New to brass reloading - Lots of questions, setup advice, tips and suggestions needed

PTP-MF

PTP-MF

New member
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Location
Toronto.Ontario
Hello everyone.

Maybe there is a thread like that - but I haven't found one, sorry. Please, kindly redirect.

Now, I have finally settled on my set of calibers, and I would like to get into brass reloading. ( I have been reloading 12Ga shot shells for a while)

My calibers are: 7.62x25, 7.62x39, 308Win, 9mm and .223Rem ( for 308Win and .223Rem I would like to be able to reload NATO variants as well)

Most often shot are 9mm, .223 and 7,62x25. - so I would like to start with those and add on the rest later

Now, I have a lot of questions, but I guess all of the smaller questionas are consequential to the main set up I would go with.
I want to avoid most common mistakes or unnecessary spending and absorb already existing common knowledge.

Budget? - $1K? to start? What kind of set up you can recommend?
Volume? - 100-200 cartridges max. a week. - I don't need progressive for that - do I?
Available bench space - 2 sq.m
What other questions do I have to ask?

once again - I am new to this, please excuse my newb incompetence and guide to the right direction.

Thank you in advance for every suggestion.
 
RCBS Rock-Chucker Press , RCBS scale RCBS dies for caliber and a good reloading book.
You do not need all of the dies for calibers you own until comfortable with reloading.
The internet has lots of vloggs of guys reloading , watch many and see who you are comfortable with in what they are saying, because after all they are ultimately selling information .
( they receive revenue for views and subscribers) .
You can be all in for well under 1 grand in kit for reloading, the choice is new/used and brand/
It gets expensive when you start buying components.
Of course this is my opinion and others will call me on it because they have a different idea.
Tight Groups,
Rob
 
I have three mechanical scales that I use exclusively for reloading - no digital for me - been reloading for almost 7 years now with my single stage Lee and also have a Forester Co-Ax for more precision reloading
 
The problem with a question as general as your is that it takes a great deal of time and effort to answer it fully and co0mpletely. The first thing you should do is get one or more loading manuals. These come at their data from different point of view, but they cover the process of resizing priming, powder charging, and bullet seating in enough detail to get you started. Which manuals to purchase, I'd start with the ones who make the loading equipment you intend to use and the bullets you intend to shoot, but *I think you should have a minimum of two so you can compare the information in each.

You need to decide how much room you have for your setup. If you are loading on a workmate or loading with a Lee Loader at the kitchen table, that's a very different prospect than having a dedicated loading bench that spans an entire width of your basement. The bench should be sturdy, if it can be anchored to the floor or a wall, so much the better. The underside of the bench should be reinforced with cross braces, you should not be able to flex the bench top when working the press. The bench will need a 2" overhang so the linkage of the press has room to cycle. The height of the bench should be determined by whether you choose to work standing or sitting. In any case, a height equal to the bottom of your ribcage will allow you to work with little back or neck fatigue. Its beneficial for a balance beam scale to be on a shelf at eye level, but electronic scales are usually read from above.

If once you are ready to purchase you loading tools you're finding the budget is a bit tight, don't try to buy everything you need all at once. Just get what you need to start, then add to it as the money becomes available. You'll find that you will want a new gizmo every once in a while anyway, and you will constantly be trying to find ways that either improve the quality of your ammo or allow you to make it faster by reducing the bottle necks in your procedures.

Hope this helps, start slow, read the manuals, then progress quickly. FWIW, I've been loading metallic cartridges for 48 years.
 
Yup, about a million threads.....anyway...here we go.

What is the purpose of the reloading? To save money? To have a hobby? To put every bullet in the same hole? All 3?

Lets say you start with 308. And you need to choose your components - bullets, primers, powder. Assume you have brass, or else you need that too.

To start at the beginning of the process, you need a good reloading book. Do not start without one (in my opinion anyway)

Single stage press, dies, calipers, case trimmer, chamfer/deburr tool, case wax, and now you have your cases sized and ready to load.

Priming tool, primer flipper tray, and now you have them primed.

Beam scale, powder measure, powder trickler, so now they are full of powder.

You already have dies so you can seat your bullets. And you can measure the length with your calipers.

This IMO is bare minimum.
You will probably want a stuck case puller (ya think?) might want a bullet puller, (ask me how I know) loading blocks are nice, so is a case cleaner of some sort (AKA vibrating tumbler or rotating tumbler)
Ammo boxes to put your loaded rounds in are kind of handy too.

Look around the EE you can get a lot of this there at decent pricing.

Good luck, have fun, read the book....
 
