Just Getting Started

[DiMP]

So I've been wanting to get into reloading for a while now, and a few weeks ago I was talking to my wife about it. Normally she doesn't seem to mind when a new gun shows up at the door, or I come in to the house lugging a new crate of ammo. But, when I mentioned reloading, she almost got excited. She says to me, "That's a perfect idea. You hate the winter, and it's winter for 5 months of the year here. This way you'll have an 'inside hobby' to entertain you when it's minus 30"

So with that permission, I started watching all sorts of YouTube, reading forums, and looking around. Then, last week, what I think is a deal fell into my lap thanks to a co-worker. His dad (78 years old) was getting out of reloading and I scored everything you see here for $500. Now, here comes the first of MANY rookie questions. What is the Orange Multi-stage-looking press I got in this lot? I also don't know what the plier-handle looking thing is in the last picture? I am in the middle of working 18 out of 20 days, so I was able to get some quick pictures, but no time to really get into it until 11 more days from now.

From what I can see, I'll need a couple dies/projectiles for rounds I will be looking to reload (303 British, 30-30) and a bullet puller (or appropriate collet since this set came with a press-mount puller but no collet for it). I will also need a tumbler, and the wife had mentioned buying me a wet-tumbler for Christmas because when I was watching YouTube videos she said "The wet tumbler looks to do a much nicer job... and you'll be doing this in the basement near the laundry room and I don't want that dust on my clean clothes so I'll buy you the wet version"

Thanks all and I look forward to climbing the learning curve here...

 

[DiMP]

Note to add: also need to pick up some current issue reloading manuals

 

[Potashminer]

I doubt I can answer everything - but the orange turret press and the "pliers thing" look like they use the dark dies in that plastic box - likely work fine, if you can figure them out - they are older Lyman things, I believe - not sure if in production any longer. The green stuff, generally, is great stuff - looks like a lot of RCBS tooling - can not go far wrong with that - something to trim to length, to weigh powder, a selection of bullets, primers and powder, a selection of modern 7/8x14 tpi body dies - all should fit well in that green Rockchucker press which was a go to for last 30 or more years - that powder is older era packaging but might be still fine to use - depends how it has been stored. I think you have a great start for tooling. As per your second post - pick up the latest Speer manual - about first 1/3 or 1/2 will give you step by step how to use most of those green tools - will not be far off base to just read it, and do what they say. Those RCBS dies should have come with RCBS Instruction sheets - pretty sure they are available on-line - again - for a start - read and follow how to set up and use. Make rounds that go "bang". Down the road you can "fine tune" and get into fancy stuff - but for now, at the start - just follow instruction - make some ammo, and shoot it. Even at most basic, you will make at least as good as common commercial ammo, for much, much less per round, but you will not save money - you will shoot more!!! Just have to come up with cases to load...

And, you will read, many times - start with a Start load of powder, as you find listed in a manual!!! DO NOT randomly pick a load, or just try to use some load that you read on the Internet, or decide to randomly change components of a recipe. You will be letting loose 55,000 psi within a couple inches of your nose - can easily make that 85,000 psi by "not knowing" - do not have to prove anything - follow what it says to do!!!

 

[mimile]

I can't answer your questions but I would second what potashminer said. Beyond that, you had a very good deal in addition to having a very good wife.

 

[Potashminer]

To OP: I was thinking a bit more. In your boots, not certain a new, latest loading manual is necessary - an earlier version would do you just fine to get started - 1/2 price or so as a used book?? I did recommend Speer, because seems to be connected with RCBS - will make more sense. The Richard Lee book, for example, is less expensive, but almost all is about Lee's approach to loading, and the tooling that he sells. The Lyman Shotgun manual has most sections illustrating use of MEC tools - great if that happens to be what you have. In time you may end up with a lot more reference material - on my reloading bench, I have Nosler #7, Speer #14, Hornady 9th, Sierra Edition V. Also, magazines or Internet ".pdf" printouts from Hodgdon's and Western Powders. There are many others - I try to have a manual from the bullet maker and a manual from the powder maker that I can cross check.

You will occasionally find errors - why to cross check - another fellow was having trouble with a 7mm STW - he had gone to Nosler website for his data for 175 grain bullets - turns out that Nosler site has or had listed identical powder loads for H1000 powder for 160 grain bullets on their 175 grain page - so he was way past Max loads as were showing up in the manuals that I was going through.

