Reloading advice...

[my65swede@yahoo.com]

Being that BHO might also go after ammo with a tax I like others have been thinking about reloading. I don't really know much at all about it. I will probably only ever reload one or two calibers...5.56 being #1 and maybe a pistol later.

Where do I start? What is a good starter set-up? I'm not looking for a prestigious name, just something that works.

Thanks

[my65swede@yahoo.com]

Thanks,

[my65swede@yahoo.com]

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[Honu]

good info here
http://brianenos.com/pages/dillon.html


I am going to get a dillon 650 myself I used to do some reloading way back in the 80s :)
lucky I dont live to far from Dillon so went in and looked and checked em out etc....

they have a pretty good name and warranty etc..


I dont have trust he wont be taxing primers and other things also !!

my thought is I am going to get enough to reload 20k rounds and pick up 5k PRVI ammo and use it for the brass
my goal will be to buy this much each year as long as I can :)

if I see things coming might try to buy more ? as I say its nice to have guns but they do no good with out ammo and practice :)

[SMJayman]

If you're serious, buy once and cry once, i.e. spend some good money on a setup. That said, if you just want to get your feet wet and see if it is something you want to monkey with, you may be better served with an inexpensive single stage kit like one of the ones Lee makes.

I use a Dillon XL650. I have probably loaded in excess of 50k rounds on this press. I enjoy reloading, it is a nifty hobby that allows me to shoot more for less money. Being able to stockpile homemade ammo is a useful side benefit.

[jmart]

What is your budget?

BTW, there are tons of threads on this board that already answer these questions. Might want to spend some time searching, then formulate some questions.

[my65swede@yahoo.com]

I think my budget should be between $250-$500. I didn't search, because I really have no clue what I'm looking for. I see a lot of threads about powder loads,primers and bullets etc. I think what I want is some models to look at that fit into this price range. Maybe something that can do it all in one stroke. Does someone make a good starter package for a beginner?

[NWPilgrim]

Checkout the reloading threads here, and also the section at www.TheFiringLine.com/forums where there is a sticky about getting started and many similar threads as well. Search for posts by CrustyFN, especially towards his start up a couple of years ago.

For under $500 I suggest the Lee Classic Turret press setup. It is about $90 for the press and you can use it as a single stage or 4-stage turret. I am not going to list the prices,but Lee stuff is very functional (I have used a Lee single stage press for 20 years and just added the Turret press this year) and is about 1/2 - 2/3 the price of most other brands.

Suggested list of stuff (all Lee brand except as noted; and assuming you are just doing informal target shooting not precision competition shooting)
-Lee reloading manual and either Lyman reloading manual (if shooting cast bullets) or Speer reloading manual (if shooting Speer or generic jacketed bullets).

- Classic Turret Press (get an extra turret if you plan to reload a second caliber soon)

- Pro Auto-Disk powder measure with die lift/spacer kit and double disk kit. You can also get the Micro Adjust kit for the AutoDisk measure for finer increments.

- powder scale (I use RCBS 10-10, but the Lee should be fine to start)

- Safety Prime with small and large primer arms (attaches to press)

-Dial calipers (for measuring case and overall cartridge length; I have a Dillon, but I imagine any brand like Lee, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady are fine)

- RCBS X-Die set for .223 (special sizing die to keep cases from lengthening and extends case life, includes seating die)

- Lee Rifle Charging Die (powder measure attaches to top and powder pours though to case) and .223 Factory Crimp Die (apply variable crimp to case mouth) if you are shooting semi-auto rifle instead of bolt action.

(Your .223 turret will have dies in this order: RCBS X-die to decap primers and full length size; Lee rifle charging die; RCBS seating die; Lee Factory crimp die, just don't over do it )

- Lee pistol 4-die set for whatever caliber (optional if you are not doing that yet)

- case lube, pad, brush for getting inside case necks (or spray lube of various brands)

- primer pocket brush (to get old primer gunk out of pockets)

- Primer pocket swag die if you will be reloading military brass (LC, PMC, NATO, etc). I have a heavy duty bench model from Dillon, but I think RCBS and Lee make a cheaper press die for this.

-Lee .223 case trimmer for first time trimming before using the X-die (comes with the universal case cutter and a .223 specific length gauge)

- Tumbler and polishing media like walnut or corncob (I have a large Midway model, but any brand is fine)

* Keep it simple at first. Get one powder such as Varget, H335, IMR4064, or IMR4198; one bullet weight (or two weights close together such as 55 gr and 62 gr, since a big difference in weight may need a second powder); and one primer (Winchester Small Rifle or or CCI #41 military small rifle). Same for a pistol: Unique or Universal clays for a powder, almost any primer, and one bullet style (cast lead or jacketed of one or similar weights).

- Inertia bullet puller (the reloading"eraser"; my RCBS puller has lasted 20 years with just one O-ring replacement)

* You do not need rifle case trimming stuff if you use the X-die sizer.
* You do not need to trim pistol cases for length
* You do not need a hand primer tool right off, because you have the press primer tool. You may want one later so you can prime cases in front of the TV.
* You don't need reloading blocks to hold cases with a turret press. I use coffee cans and yogurt containers to hold a couple of hundred cases, bullets, and cartridges at a time. Get one block if you want just in case.

Read the manuals first. The reloading process is fairly simple, but you need to be organized, take your time, and if ever you have a doubt, then start over on that case or batch.

