Hopefully have all my ducks in a row - questions

[orangeusa]

I've read everywhere and not seen this answered. Hopefully will be reloading this weekend for first time. (Read the Lee and Hornady books, Reloading 101 here ect)

1. HOT PRIMER REMOVAL
If you crush a primer or seat it too deeply - how do you UNSEAT a hot primer? (my gut feel is to load in the gun and fire it without powder of course - I'm a conservative guy)

2. BULLET PRICES out of WHACK:
I've been told and read many times that brass is the most expensive, but I'm finding that bullets are running 14-30 cents ! Is this just this crazy economy? (And no, I don't want to cast bullets). (I'm quoting lead 45Colt in 100 and 200 qty). 44mag jacketed are running 20-35 or more!

3. NEW BRASS
I've seen posts about folks using only new brass. Doesn't that negate the price advantage of reloads? Why ?

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[Divernhunter]

1) just run it thru the decap die again. Nothing bad will happen. Do not need to worry about seating them to deep.
2) bullets are overpriced now. Hopefully they will drop in price as supply catches up with demand.......Demand is being fueled longer by all you new to reloading guys.
3) Pistol brass= Starline brass. They have excellent prices. I use new brass for any BG hunting rounds(pistol or rifle) just to be sure. I sometimes also buy new to get a supply of brass for loading and reloading. This is especially true for cartridges that are less common.

That take care of the ducks?

[Bill Steele]

I've read everywhere and not seen this answered. Hopefully will be reloading this weekend for first time. (Read the Lee and Hornady books, Reloading 101 here ect)

1. HOT PRIMER REMOVAL
If you crush a primer or seat it too deeply - how do you UNSEAT a hot primer? (my gut feel is to load in the gun and fire it without powder of course - I'm a conservative guy)

2. BULLET PRICES out of WHACK:
I've been told and read many times that brass is the most expensive, but I'm finding that bullets are running 14-30 cents ! Is this just this crazy economy? (And no, I don't want to cast bullets). (I'm quoting lead 45Colt in 100 and 200 qty). 44mag jacketed are running 20-35 or more!

3. NEW BRASS
I've seen posts about folks using only new brass. Doesn't that negate the price advantage of reloads? Why ?

.

Good luck on your upcoming adventure.

1) Just decap like a spent primer, the primer material is on the other side of the anvil. If you get one seated upside down, either put a drop of oil in for a few hours before decapping or do what I do and just go very slow on the ram upstroke. Decapped lots, never had one go off, but eyes and ears just in case.

2) Yes, bullets are expensive.

3) I love new Starline brass, but I don't recommend it. It is so luxurious, once you do it, you will always want to use new brass. I use new Starline in my 10mm and Magnum loads as I want integrity. I re-use the brass on lighter (target/blasting) loads of the same caliber. I use new Lapua on my rifle loads (then reload them until they are done for), life is too short to use range pickups and mixed headstamps for my rifle loads. If you are young, you don't know about the short life stuff, yet.


Good luck. have fun.

[Lead Waster]

The "new brass" is for "handloaders" versus "reloaders". If there is a slight difference, it's that some people make match ammo and will reload their fresh new brass multiple times, but want to know exactly how many times that brass has been shot.

Also, if you just pick up brass willy-nilly (like most of us) you won't know if someone hot-rodded the load and the brass might be old and about to fail.

Also, when shooting something like .38 super, that brass is not readily found all over the place like 9mm or .40 so you gotta buy it.

I am tooling up to hand/re load .45 colt. But since it's an increasingly obscure revolver cartridge, many people keep their brass and reload it (also due to crazy price of factory rounds). So it's one you might have to buy brass for, but then you also get to keep it since it does come flying out of your revolver into the grass.

As for bullets, I've tooled up to cast lead for pistols due in part to being picky and partly due to the high prices and low supply of bullets on the market CURRENTLY.

[sixoclockhold]

1. Probably need to have a primer go off on you so you know it's not going to kill you, pop, always wear glasses. As said just run it through your die. You could even toss the brass if it's scary.

2. A lot of places are not gouging on prices, just need to shop and buy enough when you find the deal.

3. New brass equals maximum precision. Free brass off the ground and tumble it is cheap.

Reloading is by far cheaper than retail. Oh and FUN !

[orangeusa]

You guys are the best. Again and again you have helped me..
I'll have less questions after I get my feet wet.

I'lll be reloading under the watchful eye of a friend of mine whos done 20k+ rounds...

