Questions on reloading!!!!!!!

[Rck'n'ROll]

I am thinking about starting to reload. I need some information on what exactly I need to get started. I don't like messing around with the cheap stuff that will just get me by. I like only to buy things once. I don't like to get going on some new project, find out that I like it, and then say, "Oh now I need to upgrade". If someone could be so kind and inform me on what I need for reloading .45apc, .308, .223, .338 lapua, and .44 magnum. I would greatly appreciate the help.

PS. I am not lazy. I have looked up many web pages on this subject. I just can't find any good links on what is good and what I should avoid. If you feel the need to flame me because i am sure that someone else has a similar thread up, please be gentle!!

[sargenv]

Hmm, the issue here is not what to reccomend, it's "how much of each of those calibers do you shoot?". For pistol and most short action rifle ammo, if you shoot a lot, I say Dillon 550 or 650. For long action cartridges where you might shoot maybe a few hundred rounds a year (338 Lapua may be one) I say Single Stage Rock Chucker or something similar. I have a Rock Chucker that I use for 308 Win, and a Dillon 650 that I use for all pistol calibers and .223 rem rifle since I shoot enough of that caliber that it's worth loading progressively. My 308, I might shoot a few hundred a year so a Single stage is enough. So that being said, if you are local to me (SF bay area) I can show you how I do things and you can make your decision based on that. I load about 15-20 thousand pistol rounds a year, a thousand or so 223 rem a year, approx 300 - .308's and I used to make shotshells when it was affordable to do so. Not so much anymore.

[thmpr]

Where are you located?

[ar15barrels]

Dillon 650 is my recommendation for all of those except the 338.
That one's going to need a bigger press and that's going to mean a single stage press.

If you are in the LA area, I can show you the different dillons and how they work and what each is better at doing etc...

[thmpr]

XL650 will work for the 338 Lapua Magnum. Ask me how I know? Because it works on my XL650.

[ar15barrels]

XL650 will work for the 338 Lapua Magnum. Ask me how I know? Because it works on my XL650.

Do you have to sneak the long bullets up inside the seater die?

I have to do that on my 1050 with the 223 and it bugs the crap out of me.
I need to take 1/4" off the bottom of my 223 seater die...

[mike100]

I just jumped right in and got a dillon 650 for my first press (I use it one pistol calibers at the moment)- It was a bit harder to learn how the progressive turret works, but at least I only had to buy it once. I must have initially spent about $1000 to get most of the stuff I still use now. Of course you will get nickel and dimed on nw calibers, tool heads and extra powder measures. You may splurge on a trick scale or whatever too. A lot of what i got was used and I purchased it all from the same guy.

Once you get up and running, you'll know exactly what you want. I'd like to have a second press to save setup time, but for now, I'm trying to keep it economical (which was the whole reason I started reloading-at least I thought it was).

[bohoki]

there are lots of informative youtube videos on reloading

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98I1i8Toj8E

[thmpr]

Do you have to sneak the long bullets up inside the seater die?

I have to do that on my 1050 with the 223 and it bugs the crap out of me.
I need to take 1/4" off the bottom of my 223 seater die...

Hahahahaha... Randall, you sure know whats going on... I had RCBS cut 3/8" of the seater die. For all who plans to reload the 338 LM on their XL650, please use imperial wax (Nothing else works) or else you will either break the plate or the rim part of the case.

[thmpr]

Randall,
Will you modify some PMAGS for me?

Thanks!

[kris&bela]

Just get DILLON 650 preferablly,electronic scale (ac/dc) mech. caliper or digital type,trimmer(so many brands) I still use the lee type w/c is very time consuming-you can do better! 1 or 2 brass tumblers,bullet puller and so much more..You'll figure it out once you started.You mentioned .223,I would recommend getting the carbide die from dillon if you really gonna load lots of it.I've used/abused 3 dies for that caliber already and the 4th one is definitely a carbide.I don't load that many calibers just the most common ones 9mm,45acp,38super..223,.308,.243 and 30M1 carbine.It's fun reloading when you have a lot of time.....

[GW]

Another vote for RL-650
While I don't recommend to for 338 LMWhy
The conversion kit, powder measure Magnum loading bar all cost a lot of $$ You can probably get a Lee turret or rock chucker press for that purpose and save the 650 for mass production
I do 308, 30-06 and 45 ACP on my 650. They all use the same plate

I have SDB's for 40/10mm and 44 Mag and use a Lee turret for 300 RUM and 375 H&H. I don't like mucking around with dies once I get them set so the dies just stay in their turrets and I pull the whole turret out when I want to load one or the other. I just don't load tons of the magnums to justify in my mind the cost of the conversion kits and the hassle of swapping them out on the Dillon.
JMHO

[GW]

I forgot to add
Don't scrimp on the scale A good digital scale will cost $100 or so

Also right now--get a good reloading manual I like the Lyman #48 it has rifle and pistol data and they aren't pushing a particular brand of bullet or powder.
They also have data for lead bullets in rifles

[thmpr]

While I don't recommend to for 338 LMWhy
The conversion kit, powder measure Magnum loading bar all cost a lot of $$ You can probably get a Lee turret or rock chucker press for that purpose and save the 650 for mass production (quote from GW)


Strictly use the 650 to resize/bullet seat the 338 LM only. Powder charge is manual since you wont be shooting a 100 rounds in one sitting anyways. Max will probably be around 25.

[ar15barrels]

Once you get up and running, you'll know exactly what you want. I'd like to have a second press to save setup time, but for now, I'm trying to keep it economical (which was the whole reason I started reloading-at least I thought it was).

I started with a 550 and bought a 2nd one within a year.
This tided me over pretty good for 6 or 7 years.
Then I got a 650.
It's "oh my god" better so I ended up with two of those.
Somewhere in there, I also got a 1050 and guess what, it's "oh my god" better than the 650 in overall speed and smoothness.
Unfortunately it's also finicky and really slow to reconfigure for different cartridges.
I have two 1050's now and they will never get re-configured away from 9mm and 223.
In total, I have 8 dillon presses: a 450, 3 550's, 2 650's and 2 1050's.

Each has strong and weak points.
I prefer to size rifle cases on a 550 due to the smaller size of the shellplate keeping the ram from being twisted like it does on the 650.
I size and trim in seperate steps from loading.
This way I can tumble the cases after sizing.
Then when it comes time to load, I put the sized/trimmed/cleaned cases in the 650 or 1050 and go to town.

Taking the sizing operation off-press from the seating operation makes for more consistent bullet seating.