Bought ammo components before reloading press...

[MarikinaMan]

Ive been trying to get into reloading in anticipation of the ammo laws and the ascendance of Killary Clinton. But I have a couple of issues causing delays.

1) Im in the middle of cleaning up, making space and doing minor construction in the garage, just final touches.
2) I need to build two work benches.
3) undecided between Redding T-7 turret or Dillon 550B
4) still reading how to books on reloading and looking for a class.

Am very busy personally and professionally. I do as much as I can when I can. Since, buying the press is an eventuality, I decided to buy the components ahead of time. Lock it in now just in case more panic buying takes place, and ease into setting up the reloading bench and press.

I have 1-2 years of factory ammo to get me by as I get set up.

Bought cases of Remington primers, Varget, W231, Hornady 224s HPBTs and 9mm 124gr FMJRNS. Enough to last me the first half of the Hillary presidency, possibly 3 years. 4 would be a stretch, but possible.

I know my guns like these bullets. I will likely just follow reloading manual loads. Maybe tweak them if I have the time. Main intent is to have stuff to shoot when I need it. Aint no LGS carries 75gr 5.56s.

If I keep the powder in coolers, lids taped shut, it should be good right? In an ammo crisis, will I have issues finding 9mm and 223 brass? Im hoping to recycle my own brass but who knows. In a Hillary presidency, presses should be readily available? Has there ever been a run on presses and dies?

[NukleusX]

Where are you located?

[Paseclipse]

I'd be worried about finding primers more than anything because they're usually the first to go before everything else.

As for the presses and such, it's hard to say what it will be like once every shooter in our state figures out there's no required background checks (yet) to buy reloading components.

[MarikinaMan]

Where are you located?

Los Angeles

[kcheung2]

Keeping the powders unopened and in a dark dry location should be sufficient for decades of storage. Keep those jugs in the original shipping boxes for extra insurance. Even in a summertime garage, it's amazing the temp differences between ambient & inside a jug, inside a cardboard box.

The components to stock are powders & primers. Those are the bottlenecks because they are made by large corps, sometimes overseas, and it takes quite a bit of lead time from mfg to transport, permitting, and finally distribution. Most projectiles are also made by large corporations, but there are also smaller shops (Extreme, Zero, etc) that can fill in the gaps so in a crunch availabilty will be a bit better. Brass would be the lowest priority, even after Sandy Hook there were sellers here & on Gunbroker selling it at ok prices.

When you think you have enough supplies, double it. When I took up reloading, my perspective on quantities drastically changed. Before reloading, I viewed 1000 rounds as a huge stockpille. Now those quantities are just a fraction of a typical order.

[MarikinaMan]

Keeping the powders unopened and in a dark dry location should be sufficient for decades of storage. Keep those jugs in the original shipping boxes for extra insurance. Even in a summertime garage, it's amazing the temp differences between ambient & inside a jug, inside a cardboard box.

The components to stock are powders & primers. Those are the bottlenecks because they are made by large corps, sometimes overseas, and it takes quite a bit of lead time from mfg to transport, permitting, and finally distribution. Most projectiles are also made by large corporations, but there are also smaller shops (Extreme, Zero, etc) that can fill in the gaps so in a crunch availabilty will be a bit better. Brass would be the lowest priority, even after Sandy Hook there were sellers here & on Gunbroker selling it at ok prices.

When you think you have enough supplies, double it. When I took up reloading, my perspective on quantities drastically changed. Before reloading, I viewed 1000 rounds as a huge stockpille. Now those quantities are just a fraction of a typical order.

Thanks that helps. I may up the powder and the primers. Im going to put away the first shipment and see what my storage situation looks like.

[uechikid]

After Sandy Hook everything dried up very quickly, even presses. I had to wait four months for my Dillon SDB. Powder was another item that has just come back in stock in the last six-eight months.
There might be some panic buying here because of the new ammo laws but that will have a small effect on the overall availability from online retailers.

[stilly]

Ive been trying to get into reloading in anticipation of the ammo laws and the ascendance of Killary Clinton. But I have a couple of issues causing delays.

1) Im in the middle of cleaning up, making space and doing minor construction in the garage, just final touches.
2) I need to build two work benches.
3) undecided between Redding T-7 turret or Dillon 550B
4) still reading how to books on reloading and looking for a class.

Am very busy personally and professionally. I do as much as I can when I can. Since, buying the press is an eventuality, I decided to buy the components ahead of time. Lock it in now just in case more panic buying takes place, and ease into setting up the reloading bench and press.

I have 1-2 years of factory ammo to get me by as I get set up.

Bought cases of Remington primers, Varget, W231, Hornady 224s HPBTs and 9mm 124gr FMJRNS. Enough to last me the first half of the Hillary presidency, possibly 3 years. 4 would be a stretch, but possible.

