Will be reloading someday. What to stock up on now?

[StevieP]

I'll be taking the reloading class soon.

I have a lot of brass saved up

I picked up small & large rifle primers, and large and small (magnum) pistol primers. 500 Hornady 124gr 9mm fmj, and 200 55gr .223 v-max bullets to get started

I'll load for 9mm, .45acp, .38sp/.357mag, .223/5.56, and .308.

What powder (s) should I look at?

What else can I do now prior to taking the glass?

Brass cleaner/tumbler?

 

[DW357]

Buy a couple reloading manuals (Lyman 49th and Hornady are good) and read them a couple times. This will also help you shop for powder for the calibers you listed. There are tons of powder you could use for those calibers but you'll find that some powders are next to impossible to find both in shops and online.
Free online data from Hodgdon here:
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

I'm going to list powders that are readily available. You should be able to find them at shops like Cabelas, Glenn's Ammo in N. Reading, Al's in Derry, Shooters Outpost, and Rileys etc. No sense in me recommending powders like Bullseye when you won't find it very easily.

Anyway, for 9mm, 45, and 38 spl, you can't wrong with HP-38/Win 231 (same powders), Titegroup, CFE pistol to name a few

For 357 mag, I would recommend H110/Win 296 (same powders) if you're looking to load true magnum loads, not mousefart loads.

I'm new to 223/556 and have only loaded 55 gr FMJs with H335 (meters well) but there are lots of other powders you could use. No experience loading .308 but I do load 30-06 and 7.5x55 swiss with IMR-4064 powder (meters really bad unless using a Lee perfect powder measure). With rifle it really depends on your use. I only shoot out to 120 yards so 55 gr FMJs for .223 and 168 gr bullets for 30-06 are plenty good for that distance. If you're looking for benchrest accuracy out to 300-600 yards you'll probably want heavier bullets which I have no experience with - I'll let the veteran rifle reloaders chime in for that.

And yes get a tumber for cleaning your brass. This is the one I've been using for 3+ years. Works great and comes with everything you need - all for $102 shipped
https://www.berrysmfg.com/item/media-separator-kit

You'll also need things like a scale, caliper, bullet puller etc.

Reloading pistol is a breeze but rifle is a whole different animal with A LOT more steps involved. You'll need case lube, case trimmers, and a chamfering/deburring tool for rifle. If you're doing high volume rifle shooting, there are tools like the Giraud tri way trimmer that work well at trimming/chamfering/deburring all in one - just need a cordless drill.
http://www.giraudtool.com/Tri Way Trimmer.htm

 

[Tallen]

I would just do a lot of research before you attend the class so you can ask informed questions. Also do some planning - how much time per week/month/year do you have available vs how many rounds do you intend to make in that time - because that will force some of your choices for you.

 

[bubajoe]

My favorites for 9mm are W231, Titegroup, and N320. For 308 I like reloader 15 and TAC powder for 223.

Calculate how much powder you need when buying primers and buy in those ratios. IE 20k of small pistol with a 4.3 grain charge = 86,000 / 7000 (grains in a pound of powder) = 12+ lbs of powder.

If times get tough again I'm banking on powder and primers being harder to get than projectiles and brass. There are multiple mom and pop sized sources for projectiles but few when it comes to primers and powder.

 

[DW357]

Calculate how much powder you need when buying primers and buy in those ratios. IE 20k of small pistol with a 4.3 grain charge = 86,000 / 7000 (grains in a pound of powder) = 12+ lbs of powder.

If times get tough again I'm banking on powder and primers being harder to get than projectiles and brass. There are multiple mom and pop sized sources for projectiles but few when it comes to primers and powder.

Very good advice. I also do the same when buying primers and powder.

I also agree that projectiles and brass will be relatively easy to find during a panic/drought compared to primers and powder. This is why I've slowed down on stockpiling projectiles...

 

[dropride]

I just got one of these a little over a week ago. Working good so far and 15% off your first 3 orders. https://jet.com/product/Frankford-Arsenal-Quik-N-Ez-Tumbler-Kit/b5b3ce2060d543aebf7687393d30820a

 

[Woodstock]

Don't go crazy buying gear before you take the class. Eddie Coyle has worn out more equipment than most us will ever see, and he has a lot of good advice on what works and what doesn't.

 

[mac1911]

grab a manual or 2 ...... think about where your going to get your powder and primers , see if they stock any of the recomended powders in your load data book or info.
I have had to try several powders over the last 3 years only because of what is or what is not available.
Be careful with powder you can end up with several 1lb cans if you just buy and try.
I do not reload a lot of pistol or am i looking to make anything special. All my pistol reoads are cast bullets and I run Clays powder for the most part. its cheaper and generally easy to find.
Rifle its Varget, H4895 and RL15 I have a few others but these cover a lot of ground.

 

[Stape]

For what your reloading Varget and Unique will cover just about everything. I'd stock up on powder and primers.

 

[akma]

For 69gr HPBT 223 and 308 168gr HPBT and Nosler BT, Varget has been extremely accurate. CFE223 for 55FMJ.
I use Unique in 9's and 45's it works great but it is dirty.
Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler gets cases looking brand new.

 

[jpm]

for 308, either of the 4064s are good. Accurate or IMR. I find Accurate is a touch more accurate (lol) than IMR in my M14 and way more than Varget. I use 42gr of either flavor and 168gr HPBT seated to 2.800" with a touch of crimp. Varget would also work as would H4895. Whichever you get, buy at least a 4# if not an 8# jug. You can always sell what you don't use if you give up reloading.

 

[headednorth]

Buy twice as much powder and primers as you think you'll need and then buy more. If things get scarce, powder and primers will be the first to disappear, then projectiles.

 

[Dadstoys]

Powder and primers all day.
Stored properly you should be set for years.
There's always a market if you decide down the line to resell.
Projectiles your better to buy bulk.
Equipment is easier to get in panic times.
I like Power Pistol for 9mm and .45.
IMR 4895 for . 223 and 308.

 

[Wadcutter]

Stock up on powder and primer. I'd try to find small primer 45 ACP brass to make things little easier.

Personally I've tried a variety of powders over the years, but now load all my pistols loads with unique and all my rifle loads with 4895.

Also you've selected some pretty pricey bullets. Look into plated bullets like Berrys for pistol. For 223 I buy pull 55 gr FMJs for about 6 cents each.

 

[houdini]

buy powder and primers

 

[houdini]

buy something every month.

 

[Mrwinter617]

A good dial caliper..

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

I agree with others who recommend powder and primers. They become scarce quickly during panics and are not easily made at home. As for bullets, you can save by buying powder coated bullets rather than FMJ or plated. You can save even more by buying heavy 9mm bullets sized to .357 (I use 147 grain powder coated bullets) and load them into 9mm and .38 cases -- they shoot just fine through .38 and .357 magnum firearms in my experience.