To Re-Load or Not???

[flyer91]

Heading off in a bit of a different direction ....... like many of you, I've been stocking up on both loaded ammo and reloading supplies in some fairly large quantities, and my nervous wife asked if it was safe to have all this ammo about the house in case of fire.

I found this SAAMI video on YouTube and thought that might be of similar help to you guys when trying to calm your better halves' nerves regarding the old myth of "ammo blowing up and/or sending bullets flying willy-nilly all over creation" if in a fire.

So ....... if you find yourself coming up against some obstructions to you having more ammo, due to the phenomenon known as FFNS (Frazzled Female Nerves Syndrome) I hope it helps still the waters a bit .........

Sporting Ammunition and the Firefighter - YouTube

 

[tight0023]

Okay this thread has gotten the best of me

I'm now researching reloading.

Would this be a good kit to start with? I want to reload .45 ACP and .223 rem. Possibly .38 sp and .357 down the road.

Lee Precision Classic Turrent Press Kit

I'm going to buy a couple of books listed in this thread and start reading first.

Now I have to convince the wife this will SAVE money =]

 

[oneyeopn]

Great Video, thank you very much...my problem with FFNS is the fact that our house is small and heaven forbid I say anything about the balls of yarn, or all the cooking stuff that she might use once a year...LOL...but I do have quite a few guns, bullets and guitars that dont go to storage. But that dispelled some of the myths that I thought were always true.

 

[oneyeopn]

Okay this thread has gotten the best of me

I'm now researching reloading.

Would this be a good kit to start with? I want to reload .45 ACP and .223 rem. Possibly .38 sp and .357 down the road.

Lee Precision Classic Turrent Press Kit

I'm going to buy a couple of books listed in this thread and start reading first.

Now I have to convince the wife this will SAVE money =]

that would be a great kit to start with. I started with the Lee Classic Single Stage Press. I hope to upgrade to that press or one like it in the next year. I also wish that book had come with mine. The one big recommendation I could make is that the scale for weighing your charges works great. I have one but a small digital powder scale like the Frankford Arsenal (about $20) is really handy and a lot quicker. I have been keeping my eyes open for someone selling a press like that used and cheap. I will be patient and eventually come up with one.
this is the one I bought for under $100
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-90050

 

[GMC man]

thats the kit I bought but then got a few other goodies like the rcbs trimmer and a digital scale one thing to note is you need to purchase extra quick change bushings with it mine only came with one and is better to have one for each die so after you set the die you dont have to mess with it again. I got them cheap from here Reloading Die Accessories - Lee Reloading Supplies | Reloading Equipment Lee Precision | Discount Reloading Supplies by Lee | Titan Reloading

 

[oneyeopn]

I know we cant post links to things on eBay but I found one retailer there that carries the Lee stuff at good prices. I also buy from a half a dozen other places but when I find the bushings on sale I snatch them up. I have bushings on everything for my press and 1 left over. When I get the money to buy the turret press I hope to get the Lee with the quick change bushings. I figure it will be awhile before I can get more turret plates. LOL
I am taking Japes's advice though. I am trying to find a lee hand press with the quick change bushing style so I can reload out at the range
(thanks John)

 

[JaPes]

Okay this thread has gotten the best of me

I'm now researching reloading.

Welcome to the party!

... I want to reload .45 ACP and .223 rem. Possibly .38 sp and .357 down the road.

"Down the road" comes quicker than you think.

Now I have to convince the wife this will SAVE money =]

Handloading Cost Calculator

^ Can't argue the math. Input your component costs, and it will output total production costs. Figure out how much reloaded ammo it would take to recoup your initial investment in equipment & consumables.

You'll save money if and only if you shoot the same amount of reloaded rounds as you did factory ammo.

Saving money is only one small aspect to it. There is satisfaction in shooting your own.

You'll need a way to clean the cases. I use a Chicago Electric 2.5L ultrasonic cleaner purchased at Harbor Freight. I use a mix of hot water, a little dish washing detergent, a dash of simple green, a dash of vinegar. I get them clean within 1/2 to 1 hour. They're clean for reloading, but not shiny polished as with a vibratory tumbler.

