Recommendations for a reloading virgin

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jory

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Hey guys and gals,

I'm starting to look into this whole reloading thing to help keep ammo costs down, and my time occupied from online shopping.

9mm and .223 are 90% of what I shoot, so i'd be looking to focus on those more than anything else.

I currently have 0% experience with this, and very limited knowledge of the process. From watching youtube videos and reading a bit, I think a progressive setup is the way to go, as if I'm going to get invested into this, I want to make the best use of my time. The single stage stuff doesn't look nearly as fast or efficient. At the end of the day, I don't mind spending a little more to automate things to their fullest potential.

I wish I could throw out a budget number, but I don't know where to even start, so suggest away!

Thanks in advance!
 
Go with a Lee Classic cast 4 hole turret. It can be used for rifle reloading too. You can remove the indexing rod to make it function as a single stage. The beauty of the turret means you don't have to always remove/unscrew the dies, just pop out the turrets.

A couple of years ago, the press itself was $179 via Amazon. I also have the safety primer mounted on the press.

I'm currently using all Lee die sets, and using the Lee autodrum for powder dispensers.

Brass trimmer, I use Lyman universal trimmer with carbide cutter.

I use Lyman case lube and the Lee sizing lube for lubes.

For 223, invest in a case gauge to ensure resized brass are back to SAAMI specs.

I'm using Frankford Arsenal tumbler and powder scale.

Most of the items were bought from Amazon.ca and some from Higginson powders.
 
I'm 67 and still using the same RCBS Rockchucker press I bought in 1973. And my biggest speed increase was getting a RCBS Chargemaster 1500 combo with my Rockchucker.

There is nothing wrong with going "slow" when starting to reload and making "quality" ammo better than factory. Some YouTube Videos are very good, "BUT" nothing beats buying several reloading manuals and "READING" the front part of the manuals before pulling the handle of the press. Also take your time and inspect each case looking for defects inside and outside of the case

Like you I have been reloading mostly .223/5.56 and 9mm, so my advice is a single stage press for starters and if you really get into reloading then get a progressive. And always remember the big reason for reloading is to make custom "quality" ammunition that can be more accurate than factory ammo.
 
I load a lot of 9mm and 223, amongst other. I use a Dillon 550. Works really well for 9mm. After many 1000's of reloads I can do about 400-450 rounds an hours of 9mm or any other handgun round. If you are loading a 223 it is quite a bit slower as more case preparation is required. What I give below is far from a definitive process but it seems to work reasonably well for me.

I typically do 223 it in the following way:

- Tumble the brass, I use corn cob media. Corn cob takes longer in the tumbler but gives a very smooth brass which helps case size.
- Lube the brass. I have a zip lock plastic bag that I put about 100 cases in and then spray with 7-8 squirts of spray lube. Tumble it around in the bag to spread the lube then open the bag to let the lube dry. If you reuse the same bag it needs less lube as there is still some in the bag.
- Run it through the sizing/depriming die. If you are using it in a semi auto you need a full length die.
- Run it through the tumbler to remove the lude. Only takes a short while.
- Trim and champher the brass for length as required.
- Then back in the press to
- Stage 1 Prime (don't resize again as there is no lube so you can jam the case in the die)
- Stage 2 Add powder
- Stage 3 Seat bullet
- Stage 4 Crimp.

Voila finished cartridge. There is a lot more to the setting up of the press etc and follow the instructions very precisely. 223 is a high pressure cartridge so seating depth, powder volume, overall length are absolutely critical. Using this method I turn out about 200 - 223 rounds an hour. FOLLOW the reloading manual exactly. VERY bad things can happen if you don't. It is reasonably easy to do it right but you need to be very careful.

A couple of general recommendations. I use Hodgdon HS6 for most of my handgun cartridges. It is a relatively bulky powder so it is very hard to double charge a case. Some other powders, like Titegroup, are very compact so it is possible to double charge without noticing. VERY VERY BAD. Start low and work up. Just because there is a maximum load does not mean you have to use it. Most firearms will function perfectly well on less than maximum charges. Don't get sucked into the max is best. It is not necessarily the case especially for handguns.

Have fun, I really enjoy reloading.
 
bigedp51 said:
I'm 67 and still using the same RCBS Rockchucker press I bought in 1973. And my biggest speed increase was getting a RCBS Chargemaster 1500 combo with my Rockchucker.

