NEW TO RELOADING PLEASE ADVISE

[diebog]

I am new to reloading and did some searching here on the forum, but didn’t find what I was exactly looking for.

I will be reloading mainly .40 cal. but a buddy of mine has a .357 s&w and a .460 s&w, so I assume if i get into reloading he will want to start reloading too, and will want to use my stuff.

so my question is: what would be the right setup for what i described? im not a diehard blowing threw ammo kind of guy (i would like to just don’t have the time or money), more or so when i get the time to go out the range or the occasional camping trip. at the most I might use a few hundred rounds a month. some more then others, but on average that is what i would use.

after purchasing all the necessary equipment, what does it cost a round, or 50...going to cost? for a .40....357....and .460? im just trying to get an idea of the savings i might see with reloading. i assume the more you go trough the les each round costs.

i looked on cabelas and they got allot of setups. so have no idea what to go with. would something like this be a waste of money?
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...questid=184043

I have no experience with any of this. so if any one knows of a good book, or DVD, i would sure appreciate it. i watched amosmiths on youtube, very good info there. but im still a little confused.

also when i do get setup, what’s the best place to buy primers, powder,
cases, bullets?

sorry for all the questions, just figured id ask them all at once.

thanks,

Jeremy

[diebog]

i did some looking around and found this on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/LEE-BREECH-LOCK-...item2a0351afa2 is it junk? i don't want to buy something that is going to break or wear out prematurely

[RandyP]

NOTE TO THE MODERATOR: Maybe we could get a few stickies here for newcomers to adress the most common questions we receive every day?

The Lee 50th Anniv. kit is a good value, very strong, and IMHO a great way to begin to learn about reloading. You can expect to make about 50 rounds per hour. The kit is available from a variety of internet sources including:

http://factorysales.com/html/xcart/catalog/anivers.html

After a while if you decide you want more output, you can upgrade to a Classic turret and figure on making 200 rounds per hour.

Best bet is to start by buying a manual, either the Lee or the Lyman 49th. and also reading the various stickies on some reloading forums... here is a good one:

http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=15

to see the process check out the Lee videos and youtube...search "reloading"

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/HelpVideos/video.html

[diebog]

thanks for the info. did some more reading on those links, but still cant find a cost per round for a .40

[bntyhntr6975]

Cost per round will vary depending on what components you use, bullet types, brands, amount of powder, etc. Last time I broke it (.40) down it was something like this: primer=.035, powder=.02, bullet=.07, plus the case. I shoot alot of lead anymore in the pistols. Its alot cheaper than jacketed. Lee equipment is not my preference but alot of folks seem to do just fine with it. I learned with Lyman equipment so thats what I'm used to and mostly use. (I do love the RCBS hand primer though!) Just remember what the first 2 steps of learning to reload are: Read the manual. Follow the manual.

[RandyP]

As a VERY generic guideline you can perhaps save up to 1/2 the cost of factory made ammo in common pistol calibers. The magnum size rounds offer even greater opportunity to save money.

However... you DO have to buy your components in bulk, and really reloading never saves folks any money, they just get to shoot a lot more for the same bucks.

Every hobby has pros and cons, and the only actual way to really 'save' is to not spend in the first place? lol

[The_Vigilante]

I would suggest the Lee Classic Turret kit. Built like a tank and can be used as a Single Stage press. Your friend can buy his own turrets and dies and just swap them out when he reloads his ammo without any big deal. Great value for the money. Can reload approximately 200-250-rds per hour.

[diebog]

[QUOTE=RandyP;575017
However... you DO have to buy your components in bulk, and really reloading never saves folks any money, they just get to shoot a lot more for the same bucks.

Every hobby has pros and cons, and the only actual way to really 'save' is to not spend in the first place? lol[/QUOTE]

ya i understand that, thats what i want to do. if it didnt cost as much as buying new ammo all the time, i would shoot more. thanks again for the good info.

i was thinking about getting the classic turrent or the pro 1000, but the pro 1000 got bad reviews from what i read. i guess you have to tinker and work on it more then you use it. is cabelas a good place to order from? as far as pricing goes? i got a store about an hour away from me.

[Oneida Steve]

I've used a Lee Turret press for years. It's the one to go with. I am currently reloading 11 different handgun calibers on my Lee press.

+1 to Vigilante for some very good advice.

Handgun calibers are easy to reload. When you buy extra die sets, be sure to buy a set that has a carbide sizer die (rather than a "steel sizer die"). Carbide dies are the way to go.

Welcome to the madness . . . .

[mikld]

So far, for about 25 years, I don't think I've "saved" any money by reloading. But I do shoot a lot more than if I purchased factory ammo. I prefer to look at it as a part of/addition to my hobby. I started with a Lee loader, some Bullseye, some generic boolits, and CCI primers. Oh yeah, and a hammer. I now have 3 presses, two scales, three powder measures, about 8K misc brass, 30 or so lbs. of powder, maybe 10k primers, and a whole bunch (!) of accessories. And I don't have as much invested as many reloaders here! There are way too many times that I've thought "Hmmm, I really need one of those" and dropped another $100. The main reason I reload is because I like it. I make custom ammo for my guns that are accurate (most of the time) and the process is FUN!

