Primer question; caution: learning curve ahead..

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halfded

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I recently got a Ruger Vaquero in 45 colt and love it! Except when I have to buy ammo for it. So I'm gonna start reloading. This is probably the first of many questions I have:

I know that I need large pistol primers, does it get more specific than that? I saw cci 300, 350, something-brand 7 1/2, etc. Just wondering if certain primers go to certain loads, or can I just buy any large pistol primers and load away with whatever else I can find.

I want to make el cheapo lead bullets just to plink/target shoot with. I know I need to get some books and read, but with the rarity of primers, if I can come across some before I get my hands on any loading charts, I'd like to be able to grab them while I can.

By the way, trying to get somewhere close to the winchester cowboy loads (that's the brass I'll be reloading), 250 grain flat nose lead bullet.
 
SO I can use any brand of primer for any kind of load as long as it is large pistol?

Are they all the same strength I guess is the question I'm asking?
 
Yes, Std. LG Pistol primers are Std. LG pistol primers regardless of who made them.

They will fit any brand of case that uses LG Pistol primers.

Magnum primers are only needed for Ball or Sperical powder used in Magnum loads.
NOT NEEDED or desirable for the fast burning powders you will use in Cowboy Action loads.

rc
 
Great.. the hunt begins. Can't wait to get started, I"ll be able to shoot a whole box at a time without needing a second job.

Anyone know where a guy might find some large pistol primers? Don't want to buy a truckoad, just enough to get started.

I'm gonna use the Lee loader set, or the lee hand press; haven't decided.. I kinda like the idea of building each bullet individually, and I don't shoot enough to warrant a full reloading operation. That's what the rimfires are for. Gonna pick up one of those conversion deals for the vaquero soon too.
 
Get a real reloading press, dies & powder scale.
You can thank me later.

Get a loading block and charge 50 cases with powder before seating bullets.
That allows you to be 100% sure every case is charged the same, and all have powder in them.
Too easy to make a BIG mistake when loading one at a time.

rc
 
I would add that you should look for some Trail Boss powder while you're picking up primers. It's one of the best powders for .45 Colt "cowboy" loads. It's also one of the safest powders in terms of reducing the risk of overcharging the case. If you buy the 9oz container, at only 6.0gr per load, it'll be good for 650 loads ... not bad for $30 or thereabouts.

:)
 
rcmodel said:
It don't cost that much when you can find any.
Click to expand...

Well now ... that depends ENTIRELY on where you live and your state laws regarding the purchase of smokeless powder over the internet!! As much as I'd like to pay $13.29/9oz + hazmat fees + shipping fees, I don't have that luxury so I pay about $30/9oz. However, with 6.0gr per load, the powder costs me about 4.6¢ per load compared to 12.8¢ per bullet per load (Oregon trail 250gr LRNFP).

Heck, when I shoot 80 round matches with my .300 Win Mag, that's a $100 day at least with 80 reloads and match fees!! Luckily my wife and I have good paying jobs and can afford such luxuries. I don't get on her case when she comes home with two handbags at over $500 each and she doesn't get on my case when I order rifles, scopes or handguns each month, not to mention thousands of dollars worth of reloading supplies. Life is good!!

:)
 
Yea !!

HalfDed -
There are plenty of local gun shops and gun shows where you should be able to pick up the items you need. True, you may have to go to 2 or 3 to find everything, but things are getting better as we speak. However, again, the first purchase should be a great reloading manual, such as Lyman's. This has a whole section dedicated to "Cowboy Loads".

If you'll order your bullets tonight from Missouri Bullet you'll have them before Thursday.
 
Even with today's prices I can build a box of .45 Colt rounds for ~$6 a box. Factory ammo is at minimum $30 a box and more. The potential savings is huge but don't be fooled, you won't save a dime reloading but you will shoot A LOT more for that dime. At today's overinflated ammo prices you will probably shoot 5:1 when reloading. (I was happy with 3:1 a few years back)
 
Do you really think the ABC's of reloading is necessary. I've found it to be lacking and somewhat outdated. Most of the current manuals have a lot of good reloading how-to information in the front half of book which most reloaders bypass. The current Lyman 49th Edition is one of them.
 
I was looking at getting "modern reloading 2nd edition" and checking the library for "ABC's of reloading". Any other recommended reading? Mind you I'm not opening my own munitions factory, just loading a maximum of 700-1000 rounds a year.
 
Figures... I just got home from spending my "gun allowance" for this paycheck. Guess I'll check back next week, maybe they'll still have some. Be another month or so before I get all the tools I need to start anyway, but it doesn't hurt to have my ducks in a row knowing how hard it can be to find some of this stuff.