There is nothing wrong with going "slow" when starting to reload and making "quality" ammo better than factory. Some YouTube Videos are very good, "BUT" nothing beats buying several reloading manuals and "READING" the front part of the manuals before pulling the handle of the press. Also take your time and inspect each case looking for defects inside and outside of the case

Like you I have been reloading mostly .223/5.56 and 9mm, so my advice is a single stage press for starters and if you really get into reloading then get a progressive. And always remember the big reason for reloading is to make custom "quality" ammunition that can be more accurate than factory ammo.
Click to expand...

^^^this
 
The first thing to get is a reloading manual or two....
The Lyman 49th or 50th are worthwhile.
The Sierra manual is good. It also goes into a lot of detail (minus the involved math) about ballistics.
The Lee manual also has some tidbits of information not found elsewhere.

I don't have the ABCs of reloading, but I've heard its good.

The bullet manufacturers (Sierra, nosler, Hornady, Berger, etc) will only list loads for their products.
The Lyman and Lee also include cast bullet loads.

If you do jump in with both feet and go progressive right off the bat, make sure the press you get will work one casing at a time. You don't want to have to break down a whole mess of loaded ammo because you later find out that something wasn't right. You also want to be able to observe each station in a progressive press to make sure everything is just right.

A single stage press lets you do all of one operation (resize, prime, charge, seat bullet, crimp) at a time on a batch.

Are you loading for a bolt .223 or semi?
 
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What volume do you shoot a month? That would help steer you towards a style of press. I have a RCBS single stage, dillon square deal in 9mm, and a dillon 550b. If i was to start over i would have got a redding t7 turret press and the 550b.

If you think reloading will stop the online shopping...good luck. Its just another fun hobby to dump money into
 
I'm reloading .223 for my AR15, and 9mm for my glock 19.

Unless I have a course in a month, I'd say I average about 250 9mm and 100 .223/month.
 
I can't tell you what's best for you,but I can say,loading 9mm on a single stage,sucks.

I've got a BB course,at the end of the month and am working on a thousand rounds.
I'm at 450 now,three nights into it.

If your only shooting one or two hundred rnds a month ,SS is fine.
But anymore ,it becomes a bit tedious,to say the least.

As for cost, I'm getting my 9 mm for half the cost of factory rnds,and I like to shoot a lot.
So it's worth it ,to me.

I had a progressive and sold lt,because I thought I was done with 9.
Big mistake:)
 
The volume you plan to shoot at per month/year will be a significant influence in the type of progressive. We all have to live within our means, so you need to start somewhere. I started with a lee turret and then went with a Dillon 550B (2003). I have since become infected with the blue virus and have too many Dillon products to name.

Consider the non-press related items that support reloading:
calipers
case gauge
a decent scale
bullet puller
primer tray
etc.

Then start looking at a press. Because Dillon is what I know, I suggest a 550c or a 650 without the case feeder (if money is a concern and your shooting volumes is not high). New or used, it doesn't matter, as Dillon has a no BS warranty. If you hold it long enough, you will sell it for what you paid for it or more.








jory said:
Hey guys and gals,

I'm starting to look into this whole reloading thing to help keep ammo costs down, and my time occupied from online shopping.

9mm and .223 are 90% of what I shoot, so i'd be looking to focus on those more than anything else.

I currently have 0% experience with this, and very limited knowledge of the process. From watching youtube videos and reading a bit, I think a progressive setup is the way to go, as if I'm going to get invested into this, I want to make the best use of my time. The single stage stuff doesn't look nearly as fast or efficient. At the end of the day, I don't mind spending a little more to automate things to their fullest potential.

I wish I could throw out a budget number, but I don't know where to even start, so suggest away!

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
 
For bulk 9mm and bulk .223, reloading will cost you.
To save, you'll need a progressive and buy bulk, and have round counts in the thousands per month.

You'll hear arguements to the contrary, "my rounds only cost me $xyz", don't fall for it. Factor equipment and time, and it cost you, or you're a high volume shooter.

To recoup cost, you need to shoot more than 250/month.

This is only my perspective, but I value my time more than money.
 
Get yourself a Dillon 550 and a good scale to set/verify charges. And checkout youtube for Ammosmith Reloading. Instead of buying alot of reloading manuals, you could get a subscription to Loaddata.
 
