Secondary Reloading Setup

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laker415

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Kelowna/Northern Camp
I am curious if anyone is running a secondary reloading setup away from home? I work 3 week shifts and typically have a lot of free timin the evenings so I was thinking that doing some reloading would be a good use of my time. I am thinking about just charging and seating on this setup and do brass prep at home. I just don't know what I should purchase for this setup. I don't really want to spend a fortune but I still want some quality pieces to ensure I continue loading quality rounds. I am running an rcbs rock chucker at home. I would only be working on 223 and 308. Maybe a harbour press, rcbs partner? I would even consider bringing my automatic powder dispenser to keep progress steady. Let me know what works for you if you have 2 setups. Thanks
 
if it's just plinking loads then check out the lee handheld press, inexpensive and works great for plinking loads. Not sure how it handles more precision rounds for rifles though.
 
Purchase a Lee Hand Press. They are under a hundred dollars and use your standard 7/8 tpi dies. They are very true to their axis lines and work very well for even full length resizing on standard cartridges. Pistol cases and small rifle cases are a snap. Your biggest problem will be getting them onto the plane.
 
bearhunter said:
Purchase a Lee Hand Press. They are under a hundred dollars and use your standard 7/8 tpi dies. They are very true to their axis lines and work very well for even full length resizing on standard cartridges. Pistol cases and small rifle cases are a snap. Your biggest problem will be getting them onto the plane.
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No issue with plane security as I drive to site. I was planning on bringing primed brass, bullets and powder. Then just load several hundred rounds throughout my shift
 
If all you want to do is charge and seat a bullet, then an arbor press with Wilson seater will yield excellent ammo and pack in a very small box.

Consider that some camps may not allow gunpowder on site....

A small digital scale, powder scoop, teaspoon, die, press and away you go. Or you can "invest" in a lee powder measure. These work surprisingly well and will speed things up alot.

All fit into a small tool box.

Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
If all you want to do is charge and seat a bullet, then an arbor press with Wilson seater will yield excellent ammo and pack in a very small box.

Consider that some camps may not allow gunpowder on site....

A small digital scale, powder scoop, teaspoon, die, press and away you go. Or you can "invest" in a lee powder measure. These work surprisingly well and will speed things up alot.

All fit into a small tool box.

Jerry
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My camp is a bit different. I frequently bring firearms to site and plink after work.

I am leaning towards the arbor press, powder measure and maybe gempro 250. Whatever I decide on will be left there instead of bringing it back and forth.
 
The gempro is very good but will drift and best to leave plugged in all the time. Very slow to "warm" up. I do not recommend using battery power alone.

If you are loading one charge, I would just get a Lee scoop or make your own. I load pretty much the same thing for my FTR rifles so have stopped using a powder measure. BUT a powder measure is nice...

Do you have access to a drill press? I have seen a shooter use theirs as an arbor press.... so obvious, you don't think of it.

If only seating for 1 set up, Lee loader. I have heard SRBR shooters using them cause they work really well BUT chamber selection is very big. Just a small mallet to tap the seater... you set it for length and it keeps adjustment well.

Lee balance beam will do very well for hunting/varmint grade ammo... basically lee stuff cause it works and is dirt cheap.

Let me know...

Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
The gempro is very good but will drift and best to leave plugged in all the time. Very slow to "warm" up. I do not recommend using battery power alone.

If you are loading one charge, I would just get a Lee scoop or make your own. I load pretty much the same thing for my FTR rifles so have stopped using a powder measure. BUT a powder measure is nice...

Do you have access to a drill press? I have seen a shooter use theirs as an arbor press.... so obvious, you don't think of it.

If only seating for 1 set up, Lee loader. I have heard SRBR shooters using them cause they work really well BUT chamber selection is very big. Just a small mallet to tap the seater... you set it for length and it keeps adjustment well.

Lee balance beam will do very well for hunting/varmint grade ammo... basically lee stuff cause it works and is dirt cheap.

Let me know...

Jerry
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Thanks for the info jerry. I really need to decide how much I want to spend and then build around that number. I think I will get the arbor press but still undecided on powder measuring and weighing. I am fine with spending a bit more on some items that are nice to use. I will probably be up there for 2 years at least so I can get a lot done. Once I am done I can bring it home to enjoy.
 
Invest in a quality digi scale... you will always use it. If driving, all of this fits in a tool box so why bother to leave it up there. A good digi scale is worth alot of money.

Lee scoop... it really isn't a big deal and I find is really fast to use.

Arbor press and wilson dies... very good end result. To be even more basic, Lee hand press and Forster seater. Either will work, lee/forster will be faster

If going to leave up there and you have a desk, bolt a Lee Challenger breech lock press to a 3/4" hunk of plywood. Clamp that to your desk or table. Now you have all the mechanical advantage and can do more steps. The range in costs from raw basic to full range of loading is less then $100 so no matter what, you aren't investing much.

I would bring home the dies/seater, and scale... leave the rest up there.

Jerry
 
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