reloading newbie needing equipment input
- Thread starter dracbec
- Start date
You'll also need a trimmer to trim your cases back to within spec. And a primer pocket cleaner. Once you got primers, powder, brass and bullets. You should be about ready.
Almost forgot, make sure you get a caliper/micrometer for measuring your case length and cartridge length.
Almost forgot, make sure you get a caliper/micrometer for measuring your case length and cartridge length.
Noted thanks johnny
don't need a primer pocket cleaner less you are OCD.
for the calipers wait for crappy tire's sales they drop as low as $10 from 30. they are the same as dillions, frankford arsonal, etc.
are you loading pistol, rifle, both? if just pistol, you don't need to trim your brass.
for the calipers wait for crappy tire's sales they drop as low as $10 from 30. they are the same as dillions, frankford arsonal, etc.
are you loading pistol, rifle, both? if just pistol, you don't need to trim your brass.
The kit comes with an electronic scale
I will be loading both pistol and rifle
I have 2 of the ct calipers they work great.
What about the hornady kit is it any good?
The thing that I lije is the digital scale and the free bullet give away.
I have 450 pre primed 22-250 cases so the 500 free bullets would be really nice.
Thanks guys
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A few weeks ago Al Simmons in Hamilton had the Hornady kit on sale for about $300 which I thought was a good price. Not sure what you're paying but if it's more than that you might want to check to see if they're still on sale.
Prophit River still has the RCBS kit on sale for a great deal, plus there is the $50 mail in rebate as well. I think that would be the way to go. As for a trimmer the Lyman universal works great, the Lyman case prep kit is a great thing to have as well (comes with chamfer and deburr tools, primer pocket reamer, uniformer, and cleaner tools as well). A bullet puller and tumbler is a must, digital scales are nice but I think a good balance beam (RCBS 5-0-5 or 10-10) is just as fast and more accurate.
Dillons are a good step up if you are doing multiple calibres. And there is a lifetime warranty on them no matter if you are the first or eighth owner.
A good micrometer is a must. I did buy a cheapie and it's still going strong after 4+ years of use. I test mine every time I use it on a known dimension. In my case the diameter of a new 40S&W projectile. Whatever you buy... please test it before the return period is up.
A tumber has been mentioned and that is a must. I made a ghetto-fabbed one out of an old upside down hand sander with a coffee can bolted to it. It needed a fan dimmer switch to slow it down a bit but I've ran that for two years and put about 5-10k of 40S&W through it plus a bunch of other calibers with no problems. Had it laying around and spent the money on ammo instead
A good micrometer is a must. I did buy a cheapie and it's still going strong after 4+ years of use. I test mine every time I use it on a known dimension. In my case the diameter of a new 40S&W projectile. Whatever you buy... please test it before the return period is up.
A tumber has been mentioned and that is a must. I made a ghetto-fabbed one out of an old upside down hand sander with a coffee can bolted to it. It needed a fan dimmer switch to slow it down a bit but I've ran that for two years and put about 5-10k of 40S&W through it plus a bunch of other calibers with no problems. Had it laying around and spent the money on ammo instead
Dillons are a good step up if you are doing multiple calibres. And there is a lifetime warranty on them no matter if you are the first or eighth owner.
A good micrometer is a must. I did buy a cheapie and it's still going strong after 4+ years of use. I test mine every time I use it on a known dimension. In my case the diameter of a new 40S&W projectile. Whatever you buy... please test it before the return period is up.
A tumber has been mentioned and that is a must. I made a ghetto-fabbed one out of an old upside down hand sander with a coffee can bolted to it. It needed a fan dimmer switch to slow it down a bit but I've ran that for two years and put about 5-10k of 40S&W through it plus a bunch of other calibers with no problems. Had it laying around and spent the money on ammo instead
I have been looking into that and I think Iam going to go with an ultrasonic cleaner.
Go stainless!
i went ultrasonic first thing yes it does the job to clean it, doesn't make it shiny though.
Plus i only have a 2l ultrasonic that probably does 150 x 9 mm casings really good after about 45 minutes of run time.
so its more time consuming then just setting a tumbler with 5 lbs of 9mm casing
i went ultrasonic first thing yes it does the job to clean it, doesn't make it shiny though.
Plus i only have a 2l ultrasonic that probably does 150 x 9 mm casings really good after about 45 minutes of run time.
so its more time consuming then just setting a tumbler with 5 lbs of 9mm casing
Good to know thanks
you will need some case lube - Hornady Unique is good - also shell holders for the cartridges you are loading, a loading block is handy...
a chamfer tool is also nice, as is a powder trickler, primer flipper, priming tool, all of course depends on what you want vs what you need...
A good reloading book is handy...this is my set up - plus now I use a PACT powder dispenser and PACT scale
a chamfer tool is also nice, as is a powder trickler, primer flipper, priming tool, all of course depends on what you want vs what you need...
A good reloading book is handy...this is my set up - plus now I use a PACT powder dispenser and PACT scale
Big bubba said it right when he mentioned Unique case lube, to save youself some questions down the line, just lube lightly below the case shoulder, and I just swab the inside of the case neck with a q-tip and it makes resizing so much easier. I have tried numerous lubes and the unique seems to be the easiest, propably the one most frustrating part of relaoding is lubing cases and then getting bad results. Also, heed the advice above and start off with stainless pins, WAY better in the end and you WILL eventually cross to the dark side and sell your ultrasonic or vibratory tumbler in the end to buy or make your own stainless unit especially when you meet a fellow gunnut and his brass is SO MUCH SHINER than yours, its a wonderful feeling even though it might not increase the accuracy I like the saying "a clean ship sails better"
Since sounds like you just getting your equipment, start reloading for a pistol caliber. Get the die and scale.
Get new brass and start reloading.
Forget about the old brass for now.
You will need to concentrate on how to put the ammo together. Once you're comfortable with that, move on to cleaning dirty brass.
Reloading for rifle is a bit finicky and can be overwhelming. And confusing. Full length sizing, neck sizing bullet seating, etc etc.
I started off reloading for my rifle, but got information overload and reloaded for pistol just to start with the basics.
07blackwater
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I disagree. If you are loading something like 30-30, cleaning the primer pockets will save you from primers not seating properly and preventing the lever from closing.
A primer doesn't have to be that proud to ruin your day.
With new brass, regardless of caliber, I always uniform the primer pockets to save me some grief during 'fun time'.
Others will disagree, but I recommend a Lyman primer pocket uniformer. Put it in a cordless drill and each case takes a second or two.
