Renewing My Reloading Effort

[tgwillard]

It has been 40 years since I was stationed at Fort Ord, CA and purchased a Lee Loader to manually reload .45 acp. Now I am retired and renewing my shooting skills. I have acquired a S&W 6906 and wish to reload both .45 and 9mm. Other than my experience with the Lee Loader, I am completely new to the process.

I was thinking of getting a Lee Breech Lock Press Kit and sets of dies for .45 acp and 9mm. I have ordered a book on reloading and it should be here in a week or so.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tgwillard]

It has been 40 years since I was stationed at Fort Ord, CA and purchased a Lee Loader to manually reload .45 acp. Now I am retired and renewing my shooting skills. I have acquired a S&W 6906 and wish to reload both .45 and 9mm. Other than my experience with the Lee Loader, I am completely new to the process.

I was thinking of getting a Lee Breech Lock Press Kit and sets of dies for .45 acp and 9mm. I have ordered a book on reloading and it should be here in a week or so.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[m657]

Those are good calibers to begin your new journey.

Don't rely on just 'one' reloading manual for your loading information.

 

[Dale53]

tgwillard;
I suggest getting a Lee Classic Turret Press. That is the best "bang for the buck" in the reloading press market. After a bit of use, you will be cranking them out rather quickly. You can change calibers in less than a minute with the low cost turrets (have the dies all set up an ready to go- slip in the extra turret, change the powder charge and away you go).

The Lee Pro Disk powder measure is well worth the slight extra cost over the standard one.

You will also need a good scale. I Prefer digital but a good balance scale is also good (I like Lyman or RCBS balance scales but I use an RCBS digital).

Read everything you can before you start.

Right now, the demand is so high for reloading products (tools AND components) that you may have to wait a couple of months after you order to get the stuff. Don't lose heart, you have many years of reloading pleasure ahead of you.

good luck!

Dale53

 

[Skip Sackett]

+1 To what Dale said. If it couldn't have been said any better or I would try!

That being said I will add just a couple of things. Look into casting as well. If there was one part of our hobby that I enjoy most it is casting. I find it relaxing and rewarding. Nothing better than kick someone's proverbial "butt" in a match than to do it with bullets you cast! It's great fun!

Not only that but as long as your neighbors have wheel weights you can make bullets! (Just kidding!)

 

[Rule3]

If you do get the Breech Lock Kit you also need to buy some extra Breech Lock Bushings. They come two to a box. I think the kit comes with three so you need to buy 3 boxes if you get the carbide 4 die sets. Once set in the bushings you just pop them in and out and no further adjusting of your dies. As most things, they are always out of stock. As Dale stated, the turret press is a little faster as you do not need to handle the cases as often. There is a short video on the Lee site.

http://www.leeprecision.com/ht...elpVideos/video.html

 

[Dale53]

Smith Crazy;

Thanks for the kind words.

I have a "method to my madness". I have long advocated that anyone with a modicum of hand skills that likes to shoot should DEFINITELY get into reloading. I might mention casting bullets in passing, but I have learned that "one step at a time" is a more effective way to start people reloading. They are especially "vulnerable" when they complain to me about the high cost of ammunition (and they're RIGHT, ammo costs are near prohibitive).

Then, after they have learned to reload (I catch them walking around with a smile on their face) I casually mention that they can save even more by casting their own bullets. The clincher is when I invite them over to my "casting barn" and show them. I have seldom had a feller leave before he has an order in his hands to send off.

RELOADING AND CASTING, FOREVER!!!

Dale53

 

[tgwillard]

Thanks for the good information, everyone. Is it a good idea to get the four die set rather than the three die set? What do I gain using the four die set? I plan on doing one step for multiple shells before going to the next step. If so is the turret still worthwhile?

 

[Dale53]

tgwillard;
When you first get the turret press, you can certainly do things "one step at a time". In fact, that's a pretty good way to learn to load.

However, after you get the procedure down pat, you will find that the Lee Classic Turret press is different than the "others" (Lyman or Redding) as the Lee automatically advances. This makes it more practical to load in a progressive manner. You can easily "disable" the auto advance and just as easily "enable" it.

