b066y wrote:Hi all,
Was looking at reloading kits and the dillion 1050 with the autodrive seems really cool. Does anyone have any personal experience with that set up? How do the other kits compare?
bladeracer wrote:b066y wrote:Hi all,
Was looking at reloading kits and the dillion 1050 with the autodrive seems really cool. Does anyone have any personal experience with that set up? How do the other kits compare?
Is this your entry into reloading?
Unless you're churning out a ton of pistol ammo I'd stick with a single-stage press.
I prefer to maintain control over my loading through every stage.
bladeracer wrote:b066y wrote:Hi all,
Was looking at reloading kits and the dillion 1050 with the autodrive seems really cool. Does anyone have any personal experience with that set up? How do the other kits compare?
Is this your entry into reloading?
Unless you're churning out a ton of pistol ammo I'd stick with a single-stage press.
I prefer to maintain control over my loading through every stage.
on_one_wheel wrote:How about one of these... you'll never find the need to waste money upgrading.
https://youtu.be/H29XBwLFyLk
b066y wrote:It is my entry into reloading! I know absolutely nothing about ammo except there are different calibers. Just found out a few days ago about the differences between jackets. So yes, very much a newbie.
I figured an auto reloader would simplify the whole process. Pour the powder here, load the components there...press a button and presto! All done.
I take it that's not the way to go?
bladeracer wrote:b066y wrote:It is my entry into reloading! I know absolutely nothing about ammo except there are different calibers. Just found out a few days ago about the differences between jackets. So yes, very much a newbie.
I figured an auto reloader would simplify the whole process. Pour the powder here, load the components there...press a button and presto! All done.
I take it that's not the way to go?
In my opinion, no.
For somebody churning out a lot of ammo, thousands of rounds per week, you give up control for speed of processing. You can't see if the primers are properly seated, you can't see if the correct powder charge went into each case.
For those of us loading a few hundred rounds in a session every month or so it's better to keep your eye in every part of the process.
Prep all your brass when you get it, including sizing and trimming, and flaring if you're loading cast bullets. And confirm that the empty cases do fit your firearm's chamber.
Prime the brass you want to load and check that each case is properly primed. Up to this point these steps can be done beforehand, just store the primed brass ready for use. Doing it this way makes the actual loading of the ammo a quicker job than starting from scratch.
Drop powder charges in all the brass and confirm that all of them are filled with powder to about the same level. I prefer to measure each charge individually, but if I'm doing a lot of milsurp ammo I'll use the Lee powder thrower. You want to avoid making ammo that needs the powder to be measured to less than a few tenths of a grain, try to load within a wider window.
Seat a bullet in a charged case to the overall length you want and try it to confirm it fits in your magazine and feeds through the firearm okay.
Seat all the bullets in the charged cases. Confirm all cartridges are about the same overall length.
Crimp the bullets if they need it - for cast bullets, semi-autos, and tube magazines generally.
If you're loading different ammo, mark what charge is in each case with a marker on the side of the case.
Go shooting.
b066y wrote:Thanks buddy. I'll try your approach first. Soon as I can get my hands on the powder and stuff. Are there any brands you can recommend or I should avoid?
b066y wrote:bladeracer wrote:b066y wrote:Hi all,
Was looking at reloading kits and the dillion 1050 with the autodrive seems really cool. Does anyone have any personal experience with that set up? How do the other kits compare?
Is this your entry into reloading?
Unless you're churning out a ton of pistol ammo I'd stick with a single-stage press.
I prefer to maintain control over my loading through every stage.
It is my entry into reloading! I know absolutely nothing about ammo except there are different calibers. Just found out a few days ago about the differences between jackets. So yes, very much a newbie.
I figured an auto reloader would simplify the whole process. Pour the powder here, load the components there...press a button and presto! All done.
I take it that's not the way to go?
JimTom wrote:Mate unless you’re a mad pistol shooter and need to load it quick, maybe consider a good single stage. That’s all I have used for years mate, loads good ammo, just not as quick as a progressive.
Die Judicii wrote:
Yeah Mate,,, all the pre replies here are "good" advice.
As a shooter for MANY years,,,,, (and to this date, never reloaded) I'd suggest trying what I did.
I bought a Reloading Book (well known and quality),,,,,,,,,, read it,,,,,,,, then decided reloading was not for me.
wanneroo wrote:Years ago I thought reloading was some mystery science practiced by retired old timers sitting around listening to talk radio all day with their coffee.
How naive I was.
In the end it's not that complicated for regular cartridges and quite enjoyable to make your own stuff and develop some level of self sufficiency plus save money and get better accuracy.
If you want to try it out you can always start bare bones cheap with a Lee Loader or a Lee Hand Press. I started with a $30 Lee Hand Press, a $20 Lee powder measure, 9mm dies, a $20 digital scale, calipers and a few other bits.