Starting to reload - input wanted

Dazbog

Dazbog

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I've been considering reloading for a while and I'm ready to pull the trigger on a press. I was originally considering going with the RCBS rockchucker supreme but now I'm leaning towards the Lee classic turret kit. If I start reloading 9 mm I see the advantage of the turret speed.

What I want to do is reload .223. Specifically for my 18", 1/7 AR to see if I can get some better accuracy out of it and for a Remi 700 20", 1/12. I'll also need to load some AR plinking rounds if I can get them cheaper/more accurate than factory ammo.

I'm looking to add dies, tumbler/media, powder tricker and a case trimmer to my start up gear.

With all the above info, am I missing something to have an effective start up kit?

What I really need help with is identifying what components to start with. I know I'll have to go through a trial process to figure out what my rifles like to shoot but it would be great if I could get some help with my initial selection of bullets, powder and primers.

For precision AR loads (if that is such a thing) I was considering sierra 77g hpbt matchking bullets. For the Remi I was thinking about the hornady 53g vmax. I have no idea what plinking Bullet to consider.

Finally to my questions, are those 2 good bullets to start with? If so what powder should I be looking at for each type? What type of primers should I order?

Last question, anyone know if the reloading book that comes with the press is good or is there another must have book I should just go and get?

Experienced reloader feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
I am currently using a Redding t7 turret press for accuracy(love it!), would like to find a progressive of some kind for volume, probably a Dillon.
 
You will need a good powder scale if it's not included, calipers, and if I was you I would get a factory crimp die to use for the AR. Bullet choice is trial and error but IMHO you can't go wrong with Sierra. Brass is also important for accuracy. I don't reload .223, just larger calibres so can't help you on powder or primers but can't imagine loading .223 or 9mm on a single stage, at the very least go Turret. I have a RCBS single stage for large rifle, and a Redding Turret for large pistol calibres and it works well for me.
 
If you really want to own the Lee Classic cast Turret press, instead of the Rock Chucker, because of your higher volume pistol needs, this might work best for you. The base is cast iron.

The cast iron RCBS press is very strong and might serve you better for rifle cartridge reloading if you are not loading a high volume.

The RCBS kit also contains a better scale and powder measure, and also a reliable hand priming tool, all of a quality that experienced reloaders like.

The Lee kit, on the other had, contains their auto-disk powder measure, which is accurate, and discharges powder automatically when mouth belling with the Lee powder through mouth expander die. Something that you would want with a turret press. It is partly plastic, but reliable.

The scale included in the Lee kit is much disliked though, so you would be better served to just sell it and buy a better scale.

The on-press auto priming tool included with the Lee kit works well but it's made entirely of plastic. You may or may not like it.

Finally, the Lee Turret presses auto-index using a small nylon plastic part which does wear out. Lee includes a spare with the kit, buy you would be wise to have more.

Considering the price of other turret presses though, the Lee is an effective choice for higher volume reloading.
 
I think you would be quite happy with the Classic Turret. And probably happy to have skipped the expenses of a single stage, just to find out it can't meet your volume needs.
The Lee manual is great, probably one of the best at going through all the basics of reloading, and contains load data for lots of different projectiles, whereas a Hornady manual for example will only list data for Hornady bullets.

I think the Classic Turret Kit now ships with the new Auto Drum measure, which is one of the best powder measures made IMHO. It does a great job of dispensing both extruded and very fine powder. The old Auto Disk was quite usable, but the Auto Drum is much better.

The scale that comes with the kit will work fine. While not the best scale around, it is accurate and quite usable.

Don't worry to much about the square advancing disk. I replaced one in the last ten years, and my press sees lots of volume. The kit does come with a spare, and I think packs of 3 cost about $5. Probably a lifetime supply.

It's nice to get extra spare turrets, so you have one for each caliber you load for. Then you don't need to reset your dies. Just change the turret, and your good to go. They cost under $20.

I started out with a RCBS Rock chucker, and when I switched to the Classic Turret I couldn't believe how much time it saved. Since then I've also added a Pro1000 and Loadmaster, but the Classic Turret still sees lots of use.

Also, the Classic Turret can be used as a single stage if desired. If possible, use Lee dies with the Turret. Although other brands technically fit, sometimes the lock rings don't fit well due to the proximity on the turret.
 
