Reloading Newbie

[SksA1]

ok so i went down to strathmore this weekend to pick up my dads new 9mm para from Hoolihan

when Hoolihan found out i was planning to use commercial rounds for IPSC he gave a laugh and said "well IPSC will be pricey for you"

im contemplating getting into Reloading now haha,

so as i am brand new and have never operated a reloader can i get a kit that will do all types of pistol and rifle or are they totally different kits?

what should i look for and where and are there "starter kits" where i could buy the kit and then just get the dies i need....

im totally new and need all the info i can get


Thanks a ton guys;

Adam

 

[fuchsix]

Adam,

When I got into reloading, it was to feed my 9mm with intention of moving into IPSC. There are many different types of gear out there, but Dillon and Lee seem to be the most popular.

For handguns I would recommend a turret press of one kind or another, as you will be reloading A LOT. Since you are in Leduc, I would pay Phil a visit at P&D. He's knowledgeable, and willing to spend time getting you the right gear.

FYI, I bought a Dillon 550b and all the kit to go with it. And I mean ALL the kit. I ended up spending about $1200, but I got everything I needed. Now I'm reloading 9mm at about $0.18 per shot.

My last advice is to watch a few videos on the Dillon and Lee presses on Youtube and see how they operate. You will find yourself gravitating to one or the other.

 

[Redhouse]

Shopping list:

Press - either a single stage (one operation at a time) or a multi-stage (turret), where it rotates as you pull the lever so you handle each case only once
Priming tool - sometimes built into the press, I much prefer hand priming personally
Powder measure
funnel
dies (pistol = 3, decapping, bell the mouth, seating the bullet, comes as a set)
inside/outside chamfering tool (not sure if required for pistol)
calipers to measure your cartridge length - Princess Auto or Canadian Tire have them cheap or frequently on sale
sizing lube
brass
primers
bullets
gunpowder

I run mostly RCBS gear for the above. Others will be along with other recommendations. Frequently, automated setups are used for pistol just because of the sheer volume of loading that's done, but you'd best have a sizable budget to get into that.

Bonus items you don't require but probably want at some point...
primer pocket cleaner
case cleaner (either vibratory tumbler or sonic)

 

[jporietis]

If you are getting into IPSC talk to the guys. They probably all reload and could help you a lot.

 

[bollox]

Hey Adam, for 9mm I think you are better off just buying BDX commercial reloads. The time and agro of reloading 9mm just isn't worth the small price difference, IMO.
I haven't loaded 9 in years with BDX at $75/300.

Once you have decided, go straight to a Dillon and don't look back. (but IMO, only worth it for the bigger than 9 cartridges.

Worth a thought.

 

[SksA1]

thanks for all your help guys.

 

[moosedude]

Hornady Lock N Load is great for the money and can do 3 - 500 9mm's an hour. I have about 7000 rounds through mine sine January and very few hick ups, and no problems that weren't easily resolved. Not a Dillon but at half the price its hard to beat

 

[SksA1]

thanks guys for everything...

im tossed right now as im unsure on the round counts ill be doing and i pay $13.99/50 right now (.28 ea)

 

[moosedude]

Reloading 9mm, you will be at around $7 a box, if that helps you at all. Payback on a decent progressive will be around 5000 rounds. Hope that helps

 

[bollox]

Reloading 9mm, you will be at around $7 a box, if that helps you at all. Payback on a decent progressive will be around 5000 rounds. Hope that helps

I like to factor in what my time is worth as well. I enjoy loading 45c, 460 etc to check velocity, accuracy and such.

9, not so much. Just a means to an end and that means, buying commercial reloads.

 

[Hotwheels81]

thanks guys for everything...

im tossed right now as im unsure on the round counts ill be doing and i pay $13.99/50 right now (.28 ea)

It's nothing to blow thru 200rnds of 9mm in a practice session... 5x 10rnd mags, thats a full box on my belt every trip to the line.

I buy hard cast lead bullets for practice at around $50 per thousand, use bullseye powder and the cheapest primers i can find all stuffed into range brass... My cost per box is almost laughable at around $5... For more serious work BDX projectiles or campro maybe the odd bag of berry's with the same basic components as above...

When you shoot ALOT of any caliber even 9mm you WILL save money.

For pistol reloading in medium volume (1000+ rnd's per month) you really can't go wrong with either of the tried and true dillon/hornady (not lee )... If you know your ammo cost is holding you back on valuable shooting experiance then you should have started reloading long ago... Of course the overhead of a decent setup is rather shocking but it's a case of "pay me now or pay me later"...