evil dogooder Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Starting to get all the goodies together for reloading. The question is what do I all need? I have a manual dies one press some brass and a powder drop thingy. So besides bullets powder primer s what else do I need? Caliper? Scale? What else??? I've had an offer by a pard hear to show me tge ropes I just want to have everything so I can jump right in Thank you Respectfully Evil Dogooder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Howdy: You may need the following: Trimmer for your brass (Lee's are inexpensive), and a Priming tool (Lee's newest on is good, much like the RCBS which is best (at a corresponding price). Because mistakes happen, you may need an impact puller (works well with lead bullets. Do you have boxes or containers for your finished product> And make sure you record for each box of ammo you load, the date, weight of powder, type of powder, primer, and the batch numbers. Without being to anal, there have been times when certain batches of powder have been recalled - this could be at the very least a saviour for you firearm, not to mention your hands/eyes. Keep this info in the box of loaded ammo so if you have a bad batch, you can easily identify the boxes that are impacted. I am sure ther rest of the experts on the wire can chime in with a dozen things I have overlooked. STL Suomi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder SASS #13056 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 An inexpensive caliber is helpful to verify your bullet length. A scale is needed to verify what powder load you are really using as powder dispensers are not always the same and powder density can very some as well. So: At least one loading manual A loading press with dies Powder measure/dispense of some sort Brass Primers of appropriate size and type Powder - If smokeless, normally a relatively fast powder for Cowboy loads Scales Caliper Bullet Puller An option but useful item is a brass cleaner - most of us use vibrator types but rotary work well too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex M Rugers #6621 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Before you ever start with add-ons that are handy but not absolutely necessary ,get a good set of scales. That is a MUST-HAVE. Once you start producing reloads , experience will hint on what other toys to consider. And you can never have too many loading manuals. Enjoy , Rex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Buy the Lyman reloading Handbook, and Read, Read, & read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Canyon Kid #43974 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Howdy: You may need the following: Trimmer for your brass (Lee's are inexpensive), and a Priming tool (Lee's newest on is good, much like the RCBS which is best (at a corresponding price). Because mistakes happen, you may need an impact puller (works well with lead bullets. Do you have boxes or containers for your finished product> And make sure you record for each box of ammo you load, the date, weight of powder, type of powder, primer, and the batch numbers. Without being to anal, there have been times when certain batches of powder have been recalled - this could be at the very least a saviour for you firearm, not to mention your hands/eyes. Keep this info in the box of loaded ammo so if you have a bad batch, you can easily identify the boxes that are impacted. I am sure ther rest of the experts on the wire can chime in with a dozen things I have overlooked. STL Suomi You do not need a brass trimmer or an impact puller for SASS loads. I have loaded 8-10,000 rounds per year for a decade and have never used either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBootsWilly Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I second "Lefty Dude". Get a good reloading manual, read, re-read and then read it again. Then invest in the equipment. Follow all the safety rules and reloading procedures religiously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Frank Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 You do not need a brass trimmer or an impact puller for SASS loads. I have loaded 8-10,000 rounds per year for a decade and have never used either. Agreed. I load .38, .40, and 9mm and have never trimmed a case. I have a bullet puller and have used it twice in 10 years. You definitely need a scale and some calipers. If you have a Harbor Freight in your area, they have some nice stainless steel digital calipers that are on sale for $10 every once in awhile; normal price is about $30, I think. I've used them for years, and they have been great. If you are single stage reloading, you will need some sort of loading block to hold in-process shells. I've always used a turret or progressive press, so I've never needed one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Agreed. I load .38, .40, and 9mm and have never trimmed a case. I have a bullet puller and have used it twice in 10 years. You definitely need a scale and some calipers. If you have a Harbor Freight in your area, they have some nice stainless steel digital calipers that are on sale for $10 every once in awhile; normal price is about $30, I think. I've used them for years, and they have been great. If you are single stage reloading, you will need some sort of loading block to hold in-process shells. I've always used a turret or progressive press, so I've never needed one. I load on a rock chucker and don't use a loading block. I made several when I started loading, but they seemed like an invitation to double charge or miss a charge. After each die, the cases go into a coffee can of like cases. Then one at a time, I powder charge a case, visually inspect the powder in the case, then seat and crimp a bullet on it. Less chance for error that way. For the OP a scale is all you are lacking from what I can see. Grizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickamauga Charlie, SASS #47963 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 You do not need a brass trimmer or an impact puller for SASS loads. I have loaded 8-10,000 rounds per year for a decade and have never used either. when i started loading, i used the bullet puller more times than i'd fess up to but unless youre shooting 38-40 or 44-40, (and even then) a trimmer is probably a waste. get a large tumbler for cleaning the cases. CC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 Ok I'm at the local goodies store. As for a scale.... well they have six different styles here. Is digital better or the old style with weights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaddleTramp Drifter Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 That is mostly personal opinion. I heard RCBS and Hornady are good electronic scales. I use an RCBS 505 balance scale. There is a thread on the wire from this morning you might want to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond S Doug Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Ok I'm at the local goodies store. As for a scale.... well they have six different styles here. Is digital better or the old style with weights Better depends on the user and the calibration. Digital is faster and easier on the eyes IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheyenne wells, sass #18364 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Evil Dogooder, You got a lot of great advice here, all I can add is before you pull the handle is get that loading manual and READ, READ READ it over. Did I mention Read the manual. Welcome to the wonderful world of reloading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 You do not need a brass trimmer or an impact puller for SASS loads. I have loaded 8-10,000 rounds per year for a decade and have never used either. Yes, yes, for the most part that is true. However, I have had some brass "grow." Let us assume that reloading of CAS is his beginning and he shall move on to greater things like bench rest etc. You see, not all is CAS, there is SO MUCH MORE in the world of reloading. STL Suomi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Frank Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Ok I'm at the local goodies store. As for a scale.... well they have six different styles here. Is digital better or the old style with weights If I were going to load precision rifle rounds, I'd get one of those digital powder dispenser/scale combos. For high volume pistol reloading, just get a decent beam scale. Once I get my powder measures set-up and am confident in the throws, I hardly ever measure a charge. An old fashioned slow beam scale works just fine for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Dan Dawkins Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 [quote name='St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905' timestamp='1325288793' post='2339420' You see, not all is CAS, there is SO MUCH MORE in the world of reloading. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Rose, SASS #45478 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 A scale is a must. A primer flipper is very handy, essential if you are using a progressive press or a press mounted primer system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go West Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Get a beam scale used for about $15-20. The electronic ones are more money and you don't need it for main match cowboy shoots. Get a decent brass tumbler and get some lizard litter for media. I would suggest the Hornady and Lee reloading manuals, but beware the Lee goes over the top in self-congratulatory prose. Some use a case gauge to see if the rounds will chamber....you can do that with a cylinder. Save your money on a trimmer and for now on the bullet pullers. I use empty 3 gallon water jugs with the tops opened up for holding clean and dirty brass. Buy your components in quantity to save money, but only after you have decided on your loads. Think long and hard about filing your sights............might be better to find a different impacting load. Try to make one load work for pistol and rifle, less work that way. Settle on your pistol load first (fixed sights), then adjust rifle sights to your satisfaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggus Deal #64218 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Any scale is usable but definately spring for a set of check weights. I have used both styles of scales and they work but a set of check weights are a must! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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