guys who reload
i posted this in the comp and reload section, but since i spend most of my time here, i'll give you a crack at it too.
i'm thinking of doing my own loads. i have 7.62x54r and 9x18 to consider. what would i need to get started equipment wise and info?
i'm thinking of doing my own loads. i have 7.62x54r and 9x18 to consider. what would i need to get started equipment wise and info?
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You need patience with the 9X18 loads. I haven't found a wide variety of bullets for them. I have Lee dies that I've never used, because buying the ammo from Makarov.com has been cheaper than loading them. Hopefully, with companies like CZ making new pistols in this caliber, it will mean more selection. Also, those itty-bitty cases are a bi--...er... a challenge to reload. 0 -
i was thinking the same. the only bullets for loading i have seen are the new winchesters. great rounds. just never tried to load em. i tried blazer ammo once and loved it, but the aluminum case is frowned upon at every range around here. 0 -
dies, and case guage for both. press if you dont have one but i would imagine you do.
winchester bullets are good for what you will be doing. And pretty inexspensive also.
I saw some reloading info for the 54r somewhere i cant find it right of the top of my head. check all the pwdr manufactures websites they always have the best and the safest info. if i run across it i will post it for you. never done anything with the 9x18 sorry cant help more0 -
as it stands right now, i have no press, powder, tools (other than 2 hammers, 2 jig saws, circular saw, sawsall, and numerous screwdrivers). just trying to get an idea of what i might need, and if possible, an inexpensive ballpark figure. if i become good at it, i'd like to start selling them. of course that is waaaaaaaaaay down the road. 0 -
I just started reloading and am fortunate to have access to a friend's press with a turret. So I can't really answer your question.
It looks to me like a setup that won't make you cry every time you use it is going to run at least $250.0 -
$250 sounds reasonable. better than poundin em in with a hammer. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by aramisvi
$250 sounds reasonable. better than poundin em in with a hammer.
Look into the Lee "Classic Cast" turret presses. They're around the $80.00 range and are very sturdy, great for a beginner. Some say to start out with a single stage press, but after about the 50th round you load you're gonna wish you had a turret.
A Lee Turret Press, dies, and a quality (RCBS) balance-beam scale shouldn't put you over $200. The real expense comes in when you start buying all the peripheral tools, like case trimmer, calipers, powder measure, case tumbler, etc. etc. Its a never-ending money pit, but an enjoyable one [:)]0 -
just call me tom hanks. "money pit" good movie.
sounds like i may have to build me a work bench...
wood? check
tapemeasure? check
level? check
hammer, nails? check
screws and drill? check
band aids? check
type o ? check0 -
If you are SERIOUS about learning then type less and read more. This topic is worn to hell and back. If you are any place close to Columbus Oh I'll come help you learn.
BUT YOU MUST BE WILLING TO LEARN FIRST!!!!
Buy a reloading manual and read it (Hornaday) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Umm. You would need some calibers worth shooting...
Seriously skip the 7.62 X 54r and seriously consider skipping the 9X18.
I hate to sound rude by to really enjoy reloading you should reload calibers that will pay off in more ways than one.0 -
quote:Originally posted by bpost1958
If you are SERIOUS about learning then type less and read more. This topic is worn to hell and back. If you are any place close to Columbus Oh I'll come help you learn.
BUT YOU MUST BE WILLING TO LEARN FIRST!!!!
Buy a reloading manual and read it (Hornaday) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
aramisvi, take him up on it if you are able.
Finding someone to pass on their knowlege is absolutely priceless. I learned from my dad some and from several other graybeards over the years. And he's absolutely dead on with the advice about reading. It'll answer many rookie questions before you ever ask them.0 -
capt...i think i'll follow that good advice.
bpost, i live in grove city. i'd love to learn. just tell me when and where.
doug, if i had any other calibers to choose from i would, but i own 2 m44s and a pa-63 so those 2 are my main calibers so far. but i plan to learn everything i can.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Dave W.
Umm. You would need some calibers worth shooting...
Seriously skip the 7.62 X 54r and seriously consider skipping the 9X18.
I hate to sound rude by to really enjoy reloading you should reload calibers that will pay off in more ways than one.
