I just bought a used Remington 30.06 bolt action and ammo was $21 for a 20 count box. Is that a decent price ? I was told that I should reload, is that good advice ? If that is a good idea, what would I need? Can you buy a "kit" with everything in it? I have a friend that reloads, would I need some particulars to use his press for my caliber. I have never reloaded and need some advice. Thanks!
Buy or borrow this book , http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1064217655/lyman-reloading-handbook-49th-edition-reloading-manual Read it cover to cover, Then...read it again. That's the first thing you should do, Then you will have a good starting knowledge of whats involved in reloading. Best advice I can give you. Until then....buy commercial ammo. Jim
Get with your friend and ask if he is set up to reload that caliber. Maybe if you buy the dies and other needed items for reloading he would let you use his equipment and even show you the ropes of reloading. Getting started buying a good reloading outfit will run between $500 to $700. Friend letting you use his equipment and his experience would be the cats meow. IMO I just checked price and they range from .53 a round to 99.9 per round.
If you plan to shoot a lot, reloading could be the way to go. If you're just going to sight in before each deer season then go hunting, I would not see a need to roll your own. When I first started reloading (1980), I bought three books on reloading and five reloading manuals. (I had a large supply of brass and was going to load for four calibers to start with). You should ask your friend to tell you all about his reloading and learn all you can from him. Next buy some books on the subject and study up on it for yourself. If you do buy a kit, it should have a good solid press for loading the 30-06. Keep in mind, the ammo you buy is where your brass supply will come from. So buy the name brand stuff.
You can buy a kit at any big box store to get started. It will have most of what you need. RCBS is the top brand name but Hornady, Lyman, and Lee are good too. I'd suggest the "Partner" kit from RCBS. It's a smaller press, but will reload your '06 rounds just fine and the kit is less than $200. You will need a few more things besides what's in the kit also. Not sure what that will run you.
One good thing about reloading is the money you can save over time should you decide that you want to do a lot of shooting. If you are just sighting your rifle in for hunting season, then it would be a waste. If you want to shoot a lot at the range or some other area that you can get access to, then reloading would definitely be worth your while. I have seen many who thought they wanted to reload, got into it and found out that it wasn't their bag of tea. Prior to anything, buy a Lyman's book and it will cover quite of bit of material to digest. They cost about $30.00 however it will be one of the FIRST and best investments you can make on whether to reload or not. It is no hard nor nothing magic about it however it will give you a better understanding of how a round works and what makes a good round into a better round. BUT first buy the book and carefully, carefully read it first. Good luck!! Tommy
If you have one 30-06 and not sure if you want to take the complete plunge into reloading, you can do what a lot of us did. Start with a Lee Classic Loading kit. It is a complete set up, except for a plastic mallet that you can reload with. It sells for $27.99 from Midway , Cabela's and other places. It can be used to reload perfectly good ammo, it will only neck size but that is fine for a bolt action rifle, adds to accuracy and extends case life. The perfect way to get your feet wet in reloading. I still have one in 30-06 , 45 acp and 38 special even though I have 3 presses, they are handy to reload with when you can't get tou your big bench mounted presses. Save those once fired cases, that's the most expensive part. Gary
There are lots of great reasons to take up handloading, saving money however, might not be among them. That said, it's a fun, rewarding hobby and I encourage you to read all you can about it and then decide. You can start small as the above post mentions, without breaking the bank.
Reloading is a big part of shooting . It gives the shooter a thing to do when it is cold raining or just can not go out and shoot . Reloading is almost as much fun as shooting . In Indiana it was been cold and when it is not so cold it is raining . If not for the time I can play with my loaders I would go nuts .\\ Sometimes I think I shoot so I can reload .
I started reloading several years ago for a hobby. When the ammo shortage came about, '08 and forward, it saved some cash. I bought components when the price was right. I saved my brass after firing factory rounds, and traded brass when I could. Now it is a little of each and I love it. Plus as stated above, you can tweak a round to fit your needs. But most importantly, I didn't read one manual, I gradually bought and read three. And I use all three for load data. No one manual has all the data on any cartridge. Also if you access the powder company websites you can find a lot of brand specific load data. Always acquire as much info as you can and once you're sure of your abilities, HAVE FUN!
Ended up selling the 30-06. It was an amazing rifle to shoot. very accurate. I think I will look into a 22-250.
I have a 30-06 and a 22-250 and love to shoot them and reload for them, along with the other guns I have. I don't have a place to hunt, but I enjoy reloading and target shooting all my guns. My wife had never shot a gun when we married, now she loves it.
You'll love the 22-250. It seems to respond quite well to handloading. Some H380 and your favorite 50 to 55 grain bullet, and you're off to a good start.
^^^^this^^^^ I got started in reloading using the Lee Loader for 30/06 some 37 years ago. Still remember my first load. It was a suggested load with the kit. Consisted of CCI primer, DuPont 3031 powder, and a Hornady 150 grain bullet. My first 3 reloads went through the barrel of my Savage M110E and landed in the target 100 yards away. Produced a cloverleaf group that you could cover with a dime. I have collected the Lee Loaders since 2000, have one for most of my firearms, rifle, pistol, and shotgun. Never have I had a primer go off, which is the biggest complaint you hear. I also bought a small Arbor press to use with the Lee Loaders. Keeps the wife happy and works very well. Still, there is something therapeutic about hitting on things with a hammer!
