Warning: Newbie Question!

[sfc123]

I do not have a reloader and have not reloaded before but I am considering getting into it.

I solely shoot WWB 45acp.

I am thinking of initially reloading the WWB by getting the different pieces and putting together my own WWB 45acp 230g FMJ round. I can buy all the pieces and have the powder weight, but I wanted to know what you thought about that.

The reason I thought I would start with this is that it is relatively cheap and I can make it for about 9 bucks less than I can buy it per 100 and it is a round both my gun and I am familiar with.

What do you think?

 

[taliv]

depends on how many rounds to plan to shoot, how much your time is worth, and how patient you are

 

[sfc123]

300-500 rounds per week, probably 400. I don't have that much time but I figure the time it takes me to get in my car and drive 15 minutes to walmart, walk to the other side of the world, wait 10 minutes for someone to help me, buy it (if I'm lucky enough for them to have it in-stock), and then walk back to my side of the world and drive home, it might even save me some time, not to mention money.

 

[Firehand]

If you're planning on loading that many per week, I'd strongly suggest a progressive press; cuts down on the time a LOT over a single-stage or turret press.

A good one's not cheap, but at that volume wouldn't take that long to cover it.

 

[Walkalong]

Berry's 230 Gr. RN, 5.5 Grs. W231, your once fired WWB brass, & the primer of your choice. Load @ 1.260 O.A.L.

This will approximate the WWB loads and be accurate. There are other choices of course. Powder and primers can usually be bought the cheapest at a gun show, but you may have somewhere local with good prices there. Expect to pay $17 to $20 for a lb. of pistol powder and $19 to $24 for 1000 primers. Primers are up.

 

[sfc123]

So do you guys think that would be a good way to start off?

Thanks for insights.

 

[RustyFN]

It depends how much time and money you want to spend. You can make 400 rounds on a Lee Classic turret in two hours. The turret press with everything you need will cost around $200. You can make 400 rounds on a progressive in around one hour, maybe less depends which press. To get started with a progressive it will cost you $500 and up. I own a Lee Classic Turret and make 800 rounds per week by doing a couple hours a few nights a week. Hope this helps.
Rusty

 

[sfc123]

Thanks for the time info...

I guess what I was trying to get some feedback on wa whether you guys thought going the route of making my own WWB would be good.

 

[ChristopherG]

What they're telling you is this: there's no way for anyone but you to predict whether it will be a good idea for you. Some of us like loading ammo, and consider the time spent doing it time well spent. Some folks try it and find they consider it a drudgery, and for them, you can't save enough money to be paid a good enough rate to do something you don't enjoy doing.

Will you save money over the long haul? Yes. Will your ammo be better than WWB (assuming you're a careful and diligent loader)? Yes.

But, "is it a good idea?" is a question we can't answer for you. If you can't ever envision yourself loadiing anything BUT basic 230 ball, and can't imagine taking on other loads as projects and whatnot, then I'd guess it's gonna bore you, and the savings won't be worth the time and effort to you. If the idea of just tweaking different bullet and powder combinations, and experimenting with bullet weights and styles, puts a gleam in your eye, then I'd say you're probly on the way to discovering a whole new side of shooting.

So you tell us, from what you know about yourself. Is it a good idea?

 

[RustyFN]

ChristopherG, great post. sfc123 where are you located? It would be great if you knew somebody that reloads or you could get hooked up with someone close and try it before you buy equipment.
Rusty

 

[sfc123]

Yes, I think ultimately it might be fun but I do not have time right now for trial and error. I live in Southern California.

 

[Jim Watson]

Unlike Christopher, I do not get a twinkle in my eye from contemplating all the permutations and combinations possible to the handloader. Reloading is something I do to get ready to go shooting, not a hobby in its own right. I experiment as required to get an efficient load in each caliber of interest, but that is about it.

You can save money and you can probably beat WWB for quality. I do.

Oh, by the way; you may "have the powder weight" but you do not necessarily have the powder or be able to get it. There are many different pistol powders and the stuff in factory loads may well be from a bulk lot not sold at retail. The way to duplicate WWB is with a manual and if you want to get right on the money, a chronograph.

