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Reloading for Greenhorns...


Matt.Cross

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Natchez is a good outfit to deal with...Mid South Shooters supply, MidwayUSA are 2 I deal with most...compare prices and availability.....sometimes one is few dollars more but if it's in stock they get my bizz ...don't forget shipping $$$$$..There's 7000 grains in a pound. Pick your powder and charge weight, do the math... Thinking I got around 140-145 rounds per pound using BLC-2..buy an 8 pounded if your loading quantity...happy lever pulling ;D

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I kinda used my Dillon for a single stage press for the small loadings of test ammo for my 300BLK .

I already sized,trimed ,primered & hand weighed the powder charge & used the Dillon to seat the bullets

LH1745.jpg

Whats good about a progressive press is , every pull of the handle is a loaded round & with the Dillon 550B , you have to manually rotate the shell plate for the next round to be seated . What is the advantage of this is you can make bullet seating adj. with out the shell plate indexing .

I only have the 300BLK seasting die , no powder charger , sizing die or any crimping die.

Loading rifle ammo requires special processes unlike a hand gun cartridge . I can't remember when I ever had to trim a pistol case .

LH1744.jpg

There is also nothing wrong with it auto indexing  system ether , you just have to move the case for every adj. ,but once the bullet is seated where you want it , its just add a bullet & case & pull the handle down & do it all again.

LH1747.jpg

Midsouth seems to me to have better prices on bullets . I just ordered a bunch from them .

If you want Milspec bullets try Wideners , they sell bullets & milspec powder in bulk .

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The most important is to have good reloading manuals and use them. Most seasoned reloaders have dozens. Always verify load data with at least two known good sources. Never trust unknown reloads or components. Never trust an opened powder container. I have two scales and often double check loads on both to verify I didn't set the scale wrong. I highly recommend using the loading block method when beginning, that way you can visually inspect the powder level before seating bullets. I buy a lot from Midway, I've also used Midsouth and Natchez. Probably best to buy components from the big box stores to start out . If you can buy powder locally you're usually better off as the Haz-mat fee is pretty steep for a couple pounds of powder. Be careful with primers, they are more powerful than their size would indicate. I would always wear eye protection while reloading. No smoking, no drinking, clean up powder spills immediately. If you want to see something impressive, dump a pound of powder on the ground in a safe area and set it off. Don't squat over it with a book of matches either, give yourself a good 10 ft of clearance. Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading. Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading. Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading. Y'up that's what I said, Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading.

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The most important is to have good reloading manuals and use them. Most seasoned reloaders have dozens. Always verify load data with at least two known good sources. Never trust unknown reloads or components. Never trust an opened powder container. I have two scales and often double check loads on both to verify I didn't set the scale wrong. I highly recommend using the loading block method when beginning, that way you can visually inspect the powder level before seating bullets. I buy a lot from Midway, I've also used Midsouth and Natchez. Probably best to buy components from the big box stores to start out . If you can buy powder locally you're usually better off as the Haz-mat fee is pretty steep for a couple pounds of powder. Be careful with primers, they are more powerful than their size would indicate. I would always wear eye protection while reloading. No smoking, no drinking, clean up powder spills immediately. If you want to see something impressive, dump a pound of powder on the ground in a safe area and set it off. Don't squat over it with a book of matches either, give yourself a good 10 ft of clearance. Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading. Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading. Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading. Y'up that's what I said, Don't allow yourself to be distracted while loading.

Damn looks like Im out.......LOL J/K I think I can handle all that. The destaction part will be the hardest as my 4 yr old will want to be right under me!

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My boy used to sit on my lap at the loading bench. I just limited myself to simple tasks, like decapping cases before tumbling, or running bullets through the sizer. You can even recap cases, but when it comes to actually assembling the rounds, do it after juniors in bed.

Good advice . I too did the same thing with my daughter .

The charging & assembling ,in its final stages is where things can go to the dark side .

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Well I did not grow up around people to teach me really anything. We never had guns and my parents still does not have not one firearm. I love this stuff , it is in my blood and my heart and my children will grow up around firearms and shooting when I do. I want them to be smarter and better than me at everything ( will be hard to do ).  I defiantly want them to know about firearms and loading there own ammo. It may be a few months down the road or even a few years but I will start to do my own loading and they will be taught.

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I have a lock n load AP and have been using it for 2 years. I've done 6-7000 of 45ACP and it really cranks them out. The loads all cycle good and are very consistant.

I've had some breakage (mostly my fault) and have yet to get free replacement parts shipped free in 3-5 days and they usually send me more than what I need. I can't say enough good about Hornady and the lock n load.

I am looking for an older, used single stage press so I can pay more attention to my 308 resizing.

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Even on my Dillon , I size the cases in one operation ,then trim ,debur & since I have them in my hand ,I use my Lee priming tool to prime them  & then I use the progressive Dillon to charge ,seat the bullet & taper crimp .

I have some say " why not use the Dillon to prime " I tell them I can do it faster & have more feel with the Lee.

Its just me , loading bottle neck rifle cases ,its just not like stright wall case(mostly pistol ) reloading, .

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  • 8 months later...

with out hijacking the thread - my question is, could I use say the Rock Chucker kit to reload .458 socom one day when I acquire that platform? will this press load everything I can buy a die for? (I don't know that I will ever by a progressive as I'm concerned less with quantity and more with precision-the pleasure of loading my own - and saving money/shooting more)

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with out hijacking the thread - my question is, could I use say the Rock Chucker kit to reload .458 socom one day when I acquire that platform? will this press load everything I can buy a die for? (I don't know that I will ever by a progressive as I'm concerned less with quantity and more with precision-the pleasure of loading my own - and saving money/shooting more)

Should have no problem loading that .458 with the RC & just about any thing that will fit in it , very reliable press.

We all said at one time , we well not need or want a progressive reloading machine & you can load precision ammo from a good progressive press , no problem .

I do still use my single stage for some operations with certain cases , but most goes through my Dillon now.

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    I have a RC on my bench that is  almost 40 years old,,,,in fact, I just looked, and it is stamped 71, as RCBS used to date presses and dies.  Its loaded everything from 25acp to 460Wby.

    I use the loading manuel from whatever bullet mfg I happen to be using for a paticular load.

    Hornady for hornady, Speer for Speer, etc.

  Don't change ANYTHING  from the load without going back and starting with the lightest load,  Especially primers.  primers can really change "how" a load works.

    Reloading is only cheaper because your re-using your brass.  If you have to buy brass, you can buy loaded ammo, in most cases, as cheaply as you can load them, unless you have a "special" load worked up.

  One tip.  If you are using multiple powders, use a grease pencil to wright the propellent in the measure ON the measure.    It saves mixing up powders, and having to throw away a can 'cause they got mixed up.

    Respectfully

    Terry

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