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Thanks RenrichOne can get into handloading fairly inexpensively in the US but it can get expensive if you want a lot of production quickly. I haven't done any in a while and gave away all my stuff but one needs a press, scales, dies, empty cases, primers, powder and bullets, plus a few other small supplies. I don't know what current prices are but am sure they are much higher than when I started. Just a guess but maybe 500 dollars would get one started. Smokeless powder should not be much of a terrorist alert problem.
Things for reloading are getting tough to find,especially primers. Most of the popular calibers are sold out at places like Natchez,Midwayusa,midsouthshooters supply and cabela's...Just about everything is on backorder.
Are set-up costs high?
What equipment is involved for re-charging spent cases?
So how many times can you re-use a spent case? I imagine there's only so many times you can strike the case with a firing pin.
Since the up-scale in terrorist alert, how difficult is it to buy gunpowder etc over the counter now?
Regarding handloads for .308, I typically use the same powder charge you described or something similar to push a 168 grain HPBT match bullet to 2600-2650 fps. IMR 4064 and Winchester 748 also work pretty well for this application.
I finally figured out the Black Hills Match uses 46.5 gr BL(C) and it shoots light out in three separate rifles - far better than Federal match 168's. Nosler Ballistic tips, Accubond and Sierra Matchking all keep me under .6 MOA for 5 shot groups in an M-1 (7.62x51 Navy version), M-1A1 and AR-10
Hello Colin1,
Handloading is the process by which the spent cartridge cases are resized back to original (we hope) dimensions and the expended primer, powder, and bullet replaced with new components. It is less expensive than new ammunition and hopefully the quality is better as well. The cartridge case is the most expensive part of small arms ammunition (usually) and it is reuseable to some extent.
- Ivan.
My grandpa(who is a Marine veteran of the PTO and is still living) swears by the .303. He builds rifles using the Enfield action as well as the Mauser. But his preference for many years has been the .303 and has brought down many large game in the Rockies using this cartridge. As a matter in fact this year will be his last hunt he says, after all he was born in 1922.The Lee Enfield is really nice to shoot, it has a very mild kick and good accuracy, a great rifle. Also it's got an unusually smooth bolt operation.
All true, unless you're using the Jungle carbine (like I was). It had a rubber but plate just to absorb some of the recoil, and I could never get 2 rounds even close together even when I aimed at the previous impact.The Lee Enfield is really nice to shoot, it has a very mild kick and good accuracy, a great rifle. Also it's got an unusually smooth bolt operation.
All true, unless you're using the Jungle carbine (like I was). It had a rubber but plate just to absorb some of the recoil, and I could never get 2 rounds even close together even when I aimed at the previous impact.
This is the Lee Enfield I was talking about. Even according to historical reports, the zeroing of the rifle shifted from day to day, and usually without weather or outside cause. On a side note, my friend is going to let me shoot the accurized version of the Mosin Nagant (can't remember which nation made them), that he is thinking about putting on a Russian scope from the period.