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Reloading set up

07JKX

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The Hen that laid the Golden Legos
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Still looking to get into this especially for reloading .45

What can I look to spend for a basic kit. Recommendation on equipment? I have read up on a few cheap ways to clean brass so I do not know if I must have a tumbler.

Basically, i doubt I will have the cash to simply buy everything so I was thinking about trading a gun for equipment. Just wanted an idea of the approxiamte value gun I would need to trade for a ready to go kit.

I saw this one... opinions?

http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=0fKmTduBF9L7tgfw-qiFAQ&ved=0CCoQ8wIwAA#


if I got that kit or a similar one, I would still need dies for 45, powder, primers, bullets and of course cases. Is that it?

Is a kit the way to go? I see a lot of yall have mix n match pieces for each component.
 
that looks like a decent setup. the only thing I would change if I could would be to get a beam type scale vs the electronic scale. I guess I'm old school but I like having the beam scale to check the charges you are throwing with the rotary charger.

and yes, you would need dies, bullets, powder, primers, cases and bullets. you might be able to find cases that are already tumbled so you would be set as far as not needing a tumbler yet. just look around you can find the other stuff used sometimes...
 
If you need cases and cannot locate used ones, then you're nearly as well off to buy factory ammo until you pick up enough of them to load. Casings are more expensive than any other part of the load.
 
i have the cases... I have been collecting for about a year now. Several hundred 45, a couple hundred 9mm, 270, 3006, 7.7 jap, 38 spc, 357 mag, 5.7, 357 sig. etc.

Most of those calibers I dont own... but it was shiney on the ground so i picked it up. lol

some are tarnished and all need a good cleaning. A tumbler may be worth the investment regardless.
 
If you're starting with a pistol caliber, I recommend this instead:

Lee Classic Turret kit

Add Lee's 4 die 45acp die set, and a reloading manual. Down the road, as funds allow, you might want to upgrade the Lee scale, but it's not essential, as the scale is used to occassionally confirm the volume loads being thrown by the powder dispenser.

The Hornady kit you refer to is excellent, but would be a more appropriate choice for primarily loading rifle cartridges (which the Lee kit will do, also). The Lee's big advantages are faster production rate, and fasert changes between setups for different cartridges. It's an excellent press.
 
Second SpeedyR, I usually use an electronic scale...but a beam scale for back up is awefully nice. Definately check your charges through your rotary charger, your technique for "throwing" the handle can vary the charge by quite a bit & in a pistol charge +- .3-.5 gr is a lot when your talking a 4.0 gr charge. (assuming lets say bullseye in a light .45 load) You'll need / want a caliper or case length gauge to check for stretched cases. Long cases tend to not chamber. Till you get a case trimmer just set them aside.

Here is the inexpensive way to go for case trimming at first...
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lee-...=case+length&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products

Here is an easy way to go for case length...
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lyma...length+gauge&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products

Eventually you'll want a tumbler & walnut shell and corncob media for cleaning.

Only other advise I'll pass on that I was told when I started....Start with one case, get it right, then try another.
 
A word of encouragement on reloading .45acp...I'm at .19 cents per round not even buying in bulk.

Berry 230g FMJ bullets (250 count package), CCI primers (1000 count package), Bullseye powder (1 pound package), and my own used brass (read: free as far as reloading costs go)

I was at .17 cents a round for 9mm till I bought my 9mm bullets by the 1000. That should bring me down to about 15.5 cents per round with no special deals or sales. Hopefully I can bring the cost down a few more cents per round with the .45 bullets by buying bullets in larger quantities.
 
If you're starting with a pistol caliber, I recommend this instead:

Lee Classic Turret kit

Add Lee's 4 die 45acp die set, and a reloading manual. Down the road, as funds allow, you might want to upgrade the Lee scale, but it's not essential, as the scale is used to occassionally confirm the volume loads being thrown by the powder dispenser.

The Hornady kit you refer to is excellent, but would be a more appropriate choice for primarily loading rifle cartridges (which the Lee kit will do, also). The Lee's big advantages are faster production rate, and fasert changes between setups for different cartridges. It's an excellent press.

Agree x2 ^^^, Also read a few other Threads here in the Reloaders Forum. Lots of GREAT advice on Supplies, How to's, what if's etc. A little Reading goes a long way.
 
If you're starting with a pistol caliber, I recommend this instead:

Lee Classic Turret kit

Add Lee's 4 die 45acp die set, and a reloading manual. Down the road, as funds allow, you might want to upgrade the Lee scale, but it's not essential, as the scale is used to occassionally confirm the volume loads being thrown by the powder dispenser.

The Hornady kit you refer to is excellent, but would be a more appropriate choice for primarily loading rifle cartridges (which the Lee kit will do, also). The Lee's big advantages are faster production rate, and fasert changes between setups for different cartridges. It's an excellent press.

Thanks for that... and its cheaper. So if I sold a $400.00 pistol... do you think I could get myself up and running, as far as bullets, powder, primers and the kit? Its kinda tight now and in this case I know i have to spend money to ultimately save it... but I do have the cash to just buy all the materials outright.

A word of encouragement on reloading .45acp...I'm at .19 cents per round not even buying in bulk.

Berry 230g FMJ bullets (250 count package), CCI primers (1000 count package), Bullseye powder (1 pound package), and my own used brass (read: free as far as reloading costs go)

I was at .17 cents a round for 9mm till I bought my 9mm bullets by the 1000. That should bring me down to about 15.5 cents per round with no special deals or sales. Hopefully I can bring the cost down a few more cents per round with the .45 bullets by buying bullets in larger quantities.

nice on the .45 savings... essentially half of the cost of factory wwb. any bullet recommendations for target load... standard lead rounds? or do you mold your own?
 
Haven't gotten around to molding my own bullets yet so typically I just stick with FMJ Berry's Bullets. More because that is what I have locally available to me, not because I have an opinion nor experience either way. I'm still fairly new to reloading too.

I've found that getting the right charge of powder and crimp seem to effect accuracy quite a bit. I haven't done any accuracy tests with .45acp yet, but my first 9mm loads were tested for accuracy over in the gun reviews section for my daughter's 1911 9mm we just got her. That might give you a comparison between factory ammo & even first time out reloads. http://www.theoutdoorstrader.com/showthread.php?40472-Taurus-1911-SS-in-9mm

I'm not real far away, if you want to get together maybe I can show you how I go through reloading .45 just to give you an over all comfort about doing it. I had another reloader help me with my first .308 rounds. Then I went from...hummm I'm not to sure about this to...yea I can do this, I just need to be careful. Now even my children help out after the dies are set up. Granted the only powder loads I allow them to do are ones that don't allow double loads, and always with me watching.
 
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