Starter Reloading Gear/Lit

[sinister]

I am a slave to the reloading bench because I'm a cheap cuss and I like to shoot a lot and not pay outrageous sums for factory new ammo if I don't have to.

The Dillon 550 gives you tons of flexibility with the easy-to-chage reloading heads -- you can be set up for 5.56, 7.62, 45, and 9mm respectively within 15 minutes of changing heads (the fine tuning is in changing from small to large primers).

Economy in handloading is relative -- it may take you a few years to make back your investment, but eventually you will be saving a whole lot more than if you were buying ammo retail.

What you'll need:

A good manual (Lyman 48th edition is a great start);
Dillon 550 set up for at least one caliber (from the factory);
a bench to mount it to (can be as simple as a small bench if reloading in the apartment or garage -- I am in the military so I have to take everything apart every two or three years and move it somewhere else);
a scale to measure powder charges;
drop-in case gage for rifle cases;
automatic case trimmer to trim rifle cases to length (Gracey or Giraud if reloading in bulk);
a case tumbler and corn-cob tumbling media (to get all the crap and soot off fired cases and save your dies).

You can buy bulk prepped brass from guys like Pat's Reloading and GI Brass. You can e-shop around for the best component prices (buy powder and primers in bulk to save on HAZMAT shipping charges, usually by FEDEX Ground or UPS).

I've loaded tens of thousands of rounds on my 550 and my handloads shoot better than factory. I can put out 100 45 auto rounds in 10-15 minutes. I am more particular about my rifle ammo (I shoot National Match and 800-900-1000 yard Palma Course so it takes longer).

Loading 500 rounds of 45 may take a little over an hour after you put the kids to sleep.

Dillon can sell you everything you need (eventually you may need to put them on speed dial).

Good luck.

[jmart]

Production rates for pistol run 150-200 rounds/hr on a turret press. I don't bother trimming cases which speeds thing up considerably. I use carbide dies, you don't need to lube the cases but I still do. Makes the press run smoothly. Good press kits can be had for under $125.

Move up to a DIllon 550/650 and you're into the 300+ rounds/hour. Using a case feeder on a 650 and you are probably pushing 500/hr. $400-500 investment in press, with maybe an additional $100 of Dillon add-ons (trays, handle upgardes, strong mounts).

Regardless of which route you go, expect another $150 investment in tools, tumbler, manuals. You can forgo a tumbler and go with a chemical cleaner, that saves some bucks. But with a chemical cleaner, your time is invested in cleaning, whereas with a tumbler, you load it up, turn it, walk away and do whatever for the next 30-60 minutes. You get the idea.

Rifle is a bit trickier. You'll need to trim cases, probably every 2nd/3rd loading, but I just trim at each loading using a Dillon trimmer which also functions a resizer (my philosophy -- you have to resize the cases, might as well trim at the same time). At this point you are paying for convenience. The trimmer/trim die setup runs $240 IIRC. Alternatives are a Gracey or Giraud, which trim off the press ($250-350), a standard lathe-type trimmer ($50), a Lee trim pilot ($15), and some types you use in a drill press. All work equally effectively, but with the electric ones you are paying for convenience and speed.

If in your 1,000 rounds per month, if that includes at least 300-400 rounds of .223, I'd pay for convenience. Processing those numers on the older equipment will drive you insane after awhile. But if you shoot only a couple hundred rounds/month, then you can get by with the other types. Just to give you an idea, I would guess my production rate is at least 3X, maybe 4X what I can do with my old Lee Trim Pilot that I used with an electric drill.

With my rifle setup I run two toolheads -- a trimming/resizing toolhead for case prep, this is followed by a tumbling to remove lube, then on to a 2nd toolhead that's setup with powder charger, seater and crimper. I usually do a lot of my case prep work over the winter months, so come loading time I have a bunch of prepped/primed cases ready to load. If I concentrate on maintaining good rhythm, I can maintain 300 rounds/hr on my 550, that's w/o a case feeder, using ball powder exclusively, and relying on manual indexing.

[markm]

You'll need a trimming system. Either get a Dillon trimmer/trim die combo (approx $250) or get a Giraud (approx $350).

