The firearm thread

[The Pastor]

you want a sporty 303, can get them from 100-500 bucks

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Hunt...-223077888.htm

[Smokin]

recently seen that some of the larger caliber rifles are the good part of a dollar for one round, and about shat myself ).

A Mate has a 416 rigby, He pays $18 per round

[jono035]

Depending on how keen you are and how much ammo you go through, there is always the option of reloading your own ammo. Plenty of info online and for rifle ammo you can use a cheap single stage press (as opposed to the 5 stage progressive I'm looking at for pistol ammo). Doesn't take long and as long as you've got a decent eye for detail and don't let things distract you then you'll be safely making loads that are probably better than factory anyway...

[jono035]

A Mate has a 416 rigby, He pays $18 per round

Yeah, one of the range officers at central shooters shoots .500 winchester magnum... can't remember how much factory rounds were but not that far off...

[wbks]

Depending on how keen you are and how much ammo you go through, there is always the option of reloading your own ammo. Plenty of info online and for rifle ammo you can use a cheap single stage press (as opposed to the 5 stage progressive I'm looking at for pistol ammo). Doesn't take long and as long as you've got a decent eye for detail and don't let things distract you then you'll be safely making loads that are probably better than factory anyway...

Define a "cheap" press?

[scumdog]

Do you guys with a standard licence know there's moves afoot to make things trickier when it comes to NOT having a 'free standing pistol grip' on your 7 shot AK47?

It seems that the old screw-a-bit-of-wood-from-pistol-grip-to-bottom-of-butt to get around that reg will no longer get by.

[Indiana_Jones]

Do you guys with a standard licence know there's moves afoot to make things trickier when it comes to NOT having a 'free standing pistol grip' on your 7 shot AK47?

It seems that the old screw-a-bit-of-wood-from-pistol-grip-to-bottom-of-butt to get around that reg will no longer get by.

Please tell me you're joking Scummy!

-Indy

[hospitalfood]

ditched my cheap AK and got a cheaper sks. sks is way nicer IMO

[geoffm]

Good second hand .223 might be what you're after

-Indy

Also plan on taking up reloading if you own any centerfire stuff.
I use a Lee press kit whcih I have had for years - cheap and works.
projectiles and cases for 223 are cheap on trademe from time to time as well, adn they don't use to much powder. My 3006 uses 3times as much, and it adds up

[wbks]

So is all the equipment you need to reload very expensive?

[jono035]

Pretty much the cost is determined by the complexity of the press, which generally determines the rate at which you can reload ammo.

A full progressive press setup will cost you around $700-1k all up, but will churn out hundreds of rounds per hour, ideal for competitive pistol shooting. It works by having a bunch of dies that each do different things (resizing the casing/punching out the old primer, seating the new one, filling the case with gunpowder, seating and crimping the bullet etc.) once per pull of the handle, so on a 5 stage press, 1 handle pull = 5 different operations on 5 different rounds.

A single stage press does 1 thing at a time to one round at a time. You would go through and resize all of your casings first, then change the die (screw out the old one, screw in the new one) then fill all your casings with measured powder (from a scale or a dipper) then stick the bullets in the top then put them through the press again, all of this is much more manual, requiring you to manually insert and remove each casing each step of the way. It is much slower, but also more precise and supposedly gives you a better insight into the way the whole system works. You can get an entire setup for around $300 new for this I think without much trouble, probably less if you find a bargain on trademe...

[jono035]

http://www.outdoorsupplies.co.nz/leereload3.htm

If you check out the 50th anniversary reloading kit for $260

then on the other page a basic die set for $55 and shell holder for $11

That would probably get you started apart from bullets/powder/primers.

If you're near auckland, probably the best guys to talk to would be serious shooters, they're a good bunch and really happy to help out, have a chat and answer any questions. Should be able to point you in the right direction for where to start out load-data wise.

There are a lot of videos of reloading presses in action on youtube and tons of info around on how to get started with reloading, and what the normal procedure is. If you need any further info drop me a PM, but I've never actually reloaded anything myself, I've just been pricing up a kit to get started and have been talking to a heap of different people about it.

[hospitalfood]

i would not recommend a cheap press for larger centerfire. my cheap press is not really up to .270. it does it but not all that well

[jono035]

That particular press isn't really a cheap press, more middle-of-the-road, it isn't the best, but judging by what I've been reading is perfectly adequate for most uses, especially if you're just getting into shooting and are more worried about ammo price than making perfect, painstakingly crafted target rounds...

They hold their value well from what I've seen in shooters magazines too...

[Delerium]

try a lee turreted press.. .means you dont have to change dies and set them up all the time. $150, plus dies, and consumables. for $500 you will get a good setup and consumables and dies. Just make sure you get somebody to show you the ropes first. Some calibres are not worth reloading.