Reloading info

General Firearms Reloading & Ammunition
1

I am pondering the idea of venturing into the realm of reloading. So I have a few questions for those of you who have been reloading

  1. I know the reputaion of Hornaday Ammo how are thier reloading product (mainly the equipment I.E. presses).

  2. Would I be wasting my time and money with a single stage press. I am looking to start out reloading 556/223, but plan on reloading 40 and 45 for my pistols

3 How difficult is the whole process, I just dont want to spend the money and end up getting in way over my head. I am not retarded but also not the smartest man alive.

Any and all responses are greatly appreciated.

-DM-

2

Everyone has thier preferences as to what type of press is best. I am not a high volume shooter. I usually keep my practice sessions to about 100 rounds of pistol and a mag or 2 or .223.

I have owned 3 Lee progressive presses and 1 Dillon. I have sold them and switched to a Lyman T-Mag turret press. I use a hand tool to prime. This is a very simple set up. Faster than a single stage. Slower then a progressive.

Your needs may dictate a different press.

Regardless of the press, you will need a scale (buy a digital, Pact BBK works well) and some calipers.

I would start with the straight walled pistol cases such as 45 acp, 38 spl, 9mm. Move to .223 when you are confident with your abilities.

The 40 S&W is a much higher pressure round than the .45. Less margin for error.

3

Disclaimer: I am a Dillon dealer. (Because I was a user first)

You will end up with a Dillon eventually, so just short-circuit it and drink the blue kool-aid now. :slight_smile:

When I went looking for a progressive back in the 90s, 7 out of 10 people recommended the Dillon. In most online forums, that ratio still holds. Other presses may work fine, but the Dillon is the mercedes/cadillac/lexus and in progressive presses is about the same price range as comparable hornady and rcbs so why mess around?

If your only goal is low volume hunting rounds or other low volume work, then a Rock Chucker is a great press. Any amount of volume and you will soon be frustrated without a progressive.

4

Cost is the biggest Factor. I found the Hornaday starter kit with a scale “reloaders bible” and everything else but a tumbler, case trimmer and dies for $300.

I mainly looking to reload the 556/223 and I am not a high volume shooter (about 200-300 rounds a month) so the time issue is not a factor as this will keep me from playing/buying and xbox 360 and Call of Duty 4

-DM-

5

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=630&category_id=190&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41

The above link is the kit I use. Its a turret press. If you’re just starting, but plan on loading only 2-400 a month, its probably the most economical and safest route. I would avoid a single stage for pistol, because frankly, it takes too long. I can safely load 200 pistol rounds an hour. I load 40 S&W, sometimes 45ACP, and am now starting 223. The turret design is a little slower than a full blown progressive unit, but it also allows you to do single stage when you first start (just take out the indexing rod). Slow and methodical should be your SOP when you begin, and this press will allow you to take time and monitor each step. A lot of people bag on Lee, but I haven’t experienced one problem, and have loaded probably 4000 rounds of pistol ammo on mine. The Pro-Auto Disk (which I recommend), puts me within .1 of a grain every time.

I would get the adjustable charge bar, as well as extra turrets for each caliber you want to reload. Changing calibers is as easy as pulling the turret out and dropping in the new one. Change the shellholder and primer feeder (if necessary).

With progressive, one pull of the handle and a lot of things are going on at once. Also, I agree that 40S&W is a higher pressure load, and you need to carefully monitor your grains - especially if you’re using the higher rate powders. The difference between starting and max loads on some powders is a matter of .6 grains.

Hope that helps,
~V

6

i’ve probably loaded 20t rounds of pistol ammo. using only a lee single press.I use to shoot 200 rounds of pistol ammo. 200 rounds of pistol ammo can be done in 2 hours max.

i’ve upgraded to a turret press. although i haven’t loaded that much it’s a lot faster and you don’t need to do things by batch. If you want to load 50 rounds in 1 sitting you can do it and don’t lose time.

haven’t loaded 556/223 yet but… someday.:smiley:

I use Lee exclusively. thier factory crimp die for pistol is amazing.

7

Net Present Value shoud be. Or for more simplicity… PAYBACK…

If you can come to terms with that… read E-GUNS reply above.:cool:

8

I use to think of the payback. but in the long run… it’s all about quality ammo at your fingertips.

9

That’s the icing on the cake! :smiley:

10

not just that… you can have ammo any time you want … assuming you keep enough components.

11

+1 on the Dillon You can start out with a single stage, but you will quickly see all the advantages of a Dillon. I use the 550 as a single stage on many of my rifle loads. Swap out the tool head and plate, and you are loading a different caliber. There are lots of good Dillon videos on youtube to give you an idea of what you are looking at.