I know we cant post links to things on eBay but I found one retailer there that carries the Lee stuff at good prices. I also buy from a half a dozen other places but when I find the bushings on sale I snatch them up. I have bushings on everything for my press and 1 left over. When I get the money to buy the turret press I hope to get the Lee with the quick change bushings. I figure it will be awhile before I can get more turret plates. LOL
I am taking Japes's advice though. I am trying to find a lee hand press with the quick change bushing style so I can reload out at the range
(thanks John)

The restriction on posting to links on E-Bay is sound. It does limit reloaders choice.

The breech lock bushings are good, but the lock nut eliminator bushings are even better. It makes it easier to adjust the dies. The lock nut eliminator bushings are only $2 more than the regular breech lock bushings (1 pack = 2 bushings).

I wonder if there is a breech lock turret press. That way you would only need a single plate. That would be ideal for me when I can find space for a more traditional reloading set up.

tight0023... one more thing....

Reloading opens up possibilities. I used to choose firearms based upon the cost of feeding it. Now, its a matter of buying a new set of dies, and stocking up on projectiles.

 

[flyer91]

I am trying to find a lee hand press with the quick change bushing style so I can reload out at the range
(thanks John)

Hey Grover ....... if you mean the Lee Breech Lock pocket press, Titan has it here for Like $31 Search - Lee Breech Lock Hand Press Only - Lee Reloading Supplies | Reloading Equipment Lee Precision | Discount Reloading Supplies by Lee | Titan Reloading

They have pretty good prices on all Lee stuff, and it's where I got my Loadmaster to mount beside a RockChucker single on my bench.
After the last round of buying M193 bulk, I decided to go ahead and get the savings (and better ammo) for my non-bench guns, and I got the Loadmaster in .223, and then just bought the 9mm dies, extra turret, shell plate and etc.
I'll still use my RCBS single for my bench/varmint rifles, but the best I could find this last go around on ammo was like $.32 ea. for PMC XM193 X-TAC (and that's about as cheap a brand of ammo as I want to buy).
So, I'm spending time pumping a handle ............... when I swore I'd never do it again for my .223 and 9mm plinking rounds.

In any case ...... the folks as Titian fixed me up, and the prices where the best I could find at someting like ~$215 for the loadmaster set up for .223 ..........

 

[oneyeopn]

flyer91, that is exactly what I am looking at, especially now that I am seriously working up loads instead of, I like how this one works lets load 100 of them. I am finally keeping a log of charge weight, COL, primer, bullet seating depth, velocity and accuracy. I am going to find the exact combination that enables me to do the hunting that I like to do. No more of these, that looks good and ought to work. With my income being limited (100% disabled vet) I cannot just buy a bullet because it is on sale. My targets from above show the difference when everything else is equal and everything else was equal except the 75gr A-max's. Because I shoot out at our farm and not at a controlled range I can shoot and load at my convenience and not according to range rules. So I can load 5 and then shoot them. I have the chrony, I have targets and gongs, I have the yardages marked out. I have a small digital powder scale and a trickler and dippers. I have everything to do this right and I should have been doing this right all along instead of throwing lead. I just have become motivated to do it right. My shooting last night was dismal and I expect better and have done better. anyway that was my rant against myself... &

 

[storeyteller]

Another approval for the Lee Classic Turret Kit. I also second getting another scale. The one with the kit is not very intuitive IMO but I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed either!


Oh yeh,

I would order extra turrets if I was gonna load other calibers. I just set up a turret for each caliber and don't worry about changing the dies out.

 

[JaPes]

Grover, are you going to start sorting your .223 brass by headstamp? I read that the minute difference in cases affects accuracy.,

 

[oneyeopn]

Bill was going to do that and report back on the difference, I may try it just to see. It would be interesting to know. I am wondering if to sort by headstamp or case weight. As I am checking my charges I find myself having to tare my scale quite often because of different case weights

 

[tight0023]

Thank you all for the advice. My head is twisting in circles from information overload. I am going to the crossroads of the west gun show today with a buddy then we're going to a local range tomorrow to shoot my new M&P 15 MOE for the first time. It's a range that goes out to 300 yards with benches.

