shibiwan Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 (edited) Thinking about doing my own reloads to save some cash on ammo. Looking at a progressive (Hornady AP or RCBS 2000) plus dies, but beyond that, I don't know much else of what's needed. Any advice for starting out? ...trying to figure out if it's worth my while to reload... -S Edited November 12, 2013 by shibiwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripledeuce Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 You won't save any money, you will just get to shoot a lot more! Start with a single stage press, like the RCBS Rockchucker. Its much easyer to learn the basics with. You can get a complete kit, with a scale, powder measure and reloading book. I'v got 3 progressive presses on the bench, but my "good" ammo is loaded on a rockchucker i bought almost 50 years ago, Respectfully Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbasks Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 There is no question. Yes. Reload. If making bulk ammo its not gonna save you much but if making match ammo it is much cheaper. Ive been using my hornady lock n load kit for a year and love it. Takes time to recoup the initial cost but not too long you can tune loads to your firearm. I wish i had progressive for my pistol loads bc of the quantity i pump out but am very happy with what i have and it allows me to shoot every weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibiwan Posted November 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 Thanks for the input.... Shooting more is definitely a plus, and the primary reason I'm considering reloads is because match ammo is starting to get expensive and hard to come by (I almost always use 175gr HPBT ammo, FGMM is my fav thus far). The other plus is getting some consistency since I do see a little variance between brands. I already have a few vibratory tumblers, polishing media at my engineering shop so that's one less thing I gotta get. I'm leaning towards a progressive primarily for speed, and I figure that I only need to "buy once, cry once." Equipment I think I need - press (progressive? turret? single stage?) - dies - scale - bullets, primers, powder What else is needed? Chronograph really necessary? My other option is picking up bulk Federal-Lake City XM118LR ammo... maybe I'm better off going this way instead....hmmmm -S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissyJim Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 (edited) I too am gearing up to reload... mostly due to a .300blackout SBR in the works. That, and insane prices on ammo up here in AK since we cannot take advantage of the cheaper online stuff (shipping KILLS it) Just got a Rockchucker kit, dies, Super Swager, and actually found some powder locally. I've been buying and saving brass for some time... I probably have close to 10k in all the different calibers combined in my shed ready to go. All I need is a few bullets and a buddy is gonna walk me thru it. That in itself will be a challange - he's a bolt gun fanatic for accuaracy, and thinks my love of semi's is misplaced LOL. I told him I just want bulk ammo that will hit a steel target at distance, I could care less if every round went thru the same hole or not. You should have seen the look on his face! HAHA! Edited November 12, 2013 by SwissyJim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Armory Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 Got to agree with Terry, get a single stage press. Learn the craft find out what you like , find out your gun can handle. Then after you have a grasp of what is going on upgrade to a progressive press. The progressive press is great of cranking out ammo fast, ...But, you will find that once its is set for one caliber you will NOT want to change it ! I load 90% of my ammo on single stage presses. It is fast and accurate. The only caliber I load on the progressive press in 40s&w. First and most important...NO distractions. Second prep your Brass. Third research , document and take notes. Use multiple loading manuals. Follow their guidelines. Fourth...Take your time. Get a routine of the steps involved for your process. Change them when nessary. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Fifth...When you are pushing the boundries of hot loads be careful...Temp, pressure, change of powders or primers will change the playing field. You don't want to be that guy ! Whose rifle blew up in his face. Read the old posts in this section there is a lot of info to be had. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 I have a friend that has been reloading 60 or so years, who can crank out match-grade rifle ammo on a single-stage press almost as fast as people crank out "plinking" ammo on an auto press. Start single-stage. And YES you should be reloading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripledeuce Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 One other thing! AR's are hard to judge pressure signs from looking at the brass! Much more so than other guns. Bolt , etc. Go with published loads, and be VERY careful when approaching max loads! Respectfully Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibiwan Posted November 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 I have no desire to kill/disfigure myself with a dangerous load... I'll stick to the books! Looks like the best deal on the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme kit is at Sportsman's... guess this week's ammo budget is going there instead. