and a used single stage press. For a first time reloader, the RCBS would be hard to beat.
 
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Get a manual (I like Lyman and Speer) and read the front section tutorials. That will give you a better idea of what all is involved. Don't hesitate to ask questions here.

For a starter press, I usually recommend the Lee Classic Turret press. I like having all the dies for a given caliber in one easy-to-change turret. While I have a Dillon progressive press that I use for my semi-auto pistol rounds, I use my LCT for everything else.

The Lee Challenger press is a less expensive but good option. The starter kit will get you going for not a lot of money, but some of the accessories you may want to upgrade later (like the powder measure and scale).

Good luck!
 
Buy good stuff from the beginning. Getting cheap stuff is false economy when you consider the amount of money you will spend on components. There are differing opinions about the quality of different brands. I will not go into that here. Do not let the price of a piece of equipment be the primary deciding factor upon which you make your choices.
 
I have the Lee Turret Press and can't find anything better. 🤣 I probably have a dozen turrets with dies ready to go. I have a Dillon but rarely ever use it. I load rifle and have never found a powder measure that consistently drops a charge within 1 grain so I do each one by hand.
 
Another +1 for the Lee turret press. Being able to keep your dies on a replaceable turret and never have to move them is awesome. Other than the rotateable turret it's pretty much a single stage press, simple and robust.

If I was going higher in capability/complexity (progressive, etc.) I would probably go blue.
 
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Slacker said:
Probably the lee starter kit would be the best bang for the buck.
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This! I am still using my Lee started kit, I started about 3 years ago and I’ve managed to not blow my face off so, I’m ok at it I guess.

Let me go ahead and fill you in though, these kits are BASIC, yeah they do have “everything” needed to actually load a cartridge, but most of the equipment is ridiculously slow to use and cumbersome, you also can’t trim rifle brass because you don’t have the trim die needed in order to use the hand crank trimming die.

Once you establish if you’re going to continue or not, or how often, you can supplement the kit with better items like an automatic powder dispenser, case prep tool, quality digital calipers, missing case holders for the hand primer etc, of you can just pick up used higher-ish end tools if you’re just loading a few 20-40 loads every 6 months.
 
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I bought a Redding T7 turret press when I started. Being able to set your dies for two different cases just once is a huge advantage.
 
"Buy good stuff from the beginning. Getting cheap stuff is false economy when you consider the amount of money you will spend on components. There are differing opinions about the quality of different brands. I will not go into that here. Do not let the price of a piece of equipment be the primary deciding factor upon which you make your choices."

^^^^This^^^^

Many decades ago,, I was a poor, lowly enlisted soldier & was on a tight budget. But I was also lucky enough to have a gentleman guide me to buy a quality Lyman single-stage press,, and a set of scales. I had to dip & trickle powder for a while until I could afford a powder measure. As time passed,, I watched for deals, and was able to upgrade my Lyman to a RCBS Rockchucker press. I was also slowly able to add more quality items as needed,, by careful shopping & watching for deals.
I still have that Rockchucker press,, as well as my first RCBS powder measure. I have also built up a fair collection of other quality handloading equipment.

"Buy once,, and cry once" is a good piece of advice. The warranty offered by Dillon, RCBS are among the best in any industry,, & not just handloading. But, more importantly the very few & far between issues with quality equipment more than make up for frustration of lesser quality tools.
Last time I did a count of how many rounds of ammo I've loaded over 40 years of loading,, is north of 1 million. Quality equipment is worth it every time.
 
Umm... Find a class or someone that will show/ teach you, so you know what you're getting into. At the very least, YouTube University.
I would not recommend jumping into a full power rifle round like 30-06 as a first effort or the Carcano due to condition of older rifles. (Unless you have some sort of Kennedy thing going on. )
Plus you're going to have to deal with product availability and adapting to that.

Just sayin'
 
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Charlie said:
Buy good stuff from the beginning. Getting cheap stuff is false economy when you consider the amount of money you will spend on components. There are differing opinions about the quality of different brands. I will not go into that here. Do not let the price of a piece of equipment be the primary deciding factor upon which you make your choices.
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^^^^^^^This and several of the other guys who posted.

