Considering getting into Reloading

Depick

Depick

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The last few years I have been practicing a bit more and I am considering reloading. I’m thinking I will start off with just 9mm and 45acp. I have been looking at the RCBS Rock Chucker supreme master reloading kit. I have zero experience in this area and would appreciate any advice.
 
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Hochulsucks1234

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When I started reloading many years ago I got the rock chucker kit. I still use that single stage press to this day with well over 10,000 rds churned through it. Not sure what has changed with the kits, but over time you will want to add some better accessories. They used to ship a beam scale and you will want to go to a digital scale. The powder dropper isn't so great either.

You will need dies, shell holders, primers, cases, bullets, and powder. Oh and good reloading data. Over time will be crimping dies, bullet pullers, deprimer, pocket swager, list goes on...
 
Carlos Hathcock

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Can't go wrong with the Chucker. I have two. I still use the Hornady progressive for decapping and volume ammo. Chuckers are for accuracy loads.

Watch tons of vids from different sources. Don't be afraid to buy the best because you'll end up doing it anyway.

Be prepared for high costs of reloading compnents.
 
Deplorable Me

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If you're anal retentive and OCD then reloading is for you. Save your balance mechanical scale but invest in a basic digital scale to increase speed. Once I mastered the dial calipers I stopped using my digital calipers. My only exception to RCBS gear is Lee factory crimps for my 9mm and .45. RCBS carbide dies but Lee factory crimp, that Lee product solved all my problems I was having with the pistol cartridges.

I second Youtube and RCBS factory videos. Basic to advanced info there.
 
kev74

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If you're looking to reload pistol calibers an any kind of quantity, consider a progressive press. I can load about 100 rounds in 15 minutes once I get in the groove.

Dillon has the best reputation. I have 3 Lee Pro1000 presses (much cheaper than Dillon) set up so I don't need to change calibers. They can be finicky, but run well when set up right.
 
Mosinitis

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Depick said:
The last few years I have been practicing a bit more and I am considering reloading. I’m thinking I will start off with just 9mm and 45acp. I have been looking at the RCBS Rock Chucker supreme master reloading kit. I have zero experience in this area and would appreciate any advice.
Click to expand...

Good choice for start up kit. Also Lyman 47th (or whatever edition now) Reloading Handbook has nicely illustrated how to chapters for beginners. Simple to read and understand, takes the mystery out of process.
 
togmaster

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Mosinitis said:
Reloading equipment will pay for itself in a few years and will last a lifetime. Component prices are down.
Click to expand...

Small Pistol Primers $.10
Large Pistol Primers same as above if you can find them.
Projectiles $.08-$.12
Powder $.02-$.04
Cases assume $.0 for range pick-up to $.05 if you have to buy.



I don't see what is down.
 
Mosinitis

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togmaster said:
Small Pistol Primers $.10
Large Pistol Primers same as above if you can find them.
Projectiles $.08-$.12
Powder $.02-$.04
Cases assume $.0 for range pick-up to $.05 if you have to buy.



I don't see what is down.
Click to expand...

You have to know where to look.

Reloading Primers for Sale | Midsouth Shooters

Midsouth stocks a huge variety and quantity of reloading primers from brands like Winchester, Federal, and Remington. Check out our primers for sale online!
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
 
dwa12479

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Can't go wrong with the RCBS press. Dillon and Lee are also good.

I started with a Lee 4 hole turret press. I can use it as a single stage for accuracy loads, and also get it cranked up nicely to knock out hulk smash range loads for pistol rounds. I like it because I get the best of both worlds between the straight single stage and progressive. I bought extra turrets so I never have to fiddle with the dies once I get them setup. I just swap put the turret and im on to the next caliber.

20210120_181331.jpg


20150221_143642.jpg
 
togmaster

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FP1201

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The RCBS Rock Chucker is the quintessential single stage Press...
Lee is the least expensive and still of very good quality. (where I started 35 years ago and still have dozens of calibers, especially hard to get European Surplus Rifle calibers)
I do like the Hornady Dimension Dies a lot!
Redding, Hornady, Lyman, and likely several others are equally as good and interchangeable when it comes to Dies and shell holders.
Redding is said to make the most accurate Dies, but the necessity for super-duper "Micrometer Adjustments" and others really isn't necessary and if it were, you wouldn't be here asking beginners questions...
For a few hundred Dollars you can get a basic Press (kit) from any of the Manufacturers, dies are under $50 for the majority, and lots for half that.
Unless its a stupid cheap deal and you know what you're looking at avoid used stuff, especially when it was Grandpa's and sat in the basement for decades before the kids tried to sell it on FB for new market prices...The Presses themselves unless rusted solid can be cleaned up and returned to service if you put some effort into it, be careful of used dies as often enough there's some "issue" with them like they were abused trying to get stuck cases out, decapping pins broken, rods bent, expander ball missing, STEEL instead of CARBIDE for Pistol Dies, etc. (Always use Carbide or Titanium Nitride sizing dies for Pistol calibers)
As mentioned before, use a Digital Scale: they're cheap and accurate, the Balance Beam's are accurate, but tedious to use and slow. The Digital Powder Dispensing are nice, but expensive and again, unless you're really into it, the juice isn't worth the squeeze. ( I have two of them, never used either of them) Good Powder Despenser (they're all the same except the Color) Use the digital scale to set the charge weight, and drop each one from there verifying occasionally.
For Production (multi-stage) pumping out a round every time you pull the Handle, Dillion Precision is damn hard to beat, but you're going to plunk down a grand or more to get up and running with a new setup, dies are expensive, and they're still behind from covid...they're almost a cult when it comes to reloading...I scored a used 550 with six sets of dies, and tons of stuff that had sat in storage; I put in DAYS worth of time cleaning, polishing. lubing, replacing missing/broken items, but in the end it does a might fine job making Pistol ammo, and CAN configure for Rifle rounds.

