Need Help Getting Started

[jrbfishn]

The lee quick change collets are nice in a lee single stage. Great for rifle. IIRC they have both full length and neck sizeing dies for rifle calibers. For pistol, especially if you want a lot of them, turret press is better. I am considering a Lee single stage breech lock. Already have the hand press. Fast enough for what I want. Plus I can take the hand press and scale with me and try different loads on the fly for the rifle for accuracy if I want. Or store it and extra dies in another location. Just for grins.

 

[grasshopperglock]

In the most basic sense, yes. The Lyman manual has a "recommended" load which, in their testing, was the most accurate. The manual will you give you a range of certain powders which have been deemed "safe". Start with the minimum spec and work your way up by tenths of a grain until you get your most accurate load. I generally just go middle ground of what the chart says as I'm mostly in it for the plinking, not the high accuracy. Besides, I'm not THAT great of a shot to honestly tell the difference. The things you have to worry about are squibs (bullet stuck in the chamber from too little powder) and over pressure (primers start popping out) that can lead to blowing the gun up.

Thank you. Now Im tracking


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[jrbfishn]

Pretty much what i do, close to min., middle, close to hottest. See how they feed and group, start with min., 1st shot, check spent case primer, etc., then shoot for effect. On the hotter loads, 1st two rounds for defects, then shoot. I pick up all brass and inspect after each magazine for defects. I also pay attention to how my pistol cycles with each load and pick the best performing overall.

 

[grasshopperglock]

This was asked in another thread. It needs to be here, cuz its an age old common question:

Ouch, yeah, guess if your gonna order it yourself you better do a group buy or buy bulk. What's powder and primers usually run? Is it worth reloading .233?


"Prepare yourself for the future,with what you've seen in the present"

Is reloading cheaper?

Heres the current market value of 5.56.

http://www.gunbot.net/ammo/rifle/556/

So pick your self a load for 5.56. How many grains of powder does it take for that round? Figure how many rounds you can get from a pound of powder. 'X'

Then add the price of bullets, casings and primers needed for your 'x' amount.

Compare to the same kinda ammo sold. HP, FMJ...etc. what ever bullet you used.

Which is cheaper? . Thats why most folks just reload and find out it cheaper. After the fact. Its a buttload of math.

Yeah, powder gets cheaper the more you buy. Think buying the 8 pound jobs to save over 1 pound.


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[Tx_Mark]

This was asked in another thread. It needs to be here, cuz its an age old common question:



Heres the current market value of 5.56.

http://www.gunbot.net/ammo/rifle/556/

So pick your self a load for 5.56. How many grains of powder does it take for that round? Figure how many rounds you can get from a pound of powder. 'X'

Then add the price of bullets, casings and primers needed for your 'x' amount.

Compare to the same kinda ammo sold. HP, FMJ...etc. what ever bullet you used.

Which is cheaper? . Thats why most folks just reload and find out it cheaper. After the fact. Its a buttload of math.

Yeah, powder gets cheaper the more you buy. Think buying the 8 pound jobs to save over 1 pound.


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Thanks!


"Prepare yourself for the future,with what you've seen in the present"

 

[grasshopperglock]

Btw guys, price of 5.56 is dropping. Low price three months ago was .34cents. Now its can be had for .30 cents.




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[rsayloriii]

This was asked in another thread. It needs to be here, cuz its an age old common question:



Is reloading cheaper?

Heres the current market value of 5.56.

GunBot 556 rifle ammo

So pick your self a load for 5.56. How many grains of powder does it take for that round? Figure how many rounds you can get from a pound of powder. 'X'

Then add the price of bullets, casings and primers needed for your 'x' amount.

Compare to the same kinda ammo sold. HP, FMJ...etc. what ever bullet you used.

Which is cheaper? . Thats why most folks just reload and find out it cheaper. After the fact. Its a buttload of math.

Yeah, powder gets cheaper the more you buy. Think buying the 8 pound jobs to save over 1 pound.


"Sent from a iBong6"



"Sent from a iBong6"

7000 grains per pound.

In general, for pistol ammo and 5.56/.223, it's close to breaking even and not worth reloading unless you find components for cheap.

Rifle, however, can be half as much to reload as it is to buy it. Generally, it's cheaper to reload rifle than it is to buy it.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Doing math for 40cal. 5.5 grains....brb

Ok. Thats 1,272 rounds of 40cal. 304 rounds of 223 @23grains.


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[Younggun]

I can reload 9mm much cheaper than I can buy. That was even before the ammo hit the fan.