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbasks Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 One other thing! AR's are hard to judge pressure signs from looking at the brass! Much more so than other guns. Bolt , etc. Go with published loads, and be VERY careful when approaching max loads! Respectfully Terry Fahhk it! Fill dat bitsh! Lol jk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washguy Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 Me too Ive been researching...since I loaded thousands of shotshells using a mec 9000 ...im going to get a progressive the Hrn loknload ap is the way to go for me ...Dillon ala cartes you on every expensive stinkin piece...okay Hornaday does too....lol :auto: Wash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mineralman55 Posted November 12, 2013 Report Share Posted November 12, 2013 (edited) Get a Dillon BL550. It's a manual progressive. No silly Rube Goldberg linkages, just a solid press. You can load anything short of a 50BMG. I have the RCBS equivalent, it's the only press I've ever owned and it's still going strong after 25+ years. Progressive beats single stage every time. Let the flames begin. Edited November 13, 2013 by mineralman55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 A word on Dillon. A dude I know bought one at a yard sale, with the full disclosure that it didn't work because it needed a broken part replaced. He called Dillon to order the part, explained how it came into his possession, and what he needed. The Dillon rep asked for his address, which he gave. He was then told that Dillon no longer made that exact press nor offered support for that model any more, so they would be shipping him a new press. Despite many objections that he got a used press for $20, the rep said "That is our customer service policy, so you get a replacement press." Above and beyond right there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justintoxicated Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 I would get the hornady too, unless your going to get a 550 for each caliber you want to load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibiwan Posted November 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 OK now I'm back to being unable to decide... lol Progressive or Single? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washguy Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 OK now I'm back to being unable to decide... lol Progressive or Single? Geeez Shibi you own.program.and run cnc machines... progressive would be my guess...you get to dial it in,and tinker with it if you so choose....do you really wanna do one operation at a time?....lol.....if you are anal enough maybe so :binkybaby:....lol okay you single stage boyz flame me >:D Wash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibiwan Posted November 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) Geeez Shibi you own.program.and run cnc machines... progressive would be my guess...you get to dial it in,and tinker with it if you so choose....do you really wanna do one operation at a time?....lol.....if you are anal enough maybe so :binkybaby:....lol okay you single stage boyz flame me >:D Wash Haha true. The more complicated it is, the better! That's how I roll yo! Edited November 13, 2013 by shibiwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbasks Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 Good first press. http://www.camdexloader.com/RapidAutoLoader.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) I always recommend a single stage press for beginners mostly because you have to do one stage of the reloading operation at a time . It lets you study the operation & components more closely because you have your hands on them more ,where as a progressive , they some times get out of sight in different operations . For a seasoned reloader that is not much of a problem because you have a feel for it , when things don't feel right & stop to inspect . And yes things go wrong more on progressives because more is happening at on stroke of the lever. Another thing is initial cost , the single stage system will be less to get started with , then if you don't care for reloading ( yes it happens ) your not out that much to begin with. I drank the kool aid & Dillon is what I would recommend for a progressive press & the RL 550B is a manual progressive & can be used as a single stage if you want to start out like that. Don't let any one tell you that you can't put out quality ammo with a progressive press. Attention to detail & quality components , are the keys to produce great shooting ammo . Edited November 13, 2013 by survivalshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) I would get the hornady too, unless your going to get a 550 for each caliber you want to load. The Dillon RL 550B is convertible & has conversions for just about any caliber you want & is quit easy to change them . Dillon does have machines that are caliber specific , but just in pistol calibers , if memory serves me . The Square deal "B" is pistol caliber specific , had to look it up . Edited November 13, 2013 by survivalshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 /\ /\ What SS said…on the Dillon website talks about seconds to convert from .30-06 to .22-250 or .243, just by switching the toolhead. Auto presses can allow you to make LOTS of fouled up cartridges before you catch what's wrong. It is one reason every press maker sells one of these: http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/23998/catid/3/Berry__039_s__Kinetic_Bullet_Puller Once I had to unload 92 rounds of 9x19mm, due to not catching a powder drop malfunction. Subtract that time from from how many you cranked out per hour, then add it to the time needed to fix the mistake and re-reload the ammo. One shop I worked in relied on QC shop to determine if initial parts were good or not. More than once I'd seen people crank out ten$ of thou$and$ of $$$$ in parts that were out of spec, because QC said "Go!" What happened in my situation (aside from not listening to people with more reloading experience): came up with a great Red Dot powder load on the single stage. Everyone (including reloading manuals) warned that large flake powders don't do well on auto presses when doing small powder charges, as the powder tends to get hung up on the small hole in the powder measure. After running 10 rounds or so very slowly on the auto press, it all looked great, powder dropping as should be. The issue was that in running the rounds through one at a time to make sure that the powder dropped, jostled the powder measure just enough MORE to get the stuck powder to drop. When running full-speed, the Red Dot would possibly drop all the way and possibly not. After getting a few flattened primers, took the rest of the rounds home and unloaded them, weighing each powder load. There was a variance of 2 grains in powder load weight from low load to high load. Auto presses have their place and are great. But the learning curve for reloading is long and steep and you will be far better served with either a single stage or a manual progressive. Lately I've been focusing 100% on consistency of powder load, charging each case manually. Just this one step increases the probability of long range shooting hits immensely! While going the bench rest shooter route to quality control may not be necessary, if you are looking to produce clover leaf groups out of your rifle, slow and steady wins the race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Armory Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 I drank the kool aid & Dillon is what I would recommend for a progressive press & the RL 550B is a manual progressive & can be used as a single stage if you want to start out like that. Don't let any one tell you that you can't put out quality ammo with a progressive press. Attention to detail & quality components , are the keys to produce great shooting ammo . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washguy Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 Shibi Hornaday has a mail in rebate for 500 bullets when you buy a press and 100 bullets for other things you will need....it also has quick change bushings for the tool head..so once he dies are set up you can switch calibers with a shell plate and die switch....there is a Bill Morgan on you tube...he has got several how to videos of the lock n load press... im gonna get one of these...Graff and Son has the best pricing and free shipping...they also have excellent knowledge on reloading...used them back in the 90's for my Mecgrabber progressive shotshell loader...if you can chew gum and walk at the same time you can run a progressive press...or in your case if you can run a Haas and chew gum you can do it..lol :) Wash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mineralman55 Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) Don't let any one tell you that you can't put out quality ammo with a progressive press. Attention to detail & quality components , are the keys to produce great shooting ammo . That last sentence is the key. You can make crappy ammo with a single stage just as easily as you can with a progressive... just not as fast. I'll load anywhere from 150-200 rounds/hour of rifle caliber, not going fast, checking COAL every 5 or 10 rounds, powder throw weight every 20 or so rounds, and using a case gauge regularly to ensure your rounds are going to fit. With a manual progressive it's easy to stop at any time and check all the stations if something doesn't feel right. It's not difficult and I don't break a sweat this way. Now, this does not include the time for case prep. That's a whole 'nother story. In addition to the press (get the Dillon :)) ) get a case gauge for each caliber you load. Take your time and you'll put out great ammo. Edited November 13, 2013 by mineralman55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibiwan Posted November 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) :eek13: hmmm...decisions decisions.. LOL. The Hornady coupon for free bullets was what got me looking in the first place. :D Speaking of f*ing stuff up, I know the feeling. I got machine operators (who no longer work for me) running stuff and not paying attention to the parts coming out so one small thing escalates to a buttload of out-of-spec parts plus broken tools, broken machines....one guy on the night shift even made himself comfortable and slept almost all night. Too bad he didn't notice the cameras in the office. >:D Edited November 13, 2013 by shibiwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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