Reloading 101 (ish!) - Page 2

P95Carry · May 24th, 2007, 11:46 PM

Quote:

about how much does it cost to set up a small to medium reloading station

Of course - depends on equipment. Lee is perhops least expensive route - and other end possibly is straight into a Dillon 650.

There are also some accoutriments that are easily forgotten - so it ain't just press and dies. A suitable weighing scales is important as too are some other peripheral items. Of course too - every cal you add is another die set - say $40 each or so.

I have not done a cost analysis - but I'd say that if someone started with a single station press then perhaps very inexpensive - like $100.

But if cash available to around $250 then this will enable a start with a turret probably. Beyond that - well, quite a lot more for the real good stuff. I am a bit outa touch with current prices.

http://www.leeprecision.com/ will give some prices on Lee stuff - and the Dillon site will help price that stuff ... forget URL right now.

Shadowsbane · May 24th, 2007, 11:48 PM

Cool, thank you very much, nice to attempt learning another self-sufficency skill.

Now to talk the wife into letting me set this up in our livingroom/bedroom...hmm I will need chocolate..

aus71383 · May 25th, 2007, 12:35 AM

My wife wanted me to put mine in the living room because the garage is too far away. You might try that angle.

UtahRSO · May 25th, 2007, 01:00 AM

P95Carry & other responders,

Good job in the advice for reloaders! I've been reloading for various calibers for about 40 years now, and I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestions mentioned. I started with the old Lee Loader in 6mm Rem., through a single stage press. Now I have a Lee turret press, and it has made reloading so much easier, being able to change dies for various operations and calibers within a very few seconds. Also, for me, a hand primer has been a great addition to my equipment.

I've thought about a progressive system, which would be faster, but I'm just cautious enough I like to examine all the cases for correct priming, and then as a group in the loading tray before I seat the bullets, checking the powder level (and that there's powder in each one) with the old Mark 1 eyeball.

P95Carry · May 25th, 2007, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Now I have a Lee turret press, and it has made reloading so much easier, being able to change dies for various operations and calibers within a very few seconds

Mjolnir - welcome to another Lee user! Not sure if you do it or not but - I went a bit mad a coupla years ago and purchased several extra turrets and powder measures to go with my various die sets .. this means now I have set-ups at the ready with a mere change of turret - all dies are set and ready, including separate now for 38 spl and .357.

Rifle stuff tho I still do the slow way - single stage!

I am like you - speed is not everything and I do like to keep tabs on my progress. I seem to recall that all the kabooms I have come across due to squibs ......... were following progressive loading.

I have been reloading the last two weeks or so on and off - and as of this evening am up to 1450 rounds of my main cals - just keep working on it a 100 at a time. I have maybe another 1000 to do at which point I shall consider my ''stocks'' somewhat replenished - for a while!!

palmgopher · May 25th, 2007, 05:03 AM

i might have to go to my local range and try to get me some "used" brass from their bucket if they will let me....lol. kinda stock up you know. i am also starting to look at possibly reloading myself for my 45 and my .32 win spec which i have read they are going to start to phase out of production. so it will get expensive in the coming years.

oh yeah any chance of making this a stickey!

Miggy · May 25th, 2007, 11:08 AM

And in case you want to know what happens when you double-charge....

Blowups

P95Carry · May 25th, 2007, 12:31 PM

I put some kabooms on one of my sites - mostly scarfed from other places .......

Kabooms

Sheldon J · May 25th, 2007, 01:34 PM

Inspect all brass prior to reloading, clean brass is easer to spot flaws, toss anything questionable.

cvhoss · May 28th, 2007, 02:23 PM

Reloading can be as much a hobby as the actual shooting. While there are a multitude of places to save money on reloading, two items that you should not compromise on are a scale and a powder measure. Without naming the brands, I've seen some inexpensive scales and measures be off as much as 3/10 of a grain on successive weighings of the same weight or throwing the same charge. If you're loading at the lower end of the range, this may not be a problem, but if loading at the upper end of the charge limit, this could have severe repercussions. Though one of the most expensive, my favorite beam scale is the RCBS 1010 but any medium priced Lyman, RCBS, Hornady or Redding will be reliable and give you years of worry free performance. For a measure, I like the Lyman 55 measure. A feature I particularly like on this model is the "thumper" on the powder chamber. This is a weight that you can flip with your finger while at the bottom of the drop cycle to "thump" the powder chamber to ensure that no bridging has occurred and the powder drop is complete. The RCBS Uniflow Measure or the Hornady Lock&Load Measure are also good choices, especially with the addition of the micrometer metering insert available for either.