If you are serious about shooting, you need to start reloading.

12

I bought both a Dillon 550B and a single stage press (Lee classic cast). I’ve been happy with both of them, and use both of them regularly. Even when I’m loading on the 550B, I use the single stage for resizing, decapping, bullet pulling, etc.

If the 500B is a budget problem at first - don’t worry about it, just load on the single stage. You’ll probably get a better feel for the process and put out better ammunition anyways. It’s kinda like asking what you should buy first - a handsaw or a chainsaw. Ultimately you’re going to need and use both anyways.

You really do want to get into reloading, though - being able to load up 200 rounds on demand is great.

More important than your equipment, though, is knowing what you’re doing - if you can find someone who does, and spend an afternoon with them while they go through their own process, that would help you quite a bit. It’s not rocket science, but you’ll be a lot more confident if you can manage to do that.

13

people get a dillon 550 to save cash.others get the 650 to crank out the rounds.

I like to shoot 1000 at a time minimum. I got the 650.if I want to shoot 2 or 300 I can rip those out right quick and go out back and have at it.I like shooting more than loading.so I got the 650 for the volume amount capability.

if you get a lesser setup you will have to work harder/longer.

in the end they all do it , it’s how much and how long you are willing to work at it.
I have only owned a 650, so I guess I can only see it from 1 side.but no way would I want a single stage unless it was dedicated to de-priming or something.

a 650 is $500

14

+1 I use a dillon 550 and love it but there are times when it would be nise to have that single stage for brass sizing decaping etc. I’ll be getting a single stage as soon as I can expand my work bench. If you know you want to shoot two to 300 rounds a week get the dillon. If not get a single stage to start and expand as needed.

Mule

15

I agree with XM15. I have a Dillon 550, and it performs flawlessly. I reload five calibers, all handgun rounds. Dillon has excellent customer service.

I have a suggestion for you. If you purchase a tumbler to clean your spent cases, don’t leave it running for four days as I did. What can I say? I’m old and forgetful!:rolleyes: The tumbled cases were very clean, but the tumbler motor was DOA and smelling like burnt bakelite.

I just ordered a new motor from Dillon via telephone.

Michael

16

I load on a Dillon 550B. I can’t speak of the presses but the 68 and 75gr bthp’s in .223 work great out of my gun, coyotes don’t like’em much though

17

I do not question that the Dillon machines are the way to go, if you have decided to go to a progressive.

For me, however, a progressive doesn’t jibe with how I reload 5.56 (or most bottleneck rifle rounds).

My routine is:

On return from the range, the brass is decapped (using an RCBS Universal Decapper), lubed (don’t forget to put a dab of lube inside the neck of every fourth or fifth case; a Q-Tip works just fine), and FL sized. Brass then goes in the tumbler. When bright and shiny, brass goes in a plastic tub labelled: “Decapped, Sized only”.

When the spirit moves me, I take the contents of the tub and perform the following operations:

All cases are gauged.

Anything that exceeds 1.760" is trimmed to 1.750"; necks are then deburred inside and out.

Priming done on RCBS Auto Priming tool. Each primed case is checked for sub-flush using Mark I, Mod. 0 finger tip.

Cases charged and bullets seated.

OAL checked for 2.250 on a spot basis (just seeing if the die has backed out of the press or the stem has backed out of the die).

In essence, I “batch” load these rounds, not because I have to but because I want to. A progressive doesn’t really work for “batch” processing.

In evaluating the usefulness for you of how I do things, bear a couple of points in mind:

I like reloading. Consequently, I’m not in a hurry.

I have a large enough supply of brass that “running low” presents any incentive to “load now” or “load fast.”

On those occasions where I expect to expend more than 200 rounds in a session, I buy some more XM193 and, eventually, just add to my brass supply.

18

a Dillon 650 plus an RCBS Rockchucker is what i have and between the two i can reload any ammo, in fact, if you shoot any ammo with a rebated rim you can NOT reload on a progressive press, that is where the Rockchucker comes in handy.

19

I know people who load rebated rim stuff on their dillons…

20

I have a single stage Lee, it works fine for me. Although I’ve done alot of 5.56, most of my stuff is the revolver and the bolt guns.

Case processing is the time consumer. Alot of people do most reloading in the winter time or off season or as stated, using free time.

Save those .45 plastic bullet trays, work great for case holders–except for .45 and .44. You can make them from wood blocks if you’re cheap.

I put my son to work preping the brass, he likes it and gets to shoot them and makes some pocket money. He loads with my supervision some times.

Big thing is factor how much the gear cost and how much you shoot and what you will save and if it’s worth it to you. Certain things that are used for other calibers such as a tumbler have to be brokendown further. Think of time you have to do this as well.

Mark