Info on starting out w/o spending a lot of $$:
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech...h_notes.htm/51

[rglbegl]

Originally Posted by diebog

i did some looking around and found this on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/LEE-BREECH-LOCK-...item2a0351afa2 is it junk? i don't want to buy something that is going to break or wear out prematurely

I just bought one of these.
I am about to buy the turret press for my pistol ammo. The turret press is about $10 more, and works a bit faster, so you can turn out many more rounds per hour.

But when I called cabelas (maybe not the best source for info) they said the turret press was not tall enough for my 300 winmag catridges, So I went with the single press. It is a little slower, but it will handle everything. And really, I dont shoot but maybe twice per month. Which gives me 2 weeks to reload a few hundred shells.

[diebog]

is there a reason they dont offer a .40 in the lee classic loader?
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...leeloader.html

[diebog]

what are the chances i could find a complete setup with press, scale, tumbler, dies from some one that is getting out of reloading? or would it be wiser to just buy everything new?

[rglbegl]

buy new.
$100 is only a drop in the bucket when compared to the savings you will see.

I just started reloading because my rifle ammo was killing my wallet. People even laughed when I said I was gonna reload 7.62x39 because you can buy them so cheap. But I can reload it even cheaper, and with MUCH better components. (I dont like using cheap crap ammo in my guns)

Even my 45acp, that ammo is getting expensive. I save about 50% or more when I reload.



So how many boxes of ammo will you need to buy compared to reload to make up that $100 difference?

[RandyP]

One further suggestion, get a spare turret for each caliber you will be reloading. They are only like $9 or so and make caliber changes on the turret a snap. Same goes for the adjustable charge bar ($10) for the powder measure on the turret, with riser.

[RustyFN]

If it is in your budget I would recommend the Lee classic turret. I have been using one for four years and it has been a great press for me. Check out the kit at these two links.

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?...mart&Itemid=41

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...847&hasJS=true

[wvwill]

I've used my Lyman "Expert Kit" for over 25-years. It's still going strong and has EVERYTHING you need except dies. The updated version has an electronic power measure and a case trimmer that doesn't need collets.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...847&id=0037524

I also recommend Lyman's 49th Edition Reloading Manual. I just got it myself since I've been using my original manual until a few weeks ago. It is well written and great for the beginner.

[diebog]

you have the t mag or the crusher? whats the difference?

[bntyhntr6975]

I have 2 of the Lyman T-mag 2 kits (90 miles apart). The older one is about 12yrs old, the newer is probly 4yrs old now. Never a proble with either. I started reloaded for better rifle ammo. I didn't really see any savings to speak of, but I was able to make what I wanted. As for loading pistol ammo, I don't care if its "match grade", so I get my savings there due to bulk buys. Last I noticed, the T-Mag 2 kits were around $250 I think. I deal with MidwayUsa alot more than Cabela's. Most of my primers and powder I can get local, so that helps alot too.

[bntyhntr6975]

The T-Mag and T-Mag 2 are turret presses. The "crusher" is a normal single stage.

[312shooter]

diebog,

I have to jump on the lyman t-mag train here, I have been using mine for a few years now and you will find yourself very well off buying the lyman turret. You shoot a moderate amount of pistol ammo which I find exactly what turrets are designed for, a moderate amount of ammunition loaded in a reasonable period of time. Its not a progressive that will produce 300-500 rds per hour but you may safely load 100-200 per hour with a turret. It will offer itself a tad more efficiency than a single stage eliminating die changeout and re-adjustment between each stage of reloading.

The T-mag deluxe kit is one hell of a buy, the quality vs price raises no arguments that I have read in this forum, unlike Lee. Not that I believe Lee is good nor bad but the opinions found on Lee equipments initiates alot of heated topics - more so than any other reloading equipment discussed here. I know opinions are like butt holes however for the moderate reloader who can afford a tad more than $100-$200 for equipment I highly recommend this kit. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...kEnabled=false

[diebog]

thanks 312shooter, that's a great buy. i think that's the one im going with. the term you pay for what you get applies to just about everything. i hate having to find out the hard way, so that's why I am asking the pros who have used all these and can give me honest feedback. i really appreciate it everyone who has helped me out here. thanks again.

can anyone suggest what kind of primers and powder i should get for .40 springfield xd?
anyone out there reloaded for the xd .40? what gr works the best for target shooting?

[the morning light]

Here's a good place to figure out reloading costs. You will have to look up the cost of your bulk components and the rest is easy.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

[bizy]

If you just want to see how you like it, Get an RCBS single stage. You will have to buy the dies anyway. The dies will run about $40.00 per set. The Hornady, Lee and RCBS dies will fit in the Hornady and the RCBS. The press is only about $60.00. When loading a 357 it will cost about $.25 to $.30. The brass and bullets are about $.10 each. The primer is about $.03..

You can get used brass at any gun range..

CAUTION IT IS VERY ADDICTIVE!!

[312shooter]

Originally Posted by diebog

can anyone suggest what kind of primers and powder i should get for .40 springfield xd?
anyone out there reloaded for the xd .40? what gr works the best for target shooting?

I'd say a generic aswer would be that which you can find right now, primers and such are a still a bit sparce. Small pistol primers I found are usually in stock here :http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|284|994

Alliant Unique is a good general pistol powder, watch these sights for it as well as primers:
http://www.natchezss.com/index.cfm
http://www.grafs.com/index.php
http://www.powdervalleyinc.com

I really like Montana Gold Bullets for the price these are the best deal on jacketed (not plated) bullets I have found notice shipping is included on the prices listed!:
https://secure3.mooseweb.com/montana.../pricelist.tpl