Getting into reloading

[El Toro]

If you can find someone to help you setup a progressive and mentor you a bit you'll be OK jumping into a progressive first. Go very slow, pay attention to each stage and don't try to get to "production" speed. Make only a few rounds at first and then go shoot them. Don't be afraid to take apart and reassemble your caliber setup. It helps to build confidence in mastering the press and understanding how everything works. Alot of this is learning how to make fine adjustments.

All that said, .223 and other rifle calibers require some special steps that for the most part you wont be doing on-press. A mentor can help you out and attending any local reloading workshops where theyre doing .223 or rifle calibers would be good too.

[stilly]

If you can find someone to help you setup a progressive and mentor you a bit you'll be OK jumping into a progressive first. Go very slow, pay attention to each stage and don't try to get to "production" speed. Make only a few rounds at first and then go shoot them. Don't be afraid to take apart and reassemble your caliber setup. It helps to build confidence in mastering the press and understanding how everything works. Alot of this is learning how to make fine adjustments.

All that said, .223 and other rifle calibers require some special steps that for the most part you wont be doing on-press. A mentor can help you out and attending any local reloading workshops where theyre doing .223 or rifle calibers would be good too.

YES.

A Mentor is what I was meaning to add also. I am lucky in that I had this forum for my noob questions as well as a coworker that was already experienced. After that it was just a matter of putting things together and then one day when I shot my first 4.5gr WST 9mm with MSRP and things worked good, I felt like I had pioneered the way to a better tomorrow. I am the first reloader in my family so I was a pioneer. Now I have spread the fire to two other friends.

[vw69turbobug]

^^^^ wow nice set up you guys got.... I only got a reloading press (Dillon 550b) because i was having a hard time getting 50 beo ammo, i just started doing 223 and 45 and man so much more tools you need to reload rifle round. but yes the price per round is going to be cheaper then factory ammo so insted of spending 500$ on 1000 rnds you will spend 500$ in powder, bulets, primers and maybe brass unless you have been saving your factory brass. whats really gonna get you is the equipment but hey your gonna be saving $ in the long run so dont get cheap now so get a good press. i op for the dillon 550b since i was planing of loading 350+ rounds and the learning curve wasn't to bad.

[stilly]

off topic but stilly I think its time for an upgrade if your computers still have scuzzy cables.

a 2003 MAC I came across has a scsi cable in it. Come on now, MACs are ahead of their time...

Heck, I have 5 9GB 10krpm SCA-2 drives with cable waiting to be put into my multimedia machine once I get an SCA controller card... It is gonna be a SWEET vid capping mofo...

I got the drives for a good deal at the computer show for $10.00 each NEW. Back around 2004...

[T-800]

Where would you guys recommend getting supplies from,locally or online? I'm in the Sacramento area.

[stilly]

Where would you guys recommend getting supplies from,locally or online? I'm in the Sacramento area.

For primers and powder your best bet is USUALLY your local gun or reloading store if they aint trying to rip you off.

Here is what I do, Go to powdervalleyinc and have a look at their prices.

I use powder valley as my standard for pricing. They get primers in all the time and sell out, but they have good prices. I will imagine placing an order that I can afford, like between 10k-20k primers (and share with others who want in also) and then tack on $20 for shipping and $27 for hazmat, and divide the total up per box, so like

10k (TULA) primers are $23/1k so $230 + shipping + hazmat = $277 per box for 10 boxes is $27

Then I look for primers that are between $5-$10 OVER or anything under that price when I go shopping.

Usually it can NOT be beat though so I will wait for PV to get things in stock, then just place a large order. gunbot.net is good for keeping an eye on some of these locations, also, PVI updates their face**** page to let folks know when they are getting in primers all the time.

As for powder, well, same thing, but powder is typically NOT TOOOOO expensive, although you can still find decent pockets of it here and there.

I know of nothing in Sac. So I would say to look around/communicate with vendors for bullets. go to garage sales and estate sales and look for reloading stuff on fleabay and craigs list and just keep yourself busy hunting down prices and components until you have what you need to start.

Expect local gun stores (LGS) to be selling primers for about $35-$45. Bullseye in Riverside had 3 large rifle primer bricks for $39.99 each and I bought two for someone else, then they pretty much stiffed me so I ended up putting them in the marketplace here for $87 for both (hey I paid tax!) and I sold them for a whopping $.64 profit, but I had to drive 20 minutes to ammo bros to make the exchange. The gentleman was more than happy to pay for them because he loads .308...

So anyways, you just gotta develop a system and if it does not work, analyze it and figure out what needs to be changed in order for it to work for you. Happy hunting...

[Trainman]

I reload to relax. It's my therapy. I like shooting but reloading is my "zen" time.

I'm still reloading .223 at $.28 p/r. 9mm at $.18.

You just have to be patient. Don't participate in the b/s pricing. Wait a few mints and pick up all your equipment used. Find friends that reload and do bulk buys when u can find it.
If its on the shelf and the price is ok, buy it.

