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How to start reloading

4K views 26 replies 15 participants last post by  Danger Mouse 
#1 ·
Hi guys,

I have a 10mm pistol, and I was warned to start thinking about reloading, so here I am, considering it!

Only trouble, I don't know where to begin. Reading through my Midway catalog, I could buy thousands of dollars of stuff, but I don't know what the essentials are, and what are just nice accessories for the serious reloader.

Basically, what do I really need, and how cheaply can I do it? I'm not looking to dive into reloading as a sub-hobby any time soon, I'm only thinking of doing some basic reloading in 10mm to save money, and I don't mind a somewhat laborious process if the initial equipment cost is less.

If you guys can come up with a basic shopping list for me, I'd appreciate it! Cheers!
 
#2 ·
May I Suggest........

First thing to buy is a Lyman reloading manual. After reading it and thinking your needs over, I would suggest a set of carbide dies and a single stage press. This will be the least expensive route. The single stage press will be more time and labor intensive,but you will end up with an equal quality reload.This is an ideal set up for a new reloader and good way to learn.:smiley2:
 
#3 ·
Great! I have a Lee single stage press in my cart for about 45 bucks, and another 20 bucks for a set of three Lee carbide dies in 10mm. Now, are there any other "essentials" I would need? Anything required to insert or extract primers? What should be used to measure powder? Is some sort of case cleaning or tumbling required for reliable reloads?

Thanks!
 
#4 ·
My suggestion is to read through this post:

http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=34594

She had the same question as you did, and got some pretty good answers.

First, second and third, read, read, read. Lyman's manual is a good one, read the first part of it a couple of times. Figure out what you want from your reloading equipment, and know what your going to do with it for the first several thousand rounds or tens of thousands for that matter, then make a descision about what type of equipment you want.

I did, and choose a turret press, others have choosen single stages, while others have progressives. We all want different things from our reloading equipment. The good thing is, no matter what you get, it will always be useful for some aspect of reloading if you take care of it.
 
#5 ·
Good suggestions. I've made the same suggestions to others (mainly, get books and spend some weeks digesting information first) interested in hobbies that I am more deeply into, so I understand. I guess I am just trying to get a basic idea of the bare essentials before I commit to the point of buying reloading manuals and such. I'll check out that other thread, thanks!
 
#7 ·
Ok, the basic equipment needed is as follows:

reloading press
reloading dies
shellholder or shell plate (Lee dies come with shellholder)
powder measure
powder scale
calipers
priming tool if not done on the press (all presses have this capability)
reloading manuals
ABC's of Reloading book

For dies, I recommend the Lee carbide 4 die set. This will get you a full length sizer die (FL sizer), an expander die to bell the case mouth to accept a bullet and has a hole through which powder can be charged directly into the case, a bullet seater die and a carbide factory crimp die (FCD). This last die will post size the case and remove the bell out of the mouth you put in the second stage. Lee dies come with a shellholder to hold the case in place while it is being run in the dies.

The powder measure (PM) can be press mounted (the Lee Auto Disk Pro is designed to be mounted on the Lee expander dies and the case activates the drop). There can be stand alone PM such as the excellent RCBS Uniflow or the similar ones from Redding or Lyman. Lee makes one too.

The powder scale can be a beam scale or electronic scale I use both. The other stuff is self explanitory.

Don't ever let anyone talk crap about how Lee is junk blah, blah, blah. I shot this group at 50 feet offhand with a 10mm Auto using a Lee press and dies.



Go to this link and watch the Lee videos of the operation of setting and adjusting dies, using the Classic Turret press (I have one), and other things.

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/HelpVideos/video.html

Kempf's gunshop has the Lee Classic Turret kit for a great price, includes dies and is a great start to reloading. I recommend the upgrade to the Auto Disk Pro and get both priming feeders. The calipers I use are from CarQuest and were $15. Here's the link:

http://www.kempfgunshop.com/products/reloading/leeprecision/kits/KempfKit.html
 
#8 ·
Thanks! All great info, and the friesepferd thread was very informative too!

Don't worry, I'm not rushing into anything, just trying to "count the cost" before I commit.
 
#9 ·
Cheapest practical buy in price is the $180-200 you'll spend on the Lee Classic Turret press kit from Kempf's. You can load 200rds per hour on that press without breaking a sweat.

You can easily save 50% off the cost of factory. Real factory ammo is about 50¢/rd. Handloading 10mm for 25¢/rd (if using jacketed bullets) means you will need to load 800 rounds to recoup the cost of the equipment. On the LCT press that's only four hours of loading. Then after that you are only in for components. Pretty soon you will realize the cost savings of shooting lead and then you can load 10mm for 8-10¢/rd. Then you realize if you cast your own bullets you can cut that cost in half yet again and load 10mm for 4-5¢/rd that I do.

It's a sickness.
 
#11 ·
#18 ·
Well, let's see.. Prices for 9mm are running between $160 for Wolf to $200 for Winchester ball.

Let's get you started the inexpensive way. A turtret system is nice but not necessary if you don't mind a little extra work. You can start with the following Kit:
Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Anniversary Kit. Midway has it for $89.99
Add to that Lee Carbide 3-Die Set in 9mm for $21.99
Yoou need to clean your brass and there is the Frankford Arsenal kit (Tumbler and separator) on sale for $49.99.

Bulltes? well, that is up to you but the cheapest for 1K right now at Midway is the Winchester 115 Grain Full Metal Jacket for $65.99. I am sure there are cast bullets out there for even cheaper specially if you buy from a local source.

Brass? Well, since there are still many that believe 9mm is not worth reloading, you only have to make a trip to your local range and collect all the spent 9mm brass you can lay your hands on. YTou will have a large stock in no time.