Case trimming is for the birds. At least if you're just loading practice/bulk ammo. If you load specific kinds of brass, you can really get away with little to no trimming at all. Priv, UMC, and AE223 (LC) come to mind. I've loaded probably over 30k rounds of .223 and never trimmed anything. I do monitor my case lengths though. I opt for the Lee factory crimp die, although I could probably get away without it because I really hardly ever get any brass that stretches very far out of spec before it hits the scrap bucket anyway.

It's weird. AE223 brass (the LC stuff) has almost NO stretch to it, but XM193 LC brass stretches pretty good. I haven't figgered that one out yet.

Winchester brass is by far the worst as far as stretching goes... Including IMI M855. If I get any Win brass, I just count on loading it once and that's it.

Either way I'd set up two toolheads, a case prep tollhead and a loading toolhead.

This is exactly what I do. I have my resizing/decap die in one tool head, and the rest of the process in another tool head.

When I first started loading, I tried running the rifle just like the pistol. You can get away with it, but it's really not the best way to load .223.

[Wes1977]

How fast can you change out the tool head on the 650? And demigod, on your second or final toolhead did you change out the resizing/decap die with Dillon's Rapid Trim 1200B Case Trimmer?

[Dedpoet]

The 650 toolhead itself takes only a moment or two to change. It's held in place by two pins and the powder measure reset bar. My guess is that you may be asking how long to do a full caliber change. It's really not much longer than a 550 (15 - 20 minutes) unless you need to change primer sizes (like from .45 to .223) in which case you can add another 20 - 30 minutes. The primer assembly is more complex on a 650, but it's also much better in my opinion, having used both.

Dillon has a fix for this, for lots of money of course. You can buy a complete second primer system for about $80 and have one set up in each size. Then it's a 5 minute switch-out instead of 20+. I don't have one, but if I find myself switching primer sizes often I may spend the money.

[markm]

And demigod, on your second or final toolhead did you change out the resizing/decap die with Dillon's Rapid Trim 1200B Case Trimmer?

Nope! I don't trim. If brass gets too long, I throw it in the scrap metal bucket. Generally, the primer pocket is loose before the case needs cutting. Regardless, I scrap brass after 3 loadings or less depending on the kind.

Station 1 on my 2nd toolhead is empty!

[Wes1977]

Nope! I don't trim. If brass gets too long, I throw it in the scrap metal bucket. Generally, the primer pocket is loose before the case needs cutting. Regardless, I scrap brass after 3 loadings or less depending on the kind.

Station 1 on my 2nd toolhead is empty!

I'm hoping not to trim but I want to be able to max savings. I've heard about primer pockets being loose. Is that because of to high of a load or is that normal to only last like 3 times?

[Wes1977]

Dillon. If loading progressively seems intimidating at first, just run a single case at a time.

You'll need a trimming system. Either get a Dillon trimmer/trim die combo (approx $250) or get a Giraud (approx $350). Either way I'd set up two toolheads, a case prep tollhead and a loading toolhead.

Crap I got confused with quotes and stuff. I would like to know about your case prep toolhead. what do you have on it? Is you loading toolhead still normal?

[jmart]

Dillon 550

Case Prep Toolhead:

Station 1 -- trimmer and trim die

Station 2 -- empty

Station 3 -- conventional Lee resizer, backed out a turn. Purpose is to run trimmed and sized case back over an expander ball

Station 4 -- empty



Loading Toolhead:

Station 1 -- Univ flaring die adjusted to put the slightest flare on case mouth (needed when seating FB bullets)

Station 2 -- Powder charging die/measure

Station 3 -- Forster seater

Station 4 -- Lee Factory Crimp die

Switchout is like stated above, pull 2 pins, slide one head out, slide other head in, reinsert both pins. 10-15 seconds max

[markm]

I'm hoping not to trim but I want to be able to max savings. I've heard about primer pockets being loose. Is that because of to high of a load or is that normal to only last like 3 times?

I just quit at 3 so I don't have to worry about separation or splits. Some people get over 6 loads out of brass.

Primer pocket looseness is brand dependant. Some stay tighter longer than others.

The reason I don't sweat case length is Black Hills blue box. That brass is so freakin' out of case length spec, it's not funny. But you never hear a single complaint about the ammo. My guess is that if you aren't loading really hot ammo, which I don't since there's no need for practice ammo to be super hot, then a little extra case length won't hurt you.