Have never attempted the reloading procedures. But I am eager to begin. That being said, I need to know the process in starting. Example what all from beginning to end am I going to need to get started? My plans are to load and re-load 243,270, 280, 7mm, 7mm-08, and 30-30. I realize this is a lot. So if we can just start with one caliber, I think I can move from there on to the next round.
So please, let's start off with the 280, as it's my favorite. From beginning to end what all will do need to purchase in order to get the ball rolling.
Thanks so much
I Did
The absolute first item on the shopping list is a reloading manual. You can pick any brand, I recommend the Lee manual since Richard has a good way of explaining things and actually describes the process start to finish in detail in the front of the latest edition of his manual - just gloss over the sales puffery about cost and quality of Lee products. Make that decision on your own when you go shopping.
Second item on the list - a book called the ABC's of Reloading. It is available in print and electronic.
Third item - ask questions and don't be afraid to ask someone to let you help next time they are reloading so you can observe/learn or go to your local outfitter or range and see if someone offers a class (usually just a couple hours).
AFTER you have read both books, you are ready to ask questions here about brands/colors of presses, dies, etc. I, and many others will strongly suggest you buy a single stage as your first press. The reason is simple - it is a simple machine that does one thing at a time and you can learn one step at a time and also, even if you move into progressive in the future, there is always a need/home for a single stage to work up a new recipe or to decap a lot of brass, etc. Don't let the Blue Crew convince you otherwise, you need a single stage and if you know you are going progressive in the future just buy a less expensive single stage or a used one to learn on and have for those small batches.
The following is the "cliff notes" version of what you will do and need:
Components i.e. cases, primers, bullets, and powder. Start collecting your spent brass now if you haven't already.
Equipment includes a means to clean the brass, a press, dies, powder measure device(s), assorted small (hand) tools, and storage.
Cleaning supplies/equipment - some reloaders pride themselves on shiny as a new mirror ammo, others claim to never clean brass. Ultimately, you are going to end up with some brass that has dirt in or on it, carbon buildup in the primer pocket, etc. and sooner or later you will not be willing to put it in a container of warm soapy water and shake like crazy. Options are tumblers (dry or wet) or sonic cleaners and cost runs the gamut, spend a little or spend a lot, they all make dirty brass clean, it is how clean and how long it takes that you pay to acquire. The tumbler needs media (metal if wet; corncob or walnut if dry, and a chemical if sonic); a sifter or sorter makes life easier but not an absolute necessity. A tool to clean/scrape built up carbon from the primer pocket is borderline mandatory - luckily a small blade screw driver will suffice in a pinch but primer pocket tools are pretty inexpensive. Also if you are working with military brass - there are a couple additionally items you will need (does not apply to .280 rounds.)
Next is a towel or drying space - if you use wet tumbler or sonic cleaner. Literally, this part is the easiest and cheapest, you just need to dry so an old bath towel that you would otherwise throw away or a couple shop towels.
You will need a press and dies. (Read shopping items 1 & 2 BEFORE you buy these tools, you will be glad you did). Of course the press needs someplace to sit or be mounted (bench? but I assume you have the space to reload picked out already). Dies you will need at a minimum are a Full Length sizing die and a seater die for the rounds you are making, in this scenario 280. If shooting a bolt action, you MAY opt for a Neck sizing die but for the time being, let's just work with full length resizing. Now at this stage the minimum equipment is a press and dies, but reality is different, you want (pretty much need) calipers, bullet puller, a powder measure and reloading tray. You also need case mouth lube and a means to measure the powder i.e. "Lee dippers" or scales and I have never used the dippers so I personally say scales are mandatory. A powder trickle is a "nice to have item" but one you can certainly live without, ditto on the powder measure. You also need a means to trim the brass (including deburring tool) if reloading rifle and a go/no-go gauge is pretty handy but not necessary since you have calipers. Finally a box to store the complete ammo in is pretty much a necessity.
The steps - again this is the Cliff Notes version, please read at a minimum one reloading manual and the ABC's of Reloading before you try this at home -
1. clean the brass as necessary
2. set up your press with the sizer die, make sure the recapping rod is in or out based on your brass and even if you purchase new brass, full length size it the first time anyway.
3. add little (very little) lube to the case mouth
4. insert brass into case holder and raise the ram to size (and if the DC rod is in place, decap the brass)
5. Lower the ram and remove the clean, decapped and sized brass which must now be checked for length (remember those calipers, or if you opted a go-no go gauge)
6. trim the brass if necessary (the reloading manual will tell you the maximum cartridge length but over time you may "adjust slightly" to get a perfect fit for your rifle, first several hundred need to be to book numbers and "adjust" that length only with extreme caution.
7. place the trimmed and ready to prime brass in the reloading tray and repeat with another piece of brass, then repeat again, etc. until you have a batch.
8. prime each piece of brass in the batch
9. add powder to each piece of brass in the batch
10. set up your press with the sizer die and one piece at a time, insert the brass into the shell holder, place a bullet on the case mouth, raise the ram and seat the bullet.
11. lower the ram and extract the completed round
12. repeat
Now, that may sound like a lot but it really goes fast when you get a rhythm going and some of the "nice to haves" make it much faster. Setting up the dies the first time is the most difficult part in my opinion. A fellow reloader is your second most valuable resource, the first is a reloading manual so go back to step one - acquire a reloading manual (again, I recommend Richard Lee's book as the first manual) and acquire ABC's of Reloading and read.