Reloading

dearslayer

dearslayer

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Hello... I shoot 9mm...40S&W...45ACP. I don't get to the range as much as I would like but when I do I usually shoot 100-250 rounds of what every caliber I take along and that may be 2 or all 3. I'm wondering about learning to reload. I have no idea where to start or even if it would be cost effective and I have absolutely no experience, but aside from the cost I think it would be more of a hobby more than anything else. Is it worth it in the long run even for a hobby considering components that would be needed plus the equipment required to do so? What would be the price of admission just to start out on one of the caliber's? I'm not looking for exact figures here but more like ball park?

Regards.
G.T.
 
It's definitely worth it. It's a hobby to feed another hobby. Lots of guys recommend starting with a single stage to learn the basics. It's sound advice. However, reloading pistol rounds on a single stage is painful. Have a look at the Dillon 550b. They can be found on the EE for reasonable prices and allow alot of caliber options to load for. The savings in your reloads will most likely be higher with the 40 and 45. Also pays when you start into precision rifle loads.
 
Well I have many hobbies that require my time and time isn't a commodity that I have a lot of ,but I do enjoy learning new things and when I get a little bored with one hobby i just bounce to the next. Bust as mentioned earlier what is the cost of admission? Also I'm sure there are many YouTube videos on the subject but I'm hoping someone with experience might suggest the best route to learn.

Edit ...posted before I seen the other replies sorry.
 
dearslayer said:
Well I have many hobbies that require my time and time isn't a commodity that I have a lot of ,but I do enjoy learning new things and when I get a little bored with one hobby i just bounce to the next. Bust as mentioned earlier what is the cost of admission? Also I'm sure there are many YouTube videos on the subject but I'm hoping someone with experience might suggest the best route to learn.

Edit ...posted before I seen the other replies sorry.
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Best is to see if someone will invite you over to show you their setup and go over stuff. If you lived closer...
 
Someone who shoots, often takes up hand loading to get more enjoyment out of the sport - my own experience is that not much money is saved over buying store bought ammo - just end up with tooling, stacks of brass, components, etc. on hand and also shoot much more than otherwise. Sort of like the hunting guys who want to then learn how to process their own animals - then to make sausage, and so on - same deal - not so sure it actually saves money over taking it to butcher shop (if there is one near you), but sort of "completes" the knowledge that a "hunter" should have. Once you hand load, you have got a stash of supplies and some tooling, you do not care so much about periodic "shortages", etc. Or you could buy pallets of ammo and get to the same place, but not as much "fun" in that!!! And then you will find out about casting or swaging your own bullets, and down the "rabbit hole" you go!!!
 
The dillon 550 is a great machine; the Lee Turret press will handle pistol calibers quite nicely as well as being less expensive.
 
I am sure it was during June 2019, I did an on-line search for another guy who wanted to start - what I would buy if I was starting again to load centerfire rifle cases. I was just using on-line pricing I could find at Cabela's and a few other websites in Western Canada - buying everything new - pretty certain came out around $500 in tooling, with set of dies and case holder for one cartridge - a good "O" press, system to trim cases to length and chamfer, to pull bullets, a balance beam scale and trickler gizmo, and so on. Then need the powder, primers, bullets and cases. I have never used a progressive press and have never loaded hand gun rounds, so others would have to comment on that. A couple years ago, Cabela's had a wicked sale on a "Partner Press" kit - like $129 or something - the digital scale that I received in that kit was pretty much a waste of time, but I use most of the other stuff - at the same time, on Cabela's site, to buy that same stuff, one piece at a time, was well over $300.
 
There are lots of reasons to learning to reload.
Saving money might be high on your list or maybe being able to custom tailor your ammo for specific indoor range noise levels or maybe you like the challenge of learning something new.
Take your pic and watch a few you tube videos for the basics.
The best part about reloading is some actually find it therapeutic as odd as that sounds.
Rob
 
Loading pistol rounds exclusively I would start with a turret press. Start with 45 ACP because that's much more expensive. 300-500 minimum to start but after that the ammo is dirt cheap. A pound of Titegroup goes a long way at 4 grns to the round (not a recommended load, just an example). However, you need spare time and enjoy details. If you get into reloading for rifles then things get really interesting. Once you see how different loadings change accuracy, you'll be out there at the range shooting 5 rounds and frantically scribbling notes like the rest of us.
 
I use to load, last few yrs did less , than moved to town, so I sold everything. while back
I loaded 45, and 38 sp, 357M, never did 9mm, as at that time I did not shoot it much, and these days , I would not buy a set up for just 9 mm.
I used a Hornady progressive they say 1000 rds/hr, but I never worked fast, so maybe 500
Single stage is great for large rifle, handgun, lots use them, I would not.
If you Are the "wing it " type, that is not good.
I would suggest as someone said , find someone that has a set up and watch him.
If/ when gunshows start again, there are usually one or two loaders, but know what you are looking at, old ones are cheap, because they are out dated, single stage , good old is O.K.
I sold my complete set up for 500.oo, scales, dies, auto measure, etc.
The way things are looking, there should be some good deals.
 
