Reloading

I was thinking about reloading but I don't have the space or the time and I'd hate playing brass police

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I do all my loading on a single stage. If I could buy again I would just go for Wilson hand dies and an arbor press, but as it was after doing some research I chose the Lee Classic Cast over the Rock Chucker and having used both quite a lot I can say it was a good idea.

100 rifle rounds would take me about 1.5 + hours to load doing it my way, not including time cleaning, sizing, trimming, deburring and priming cases. If you think that's alright then a single stage is fine for you and the cheapest option. You might get it done quicker but I throw charges on a powder thrower then trickle up to exact final charge weight in my beam scale pan, so it's almost a minute per round. It's a rexlaing way of doing it though and I like the simplicity and complete lack of any electric tool.

>>34819430
The Lee press looks good as well, but I could get a Rock Chucker starter kit for a decent price.

I have lee o frame no problems here, what is a arbor press?

>>34820134
Starter kits are alright, unless they're Lee kits. Lee only does a few really good pieces of equipment, the rest is markedly inferior to stuff from RCBS, Redding, Hornady and the rest. IMO if you're buying stuff one piece at a time the Lee Classic Cast is the best single stage aside from the Co-Ax, and it's also one of the cheapest. Lee collet neck dies are better than the usual design of sizer dies. Apart from that the only good stuff Lee does is the simpliest shit, like powder scoops and funnels which no idiot can make wrong. Their trimmers work alright if you don't care about what length your case is only that it's under max.

>>34820659
Google will answer that question fastest.

>>34820134
in life in general, kits are losers. Build it one piece at a time and you can get exactly what you need usually for a better price.

Watch for sales. I picked up the 100 USD RCBS scale for 50 by just waiting for a sale.

For a mid point between a progressive and a single stage there's the Turret presses. I've heard nothing but good things from the Redding T7 press. It sounds like you're not in a great rush and are ok dropping a decent amount of cash. Might be worth considering.

Do you really have to buy a conversion kit ON TOP of the dies when you go with Dillon? Seems retarded.

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Right now I´m really favoring pic related.
Buying the Dillon would give me just the press and one conversion kit...and it would cost almost twice as much.
For someone like me, who has a decent amount of free-time and would be pretty OCD about doing everything by the book, I´m guessing a SSP would be sufficent.

>>34821369

You might be looking at the square deal rather than the turret price.

The square deals are progressive rather than turret. The T7 should just need screw in dies. Well. Some guys buy extra tops so they can have more calibers ready to load without unscrewing and screwing a bunch of dies. But 7 spaces for dies should set you up really well.

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I've got a Dillon Square Deal B that I'm looking to sell if any of you guys would be interested in buying it. Comes with 45 ACP dies and .357 mag dies and tool heads. Asking $320 shipped for it. Just hit me up at my email if you've got questions or want pics.

>>34819138
As someone who has all 3. Dont get the Hornady LnL.

Get the xl650 for bulk reloading and a rcbs or better yet coax for "precision loads"

The LnL biggest failure in my mind is the timing paws, that control the advancement of the shell plate.

They can slip out of adjustment and then are a pita to re time. I have had 2 LnL progressives. Each has been sent back. Each has come back with the same issue.

Hornady customer support has been good. I give them that.

>>34819256
I had a reloading setup in a closet.


You dont need a lot of space.

>>34821369
You dont have to buy there dies. But you do need the conversion kit for each caliber.


The kit has the shell plate , buttons, and powder funnel needed for each caliber.


This is a fact of life with progressives. And one of the hidden costs.


For a hornady lnl you need a shell plate for each caliber too, and savy hirbady owners also get lnl bushing and a powder meter for each caliber.

>>34822798
That´s what I figured.
I probably get the single stage press first and use the XL650 only for ammo I´m going to shoot a lot.
It´s not like I´m going to need to load 500 rounds of 7,5 × 55 mm Swiss every single week.

>>34822878
It also is nice to learn on the single stage.


You can buy dillon dies and use them i tour single stage.

Also you dont have to use dillon dies in their press, but from my experience the dillon and the reddings run the best in the dillon machine.


If there is one or 2 loads that you run all the time. Buy the quick change jit with the spare powder measure and shell hilser.

>>34819138

If or when I decide to get into reloading. What caliber do you guys recommend to get started on? Handgun calibers like 9 and 10mm or rifle calibers like 5.56 and .308?

>>34823064
What do you shoot?

