New RPAL, want to reload

Gnomon

Gnomon

Regular
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Location
Canada
Hi,

I just got my RPAL, and I'm intending to get involved in IPSC. There's a pretty good chance I'm going to get a Glock G17, and want to get into reloading right away.

I'm wondering what gear folks might suggest I check out? I looked at the Dillon site, and saw the Square Deal B, and it looked good. It seems to be set up for 9mm right out of the box.

So, what should I be checking out?

Thanks,

Rob
 
charles.emond said:
i hear glock 17 can be nasty on the brass
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Not in my experience. Coke bottling is normal from the reloaders I have spoken too, and its never caused me a problem. Note, I use the FCD as a fourth die though.


If you interesting in reloading, grab a loading manual, I like my 49th lyman handbook. I have never heard complains about the dillion presses, everyone seems to love them.

Definitely consider a turret style or progressive press (don't know which model the square deal is)
 
if you're thinking about going on budget for the press and have the time for a single stage
i recently got a lee 50th anniversary kit for a fellow CGN-er
for a beginner like me, there's nothing wrong in it
 
Bought a Dillon 650 over 2 years ago, Great press. If you can afford one the 650 auto indexes- turns the shellplate on its own. worth the money. The catch is that with primers @$40/k and bullets @ $12/100. The cost of buying reloads froma company like BDX in Alberta almost makes reloading for 9mm pointless. However its a great hobby and I still perfer to make my own rather than buy them.
 
I would definitely recommend a Dillon 550 or a 650 over the Square Deal. Besides using proprietary dies, calibre changes are quite expensive and it is not as easy to convert the press as with a 550 or 650.

The 550 and 650 also have the ability to load rifle ammo, as they use standard dies. The need to trim bottleneck cases means that you have to size/trim the brass, and then do everything else.

As for 550 vs. 650, that depends on how many calibres you would be loading for and what sort of volume you need. With my 550, I can load at a cyclic rate of about 400 rounds/hour withe no case feeder. The manual index doesn't make much of a difference unless you are using a case feeder. The 650 probably would not be much faster unless fitted with a case feeder.

The 650 with a case feeder will be much faster than a 550 (or Square Deal), but at the expense of greater cost and complexity to change calibres. If you want to load lots of ammo in only one or two calibres, the 650 is a good choice.

The Hornady Lock-N-Load progressive may also be worth looking into.

Cast or plated bullets represent considerable savings over jacketed bullets.
 
For 9 MM

bullets 150.00 per thousand
primers 50.00 per thousand
powder 40.00 per thousand

about 240 bucks per thousand.

for bdx ammo 195.00/1000 + tax + shipping probably about 260.00 per thousand. So unless you cast your own bullets or just love to reload then 9MM is probably not worth it.

I do reload for 9MM. I cast the bullets, I have the molds, all the loading equipment and everything else that goes with it and I am still not sure if it is worth my time when you can buy it so cheap.
 
jasonburnsdundee said:
For 9 MM

bullets 150.00 per thousand
primers 50.00 per thousand
powder 40.00 per thousand

about 240 bucks per thousand.

for bdx ammo 195.00/1000 + tax + shipping probably about 260.00 per thousand. So unless you cast your own bullets or just love to reload then 9MM is probably not worth it.

I do reload for 9MM. I cast the bullets, I have the molds, all the loading equipment and everything else that goes with it and I am still not sure if it is worth my time when you can buy it so cheap.
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Ummm, not quite, I reload CMJ 9mm for $122 / 1000 rounds. Prices were a little cheaper when I stocked up, but I certainly wasn't paying anything near the prices you prescribe.
 
He is considering loading now with todays prices.

My components cost me 30 bucks shipped on primers. 15 bucks a pound on powder and pretty much zip for bullets because I cast and heat treat.

So a 1000 cartridges costs me about 37.50 But someone stocking up today would not be able to load for that cheap.

One of the cheapest places in canada for components is higginsons

powder(clays) 104 for 4 lbs. +taxes + 27 dollars hazmat + shipping
primers 1000 36 + taxes + 27 hazmat + shipping
bullets (hornady bulk) 150 + tax + shipping

I paid 10.00 a brick for 22 lr dynapoints 3 years ago. Then they went to 17 something and now they are like 22.98 at walmart. I am still shooting my 10 dollar boxes, but if I had to go to the store and buy some they would be more than twice as much.
 
One of our site sponsors, AIM Projectiles has a price of about $80 per 1000 9mm. My guy in St. Kitts is still selling 1lb of Bullseye for $17 a pound and primers at $28 per thou a month or two ago. those are today prices provided you are in the middle of nowhere.
 
jasonburnsdundee said:
For 9 MM

bullets 150.00 per thousand
primers 50.00 per thousand
powder 40.00 per thousand

about 240 bucks per thousand.

for bdx ammo 195.00/1000 + tax + shipping probably about 260.00 per thousand. So unless you cast your own bullets or just love to reload then 9MM is probably not worth it.

I do reload for 9MM. I cast the bullets, I have the molds, all the loading equipment and everything else that goes with it and I am still not sure if it is worth my time when you can buy it so cheap.
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um if your only getting 1000 rounds out of your pound of powder, how much powder are you putting in your 9mm case, i only use 4.3 and i get 1600 rounds...

Back to the main question.. I use a square deal B setup for 9mm and i love it, i shoot ipsc and i reload 1000 to 2000 rounds a month.

cost is way better then buying factory. also you can adjust your power factor
for ipsc. i spend
$120/1000 bullets (124 fmj)
$30-35/1000 primers
$40 a pound of tight group wich gets your about 1600 rounds at 4.3
wich gives Me a power factor of 134 in my glock 17
 
jasonburnsdundee said:
For 9 MM

bullets 150.00 per thousand
primers 50.00 per thousand
powder 40.00 per thousand
Click to expand...

Man your getting ripped off. Im paying

bullets: 124 gr copper plated AIM = 75 bucks/1000
primers: 25 bucks/1000
powder 30 bucks/1000

so for 120 bucks per thousand rounds, im saving a ton with reloading. I'd say you need to start shopping around for better prices.
 
pats said:
um if your only getting 1000 rounds out of your pound of powder, how much powder are you putting in your 9mm case, i only use 4.3 and i get 1600 rounds...

Back to the main question.. I use a square deal B setup for 9mm and i love it, i shoot ipsc and i reload 1000 to 2000 rounds a month.

cost is way better then buying factory. also you can adjust your power factor
for ipsc. i spend
$120/1000 bullets (124 fmj)
$30-35/1000 primers
$40 a pound of tight group wich gets your about 1600 rounds at 4.3
wich gives Me a power factor of 134 in my glock 17
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For me it works out at $160 per 1000 of 9mm - where taxes and shipping are included, don't forget that extra cost :p
Also, are you not supposed to make only 125PF for Production? Why extra power?
 
CeeZer said:
For me it works out at $160 per 1000 of 9mm - where taxes and shipping are included, don't forget that extra cost :p
Also, are you not supposed to make only 125PF for Production? Why extra power?
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yes min PF is 125
But
1. my gun works well with the load i have.
2. i give a little becouse my crono and the match crono might not read it the same.
also it's an average
why have the chance of the load to fail and they throw you into open.
 
I'm happy with my Dillon 550 and reload for my Glock 17 to the chagrin of some simply because it's fun.

However, if you do decide on a progressive press take your time to discover what can go wrong and to develop good habits long before you start trying to crank out 400/hr
 
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