Powder and primers are best bought from a local source because you usually get charged special fees for delivery. Winchester 231 (1 Lbs that IIRC should give you enough for 1500 rounds) runs for $17 at Midway and 1K of Winchester primers goes for $23.59. The prices might be a tad higher at your local store.

A quick use of the trusty calculator gives you a start up cost of $268.55 for the first 1,000 rounds but let's round it to $270 so it is $0.27 per round which is plain exhorbitant.

Now for the expenditures related to the second batch of 1,000 rounds if you collect the free brass from the range. Bullets + Powder + Primers = $106.58 or $0.11 per round for custom made ammo (OK, sounds better that way.) This batch is already at half price from the Winchester Ball mentioned above so you are saving around $100 that goes to pay for part of the expenses you incurred with your reloading equipment. I am guessing that by the time you cook your third batch, you paid for the kit & tumbler easily.
However, I'd be lying if I say that is all the expense you will incurr. A Go-No Go die, calipers and reloading trays should be added but IMHO, you are still close to the Third Batch limit for savings.

Also, buying powder and primers in big lots will save you money. If you belong to a club, make group buys for the powder and primer and that will save you money.
 
#14 ·
Lets see, if you can get WWB for 7.50 per box that is .15 per round.

Box of 1000 copper coated bullets if you don't want to use lead 70 bucks, 1000 primers, 25 bucks, pound of powder 20 bucks or so. I am assuming your saving your brass. Not too many people pick up 9mm, yet.

That is $110 per thousand rounds of 9mm. Now, granted I haven't shot WWB for 9mm in a while, but the last 1000 rds of 9mm I ordered from Miwall, was more than 7.50 per box, equivalent.

But you could still save $40 per thousand assuming you can get them for .15 each still.
 
#15 ·
Never made much sense to me to reload 9mm, or .223 for that matter, unless you're wanting something you can't get in cheap off the shelf ammo. For 'match grade' ammo, the difference with reloading becomes more important.

The real benefit for me comes when reloading for revolvers and bench guns. (1) you don't have to pick up the brass :) (2) Since you're not relying on standard pressure rounds to cycle the action, you can load 'up' or 'down' to your hearts content, making one caliber suitable for many different purposes. For instance, my 12yo daughter loves to shoot my light .357 mag loads. They're cheap, fairly quiet, and pretty accurate at 25 yards. A .44mag loaded with 180g SWC over a healthy charge of 2400 is a great 'long distance' revolver round. Far better than anything I've ever found on the shelf. My Savage in .204 ruger shoots _way_ better with 39g BlitzKings over a good load of W748 in a neck-sized case than it will with anything else I've ever found. Packaged ammo doesn't even come close.

For the .40s&w? Makes sense based on cost. For 9mm? Probably not. For revolvers and bench rest cartridges? Even if it were more expensive, it's still worth reloading, just for the flexibility you get!

Pick up a lee kit, I prefer single stage to the turret, but that's just me. Add a decent scale (the lee one is OK, but very slow...) and a set of dial calipers, a 3 die set for your caliber, a tumbler, and all the books you can find.

Start with powders that fill (or nearly fill) the case you're reloading for. Hard to not notice a double charge when it spills onto the floor :)
 
#16 ·
If you're shooting 2-300rds of 9 a month it would probably take you around two years to recoup your investment on reloading equipment, if you buy in bulk and don't count your time for anything. How many more years do you plan on shooting that much ammo though? If you were shooting any other caliber the savings would be more, but if you look at it over the long term, like say 5-10yrs you really do save a chunk of change. Not to mention you don't have to worry about whether your local store is stocked up.
 
#17 ·
How do you put a price on time? If it's something you enjoy doing your time shouldn't count. We spend enough time wasting time, like surfing the Internet, we could use that time to load ammo.

I load 223 for hunting and blasting ammo. It cost me 15¢/rd and delivers cloverleafs at 100y. No factory ammo will cost that and be as good as my handloads. Cheap, crappy Wolf rejects cost $220/K. Am I a handload snob? Yes. My guns deserve better than crappy factory loads. I haven't fired a factory round in my guns for over a year. Feels great.

That 8shot group in the pic above measured .85" center to center and those rounds cost me 4¢ each to make.
 
#19 ·
I am also thinking of getting into reloading. I was advised to get a really great book called "The ABC's of reloading." Its a very good buy, i got it used from amazon.

I am a college student so money is tight.

Tonight i bought a powder scale and some calipers from midway. I'll be looking around for reloading press and tumbler soon.
 
#20 ·
I do consume some 9mm and .223 factory fodder in the interest of convenience but still like to handload them when possible simply because it's more fun to "roll your own".

I've not been very pleased with the Lee .455 die set and shell holder I obtained for use in handloading for the Webley. The workmanship is a bit shoddy and the shell holder has sloppy tolerances. Lost a few of those weak Fiocchi .455 brass cases because of that shell holder. Of course that Fiocchi brass fails on initial factory firing at the rate of 2-3 per box of 50. The Webley's chambers are well within spec and no other brass gives such troubles. I'd as soon try to size and prime an empty egg shell.
 
#21 ·
WWB from Sprawlmart have been running .31 a round for my .45acp. Reloading even with small quantities of locally bought components work out at .13 a round on the online cost calculator. Enough difference for me to recoup cost of my reloading equipment, and to shoot more.:tumbleweed:
 
#27 ·
Just my .02
I just started reloading. Finished my first 500 rounds. I started with the Lee reloading manual 2nd edition, and a Dillon 550B press.
reloading is fun, but also dangerous. I strongly recommend reading any and all manuals possible before starting, and remember that the people who collect the data for these reloading specs use thousands of dollars worth of computer software and testing equipment to achieve this data. I strongly recommend sticking with the data requirements for safety sake.
 
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