Need some Help

ECHOONE · October 29th, 2009, 10:14 AM

Hey Guy's, I know how stupid this is going to sound to you all,but I'm totally New to reloading and am about to embark on buying equipment to start.
I'd love to buy the best at first and be done with it but being disabled and living on a fixed income I have to work with what I can afford so I have to go with the Lee Challenger Breech lock single stage Anniv. Kit.
I plan on just reloading for my 9mm and .45 till I have a grasp on things,I already purchased a Speer Reloading Manual and a Kobalt manual/digital display stainless steel caliper. I know the Lee kit comes with everything I need except for the dies, but it doesn't really state what dies I actually need? DO I need the entire set of dies for each caliber I plan to reload right off the bat? or are there certain ones I need and others I can purchase as funding allows to make process easier?
Thanks for helping with my first obvious laughable question for you guys,I can only imagine the chuckles,but we all start somewhere.Looking forward to this new hobby,As I started thumbing thru this reloading manual it made me realize how interesting and fun this could actually become.I look forward to getting to know you all better and hopefully will have a little bit better of a question next time!OK chuckles over now,what dies do I need here so I can order this........Thanks again

Jeff F · October 29th, 2009, 10:32 AM

Nothing stupid about the question. Reloading can be confusing, sometimes, even after 30 years of doing it you can still find things to leave you scratching you head. When you buy a die "set" it will have the dies to reload a given cartridge. The only thing that you may want to look at is the type of crimp die your getting with that set. If it's a 3 die pistol set than the seating die will have a roll crimp. If it's a four die set than usually it will have a taper crimp die as a seperate die. The taper crimp for pistols is in my "opinion" (worth what your paying for it, my opinion that is) the only way to go on pistol cartridges for semi autos. You will also see carbide sizer dies in some sets, these are a worthwhile investmnet but not absolutely neccessary. Since you are using a single stage press lubing cases prior to sizing is not that hard of a added step.

coffeecup · October 29th, 2009, 10:33 AM

You will need at least a 3 die set for each caliber. Might also consider a 4th die called a "factory crimp" die. It really isnt a MUST but will help out over the long run. The 2 most important items you will need are scales and a good reloading manual!!!!!! Read the manual several times and USE the scales!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CopperKnight · October 29th, 2009, 12:08 PM

Each die in the set does a different, necessary step in reloading the round, so you do have to buy the whole set. The carbide sizer is worth the extra money to avoid having to lube the cases (keep them from sticking in the die).

alnitak · October 29th, 2009, 01:05 PM

Just do yourself a favor and get the Lee Carbide, four-die set for about $30. Carbide is a must for straight-walled cartridges (like the .45 and 9mm) as no lube is required. The Lee Factory Crimp Die (FCD) is a joy to use for all kinds of bullets (including Berry's plated) and avoids many of the problems encountered with a roll die (like making sure the case lengths are the same, buckling cases by too much crimp, etc.).

BTW, you can normally find die sets on ebay or other gun classified sites for less than $30. Also check out Midway, etc. for their sales.

pollardjd · October 29th, 2009, 04:31 PM

Ditto on the comments on the Lee Factory Crimp die. For pistol ammo, it is the best there is, because it resizes the whole case after you've stuffed a bullet into it. If you intend to load in high volumes, you might consider the Lee turret press, which processes four cases at a time, making quick work of loading a lot of ammo (there is a cute video of this press in action on the training section of Lee's web site). Loading pistol ammo on a single-stage press can be frustratingly long, though I do my share of it. One nice thing about Lee pistol dies is that you can add the Auto-Disk powder measure to the top of the expander die and cut out one step on the single-stage process, but expanding and powder-charging at the same time.