Also, you will find variation in loads from one source to another. That is to be expected - those are the pressure tested results that they got - with those cases, those primers, those bullets, that powder lot and the barrel they used. The next reference used different stuff, so getting different results make sense. None of which directly applies to your stuff - your rifle, chamber, barrel, powder lot are all going to be different than anyone has used anywhere to pressure test. Not to give up though - the manuals will tell you what things to look for - you are going to start with a (usually) mild Start load - going to shoot a few, then add a bit more powder - try them, then a bit more, and so on. Especially when you are starting, DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS STEP!!! In the end, you will find out that the "pressure signs" that are mentioned will often work, but much evidence that they do NOT work all the time. For a home reloading guy, about the only true and reliable indicator is velocity. A chronograph measures velocity. If the manual used a 24" barrel and was getting 2,800 fps when they hit their Max with their listed recipe, then when you hit 2,800 fps with your 24" barrel and those components, you are at the same Max pressure - that might be a few grains less or a few grains more of the powder load then they listed - goes to the difference between their stuff and your stuff - but there is no "magic" - velocity is only achieved with pressure - if you hit their velocity with that powder, bullet, primer and case, you have also hit their pressure - they can directly measure pressure - the hand reloader can not, within reason, so best next step is to figure out access to a chronograph.

Finally, starting out - do NOT mix and match. Read the published recipe and follow it - same primers, same brand of brass, same powder, same brand of bullet - in time you may discover that some swapping is possible, but, for example, do not use a solid mono-metal bullet with loading data developed for a Sierra cup and core bullet, and then different primers and another brand of brass - some can be swapped, but you will not know that - at the start, follow the book - and ALWAYS start at a Start level!!!

 

[DiMP]

Thanks for the early replies. I have been reaching out to a few guys at work and I have offers from 2 of them so far to meet up with them over the next few weeks at their places and watch the process start to finish. I am making notes of what it written here so far so that I can ask questions. I paid for this stuff about 2 weeks ago and just received it now (had to wait for the co-worker to visit their dad 8 hours away). Now that I know what I have, and I'm beginning to see what I don't have, I'm surfing the EE on days off to begin to round out my set-up

 

[DiMP]

I can't answer your questions but I would second what potashminer said. Beyond that, you had a very good deal in addition to having a very good wife.

It still feels like a trap

 

[tbhupe]

Awesome deal giving you have everything needed to load good quality ammo. It actually looks very much like the set up that I bought used 30 years ago and am still using today. I echo Potashminer's advice. Read it over and then read it over again.
The only thing I would caution you about is the powder. Judging by the prices on the cans, it has been around for a long time and if stored improperly, might not have the same burn properties it once did. Powders can be slightly different lot to lot and certainly over time manufacturers will change the characteristics of the powder slightly as well to the point that the latest load data might not be correct. The powder could be degraded and at the best not give you the advertised performance, at the worst... be dangerous.
The pliers are an Ideal/Lyman 310 tong tool. A great "old time" hand press that use the black dies in the tupperware box. Even though it is old, it can be handy to use if you are at the range and you want to do some load development. There are plenty of videos on youtube on how to use it.
Congratulations on getting into reloading. Good luck.

 

[Surplus1]

Does your wife have a single sister?

 

[DiMP]

Does your wife have a single sister?

I'll just say that I DEFINITELY got the better deal here in regards to that

 

[DiMP]

So found some time today as I was avoiding studying for the first aid course they are putting me through with work and took a full inventory of items. I've been reading and watching videos and discovering a LOT of items I need, or want. Turns out I'm missing some little things I think I should have like deburring tools, brushes, lube, loading trays, etc. I did a bunch of reading on the orange press (turns out it's a Lyman TruLine Jr) and it hasn't been manufactured for about 50 years. Of all the dies it comes with, there is only one for the calibers I would be interested in, so I'll see if there is any interest in it on the EE next week. I'll need to find/make a stand for the Lyman 55 powder measure included in the kit, internet reviews of the old girl say that it should work for me and to just trickle the last few grains of each charge as it isn't 100%, especially after 40+ years. I'll be doing some printing this week of various conversion charts because I'm learning that each manufacturer has different numbers for things like shell holders

Seems like a lot to buy and learn, so I'll be taking a break from it until after I finish my Level 3 First Aid next week, I have to go back to studying

 

[Potashminer]

