Many reloading questions

[coyote trapper1928]

 

Hi.   Been looking at a .300 Savage lately and compared the ammo available for it and the prices of said ammo.    The ammo runs around $20.00 or more a box of 20.  So , that brings a few(several) question to mind .

1. Only saw 150 and 180 grain factory loads.  What can be loaded in other weights?

2. How long can we reasonably expect factory loaded ammo to remain available on the market for the .300 Savage?

3. How easy is it to learn how to reload ammo?

4. What are the costs involved?

5. What would a box of 20 rounds of the .300 Savage cost to reload? Assuming that you went out and bought new brass to reload.

6. Any other things I might have missed on the subject??

Thanks,

[beemanbeme]

1. considering how many old beater (and new) .300Savages there are around, I doubt that the chance to buy store bought .300Sav ammo would run out in your lifetime.

2.The 150 and 180 gr bullets pretty well spans what the .300 does well.  150's for white tails and 180's for the bigger stuff.  If you reloaded, the 165's might be a good choice.

3. reloading is easy to learn.  First off, buy a good reloading book.  Right now, I think Lymans 48th is about the best.  Read it from cover to cover.  Any of the nuances you don't understand, come ask us.
 4. Reloading is like golf.  You can spend all the money you want to.  My suggestion is to go the Lee Loader route.  It don't get no simpler than that. For about $50, you can be loading ammo as good as anything you can buy.  Or, next step up, get the Lee starter kit for about $100.  You don't reload too many boxes of ammo versus $20.00 a box store bought before you've saved your investment.  Some folks will suggest you mortage the house and buy the very best equipment and every gadget on the market.  My opinion, as stated, is that you kinda ease into things.  As your knowledge and experience grows, you can up-grade or add to you "stuff". 

5. I don't know if the figures hold up or not, but when I started reloading, using range pick-ups, I figured I could reload 100 rounds of 30-06 ammo for the cost of a box of store bought. (that doesn't include the cost of equipment, that takes longer to amortize)  Figure that 100 empty cases at $20-25 will last a long, long time.  On something like the .300Sav, you should get 8 or 10 or more reloads before the cases need to be replaced. 

6. Did I save money?  No but I did a helluva lot more shooting for my money. 

7. The only stupid question is the question not asked.  No matter what their posture, everyone in here started at ground zero.  And there isn't anything dumb that you could do, that we haven't done.  Just be sure and ask the questions before you blow your fingers off.   

[Siskiyou]

The .300 Savage has been doing the job a long time with factory loads.  But I reload for my .300 Savage.

I currently have a bunch of 150 grain Hornaday bullets loaded, along with a selection of 165 grain Remington C-L, Hornaday, and Nosler PT loaded for it.  I loaded the Nosler Petitions because I have them.  I tend to load moderately heavy bullets because I like deep and full penetration if I encounter a bear.

Learning to reload is easy, but follow the directions.  Read the directions before starting out.  And read the instructions that come with your die set.

I use Small Base RCBS dies in the .300 Savage.  There is an advantage to using small base dies if your rifle is a lever or pump action.  But another advantage is if you buy once fired 7.62 NATO brass.  I resize this brass in my full length resizing die, and then trim it to the correct length.  It works great.  I then ream out the military crimp in the primer pocket.  This is good brass and works great in the .300 Savage.  I have also purchased bulk brass.

My reloading cost are far less then what I will show.  The reason is that I bought my bullets and brass years back.  But if you watch what you buy the components cost will be about $12.00 a box.  My cost is about half that.

My favorite powder for the .300 Savage is IMR4064 for 150 and 165 grain loads.  I have had very good results with AA2015 and IMR4320 with 150-grain loads.

I recommend that you purchase a good reloading manual before you start, and READ the reloading directions.   I agree Lymans 48th is good.    I have also found reloading manuals in public librarys.   Compare any loads posted on the Internet with those in a manual.  I have seen loads posted by an individual, which would turn a rifle into a bomb.

Tools: Press, Small Bass dies, powder scale, powder funnel, loading block, case trimmer, case length gauge, safety glasses, and a primer pocket reamer if you use military cases.

It is important to inspect your work.  I have made mistakes, and I know that I will make one or two more in the next twenty years.

[Maryland Hunter]

coyote trapper,

Rather than answer your individual questions, (to which you already have some great responses), my first piece of advice would be to get two reloading manuals, and read them completely before starting. I always recommend two, as they each have different information in them, all good. My favorites are Modern Reloading, by Richard Lee, and either the Hornady manual or the Sierra book. All three have great info for the beginner reloader, as well as some things that the more experienced need to reference from time-to-time. Warning, what you "need" and what you'll eventually want for reloading are two very different things! It is an interesting and very addictive hobby. If you read the rules, and pay attention to what you're doing, it is very safe as well.

Good loading and shooting,
MH

[Questor]

1. Only saw 150 and 180 grain factory loads.  What can be loaded in other weights?
--There are lots of bullet weights available, from 100 grain varmint bullets to 220 grain heavy bullets. It's best to research what weights work best in the cartridge and stick with them. Also research brands and models that are best suited to it. Some 30 caliber bullets were designed for high velocity magnums, others for 30-06. Get bullets that are designed to work at 300 savage velocities on the game you want to hunt. This is very important.

2. How long can we reasonably expect factory loaded ammo to remain available on the market for the .300 Savage?
-- 20 years

3. How easy is it to learn how to reload ammo?
-- pretty easy. You need to be safety concious.

4. What are the costs involved?
-- For good equipment and some components to start with it, $500. Maybe a bit more. It only pays for itself if you plan to shoot a lot.

5. What would a box of 20 rounds of the .300 Savage cost to reload? Assuming that you went out and bought new brass to reload.
-- 1/3rd the price of factory ammo in the long run.

6. Any other things I might have missed on the subject??
-- Consider the amount of time involved. Is it worth an hour to two hours of your time to load a box of ammo? Midsouth Shooters Supply and Midway and Grafs are good suppliers of equipment and components. Loading in volume allows you to streamline you process and load, for example, 100 rounds in less than 5 times the time it takes to load one box of 20 rounds.