I've been shooting 9mm and .45 ACP for a year now (my shooting experience so far is about 6000 rounds with my Springfield XD-9 and Kimber 1911) and have decided to reload due to rising factory ammo costs. My primary interest is home defense; not much of a shooting junkie at all (sure, it can be therapeutic, but the motivation at this point is to reduce my cost-per-shot considering that I may soon start rapid-fire practice at a nearby range). Ammo fine-tuning may come in time, but right now I just need to be able to afford to practice. And I don't have a lot of spare time to reload on single stage, although I may consider it if I ever shoot rifle in the future. I've been reading this (and other forums) on equipment and have gone through ABC's of Reloading and Lyman's 48th, as recommended by DaveInFloweryBranchGA's sticky. I'll probably also pick up Speer #13, etc..
That said, I've compiled my "to-get" list and, like other people have done, am looking for a once-over by the veterans here to make sure I'm not overlooking something obvious. Here's what I have planned for purchase soon:
- Hornady LnL AP
- Hornady dies: 9mm (Luger) and .45 ACP (Hornady item no. 546515 and 546554, respectively)
- RCBS lockout die
- Shell plates: 9mm and .45 ACP (#8 and #1)
- Hornady LnL die bushings (10-pack)
- Frankford Arsenal tumbler / media separator kit (and some Nu Finish)
- Frankford Arsenal digital caliper
- RCBS 505 scale
- Cartridge catcher (Hornady item no. 480038)
- Frankford Arsenal impact bullet puller
- Misc plastic ammo boxes
(ammunition components such as bullets, primers, and powder will be a separate research)
Due to lack of garage space for a permanent bench, I'll probably mount the press on some plywood and C-clamp it to a folding table. I know I'm jumping into this head-first, but I figure that if I can manage computer networks for a living, I should be able to handle setting up a "collapsible" reloading bench. Am I missing any dies in my list (I'd have five stations, after all)? Where does one get check-weights for the scale? I didn't see them in the thick Midway catalog. Anything else I should consider?
I'm actually thinking about going in this with a nearby friend of mine who shoots the same calibers, so I thought I'd double-check with you folks before I do something potentially short-sighted.
That said, I've compiled my "to-get" list and, like other people have done, am looking for a once-over by the veterans here to make sure I'm not overlooking something obvious. Here's what I have planned for purchase soon:
- Hornady LnL AP
- Hornady dies: 9mm (Luger) and .45 ACP (Hornady item no. 546515 and 546554, respectively)
- RCBS lockout die
- Shell plates: 9mm and .45 ACP (#8 and #1)
- Hornady LnL die bushings (10-pack)
- Frankford Arsenal tumbler / media separator kit (and some Nu Finish)
- Frankford Arsenal digital caliper
- RCBS 505 scale
- Cartridge catcher (Hornady item no. 480038)
- Frankford Arsenal impact bullet puller
- Misc plastic ammo boxes
(ammunition components such as bullets, primers, and powder will be a separate research)
Due to lack of garage space for a permanent bench, I'll probably mount the press on some plywood and C-clamp it to a folding table. I know I'm jumping into this head-first, but I figure that if I can manage computer networks for a living, I should be able to handle setting up a "collapsible" reloading bench. Am I missing any dies in my list (I'd have five stations, after all)? Where does one get check-weights for the scale? I didn't see them in the thick Midway catalog. Anything else I should consider?
I'm actually thinking about going in this with a nearby friend of mine who shoots the same calibers, so I thought I'd double-check with you folks before I do something potentially short-sighted.