NEW RELOADER HELP

[mattmillerrx]

I am gradually getting every thing I need to reload.  Have most everything now but bullets, primers, and powder.  I am going through the reloading book and am a bit overwhelmed. Here is the two reloads I plan to start with and will eventually load for all my guns, I want to know what powder, bullet and primers to use (what has proven to work well for you, so I can save time and money):

30-06 Springfield to be out of a 1903a3
would like one load for military bolt action match (50 shots at 100yds) so a lighter recoil much preferred
May use in future for a deer gun so a deer load would be nice too but mostly need the light load for now

1896 marlin 44 mag
will be used for wife's deer gun so light recoil will be preferred
most shots will be 50-75 yds

Again am overwhelmed with options so a good starting point will be greatly appreciated.
any other tips will be taken as well

thanks
MGM

[Scibaer]

MGM,
 im new to reloading too. i felt overwhelmed at first to but what i did was concentrate on one load. i went thru the manual, picked a starting load and got the correct powder for that load
 i didnt worry about  working it up or improving it , i just loaded about 20 bullets using that reciept and went and shot them.
 it can be a bit to much if you look at the whole listing for a specific caliber at once. if you pick a starting level load, and focus on that, it may not be the best shooting, or the fastest, but it will get you moving, a growing understanding of what it takes to handload and get you shooting your own loads.
then you can move up to better conditions, you will understand more and be able to get a feel for the reciepts you are looking at and be able to work up a load of your own.
read and re-read the instructional part the manual several times before you put brass to press and go real slow, double check every move you make, dont worry about speed.
triple check the amount of powder you use, check the manual, check the scale and be sure everything is right, focusing on that one reciept .
 after you get 20 or so made up  got shoot them, size tumble and clean the cases and start over. cleaning and resizing one fired cases is a part of reloading and when you come to that part of it and reload using that same start load, then you will not feel overwhelemed , you will have some understanding and confidnece.
thats my experience and two cents worth of advice,
keep those questions coming too
glenn

[stimpylu32]

MGM

Welcome to the wild world of handloading , yes all the numbers can be a touch overwhelming , my advice is to start with the 44 mag as it is a strait walled case . Do you plan to use cast or jacketed bullets ? From the rifle a heavy cast bullet will do wonders on deer , something like the cast 240 grain with either Unique or 2400 would be good to start .

As for the 06 , look at the 150 to 165 grain bullet weights with either IMR 4350 or Benchmark powders , both will do well in this round , just go with starting loads for now as Glenn has said .

RULE # 1 --- Take your time and recheck everything . 

RULE # 2 --- Enjoy , yes it can be fun once you figger it out . 

[Catfish]

I have always liked 4831, either IMR or Hodgens. I would also recommend the 150 gr. bullets for deer and use the same for paper. That was you have a better idea of what the gun will do when you take it hunting. If you want a load for groundhogs try the 130 gr. Speer HP`s, a great varmint bullet. As for the .44 mag. I also recommend a 240 gr. bullet. I like the Sierra`s for handguns, but would recommend the 240 Hornady`s for a rifle. Cast bullets would also work well with the correct bullets. If you go with cast bullets go with a hard cast gas checked 240 gr. with a flat point. A max. load of Win-296 powder should not be to much for your wife.

[Castaway]

Trying all of the combinations of all of the components would take a life time.  Start with a classic powder, select a good performing bullet and then load lots of five or six in 1 grain increments.  Find the sweet spot where the group tightens then opens up, then do the same in 0.1 or 0.2 grain increments.  You can't go wrong with a 4895 in your 30-06, though there are others just as good.  A 150 grain bullet from a Core-lock to Nosler Partition will shoot well with the right charge of powder.  In the 44, for mild to medium loads approaching 1,100 f/s in a carbine, Unique is the way I'd go.  For hotter loads, H110, any of the 4227's or 2400 are classics to choose from, all loaded under a 240 grain or better Keith style bullet or one from Veral if you decide to do your own casting.

[LaOtto222]

When starting I usually pick the bullet first. It is the most expensive component next to the case. Pick it for performance, or cost, or weight or a combination of these . When choosing the bullet consider the twist rate of your particular firearm. After deciding on a particular bullet look in your manual/s for bullets of the same weight and construction. Then choose a likely powder based on the manuals recommendation (some give them - some do not) or performance. Based on the powder choose a primer. Start with the lowest powder charge weight and work your way up in increments to the highest recommended weight. Seat your bullets to the OAL recommendations. Watch for pressure signs as you go up the ladder of heavier loads. If you get lucky, you find a satisfactory load before you get to the upper limit. You can start experimenting with bullet seat depth to fine tune your load a little more. If you do find a good load then pull down the cases for any that are left over. Take the components and load again to the loads you found satisfactory. If you reach pressure signs stop shooting these loads and any above it. Pull them down. If you do not find a satisfactory load along the way, then you have to start over using a different component. I usually switch bullets or powder, depending on the performance I saw during the previous testing. This is a guess to start with, after you do it a few times, you get better at deciding what to switch, but there is still some luck involved hitting the "mother lode" with some firearms. Other firearms seem to shoot just about anything you throw in them well, some better than others, but nothing bad. These are easy to develop loads for. The other can be frustrating. Good Luck on a pursuit of perfection. I personally, like to reload and consider it a challenge to find that great load.

[mattmillerrx]

Thanks for all the great advice.  Castaway that was just what I was looking for was which powder to use, and you put it better than me "a classic powder".  The way you describe working up a load was just what I had in mind was to do about 5 of 4-5 different powder wts and see which is best and load up more of the best.  I think Glenn had a good point to just do some to get started and worry about perfection later.  I may do that.

MGM

[Castaway]

Good luck.  Bullet first, or powder, doesn't make much of a difference.  Bullet weight will determine the powder if you go that way.