WRT RELOADING BOOKS: (my 2 cents)
1. The Lee book was very informative (yes a lot self serving).
2. The Hornady not as much.
3. But there's always a point or two in a reloading book making it worthwhile. Hornady really got into crimping ect...


Some of my brass is all from my own gun, shot 1ce.
Plus I got a smoking deal from another guy who had 1k once shot (Win and Black Hills head stamps) - they look fantastic - not cleaned, still have expended primers..

.

<I'm really excited..>
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[Dirk Tungsten]

Good luck on your first foray into reloading OP. I finally got my reloading stuff set up a few months ago and I'm greatly enjoying it, hopefully you will as well. Not to mention the cost savings gthat come from rolling your own.

What are you going to be loading?

[orangeusa]

Thanks ! reloading my Glock 4tay

Not really

1. 45 Colt
2. When I get dies and boolits 44 mag (both for revolvers)

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[Hallx7]

Primer question has been answered well enough already.
I use the 200 grain RNFP lead from Xtreme. If you buy direct from them it is $51/500 bullets. No tax and it includes shipping.
As far as brass... Fowlers by your house usually has 45 Colt at an ok price. You'll get a lot of use out of it because, if I recall correctly, you aren't loading them very hot.

Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions.

[sixgunner]

For your Colt 45 I like the Bear creek Moly Coated 200gr .452 Bullets. Cost if you get robbed $55 for 500

[orangeusa]

So both of you like the 200gr.

I bought 100 qty 255gr on Gunbroker for (umm $19.00).

Finally got 500 rounds of 200gr RNFP as a package deal of brass and boolits.... I can't remember the bullet brand right now..

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[Whiterabbit]

2. BULLET PRICES out of WHACK:
I've been told and read many times that brass is the most expensive, but I'm finding that bullets are running 14-30 cents ! Is this just this crazy economy? (And no, I don't want to cast bullets). (I'm quoting lead 45Colt in 100 and 200 qty). 44mag jacketed are running 20-35

Nope! not out of whack. That's the price you pay for buying in qty <200 and for shooting J-warts. Start buying cast bullets and in bulk. The cost comes down.

Price savings for gas checked cast lead is not as good as plain base, but you still easily get jacketed performance and the cost IS less, bullet for bullet.

Since you are looking at 44mag, I'll say I'd much rather be loading and shooting 320 grain cast lead bullets in bulk than buying 240 grain jacketed hollowpoints for $25 cents a pop.

Check out thick jacket 45's. 50 cents a head. You don't have to CAST bullets to see the significant savings from shooting cast bullets.

They are simply better in every conceivable way for the civillian shooter.

[orangeusa]

Nope! not out of whack. That's the price you pay for buying in qty <200 and for shooting J-warts. Start buying cast bullets and in bulk. The cost comes down.

Price savings for gas checked cast lead is not as good as plain base, but you still easily get jacketed performance and the cost IS less, bullet for bullet.

Since you are looking at 44mag, I'll say I'd much rather be loading and shooting 320 grain cast lead bullets in bulk than buying 240 grain jacketed hollowpoints for $25 cents a pop.

Check out thick jacket 45's. 50 cents a head. You don't have to CAST bullets to see the significant savings from shooting cast bullets.

They are simply better in every conceivable way for the civillian shooter.

I thought I was quoting lead bullets.... Serioustalk. From some of the posts above - there is a huge price break between 100 round lots and 500 round lots.

And I'm learning (from what I'm reading) that lead is awesome. I even bought a book (for cheap) on casting bullets - which is not what I plan to do, but every bit of info helps.

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[sixgunner]

I feel knowing and being set up to cast will give you a lot of peace of mind. Just knowing you can make your own is a great feeling. That said its takes a lot of time. For the cost of lead bullets I prefer to buy em not cast em. I have cast and shot my own bullets for everything from 223 in my AR to Cowboy bullets in my 1873 Colts.

[bruce381]

casting is fun but a whole nother deal.

I would start loading jacket or plated then when up to speed and safe try casting. The cast boolits sight has all the sticky things you need, but in a nutshell start with low pressure pistol.

And shoot them 1-2 thosands OVER size to the bore grove dia.
example a jacket 45 acp is .451 a cast will be .452.
A 38 jacket will be .356 or so a cast .357 or .358.

This over size will allow the boolit to swage down to barrel size and FILL the throat and barrel so you do not get gas cutting from an undersize bollit which will lead barrel and cause flyers.

Ther is more about type of lube and alloy hardness etc gets involved but is fun.

My own cast 45 boolits loaded after paying $1 per lb for lead encluding powder and primers is about $4 per box not counting all my time and having to buy the casting equipment, molds etc.