Getting started with reloading?

[Guest UberDuper]

A turret is a bit different and imho a happy compromise between a single stage and a progressive. I kinda wish I'd gone with a Lee turret instead of the hornady LnL AP. The LnL was more then I needed and more problematic.

In fact.. Now that I think about it.. Since I just moved and had to take it all down and leave my workbench behind, I think I might just sell the hornady and get a lee instead.

Edited June 23, 2011 by UberDuper

[Dolomite_supafly]

Something else that helps eleminate problems is the right powder for the caliber. There are powders out there that will nearly fill the case when using normal charge weights. This eliminates the chance if a double charge going unnoticed. On the other side there are powders that are hard to tell if it is triple charged especially in large cases.

For the novice 223 loaders I recommend Varget. You can't fit enough powder in the case to blow a gun up unless you are really trying to do so by shaking the charge down and compressing it and even then I am not sure you could.

Dolomite

[Jonnin]

Something else that helps eleminate problems is the right powder for the caliber. There are powders out there that will nearly fill the case when using normal charge weights. This eliminates the chance if a double charge going unnoticed. On the other side there are powders that are hard to tell if it is triple charged especially in large cases.

For the novice 223 loaders I recommend Varget. You can't fit enough powder in the case to blow a gun up unless you are really trying to do so by shaking the charge down and compressing it and even then I am not sure you could.

Dolomite

This has another advantage. Loading equipment, at least mine, has its margins of error in things like volume, not weight. So when loading a round, I am not off by 1/10 a grain of powder, I am off by some fraction of a CC. If I use a powder that nearly fills the case, the small margin of error is reduced and the loads are more consistent. A powder that fills over 50% of the case volume prevents double charges (it will overflow), and a variety of other issues while making your loads that much more consistent with simple equipment, its a win-win approach though for large rifle rounds it can add a few cents to each round in extra powder.

BigK: Without a crimp, revolvers can get a nasty stuck bullet problem. The inertia of the recoil can pull the rounds out the case, then the cylinder won't turn, and it can be a major ordeal to get that straightened out in some firearms... this is more of a problem for heavy recoil guns, of course, 357, 44, etc are bad about it. I dont crimp my 44s for my auto and do for the revolver; the mag in the auto prevents the bullet pulling and that gun soaks more of the recoil, so its no problem to do it that way. After getting my single action revolver jammed up once, I won't make that mistake again.

Edited June 23, 2011 by Jonnin

[BigK]

BigK: Without a crimp, revolvers can get a nasty stuck bullet problem. The inertia of the recoil can pull the rounds out the case, then the cylinder won't turn, and it can be a major ordeal to get that straightened out in some firearms... this is more of a problem for heavy recoil guns, of course, 357, 44, etc are bad about it. I dont crimp my 44s for my auto and do for the revolver; the mag in the auto prevents the bullet pulling and that gun soaks more of the recoil, so its no problem to do it that way. After getting my single action revolver jammed up once, I won't make that mistake again.

Sorry Jonnin, I should have been more clear. I didn't mean no crimp at all. I meant relying on the crimp applied by the bullet seating die alone, skipping the factory crimping die.

Either way, I've never heard of this phenomenon of bullets being pulled out of the case due to recoil. Now I've got something to Google during my lunch break today. Sounds like a problem I don't wanna have.

[Guest UberDuper]

I don't use the crimper in my seating die at all anymore. It would sometimes break the shoulder off my SWCs. I just use the lee factory crimp die in the last station.

[JAB]

...I've never heard of this phenomenon of bullets being pulled out of the case due to recoil. Now I've got something to Google during my lunch break today. Sounds like a problem I don't wanna have.

I have even heard of bullets moving forward in the casing with factory ammo in some of the really light, small carry revolvers when using ammo that produces heavy recoil - cannot personally verify it, though. I think the common term, simply enough, is 'crimp jump'.

Edited June 23, 2011 by JAB

[Guest nicemac]

A turret is a bit different and imho a happy compromise between a single stage and a progressive. I kinda wish I'd gone with a Lee turret instead of the hornady LnL AP. The LnL was more then I needed and more problematic.

In fact.. Now that I think about it.. Since I just moved and had to take it all down and leave my workbench behind, I think I might just sell the hornady and get a lee instead.

I have a LNL and have not had any problems. What was problematic?

[Guest UberDuper]

Mostly just with replacing case retention springs and I had to have a couple parts replaced to get it to function right.

[Guest Schulzie]

I started out with a Lee 4-hole turret press. Honestly, the low price was the reason I went with that option. However, I'm glad I did. I started shooting USPSA, so I was reloading a pretty good amount of ammo. With everything set up, I could get 200 rounds an hour loaded. Later on, I had the option to pick up a used Dillon 650 XL with tumbler, seperator, dies, brass, primers, case holders, you name it, for $450. Yeah, deal of a lifetime. I loaded all the 40 S&W components I had, then sold it. I liked it, it was fast, the various electronic monitoring alarms are a nice safety feature, but I didn't need it. I like my turret press. And with a Lee Turret press, you can change calibers, with all the dies, powder charge pieces and such, for the price of a Dillon Caliber conversion. I switch between 40 S&W, 38 SPL, 357 Mag, 45 ACP, and soon .223 and .308. It's not the fastest, or the best, but it loads great ammo and I save money! That's why I got it. And it's a good way to forget about all the rest of the crap in life and concentrate on something technical, that can produce match quality ammo easily.

