Ok guys.... this ADDICTION is getting serious
Now have had guns for years, Hunted etc... Buddies have reloaded for me... but never done it or seen it done
Ive heard ya can start at about $200 upto $1500 for equipement. have done some FORUM searching but got frustraded so figured i'd Start with YOU awesome guys for help
My main rd would be .223, with some 9mm and .38 special
Ive also heard anywhere from .10 to .25 to re-load.... I have started KEEPING my brass, more for a buddy, but maybe me as well
So what is some real Current costs/rd to re-load.
Plus's vs minus'
How long would it take to re-load 100rds of .223
Anyways, as always, thanks guys..... just wondering if this is something I can justify TIME wise for me.....
Sitting here on my day off. just cleaned all my guns from yesterday... and now wondering what to do...LOL
Later
Stav
You are in good hands nowadays with the internet having sites like this. Let me toss in a slightly different angle - for what little my little knowledge is worth.
I started reloading 38 special lightly loaded lead bullets for a model 19 .357.
A Lyman 310 tool (looks like a hand exerciser and it is) worked fine for me. When I progressed to a RCBS single stage I lost interest - my children were young and loud.
Before you invest a lot of money determine your temperament. Will this relax you or add to other frustrations. My friends who reload find it very relaxing. I found it added to the other stresses in my life.
A Lyman 310 tool just neck sizes and works fine for light loads in the same revolver.
Lead bullets are wonderful for light loads, cheap and do not even lead the forcing cone much at lower loads. One article claimed shooting a few jacketed bullets took out most lead from barrel? I never noticed the difference.
Do read about safety. Apparently sizing and crimping shells is an art form with higher loads or semi-autos. When a 44 magnum recoils lightly crimped slugs can work their way forward (out from the shell) and lock up your gun (not good in polar bear country).
Opposite problem on semi-autos:
Semi-autos cannot be crimped into the slug because they headspace on the front of the shell. I believe they call that a taper crimp. Semi-autos usually hit the feed ramp and can push a slug back in a loosely crimped shell raising chamber pressures to dangerous levels. Definitely ask the experts about this.
I could only relax by watching TV while doing simple things. The Lyman 310 was great for putting in primers during commercials. I see they are still sold on the internet.
Fast burning powder was great because it was cheap. Not great if you accidentally load a double charge and blow up your gun. So I would put my sized, primed, and belled cases upside down until I scooped in the powder. Then immediately put in the lead slug.
I loved what little I was doing and when I bought an RCBS I never seemed to have time to get set up. You need an area set aside for such.
Go slow, learn the basics well, have a good time, save a few bucks. Then go back and read the basics again. Perhaps read about slugging your bore with a lead slug for exact size. Nowadays you can probably read about typical bore (groove) sizes for different makes of guns. Buy a micrometer. I used nickel (?) plated shells and never washed them.
Shooting lightly loaded 38 specials in a 357 means you never need to trim for case length. You do need to use a brass barrel brush inside your cylinder’s chambers before shooting 357 ammo. The lead in chamber (from shooting the shorter bullet) can raise pressures when a 357 shell is crammed in when not paying attention.