Cost per round is thr biggest consideration.
You should sit down and calculate the ROI , and do a cost benefit analysis of your shootinf and potential reloafing.


With 5.56 at 27cpr it may or may not be worth it. Depending on what components you use.

Simple plinking bullet are .07$ to .10$ per bulket in lots of 1000.
But Sierra 55gr fmjbt are .17-.23$ not really worth it.
H335 is $159 for 8lbs. Enough for 2245 rounds of 5.56 at 25gr per round ir .07$ per round for powder.

Primers, cci #41 are $38 per 1000. Or .038$ per round.

Brass. Brass can be free, if your a range rat, or about $54 per 1000 of once fired if you buy online.

On the low end. You can reload a xm193 equivelent for... around .23 cents if you dont value your time.

Or you can buy new for .28 per round ( federal ammo found on ammoseek.com)

Reloading plinker 5.56 ammo has saved you a nickel . But remembet you spent $750 in your progressive press that lets you load at 400-600 roubds per hour.

You need to load 15,000 round to pay off that press. In terms of timr you would be reloading for 30 hours at 500rph.
For me that 30hrs is $1250 in after tax wage. If i value the time the same as my employer. ( i dont , i find reloading to be a nice hobby)


With out time factored in that 15,000 round will cast you about $ 3450

For that same $3450 amount, you could buy 12,321 rounds, and not spend 30 +hours reloading.

Now. That said. For higher cost cartridges or, hunting rounds, or match ammo, or obscure stuff reloading makes a lot of since. My 300blk subs cost me about .19$ each to reload if i cast . That is a per round savings of .28$ over new ammo or a savings of .20$ over commercial reloads.

That is 4-5 times the pay back rate compared to 5.56 plinking ammo.

>>34823026
Are Dillon dies really worth twice as much as RCBS ones? I could get those for 64. Dillons are 120

>>34823383
The $120 dies are their carbide ones.

I dont think they are worth it. Unless you are using a dillion 1050 .

With bottle neck cartrages you still need to lube even if you use carbide dies.

Their standard dies are $64. Just use them.


For straight wall casses like pistol cases i recommend carbide , but not for bottlenecks .

>>34823064
I get the biggest return loading obsolete rifle rounds (8x56hunn, 35 wheelen, ect), and doing match ammo for my bolt guns( 6.5, 300 win, 338)

>>34823375

Holy shit. Thanks for the long reply. I probably don't shoot enough for it to be cost efficient. I shoot the 4 calibers I mentioned but good 10mm and 308 is what bites my ass. Maybe when I shoot more it'll be cost efficient. I don't shoot as much as is. Thanks again for the reply. I'll get it worked out and decide should I get into it or not.

>>34823461

I shoot the most common rounds in America and I don't have a bolt gun to suck as much accuracy out of my own 'match grade' ammo. Maybe stupid hot shit could be cool

>>34823520
The 10mm and 308 might be worth it. But if your a low volume shooter dont do a progressive, get a single stage or turret.


The. You can vet into reloading for a few hundred , and repayment will be faster.

10mm may be worth it. If you do the math.

The nice thing about pistols is how little powder they use.

>>34823520
Start saving brass now. You are already paying for it.

>>34823632

And a single press would let me remove primers and insert primers with little 'heads?' on the press? I've seen this done a little bit but have no idea.

>>34823676

Am. I shoot alone on family farmland so I cleanup. That's why I was wondering about reloading

>>34823520
For 10mm.
180gn , with 9.5 grains of Autocomp.

Autocomp is $169 for 8lbs.
That is enough for 5894 rounds that is .028$ per round
180grn round nose fmj is .12$pr
Cci 300 primers are .034$ pr
Once fired brass is .14$pr

So you can reload 10mm for .32$pr

Om ammo seek tou can find 180gn fmjrn for .27$pr
In short at this time not worth it to reload. If my prices and math are right.

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>>34823783

8 pounds of pistol powder holy fuck. I've fucked with shotshell powder from cutting open shotshells when I was younger but goddamn. doesn't pistol powder burn faster than rifle powder? what Burns faster if you don't mind me shitting up your thread with autistic questions

>>34823815
Pistol is usually faster burning.


Buying in an 8lb quantity saves you money over buying 1lb and paying the extra hazmat shipping fees

>>34824185

Makes sense. Thanks lads

>>34824278
If you only buy 1lb at a time , each shipment has a $25 hazmat fee tacked on.

