Bidgee wrote:Dont think you're going to save money by reloading. By the time you get set properly you'll $1,500 to $2,000 deep. That's before consumables. It also takes a lot time.
If you target shoot, like getting max performance from your rifle, are into wildcats or just like making bullets then go for it. If you hunt with a 223 go buy factory ammo.
I started off many years ago with a RCBS partner press kit and have upgraded bits over the years.
Bidgee wrote:Dont think you're going to save money by reloading. By the time you get set properly you'll $1,500 to $2,000 deep. That's before consumables. It also takes a lot time.
If you target shoot, like getting max performance from your rifle, are into wildcats or just like making bullets then go for it. If you hunt with a 223 go buy factory ammo.
I started off many years ago with a RCBS partner press kit and have upgraded bits over the years.
Die Judicii wrote: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?
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.
b066y wrote:hahahah I took your advice, bought a lyman's reloading manual...it's certainly quite a snoozefest ain't it. Plus there's still no pistol powder available.
Kinda sad the state of affairs. Been reading up on a bunch of other stuff too. There's really quite a lot to learn.
niteowl wrote:The fact that you are in WA with extreme difficulty obtaining powder, it was a bit of a mistake buying the Lyman book. Get yourself an ADI manual as they have a section on pistol loads.
I generally agree with all said above, except I don't go the single stage press. Before everyone goes off, there is nothing wrong with them. A GOOD SOLID turret press is the way to go.
I started reloading some 60 years ago and I never look at saving money by reloading, it means that you can develop a suitable load for a job. More in the way of components rather than a "good load".
Yes I am really that old, unfortunately.
I could go into good and bad products but I should not rubbish Winchester, it would not be proper.
Oldbloke wrote:https://ssaa.org.au/stories/reloading-reload-the-centrefire-cartridge.html
Links and info here
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13453
https://www.rcbs.com/rcbs-downloadable-guide.html
bladeracer wrote:niteowl wrote:The fact that you are in WA with extreme difficulty obtaining powder, it was a bit of a mistake buying the Lyman book. Get yourself an ADI manual as they have a section on pistol loads.
I generally agree with all said above, except I don't go the single stage press. Before everyone goes off, there is nothing wrong with them. A GOOD SOLID turret press is the way to go.
I started reloading some 60 years ago and I never look at saving money by reloading, it means that you can develop a suitable load for a job. More in the way of components rather than a "good load".
Yes I am really that old, unfortunately.
I could go into good and bad products but I should not rubbish Winchester, it would not be proper.
I don't think you need worry about load data in books, all powder and bullet manufacturers have online load data nowadays I think.
I haven't found any need for a turret press, and regardless of its solidity, it does add a moment force to your ram stroke that an O-ring press does not have, not that it is likely to matter for most shooters. I think its better, especially for newbies, to focus on each individual part of the process and avoid trying to automate any of it. Prep all the cases you're loading, size them all, trim them all, prime them all, charge them all, seat bullets on all of them, crimp them all if you're crimping. This is basically how I still do all of my ammo.
Doing it this way you have a number of pieces you can compare with, any mistakes should stand out. Ten cases sitting upside down in the loading block makes it obvious if one is not primed or a primer is inverted. Looking into the tops of all of them with a torch it becomes obvious if you have missed a powder charge, or over-filled one, the powder levels should all be similar. Seating all the bullets together it should be obvious if one feels different, perhaps a 150gn SP mixed in with your 168gn SP's (the Speer Hotcore 145gn and 160gn once they're seated look identical, but you should notice the longer/shorter bullet during the ram stroke), or some .311" 150gn bullets mixed in with your .308" 150gn bullets will be a little harder to seat. Run your eye across the side view of the loaded rounds in the loading block and it should be obvious if one is too short or too long.
Running a single round through the press from start to finish means you have nothing to compare with during the journey except your memory.
niteowl wrote:Yep basically what I do. De-prime and neck size, clean the primer pocket and prime all the cases ( I do admit that I prime with a small single press) then load the powder and seat the projectile one at a time as you would with the single stage press. No errors that way either as only one case has powder at any time, and as you say you feel each one as you seat the projectile.
My thing is with the turret you can have a number of turrets with all the dies set up per cartridge, no changing them.
I am rather particular with consistency due to the fact that, while I do not target shoot I do shoot as a contractor. Besides I have been a qualified gunsmith in WA since 1968 and am therefore a bit fussy.
As mentioned before, I do not have a problem with peoples choices but I can offer alternatives.
Oldbloke wrote:Old thread.
b066y, what do you want to reload?
How many rounds?
And why?
Oldbloke wrote:Oldbloke wrote:https://ssaa.org.au/stories/reloading-reload-the-centrefire-cartridge.html
Links and info here
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13453
https://www.rcbs.com/rcbs-downloadable-guide.html
Did he bother to download and read the rcbs guide.
Far better than a 200 pge manual full of stuff that will just confuse a newby
b066y wrote:9mm for now. Shooting's a new hobby for me and I just want to get into every aspect of it. Just learning about reloading has already taught me so much. Like before, I thought a bullet was a bullet. I knew it had different jackets but I wasn't aware that it also had different weights (115, 124 etc). I used to think those numbers represented how many grains of powder it had! Never knew bullets affected accuracy that much either. Cool stuff.
