Reloading for C&R firearms

[Richard Simmons]

I was wondering how many members reload for some of the more obscure calibers? Personally I'm interested in reloading 8x56R, 7.5MAS and 30.06 (Garand).

[Gilly]

I reload for 30-06(1903 & 1903a3), 7.62.54r(SVT 40), 303British, 6.5x55(42B & M96), 455 Webley(a couple Canadian Officers S&Ws), 7.62x25(CZ52), 7.62 Nagant pistol, 7.62x39 and set up to load several other calibers of military arms as soon as I can purchase them. I would be happy to exchange information with you.

[Richard Simmons]

Won't be much of an exchange at first. I'm only set up for .45ACP at the moment. I definetly will be reloading for my Garand soon as well as the 7.5 MAS. I have an RCBS Pardner Press. What dies do you use/recommend? I'm wondering about brand, two or three die, neck resizing versus full length, etc. Also welcome to the board. Hope you find something here you like.

[Gilly]

Richard any of the major brand of dies. I have RCBS, Pacific, Redding, Lee, Bonanza and Dillon. I find the Lee look cheap but they work just as well. The partner press is a good starting press. I think my first press was a Rock Chucker. I have one Dillon 1050, two Dillon 650s, one Dillon 550, two Bonanza Co-Ax presses, one Rock Chucker and several Lee single stage presses. I reload for various cartridges from .25 ACP to 585 Nayti (spelling, I can never remember how to spell it and spell check doesn't help). I neck size only for my precision bolt guns and .303 British and full size for everything else. I found that I have never needed to use a small base die for semi-autos. My kids and I shoot lots of .45 ACP and I use a standard practice load of 4.6 WW231 and a hardcast lead 200 grain SWC. Pretty easy on the gun and very pleasant to shoot. Also I am kind of anal about trimming rifle brass so I check it every time and trim as needed. Usually I trim to a length just under maximum. I also tumble all of my fired rifle cases in walnut hulls, resize and trim, tumble in a liquid tumbler (with extremely small ball steel shot) and then tumble dry in corn cob. With pistol I deprime and throw into the liquid tumbler and then tumble dry. Talk to you soon, David.

[Schuetzenman]

Wow Gilly you've got a fortune in reloading presses! :eek: You must be a rich guy! I've got my first press an RCBS Jr. press that I started reloading with back in high school in 1973. I also have a Dillon 550B and that does me for most all my needs. Some day if I get back to shooting competition I might get another Dillon 550 B and leave it set up for large primers and the old one for small primers. That's my pet peeve for the Dillons, I hate changing the primer systems.

[Schuetzenman]

Richard,
Yes I reload, but not for many of the calibers out there in the surplus market. Basically if there's cheap surplus ammo I shoot surplus. 7.62 X 54 R for example or the X 39 for the AK's etc. I don't reload 8 mm either.

.30-06 I do reload for but also shoot surplus in my Garands and Springfields. I also reload 6.5 X 55 for my Sweds.

On dies, Reddings IMO are the best over all. Lee Collet dies do a really good job on neck sizing and make the brass last a long time. In neck vs. full length sizing you have to consider if you want to dedicate batches of brass to an individual rifle or do you want to have one set of brass in the caliber that you can reload and shoot in any number of rifles in that caliber.

Neck sizing will require segregation of the brass to an individual rifle, however it makes the brass last 4 or 5 times longer than full length sizing.

Gas operated rifles like Garands are going to require full lenght sizing and the brass should be pitched after about 5 reloadings or you could find yourself with head seperations.

[Gilly]

Schuetzenman, not rich just enjoy shooting with the children and grandchildren. The Dillons are set up for pistol calibers and 7.62x39, 223 and 30 carbine with the exception of the 550 which is set up for 303 British, 7.62x54r, 30-06, .308 and 6.5x55. I do alot of rifle reloading on the Bonanza Co-Ax presses. Like you I hate changing primer size, hence the two 650s. On any given range day the family and friends can go through a couple thousand rounds at a sitting. I enjoy the military calibers and some of the precision guns 30-338, .308 and .223. What type of powder are you using for your 6.5x55? For the M96 I use AA3100 but I was going to try some surplus 846 for the M42B.

[Richard Simmons]

Thanks for the info guys. I was wondering about case life, paticualarly in the 30.06. Figuring some loss at the range and so forth, 800rds should be give me about 3-4K rounds total before they are tossed. Sounds like one years allotment from the CMP should handle a lifetimes worth of brass needs.