[BigK]

Congrats on getting a press and equipment so quickly! Hope you have fun with it.

[Ramjo]

Can someone start reloading with $400? Say, for now, just one caliber?

[Guest UberDuper]

$400 would get you a lot from Lee.

[BigK]

Heck yeah, $400 will set you up real nice.

Assuming you have a table to mount it to and have some brass saved up (if not Yankee500 sells it on here pretty cheap) and using 9mm as an example...

MidwayUSA

Lee Deluxe kit $118,

4-die set $40,

Lee XR hand primer $18.50,

Lee shell plate for primer $3 (optional: whole set of 11 is only $12),

Frankford Arsenal Tumbler $40 (somewhat optional),

Frankford Arsenal media separator ($9),

Modern Reloading by Richard Lee (manual) $14,

500 Ranier 115 gr plated bullets $53

****Total w/ shipping = $315 (a good bit cheaper than best local retail prices w/ tax)

Harbor Freight

pretty darn good set of digital calipers $22,

Buy local (online hazmat fee = $25)

1000 Winchester primers $36,

1# most powders (some are way higher) $21

Any pet store

tumbler media $5

I think that comes to $399. You're gonna want electronic scales ($40) eventually and a word to the wise...Berry's Mfg will sell you 1000 115 gr RN plated bullets for $86 including shipping (Berry's service is fantastic and they make good bullets).

Hope that helps

[Ramjo]

Thanks for all that info. I am in no hurry to aquire all of the items necessary to reloading just yet. I figure I can pick up some things over the course of the rest of summer up until school starts. I'm just not sure about the single stage press.

The only thing that is not appealing to me about the single stage press is all the time that will consume. When I go back to school I won't have as much as I do now obviously.

All the loads that I want to reload are pistol rounds, .38, .357, .40, .45acp, and 9mm. The 40 and the 9mm are the rounds my friends shoot and want reloaded. I do save all my brass that I shoot. My 45acp is in 2 primer sizes, so should I try to stick with the bigger or smaller primers?

[mikegideon]

I just went through the buying process, and did a lot of reading along the way. I also leaned on a couple of buddies that have been doing it forever. I bought a single stage press that uses quick change bushings for the dies. I bought it to load .458 SOCOM. I plan to do some of my other calibers as well, but don't plan on doing large quanitities of pistol ammo. Here's the list, FWIW...

Lee Breech Lock Classic Cast Press

Lee Auto Prime XR

Lee Perfect Powder Measure

Lee Primer Pocket Cleaning Tool

Lee Safety Scale (total POS)

Frankford Arsenal Digital Powder Scale (Great and cheap)

Hornady Tumbler

Hornady Cam Lock Case Trimmer

RCBS Kinetic Bullet Puller

Frankford Arsenal Ammo Trays

Hornady Dies (they do a better job with the .458 dies).

Already had a real good set of dial calipers and several of the Harbor Frieght Digitals. If you get the Harbor Freight, get some spare batteries.

[Ramjo]

Well I have heard to just start out by getting a manual and reading about the type of loads you wish to use. Then, go and buy the press that fits your needs for the type of shooting you will be doing. I'm just wanting to develop some sort of proficiency with my M&P.

[BigK]

Well I have heard to just start out by getting a manual and reading about the type of loads you wish to use. Then, go and buy the press that fits your needs for the type of shooting you will be doing. I'm just wanting to develop some sort of proficiency with my M&P.

Ramjo, That is the most important piece of advice anyone could have given you.

Read as many manuals as you can. Try to borrow/trade/load with buddies, if possible. I even studied reloading die diagrams from different mfg online to help me get a better understanding of what they do when I pull the handle. Also there are some pretty good videos on YouTube and some mfg websites (like Lee).

The thing that helped me the most was online forums like this and others. I searched for questions like I was having and asked a LOT of what seemed like dumb questions. I was assured they weren't by the folks that answered them, but they may have lied to me, LOL.

One other suggestion that I didn't think about at the time was to ask folks with the presses you are considering buying if you can come watch them some time (I'd be very surprised if they say no).

Good luck with it and ask lots of questions.

[Ramjo]

Ramjo, That is the most important piece of advice anyone could have given you.

Read as many manuals as you can. Try to borrow/trade/load with buddies, if possible. I even studied reloading die diagrams from different mfg online to help me get a better understanding of what they do when I pull the handle. Also there are some pretty good videos on YouTube and some mfg websites (like Lee).

The thing that helped me the most was online forums like this and others. I searched for questions like I was having and asked a LOT of what seemed like dumb questions. I was assured they weren't by the folks that answered them, but they may have lied to me, LOL.

One other suggestion that I didn't think about at the time was to ask folks with the presses you are considering buying if you can come watch them some time (I'd be very surprised if they say no).

Good luck with it and ask lots of questions.

Well I'll take you up on that! If I go visit my cousins in Smyrna I will just stop by La Vergne and watch you reload!

[BigK]

You're more than welcome and I mean that seriously. I'll PM you some contact info.