Powder, Primers, Bullets, Cases (cleaning & trimming goes down another rabbit hole) is another hundred or two, but it goes a long way: a Tray of primers is 100, brick is 1000 and seems to be at a high point of $100 per K
Powder is about $40 a pound and with hundreds of flavors, you kind of have to see what's available at the Store then decide if and how many of the calibers you want to load. There are 7,000 grains of Powder to the Pound: a seven grain charge for pistol should net a thousand rounds of ammo.
Bullets are another with a multitude of flavors, makers, weights, finishes, etc. Starting out, just go economical and available....unless you're already into uber precision, buying that Box of Burger Bullets to punch paper at a hundred yards just isn't worth it, but load and shoot enough, and suddenly you'll find yourself trying weights that only vary a few grains, same with powder charge, buying Match Grade Primers, using the same brand brass, and on and on it goes....with some guys, you'd think they were launching to the Moon with the extremes they go to for that las 32nd of an inch in accuracy.
The whole idea of reloading it to be able to shoot more and shoot better which comes from more trigger time! Oh, and one more thing: NEVER LOAD MORE THAN THREE ROUNDS WITHOUT TRYING THEM IN YOU GUN! You'll understand why.
 
FP1201

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Mosinitis said:
I don't care where it's made and American made is not always the best. That said there are CCI's at similar prices. Prices and availability definately improved. Not as it used to be but better.
Click to expand...
With the "shortages" we started seeing more and more components from overseas and I've had no problem nor heard of any problems with any of the Powders or Primers coming from Europe and South/Central America...LOT of Shot-Shell with Brands I've never heard of as well, and all of it shoots as good or better than the standard fare from the big three here...prejudice ends at $8.00 a box for Trap Loads.
 
218bee

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Look into the Dillon Square Deal B, progressive press, if you’re only reloading handgun. Every pull of the handle spits out a completed round. There’s one on EBay now for $285 with 38/357 dies included. I bought one 25 years ago and it has countless rounds through it without a hiccup. Customer service is second to none.
 
repete

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Xae289

Xae289

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For those cartridges, I'd go with Kev74's suggestion of a progressive press. You don't want to spend 2 hours to make 100 rds of 9mm or .45 ACP. You probably aren't looking for super precise loads and will probably get bored if you can't crank out quantity.

I still load on a single-stage and weigh each charge, but I don't reload for bulk. I mostly still just buy 9mm or .223. When I handload .40, it's for hot loads, which has saved me from buying a 10mm. When I handload .223 it's to either make super-accurate stuff or I'll load it with a .218 Bee bullet and download it to .22 WMR velocities which saved me from buying a bolt-action .22 Mag. Aside from that it's sub-MOA .270 Win, being able to get super- or sub-sonic .300 Blackout on demand, using cast bullets in my .44 Mags cast soft and sized to fit my revolvers' cylinder throats so the bullets don't lead the bores. For that kind of reloading, a single-stage is perfect, I enjoy it, and I wouldn't want to do it on a progressive. If I were trying to load 1000 rds of a simple and set load of 9mm or .45 for plinking, practice, or competition, I would be miserable doing that on anything but a progressive press.
 
Acer-m14

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togmaster said:
With component prices now it will be a long time before you see a return on investment for the equipment. However, I still recommend it.
Click to expand...

Mosinitis said:
Reloading equipment will pay for itself in a few years and will last a lifetime. Component prices are down.
Click to expand...

with NYS Laws now .,.

the first reload will pay for it all .. ;)

Look for deals and free hazmat shipping ..

don't forget its Christmas ..


 
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FP1201

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The Square Deal is a good Press, it's their entry level, but I would suggest a 550 or 650 would be much more versatile...that said, everyone starts somewhere, and the on fleabay is likely a good deal.
 
Depick

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I looked at progressive presses on my lunch break. Seems like it would be a much quicker process. The initial investment is definitely more than I’d like.
 
Acer-m14

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@Depick
I looked at progressive presses on my lunch break. Seems like it would be a much quicker process. The initial investment is definitely more than I’d like.
Click to expand...

yes they will speed up the process .. but to just get started to see if you like it ..



here ya go .. press and powder measure . 229.99 Christmas Special ..

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The Explorer Reloading Kit is a great kit to start out on learning the art of hand loading. Buy now.
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