October 29th, 2009, 10:14 AM	#1
ECHOONE Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: FL Posts: 91	Need some Help Hey Guy's, I know how stupid this is going to sound to you all,but I'm totally New to reloading and am about to embark on buying equipment to start. I'd love to buy the best at first and be done with it but being disabled and living on a fixed income I have to work with what I can afford so I have to go with the Lee Challenger Breech lock single stage Anniv. Kit. I plan on just reloading for my 9mm and .45 till I have a grasp on things,I already purchased a Speer Reloading Manual and a Kobalt manual/digital display stainless steel caliper. I know the Lee kit comes with everything I need except for the dies, but it doesn't really state what dies I actually need? DO I need the entire set of dies for each caliber I plan to reload right off the bat? or are there certain ones I need and others I can purchase as funding allows to make process easier? Thanks for helping with my first obvious laughable question for you guys,I can only imagine the chuckles,but we all start somewhere.Looking forward to this new hobby,As I started thumbing thru this reloading manual it made me realize how interesting and fun this could actually become.I look forward to getting to know you all better and hopefully will have a little bit better of a question next time!OK chuckles over now,what dies do I need here so I can order this........Thanks again

October 29th, 2009, 10:32 AM	#2
Jeff F Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Central Wyoming Posts: 291	Nothing stupid about the question. Reloading can be confusing, sometimes, even after 30 years of doing it you can still find things to leave you scratching you head. When you buy a die "set" it will have the dies to reload a given cartridge. The only thing that you may want to look at is the type of crimp die your getting with that set. If it's a 3 die pistol set than the seating die will have a roll crimp. If it's a four die set than usually it will have a taper crimp die as a seperate die. The taper crimp for pistols is in my "opinion" (worth what your paying for it, my opinion that is) the only way to go on pistol cartridges for semi autos. You will also see carbide sizer dies in some sets, these are a worthwhile investmnet but not absolutely neccessary. Since you are using a single stage press lubing cases prior to sizing is not that hard of a added step. __________________ "Those who would give up essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" -Benjamin Franklin- __________________________________ NRA Endowment Life Member

October 29th, 2009, 12:08 PM	#4
CopperKnight Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Spokane area, WA Posts: 6,143	Each die in the set does a different, necessary step in reloading the round, so you do have to buy the whole set. The carbide sizer is worth the extra money to avoid having to lube the cases (keep them from sticking in the die). __________________ eschew obfuscation The only thing that stops bad guys with guns is good guys with guns. SgtD

October 29th, 2009, 04:31 PM	#6
pollardjd Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 15	Ditto on the comments on the Lee Factory Crimp die. For pistol ammo, it is the best there is, because it resizes the whole case after you've stuffed a bullet into it. If you intend to load in high volumes, you might consider the Lee turret press, which processes four cases at a time, making quick work of loading a lot of ammo (there is a cute video of this press in action on the training section of Lee's web site). Loading pistol ammo on a single-stage press can be frustratingly long, though I do my share of it. One nice thing about Lee pistol dies is that you can add the Auto-Disk powder measure to the top of the expander die and cut out one step on the single-stage process, but expanding and powder-charging at the same time. Last edited by pollardjd; October 29th, 2009 at 04:32 PM.. Reason: Corrected for typos.

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October 29th, 2009, 10:33 AM	#3
coffeecup Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cadiz,Ky Posts: 780	You will need at least a 3 die set for each caliber. Might also consider a 4th die called a "factory crimp" die. It really isnt a MUST but will help out over the long run. The 2 most important items you will need are scales and a good reloading manual!!!!!! Read the manual several times and USE the scales!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 29th, 2009, 01:05 PM	#5
alnitak Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 258	Just do yourself a favor and get the Lee Carbide, four-die set for about $30. Carbide is a must for straight-walled cartridges (like the .45 and 9mm) as no lube is required. The Lee Factory Crimp Die (FCD) is a joy to use for all kinds of bullets (including Berry's plated) and avoids many of the problems encountered with a roll die (like making sure the case lengths are the same, buckling cases by too much crimp, etc.). BTW, you can normally find die sets on ebay or other gun classified sites for less than $30. Also check out Midway, etc. for their sales.