How many rounds? Not many I would suppose? Enough to shoot 1500 every week? I'm not concerned about accuracy or cost savings at this point. Efficiency is more important. Rounds/min.
I've been reading up and watching youtube vids every chance I get and it seems, the ideal set up is a progressive press with case and bullet feeder plus an electronic powder check. Also carbide dies to eliminate the lubing phase. Does that sound about right?
Would you recommend wet or dry cleaning? I'm inclined to wet since I won't be cleaning them in an open area and dry is quite dusty? Do you absolutely need a dryer or is leaving them in the open for a few days enough?
Also, I've seen some people polish their brass in some kind of media. I'm assuming that's not a critical process? I don't really care how my brass looks.
Thanks everyone. Sorry if I'm not responding individually.
bladeracer wrote:Note Oldbloke's comment about components, there is no pistol powder available in Australia currently - none at all. Pistol primers are almost as scarce.
The best you can do is order a ton of 12ga. ammo and strip it down for the powder, but you can also cast your bullets from the shot. You'll still have to find primers somewhere.
Oldbloke wrote:Yep, my understanding is it's scarce as hens teeth.
How do you actually shoot that much ammo in a week? I know pistol shooters burn a lot but bloody he'll.
What about cost and time to do that?
Perhaps a typo ,,,150?
bladeracer wrote:b066y wrote:9mm for now. Shooting's a new hobby for me and I just want to get into every aspect of it. Just learning about reloading has already taught me so much. Like before, I thought a bullet was a bullet. I knew it had different jackets but I wasn't aware that it also had different weights (115, 124 etc). I used to think those numbers represented how many grains of powder it had! Never knew bullets affected accuracy that much either. Cool stuff.
How many rounds? Not many I would suppose? Enough to shoot 1500 every week? I'm not concerned about accuracy or cost savings at this point. Efficiency is more important. Rounds/min.
I've been reading up and watching youtube vids every chance I get and it seems, the ideal set up is a progressive press with case and bullet feeder plus an electronic powder check. Also carbide dies to eliminate the lubing phase. Does that sound about right?
Would you recommend wet or dry cleaning? I'm inclined to wet since I won't be cleaning them in an open area and dry is quite dusty? Do you absolutely need a dryer or is leaving them in the open for a few days enough?
Also, I've seen some people polish their brass in some kind of media. I'm assuming that's not a critical process? I don't really care how my brass looks.
Thanks everyone. Sorry if I'm not responding individually.
To shoot 1500rds every week you really will need to move fairly quickly into a progressive, maybe even an automated press. I don't shoot much pistol ammo but I could probably load about 200rds per hour on a single-stage press, from prep to finished. Rifle ammo is probably closer to half that. To load 1500rds of 9mm or .38 Special on a single-stage press is going to be pretty much a day's work, every week, for a few hours of shooting.
The cost of that much ammo is likely going to rapidly lead you into casting your own bullets as well, and probably powder-coating them. Even the cheapest jacketed bullets are going to be around fifty cents apiece ($750 per week - plus primers and powder), commercially-cast bullets will be around $100/400 or twenty-five cents apiece (still over $400 a week). Casting your own could be virtually free if you have a supply of free lead. For example, do a _lot_ of .22LR rifle practice at home and recover your bullets for casting free pistol bullets. If you have to buy your lead or alloy it's around $11/kg at the moment, or about $10/100 bullets. But you'll probably spend another day casting your bullets for the weekend of shooting.
The time outlay you'll be putting in every week for a few hours shooting you may want to consider just ordering bulk ammo from your dealer for the best price he can give you. He should be able to do a decent price on a 75,000rd order to cover your year of shooting.
I don't clean any of my brass, just look after it. Shoot them, deprime them, size them, trim them (only first prep with straight-wall brass), prime them, charge them, seat the bullets, crimp them (pistol ammo), go shooting.
When you're working up a load make sure you try the ammo in the firearm to be sure that it does cycle before you load up a thousand rounds that won't chamber. If you're going to use a progressive press I would also inspect every round at the end to ensure it is primed, and shake it by your ear to ensure it has powder in it.
b066y wrote:Apologies for the confusion. The general event is called WA1500 and it has 48 shot, 60 shot and 150 shot events. I shoot anywhere between 100-200 rounds a week.
Are we allowed to store 75000 rounds? I'd think the police would get quite concerned with such an order!
Cleaning the brass isn't mandatory?
bladeracer wrote:b066y wrote:Apologies for the confusion. The general event is called WA1500 and it has 48 shot, 60 shot and 150 shot events. I shoot anywhere between 100-200 rounds a week.
Are we allowed to store 75000 rounds? I'd think the police would get quite concerned with such an order!
Cleaning the brass isn't mandatory?
That makes more sense
No, no issue with ammo, you can own as much as you like. Only SA has a law that restricts you to "no more than you use in a year". I would be around that figure with everything combined - rimfire, shotshell and centrefire.
Up to you whether you want to clean brass. I prefer not to toss it around to get it dirty so it would need cleaning. IPSC tosses it around the range so it does tend to dirty it, and my 9mm brass got pretty filthy but it never got cleaned, I still have some of it more than thirty-years old and been loaded dozens of times.