Some finer grain ball powders can come through a volume measure very nicely - I think it was W-W 748, or maybe 760 that I did 7 or 8 throws in a row that were dead nuts the same on my balance scale - to the 0.1 grain. Since the load I settled on made no difference on 100 yard target if .1 grain lighter or heavier, I would just go for "volume" with that set-up - weighing about every 10th throw just to keep my "conscience" happy. The "log" powders like IMR 4064 or IMR 4350, not so much - more like .5 grain variation in 10 throws. So setting volume measure to throw a bit "light" into the pan for the scale, then a trickle to bring up to dead nuts "on", is a long standing, time honoured way of doing things. Various "tricks" like baffles in the powder thrower barrel might help even that variation out, but I had never used them. Installing a shelf so that the balance scale is at eye level, or rigging up a set of 4"x2" mirrors to see the pointer when it gets to zero, without having your nose on the table, does help!!

And you are correct - seems first 5 years of reloading, every time that you start, there is some little gizmo that you find out about that sounds like it would make what you are doing a bit easier or faster - but also a lot of "salesmanship" going on to just get you to buy what they are selling!!! So, if at all possible, hook up with someone who has been doing it for a while - want to see what he has and uses, and what is sitting unused in a box on the shelf, or in a drawer...

I have 19 sets of reloading dies in my drawer, so lots of assorted shell holder sizes, case trim things, etc. - started many years ago with a 308 Win - then a 243 came along "for the wife", then a 22-250, and so on - gets worse when you retire... So after a while started to get annoyed at having to buy different shell holders for various tools for the same cartridge, different pilots, etc. - someone with experience at it can often help you make better "first" choices... Or at least explain what is going to happen next...

 

[Rick]

So found some time today as I was avoiding studying for the first aid course they are putting me through with work and took a full inventory of items.

Mandatory OFA3 - sounds like Mine Rescue unless you're an LPO.

From what I can see, I'll need a couple dies/projectiles for rounds I will be looking to reload (303 British, 30-30) and a bullet puller (or appropriate collet since this set came with a press-mount puller but no collet for it). I will also need a tumbler, and the wife had mentioned buying me a wet-tumbler for Christmas because when I was watching YouTube videos she said "The wet tumbler looks to do a much nicer job... and you'll be doing this in the basement near the laundry room and I don't want that dust on my clean clothes so I'll buy you the wet version"

Most experienced reloaders either swear at Lee dies or swear by them.

I generally swear at them - except for their universal depriming die, their universal case expander die, and their awesome collet die for the .303 British - especially if you're reloading that cartridge for a Lee Enfield. If you want to get best performance and case life for Lee Enfield's you need to adopt some other than the usual reloading techniques. Lee Enfield's don't have "excessive head space" - they have chambers intended to reliably chamber every round, no matter how dirty, how covered with corrosion. Change die setup to deal with that, long case life, happy wife (because you won't be pissing money away buying new cases all the time).

Looking into the future, look for some outlet selling PPU .303 British brass. Prvi Partizan new unfired brass for reloading is a bit spendy, but it is light years ahead of Remington, Winchester, Starline, etc for reloading. It has case rim dimensions and other that is much closer to military ammunition cases than other manufacturers. Case dimensions of my new PPU are nearly identical to my 1968 Greek HXP ball ammo that DCRA competitors prized.
https://www.westernmetal.ca/shooting/303-british-new-prvi-brass-bags-50-prvi303b-50

You mentioned reloading for 30-30 Winchester and .303 British. Cast bullets using powder coating instead of lube opens a new world for both those calibers. Particularly in 'experienced' older rifles. That's a very big rabbit hole to go down while at the same time you're just starting in reloading.

BTW, I will take those old style powder cans when you've emptied them, unless you have a use for them other than as garbage. My powder magazine was built to dimensions that fit four rows of those powder cans - the new round powder cans screw up my powder storage container layout. I have some hunting and flyfishing friends in Sperm-wood (and Hooterville up the road), so I'm up there fairly often. If you're troubled by old powder, I will sacrifice myself by offering to take on the burden of disposing of it for you.

From the prices on those powder cans, they look to be about circa 1980'ish. Could have been from Guncraft in Calgary, or Art Green at Norbury Lake Sports, depending on which way the original owner went after turning on to the highway at Sparwood to buy his reloading supplies.

