I am seriously considering getting into reloading, but know nothing about it. I know that one of the pros is saving money, but how much money can I save? What are some of the other pros? What are the cons? Where can I take a reloading class in central jersey? How much will decent equiptment cost me to reload (.40, .45, .38, .357, 223, 30-30(maybe), 12guage(maybe)) and where to buy the equiptment? I appreciate any and all advice.

May I suggest Dillon Precision

http://www.dillonpre...com/#/home.html

Price depends on what equipment you get. Dillon 650 (what I have) with all the bells and whistles would cost you about $1k for 1 caliber.

12 gauge reloading IMO is probably not worth the effort.

Initial cost will be steep getting components, reloading press and everything else you might need to start.

When my friend and and I bought our 1st Dillon 650 10 years ago, it paid for itself in 3 months. (we were shooting about 1000 rounds a month each) We ended up buy a 2nd one. However all the components were half (and available) of what it would cost you today.

Are you saving money? Yes, but you will probably shoot more causing you to spend more.

Also take into consideration that components are currently scarce and at a premium from some sellers.

There are several members who would be willing to show you their setup and give you a basic intro.

Will you save money? Per round, yes, alot. Overall, no. You will just shoot more.

Other Pros:

Ammo custom tailored to you and your firearms. Being able to shoot ammo that enhances the shooting experience. Joy of creating rounds that enable you to hit your mark with great accuracy.

Cons:

Finding time to reload. Having enough reloaded to go shooting.

Where to take a class?

NRA sponsors a reloading class. Need to look it up. Shongum Sportsmans (Mansfield, NJ) will have a clinic on 6/30.

Cost of Equipment:

As much as your budget can afford. Hornady, Dillon, RCBS, make good loaders. I do not like Lee. Just a personal preference. I would budget $750 to start and go from there. I would begin with pistol cartridge reloading to start as this is easier. Hook up with an experienced reloader to help you out. A single stage and a progressive are both useful for metallic cartridge reloading (pistol and rifle). Shotgun requires a different press. Unless you shoot a lot of shotgun or participate in competition with shotgun, retail may be best.

Where to buy?

Online Midsouth Shooters Supply, Grafs, Natchez, Powder Valley, Cabelas, to name a few. Local? I am not in your area so others can ring in here. Solomon's is a name I hear on this board alot.

 

I would say go for it. You will enjoy the experience. We are all here to help you. I don't think there is one member on this board who has begun reloading that has regretted it. It is the way to go. Start slow, ask lots of questions, and good luck.

Pros - you become independent, it's cheaper to reload, more accurate ammo, and increases your understanding of the firearm.

 

Cons - you hurt yourself because you cut corners, listen to bad advice, and not push yourself to constantly educate yourself to the craft.

 

Step #1 - buy this: http://www.amazon.com/Lyman-49Th-Edition-Reloading-Handbook/dp/B001MYEU0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365604118&sr=8-1&keywords=lyman+49th+edition+reloading+handbook

 

Step #2 - read it, put it down, think.

 

Step #3 - read it again, gather your questions, and then find the answers. Get in the habit of questioning responses/procedures/practices because in the end, it's your face behind the gun.

 

Step #4 - learn to crawl and enjoy crawling. Lee Precision makes very nice equipment at a great value. You don't need a progressive, fancy scales, or digital calipers. You will need to work through the learning curve and develop strong habits.

 

With regards to cost savings, here's my .223 load (my load, that works in my rifle, and do not suggest using it):

Winchester case

Remington 7.5 primer

25g of Bl-C2

55g Montana Gold projectile

1/7 twist out of 16" barrel

 

New brass depreciated down to five reloads = .05

Primer = .035

Projectile = .13

Powder = .08

Cost per bullet = $.29

Would be less because I can sell the scrap brass for $2 per lbs, but not factoring it.

 

Result - I shoot .5 MOA at 100 yards

Othe benefit - Still going to the range every Sunday

 

Good luck, take your time, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

I looked at notes as well as pricing and should be able to get my .223 round at $.25 per shot, woohoo!

Start simple read all you can first get an updated manuals Hornady , Lyman, also ABC'S of realoding book. Pistol are easier than rifle to start with. You can pick up a single stage press or kit that comes with scale trimmers primer tools etc. Take your time start with like 38 special make a few rounds also keep a good log book on your loads powder type, grains, bullet type, weight, etc. The hardest part is getting started and pulling the trigger for the first time. Just remember take your time, be neat, be careful. Enjoy

Also be aware that you can use a progressive press like a one stage if you are worried about going slow at first. Eventually you will want a progressive if you reload for handguns. I can bang out 100 rounds in 20 minutes on my Dillon 550B. I would do a lot more if I had Ron's 650.

The fact that it does take time and care and effort and attention to reload also makes you appreciate each shot more. You pay more attention for each shot and mentally push yourself to be more accurate and frugal in your shooting. Just blasting downrange seems like more of a waste when you are mindful it took you a couple hours to load up the day's batch and you want to see how accurate it is.

 

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Also be aware that you can use a progressive press like a one stage if you are worried about going slow at first. Eventually you will want a progressive if you reload for handguns. I can bang out 100 rounds in 20 minutes on my Dillon 550B. I would do a lot more if I had Ron's 650.

I can lazily crank out 400 per hour.

When I am in a zone with primer tubes filled ready to go I can get about 700 per hour.

All I need is uninterrupted time frame to load as much as I can.

I looked at notes as well as pricing and should be able to get my .223 round at $.25 per shot, woohoo!

 

Whaa?? Where are you finding components that cheap? Costs me $0.18/bullet alone for 55gr matchkings.

