Thinking about reloading

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pfc.pennington

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Well, I have read the For the new reloader thread (printed it and went threw it with a highlighter). When and if I start it will be for a hobby, and that is it(maybe progess into more but for for now just to kill time).
The problem is i've never seen the process before, So I don't no what i'm getting myself into. I'm going to order The ABC's of reloading. But until then could some one explan the process or point me in the right direction (youtube is out because im on a DOD computer and im lucky I can get on this site).I think i have decided on the Lee classic turret press to start. I will start with .223 and .40. Thanks in advanced and sorry if i missed a similar thread.

(BTW i wont be home for 7 months so no real hurry but i would be nice to start ordering stuff and have it waiting on me)
 
Reloading is a great hobby. I started with the classic turret two years ago and still use that press. It is a great starter press. Very easy to setup and operate. I load 9mm, 38/357, 45 auto and 223 on mine. Here is the setup for 223.
ry%3D320.jpg
The die in the back with the small stem is the first die. When you raise the case into it, it will size, bell and punch out the primer. Put a primer in the primer cup and as you let the ram down the turret will spin counterclockwise, at the bottom of the stroke push on the handle and thre primer will be seated into the primer pocket. The next die as you raise the brass into the die it will charge it with powder. At the bottom of that stroke set a bullet on the case. Raise it into the third die and the bullet will be seated. Lower the ram and raise it into the forth die to crimp. It all goes a lot faster and easier than it sounds. I load pistol ammo around 200 per hour and 223 around 250 per hour.
Make sure you buy extra turrets so it is fast and easy to change calibers.
ry%3D320.jpg
Hope this helps.
Rusty
 
Great question. I actually started just to save money. After a few weeks it turned into an addiction. I enjoy reloading almost as much as shooting. It is very relaxing for me. Now the money saving is just a bonus. The main reasons I reload now is because it's relaxing, better ammo and I always seem to have 1,000 rounds laying around ready for when ever I want to go to the range. If you buy in bulk and find deals you should be able to load great ammo for half the price of cheap WWB ammo.
Rusty
 
Rusty i love the #3 ball for the handle. i am still contemplating a hurst shifting handle for the top of mine
 
Scrat, you need to bite the bullet and get that Hurst shift handle already.

Then make sure you post it.

Cheers...
 
do you guys find it relaxing to reload or is it someting you do to just save money.
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WOW what a "loaded" Question.

For me its a bunch of things. Its my get away from the wife and kid. I do it in my own little part of my home called man land. The other thing is it does save me money for what I load. I have a large amount of guns that shoot stuff you just can not get, or if you can its so expensive you can not afford it. here is a short list of what I shoot what it cost for factory ammo and what I can load it for.

38 super/100 ct. $42 $7
30 remington/20 ct. $50 $2.75
32 remington/20 ct cant buy it $2.75
same for 25 remington.

now the real savings

50-90 sharps/20 ct $100 $10
 
Scrat you wouldn't believe how much more comfortable the three ball is over the wooden ball. I'm with LGB and would like to see a picture with the Hurst T.
Rusty
 
pfc.pennington, first let me say thank you for your service young man. Please come back safe and sound.
I started reloading at the age of 16, I guess around 1962. I was shooting a 30-06 and as a farm boy I didn't have a lot of money. So it was essentially an economic choice at first. Now I'm 63 and still loving it, but it's grown way beyond economics. It becomes a quest for that elusive perfection. If you stay with it, you'll know what I mean.
Again, you stay safe.

NCsmitty
 
I also use a Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret Press and think it's a great press for all around reloading. I especially like the price and that it does work well.

As for saving money, like the others I thought I was going to save money too but I don't. I do however shoot A LOT more for the same money that I could if I had to buy my ammo. I shoot ~300 rounds of .38 Special a week at a cost of ~$27. Factory Remington UMC .38 Special ammo right now id $15.99/box of 50. For the same money I spend on 100 rounds of Factory ammo I can build 350 rounds of my reloads for the same price. The added bonus is my ammo is much better than anything I can buy and I feel good shooting it!!!

God Bless you and bring you home safely...
 
one more thing, do you guys find it relaxing to reload or is it someting you do to just save money.
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Like NCSmitty, I started in the 60's as a way to save a buck. But as the years rolled by it became a very relaxing and enjoyable hobby. Especially since I retired. I don't even mind trimming cases any more. And when one of my loads drops a hog it gets even better.
Stay safe.
 
