Setup

[houdni]

since im new to the art of 308AR hand loads?

mind if some of you share your thought on preference equipment, dies and what to gets.... maybe some tips as well....brand name dies that you like ....my rcbs rock came in... my case cleaner will be coming in soon...and currently bidding on an rcbs pro case trimmer as well...

[imschur]

Im a fan of Redding dies and powder measures

[SWshooter]

I'm a fan of Mercedes and Ferarri, but I don't drive one.

[survivalshop]

95 % of my dies are RCBS ,never had a problem with them( 30 + years ), but all the name brands are good . Ya can't go wrong as long as you buy quality dies.

I prefer SB sizing dies ,most say you don't need them & since both my .223 & .308 dies a SB ,I have never had the need to find out , because of a fail to chamber , if I really needed them .

I still use the Pad with RCBS lube , never had a stuck case .

I like my Redding powder measure , with its micrometer  adj..

[draco41]

I'm a fan of Mercedes and Ferarri, but I don't drive one.

the new Lexus super car..... :o drool...

[Dusty44]

Redding Trickler.  It is very heavy,  cannot imagine chasing a very light trickler around and trying to be precise.  Almost every powder I use gets static cling or otherwise jams when flowing into the cases.  I watch the powder and assure that all the powder has flowed into the cases. ALL my loads are individually measured on a beam scale. 

I have been using a Lee scale but it is suffering from poor storage conditions (not enough space,  too much gear).  If you buy a Lee scale make a case.  Glue,  cardboard,  varnish will suffice.  Glue the case parts together you designed and made,  heavily varnish it (any polyurethane leftover varnish laying around?) then paint it with silver/aluminum spray paint.  If you do not want aluminum,  spray it the color of choice after the aluminum dries enough.  Cardboard saturated with varnish is strong and durable.  If you make a wood case,  the aluminum paint will still help.  It is a standard trick a lot of places.

The aluminum is tiny plates of metal in the clear paint fluid.  It will cover over anything quickly with a thin coat.  When the aluminum paint is dry to the touch (or wait a week?) spray on the final color.  Otherwise the undersurface color and texture will bleed through interminably.

I am about to buy a bigger and much more expensive beam scale.  I will probably buy another Lee scale too.  And make a case for it this time.   

[survivalshop]

Go to digital scale  & you will never look back. At first I would check my charge on the beam scale ,but don't even bother any more .

I only use a powder trickler (RCBS )on my precision loads (hunting ,target ) blasting ammo just goes through the Redding , with an occasional weight check .

[SWshooter]

unless your loading some real precision loads, I wouldn't trickle 'em either. My RCBS measures are within 1/10 gr with any decent measuring powder.

[Worriedman]

Redding Full Length Type S dies allow you to swap out bushings for the neck portion of the resize operation.  If you are like me, I use several different brands of brass, and the Redding lets me custom fit the die to various neck wall thicknesses.  Worth every penny of the price for my use.  I picked up 1000 pc.s of LC then came upon 1000 pc.s of Hornady TAP once fired.  My Dillon dies worked fine on the LC brass, but did not constrict the neck of the Hornady enough to hold the bullets securely.  The Redding allowed me to change out the bushing and use the TAP brass.

[SWshooter]

As for static and powder, always use aluminum funnels. I don't use a trickler unless I'm loading for something that will consistently shoot under 1 inch. I am also a fan of RCBS powder measures, will usually throw +/- a tenth. If you have trouble with static and you have carpet on the floor, mix a dilute solution of fabric softener and spray your carpet. If you are new to loading, batch load with about 50 cases a batch until you gain some experience. Check all your load data with at least two sources. Charge every case and place in a load block and then visually inspect every case for the correct charge, any that don't look right, dump and recharge. A squib load is as dangerous as an overload, whenever you experience a misfire, check the barrel for a stuck bullet. Don't get distracted while loading, I never load with company present. Don't drink and load. Don't smoke and load. Get a Hornady Loc-N-Load adapter for your press. Once you set the die and lock it in place a quarter turn will remove it and a quarter turn will replace it without changing the adjustments.Don't have more than one powder or bullet on the bench while loading. Get a kinetic bullet puller, you will want to disassemble rounds more often than you think. If you want to assemble really accurate ammo you will need a good priming tool. Get a notebook of some type and log all your loads. I log both load data and volume loaded by date. Mark all your loads. Box all your ammo, use factory boxes or buy plastic boxes. Factory cardboard boxes last a long time if you cover them with clear packing tape. Empty your powder measure at the end of every session, powder left in a measure will dry out and change burning characteristics. Lee makes good loading dies, their presses suck. RCBS rockchucker is your best bet on a single stage press, Dillon is your best bet on a progressive. Every loader needs a single stage press. Used presses are a great deal, good ones are virtually indestructible. Used loading dies are usually reliable, but you need to inspect them closely, mostly for missing parts and rust damage. Buy good equipment, it will out last you, and is a pleasure to use.  I still have and use a Lyman Spartan press I bought when I was 17, I'm 56.

[98Z5V]

That ^^^ was a great post, brother.  <thumbsup>