Reloading thread

Oh boy, I always recommend people start on single stage when learning. I have that same press and it's much easier to break stuff by accident with common mistakes.

You need case lube, dies, shell plates, calipers, case mouth reamers, alan wrenches are nice, shell holders are nice, case trimmer is nice. Did you not look into this first?

>>34565765
https://youtu.be/kESfAVpKtM4
This guy has decent videos on how to set up and use the press, I suggest you watch them.

press
shellplate
dies
powder measure
scale
calipers
case prep tool
tumbler
tumbling media
case trimmer
case lube if you do necked cases

>>34565884
SCALE yes I forgot this. Absolutely necessary, and OP I'd suggest you pick up a powder cop.

File: 1446531592515.gif (649KB, 500x373px) Image search: [Google]

649KB, 500x373px

Anyone know of any cheaper place to get supplies other than powder valley? They have really good prices, but I know some online stores might have coupons that could edge them out.

>>34565975
Supplies as in powder, bullets and primers?
I get case lube, powder and primers locally from Ace Hardware because I save a ton on hazardous shipping costs.
Bullets I get from Grafs (everything), American reloading (pull downs), Monmouth (bulk), Missouri bullets (cheap lead) and Accura (super cheap plated).
Everything else I usually get off amazon, but I look around at the above sites because they also sell parts.

>>34565824
Not really, no. I plan on using this one as a pseudo single stage until I get the hang of it, the way I figure starting with a single is wasteful if you're just going to upgrade later.
>>34565870
Will do.

>>34566048
I will say that it isn't as rigid as a single and it will break things regardless because it has a lot more small moving parts, some designed to break to prevent damage to the expensive parts. A single stage is usually a couple pins, a handle, the ram and the body.
I wish you the best of luck, I usually run both the LNL AP and a single on my bench at once, you don't really upgrade you add on.

>>34566089
different guy
What would you recommend for a single that you won't "grow" out of?

Just snagged a rcbs quick change powder measure from our closing gander mountain for $60

>>34566345
>>34566089
I should mention I want it mainly for depriming spent cases before tumbling.

>>34566361
Any press will do for that, look for used ones of gunbroker etc. I usually do that with my progressive if I tumble after depriming at all.

>>34565824
>I have that same press and it's much easier to break stuff by accident with common mistakes.
What sorts of common mistakes?

>>34565884
annealer too

I cancelled my order lol

>>34566089
I also bought a LNL AP as my first press and still need to get the last few items before i can start. I bought the AP so i can churn out bulk blasting ammo but was thinking about a single stage for reloading my .308. Do you recommend a specific single stage or will any do?

I am reloading for
.308
.223
9mm
.40 s&w

>>34567603
Pushing a little too hard at different stages because you didn't use quite enough lube on the cases and got used to it being hard to throw the lever. Primers that are spent or live getting stuck in the primer feed mechanism or not coming in or out of the cases fully. These two things have crushed the primer drop tube or broken different pieces of the timing mechanism at the bottom.
The most common issue I've run into that has shut me down for a couple hours or even days is stuck cases, which are not easily removed in the LNL AP because of the rotating it does. Another issue not necessarily easily noticed or corrected when using the AP (without a powder cop) is over or under charging rounds. I mitigated that for a while using a magnetized mirror and a light for visual inspection and checking about 1 in 10 loads.
Like I said, getting an AP right off the bat is the worst way to learn. I've only been doing this about 3 years and I'm glad I went the route I did.
>>34567727
Most are essentially the same, just make sure it'll take standard dies and if you can get it used. Hornady now makes one that has the same LNL system as the AP so while expensive it'll share some helpful features.

>>34568132
Here
>>34567727
Forgot to mention, you can easily reload .308 on the AP but I recommend getting a single anyway. The main problem I run into with .308 on the AP is powder load consistency when the powder is low in the measure. Usually if it goes under half I start seeing variations so avoid that if possible. Honestly I never use my AP for priming my cases either, the system is good but it's way too easy to get primers jammed in bad places or debris behind the slider that holds the fresh primers. Hand priming while watching something like a movie etc is my favorite method.

Sometimes .308 can be a bitch while sizing, I've stuck more .308 than anything really, on that topic GET A STUCK CASE REMOVAL KIT. Don't jury rig some BS unless you have the stuff on hand: just buy the kit.

>>34568236
>>34568132
Thanks. I just bought a Hornady scale ($70) and cheap hand trickler. What i'm planning on doing is using the powder drop to get me about .5gr and then using the trickler to dial it in. I would like to eventually buy a single stage and a scale like the RCBS Chargemaster as well, but this will do for now.

I already have
>Redding Match .308 dies
>Reloader 15 (3lb), Varget (1lb), 4064 (1lb),
>168 & 175gr Sierra Match kings
>Lapua Brass
>CCI primers

in addition to all that I have small pistol/rifle primers and about 8lbs of both CFE 223/Pistol powder, and some fired brass i've collected. I don't yet have any dies for .223/9mm/.40 s&w. Should I just buy Lee? They seem to have good reviews and are cheap.

>>34568371
Just polish the measure, graphite it, and use a baffle. Pretty easy to have them .1gr consistent.

>>34568371
I have Lee 9mm dies I got a while ago. I don't buy them anymore, they come with an o-ring to hold their settings. I stick with Hornady or RCBS with Hornady sure-lock rings normally, the sure locks don't use the little brass set screws like RCBS so they're pretty tight. I recommend Hornady because they have promotions for free bullets when you buy their stuff and their customer service has always been friendly, no questions asked and free.
>>34568390
This does work but I've still had issues with it wandering the load, could just be me or my setup I'm not sure.

>>34565765
Gonna want at least the small pack of the quick change bushings. I'd actually suggest the 10 pack, you'll use them eventually.

You will need the correct shell plates for your calibers, Hornady has a chart telling you which numbers to buy.

Buy replacement decapping pins BEFORE you break one, so you can get back in business immediately. Also get a stuck case remover.

You'll want a scale you trust, and a check weight. Digital scales are faster than balance beam scales but have a warmup time before they're repeatable. Either style would work tho.

Avoid anything made by Lee that isn't their universal expanding die or "unbreakable" universal decapping die (which isn't actually unbreakable, buy 2 so you're not out of business while Lee is shipping you a replacement decapping stem under warranty when you bend it-2 of them is still cheaper than an RCBS universal decapper and they have lifetime warranty).