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Can anyone recommend a good single stage or turret press that is compatible with this lee stand?
I shoot .308, 40 SW, and .357 magnum (and 5.56 but I don't plan on reloading that).

I bought a LnL AP, but it's just rotting in the box and I'm planning on selling it.

>>34825475
it kinda looks like it has holes to accommodate a number of presses. if not, use a drill.

>>34825475
The lee turret preas is fine.

>>34825515
I'd like to do as few modifications as possible for this.
>>34825527
Yeah, I was hoping for confirmation that the lee turret was a good press. I might just go with that.

I'm thinking of starting reloading to make plinking ammo for 5.56 and high accuracy 9mm rounds for USPSA. What are all the things I have to buy? Note, I have no idea what I'm doing.

>>34823684
Yes/no it depends on the press, for example the rcbs summit you can not prime on. Same story on the coax.

You can deprime on any press.

I hand prime when i use my single stage press.

Here is my process. For a single stage when i am loading precision or match rifle rounds

I sort my brass, and shake out any dirt, rocks , sand. I then give them a quick wash. Next it is into a ultra sonic cleaner with some detergent. ( hornady oneshot is my curfent flavor)

After that quickly dry it them in an old food dehydrator.

Next i decap them with a universal decapper.

Then annealing.
Then full length resize .
I use a paste lube like unique.

Then i trim to length.
Chamfer/deburr
Uniform the primer pocket

Next i tumble in walnut.

Then i hand prime.

Next it is powder, i pre measure powder into little Dixie cups, while my brass is tumbling.

Then i dump my powder
Seat my bullet
Apply a light crimp

Then if i am being really really anal, i measure run out and correct it.


For loading rifle plinking rounds on a progressive, i usually start by using my single stage to deprime, and full length re size the entire batch.

Then i trim it all. And then store it untill im ready to reload.

When i need to reload my pre processed brass, use my dillion650. Slip on the tool head that i need, fill the powder, and confirm it is throwing the right amount of powder.

I spray lube the brass ,then dump 250 cases into the case feeder.

Fill some primer tubes.
Then get to cranking.
.
With pistol brass i dont ever trim it.
And i dont deprime it in a seperate operation.
I clean it, lube it, and load it.

.

>>34825601
See post as to why pinking 5.56 is a waste to reload for.

If you are starting from nothing.
You need in order:
a reloading manual

A good scale that measures in grains ( digital or balance it doesnt matter)

Good calipers ( you dont need mitutoyo, the igaging line on amazon are inexpensive and accurate. )

A press
Single stage and turret presses are a good place to start, they are cheaper to buy and even if you move to a progressive are still useful.
A progressive press , if you dont know, semi automates part of the reloadin processes, andd allows you to reload faster. But they are much more expensive, much harder to set up, and tend to have hidden costs ( like caliber chamge kits) .

A hand primer, if you cant prime on your press.

A bullet puller.
There are two types, the hammer and a cam over.
The hammer is a bollow plastic hammer you clip the round into then bead aganst your work bench. The bullet will pop free of the case after a few whacks.

Cam overs look like a die, they seat over the round then you operate a lever that pulls the bullet free.
Your going to need to take apart the rounds you make , when your setting up or make a mistake.

Dies.
If you can afford them get carbide.

Powder measure, and funnel
This meters and dispenses the powder you check the throw amount on your scale.

Trickler
The powder measure is a course tool, the trickler allows you to add a few grains of powder to get the right weight.

Loading blocks
These hold empyt and in progress casea as you load them.

Good lights
Got to see what your doing,

Time and patience.

A chronograph. Not a requirement but a helpful tool to check your work.

A log book.record everything you do.

>>34825887
Sorry, im typing on a phone and have fat finger.


You can also buy kits that have most of this stuff already in 1 box.

>>34819138
I just use a lee classic ...I mainly load larger pistol rounds on mine .357 .44 mag S&W .500. I have a bunch of shit to load 45 ACP but I started shooting at an indoor range so it is kind of a waste when I don't reclaim the brass. Starting out I'd just get a single stage, a decent digital scale and powder hopper. Get carbide dies if you can because it will save you from having to lube cases. I'd suggest the lee classic since it primes on the sizing down stroke saving you from having to use those terrible hand primers. Going into it find bullets you like and stick with them since it will save you from having to readjust your dies if you change to something else. Also watch out if you use anything Hornady because those assholes use non-spec case lengths for a lot of their loads so unless you buy their brass you end up having to trim new brass to make their bullets fit.