New to reloading what equipment is best and required for 7mm rem mag?

[SOTXLR]

I want to start reloading and was looking for some advice on what equipment/brand was the best and what all is needed as far as hardware goes. (i.e. primer dispenser, dies, press, etc...) Thanks for the advice!

 

[mr45man]

RCBS , RC, IV press, a hand priming tool, Lee works ok, rcbs would be better.
Any die set is ok ,buy what you can afford, but plan on getting a neck bushing die.
(RCBS or Redding) Hornady makes a nice die set also,Lee case trimmer tool and
a good scale, not the cheapest one you can find. Water soluble case lube
This should get you started.
John H.

 

[2506]

Before you purchase any loading equipment get you a Sierra loading manual and READ IT. It will teach you what to get and how to use it and then all you have to do is go to the caliber you want to reload and look under the bullet weight and you will find a suggested accuracy load and hunting load. Work up to these loads but most of the time they are right on the money. That saves you a lot of time and money. It is hard to beat RCBS, Lyman, Redding or Hornady tools. After over 30 years of loading experience I will encourage you to get quality tools from the start and you will never have to replace them if you maintain them. Lee makes three pretty good tools in my book. Their dies are good and their hand priming tool and their cast steel press, the rest of their stuff I steer clear of these days. I did not in the beginning though so I speak from experience.

 

[Clod-NC]

Hi Sotxlr
Welcome to the business,I hope you'll like it as much as I do...Although I'm no expert,far from it,stick to 2506's advice,get the Sierra manual and read it thoroughly,take your time and make sure you understand what's at stake;it'll be easier to determine what tools you'll need. There's so much it would scare you if I told right away out of the blue.Be patient and curious,go to various forums,check what people use. One thing that's for sure from what I gathered helter skelter is buy a Lee collet die for 7 Rem mag,that's a must,and it's cheap(check Factory Sales.com for it),then go to Sinclair and get a Forster benchrest seater and full length sizer,a good single stage press (Lee classic cast seems hard to beat for the money at Factory Sales),get loading trays(sinclair)chamfering tool(sinclair),primer pocket cleaner(Lee),decapping die(Lee),flash hole deburring tool(21st century shooting supplies),as to scales and powder dispensers,my goodness,there seems to be so many of them,you'll get dizzy a bit,and they are kind of expensive so ask the experts(here),buy good stuff and cry once(as the saying goes around here). Well,Sotxlr,welcome here,good luck with your quest,and above all,enjoy the trip and stay tuned.

 

[wapiti25]

You do not say how you are going to use this ammo, hunting or target. An inline seating die will make ammo with less "run-out" such as the Redding Competition, or Forester. A sizing die that does not use a button to finnish the sizing will keep the case necks more straight. If you use a full length die with a button use Imperial Dry Neck Sizing Lube, It reduces a lot of the drag on the button and will not hurt the powder or primer. A sizing die with a bushing is a good way to go but you have got to buy bushings. Look at how the Redding Comp. dies work. You need the body sizer if you go the bushing neck die route. I have used the Lee collet die for neck sizing and they work good, some need to be taken apart and de-burred, they are cheap compaired to other types of dies. I am using the Lee collet to neck size 7mm Rem Mag for my long range hunting rifle. IMR 4350 and H1000 are good powders for the 7mm Rem Mag, for long range hunting I use the 168 Berger with H1000. I have loaded for five 7mm RM's. Good luck

 

[AckleymanII]

SOTXLR, I have been loading for the 7 Mag since 1978, had perhaps 20 different rifles, mostly Rem 700's, with a few Brownings abolts, Winchesters, and savages mixed in. All of these rifles shot very well, not a bad one in the bunch.

RCBS Rockchucker and Redding 10/10 power scale are top of the line. I would not sneeze at a Redding Boss either.

Ebay is your friend on buying reloading equipment.

As for dies, the Forester Benchrest set is fantastic, very little run out on seated bullets, again, ebay is your friend.

 

[snert]

Call Redding 607-753-3331, ask for a catalog and a basic reloaders handbook. read both and get a good manual. i like Sierra. Then buy a high quality cast iron press (Redding Boss) or Boss 2, and a basic kit to get you started. See Pro-pac or Versa Pac in Redding book

welcome to the fun, fascinating and wonderful world of hand loading

 

[SOTXLR]

It's been a while, but thank you all for the tips and advice!

 

[Paddyd]

As 2506 said, Get a manual and READ it. I learned how to start reloading from the Speer # 11 manual. The Hornady manual is great too. While I love RCBS equipment I have to say the Hornady is pretty much top quality stuff too and most always priced cheaper for comparable stuff. As for Lee stuff goes. About all I will buy are their pistol dies. If you are looking for good inexpensive rifle dies I like the Hornady Custom Grade dies since they have the floating bullet seater that keeps the bullet aligned with the case mouth during seating. Most of the other dies with this feature are priced considerably higher. My son just bought the Hornady Lock and Load kit that pretty much provided everything needed to get started and comes with a rebate for 500 free bullets with it. 500 bullets are like a $100 discount. The Hornady kit comes with the Hornady manual as does the RCBS kits. Either one would be a good buy in my opinion.