The rounds you are listing do not require extreme levels of accuracy; mostly plinking rounds. Based on the calibres you listed, a LEE turret press will help you pump out 200 rounds per week without frustrations and time of a single stage press - though I often use my LEE turret on pistol rounds without the 'turret' that spins. I use a Lyman T7 for accuracy in my hunting rifle rounds (no flex like the LEE turret), but that's another story. Anyways, yes - $1,000 to get you going after all the hardware. Powders and bullets always on top. Youtube is your friend. I shoot and reload a lot, still don;t use electronic powder throwers and all the gizmos that suck your money, but I do make sure each round is where it needs to be for safety - learn that first and foremost
 
45C said:
9mm is a b!tch on a SS press.
Click to expand...
I can do 550/hr of 9mm on my Hornady LnL AP. I shoot 12,000/yr, and would be in tears if I had to use a single stage. I use a single stage for precision rifle rounds, but would do all plinking and pistol rounds on a progressive.
 
jimbo14 said:
I can do 550/hr of 9mm on my Hornady LnL AP. I shoot 12,000/yr, and would be in tears if I had to use a single stage. I use a single stage for precision rifle rounds, but would do all plinking and pistol rounds on a progressive.
Click to expand...

Yup,I've done a 1000 on a SS and never again
 
45C said:
Yup,I've done a 1000 on a SS and never again
Click to expand...

jimbo14 said:
I can do 550/hr of 9mm on my Hornady LnL AP. I shoot 12,000/yr, and would be in tears if I had to use a single stage. I use a single stage for precision rifle rounds, but would do all plinking and pistol rounds on a progressive.
Click to expand...

To bad he is looking at 100-200/week, don't need a progressive for that
 
yomomma said:
To bad he is looking at 100-200/week, don't need a progressive for that
Click to expand...
His top end estimate is close to my pistol use, so like all of us, he’ll have to make that time/money balance decision. I started shooting more when I reloaded too. Never know where he’ll end up once he gets going.
 
Gentlemen,

Thank you for all your feedback! I really appreciate your time for sharing your thoughts.

yomomma, great video thank you sir!

I definitely won't be making more than 200 of any given cartridge per week, 100 is a true average for what I need.

I load my own 12Ga shotshells on a single stage MEC SizeMaster and quite enjoy "no rush" experience. So, I am definitely leaning towards a single stage for brass as well.

I do own a 6th edition Hornady handbook of cartridge reloading that i picked up from LeBaron's about 6-8 years ago.
You all recommend to have at least two books - i will look into that.

Now, equipment wise, I was looking at this bad boy here:

https://www.cabelas.ca/product/66473/rcbs-rock-chucker-supreme-deluxe-reloading-kit

Do you think it's a good kit at all?

Thank you all.
 
PTP-MF said:
Gentlemen,

Thank you for all your feedback! I really appreciate your time for sharing your thoughts.

yomomma, great video thank you sir!

I definitely won't be making more than 200 of any given cartridge per week, 100 is a true average for what I need.

I load my own 12Ga shotshells on a single stage MEC SizeMaster and quite enjoy "no rush" experience. So, I am definitely leaning towards a single stage for brass as well.

I do own a 6th edition Hornady handbook of cartridge reloading that i picked up from LeBaron's about 6-8 years ago.
You all recommend to have at least two books - i will look into that.

Now, equipment wise, I was looking at this bad boy here:

https://www.cabelas.ca/product/66473/rcbs-rock-chucker-supreme-deluxe-reloading-kit

Do you think it's a good kit at all?

Thank you all.
Click to expand...

As of about 0800 hrs last night there was an RCBC Rock Chucker in the EE.
Search it out and compare that one for the one you link.
Food for thought.
Rob
 
I'd start with a single stage, like the Rock Chucker, if you want accurate rifle ammo. If you find you're spending too much time loading ammo, or it's getting monotonous, you may want to add a progressive.

I'm not a fan of kits, it always seems to me that they give you some things you don't need at the expense of some things that you do need that aren't included.

A good basic setup will set you back right around $1k, by the time you get gauges, calipers, etc.

Do you have a friend that'll consider mentoring you through the process they use?
I was lucky enough to have that experience, it showed me what I needed and didn't need, plus what I liked about his process and what I didn't. We're all different in our preferences, so be prepared to branch off in your own direction when it comes to process and equipment.

I load exclusively hunting and target rifle ammo, no handgun or plinking rounds. I've loaded shotgun in the past also, on a single stage MEC.

Metallic reloading is definitely a step towards increased attention to details, and bottleneck rifle cartridges are another step up in detail from straight walled cartridges.

Having said that, it's certainly a learn-able skill. Once you get a good understanding of what does what, you'll progress quickly.

You've probably already learned this loading shotgun ammo, but I'll mention it anyway. Distraction is a bad thing. Anytime I get interrupted while I'm prepping brass or loading rounds, everything comes to a full stop. The distraction gets my full attention, and once that's dealt with, I pick up where I left off, maybe even go back a step. For example, if my wife needs my attention while I'm charging cases, the last case gets dumped out and I refill it from the beginning.

OCD is a wonderful thing, even if you spell it CDO like I do, since it's alphabetically correct that way.. ;)
 
I load mostly rifle ammo on my Dillon 450. I never use it as a progressive. I leave my 2 most used bullet seaters setup, a Lee decapper and then whatever sizing die I'm working with. I guess I just like to take my time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom