new reloader

[jagen heie]

okay so im wanting to get into reloading so ive been doing research and trying to figure out what i need to get to start. but with the different kinds of powder dies progressive presses the bullets im getting a little overwhelmed. looking for just some advice and a little hand holding on making a minimum shoppin list for just starting. i know ill be reloading mostly 9mm and 40mm pistol ammo, i dont want to get hardcore into reloading at the moment but if i enjoy it ill prob get deeper into the hobby down the line. so please just some good standard basic advice?

 

[sureshotbob]

I started out with a RCBS Rock Chucker kit back in the early 70's. It came with one set of dies a powder drop and a powder scale. It has surved me well for a lot of years loading handgun and rifle. Several years ago I did step up to a Hornady progresive press that I use for handgun ammo and have not have any trouble to date. As to powder I've always used a lot of Unique for handgun loads but also use a few other powders .

 

[dave b]

Midway USA has the Lyman 49th loading manual on sale for 17.49 If you don't have it, get one.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Best advice I was given:

"The ABC's of Reloading" now in 9th edition. Mine was the 8th.

I will add to that from my own experience:

Buy the ABC’s book first and read it first. Buy the Lee and Lyman manuals next and read them.

Buy the Lee Classic Turret for your first press. Don’t buy the kit version, it is not the same and not as good as the Classic. Buy a RCBS 505 beam scale. Buy a good caliper. I find the Lyman #55 powder measure better than my RCBS Uniflow but YMMV. I would start with a hand prime unit. Either the cheaper Lee unit or the more expensive RCBS will do the job. Buy at least one loading block or even two. Once you start getting comfortable with reloading I highly recommend fitting the Classic Turret with all the bells and whistles that Lee makes for it. (Safety Prime, Pro Auto Disk, Riser) I like the Lee Deluxe Carbide dies. You may find you prefer RCBS or another brand. I would buy at least one Lee set and one of another and see which you really prefer. For Autos I HIGHLY recommend buying the Lee Factory Crimp Die. Read on how to set it before just trying to figure it out like most guys… Buy your components in bulk and you will save big time in the long run. Think about buying the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and learning to cast. It is really quite easy and can complete the circle on enjoying the sport that much more. There is nothing like the feel of either hitting the target with your own cast bullet or taking your first game animal with a bullet you made yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and stick with published loads. And don’t start making “educated guesses” or assumptions. I read a lot of horror stories about guys blowing up guns or hurting themselves by not reading or following directions or using published loads, assuming if this powder is good for this then it must be good for that, and don’t be in a hurry to max out loads and make everything a ultra magnum. Reloaders and casters are almost always willing to overflow you with info and advice. Take it all in stride and you will be answering info requests some day also.

 

[ken158]

Buy one or both of the reloading books noted above and read. Ask questions and buy quality equipment. Some get into reloading with a small budget and some will only buy top line stuff. I have a mixture and am always watching for something new that will aid in the hobby.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

Go to the "Search this Thread" section and type in various words, such as "reloading", "powder", "primers" "scales", etc, etc. You can spend hours doing this but you will find a gold mine of knowledge from people with decades of experience. Do this and read several manuals before making any other purchases. The old saying, measure twice, cut once, holds for reloading. Think twice before purchases, don't hurry, it's a lifetime investment. Good luck.

 

[Mark in GA]

Go check this kit out. this has all of the basics you will need to get you started. There is a sale on and on top of that a $50 rebate. There may be Midway codes for another $10 off too.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Press Master Kit - MidwayUSA

On top of this kit you will need Dies for the cartridge you want to load. Make sure you get die sets with carbide sizers for your pistol rounds. Add in power, primers, bullets, and brass and you will be good to start.

I started with a kit just like this 18 years ago and it has tools that are quality and will last a lifetime. Infact some of it will make it to your grandkids. RCBS has the best warranty and support in the industry.

Buy good quality tools and you will have a good experience. By lesser tools and it will be more hit and miss. Plus if you decide you don't like reloading your tools will be easier to resell.

Good Luck and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Mark in GA

 

[Titegroups]

For handgun buy at least a turret press for some speed, I can't imagine loading 9mm on a single stage press.

 

[jagen heie]

okay whats difference in turret and single stage. academically i can figure a single stage is one at a time slow and steady while a turret press is a faster process but exactly what about the turret allows it to be a faster process?

 

[Titegroups]

You need to take into consideration the amount of ammo you want to load and can anticipate loading in consideration, if you load small amounts of rifle or handgun a single stage will suit your needs, moderate amounts, up to a couple hundred rds/week a turret press should suit you at around 150rds./hr. If you shot competitions or plan on it a progressive at 400+ rds/hr. is the way to go.

 

[dcxplant]

You can get started with a Lee Loader which will reload one caliber, for under 40 bucks. I've seen them on sale online for less than 25 bucks too.

I'm making my first batch of 44 mags on my RL550B this weekend after spending two week digesting four reloading manuals and a powder book.

Helpful books;

Modern Reloading, Richard Lee (my favorite)
Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading
Speer Reloading Manual #14
Lyman #49
Propellant Profiles 5th Edition

I found out soon enough why so many manuals.... Each has information the others don't have, especially in the introductory chapters, that is great info that would be missed if I had not read each.

Best example of that is one aspect of reloading safety brought up in the Lee manual but none of the others: Primers contain a high concentration of lead. Cleaning cases in tumblers can contaminate the media heavily with lead, so when you dump out the tumbler to get your cleaned cases, if you don't wear gloves and a mask you can get a lung full of lead dust leading to high lead levels in your blood. Good to know!

Each manual has tidbits of info that are really important, so I plan on investing in as many manuals as I can as I go along.

Maybe someday a really up to date and comprehensive manual will be written to lessen the load on the old bookshelves...
Best of luck!

 

[Titegroups]

okay whats difference in turret and single stage. academically i can figure a single stage is one at a time slow and steady while a turret press is a faster process but exactly what about the turret allows it to be a faster process?

The turret press is like a revolver, each cycle of the handle, on a lee anyways, brings the next die into position automatically for the next operation in sequential order, no need to swap dies for each process. You insert a empty case cycle the handle several times while adding a bullet by hand and out comes a completed round. Takes me about 11 seconds from start to finish per round. The nice thing about it is the dies mount into a turret that costs about $12 and comes out with just a quick turn and you can swap to another turret with dies for another caliber very easily. If you go to buy one get the classic 4 hole turret press. It has a cast iron base and a primer collector. About $100. And buy the 4 die sets which includes the factory crimp die. Some videos on youtube.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since you are thinking about reloading for mostly handgun ammo I would suggest a turret press because it's faster than a single stage press. Since it's considered a good idea to learn on a single stage press I will suggest buying a Lee Classic 4 hole turret press. It has an auto-index rod for advancing the turret that can easily be removed so that the press can be used as a single stage press. Once you get up and running you can replace the rod and speed things up a bit. I can safely reload between 180 and 200 handgun rounds an hour with mine.

NOTE, I suggested a Classic, not Deluxe Lee turret press. The Classic will cost you a little more but it's a much better tool. You can buy one for right around $100 which is a good by in today's market.

Just my thoughts and I use that press A LOT...

 

[papajohn428]

Yet another vote for the Lee Turret. Three decades after I started reloading, it's still the press I use 95% of the time. I have lots of dies, lots of turrets, lots of powder measures, and I can be set up to load each caliber I load for in about a minute. My press was neutered to single-stage the day I bought it, and has never been anything else.

I prime my brass on a Hornady hand tool, and with tumbled, primed brass I can load 300 rounds an hour. I've made a few modifications to the press over the years but in 700,000 rounds it's only broken once, and I had it fixed two days later for $5. I think if you figure in inflation, the new presses cost a lot less than the $60 I paid way back when.

Somebody GAVE me a new Lee Turret press a couple years ago when he left the state, and I couldn't bring myself to use it, it was just too pretty. My press is so old it's more pink than red, half the paint is gone, and it make odd noises when you crank the handle. But the ammo I make with it shoots way better than I do, and anyone who says the Lee stuff is inferior hasn't used it.

 

[jagen heie]

thanks for all the info and advice

 

[Kevin G]

I think You're realistic looking to start out simple. Not only easier financialy, but I found by starting w/single stage press I got a better understanding of the overall reloading process. When I did step up to a fancier rig I believe the fundamentals I'd already developed helped greatly.
I suggest You connect w/a reloader and ask him/her plenty of questions, perhaps attend a reloading session. Old timers are always very generous w/sharing their knowledge.
For the couple of years I spent single staging (rockchucker kit) pistol cartridges I always had plenty of ammo. Worry about production rates later, get educated first.
I agree w/reading as much as possible about ammo, reloading, etc.
Good Luck, Kevin

 

[mark454]

The turret press is like a revolver, each cycle of the handle, on a lee anyways, brings the next die into position automatically for the next operation in sequential order, no need to swap dies for each process. You insert a empty case cycle the handle several times while adding a bullet by hand and out comes a completed round. Takes me about 11 seconds from start to finish per round. The nice thing about it is the dies mount into a turret that costs about $12 and comes out with just a quick turn and you can swap to another turret with dies for another caliber very easily. If you go to buy one get the classic 4 hole turret press. It has a cast iron base and a primer collector. About $100. And buy the 4 die sets which includes the factory crimp die. Some videos on youtube.

It is my opinion that Titegroups is pointing you in the right direction. First, buy and read the books other have suggested here. Then, ask youself if hand loading is something that you know you will want to do or do you want to just try it. I load on a Dillon 550. I wish I never would have purchased a single stage lee or the RCBS turret. If you shoot a lot, loading on a single stage takes up A LOT of shooting time (I wanted to slice my wrists). Turrets are better but still not fast. Some look at hand loading as a hobby within a shooting hobby. I look at it as an necessity to shooting. There is no reason why you can't buy a progressive and learn how to reload with one shell at a time. My advice: Buy a Dillon 550 and learn to hand load by only putting one cartridge on the shell plate at a time. That is how I teach others. Also, if you buy a Dillon and decide later that you hate it or decided to give up hand loading, you can sell the Dillon equipment for close to what you paid for it.
mark

 

[dcxplant]

On a thread I started looking for the info you are too, it was highly impressed upon me to seek a way to avoid double charging a case with powder as a newbie turret press operator.

Great advise. I have a lamp that shines into the case that lets me see inside (at least with pistol cases, I'll need a mirror for rifle cases).

Another way is to use a bulky powder so that if you double charge a case, the powder will either spill out the top or prevent the bullet from seating fully, both of which will be obvious as you try to advance.

There are so many very helpful and knowledgeable folks on this forum, it's great, I'm learning something every day I come on.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

While the advice about being careful not to double charge a case is very good advice it's almost impossible to double charge a case on a auto-indexing turret press like the Lee press. Even though you can do more than one operation on a turret press you still do only one at a time. And again, if you want/need a single stage press all you need to do is remove the auto-index rod.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

Your choice of reloading equipment is as different as you are and what you buy should match your goal. I shoot 200 - 300 rounds a week in .38 caliber so a Hornady Classic single stage is perfect. I'm also retired so I find it relaxing to sit on the porch in the evening and reload. All these are factors, how much you shoot, how much time do you have, how many different calibers are you reloading, etc, all play a part in your choice of equipment. One size does not fit all, that's one of the interesting things about reloading.