I will see if there is anything at the gun show to help me get started on reloading.

Another question. Where is a good place to buy bulk powder, bullets, primers etc. also any recommendations on brands/types. I will probably start small with a pound of powder, some PMC brass that I will shoot for the first time tomorrow.

Thanks!

 

[oneyeopn]

I like CFE223 but it is not listed in a lot of books being a new powder. A lot of people like Varget..If you do a search or read back in the thread you will find a lot of recommendations that work well.

 

[rebs081]

I am wanting to start playing with bullet seating depth and OAL including bullet.
What OAL are you guys using ?
I believe accuracy can be made even better buy finding a sweet spot in seating depth and OAL which would determine the jump to the rifling or the lack of a jump to the rifling.
Has anyone else experimented with this ?.

 

[oneyeopn]

I am wanting to start playing with bullet seating depth and OAL including bullet.
What OAL are you guys using ?
I believe accuracy can be made even better buy finding a sweet spot in seating depth and OAL which would determine the jump to the rifling or the lack of a jump to the rifling.
Has anyone else experimented with this ?.

I have just started to. I found that if I load the Dogtown 55gr FBHP's to 2.255 instead of 2.200 that their accuracy improves a lot. But I am just starting too... I have also loaded 75gr Amax's to 2.255 instead of 2.390 but the jury is still out on these loads.

 

[BHarada]

Bill was going to do that and report back on the difference, I may try it just to see. It would be interesting to know. I am wondering if to sort by headstamp or case weight. As I am checking my charges I find myself having to tare my scale quite often because of different case weights

I separated all my mixed brass by headstamp and loaded them all with the same charge and bullet. I didn't find any appreciable difference in accuracy in my shooting...which is far from benchrest match accuracy. Others more skilled than myself may benefit by separating and weighing components, but at my skill level I'll pass on the extra work.

 

[oneyeopn]

I think I will run with what Bill just said, I am not after competition accuracy but I am after 1MOPD. If Bill didnt see any appreciable difference then I doubt out prairie dog or varmint hunting that I will. We are talking about moving and if and when we do there are a lot of shooting clubs where we are talking about moving. At that point in time I may look for competition accuracy, if I can get exceptional hunting accuracy then I will be part way down the road for competition accuracy! Thanks Bill

 

[JaPes]

Cool. I don't want to go through all the extra work. I'm after MOBG & MOH.

 

[Maddmax]

I separated all my mixed brass by headstamp and loaded them all with the same charge and bullet. I didn't find any appreciable difference in accuracy in my shooting...which is far from benchrest match accuracy. Others more skilled than myself may benefit by separating and weighing components, but at my skill level I'll pass on the extra work.

Yes. You can get super anal about reloading and get better results,but that's for competition shooting (mostly bolt action) and getting the big prize. For what "we" shoot,having your powder drop set for (close enough) consistant grain weight,resized,trimmed & primed brass and the little box of bullets all seated the same they'll all shoot reasonably consistant groups way better than most factory rounds.

Getting anal is sizing and trimming all the same brand brass and then weighing each and every one into different weight lots. Weighing all the bullets into their weight lots. Weighing powder to the exact grain and all on a VERY high end scale to a knats "toto". THEN,weighing each round after it's been loaded (out of those already weighed empty cases) into same weight lots again. It gets better... Then you have to test fire and re-zero for that round,not to mention keeping a consistant barrel temp going. AND hope the weather stays the same for shooting day. It can almost drive you to the wacky farm. I've shot with (and learned tons) from those high end shooters. These guys would also shoot one round each at different targets so they knew if they were hitting the same hole or throwing a bullet. I've seen 10-5" targets all dead center X hits at 500 yards with these guys.They also paid a boat load of $$$ for custom built rifles. I'm not one of them,but I did my home work and learned quite a bit about working up loads. Now I'm back in the game and into those dangblasted AR's (IT'S ALL Grover's FAULT TOO )) and now there's "bigger/better" new toys to play with and different barrel twist rates..... No worries though,ain't drinkin' any Colt Kool Aid. Still have a bad taste from the late 60's early 70's.