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Entry reloading


dannyvp

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6 hours ago, dannyvp said:

Great guys Thankyou. 

I already have a few reloading manuals. Just getting primed up to reload. 

 

I guess now, I’ll have to ask about powder and bullets. ;)

For bullets I'd start loading bullets with a profile you know works in your rifle with a overall length you know that cycles reliably.  I prefer softer, coated bullets.  You can buy sample packs for testing.  Find a caster who will deliver to matches you shoot.  If none, buy from a caster who uses USPS flat rate boxes.  There are plenty of casters who produce quality products  and also support our sport.  Regarding powders, the list of acceptable powders is even longer than the list of good casters.  Search the Wire and you may find an old list.  Check the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook for load info.  Hodgdon and Alliant have CAS loads posted online.  Right now I am testing Sport Pistol.   I've used real blackpowder, most of the subs, Bullseye, Unique, American Select, Green Dot, N320 and W231 for main match loads.  They all did what I expected of them.  Locally Clays has a strong following.   One commercial reloader stated he used Red Dot.  There are so many good choices for a 38 Special target load using cast lead bullets.

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Something to be said for auto indexing in a progressive press.  I use a Dillon Square Deal for all my CAS ammo.  

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I never thought about a caster. I was just going to buy a box of cast bullets from the store.

a caster is a good idea though. Support some local home grown guy!

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I have several lee presses. I like the fact that they are affordable. They are not problem free and that's disappointing sometimes but they have great customer service. If you dont want to spend a lot of money getting started Lee is probably a good way to go. However I've rarely seen people posting problems with their dillon presses. Now for the icing on the cake. Dillon machines seem to go up in price every year. So in a few years if you decide to upgrade to a larger newer press you old press is generally still worth the what you paid for it since new ones are now more expensive. Lots of good advice being given already. best of luck with whatever route you go. 

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2 hours ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

I prefer softer, coated bullets.


I had Ringer Bullets do a custom run for me, as this is also my preference.
Mine are 38SP, Hi-Tek coated, 105 grains, BHN=8.75~9.50 on his testing equipment.
These are intended for mouse fart loads with Trail Boss for my wife's Vaqueros.

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35 minutes ago, dannyvp said:

I never thought about a caster. I was just going to buy a box of cast bullets from the store.

a caster is a good idea though. Support some local home grown guy!

Edit your profile and state where you live.  Someone local will probably tell you where to buy cast bullets without paying for shipping.  Cast bullets from a store could be hard-cast, semi-wadcutters - not what you need.  That's unless your store is owned by Phantom or Jim Bowie who will sell you what you need for CAS.

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Despite some recommendations to start with a single stage press, you can learn to reload on a progressive. Just run one case at a time through the stages (just like a single stage press) until you’re familiar with the process and are happy with the results. There’s no law saying you have load up the shell plate with cases. 

 

Find an experienced mentor like I did. Worth its weight in gold.  I learned on a Dillon 550, but bought a Hornady LNL. I now have two of them after 10 years and am very pleased. 

 

Not trying to push one brand of press over another. My point is not to be afraid of starting on a progressive. You’re going to want/need one anyway, so you might as well start out with one. Hornady and Dillon are tops. You won’t go wrong with either.  

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I can't recommend a single stage press. I use Dillon progressives (SDB & 650) and am happy with them. Others like the Hornady LNL. Don't settle just because of the price. A good idea is to watch someone with a press you have interest in. Bullet choice may be restricted by what your rifle prefers unless you have a different load for pistol. I used 92- 158 gr bullets depending on what I have on hand. 105 gr bullets are popular as are various 125s. Powder selection is quite wide as many fast powders will produce acceptable results. I've used 6 different powders with good results. Good luck.

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I've tried many different presses over the years.   Most do an acceptable job.   I personally have ended up with Dillon products, largely because of their incredible warranty policies and immediate, able phone or email assistance.   All reloaders will wear with use, and on progressive machines, it reduces tolerances, and eventually causes alignment or timing problems that can be challenging to figure out and solve.   Usually a couple minutes on the phone with a Dillon technical rep solves the problems, and needed parts show up in the mail a day or so later, at zero charge.  You just can't beat their service.  So they won my favor.   I've had less after sale success dealing with others, in particular, with RCBS.   Most of their equipment is good, but their plastics are incompatible with double base smokeless powders, and they will not replace their plastic equipment.  

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i dont load with what most of the respondents have , im a single stage loader , but my friends that do use dillons , they also reload a lot of other calibers than just their SASS loads as well as shooting a lot of other venues , 

 

i strictly load my SASS loads with mine and i hand prime as well as hand dip ever charge because i like the control , dont get me wrong - i think the world of the progressives speed , i often do my reloading as therapy to eliminate stress buildup of the day , the time and concentration is important , 

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On 9/4/2019 at 8:15 PM, dannyvp said:

Yea it’s bad enough I showed up for my first match with 250 copper jacketed bullets.

 

Don't feel too bad; you are not the first new shooter to do this and will definitely not be the last.

 

Have also seen a couple of new shooters show up with trap handicap loads. After they knocked the shotgun target over we stopped them and gave them a couple of boxes of shells more suited for CAS.

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I brought AA low recoil rounds. 

One of the guys let my little boy shoot his reloads instead, of those in a pump gun. He liked that a lot better than the coach gun.

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Unlike shot shell reloading, starting metallic reloading with a single stage won’t be much different in cost.  Also having a single stage press on hand is always a good thing for rifle reloading.   If you are reloading any volume a progressive press is the only way to go.   

 

Start off with a single stage press, a set of dies, press, scale, powder thrower.  I would spend money on a good balance scale, cry one on this one.  For the press, dies, and powder thrower, I have had good luck with Lee.  Not the nicest stuff, but it is functional and the price is right.  On dies I like the lee final crimp die as it sizes as well as crimps.  Even use it on my progressive.  

 

For shot shell, skip the single stage and at a minimum get a grabber level progressive.  If you want to get crazy get a spolar.  The mec presses make good shells and cost a lot less than a pw or spolar.  If you are shooting flats per week the nicer presses can make reloading a little less work with motor drive and feeders. 

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I'm simple.
For this reason I need the repetitive methodical nature of a single stage press.

With careful shopping around, I found exceptional pricing for Redding equipment.
Big Boss-II, premium dies, trimmer, powder measure, trickler and scale.
The dies are mounted in Hornady Lock-N-Load fixtures for interchange without adjustment.

The Lee hand press lets me do mindless decapping therapy in front of the TV.
This also helps keep the main press free of dirt and junk.

For now, I only load 38SP and 357 for CAS.
Down the road I plan to load 243 as well.
 

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On 9/3/2019 at 1:15 PM, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

Make it simple.

 

Buy a Dillon 750 and be done.

+1

Huh, I guess I do agree with Phantom on at least one thing :)

 

OP: I, too, only intended to load .38s at first, so I picked up a new Dillon SDB. I loaded about 20k rounds on it -- it's a great machine. Then, I won a 650 at the Four Corners Regional, and it's incredible. I really wish I would have just started with the 650 (now 750). I'm now loading .38, .45ACP, .45 Colt, and .30-06 on the 650.

 

If you can afford it, and you're confident you'll need lots of ammo, go with a new 750.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Click on Tyrel Cody's link by Deuce Stevens.  This was a real gift to CAS shooters.  My advice is to use this and only this.  Look through the names of world class champions such as Duece and others and copy what they do.  They have tried everything and shoot only the best recipe for what we do!  Tyrel, where did you find this attachment?

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