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  1. #1
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    Need reloading advice

    I do alot of 30-06 shooting (M1icon Garands) and have a large amount of boxer-primed brass. With ammo prices the way they are today, I'd like to get into reloading
    as my new "hobby". I'd like a few tips from the experts: reloading equipment to get, best manufacturers, best options for powder, bullets and primers, etc...

    Any guidance would be very much appreciated. Thanks.
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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    Boy! Are you gonna get a truckload of opinions! One point that needs to be addressed before we start answering is, what all do you intend to load? Like most folks, I load a wide variety of cartridges. The answers will depend to a large degree on what you plan on doing.
    When they tell you to behave, they always forget to specify whether to behave well or badly!

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    Lee, without a doubt, is the best value in loading equipment. Their Classic Press, either the single stage or the turrert version are first class. Their dies are excelent quality. Their Factory Crimp die is the best crimp die on the market. I use Lee, RCBS, Redding & Lyman dies & the Lee performs just as
    well as thier more expensive cousins. Ditto their presses. Their powder scale & powder measure are excellent as well although I prefer the Redding measure & a Lyman scale. You do not need the RCBS Small Base dies for a Garandicon.

    Varget or Hodgdon or IMR 4895 is perfect for a Garand. 4895 is the powder designed for the Garand.

    Any brand of Large Rifle primer CCI; Winchester, Remington or Federal will work well.

    150 to 165 or 168 gr bullets work best. 180 gr bullets are the max weight recommended. Various surplus bullets are on the market but will not give the accuracy of Sierra, Hornady, Speer, Remington or Winchester, etc. bullets. My favorite bullets is the Remington 165 gr CoreLokt. It has teh smallest amount of exposed lead of any SP bullet; gives 100% functioning; is cheap (relatively) and accurate.

    A case trimmer system (Lee again) & cartridge case length gauge are also needed along with a number of other accesories. The Lee Case lube is A1. Most of the others (Hornady, if I recall, is the other exception) will conatminate powder if not removed before priming the case & charging with powder. Use the Lee or Hornady? case lube.

    Get a good loading manual like the Lyman 49th edition & digest it before proceeding. Reloading is straightforward & is not rocket science as long as you understand what you are doing.

    Right now, reloading componets are scare & expensive (compared to a year ago) due to the Obama scare factor.

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    Get good manuals, preferrably more than one, Sierra, Hodgdon, Lyman, Hornady, or other.

    Assume you will be primarily loading rifle, .30-06? If so, a good strong single stage press, RCBS Rockchucker, Redding, Hornady, many good ones out there. More expensive but real good, Bonanza COAX press. Get shell holders for caliber for the press (except COAX that does not require them).

    Good dies for the caliber, for bottle neck rifle only 2-die set needed, resizer and seater, Redding, RCBS, Lee, Hornady, Lyman etc. Redding bushing dies are very good dies, but a little more complex to set up and use. Digital scale for measuring powder charges, the only way to go in modern reloading. Good caliper for tracking case length and measuring cartridge OAL. Get a Wilson, Dillon, RCBS, or Lyman case headspace gage for safety if you are loading mil surplus brass, ensures your resized cases are safely within specs.

    Case lube and lube pad, or use good spray lube. Primer pocket cleaner, like Hornady which you stick into a drill chuck (or find a flat tip drill bit that fits in primer pocket). Lee Priming Tool, cheapest and best for priming cases.

    Powder measure, Redding, Lyman, RCBS, etc, many out there. Get one with a baffle in the hopper, baffle improves powder charge consistency in my experience.

    If possible, get an experienced reloader to show you how to do it.

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    Any brand of Large Rifle primer CCI; Winchester, Remington or Federal will work well.
    Whatever primer you use, don't use primers that are "more sensitive" in a Garandicon. That free floating firing pin has had lots of slamfire reports, even with factory and military ammo.

    Federal primers are the most sensitive primers on the market. When ever there has been a report of a slamfire with a reload, the primers in the incident have been Federals.

    CCI makes a "Mil Spec" primer that is particularly insensitive, the CCI #34. The CCI 200 also seems to have a thick primer cup, so it is likely to be relatively insensitive.

    I don't know about the rest, I used tens of thousands of the old nickel plated WLR. When Winchester went to the brass finish primer in 1999, they told me they made the primer more sensitive. Well that was not what I wanted to hear.

    When CCI#34 primers were $70/5000, I tried to buy a life time supply. If things work out, I will have a very long life.

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    If you do alot of Garandicon shooting, then you should know a vast array of people you shoot with, that reload. I think this is where to start, getting a buddy to show you the ropes. You can see what he has, what he does and why!
    There are some shooters who reload the same cartridges and reload in a buddy system, sharing the costs in the equipment and components and reloading in bulk, that can be a cost saving for both.
    Other than that, if you are going at it alone, manuals should be obtained for the style of cartridge in which you intend to reload. Equipment can be purchased at estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, gun shows and the online sources such as gunbroker, auction arms or guns america. I am not sure about craigs list, but I know that big auction site E-B_Y has many great deals on used equipment.
    Slamfire1 knows this cartridge for the Garand, so when he talks about components, listen very carefully, you can't go wrong with his years and years of reloading expertise.
    If you are looking at brand name equipment, RCBS, LYMAN, REDDING, LEE, WILSON and SINCLAIR all have the right equipment to take care of all of your reloading needs.

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    I agree with Matt. Watch someone do it start to finish. A picture is worth a thousand words. You will catch on much quicker. Buy a good manual and start looking around and shopping for componets.

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    I practice what I preach. Yesterday was a wonderful day, and I decided to shoot my match Garandicon in my Club's 100 yard Highpower match. I was happy with my results, considering that I had not fired that particular rifle since Dec 2007.

    The group size for the sitting target is about the same size as the prone. Only proving that my butt is flatter than my belly.



    Last edited by slamfire1; 03-08-2009 at 11:08 AM.

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    Slamfire, Impressive shooting!

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    Your good, very good!

    OFC

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