Wow all very interesting info indeed. Even with the info so far I think baby steps are in order. I think the bottom line here is that I'm more the type of person who likes to learn new things. All my hobbies have been the same way. I do relate to the fact that like many other hobbies it sure can be a Rabbit hole from which there is no return. Also like someone already mentioned I think my best bet would be to watch someone actually do it to see if i want to go this route.
 
To start out reloading 45acp on a single stage will be easiest. Get some carbide dies, a single stage press, scale and a priming tool and you’re pretty much set.
You don’t need to lube cases with carbide dies, so a lot of time saved there, and I never trimmed my straight wall cases either.
It’s a very simple resize deprime, pop in a new primer, measure some powder and seat a new bullet.
If you don’t like it resell the items to recoup your investment.
 
I won't say my approach is the best, but it worked for me. I bought a Lee Breech Lock Challenger kit on sale at SFRC. Also bought Lee dies for 9 MM and 303 British to learn on. Total cost with a cheap digital scale was $375.

I learned on the 9 mm. It's a forgiving round to learn the ropes, and I found that I liked reloading a lot. I did about 2000 rounds on the single stage (yes, it was a long process). But plug your phone into a speaker, listen to some music or podcasts, and keep pulling that handle. I also did a whole bunch of 303 British for for No. 4 Mark 2 and had a great time doing load development and finding my rifle's best recipe. I have since bought a progressive, but I still use my cheap Lee single stage for rifle loads and general chores like primer pocket swaging and decapping.

You need to be mechanically apt, curious, and able to innovate when you face little challenges. If this is your nature, you'll love reloading.

Buy something cheap. Learn on it. Sell it or keep it when you're ready to upgrade.
 
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If you can figure a way to get with someone already into it, that is the best. In my case, as I posted in other threads, I had offered to have people come over - use my gear and I would oversee - but I was not going to "load" for them - they were going to do the "work" and fussing to load up their 40 or 50 rounds for their deer rifle - many never bothered to show up for one reason or another. A fairly painless way to find out if you have the patience or the attention to detail to get it done well. In my opinion, a good sign of a good mentor is someone with a number of various company's loading manuals who can help you go through and decide what powder, bullets and primers you are going to go out and buy, for your first try at it, and can explain why that would be reasonable choices to make for what you are trying to accomplish. Gets to be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it - from something that safely goes "bang" every time, on up to something that will put 5 holes into an inch and a half (or less) at 200 yards.

But that last stage brings in your rifle, its bedding, the barrel condition, the scope and its mounting and your own shooting and wind reading abilities - just a long progression of things to get "into" - the proverbial "rabbit hole"...
 
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Potashminer said:
If you can figure a way to get with someone already into it, that is the best. In my case, as I posted in other threads, I had offered to have people come over - use my gear and I would oversee - but I was not going to "load" for them - they were going to do the "work" and fussing to load up their 40 or 50 rounds for their deer rifle - many never bothered to show up for one reason or another. A fairly painless way to find out if you have the patience or the attention to detail to get it done well. In my opinion, a good sign of a good mentor is someone with a number of various company's loading manuals who can help you go through and decide what powder, bullets and primers you are going to go out and buy, for your first try at it, and can explain why that would be reasonable choices to make for what you are trying to accomplish. Gets to be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it - from something that safely goes "bang" every time, on up to something that will put 5 holes into an inch and a half (or less) at 200 yards.

But that last stage brings in your rifle, its bedding, the barrel condition, the scope and its mounting and your own shooting and wind reading abilities - just a long progression of things to get "into" - the proverbial "rabbit hole"...
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Well I've been doing woodworking off and on for about 35 years and about 4-5 years ago I decided to delve into Vintage audio restoration and I had ZERO background or experience. Units such as Marantz mainly and a few Pioneer. Total restoration removing and replacing every single capacitor on every single PCB requires much patience and attention to detail. Same for woodworking so I don't think that part of reloading would hinder me.
 
Wrong thread. I started on a single stage press and then went to a Lee Pro 1000. Then I went to a Dillon XL650. Now I have 2 XL650's one in 45acp and one in 9mm. I used to clean my brass with a scotch brite pad. Now I have a Lyman 2200 brass polisher and a 46 liter cement mixer to polish brass.
I cast most of my own bullets. It used to cost about $2.90 a box for 50 9mm and 50 45acp. That was when powder was $24 a pound and primers were $160 for 5000.
Yes it is worth it.
 
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