My New Reloading Setup!!

[OFace12]

Wow, just looked on MidwayUSA to look into getting some powder for when I'm ready to try loading, and they want $25 HazMat fee plus $10 S&H for the powder. Are all websites like that?

If so, is there a good place in Gwinnett/Hall county to buy powder locally and avoid that HazMat fee?

 

[Outsydlooknin]

YES there is a hazmat fee when you order powder or primers, its a hazardous material.

Buying locally its about the same as ordering cause they are going to charge you more.

 

[jsquared]

YES there is a hazmat fee when you order powder or primers, its a hazardous material.

Buying locally its about the same as ordering cause they are going to charge you more.

Not all of the time. Stomach the $8 to go to a gun show and you can get most all components for the same price as you'd pay online, maybe a few dollars less or a few dollars more. I paid $33 for a box of CCI #34 primers this past weekend, and $23 I think for a pound of Titegroup. A pound of Varget was $21. Factor in tax and you're still under the $35 hazmat fee/shipping for shopping online.

 

[OFace12]

I also have read that Win231 is a good starter powder to load 9mm since it is a slower burning powder. Any other suggestions? I'll be loading behind a 124gr Hornady bullet

 

[AR556]

X2 on jsaquared's advise. Gun shows are a great place to get reloading supplies.

 

[Outsydlooknin]

Not all of the time. Stomach the $8 to go to a gun show and you can get most all components for the same price as you'd pay online, maybe a few dollars less or a few dollars more. I paid $33 for a box of CCI #34 primers this past weekend, and $23 I think for a pound of Titegroup. A pound of Varget was $21. Factor in tax and you're still under the $35 hazmat fee/shipping for shopping online.

Powdervalley.......... 14.40 for a pound of TG, Varget 19.75, Primers 33. 67.15 plus 25 hazmat. 92.15 total.

Gun show .... 89.62

Difference of 2.53 ... thats less than a gallon of gas. Most times you cant drive to and from a gun show for less than one gallon of gas. I find its easier and more convienent to have it delivered to me and not have to leave the house.

BUT here is the thing when reloading, it does NOT pay to buy in the smallest quantities available. Granted when working up a load or playing with different things its nice to only buy a small amount, but once you have a load set ... buy in bulk.

I paid 25 bucks for 12 ounces of Solo1000 because I wanted to try it out. I have found a nice load using it so now I am going to buy an 8 pound jug. The jug is 112 bucks from PVI, or 140 from a place in Hoschton.

 

[jsquared]

True, it will probably come out pretty close in either case, and with the entry fee you're probably not going to save much. I chalk the $8 up to a "looking around" fee and it makes me feel a little bit better I like buying stuff locally if I can too, not that the vendors at shows are always local boys, I just enjoy shopping for things in person and going home with it that day. But like you said, buying in bulk is always going to save you money. Im still a n00b at reloading so buying 8 lbs of anything is out of the question right now haha.

 

[OFace12]

Finally got everything set up and mounted tonight and ran my first round through the press (no powder or primer) just to go through the steps outlined in the manual.

I took a look at the bullets that I got in 9mm, as I would like to use them, and they are Hornady #3556 124gr FMJ/FP, but I can not seem to find any information on loads for this bullet. I will be getting some W231 powder to load my 9mm with, but I can't find any load data on that bullet. Does anyone know of another good place to look? I can't find anything in Lyman's reloading manual about a 124gr flat, only a 125gr hollow point, (will they work the same?). Thanks for the help!

I'm excited to start getting into this, the first round I put through was seating really low, but I adjusted the die, and it is coming out right around 1.075~.

 

[OFace12]

So I went digging through the internets last night and this morning, and found some data supporting a OAL of 1.1 with the Hornady 124gr FMJ FP. Now just to find some info on powder charges... I'm going to pick up a Hornady manual this week.

 

[Outsydlooknin]

Whatever you do dont take someones load as a gospel ....

Always work up .... to what is safe in YOUR gun.

And just cause someone says their load is 3.2grains of whatever, their scales may be off, so their 3.2 is actually 3.0, or 3.4 you never know.

MY 124 load with a Berrys plated was 4.0 grains of titegroup with a COAL of 1.115. That gave me a speed of around 1050 fps.