One more question for the audience:

If I use carbide dies I don't have to lube the cases right? Just make sure they're good and clean first?
 
If I use carbide dies I don't have to lube the cases right? Just make sure they're good and clean first?
Click to expand...
Correct. You can lube if you wish, and it will be slicker than goose stuff, but you don't need it. Saves the step of lubing, and the step of cleaning the lube off.
 
"Accidentally" won a bid for 500 CCI 300 large pistol primers! I assume (looking at the cross reference chart mentioned above) that these will work for my 45 colt cowboy loads I intend to make?
 
Ummm, how much did you pay for a half box of CCI 300 primers? I hope it wasn't more than $15.... And yes, CCI 300 (standard large pistol primers) are what you need for loading .45 Colt ammo.
 
$30 with shipping. Probably a little high, but for my first endeavor I figured I'd take what I could find and what I knew I needed. That's not too bad though is it? The boxes of 1k on Natchez were $26, $62 with shipping :what: Stupid hazmat fee. Half of $62 is $31 so it's about in line with what I paid for the 500. Now I'm looking for my die set.. No money in the coffers but looks like sourcing these is going to be a bear.
 
halfded, find a local gunsmith to buy your primers / powder from. you have to buy a bunch of either to make it worthwhile to pay for the hazmat charge. you will pay $3.00-$5.00 more per thousand (primers) than the advertised price on a website, but that is still way cheaper than adding on the $20.00 hazmat fee! plus, when you need some advice, you will have a local source to get some expert advice from. plus, you get to know that you are helping a real person to live instead of a website corporation. i do buy from both. i buy bulk bullets & brass from the web, but i buy my powder and primers from my local gunsmith. if his prices were close on the bullets and brass, i would buy them from him also. but the big guys get a heck of a discount when they buy 500,000-1,000,000 at one time. and my local guy just can not compete with that. but when it comes to hazmat stuff, it is rarely more cost efficient for me to order that way.
 
thanks mooooose! Believe me if I could find them around here I'd do just what you suggested. I'm all about helping the little guy, as long as he's not helping himself too much. I figure at the rate I shoot (summertime in Virginia is not very outdoor sport friendly) those 500 primers will last until I can find someone around here that has them. Haven't started to look for powder yet, not sure what I need. Primers are primers, but powder differs from brand to brand if I'm not mistaken right? From my reading it sounds like trailboss might be what I'm looking for (cowboy loads mostly, might load a couple wrist tweakers now and then) behind a 250 grain cast lead bullet. Gonna start ordering my tools and book-learnin' next weekend. Think I've got everything covered; nothing fancy just the basics to get started making 50 rds or so at a time. Too bad none of you guys live around here, though I've got a basic handle on the whole process it would be nice to learn from someone a little more learn-ed than myself.
 
I think you got something just a little wrong there. If the primers are $26 I highly doubt the total cost is $62. The Hazmat fee just went up so it's now $22.50. That brings the total to $48.50 so I can't see even Midway charging $14 to ship a small box like that. Besides, I don't know anyone who buys only 1 box of primers just because of the Hazmat fee.

Also, I highly doubt the person you won the primers from declared them and paid the Hazmat fee. You have to go to school and get all kinds of permits to ship hazardous materials. Unless it's a business they didn't pay the Hazmat. IMO $30 is an outrageous price for a half box of primers. Things are starting to loosen up a bit. I'm sure you could have gotten a full box for under $30 locally fairly soon. I get upset when a box of primers costs me over $20 let alone paying $30. The most I've paid for primers ever is $24/1000.
 
You callin' me a liar boy? *spits in spitoon* ;) Just kidding. $62.04 was the exact price to ship 1 box of primers to my door from Natchezss. Check for yourself if you can find them in stock, they were remmy 2 1/2 I believe. And with the amount I shoot, the .06 or so increase per round doesn't hurt my feelings too much. I just don't want to pay $40 to $50 a box for factory loads. If I can shoot 45 colt for under $12 a box then I'm happy. As I said before, I'm not looking to put Winchester out of business or anything, just learning something new and making my dollar stretch a little further.

BTW, you've got about as much chance of finding Bigfoot as you do primers around here. I'm not going to be one of those vultures that monitors shipments and hangs around the gun store all day waiting... Contrary to popular belief, I DO have some semblance of a life left!
 
[Mind you I'm not opening my own munitions factory, just loading a maximum of 700-1000 rounds a year.] Thats what you think, a couple of years from now you will think how did I get so deep into this.
 
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