It's 100% about fun for me - the savings part is actually "fun stuff" too because ultimately I spend the SAME on shooting as I would if I purchased all my ammo... but due to the savings I can shoot a lot more and a lot more often, thus it's ultimately about having more fun.

I enjoy reloading as much as I do shooting and hunting. To many guys - even fellow reloaders occasionally - that sounds nuts. I love shooting and hunting, but the reloading time in my basement is as much it's own part of my "guns triumverate" as the other two.

The first deer I took with a handload - a doe at that with a 7mm-08, 140 Sierra - was absolutely as cool and memorable for whatever reason as the first deer I ever took period. I could imagine that taking a deer with your own-made bullets would add an extra dimension too, and God forbid you could build your own rifle... my wife would kill me if I got too much into the latter two. So for now I can only wish.

I load everything on two lee classic turret presses (good choice) and one old rock chucker single stage press. Including 9mm, again something else I get made fun of for loading. You save relatively little reloading 9mm compared to most calibers in plain cost, and many people say I'm wasting my time on that caliber since I'm not using a progressive of some sort. The people who feel that way just don't get it... I'm looking to invest time, not save it, because reloading is fun as heck to me.

Stay safe, God bless, and GO GET EM! Sorry for the longish post.
 
Again, let me say thanks for your service, stay safe.

Your choice of the classic turret is a very good one! I bought one 6 months ago, even though I have a dillon 650. It's VERY difficult to do load work up's on a progressive loader. But it's a snap on the lee turret.

As far as the relaxing vs cost effective aspect, it's both for me. If I'm not doing something with my hands, I start getting restless. My job is an assembler in an axle plant, as if that's not enough to give something to do. The spin-off is I get a bunch of ammo to shoot when I go to the range. And it's far less money than if I had to stop to buy ammo, and find they're out of stock! Or don't have specifically what I wanted to shoot. Then if they do happen to have it, it don't shoot well in my gun!:mad:

Depoloni, don't apologize for longish posts and don't stop posting them. That was an interesting post and well written.
 
I have a Dillon 550B that I use for both pistol and rifle.

As it's a progressive press with manual indexing, it is kind of like a turret press. That is, you can break out the deprime/resizing/reprime operation at station 1. Collect the brass in a bin, clean the lube off, trim case length and chamfer as necessary, then grab that bin of prepped and primed brass and resume operations at the press.

Instead of using station 1, which has already been accomplished, just insert the brass and index to station 2. The progressive then handles powder charge, bullet seating and (optional 4th stage) crimping.

Yes, I find it relaxing. Mostly it's a way to get exactly what you want, especially in rifle calibers.

I find my group sizes are the same or better than factory ammo.

Some who reload admit it doesn't save money, just lets you shoot more for the same cost. That might be true. :)
 
I haven't been able to shoot for weeks, something like 8-10 weeks now. This is due to family obligations, job, etc. In this time I have fallen more in love with reloading and recently, casting and I enjoy it as much as shooting. Plus I safe a bunch of money which I enjoy too!.

I join in by expressing my thanks for your service to our country and offer a prayer for your safe return.
 
I was just like you about a year ago, and found a compatriot at the range who was willing to let me come over and watch the process, then try it myself. That was all it took, and now I am at my bench 3-5 nights a week, and love it. See if you can find a mentor and get to it!
 
The Lee turret press is a good first press. I just got mine not too long ago and I'm pretty happy with it. I reload 9mm, .45, .357, .380, and .38spl on it. I originally got into to save money, but I find that I actually enjoy it a great deal now. It's nice to be able to work up loads that give you the best accuracy, least recoil, or whatever. I don't really save that much money though because I probably shoot four or five times as much as I used to.

001-9.jpg

002-9.jpg
 
Pfc Pennington definately do yourself a favor and start reloading when you get home. I had been wanting to forever and started handloading last March. It is a hobby for me and is working on a (good) addiction. It is very relaxing to me, as long as the wife and kids will leave me alone. The .223 is the caliber that I started with and is very easy. I will probably give .40 a try someday, but don't load pistol yet.
 
Sniper that handle looks good. Does it hit the powder measure when you push it all the way up?
Rusty
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It will hit the powder measure if I don't keep it rotated toward the center of the turret, as long as I do that it's fine. I was surprised at how much more comfortable it is than the ball.
 
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