Your production will go up quite a bit over one operation at a time. I have always liked the fact that when I finished, everything was completed whenever I chose to stop.

I am a fan of the four die set. This allows you to seat the bullet with one die, and crimp with the other one. That prevents "lead shaving" as you seat and crimp in one action. The Lee Factory Crimp Die (part of the four die set - the last die) not only crimps but it also runs a carbide ring down the outside of the case insuring that the case will chamber in the gun it's designed for.

As a "for instance", when I was shooting IPSC back in the seventies and early eighties, before each match I had to "gage" each and every round of .45 ACP to insure that they would function 100%. That won't be necessary with the Lee Factory Crimp die as it performs that same service automatically.

Dale53

 

[tgwillard]

If I get the four die set, will I need any other items if I purchase either the breech kit or the turret kit? I have been to the MidwayUSA web site and most Lee products are backordered for at least a week or so. 9mm four die set is back ordered until early April.

 

[DougE]

Shoot Kempf's an email and see if they have the items you're looking for. I recently bought some die sets from them that everyone else had on backorder. Their prices are competative and they replied to my email rather quickly ...... it was after hours when I sent it to them.

 

[Rule3]

Originally posted by tgwillard:
If I get the four die set, will I need any other items if I purchase either the breech kit or the turret kit? I have been to the MidwayUSA web site and most Lee products are backordered for at least a week or so. 9mm four die set is back ordered until early April.

If Natchez has them in stock or even if not. They are usually a little less money from them. The kit comes with every thing you need except the dies and one of the breech lock bushings or 2 more packages if you get two sets of dies with 4 dies.. In other words you need a bushing for each die and the kit comes with 3. You need a total of eight 4 for the 9mm and 4 for the 45acp. BUT you can get by without them it just means you have to unscrew the dies when you want to switch to the other caliber. If you are careful it will not change your settings as the oring locks them in. The dies do not fit the breech lock without a bushing.
I would buy another scale as the Lee, although very accurate is hard to use. It is too touchy to adjust. I bought the Dillion for $50 and it is a world of difference or a RCBS. If you are getting the Lee press then buy the Lee Modern Reloading manual also. JMO
With the Challenger kit you get a hand priming tool as opposed to priming on the press with the Anniversary kit.
http://www.natchezss.com/produ...820&CFTOKEN=10520377

 

[tgwillard]

I have decided on the Lee Turret Reloader and the four piece carbide die sets. I will probably give the powder measure a try and then upgrade to an electronic one later. I won't be doing a lot of different reloads, just target 9mm and .45 acp for starters. I will look at Natchez for price comparisons. I want to get primers locally to avoid the hazmat shipping charge. If I can only find magnum large and small pistol primers how much in general do I lighten the powder charge. I have cans of Unique and 700-X from my earlier reloading days of 40 years ago. Checked both cans and powder seems stable. Fired some .45 acp rounds reloaded 40 years ago and they were fine.

 

[Dale53]

OCD1 is giving you excellent advice regarding the Lee scale. I am a fan of Lee but NOT their scale. RCBS, Lyman, and Dillon have great balance scales.

Dale53

 

[DougE]

Originally posted by Dale53:
OCD1 is giving you excellent advice regarding the Lee scale. I am a fan of Lee but NOT their scale. RCBS, Lyman, and Dillon have great balance scales.

Dale53

+1
While the Lee scale may be accurate enough, it's a royal PITA to use. The previously mentioned scales are much better choices.

 

[Dale53]

tgwillard;
Be SURE that you order the Lee Classic Turret Press with four holes (Lee has a slightly less expensive but MUCH less desirable turret press that can be had with either three OR four holes.

I also highly recommend that you get the Lee PRO Disc powder measure. It is much easier to use (has a powder shutoff that makes handling it, day to day, MUCH nicer).

Dale53

 

[Rule3]

I toyed with the idea of the turret press but went with the single stage instead. I like being able to do "batch work" I can just size/deprime untill I am tired of it and just walk away. I do believe you can also stop the turret press from turning and just use it as a single stage, so probably the best of both.
Good luck, have fun, be safe and hope you can find one.