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Black Powder Reloading


Aunt Jen

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Ebay might be cheaper than gun shows as they aren't what they were three decades ago. There are sever commercial reloaders where you send in the brass they credit you for it against you order. If time and equipment and knowledge are not there it might be the way to go. It's cheaper than new ammo and what you cannt get from them you buy new. Also I find if you buy large quantities the price tends to be cheaper not accurate here but to show point let's say a 50 round box cost $25, a hundred $45, 500 fo $200 and a 1000 for $350 remember it is not actual prices but to show how if you buy a years or even three months supply if your shooting every weekend almost would be cheaper to buy in bulk. Then see if they do bp also and shotshells and get one big shippment. I normally arrange to buy my bullets at EOT to save on shipping. I usually use pinto Annie for CAS bullets and Pecos clyde for the wb bullets. This make EOT very expensive unless you pay month or to i advance if they will do that. I pick up primers when I find then at several stores since I don't have a prime source at EOT yet, brass I buy as needed from Starline. But I'm set in primers and brass right now after I go on a reloading binge then I'll need primers, powder, and bullets. But I'll have enough ammo for a year or more I guess. I hope to buy everything this year at EOT as except for engraving on my SxS or rifle and if I can get some front sights gold plated and the match i don't have much else to spend on no new clothes are needed im planning on making some chinks and a couple of other leather items for cc by then and I got most of the guns I want or will have by then and only one set of revolvers need work and I'll order the parts either before or after EOT for that as they're not gonna be shot often in my plans as they are 38 Bisleys that I'll need to put shotgun boogies parts in and then I'll use them for FCD/fc gfer but I need to use other guns in the mean time to empty the brass.

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For me, reloading is just another part of shooting as is working on my own guns. We have a 550B and an older 450. The 450 is set up for loading Mary's 38 Shot Colt. She has just started loading last fall. She's pretty anal about everything so she's determined to get things right. She runs the press ok but if there is a hiccup, she calls me to come and fix it. She's not got into adjusting powder measure or bullet seating depth. With more experience with hiccups and if I were not there to come help, she would figure it out. (The 450 as a simpler grandfather of the 550. It has manual primer feed and powder drop.)

 

Mary hasn't had the benefit of starting out with a cap and ball pistol, then Lee Loader for cartridges, then to a single station press, using a scale and powder thrower and then to a progressive press.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that a 550B is a complex machine so you'll likely have a couple of learning curves. Having someone with experience to help get the machine up and running and to stay nearby until you're up to a comfort level would save you a lot of frustration and give you a better chance to succeed.

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My wife has a High wall in 38-55, a very accurate gun at CAS long range events. She shoots smokiless in it and I have shot it with BP a few times, it has the same accuracy with either, very nice gun. She has shot my 45-70 a few times but it has a bit too much recoil for her. Try some different calibers before you buy so you will have something that is comfortable for you to shoot. kR

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I find reloading to be my downtime, not something to just get done. When I need to clear my head and focus on just one thing, reloading fits the bill perfectly. I know others who feel the same. Very enjoyable for me when my daughter lets me near HER reloading machine.

The 550 is a progressive press -it does a lot of actions at once. But that does not mean that you need to run it that way. You can run one round at a time, like a single stage, if you desire. This is how I make up my rifle rounds. That way you only pay attention to one action, not four. Work in to full production mode. That's how I taught my daughter.

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I started out with a Lee turret press and Mike Venturino/Steve Garbe's SPG primer on loading for single shot rifles. There's no "recipe" for bp, you just use a slightly compressed full case load. In it's own way loading bp is easier than smokeless.

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Don't let anyone tell you that reloading saves you money. They're lying to you and to themselves. When I started reloading I was certain I would save money as well. It's true that the cost per round is less, but you'll shoot so much that you'll eat up those savings in no time. And that's not counting time and effort sent. I'll tell you the same thing the gun store owner told me when I bought my press. If you a reloading to save money, get a second job instead. Otherwise plan to have a time and money consuming hobby instead

That's not entirely true. For example, I wouldn't be shooting CAS at all if I didn't reload! If I did shoot CAS and bought factory ammo it would cost me the same for one shoot as it does for maybe 6 or 7 shoots! Reloading does save money, big time!!!

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I hope someone at your club would be more than happy to come and help you set up the 550, how to use it, and how to load BP properly. Ifen you lived in Missouri I know several pards more than willing to come and help you beside myself. A great experience and a lot of fun to reload, plus the savings ain't bad. I really advise to have someone help you, great times with great pards.

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Shipping costs make a big difference in buying loaded ammo or components. I cast my own bullets or buy them in quantity when I can get good price and haul them home. I buy primers and powder local so I don't have to pay shipping or hazmat fees.

 

Reloading adds a whole new dimension to shooting. Buying store bought ammo limits you to what they offer and most retail stores won't stock ammo suitable for cowboy action shooting. I use the C45S case and can tailor my loads to make a comfortable round to shoot - smokeless or black. Mary loads the 38 Short Colt case for the same advantage. Both cases can acheve the same performance (at cowboy velocity) as their longer counterparts with less powder.

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One nice thing about a dillon press if you want tell them your caliber and buy the dies from them and they will send it to you ready to mount to the bench and fill the measure with powder, the primer tubes with primers and start get the video for the press, watch it several times, read the manual especially the section on reloading several times then try it if you feel lost rewatch the video if it doesn't help give dillon a call or someone you know that uses the same press. Dillon has much better customer support than Lee or even rcbs from my experience.

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Time for the ladies to chat..... Aunt Jen - I can sew, cast bullets, reload and take my guns down and put 'em back together. I was over 40 when I learned to shoot, so you can do it, too! Keep in mind a Sharps looks way cool but it is a heavy gun. I use a Trapdoor Cadet model for long range.

 

Reloading for long range is a picky, precise, slow process. The farther the bullet has to go, the more uniform each round must be or you will have sad results. I suggest starting with that 550 when you are ready and make some main match .45's with a sub BP like APP or make smokeless if you aren't ready to jump to BP just yet. Get your basics down and get to know your Dillon on something a little more forgiving than 45-70. Warning - having total control of the whole process is addictive. A box of store bought ammo is a box of mystery now to me. I like knowing exactly what I'm shooting and what everything in each round is and where it came from. Read up, keep asking questions, find a pard with a 550 and go watch a little - you'll have more questions. Get set up and go for it. You can do it.

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Aunt Jen - I can sew, cast bullets, reload and take my guns down and put 'em back together.

 

Yup, and she can chew tobacco and put your eye out when she spits!

 

Seriously though, Lou makes some great points. Not a bad thing to start learning about reloading with pistol cartridges with Smokeless, then gradually make your way to Black Powder and 45-70. Learning to reload is a gradual process. Sometimes it's best not to bite off too much all at once.

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Just another opinion, it would be far simpler to start loading rifle cartridges with black powder and simple loading tools than to load handgun with smokeless on a 550B. My reason are, there is no practical way to overload a case with black powder. And simple tools will be easy to master.

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