How's the hornady g2 1500 electronic scale. For $50 it could be an economical replacement to the Lee scale if it's not great. Anyone use one?
 
I've been reloading for 30 years and as far as presses go there's only one word of advice I can give you. DILLON

Look at the 550, it's versatile, decent volume for a semi progressive press and built like a brick s---house.

Dillon also has a no BS guarantee. Just pick up the phone and call them.
 
Dillon makes fine equipment for sure. But a 550 kit is over $1000, while a Lee Classic Turret kit is about $300. Of course with Dillon you are paying up front for any replacement parts you will ever need, but also for parts the next owner, or the next etc will ever need.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I don't have the cash to get into top end equipment. My shopping cart is at $600 without a tumbler, powder or primers so I have to choose wisely.

Any suggestions on the bullet, powder, primer combo to get me started?
 
Dazbog said:
How's the hornady g2 1500 electronic scale. For $50 it could be an economical replacement to the Lee scale if it's not great. Anyone use one?
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The Lee scale has a reputation for not returning to zero always, and is just not as user-friendly as the better quality mechanical scales.
If I bought the Lee Turret press kit, I would just leave the scale new and boxed up, and sell it off for around $40.00 and put that towards a better scale

If you opt for a mechanical scale, consider the RCBS M500 from Cabela's for about $130.00.
It's easy to set up and use, very accurate, has magnetic damping, and is well-liked.
While quality mechanical scales are a bit slower to use and must be carefully used and stored, they are bone simple reliable and accurate and the zero does not drift.

I have no experience with electronic scales for reloading, but I'm sure others here will give you good advice.
However, from what I have read and heard, some electronic scales do have stability and drifting zero problems.
Enough so that some hand loaders went back to their mechanical scales.
 
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Fargone4sure said:
Dillon makes fine equipment for sure. But a 550 kit is over $1000, while a Lee Classic Turret kit is about $300. Of course with Dillon you are paying up front for any replacement parts you will ever need, but also for parts the next owner, or the next etc will ever need.
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Very true indeed but then your done if you can bite the bullet (excuse the pun) and go that route . No "I like this press but I'd like to buy something a little better now" etc.

Looking back going straight to the Dillon was probably the smartest thing I ever did.

(note: I have no ties or financial interests with the Dillon corporation or any of it's subsidiaries):)
 
Dazbog said:
Thanks for all the feedback. I don't have the cash to get into top end equipment. My shopping cart is at $600 without a tumbler, powder or primers so I have to choose wisely.

Any suggestions on the bullet, powder, primer combo to get me started?
Click to expand...

You don't "need" a tumbler, but it sure makes brass inspection easier. Also, if your brass lands on sandy soil, you run the risk of scratching your dies, if the brass picks up grit.

For plinking ammo, the cheapest bullets that meet your accuracy requirements. I've heard of guys using the CamPro 55gr FMJ.
For primers, if I remember correctly, Federals have the softest cup, so you might want to avoid them with an AR. I've used Winchester and CCI primers for both AR and bolt action loads.
 
The first thing I recommend to EVERY new reloader is get many many reloading books. They can be bought at most any gunshow for $10-$15 so you can buy say 4 or 5 for the price of 1 new book.

As for equipment, once again you can find used equipment all over the place so if budget is an issue which let's face it most of us work on a budget, used equipment is a great way to get reloading. I have 4 presses on my bench as of today, 2 turrets,1 single stage and 1 progressive. I bought my Lee turret brand new and it cost as much as I paid for my Lyman t-6 and my RCBS Rockchucker that I bought used. Nothing wrong with used equipment.

My first press was a Lee classic turret with the cast iron base. I've loaded 10k plus rounds on it without a hitch. 99% of those rounds have been larger rifle rounds like 30-06. I like the Lee for beginners cause it's easy to set up and easy to use. It's also a press that you can grow into as you get faster. You can take out the indexing rod and manually index it to start, that way you can go at a slow pace, but once you get that hang of it you can make it auto index the turret head and then you can load at a quick pace. . If the Lee isn't to your liking a Lyman T-6 turret can be had reasonably if you watch for a sale.

As for scales, the Lee safety scale is finicky and a pain to use. I rolled ammo with mine for many many years until I picked up an RCBS 5-0-5 at a gun show for $40. The RCBS is way easier to use and thus safer as the Lee is easy to knock out of adjustment. It does work I just find its a bit of a pain.

