Moving to reloading .308 rifle - Upgrade to Loadmaster or buy single stage?

[Lennyjoe]

I neck sized 50 , and 20 were full length sized

Quick question, is the brass you are using new or fired from a different gun? Reason I ask is cause its better to neck size brass that's been fireformed to your chamber. If it's new I would suggest full size for the first time and then neck size after.

If it's fired from another gun and you neck sized it you might have issues with chambering the rounds.

 

[Adam_MA]

30 of the cases were new brass that had just been fired in my rifle for the first time. 20 were rounds that had been fired in that rifle a few months ago, and the last 20 I wasn't sure what they had been fired in. That's why I full length sized the last 20. Everything else had already been fired in that chamber.

Adam

 

[Falconeer]

azredhawk44: Nice shooting! What range was that at? I'm going to be going with Varget for my first try on powder. My tables show it a great powder for use with the .308.

Adam_MA: Congrats on the Challenger press. I was leaning pretty heavy that way, but with Midway having the sale I figured I'd go with the turret. The other reason is it would be nice to be able to reload 357 Sig on one turret (deprimer/sizer, powder thru expanding die, bullet seating die, and factory crimp die). Depending on how the Classic Turret works out I may sell my Pro 1000.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Falconeer,

I think you made a good choice and got an excellent press at a good value. Please let us know how it performs. Did you get the safety prime as well? If not, go back and order it as well. I think the safety prime on the Lee Classic Turret is the bomb, really helps speed up turret style reloading.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Falconeer]

I'm going to spend some time with the press alone, without the safety prime. I can very easily see myself getting it in the near future though. I'd like to load 357 Sig on this press also as I can mount the FCD with the other dies and not have to run the finished rounds through another step (on my Pro 1000).

 

[btucker1947]

Great info on the 308, I just got a savage 308 (for deer & Hogs) and fixin to work up some loads and was wondering what powder I should start with.
Hey Azredhawk, were you using a sandbag rest for that 100 yd target? I can shoot a tighter group with factory 150 gr. I don't mean that in a condesending way, but I really believe factory rounds will do as good if not better. My 1st 308 was a Model 100 and I had hell reloading it, until I got a different die to shrink down the casing more. I could never get a reliable load so I went back to factory loads for it.
I was shooting a 3" group with open sights, at 100 yards with it. Well, that was back in 1965, can't see as good now. Scope is good. I know I got to get another die , too. The RCBS die is worthless for a 308. I had been gradually changing to Hornady dies.