I wouldn't reload at those round counts unless you really wanted "quality ammo" (lmao). Unlike 9x19p I don't value my time (I enjoy reloading) so I was able to saved enough money in the first year to pay for all my reloading equipment.
 
9x19p said:
For bulk 9mm and bulk .223, reloading will cost you.
To save, you'll need a progressive and buy bulk, and have round counts in the thousands per month.

You'll hear arguements to the contrary, "my rounds only cost me $xyz", don't fall for it. Factor equipment and time, and it cost you, or you're a high volume shooter.

To recoup cost, you need to shoot more than 250/month.

This is only my perspective, but I value my time more than money.
Click to expand...

I agree with this guy. 9mm and 223 offer the least saving to reloaders. There's at least 4 companies commercially reloading 9mm (western metal, canada ammo, x-metal, wolf) and they're all soon getting into 223 (or already are). So the market is quite competitive in these 2 calibres given their large popularity.

At most you'll save 50%. That's if you're not counting your time. Your volume is too little to make up the price of equipment. It'll take you years to recoup your money if you buy a progressive, and reloading these small rounds in a single stage is a total pita.

I'll give you actual numbers (assuming free brass and the cheapest possible components when reloading, excluding taxes):
1 round of 9mm will cost you 15.4¢ to make yourself from component, or 28¢ to buy. Saving = 12.6¢/round
1 round of 223 will cost you 32¢ to make yourself, or 41¢ to buy. Saving = 9¢/round.
If you want the full calculations, I've made them a while ago for someone else who asked the exact same question, you can see them in this post: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...-(9mm-223)?p=13974930&viewfull=1#post13974930
So considering your volume, you'd save 250*0.126 + 100*0.09 = 40.50$ per month. And that's the best case scenario (free brass), without even considering that sometimes steel-cased ammos can cost less than reloaded ammos. I mean, if you just manage to sell your 223 brass for 9¢/case instead of reloading it, you're losing money by reloading.

So do what you want with your time and money, but I agree with 9x19p, considering your shooting volume and calibres, it's gonna cost you more to reload than buying bulk amount of ammos. if you start shooting more expensive calibres or a much higher volume, then you might save by reloading, but for now, you might as well spend more time at the range.
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys!

I'm also ok with doing a whole pile at once and hoarding it for courses and whatnot. Last year I probably took a class every month or so, which added up. For example, next month I have two that I'll be shooting 1000+ .223 and up to 200 9mm at. I figured that my normal volumes might be a bit low to make it worthwhile for now, but I do see frequent spikes in my ammo consumption when I take classes, which is fairly frequent these days.

I don't mind reloading as though I shoot a high volume, and then hoarding it for a bit either. It will all get shot eventually.
 
Parts said:
Try and find someone who can mentor you.
It helps a tonne!
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I see this comment a lot and don't mean to disagree with you, but would point out the risk of getting a mentor that doesn't know what he's doing. As a new reloader it would be difficult to distinguish between some one like bigedp51 and some one who has an answer for everything even when he doesn't know.
This is why I think the internet is a wonderful tool to learn from. It takes some work to wade through but these statements are made in front of a large informed audience that will challenge incorrect statements. You can never blindly believe things you read once on the internet but if you see it 3 times from different posters you can probably consider it fact. Also if you pay attention you start to find posters that clearly know what they are talking about and can trust them.
 
jory said:
I'm reloading .223 for my AR15, and 9mm for my glock 19.

Unless I have a course in a month, I'd say I average about 250 9mm and 100 .223/month.
Click to expand...

Reloading involves a series of steps. e.g. size/de-prime; mouth flare; powder charge; bullet seat/crimp.

When learning, it is much easier to use a single stage press, install the set the first die, and then size a bucket of brass. Then change the die and flare the bucket of brass, etc.

Given the very small quantity of ammo you think you will load, you could use a single stage and load the entire month's supply in one evening.

Since you load both rifle and pistol, the next logical step would be something like a Dillon 550. You would go progressive when you need to load a 1000 rounds in the evening. The progressive press requires you to install and set up all 3 or 4 dies at the same time. This is not difficult, if you have the experience of learning on the single stage.

I use a single stage, a turret (Redding) and a pair of Dillons (550 and 650). Each has a place, so there is no harm in starting with
the single stage.

Do you have a buddy who loads? It is so much easier if you can see his operation and he can help you set up.
 
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