Interested in reloading

[firefighter1635]

Well, as the title says i've gotten interested in reloading. As it stands now i've read alot in this section of the forums on it but I am still a bit confused. I'm not looking to spend big bucks on a real fancy reloader and equipment untill I decide wether or not it's going to work out for me.

What i'm looking for is a little guidance on a very basic reloading set up. Rounds per hour isn't a concern at this point i'm just wanting to learn. So, what is the equipment you'd recommend me looking for, brand, ect. I'm wanting to reload some basic pistol rounds like 9mm, .40, .45, .380, .357. Any help would be apreciated.

[jack404]

wait till Sam get's his head sorted as he's been busy , i've a Lee 50th anniversary kit going up for the giveaways everything you'll need except for the dies you wish to use to reload with

now if you aint familiar with the lee kits , its pretty much easy to use

everything you need is there and as you get better it'll help you understand what else you'll need , ( cut to size dippers for powder shots all the little things that make reloading easier )

info on them here

http://www.titanreloading.com/kits/l...nniversary-kit

[1LoneWolf75]

Glad to hear yer doin another one Jack!! I won this kit that he donated fer the drawins and the only thing I now lack are the components fer the rounds. So far I've just deprimed(ok the kids have done as much as me!!) but in about a month I will reload my 1st rounds. This is a great kit and Jack has posted a great sight, this is the kit and the sight I was gonna start with. The Lee press is just as solid as any others I have seen, and I've been around a couple. I'm already thinkin bout what else I can reload cuz I'm already enjoyin it. Hope this helps ya.

[Alpo]

A Lee Reloader press. That's about the cheapest one out there. Less than 30 bucks. If you wish to upgrade later, you can always find a use for an extra single-stage press, so it's not like you're wasting the money.

You're gonna need a scale. That's gonna be expensive, unless you get one of them cheap digitals from Harbor Freight. And I don't know if I'd trust 'em. Figger a scale's gonna be at least 50 bucks.

You need dies. One set for each caliber. There's people that will say that Lee dies are crap, but I've never had any problem with them, and they are about half the price of the other guys. Also Lee dies come with a shell holder. Nobody else's does, and that's gonna be another 5 bucks or so. There are only so many head sizes, so many cartridges use the same shell holder (45 ACP is the same as ought six, 308, 270, all three of the "x57 Mauser" rounds, etc), but the round you list all take different ones.

Carbide dies are much easier to use, but cost more. Steel dies are cheaper, but there are two more steps involved (lubing the cases and then removing the lube). I started with steel, to save money, and then later bought carbide sizers. It cost more in the long run, but I didn't have the extra to buy carbide when I first got started.

That's it. Other stuff is nice, and really make the reloading experience more fun, but what you need is a press, dies, a shellholder and a scale.

And a manual. Get the Lyman 49 (or whatever the latest is) if you are going to be doing both pistol and rifle, but if you are just doing pistol get the Pistol and Revolver instead. More loads per caliber in it.

If you stick with it you will probably end up with many manuals. I've probably get 15 or so, and it's nice that you can cross-check a load against another book. But if you only have one, get the Lyman. All the other manuals are made by somebody that makes bullets (Nosler, Sierra, Speer, Hornady) or powder (Alliant, Accurate). The loads are for THEIR stuff. Lyman makes reloading equipment. They have lots of bullets and lots of powders.

[firefighter1635]

Thanks Jack. Thats what I think i'm looking for so I dont have to piece together a kit. I've read ALOT of the pdf files you posted here about reloading and some of it just went over my head i'm sure i'll learn. That price on the Lee's kit is about what i'm looking to spend for now.

A friend of mine gave me a nice working Midway tumbler he found at a garage sale for 5 bucks. He knew I was interested in reloading so he picked it up for me so one item is out of the way.

[jack404]

The RCBS ones are better , a bit , more clearance a bit nicer, but 3 times the price..



plenty of folks here with my reloading classes started with them ( lee ) and many prefer to stay using them as they are simple reliable and accurate .. Lee makes good stuff RCBS better but way more pricey

[firefighter1635]

Excellent info Alpo, thanks much.

[jack404]

firefighter , try to find a class near you , failing that see if one of the members here will spend a week end day with you , a day with some of the folks here would be a education

powder i dont have , but projectiles and such i do , what are you after ? if i have some they're yours .. help you start out ( anything like powder or primers i dont handle in the USA but buy here locally .... just too complex for a Non resident to play with )

[firefighter1635]

Jack finding someone local would be a great idea. The shop I get my ammo from currently sells all the stuff i'd need to reload. Primers, powder, projectiles ect. I live in the Dayton Ohio area so if someone in south western Ohio region reloads and is on the forums i'd most defenatly be willing to be educated. Maybe even the guy that I buy ammo from can recomend someone. None of my shooting buddies reload, they're just saving brass for me.