I know my guns like these bullets. I will likely just follow reloading manual loads. Maybe tweak them if I have the time. Main intent is to have stuff to shoot when I need it. Aint no LGS carries 75gr 5.56s.

If I keep the powder in coolers, lids taped shut, it should be good right? In an ammo crisis, will I have issues finding 9mm and 223 brass? Im hoping to recycle my own brass but who knows. In a Hillary presidency, presses should be readily available? Has there ever been a run on presses and dies?

Instead of a Redding T-7 or a Dillon I would consider a Lee Classic Turret with an iron base and not the aluminum base. If you are new to reloading then that turret will allow you to be the fastest that you can be while being single stage, and it only costs about $115 and you can always move your dies to a more expensive press down the line once you know what you are doing and you have developed some good habits. You must crawl before you can walk and you must walk before you can win the 100 yd dash.

I consider the Redding T-7 for utility reasons, not for actual reloading. I have to see one in person before I can decide if they are good for me to size or swage on or not, but having about 7 sizers ready to go and just sitting there is nice.

[hambam105]

Any progressive reloading press takes up a lot of operational space.
As a beginner, don't concern yourself with efficiency until you become proficient at reloading. Owning 2 presses down the road is no big deal. Nothing wrong with starting on a quality single stage press.
Lee has it at price point. But for owning a press for the next 40 years problem free, I am not convinced.
Redding, I hear, still makes its reloading presses here in America.

[Bill Steele]

Instead of a Redding T-7 or a Dillon I would consider a Lee Classic Turret with an iron base and not the aluminum base. If you are new to reloading then that turret will allow you to be the fastest that you can be while being single stage, and it only costs about $115 and you can always move your dies to a more expensive press down the line once you know what you are doing and you have developed some good habits. You must crawl before you can walk and you must walk before you can win the 100 yd dash.

I consider the Redding T-7 for utility reasons, not for actual reloading. I have to see one in person before I can decide if they are good for me to size or swage on or not, but having about 7 sizers ready to go and just sitting there is nice.

Excellent advice, the Lee Claasic Turret is a super middle ground choice for a first press. Kempf's sells a kit of the LCT that actually just has the stuff you want and not a bunch of crud you don't thrown in.

[OpenSightsOnly]

Los Angeles

Since you are in LA, go to ASR and sign up for their reloading class.

Easy!

[packnrat]

first press should be a rcbs rock chucker. "starter kit".
very solid, life time warranty (like it would ever be used).
learn on a single stage press first.
get added items . aka: scales, cleaners, dies, gauges, etc.
BOOKS get a couple of them for the recipes for loading.
stock up big time on primers and powder.

how often do you get to a free state?
buy powder in the 8 pound jugs.
in ca i only see primers in the flats. in nevada, oregon there are boxes and boxes of them on the shelves so no problem buying a couple 4-5 thousand at a time. i feel weird buying too many at one time.

but when i do a reloading i do in batches of 3-8 K at one time.

brass is free.
go to a place that has open shooting. and become a brass hound.
i have a number of 5 gallon buckets to keep the deprimed and washed brass in. need more. (and the buckets are free on the side of our freeways).
i must have 5 - 5 gallon buckets of just 223 empty brass outside. then all the other cartridges. and there is a web site for trading out your unwanted for your wanted brass. NO selling. only cost is what you pay for shipping for the trades. so NO state tax or IRS tax involvement.
as no cash gain.

http://ammobrasstrader.com/forum/

.

[opos]

Just a quick comment on storing powder and primers...first, do not take the primers out of the boxes they come in and try to "bulk store" the primers...asking for a possible big boom! They are made to be stored in the boxes with the dividers, etc.

On the powder cool and dry is the best as far as I know...and as with primers...store sealed in the jars and boxes (if you have them)they came in...

Don't put primers or powder in a tightly enclosed safe or container..lots of "discussion" about this but things that are sealed in a big container without a path for gas to escape in case of fire can be a problem...SAAMI has specs on storage...I doubt many folks follow that but it's there for reference...

As to presses, etc there will be plenty of "advice" on that...however ... you might consider a simple single stage press to start with to learn the process...been a lot of new reloaders that got a very sour taste from jumping into a high end progressive and getting really messed up trying to learn the process at the same time as learning the basics of reloading..once you learn the steps in a simple set up all the high end stuff is just an outgrowth that is don't with automation..but without the basics it's hard to know what the machine is doing.

Safe loading

[damndave]

Primers, powders and certain bullets dried up last time. Everything else was not too bad. Certain presses were a little harder to get, but nothing crazy. Brass was still readily available, but the prices went up a little.

I store my primers in ammo cans with a bunch of those silica packs. Powders get stored in a cabinet in the garage.

[anyracoon]

Might want to get some ball powder for your rifle loading. Varget is fine for loading one at a time, but if you go with any type of progressive press, you will need a powder that will feed through your powder measure evenly. Most progressive powder measures do not work well with stick powder.