Hoss

May 24th, 2007, 11:48 PM	#12
Shadowsbane Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 593	Cool, thank you very much, nice to attempt learning another self-sufficency skill. Now to talk the wife into letting me set this up in our livingroom/bedroom...hmm I will need chocolate.. __________________ Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men.

May 25th, 2007, 01:00 AM	#14
UtahRSO Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: near SLC, Utah Posts: 89	P95Carry & other responders, Good job in the advice for reloaders! I've been reloading for various calibers for about 40 years now, and I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestions mentioned. I started with the old Lee Loader in 6mm Rem., through a single stage press. Now I have a Lee turret press, and it has made reloading so much easier, being able to change dies for various operations and calibers within a very few seconds. Also, for me, a hand primer has been a great addition to my equipment. I've thought about a progressive system, which would be faster, but I'm just cautious enough I like to examine all the cases for correct priming, and then as a group in the loading tray before I seat the bullets, checking the powder level (and that there's powder in each one) with the old Mark 1 eyeball. __________________ "None who have always been free can understand the terrible fascinating power of the hope of freedom to those who are not free."

May 25th, 2007, 05:03 AM	#16
palmgopher Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: tennessee Posts: 500	i might have to go to my local range and try to get me some "used" brass from their bucket if they will let me....lol. kinda stock up you know. i am also starting to look at possibly reloading myself for my 45 and my .32 win spec which i have read they are going to start to phase out of production. so it will get expensive in the coming years. oh yeah any chance of making this a stickey! Last edited by palmgopher; May 25th, 2007 at 05:11 AM.

May 25th, 2007, 11:08 AM	#17
Miggy Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Miami-Dade, FL Posts: 4,545	And in case you want to know what happens when you double-charge.... Blowups __________________ You have to make the shot when fire is smoking, people are screaming, dogs are barking, kids are crying and sirens are coming. Randy Cain. GunFreeZone.net

May 25th, 2007, 12:31 PM	#18
P95Carry Assistant Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: South West PA Posts: 25,366	I put some kabooms on one of my sites - mostly scarfed from other places ....... Kabooms __________________ Chris - P95 NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member. "To own a gun and assume that you are armed is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!." If a BG dies as the result of pointing a gun at me, then he has merely succumbed to an occupational hazard of being a thug

May 25th, 2007, 12:35 AM	#13
aus71383 Distinguished Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,696	My wife wanted me to put mine in the living room because the garage is too far away. You might try that angle.

May 25th, 2007, 01:34 PM	#19
Sheldon J Distinguished Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Battle Creek, Mi. Posts: 1,686	Inspect all brass prior to reloading, clean brass is easer to spot flaws, toss anything questionable. __________________ "The sword dose not cause the murder, and the maker of the sword dose not bear sin" Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac 11th century

May 28th, 2007, 02:23 PM	#20
cvhoss Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 802	Reloading can be as much a hobby as the actual shooting. While there are a multitude of places to save money on reloading, two items that you should not compromise on are a scale and a powder measure. Without naming the brands, I've seen some inexpensive scales and measures be off as much as 3/10 of a grain on successive weighings of the same weight or throwing the same charge. If you're loading at the lower end of the range, this may not be a problem, but if loading at the upper end of the charge limit, this could have severe repercussions. Though one of the most expensive, my favorite beam scale is the RCBS 1010 but any medium priced Lyman, RCBS, Hornady or Redding will be reliable and give you years of worry free performance. For a measure, I like the Lyman 55 measure. A feature I particularly like on this model is the "thumper" on the powder chamber. This is a weight that you can flip with your finger while at the bottom of the drop cycle to "thump" the powder chamber to ensure that no bridging has occurred and the powder drop is complete. The RCBS Uniflow Measure or the Hornady Lock&Load Measure are also good choices, especially with the addition of the micrometer metering insert available for either. Hoss __________________ I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I always was Kahr PM-9 / Sig P-245 / Para NiteHawg / Walther PPK / Beretta Tomcat / Ruger LCP BDA 380 / Taurus 85 / Kel-Tec PF-9 / Am. Derringer 357 / Sig Sauer 239 SAS / Walther PPS .40 NRA Life Member My Web Site

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