I have the very first press kit that my wife bought me 40 years ago. It was a RCBS reloader special kit with scale, press, lube and lube pad. You get the idea. I added a powder measure that I bought off a woman whose husband had passed. RIP dude. I would bet he bought it used. I've added other things over the years. I added another RCBS press that was made in 1968. I still load on these presses. A set of calipers and micrometer will help you more than you will ever believe. Checking case length, OAL, and base of the case.

For the OP if you need parts for your press, call the manufacturer. They warranty the for life. The point is buy good stuff. It will outlast you and your kids.

Find someone to teach you how to do it. I learned reloading as a 12 year old kid watching my dad at the kitchen table. Start slow/low and learn what pressure signs are. Not to scare you but you don't want to have a rifle come apart on you. That's a bad day for you and the rifle.

Lastly, write down stuff. Record what you loaded. What powder, primer, charge weight, bullet. Keep up with how many times you have reloaded your brass. This is important because brass has a life span and it containers the gasses that push the bullet out the barrell.

Lastly, like these guys have said. Read. Read some more.

Enjoy the ride.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk
 
I’ve been reloading for over five decades and have used EVERY major brand of reloading equipment. I have five presses that get used a lot and one that sees use only once or twice a year. I have one press (Lyman) that was used when I received it 49 years ago & and it’s used every week. I have a Lee that’s 28 years old and never gave me a problem. My Rock chucker is close to 20 and has served me well with the exception of a bent handle that RCBS replaced quickly. I also have a LEE classic cast press that I use when sizing large caliber rifle cases. I recently bought the LEE APP for de-priming and cast bullet sizing. I load between 200-500 rds per week when we are not traveling. In 2021 I loaded 21k rds. Bear in mind that while 5000 rds of .223 were loaded on my Dillion the rest were loaded on those other single stage presses.
I guess my point is if you take care of your equipment it will last no matter the brand.
 
.30-06 for bolt guns is really easy. In garands etc it’s a bit harder, but the information is out there. 6.5x52 is tricky. I would suggest getting proficient with .30-06 first, then take on 6.5x52.

If you’re loading for carcano rifle, they are more forgiving than the carbines. Gain twist rifling and the difference in groove and land size is unlike anything else you’ll load for. Even using loads that are cross referenced in multiple manuals I’ve had strange things happen (squibs, flashback, etc). It isn’t an ideal cartridge to learn with.

Keep in mind that the original bullet diameter (.2667) and design (heavy jacketed round nose open base) is not available unless you find pulled surplus ammo. I have had most success running a heavy round nose bullet — the .264” 160 gr Hornady is my go to. Even though it is undersized, it performs very well even in my most shot out carbines.
 
Lots of good advice in here...

Grab ALL OF THE DATA YOU CAN FIND. Try and get as many books as you can... cross references can be very, very helpful.

And take your time. No need to rush... a single stage is great for focus.
 
Lyman 45th manual from the early 70's. Sierra manual. Several others are good as well. The one caliber you mentioned may be a bit more difficult to find in some manuals. Either way, don't base all your trust in just one manual as they all have slight differences and may get confusing. Number one thing to remember is don't exceed max, or don't start at max, or work your way up, or...heck just be safe.
 
Trevillian said:
What he said ∆

www.midwayusa.com

Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Kit

The Lee Precision Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Kit is a great kit for the beginning reloader or seasoned reloader looking to add to their...
www.midwayusa.com www.midwayusa.com

Tough to beat for a complete package. Add dies, powder, primers, read up, start low and go
Click to expand...
thank you will probably end up with this. It does have everything. I've got the dies I need already so this would cover it. Much appreciated.
 
JMM86 said:
.30-06 for bolt guns is really easy. In garands etc it’s a bit harder, but the information is out there. 6.5x52 is tricky. I would suggest getting proficient with .30-06 first, then take on 6.5x52.

If you’re loading for carcano rifle, they are more forgiving than the carbines. Gain twist rifling and the difference in groove and land size is unlike anything else you’ll load for. Even using loads that are cross referenced in multiple manuals I’ve had strange things happen (squibs, flashback, etc). It isn’t an ideal cartridge to learn with.

