New member from NM

[butlersrangers]

It is easy to overwhelm and scare off the new guy.

There are an exponential number of bells and whistles for reloading.

Basic stuff works, too. I started at age, 16 years, with the old $15 'Lee-Loader' and a plastic mallet. It worked.

You have to balance interest, experience & knowledge, budget, and living situation.

We all can't start off, where we might end up.

[FredC]

Since bargain reloading have come up, I used to use my dad's old Lyman 310 tool in 30-06 to load Krag cases. It worked well. Back then I used his scoop made from an old case with a twisted wire handle then dumped the powder on to his Pacific scale to get accurate charges. File the scoop till it gives you a charge that weighs slightly less than your goal and sprinkle grains in till you get what you want. A powder trickler and a funnel would make this even easier and not break any kind of budget.
An example of a 310 tool in 30-06 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lyman-Ideal-31 ... Sw79JgEc-r
Get a 30/40 if you can find it or use the 30-06 tool on both 30/40 and 30-06?

[butlersrangers]

I once had an old Ideal 'tong' tool with some Lyman .30-40 #310 Tool Dies. I remember it not working all that well and being rough on case rims.

I picked up this LEE compact press about 1 & 1/2 years ago, at a gun-show, for $20, new, but dusty.
I am taking it to Florida, next trip, in a shoe box with some basic tools, Dies, and supplies.

A definite 'light-weight' and slow, but, it's fine for 'neck-sizing' rifle cases and reforming straight-wall pistol cases.
It uses standard Dies and Shell-Holders.

I'll screw it to a board and "C"-clamp it to a table.
It will keep me entertained and supply a couple of 'shooting-outings', with my eldest son.

[FredC]

So many good and low budget ways to skin the cat even during an ammo and component shortage. I recall no damage with my inherited 310 unit. Maybe your spring loaded hook needed a little work with a stone to take off the sharp edges. I probably lapped the ID that does the neck sizing as most dies over do this and cause over working of the brass. I did make extra expanders for .311 and other bullets. Lyman used a non standard thread also, seems like it was 30 threads to an inch.

[Klhsteeler]

Thank you all so much for all your valuable information! It is overwhelming! I have a lot to think about!

[FredC]

We are a quirky bunch but mostly helpful. With reloading there are so many ways to skin the cat and most of the ways are good enough to excellent. Most of us have tried several different ways till we found a way to match our personal quirkiness. I looked at my dad's old 310 tool and the expander punch that came with it was marked .311 for cast lead bullets. Not sure how my dad did it but he also loaded .308 jacketed bullets. Being a machinist I just made some expanders for .308. Not every one can do that. Probably Pacific has other sizes available. It worked good for him as we lived in a small home with no room for a reloading bench. Put some news papers down of the kitchen table so you do not scratch the finish and you are in business. I have got more room so the tool is just something to pull out of the box and look at sometimes.

The press that BR showed should be very inexpensive and has the advantage that whatever dies you get will work in other better presses down the road.

[kragluver2]

First - thanks for the free book plug Butlersrangers!

Kristy: I encourage you to try cast bullets in your Krag. It is a great cast bullet rifle. I shoot the 185 g Lee or the 165 g SIL bullet over SR 4759. Unfortunately, 4759 is no longer made. Alliant 5744 is a good substitute. The rifle will hold better than 2 MOA off the bench with open sights. Be sure and slug the bore before trying cast. The bore on my rifle is oversize... at 0.312". I shoot bullets sized for the 303 British.

[waterman]

I hesitated before jumping into this, but Alliant 5744 is not without problems in bottlenecked cases. In an accidental overload, & IIRC with cast bullets, it has been known to completely shatter the receiver of a high-$, pre-WW1 LOW NUMBER 1903 sporter built by one of the big-name custom shops (G&H or some such). The shooter wore shooting glasses & thereby saved his eyesight. It's OK in straight cases like the .38-55 or in tapered cases like the .32-40, but a new shooter with a Krag should find something else. Try the IMR-type 4227 if intended cast bullet velocity is less than about 1450 fps. 3031 if intended velocity is higher.

[Dick Hosmer]

First time I had any sort of discussion about the law with an attorney friend - MANY years ago - I was given the sage advice of "Never, EVER, volunteer the answer to a question which was not asked." Words to live by!