If you buy the Lee turret press kit it comes with the Lee auto disk measure. I still use mine to this day as its fast and reliable. It's not as adjustble as some measures but you can add on an adjustable charge bar to fine tune things. I have many powder measures as I keep buying them used, everything from a redding bench rest to a cheap Lee prefect powder measure. I use the Lee the most as I find it meters most powders easily and it's easy to empty. I think I paid $20 for the Lee. My redding cost 6x that but I don't find its any better for 99% of applications.

As for tumblers, I went 2 years before I got a tumbler. It's not neseccesary at first but it's nice to have shiny brass.

Trimmers can be pricey, start with a Lee trimmer for 223 and use that until you find a trimmer at a reasonbe price. I used Lee trimmers for years before I picked up a Hornaday trimmer once again at a gun show for $40. I have since replaced that with a Lyman as the Lyman holds its settings a bit better.

As for components I've had good results 4198, varget, 4895 and 3031 in 223. It's a pretty simple cartridge to load in my opinion.

Anyhow, reloading is a huge undertaking at the beginning. Buy what you can afford and start with that. Go simple to start off with, too many guys I've known buy super fancy progressives to start off with and either end up never using the press OR make a mistake and end up with issues with their reloads.

And most importantly read lots of books and ask lots of questions. The more you learn the safer and easier reloading becomes.
 
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I concur with the idea that you get a some manuals are read them so you have a good understanding of the loading process before your start.

A good scale is essential, and although I've safely loaded using Lee's spoon measures, they don't hold a candle to a scale, and while I still use them to feed the scale when loading just a small number of rounds, I don't recommend them as a primary loading tool.

In addition to a scale, I'd no longer consider loading without a scale check weight set. Not only does this allow me to check the repeatability of the scale, scale weights give me the ability to zero the scale to the powder charge I intend to load. Commonly, the scale is set to it's mechanical zero, then the counterweight is moved to the desired position on the beam, but the further you move the counterweight from zero, the greater the potential for error in your intended weight. If you choose to use a digital scale, the scale check weights ensure the weight on the display accurately represents what's on the pan.

Particularly if you're going to feed an AR, the idea of a progressive scale is attractive. What has kept me from taking the plunge thus far is the idea that 90% of handloading is case prep, and I prefer to check most of my powder charges on a scale even when throwing them. One press that could speed the process up over a single stage press is a Redding T-7 turret press. Other turret presses I've used have had enough flex in the turrets that I become concerned with concentricity issues.

I seat primers using a bench mounted priming tool. These have fallen from favor with the advent of handheld priming tools, but the best handheld priming tool IMHO, is no longer made. The first Lee hand priming tool used a shellholder that threaded into the tool body, and turning the shellholder provided control over the primer's seating depth. If I was to switch to a handheld priming tool, it would be the one made by Sinclair International. The big advantage this tool has is that it locks the casing rigidly in place before the plunger pushes the primer into the pocket, thus the primer enters the pocket concentrically.

Case trimming is a necessary evil, and the lathe style trimmers work well, although I'd ensure they are mounted level. It might take some time to develop a repeatable technique that ensures square case mouths and uniform lengths. A Wilson style deburring tool (the type used by RCBS and Lyman) is better than the others. I also have a Giraud power trimmer, that rims and deburrs in a single pass, these are very fast, and very expensive Again, you'll need to work out your technique for best results.

Purchase the best measuring tools you can. To start a vernier caliper is probably enough, I use a digital Mitutoyo, but over time you may wish others.

My preference of primer manufacturer is CCI. CCI's cups are a hair thicker, so the primers fit tighter in the pockets, so as a result, the brass lasts more firings before the primer pockets enlarge enough that the brass must be culled.

My go to .224 plinking bullet is the Speer TNT. This bullet is reasonably affordable, it has proven amazingly accurate in my 1:12 barrel, and is fragile enough that ricochets are unlikely. If you have a shot at a live target, appropriate for a .22 varmint bullet, the TNT is a better killer than a match bullet, but it can be a little harsh on small fur bearers like foxes.
 
Bullets. 69 Sierra Match for the 700. I think 1:12 will stabilise them.

Ar-15 Accuracy 69MK or 75 to 77 Match

Plinker 55 gr Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)

For powder you may as well just use Varget for everything. Weigh the match ammo charges, just throw the plinker.
 
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