Reloading

jobbass

jobbass

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I would like to start reloading 223 only.


I do not know anythink about it, well just the basic.

What should I buy, and do you know of a place in Ontario where they show you actually how to reload, reading the book, done.

I also watched some youtube videos.

Thanks for the ideas.
 
What kind of priorities do you have for the finished ammunition?
(ie. is it a fair amount of decent ammo in a short amount of time, is it 'precision is king'. volume for AR, and minute of pie plate at 200m is good enough?)
 
Regardless of the end use of the ammo, I believe it is important to start loading with a single stage press so that all the steps can be learned and understood. The first priority is to buy a number of loading manuals. The reason for this is that the various manuals come at their data from slightly different directions. Some manuals show load data with a broader range of powders, and some manuals show the loading density of the powder charge. The Lyman manual is a good one to start with, and you should have one from your choice of bullet manufacturer and one from a powder manufacturer.

I like RCBS and Redding, and so I would choose one of their presses and dies, or a kit that contained a press, dies and shell holder, priming tool, scale, lube pad and lube, trimmer and thrower. With that the only other things you might need are a powder trickler if one is not included in the kit and a deburring tool, those might come included, I don't remember. You might also want a tumbler for case cleaning and some corn cob or walnut media. Dies normally have 7/8"X14 threads and will work in most commonly encountered presses.

As you progress there are other tools you will want to get, but this will get you started. The next step is to attempt to find an experienced handloader who can walk you through the process. This will be a big time saver. Once you have the basic steps figured out, you will work out your own procedures and techniques. Once you become comfortable with the process you will find that handloading is as enjoyable as shooting.
 
Agreed Boomer. The only thing I'd add is that a single stage is a PITA with screwing the dies in and out. The Lee Turrets press is still technically single stage, but you just turn the turret for the next die.
 
Lister, I think a turret press is great for loading handgun ammo, but the only turret press I'd be happy with for long cartridges is the Redding. I haven't used the Lee turret but I have an older finger pinching Lyman, and the turret had too much play for me not to worry about bullet and neck run-out as a result. Shooting is the test though, and if you are getting good groups with the ammo you load on a turret all is good. I was getting good groups but I wasn't happy with the extra work it took to ensure I did.
 
I would disagree with the above.

The Dillon 550b is sh!t simple to learn on and would be a fantastic starting place for someone not looking for the ultimate precision from their press or ammunition. The quality of ammunition will be on par with what would be turned out on a RCBS rockchucker or the equivilant.

If someone is are looking for top precision, their best bet would be to source an arbour press.

If someone is only shooting small amounts of decent quality ammo, the lower cost of a single stage like the Rockchucker might make more sense initially. If this is the road one wants to take, I'd highly recommend investing in the hornady lock and load quick change system for their dies.
If they are feeding an AR or doing alot of shooting, I'd make the recommendation to skip the single stage and go with a progressive.

ymmv.
 
So I am guessing that you guys with the progressive presses are not trimming or measuring your brass? What about your charges?

I know I will be buying a progressive for handgun stuff. I think if you dont care about being very accurate then a single stage would be better.
 
wild1 said:
So I am guessing that you guys with the progressive presses are not trimming or measuring your brass? What about your charges?

I know I will be buying a progressive for handgun stuff. I think if you dont care about being very accurate then a single stage would be better.
Click to expand...


I used a Dillon RT1200B to trim my cases on the press, and used H335 which flows like water in the measure.
 
Wow. Just wow. I never knew there was such a set up. That is so cool. So from what I can gather it just sits in there like a normal die? Have any pics? How well does it work?
 
I prep my .223 brass separately from loading and use a Giraud trimmer for trimming and chamfering.

Aside from that, the rest of the steps to loading is done on a progressive. Kind of semi-progressive - but the more steps you can add and do with the one press all at once saves time. (these are prime, powder, bullet seat & crimp)

Ball powders drop with very little deviation (maybe outwards of .2 grains, but the vast majority that I double check are right on or within .1 grain) through the dillon powder measures, and I have very good luck/results with it dropping extruded powders like Varget too.
I use a Redding competition seating die and have compared run out with ammo loaded with the same die on the dillon 550b and a rockchucker and have noted no difference.

I load my .308 ammo destined for the precision rig on my rockchucker still, but have compared the same loads made on the 550 with comperable results.

I think there is a general misconception in loading circles that progressives:
A) do not afford the same precision or accuracy that a single stage press does, and
B) Are overly complicated to learn on.
 
Progressives can produce accurate ammo, but it takes experience to learn how. If you don't check your thrown weights for instance you might find that your powder charges vary significantly as the volume of powder in the reservoir drops - even with ball powders like H-380 or W-760. If the load you prefer uses an extruded powder, that might be an issue. If you don't check your necks after sizing for run-out, you will be unable to address a potential problem.

These things and others can be learned when one starts with a single stage press. If you start with a progressive, you are less likely to stop and measure differences between steps to see where a problem lies, in fact it might not occur to you to do that.

As you load with a single stage press you will see where your bottle necks occur, and you can take steps or purchase better tools, like a Giraud case trimmer, to address those bottle necks. If your only concern is to mass produce ammunition with a single type of powder, and expect the press to do everything correctly for you, it will be more difficult to gain the skills to make precision ammo, if that matters to you.
 
wild1 said:
Wow. Just wow. I never knew there was such a set up. That is so cool. So from what I can gather it just sits in there like a normal die? Have any pics? How well does it work?
Click to expand...

No pictures, but yes, it works like a sizing die. However, you attach a vacuum to the housing to draw off the brass chips.
 
wild1 said:
Do you still have to chamfer or does it do everything in one step?
Click to expand...

If you must chamfer, you'll need to do it in a seperate operation. I always used boat tail bullets and never had to worry about a chamfer. The Dillon cuts clean and square.
 
I own a Dillon, and I still use my single stage press. Especially when I am building a load!

I always reccomend to new reloaders to buy a good-decent quality kit (RCBS or Hornady) try it out, learn the steps, get proficiant at it...... Then if they want the speed.... Go buy a progressive.

Jobbass: I reccomend you go out and get a RCBS supreme kit. It has everything you need to get started. Go and buy a couple (more than 1) reloading manuals and a copy of the ABC's of reloading.

After you have all of that any reloader (myself included) would be more than happy to "show you the ropes"...... If you are in my neck of the woods, you can consider that an offer.

Cheers!
 
I just started reloading and was really enjoying it until I got a .223 brass suck in the resize die, hence my post looking for another one. DON'T FORGET THE LUBE! Even with it one stuck and no more die. Some info on how to get the suckers out would be appreciated. It WAS a Lyman die.

Zig11
 
Zig11 said:
I just started reloading and was really enjoying it until I got a .223 brass suck in the resize die, hence my post looking for another one. DON'T FORGET THE LUBE! Even with it one stuck and no more die. Some info on how to get the suckers out would be appreciated. It WAS a Lyman die.

Zig11
Click to expand...

buy a stuck case removal kit
 
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