thinking about starting reloading

[The Professor]

I will never be without my RockChucker.

 

[wolo]

don't buy anything until you take Jims class.

I would definitely second this. If you're not sure you want to reload, you could take his intro course which will give you an idea of the economics of it as well as a pretty good list of what you need to buy.

But if you're pretty certain, the metallic cartridge reloading class covers all of that and more in an all day class that is well worth it.

 

[mke0039]

Wanna go cheap? I bought all my reloading equipment on Ebay.

Hornady Lock N Load for ~ $100 and then all my dies (300 win mag, 308 win, 45 acp) for ~ 25-30 per.

The Lock N Load came with the reloading book (although Hodgen has a website with more complete loads and powder), scale, powder dispenser ect.

I bought a case trimmer, digital calipers, case tumbler after deciding I really needed them

You tube has great videos for reloading any caliber you can think of.

I started reloading rifle first, with no problems and then pistol latter with several problems.

My feed problems were solved after getting a lee factory crimp die (4th and last step) on my 45 acp.

Good luck and start saving money!

 

[American 1]

Helpful thread....thank you

 

[Squire]

Yes, thanks. I'll take a class to see the equipment in action.

 

[jpm]

My Lyman cast iron is still going strong after 20+ years.

Damn! I got ripped off!! ;-)

After I broke it I called Lee just for laughs. I mean its 20 years old so I didn't expect much. They said they would replace it for half the retail price if I returned it to them! Ok that's a decent warranty but it would have cost me about $10 to ship and $19 for the half retail price to replace it but for the same price I could buy one new from Amazon delivered so it wasn't worth it to bother with the warranty replacement.

 

[ClickBoom]

Well I have been looking around and I am pretty sure me and my son are going to start reloading come this spring, at the rate we are going though ammo and the gas to find it I think it makes good sense, plus I got my eye on a Ruger Black hawk 44 and I know I'll drop big bucks feeding that, jezz firing good 357 cost almost 30 bucks a box and that's if I can find it, right now we are just getting info together and looking around to see what's out there, we won't go for a cheap set but we also don't have the $ to buy a Dillion, been looking at some Hornady progressive presses for around $450.00

If we do it we will be reloading, 9mm, 38 special, 357 mag, 44 special, 44 mag, more guns to come ~

Tim

 

[mac1911]

Well I have been looking around and I am pretty sure me and my son are going to start reloading come this spring, at the rate we are going though ammo and the gas to find it I think it makes good sense, plus I got my eye on a Ruger Black hawk 44 and I know I'll drop big bucks feeding that, jezz firing good 357 cost almost 30 bucks a box and that's if I can find it, right now we are just getting info together and looking around to see what's out there, we won't go for a cheap set but we also don't have the $ to buy a Dillion, been looking at some Hornady progressive presses for around $450.00

If we do it we will be reloading, 9mm, 38 special, 357 mag, 44 special, 44 mag, more guns to come ~

Tim

You touched on the key factor for my decision to reload. The time and gas running around looking for ammo....and this was before any shortage!
Few this gs to factor is how much time you have to reload. I got plenty.
You could consider the hornady progressive for the ammo you shoot the most and then a single stage for least used Cal.
Will save you a few bucks and time on conversions...

 

[MoAmmoPlease]

Ive been cranking out the ammo on a DILLON 550 for six weeks now and it's easy. I'm only loading 9mm right now but going slowly 50 rounds in 15 minutes is cake.
Between this forum, Brian Enos and the Tube I was set up comfortably in a day. I've been loading accurate ammo with AutoComp, Bullseye, Titegroup, 231, and Clays like I know what I'm doing. DON'T get a single stage! Your not going to produce enough and will regret it if you plan on shooting a lot.
Do some research and dive in. It's not as complex as some might have you think. That being said I'm only loading pistol and expect rifle reloading to be more of a science. I get a strange tingling down below every time a completed round drops into the bin and only wish I had started years ago!

 

[Edster]

You touched on the key factor for my decision to reload. The time and gas running around looking for ammo....and this was before any shortage!

But now instead of spending time and gas running around looking for ammo you are doing it to look for components!!!!!

 

[MoAmmoPlease]

Your not kidding Edster... I have lots of primers and pounds of powder but drove from Scituate to Middleboro for bullets yesterday with no luck. I have 1k being shipped but need to pick up 1k in Connecticut that cabelas would not ship to Massachusetts.
That being said I hope to be casting very shortly. I have two 5 gallon buckets or about half a ton of range lead waiting to be melted. I don't know how fast casting can be but I hope fast enough. A six gang mold is in my future but still unclear how many bullets I can bang off in an hour.
I also need a caliber conversion for .45 ACP so there goes a few more Benjamin's.
Will work for bullets!!

 

[DW357]

Bullets are easy to find online for good prices as well. But its always powders and primers that are harder to find. Luckily one of my local gun shops in Ipswich always seems to have the pistol powders I need (2400, unique, bullseye, power pistol etc.).

 

[mac1911]

Your not kidding Edster... I have lots of primers and pounds of powder but drove from Scituate to Middleboro for bullets yesterday with no luck. I have 1k being shipped but need to pick up 1k in Connecticut that cabelas would not ship to Massachusetts.
That being said I hope to be casting very shortly. I have two 5 gallon buckets or about half a ton of range lead waiting to be melted. I don't know how fast casting can be but I hope fast enough. A six gang mold is in my future but still unclear how many bullets I can bang off in an hour.
I also need a caliber conversion for .45 ACP so there goes a few more Benjamin's.
Will work for bullets!!

this is true also...although I have a good system and a free state friend to help out on orders!
I stocked up pretty well, im now about 2/3s through my multi year supply. slowly restocking. Found varget for 220$/8lbs to steap for me right now. I will chance it and see if prices drop in a few months.
I also have a pending back order for powder.

 

[Mark from MA]

I bought the cheap lee breech lok kit. Ive made a lot of good ammo on it for a dirt cheap investment of like 75 bucks plus dies. I think the kits are somewhat lacking though, as you probably do better buying needed things piece by piece that are better quality.


For centerfire rifle its great. Handgun and .223 you end up growing out of it because loading auto calibers becomes too tedious.

So the outlay on a progressive is really worth it in the long run. But a single stage is good to learn on and you really need one anyway to size deprime and load rifle calibers that you dont shoot that much of.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TonyDedo]

Take a class, and don't start with a single stage press - it'll be a waste of your time.

 

[KTech2316]

Having a single stage is mandatory in my eyes...I started single stage. Moved on quickly to a progressive...No reloading room should be without a single stage.

 

[bhmax16]

I agree with moneytree78, every reloading room should have a single stage press and it is what I'd recommend any newbie to start out on. The Lee Classic Cast is a great single stage press for less than $100 (which is what I started out on and still use). I'll eventually pick up a progressive to make loading for pistol and 223 less of a chore, but I will always load larger rifle cartridges on the single stage as I hand weigh each charge (308 winchester, 7.62x54R, etc...)

 

[Rob Boudrie]

After I broke it I called Lee just for laughs. I mean its 20 years old so I didn't expect much. They said they would replace it for half the retail price if I returned it to them! Ok that's a decent warranty but it would have cost me about $10 to ship and $19 for the half retail price to replace it but for the same price I could buy one new from Amazon delivered so it wasn't worth it to bother with the warranty replacement.

Lee presses enter the distribution channel for 50% or less of retail, so Lee was not offering to do anything other than sell you a press at the price they usually get. The going rater for Lee equipment seems to be about 40% off retail.