 

[ChristopherG]

Now, Jim, are you really gonna try to tell us you didn't get a little bit of an esoteric thrill loading up those ridiculous 90-grain .223 bullets for f-class competition--and then making a cartridge do what the guys on either side of you on the line confidently tell you it can't?

I love to go to the range with a box of rompin-stompin' .45 AR 255 gr. SWC's and a 625, and always end up getting to tell the story of the 1917, and explain that there are different .45's, and all kind of things.

Maybe I'm just an insufferable prig

But, I started with a simple load (158 gr. LRN .38's), and I still load them thousands of exemplars later--though I must admit the first batch still stands out in my mind. SFC123, I (obviously) think it's a bet worth placing. Any cartridge you load can be a more satisfying cartridge to shoot.

 

[SASS#23149]

at that many rounds per week,I thnk if you start with a single stage press that does one operation at a time you'll quickly learn to hate reloading.
Reloading is time consuming and you MUST allow time to do it correctly,or
KABOOM!.
I'd wager that it'll take closer to 5 hous to load 400 rounds on a single stage press as compared to an hour or so on a progressive press.
been there and done it.
You really need to find some relaoders with different equipment and go see it done.It's not a wham-bang type of thing.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I've loaded .45 ACP for years and years. It is a very easy cartridge to load for. I've used many different commercial cast bullets, but for economy, make friends with your local tire dealer and get wheelweights. I have a 6-cavity Lee mould (the 230 grain tumble lube design) and shoot the bullets unsized and lubed with liquid Alox. I like 4.5 grains of Bullseye behind this bullet, and buy Bullseye in 8-lb kegs. You won't find a cheaper load anywhere.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Trial is essential. You will need to start with a safe load and build up until it meets your accuracy/velocity needs without exceeding pressure limits. Those factors are not necessarily directly transferable from one person's firearm/reloading setup to another's.

 

[DWARREN123]

Sure, you should be able to get close to WWB, maybe not exact but very close. If you are like most of us you will be experimenting very shortly for accuracy, speed and just for the heck of it.
Get a couple of good reloading manuals before doing anything else and read then reread them.

 

[WildeKurt]

I'm fairly new to reloading and here are the numbers as they work for me:

- Spent a tad over $200 for equipment: Lee classic cast turret and what not.
- I load 38 special and 357 magnum (but mostly 38 special at +P ratings)
- I figure my break even (not counting for my time) is about 2000 rounds. I save $10 per hunded. (using 38 special) This is fairly conservative. I'm happier with my loads than the crap I was buying at Wally World 'cuz it was cheap.
- Really like my loads better. I load heavier jacketed bullets than the Winchester value packs.
- Loading is not a hobby for me.
- So far, I can load about 100 rounds an hour, but expect if I hurried I could double that.
- My ideal goal would be, 1 hour at the reloading bench = 1 hour at the range which would be 200 rounds.

 

[ChristopherG]

My ideal goal would be, 1 hour at the reloading bench = 1 hour at the range which would be 200 rounds.

You could always just shoot slower; instant goal achievement!

 

[waumo]

300-500 rounds a week?

Get a Dillon RL 550B.

 

[SLM]

I've gotten pretty good with my Lee hand press but there's NO way I could do 200 rounds, start to finish in an hour. I'm not sure I could do 75. I reload in steps. One day I resize/deprime 300 to 500 rounds, on another day I'll expand/flare. Another evening is priming. Finally, I spend a few hours charging cases and seating/crimping.

It takes a while but I don't mind too much. I'm still playing around with different combinations so I usually load four or five different recipes. It doesn't cut into my shooting time either because with the way my job goes I only to the range once a month or so.

If you get to shoot every week and are going thru 800 rounds a month, I'd look into something faster than a single stage.

Or like ChristopherG said, just shoot slower!

 

[GCW5]

I've been loading with a single stage press, and can do about 50 an hour. I think that once you get started, you'll get hooked, like (most) the rest of us.

I load 7 pistol and 12 rifle calibers, I have about (guessing with out actually counting) 35 different powders and 100+ different bullet styles on hand now. I use a Crony and get much pleasure from experementing with different combinations for accuracy and velocity. Yes, it can be as much of it's on hobby as shooting.