Keep in mind that the original bullet diameter (.2667) and design (heavy jacketed round nose open base) is not available unless you find pulled surplus ammo. I have had most success running a heavy round nose bullet — the .264” 160 gr Hornady is my go to. Even though it is undersized, it performs very well even in my most shot out carbines.
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I found these on Steinel https://www.steinelammo.com/product/268-162gr-round-nose-gc-for-6-5-carcano/ they're making projectiles specifically for the carcano. I was gonna see how those do compared to the .264 from Hornady.
 
WakeCountyHates2A said:
thank you will probably end up with this. It does have everything. I've got the dies I need already so this would cover it. Much appreciated.
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Hard to go wrong with the kit for sure. You could piece all that together with this guy
www.midwayusa.com

Lee Breech Lock Reloader Single Stage Press

This is the perfect press for the reloader looking to try their hand at reloading without spending a lot for a press. This outstanding value has many...
www.midwayusa.com www.midwayusa.com
To save more but I really think the kit I linked is the way to go for a no hassle, do it all set up.

I own both of those presses. Along with a classic turrent and a Dillon 550. The little fella did all of my prep stuff for a while. But is now just a depriming station. The other one does everything else as well as being used for small batch loads for "precision".


Add a good reloading manual. Get the LEE and READ it. It covers everything from your first lever pull to advanced techniques.
 
Lots of good info in this thread already.

Couple things to add:

0. Safety first - take it seriously
1. ABCs of Reloading by Phil Massaro - buy the book and read cover to cover.
2. The Reloading podcast - listen while driving or working in the shop. They’ve been doing it for several years and if you look in the episodes list you can find series on rifle and pistol basics.
3. It is intimidating as a newcomer as there are a lot of terms, equipment and components that are new / require some learning curve. Lots of friendly folks here to help out. I’ve pinged @Toprudder several times for help as an example.

And just remember, reloading, as enjoyable as it is, is the most expensive way to save money 🤣
 
One thing I failed to mention,, and it's something I STRONGLY suggest to my reloading students;

First purchase should be at least 3 items. All three should be top level, detailed handloading manuals. I tend to prefer Hornady, Lyman, and Speer. And if that's not enough, buy more manuals.
Get the manuals,, STUDY the sections on the basics of reloading in detail prior to actually trying to load a single round. These books can & will teach the basics AND often answer a lot of questions prior to you making a mistake.

Lots of good stuff on the internet,, but there is also a lot of BAD stuff on the internet. So a published manual is the best bet,, as the manuals are published with a lot of consideration towards LIABILITY. The internet is not.
 
You live or die by your powder scale. Get a good one and a set of check weights. Good does not necessarily mean expensive. I like a balance beam scale personally since I just use it to set up my powder droppers and to check them regularly. Some people really like the electronic scales. I would rather have a cheap balance beam than a cheap electronic scale.
 
Charlie said:
You live or die by your powder scale. Get a good one and a set of check weights. Good does not necessarily mean expensive. I like a balance beam scale personally since I just use it to set up my powder droppers and to check them regularly. Some people really like the electronic scales. I would rather have a cheap balance beam than a cheap electronic scale.
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Quoted for truth.
If the OP is at all into prepping consider a balance beam scale as essential.
 
Charlie said:
Lee makes some good stuff. I use a few of their products. Their manual, however, is not my favorite source of data. Their data are taken from various sources and are often very limited regarding powder choices. The data put out by the makers of bullets and powder are better sources.
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All of the data in the Lee manual is from the powder manufacturers data which is online. The online data is more up-to-date. I sometimes reference the Lee manual to see what data is available, but then I go to the powder manufacturer's website to pull the final data, as it will usually have more specific information.
 
Toprudder said:
All of the data in the Lee manual is from the powder manufacturers data which is online. The online data is more up-to-date. I sometimes reference the Lee manual to see what data is available, but then I go to the powder manufacturer's website to pull the final data, as it will usually have more specific information.
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My main problem with the Lee manual is that some bullet weights for some chamberings have data for a very limited number of different powders. You might find the bullet you want to use but only find data for one brand of powder that you do not want to use. Online data from bullet makers and powder makers is more up to date and, in my opinion, easier to use. Printed manuals, Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Lyman, and others, are always a good thing to have available and give good instructions on how to load. The more data the better.
 
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