What tools do I need?

[drewga11]

I've been reloading. 45acp, 45lc, and 460 for a couple of years now and probably loaded a few thousand all together. However, I have never messed with any rifle calibers and would like to start loading .308 Win. I'm only using a single stage press and I've not really needed anything other than dies, components, scale, powder measure, and a caliper to this point. So, beyond dies, what additional tools do I need to purchase in order to load .308s? I'm assuming I need some sort of case prep stuff, but I also need to know what additional steps are involved in the process.

Also, if there is anyone near me, that wouldnt mind taking the time to show me the process and walk me through it, I would greatly appreciate it

 

[YOTESHOOTER]

We suggest...

RCBS SMALL BASE FULL LENGTH DIES (CARBIDE DIES)
SHELL HOLDER (RCBS) SUGGEST YOU USE SAME MANUFACTURES ON DIES AND SHELL HOLDERS
LUBE PAD
CASE LUBE (RCBS LUBE OIL, NOT THE RUNNY SPRAY)
TRIMMING DEVICE FOR 308, (LEE WOULD BE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE)
PRIMER POCKET CLEANING HANDLE & PRIMER CLEANING BRUSH INSERTS (NEED BOTH SMALL AND LARGE POCKET BRUSH INSERTS)
STUCK CASE REMOVAL SET
A TUMBLER TO CLEAN THE CASES

This should cover items needed for your depriming and loading the process...

Be sure to LUBE THE CASES AND THE MOUTH OF THE CASES, or you will get a stuck case and that is an adventure in itself...
If you over lube some cases and you will, it can cause hydraulics and put small indentations in the necks, it will not hurt anything (you can shoot it can as long as your Case OAL in with in your loading books SAMMI SPECS. You can still shoot the ammo and upon shooting the ammo it will blow out the small indentations) and the case should be good to go, always check the brass for signs of case fatigue, or possible failure, or small cracks or splitting areas on the cases.

Wishing you much success in your new adventure in your reloading quest...

Some of the other individuals on here may also have some good suggestions for you too strongly consider also...

 

[Nuke And Juke]

If we are talking accuracy vs range plink...
I recommend Redding dies, case trimmer and some sort of primer crimp pocket remover.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jeep78]

For non crimped-primer brass, you just need a case length trimmer and some case lube in addition to what you already have. (and a set of dies, of course. Lee dies work just fine).

Lee sells some lanolin based case lube that does not have to be removed once dry, and it does not degrade powder or primers.

 

[richs]

Be careful when depriming .308 shells, I had a batch with Berdan primers and messed up my deprimer. All dies are set up to process Boxer primers, I needed to order a new deprimer, and had to visually check each shell, I used a fiber-optic light to look inside the shell..

 

[1006]

Shopping list from https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/:

On the cheap, the minimum added equipment:

A case mouth deburring tool--the one that looks like a rocket.
A trimmer.
A set of dies--I like the Redding Deluxe Die set that comes with a neck sizer, full length sizer, and a seater die. The Redding decapping rod, and seater can be removed to allow a loaded round to be fully inserted if you should have a good reason to do so. As said before the Lee set is cheaper, and they are available in several combinations. All you need is the Lee RGD set, it is just a sizing die and seating die.

Any popular lube, I have used STP oil treatment and it works great, I prefer Hornady One Shot case lube--you do not have to clean the cases a second time after the sizing, just one time before, everyone has a favorite and good reasons for their choice.

Your 45ACP shell holder will do the job.

You can use a 308 cleaning brush on the necks.

A universal decapping die is nice, you can knock the primers out before you tumble. If you wait to knock out when you size them, you may want to tumble again to clean the primer pockets. The only way that I know of to really clean the pockets is by hand with a brush made for the job or steel pin wet tumbling.

Just put any crimped primer brass in a separate box for another day, or find a way to remove the crimp. You can use a swagger, or a cutter. I like the cutter--you are only cutting away a very small amount.

 

[noylj]

Wow, need is quite different from want.
What I NEED to load ANY bottleneck cartridge:
1) press
2) dies (standard sizing and seating—never needed a small base die yet)
3) Either Lee Case Trimmer
or
6" caliper (to measure case length) and lathe trimmer and pilot.
4) COL is almost always the length that fits the magazine and doesn't bind. I don't think I have found a bullet that needed a shorted COL to chamber. For my T/C Contender and other single-shot hand-rifles, I size just enough so the action can close (move the should back about 0.001-0.002") and the COL is where the ogive makes light contact with the lede.
Then, into more the "like" area:
5) I "like" to charge cases using a bench-mounted powder measure (Lee PPM works great, but any measure is adequate). Immediately after charging the case, I look inside to verify that there is powder and that it is at about the right height), then seat the bullet--immediately (no breaks, just charge/inspect/seat). If I load on my progressives, I am forced to remove the case from the shell plate to actually SEE the powder, so I tend to load all bottleneck cartridges on my Co-Ax.
6) I am not a competitive long-range precision rifle shooter, so I am happy with 0.75-1.25" groups at 100 yards and don't waste any time with all the little fiddly things so many like to do. The few I have tried did NOT improve accuracy at all, so I see them as a waste of my time that can better be spent at the range.
7) The only thing I have tried and saw a very slight statistical improvement in accuracy was to lightly outside neck turn some .223 cases to remove the worst of the non-concentricity. Because of this, I have both the Lee case trimmers and a Wilson lathe trimmer.

 

[Crubear]

noylj, if you ever find a bullet that reaches the lands in a Contender (factory barrel) you've got the wrong cartridge in the chamber

 

[noylj]

Must have mis-machined my 7mm T/CU barrel.
Thanks. After shooting it for about 30 years, maybe I should send it back?

 

[rosewood]

Have to seat my 7mm tcu cast boolit out at least 1/4" past the crimp groove to reach the lands. Shoots great there. My 357 mag barrel, I am unable to reach the lands with the boolit still inside the case.