[Twicepop]

Originally Posted by firefighter1635

Jack finding someone local would be a great idea. The shop I get my ammo from currently sells all the stuff i'd need to reload. Primers, powder, projectiles ect. I live in the Dayton Ohio area so if someone in south western Ohio region reloads and is on the forums i'd most defenatly be willing to be educated. Maybe even the guy that I buy ammo from can recomend someone. None of my shooting buddies reload, they're just saving brass for me.

Go to the Olde English shop north of Dayton, it's the closest one to the area that I'm even vaguely familiar with. I've never been able to get in there myself, but I know several people who frequent the place, and all say good thing about it. There are also several gun show between Dayton and Cincinnati several times during the year. This like everything else, buy the best you can afford. I would recomend a good balance beam scale over a digital, and my experiences with Lee products haven't always been positive. Something else I absolutely recomend is use Imperial sizing wax when sizing rifle cases, only a very small ammount is needed (just a light film) not needed when using carbide pistol dies. Other items to add to the mix, for sizing rifle cases eventually you're going to need a case trimmer and with this a decent pair of dial calipers for checing case lengths and over-all loaded lengths. The rest of the stuuf can fall in as need or wanted. A powder thrower is also needed or you can use the dip method, for this the Lee powder dippers do work very well, but you still need the scale to verify your loads. Before you get any of the aforementioned items get a couple of good reloading manuals and read through them, especially the reloading procedures areas before doing anything else. This is a great extension hobby to shooting sports, but it's only as safe as you make it, be careful and have fun.

those who beat their guns into plowshares, will plow for those who didn't

[howlnmad]

Aint nothin wrong with a Lee kit to start out with and use for years to come.

[soundguy]

you can get a basic lee kit for right around 100$.. has loader, and powder measure and scale, hand primer tool... the basics.

you add dies.. usually 30$ a pop..and if you get lee dies.. many come with shell holder and powder dipper too.

you will want a set of calipers to measure brass. pistol brass not bad about growing. rifle brass you'd need to get a trimmer too.

a primer pocket cleaner tool would be nice.. they are cheap.. like 7$

and most importantly.. a reload manual.

if you have only one.. start with a lyman 49.. or if you have a bullet supplier in mind. get their manual. ie.. if using sierra bullets.. get the sierra manual. in reality.. eventually.. you will want a manual from ALL the major players. nosler, hornady, speer, sierra, even lee , find any periodicals or handouts.. many are free.. like imr/win etc.. some are in magazines in the center section.. cheap 8$ mag gets you some relaoding data.. etc.

the lee press is basic O or C type but works.

you could also simply forget the kit.. and just buy a lee classic C press fro 25$, a cheap lee ballance beam scale and hand primer and come out chepaer than the kit.. then get a die set and poweder and a manual and caliper and start reading...

[Bud0505]

Has anyone mentioned a bullet puller yet? You'll need one eventually.

[soundguy]

good point.. an erasor..

[aa1911]

warning! reloading is probably about as addicting as heroin and not really any cheaper!

Once you get going, you will quickly figure out what additional stuff you need and any upgrades. Necessity is the mother of invention (and causes spending way too much $$ on supplies and tools...)

A good media tumbler is something you will want very soon also, you can just clean cases with soap and water or whatever if you're hurting, but tumbling brass is a necessity to my reloading operation. Don't need an expensive one and you can even make very good ones yourself. 5 gallon buckets can be converted into tumblers even. Harbor Freight has 25lb bags of polishing media on the cheap, there's some stainless steel media out there now too.

[soundguy]

i know a guy that got a junkyard dryer ( washer and dryer ) that didn't heat.. and he mounted a basket in the drum that a 5g bucket with a lid firs on.. dump in media and brass into the bucket.. sets it in the drum and turns it on.

guess you could do the same with 'wife's dryer set to tumble with a 5g bucket anda lid.. perhaps put a couplewraps of that swimmin pool foam mat around the bucket with a set of long zip ties so that the bucket wedges in slightly.. then go..

I know that after I ultrasonic clean my brass I put them in a shallow pan and set them on 'shoe' dryer rack and use the clothes dryer on them..

[soundguy]

Originally Posted by aa1911

warning! reloading is probably about as addicting as heroin and not really any cheaper!.

yep.. net outlay in $$ is about the same.. but you just have more ammo now.. !!!!!!!!

[poboy6]

I would recommend reading MODERN RELOADING by Richard Lee.

He explains the reloading process in detail and everything is geared towards the LEE products, along with loads for pretty much whatever you'd need . I think it is cool that they list which LEE dipper to use in addition to listing the weight of the powder. He explains why in the book.

[ejkoechling]

Alot of good videos on you tube. Some better than others and you can see alot of reloaders people are talking about in action. Like I said; some are better than others , so don't just watch one

[312shooter]

Here's a great deal on a great press and all startup equipment.. http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.c...10|214|225|415

[soundguy]

...if you can get supplies right now...