The most critical steps for safety are:
- priming the case (use right tool and primer for the case, seat firmly but not forcefully)

- charging case with powder (use the right amount and don't miss a case or double charge a case)

- seating depth and mild crimping if for semi-auto (pressure rises exponentially with the bullet seated deeper).

Starting out, there is no need to try to get maximum velocities! By backing off 5% or so from maximum you significantly reduce maximum pressures while not losing much velocity. Lower pressure is easier on your cases (i.e., more reloads per case), easier on your rifle, and dramatically increases your safety.

Don't get any thing else that you don't understand the need for. It does not have to be complicated. You should get 5-15 reloads per case.

Check out the website of the manufacturer of the powder and bullets that you use, too.Hodgdon has a great site for reloading data, for instance. Find a buddy or old time reloading in your town to learn from, too.Every reloader I know would be happy to help out a newbie get started.

Good luck, it is a LOT OF FUN!

[my65swede@yahoo.com]

Thank you NWpilgrim!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the advice.

[jmart]

NWPilgrim gave good advice, especially for your budget.

The one comment I have though is that his recommendation for a Lee Case trimmer and a RCBS X-die may not be compatible. It's my understanding that you neeed to trim cases .015-.020 short of max length for the X-die to work. The Lee trims thems only .010 under max, and there's no way to adjust it.

If you go with the X-die, you may need a lathe-type trimmer that offers adjustability. But if you shoot much .223, then either go with the X-die setup (to avoid repeated trimming), or go electric (but then you'll bust your $500 budget). Do not go with a conventional resizer and a Lee Trimmer. It works, but you'll get tired really quickly of trimming a bunch of cases using that setup.

Either wait for him to chime in, or PM him about this.

Lee Turret Press -- great, great choice. Just be advised, production will be slower than with a progressive. With a progressive, you get a loaded round with each pull of the handle, with the Lee Turret, you get a loaded round with every four pulls on the handle. Still, it's a good quality press. And I'm not aware of any quality progressive presses that will fit within your budget, given the need to purchase all the listed extras.

Having said that, if production is truly important, I'd consider adding a couple hundred to your budget and then get yourself a Dillon 550 or 650.

[NWPilgrim]

jmart, you are correct. :)

According to the X-die instructions (find them online here (http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/XDieProductInstructions.pdf)) you should trim to 0.020" under maximum length for best results.

According to Lee FAQ for Case length gauge tolerance (http://leeprecision.com/cgi/faq/index.cgi) it will trim to "somewhere between max and min case length."

According to Accurate Powder the max/min case lengths (http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/22Cal(5.56mm)/223%20Remington%20pages%20185%20to%20187.pdf) differ by 0.020" also (same as what RCBS recommends.

So technically the Lee trimmer does not guarantee "best results" with the X-die, but in practice it has done OK for me. Mine is about 0.016" less than max. This may work because I do not load to max powder weight/pressure and there is not as much strain put on the cases?

One alternative is to get a case trimmer from Lyman, RCBS, or Hornady that will run $60 - $100, but will allow you to ensure you trim the full 0.20" to min case length.

Or, as jmart points out, you could also forgo the X-die and just use a case trimmer more often. That also reduces the case life to maybe 5 reloads instead of 15 or more (I only read the tests for this life expetancy; I am only on the third round of reloads with this).

Also, I forgot to mention you want a little case chamfer tool to deburr the case mouth inside and out after doing the case trim.

ETA: I agree with the last bit of advice too. If you are just shooting a couple of hundreds rounds a month the turret press is plenty good. Butif you are shooting competition and going through a thousand rounds every weekend then you want the bench top factory, a Dillon. Dillon is very robust and really spits out the cartridges, but the ones I have seen take quite a bit of time to set up for another cartridge. I can change my turret press from one cartridge to another in about 5 minutes. If you have the need and the money a Dillon is top of the line and will last forever, and have excellent customer service. The Dillon start at about $350 just for the press. On the less-cost end of the scale, I have loaded a few hundred rounds per month for many years on a Lee press ($20 at the time), used a mix of Lee and other dies and tools and never had to use any of their customer services. Anyway you go you will have a lot of fun and learn more about cartridges and this aspect shooting then you ever dreamed of.

[my65swede@yahoo.com]

Thanks guys for catching that. I will probably get set up in about a month. My wife and I are moving to a new place and things will get a little crazy. I did build myself a nice bench in anticipation! When things settle down a bit I pick up this thread again and let you know what I did. Again, much thanks.

[signal4l]

NW Pilgrim posted some excellent info.

I use a Lyman T Mag turret press with good results. This is about as simple as a press gets. I like it. You will quickly get tired of a single stage press. I would also recommend a digital scale such as the Pact BBK.

Use the Lee adjustable powder bar. Skip the auto disks. The upgrade is inexpensive and gives you much more flexibility.

[boltcatch]

I bought a 550B intent on shooting high volumes of 55gr ball. I also picked up a Lee classic cast press for doing the odd operation here and there, and for future bolt gun projects.

What I've found is that I wouldn't want to give up the 550B, since the ability to rapidly put out 1 or 2 hundred rounds for a range trip is handy. However, I've been bitten by the same accuracy bug as most reloaders, and have used the Lee press more than I expected. I could get by with my Lee press if needed - and I'd probably get ammo that was a little more accurate.