Whaa?? Where are you finding components that cheap? Costs me $0.18/bullet alone for 55gr matchkings.

 

I buy in bulk, but here's a projectile source:

 

http://montanagoldbullet.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/?q=.22

I can lazily crank out 400 per hour.

When I am in a zone with primer tubes filled ready to go I can get about 700 per hour.

All I need is uninterrupted time frame to load as much as I can.

 

That's awesome! I've never made that many in a day.

Start simple read all you can first get an updated manuals Hornady , Lyman, also ABC'S of realoding book. Pistol are easier than rifle to start with. You can pick up a single stage press or kit that comes with scale trimmers primer tools etc. Take your time start with like 38 special make a few rounds also keep a good log book on your loads powder type, grains, bullet type, weight, etc. The hardest part is getting started and pulling the trigger for the first time. Just remember take your time, be neat, be careful. Enjoy

 

I suggest starting simple also. You get to learn more about reloading that way and while the production is lower than a progressive there are more chances to catch mistakes. The cash outlay is significantly less and if you feel the need get a progressive. You will always have a use for a single stage press.

Buy once, cry once. Thought I would start out with a semi-progressive (Lee Classic Turret) but went full retard.... Hornady LnL AP....

Thanks for all the advise, I still have a lot of research to do. From a safety perspective, I live in a townhouse, the only place I have to reload is my garage, how do you safely store the powder and primers?

After doing some price comparisons on cabelas, brownells, midwayusa I noticed something that most of you probably already know, new brass is quite expensive compared to the other components. How many times can brass be reused? and can I reuse the brass from new WWB, UMC, american eagle, lawman, etc... ammo?

Don't buy new brass, save the brass from what you shoot. The brands you mentioned are fine for reloading. The number of uses depends on several different factors, but always inspect the brass for any cracks.

Don't buy new brass, save the brass from what you shoot. The brands you mentioned are fine for reloading. The number of uses depends on several different factors, but always inspect the brass for any cracks.

 

I will have to buy new brass eventually, right? What I have won't last forever.

New brass comes with a federal excise tax added to the cost. Keep your old brass, you paid for it. The number of times you reload brass depends on how you load it. Bunnyfart pistol loads will allow you to reload 20 or more times. Hot snot loads maybe as low as 5 times. You will need to check your condo agreement for any special terms, otherwise some old 50 caliber metal ammo cans work great for storage. Store primers and powder in different cans. Only have out what you need to load at that time. Small storage lots are your friend.

 

Look for once fired brass. It works OK. Pistol shooters look at boards like "Brian Enos" for OF brass deals.

I only use new brass to load for rifle, but re-use up to 5 times. Even if it looks good after the fifth shot, it goes to the scrap yard. Can you re-use once fired rifle brass, absolutely. Will I, nope. Why, because I'm a little weird in my own way and only want to start with fresh rifle brass and just don't trust OF brass. Also, look at the math:

 

Fresh brass, .25 per case, reload 5 times averages .05 per shot/case then off to the scrap pile

OF brass, .15 per case, reload 4 times averages .0375 per shot/case then off to the scrap pile

 

So for less than .02 per case or $20 per 1000, you can shoot brand new brass and not have any trust issues.

 

In all fairness, I last bought 2000 brass back in early January so new stock may have new pricing.

Marty, did you order the book yet?

Im looking into ordering the lyman t mag II press kit, which comes with the book. Any advise on this press? I spent the last 2 days watching reloading videos on youtube just to gain some info on the mechanics of the process and am searching for reloading clinics in my area. Lately I have become quite anal and do a lot of research before I dive into a new hobby, I have a very bad history with buying stuff that I later find out that I wont use.

I currently use a Lee Classic Turret, beam scales, and old school calipers. My entire setup from prep to finish does not require electricity or batteries of any sort since my objective is to be completely independent.

 

I would suggest to keep watching youtube videos and think about what is most important to you. Is it time, quantity in a given time, precision, cost, availibility of parts from "X" manufacturer when things break down, ease of switching calibers, etc? Think in these terms "you are going to be manufacturing your own product, so how do you want to set up the plant and what do you want as a final product".

 

It appears that factory ammo is becoming more available so you have time to gather reloading components. Start simple and bookmark money to keep adding goodies (better trimmers, case prep, etc...). If you try and buy "everything" at once, you may get overwhelmed and buy things that you may regret or not use. If you put the time and thought into the whole process, you will revisit this thread in the future with a sense of pride and indepedence; perhaps pay it forward to another future reloader.

Lee presses are less expensive than lyman and RCBS, from what i've seen. Quality wise, how do they compare. One of my major concerns at this point is price. The less I can spend on equiptment the more I can spend on components.

BUY ONCE.........I abhor Lee.......... there presses are toys....buy ANY OTHER and be happy... just *MY* .02

 

How do you feel about the Lyman T-Mag Expert Kit Deluxe w/ Micro Touch 1500, from what I understand, the only other equiptment I would need is a tumbler, shell holder and dies. On Brownells everything comes out to $522 plus shipping.

Comparison between Dillon, Hornady and Lee

http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf

Comparison between Dillon, Hornady and Lee

http://www.comrace.c...yComparison.pdf

 

Lee looks like a little kid in that pic.

Comparison between Dillon, Hornady and Lee

http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf

 

They should re-do this with the pro 1000. I find a lot of the things mentioned were changed with the Pro, and the Pro has been updated since its release as well. No doubt I would prefer the LnL to my Pro, but for what you pay for the Pro, it does a hell of a job. I definitely wish they used Hornady's retention on the shellplate.