There is SOME production of lead dust in cleaning cases. Common sense rules here in how you handle case cleaning. I bought a Thumbler's Tumbler at the White Elephant in Spokane back about 1975 - an automated case cleaner was all the rage back then. Prior to the Thumbler, I filled a pillow case with wheat and my rifle cases and then threw it in my Mom's dryer when I was back home for a home cooked meal. It worked, but made a hell of a thumping noise... The Thumbler's Tumbler is still cleaning cases in my basement. I've often thought of getting a vibratory cleaner, especially after starting to compete in PPC handgun competition... there just wasn't enough extra juice to make the squeeze worth making the move. There are assorted covered case cleaners now, and many guys have gone to stainless steel pins for cleaning in a wet media. Again, I haven't bothered to make the move.

Inertia, hammer type bullet pullers are (in my opinion) better than collet type bullet pullers. I have a Bonanza collet bullet puller and an RCBS collet bullet puller. I should sell them - they have been gathering dust on my reloading bench since I bought my first $8 inertia bullet puller. Collets for a given caliber cost more than that.

Everything I reload that doesn't go through my Dillon or Ponsness Warren progressive reloading presses gets hand primed these days on a hand primmer like the Lee in your picture.

That RCBS case trimmer you have there is as good as any other collet case trimmer out there. My Forster is pretty much the clone parent of that RCBS. it's been reliably trimming rifle cases for about 45 years.

You have the ubiquitous powder trickler there. I have one just like it. But back about the mid 60's, reloading with my Dad, I got in the habit of trickling the last few grains from a long handled spoon appropriated from a soda fountain joint, dipping the last few grains of powder out of a porcelain glazed metal bowl Dad stole from Mom's kitchen. I'll never change now, but those powder tricklers work fine.

That looks like a lube pad. Spray on lanolin/alcohol case lube works just as good with less mess for about 99% of resizing jobs. For the remainder, Imperial case sizing wax is excellent for resizing jobs when you have to really lean into the machine operating lever. Stuck cases suck, BTW, inevitably it will happen to you. Have a plan... I've never stuck a case using Imperial Sizing Wax.

Lyman's VLD internal deburring tool is as good as any other VLD style neck internal deburring tool. For the outside deburring, they're all pretty much the same thing.

I will say that after 50 years of reloading, there are very few cool gadgets and gizmos on my reloading bench. I do have a lab alcohol lamp on my bench that most won't have - annealing brass both contributes to accuracy and enhances case life, particularly for stuff like .303 British brass. But most gadgets they try to sell you, you probably don't need.

 

[DiMP]

Mandatory OFA3 - sounds like Mine Rescue unless you're an LPO.

Mine Rescue, you are correct. Since I've been a volunteer Firefighter for 11 years and in SAR for 5, it was right up my alley.

Most experienced reloaders either swear at Lee dies or swear by them.

I generally swear at them - except for their universal depriming die, their universal case expander die, and their awesome collet die for the .303 British - especially if you're reloading that cartridge for a Lee Enfield.

It will be for the LE; I'll keep my eyes open for these

BTW, I will take those old style powder cans when you've emptied them, unless you have a use for them other than as garbage..... If you're troubled by old powder, I will sacrifice myself by offering to take on the burden of disposing of it for you.

The empty containers can be all yours. I'll keep your PM you sent so I have your contact info

From the prices on those powder cans, they look to be about circa 1980'ish. Could have been from Guncraft in Calgary, or Art Green at Norbury Lake Sports, depending on which way the original owner went after turning on to the highway at Sparwood to buy his reloading supplies.

Original owner is in Kamloops, so could be anywhere

Inertia, hammer type bullet pullers are (in my opinion) better than collet type bullet pullers. I have a Bonanza collet bullet puller and an RCBS collet bullet puller. I should sell them - they have been gathering dust on my reloading bench since I bought my first $8 inertia bullet puller. Collets for a given caliber cost more than that.

I'll add it to my shopping list

Everything I reload that doesn't go through my Dillon or Ponsness Warren progressive reloading presses gets hand primed these days on a hand primmer like the Lee in your picture.

I'll need to get some shell holders for it since I am fairly certain it uses different ones to the press

Stuck cases suck, BTW, inevitably it will happen to you. Have a plan... I've never stuck a case using Imperial Sizing Wax.

*Adds to list Stuck Case Tool*

But most gadgets they try to sell you, you probably don't need.

Huge thanks for the super informative post. Also, thanks for the PM as well with the additional info