Hello from someone new to reloading

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flhtci2006

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Oct 30, 2011
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Heber, Arizona
After much reading and working thru the Ford VS Chevy views, I have gone with the following. I've started cleaning some brass and am working on getting into a "routine."
Hornady LNL AP
Hornady new dim. dies for .223 and .40
Lee .223 FCD (I will try both crimping and not crimping)
Hornady powder cop
RCBS beam scale
Frankford Arsenal digital scale (as a backup)
Frankford Arsenal media separator
Hornady bullet comparator
Dillon headspace case guage .223
Dillon super swage 600 (I have lots of primer crimped cases)
Lyman 2500 tumbler (with the push button switch even)
Digital calipers (I have about 6 sets I think)
Lyman case prep multi tool
L.E. Wilson trimmer with power adapter
Hogdon H335 and Win 748 powder
Win small rifle and small pistol primers
Berry's plated bullets for .40 and some free Hornady's
Various .224 cal. bullets, 55gr to 68gr, with and without canneleur

Anyway, that's most of it. I know I want a chronograph but I'm gonna hold off for a bit. I want the auto case feeder but also will wait a bit. I look forward to conversing with you all as I am sure I will have questions.

Barry
 
I don't know much about reloading for rifle, but I too have a LNL AP press and I really like it. I added the case feeder at a later date and it is awesome. A little finicky at first, but I am working with it.
 
Hi.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, or use the little search button under your name. :)
 
I actually used the search to help determine what to get and ideas on reloading. While it's a nice feature, sometimes one just needs to start the ball rolling again as times do change :eek:

I have read the LNL case feeder can be finicky and is part of the reason I am holding off for now.
 
For media for your tumbler, I'd suggest a fine grade (20/40) available from Drillspot or Grainger. Add a capful of Nufinish carpolish and run the media 5 minutes, then add the brass. Works like a champ and the fine media won't get stuck in the flash hole.

And welcome to the forum.
 
Welcome aboard. There's a lot of good information here. I learned to reload reading here and my Lyman manual.

You can find some good deals for those bullets at Rocky Mountain Reloading.
 
Don't forget the RCBS Brass/Media separator. That big green tub with the cage inside to turn your brass and get ALL the media out. It is worth it's weight in ...brass.

Welcome to THR
 
Welcome aboard. Looks like you have a pretty complete list. What I don't see is Bullet lube. I would suggest Imperial sizing wax. I'm using it for Rem 7mm Mag on a LNL-ap, works just fine. If you don't use enough it will be hard to size. Once you get it dial in it works good. So the 223 will be apiece of cake.

The LNL-AP brass feeder will be worth the effort if you have a lot to load. They can be a little tricky to get setup but once done they rock. I only use mine on my pistol ammo since I'm loading 1k's at a time.

Any questions , Don't be afraid to ask. The only dumb one is the one you don't ask. Remember you are working with controlled explosives. Do it right and every thing is great, mess up and you know it.
 
I have previously purchased ground walnut media and will use it until exhausted. The first couple of batches that I did included about a tablespoon and a half of something similar to Brasso. I ran the tumbler and also broke up any lumps before putting in the brass. The brass came out looking fine. Next will be to size and de-cap, trim if required, deburr and wash with soapy water (to remove any lube). I will probably also try tumbling again instead of deburring to see how well that works to remove burrs.

For lube, I bought Hornady one shot spray case lube, I think 3 cans. I will try other lubes and settle on one that suits me. I know I have heard good things about Imperial wax but also kinda like the spray method. We'll see.

Instead of the RCBS media separator, I got the Frankford Arsenal. Have used it and it works fine. Kinda wish I would have bought the Dillon one but I don't think the higher cost was worth it. The Dillon unit was about 50% higher.

I appreciate the responses and definitely appreciate your suggestions.

Barry
 
Something that helped me out a lot when I started reloading rifle calibers was the headspace gauge from Innovative Technologies. It is used to make resizing of cases much easier. It measures the amount of resizing to the case shoulders. I had a lot of trouble using a regular case gauge from someplace like Dillon. Do a Google search and you will see exactly what I am talking about. At some point you will probably want a digital scale, but the beam scale will work for now.

CB
 
Not likely you harmed the brass cases using the "similar to Brasso" stuff. Make a mental note tho that polishes containing ammonia can degrade the brass. Suggest you use a product like Nu-Finish or really any liquid auto polish will work.

BTW, by now all the ammonia is evaporated out of your media mix.
 
Welcome to reloading. Your list indicates you put alot of thought into it. I also have the LNL AP and think you will be very satisfied.
 
For lube, I bought Hornady one shot spray case lube, I think 3 cans. I will try other lubes and settle on one that suits me.
Click to expand...


Try Imperial sizing wax. I used the pad with the bottle of lube, and I also tried the spray. The spray isn't bad, but you'll like the wax.
The pad and bottle is a pain in the @$$.
 
Don't forget the NITRILE gloves from harbor freight. The black ones seem to be the best for me. I buy them on sale for about $8 a box. Good Stuff
 
I wear gloves for many reasons, mostly when reloading with lead. I like to keep my firearms clean, and gloves protect my hands from harmful chemicals. I don't like to leave fingerprints on my brass, or bullets, and I don't like to handle primers with sweaty, oily hands. Plus, when I wear my lab coat with gloves, I look really cool.
 
Thanks for the rocky mountain supply lead. I love the fact that they low are priced. however I only ordered 250 bullets just to check out their product. See hows these compare to berry's.If it goes well, and Im sure it will. Ill be ordering them in 1000-200 shipments. in all my most used calipers. I like how its a flat rate price, shipping and all in one price. And the fact Pay PAL is a payment option. Been looking for a Pay Pal component dealer...
**Bullet Bender**
 
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Welcome to the world of reloading! My son and I reload all of our ammo and we can now make ammo that exceeds in quality what the factory makes. Practice,Practice, Practice We made lots of mistakes but we had guidance from very good reloaders who answered our questions and graded our ammo for a long time. Reloading can be very addictive and rewarding. Great hobby Feel free to post questions There is a ocean of knowlege and experience in this section. Post some picts of your first batches of ammo. Glad you joined
 
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