[Trainman]

In Sac, there is a guy that sells used presses. I picked up a perfect condition RCBS Rock Chucker from him for $75. He gets new stuff in all the time.
Sportsmans Wharehouse had some RCBS SB .223 dies last week in stock for $36. Lyman Turbo tumbler will run you about $65. Get a used scale and a used powder measure. She'll holders run $10. And a used case trimmer should be about $30.
Range brass is $3 a lb or you can pay $.08 for someone else to pick it up for you.

Discount Shooters in Roseville gets powders, primers and bullets in all the time. Try them out.
Small rifle magnum primers from CCI work fine and they tend to be in stock more often.

[Pauliedad]

I started less than a year ago and am hooked. Googled all my questions and kept finding forums that offered insight to a very cool hobby. If saving some dough gets you started but you're not sure if its for you then know this, buy reputable equipment and if its not for you it's really easy to sell. Check out any and all you tube vids. It showed me right away to get a loader that's good quality.
If you only do it for $ savings then I agree this may not be for you. You have to embrace the details and safe process to get it right.
Enjoy.

[stilly]

I think the ONLY reloading stuff that is prolly 99% garbage is anything by Smart Reloader. It is italian crap made in China from copies of other stuff apparently. That crap is so bad The chinese deny copying it and the poor Italians do not know enough english to see that everyone is laughing at them for selling it...

[El Toro]

I like their plastic ammo boxes. They're hinged like Plano boxes and are pretty decently priced. I buy them on sale for $2 each. Beats the heck outta the plastic folded hinge boxes like Berry's, RCBS, etc.

But if as you say theyre ripping off others designs...Im not in support of that

[stilly]

I like their plastic ammo boxes. They're hinged like Plano boxes and are pretty decently priced. I buy them on sale for $2 each. Beats the heck outta the plastic folded hinge boxes like Berry's, RCBS, etc.

But if as you say theyre ripping off others designs...Im not in support of that

I TOTALLY agree with you in the ammo box department.

Personally speaking, it is hard to copy ammo boxes, you either use a hinge or you are MTM... I LOVE their ammo boxes except, there is something a bit off on the 44. 50 round box. Although I have about 10 of them and they cost me $1.65 each so I never complained. The truth is that when I bashed smart reloader above, I almost felt bad because they DO have good ammo boxes that work for the most part. I figured that nobody would post saying that their ammo boxes were good so I was in the clear. I was wrong apparently. However, I CAN find other ammo boxes elsewhere (FS reloading, Midsouth shooters) that are only a few cents to maybe a buck more and I will feel good about buying them too. I know because I just did from Midsouth Shooters when I got my 10k primers and 8lb 800-x keg from them... NO problems there.

If you want more detailed info about them, go to AMAZON and have a look at some of their reviews. BAD BAD BAD.

This is my experience: I got their SR 7509 kit that came with a 750G scale, two dippers, trickler and powder funnel. Trickler leaked out EVERY powder that I put into it, especially H-110, I ended up getting an RCBS instead. Now I only use the trickler for holding shot in case I have a bizare need to trickle lead shot into my scale pan to balance it out... Their funnel was a tad off, but I replaced it and the pan with a Lyman pan anyways that had the funnel built in. Their scale worked, but a few times I tested it and took the weight off and back on and it was different, but a few gr sometimes. Plus, it was not as precise as I wanted it to be. SO, I lost confidence and got that Gemini 20G scale that measured in milligrams and converted over to display .00gr so THAT has been an awesome scale for me and I love it. I was going to buy their hand priming tools and then I saw Nothing but negative reviews. My friend had purchased something from them and tried to send it in for a refund or repair, and they gave him the run around when they did answer their e-mails, then they were silent for a while, but I think he got it sent back to them, and after xxx days/weeks he got something back and it was not really fixed.

SO, they can suck it. After thinking about it though, I think I would rather buy something from a reputable dealer/manufacturer then buy cheap crap. I think that SR copies Lee except, they discovered a way to make things inferior and with less tolerances in measurements so that = ****ty materials.

[wxl]

Bought a single stage Lyman press 25 years ago along with the rest of the stuff I needed for about $200. I saved about $.20/rd so it paid itself off after 1000 rds. Each time I added another caliber, it paid that off after 200 rds. For 223 I can reload for about $.18-.20/rd. This is all assuming that you don't have to buy brass. If you have to buy brass, the first set is the same as buying factory ammo.

[gemoose23]

Where would you guys recommend getting supplies from,locally or online? I'm in the Sacramento area.

Buy some 1LBers, bullets and primers Locally.
Discount Shooter Supply and Sportsman Warehouse Roseville.

Wild Sports in Orangevale.

Big 5 has Win primers people are reporting as well.

When you figure out that reloading is for you... start buying in bulk online to get maximum value...