I wish I could understand what made you feel the need to post this and whhat it did for you
Really, well then, let's see...
So I want to get into reloading and casting my own bullets. I am thinking of purchasing a progressive press. Probably a Dillon 650 but I could be swayed. probably quite easily since you obviously haven't done any research that would amount to anything.
I have budgeted about $1000 to get me up and running. I would like to know opinions on this as well as what else I need to purchase that doesn't come with the press. I mainly want to reload .45 acp and 7.62 x 39. Again, lack of research.
I will probably at some point want to do some 7mm rem mag but that is down the road. Another caliber conversion kit req'd, more research missing.
I am BRAND NEW to this and I must say my head is spinning a bit.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Because I am constitutionally unable to research this on my own.
Mike
Casting is fairly basic from what I read and watch online. I have a reloading manual, I just don't fully understand all the components and what is necessary and what isn't. I mainly want to feed my .45
Does this mean I can just buy a set of .45 dies (any brand) and they will just fit any press? a little checking on the spec of presses would have told y ou that they are threaded the same (for the most part) at an industry standard of 7/8"x14TPI. And a little further digging would have told you that the majority of dies are the same. I learned this at 18 yrs old with books and no benefit of instant Internet. I am the type of guy that learns much better doing, than plain reading. and yet here you are reading and not doing with someone who knows how to do this, noe of those "local guys" you mention in a later quote you have available to you. I will train myself completely and thouroughly once I have a setup. Never heard that before.
My main problem is not knowing what else to purchase to go along with the dillon 650
Ok guys, if I was to get a progressive. Which would cost less?
Hornady LNL or Dillon xl650 so now you are waffling over $200, but you are the man who, when you wnat something, does it right, out of the gate! You have yet to show this old fart anything YOU have done except go to Henry's site after you were led there by him.
Both with just the dies etc to do .45 acp?
Also if you own either one, where did you purchase. Im a working family man who is usually short on time, so I will be limited to how long I can spend reloading.
Makes sense to go progressive to me, or possibly one step down to a dillon 550
ok, here is what I have put together so far. Anybody want to chime in on what else I am missing, things I don't need or some things that would be nice to have?
PS- Is everyone this excited to start reloading. Yes, but some of us move slower. Can't wait!
Too late. Ordered the hornady LnL today. I have the abc's of reloading and Nosler 5th edition.
I don't mess around when I want to do something, I do it right, out of the gate. Obviously not. In less than a week you went from not even knowing about the LNL, wanting a 650 to pulling the trigger on something you have never seen or used or done. Why would I mess with a single stage when time is limited and I would rather spend more time with the kids and at the range than at the bench. It isn't rocket science and there is a wealth of knowledge on the net and next month you will be one of them with some idiot video of your expertise which will help someone else out down the road to "holy ####, my gun blew up" ville. as well as local guys willing to show a guy the ropes. apparently, you have "local guys" willing to show you the ropes but you are too... lazy, shy, scared, ...what?? To use them for research. To use their set-ups, find out which of them works best for you. See what little accessories they have and if they work for you. Yet now you will have a $1200 something you know nothing about and you re the man
I am happy with my decision and I appreciate that your opinion differs from mine
I'll keep you all posted. The LnL from Henry arrived today. I still have to build the bench and fire off my crate of norinco to have some brass. I am stoked on the 500 bullets that come with the press to get me started before i cast, and I believe it will be a much better training aid. Esp., if you only manage to blow up your press or gun and not loose a hand.
Cheers,
Mike
So, basically, to this old sarcastic SOB, you are an accident waiting to happen. I know people like you. Last year around this time, a young acquaintance of mine from work was given 800 spent .308 cases. Since receiving this, he decided that reloading was in his future. He does not even own a rifle, but he is going to reload. Checks stuff out online, buys enough components (including 4 lbs of the same powder) to reload all 800. Remember, still doesn't own a rifle. Comes in to work one morning, and asks, since I reload, could I explain something. Sure. How do you get the primers out, he tried drilling them, but couldn't get all of it out, and online he was told to just tap them in with a punch. You Tube...gotta love it.
I shut that down right away. Invited him to my house for a reloading session. Guy was on a VERY TIGHT BUDGET, family man, etc. Showed him the Lee Loader, Lee Hand Press, Lee Challenger, Rock Chucker, and Lee turret press. I discouraged the Lee Loader since it was all once fired military brass and needed to be FL resized before it would be safe for any other rifle and we moved to the Lee Challenger.
He felt lubing the cases was too time consuming so he scrimped on that and ruined my die by the time we were done. He also felt that case prep was too time consuming and when i told him that, although it wasn't absolutely necessary, but a good idea at least the first time, he quit trimming and uniform ing primer pockets and flash holes. We continued and loaded 30 rounds which he was horrified had taken him over an hour and a half, online guys were doing that in 20minutes!! The next 20 rounds we did on the turret press and went by in jig time, much better for him.
When we started looking at cost, he wanted the best since, like you, he does it right, out of the gate. Then when prices, unresearched by him, came to his attention, he decided to go with a Lee setup. He left my house with a decent single stage setup that will serve him well for years. Lee Challenger press (I had 2), Lee Ram Prime (I no longer used that and had a couple that came with presses), The Lee die set he had ruined, a powder funnel, tube of Lee Lube, a cartridge loading block, and a few other things I can't remember all to the tune of $100.
Turns out, a week later, another reloading buddy of mine drops by his place to see how he is doing. The frickin' idiot is seating primers using a steel drift inside the case, on a solid concrete floor!! Because, get this, "that's how Ted showed me to do it!". Ray left, then i became the butt of some joking next day at work surrounded by reloaders. Great! But, in all honesty, I did show him how to seat primers that way. Using a Lee Loader, on a bench.
This is what he took away from 3 hours of instruction, this guy who learns better by doing than by reading, this guy who figures, hell, this ain't rocket science, this guy who figures everyone else will tell me what to do and I'll learn as I go.
So, you see, Based on 30years of being in positions where I have to be able to judge people and their actions, more than 30 years reloading, your actions and comments lead me to believe that i think you are simply a lazy, uneducated twit who refuses to do any of the work necessary to learn your craft and when it goes wrong, you will blame it on someone else.
But, as you said earlier, this Is my opinion and you can appreciate that it differs from yours... I truly hope I am wrong. I am not a local guy, but I am willing to help out new reloaders anytime is can.