 

[orbitup]

Should I just get the Lee 4 die set for .45? Is it better to have a 'factory crimp'?

 

[Tx_Mark]

I can reload 9mm much cheaper than I can buy. That was even before the ammo hit the fan.

Maybe I should just start out with 9mm then, I'm selling my .40, and don't have any plans on getting another .40 or .45.... That would leave my pistol ammo at 9mm for all my handguns.


"Prepare yourself for the future,with what you've seen in the present"

 

[Younggun]

I don't, but some like the FCD for different piston uses.

I just seat and crimp in one motion.

I won't say it's bad, but don't believe it's a necessity.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Should I just get the Lee 4 die set for .45? Is it better to have a 'factory crimp'?

Yes. The factory crimp on pistol ammo is a taper. The taper it forms, allows the round to slide into the chamber more smoothly.

Thought to be more reliable in semi autos.


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[Younggun]

Maybe I should just start out with 9mm then, I'm selling my .40, and don't have any plans on getting another .40 or .45.... That would leave my pistol ammo at 9mm for all my handguns.


"Prepare yourself for the future,with what you've seen in the present"

Just make sure you buy your bullets in bulk. I prefer plated.

Several places offer free shipping on orders of certain amounts. One site I used frequently when ordering (but can remember) gives free shipping on multiples of 2000.

Order a bunch and put'em back. Find a good deal on primers and stack them away. Same for powder. Start saving all your brass now so you don't have to buy any.


You'll never break even buying those 100 count boxes of bullets.

 

[rsayloriii]

For example, 30-06 runs about $1 per round.

For me to reload it:
.04 for primer
.20 for bullet
.13 for powder
.00 for brass

Total: $.37 per round. Of course, those numbers can fluctuate given component cost and load variations.

Quite the savings. However, on pistol rounds:

9mm runs about $.30 per round commercial.

Reload:
.04 for primer
.14 for bullet
.01 for powder
.00 for brass

Total: $.19 per round.

So, not nearly the savings, but still some. That's when you have to factor into the cost of your time. Is it worth the savings?

 

[Tx_Mark]

Just make sure you buy your bullets in bulk. I prefer plated.

Several places offer free shipping on orders of certain amounts. One site I used frequently when ordering (but can remember) gives free shipping on multiples of 2000.

Order a bunch and put'em back. Find a good deal on primers and stack them away. Same for powder. Start saving all your brass now so you don't have to buy any.


You'll never break even buying those 100 count boxes of bullets.

Yeah, if I was going to start reloading (which I want to!) I would order in bulk. Pistol powder is still hard to come by though, isn't it!?

IDE love to meet up with someone in SA, and try my hand at reloading before I wasted my time and money.


"Prepare yourself for the future,with what you've seen in the present"

 

[Younggun]

For example, 30-06 runs about $1 per round.

For me to reload it:
.04 for primer
.20 for bullet
.13 for powder
.00 for brass

Total: $.37 per round. Of course, those numbers can fluctuate given component cost and load variations.

Quite the savings. However, on pistol rounds:

9mm runs about $.30 per round commercial.

Reload:
.04 for primer
.14 for bullet
.01 for powder
.00 for brass

Total: $.19 per round.

So, not nearly the savings, but still some. That's when you have to factor into the cost of your time. Is it worth the savings?

I don't pay myself to watch TV, and I wouldn't be at work if I wasn't reloading. Really don't consider reloading to be work.

I really don't see why it wouldn't be worth it.

It's part if the game. Just another area of the sport I enjoy. Honestly, I've never understood that argument unless I look at it from the point if view of someone who really doesn't like to reload.

 

[rsayloriii]

I don't pay myself to watch TV, and I wouldn't be at work if I wasn't reloading. Really don't consider reloading to be work.

I really don't see why it wouldn't be worth it.

It's part if the game. Just another area of the sport I enjoy. Honestly, I've never understood that argument unless I look at it from the point if view of someone who really doesn't like to reload.

Correct, however, could you be putting your time into something else that would be more important? That's where the "cost of time" factors in. If there isn't anything more important, then there is no cost associated into reloading. However, if you've got other projects, family, etc., that could be a better use of that time, then that is a cost associated into reloading.

 

[orbitup]

I spend too much time watching TV. This is a good excuse for me to do something fun that's also productive.

If I liked doing yard work, I would be doing that now.

 

[orbitup]

Is a scale that has 1/10th grain accuracy good enough if I decide to get serious later?