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Whats that supposed to mean? Are you saying 7.62x54r and 9x18 aren't "worthy" of being reloaded?
I reload plenty of 7.62x54r, and it pays off in many ways.0 -
First item to purchase- a good reloading manual. Read it cover to cover TWICE- then go buy a press, dies, powder, primers, brass, bullets, a tumbler, etc. Before making ammo for sale, check the laws, and the fact that you (in all likelihood) have no products liability insurance, and will actually make a profit of about 25 cents per hour. BTW, if you have been shooting MILSURP ammo, don't count on reloading that brass. Most has the wrong primer in the calibers you mentioned. Now, having said all that, reloading can be fun, and you can roll some quality ammo. But unless you are shooting .577 T Rex or .348 Win, don't count on saving a LOT of money doing your own. [:)] 0 -
11b6r,
i know what you mean with the milsurp brass. the stuff we get at the shop has been great to shoot, but in every 100 rds we find at least 2-4 brass that are cracked or scored too deep to be safe to shoot. at that point i just remove the round, dump the powder and glue the round into a spent case. if i save enough, i'm gonna make a belt for crystal to wear.
what's a good manual to start with?0 -
quote:Originally posted by aramisvi
11b6r,
i know what you mean with the milsurp brass. the stuff we get at the shop has been great to shoot, but in every 100 rds we find at least 2-4 brass that are cracked or scored too deep to be safe to shoot. at that point i just remove the round, dump the powder and glue the round into a spent case. if i save enough, i'm gonna make a belt for crystal to wear.
what's a good manual to start with?
you're missing the point a bit about the milsurp brass. There are two types of primers, and two types of brass to match. The reloadable flavor (brass that accepts a "boxer" primer) has a single, center hole in the brass primer pocket, through which the primer ignites the powder. the non-reloadable flavor (the "berdan" primer) has a center post and two off-center holes through which the primer ignites the powder. It is possible to deprime berdan brass, but difficult to do so without damaging the brass. For that reason, the products really don't exist for the home-reloader to reload berdan-primed brass.
And sadly, a lot of milsurp brass is of the non-reloadable, berdan flavor.0 -
spurge,
ohhh..ok. i need to read alot. but it is true, the brass for most milsurp is just too beat up for anything other than decorative use anyway. cheap and fun to shoot too.
been looking around at midway and places like that. nice prices on everything. might hit barnes & noble, or half price books and see if i can find a good reload manual.0 -
I have to go with the Not really worth it to reload those calibers group. At $0.10/rd I can not load 7.62x54r for even close to that. Yeah it is not as accurate as a hand load may be but for that price out of that style of firearm it will do what I want. For $250 in reloading equipment you can buy 2500rds of 7.62x54r. That hasent even figured in the cost of power/bullets/primers or your time. I am not sure on the price of 9x18 but I belive it is still fairly cheep as well.
I am set up to reload and I have NO plans of setting up in 7.62x54r, it is not worth it to me. If you are wanting to set up to save money these are not the calibers to do it for. If you are setting up just becuase you want to I say go for it. Like the others have said get some reloading books, read them, then read them again, then try reloading. It is not that hard, but a little error can be a BIG problem.
Here is a pic of my half way put together reloading bench in the gun room at my new house.
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Be carefull with the estimates for the actual cost of reloading. I was lied to about it till it was too late. Now I have a bunch of reloading suppies that I want to get rid of just so I don't get in any deeper. I've noticed people give bad advice sometimes just so you/me can learn the hard way like they had to. Not the way it's supposed to be, but the way it is.
Finding bullets for "expensive ammo" isn't all that easy. Then the shipping for the bullets drives the cost up even more.
F the reloading, concentrate on finding a cheap reliable source of ammo.
Buy guns that shoot cheap ammo.[:p]0 -
If you are in no hurry and are only going to load a couple different calibers then try the LEE handloading kits, 14.95 each. Then buy a powder scale and you are in business. Slow but effective. You really dont need all that expensive equipment to enjoy reloading. 0 -
I had reloaded with my Dad years ago, but was without any equipment of my own. Decided I might get back into it, as I was "just using up too much money shooting .45". I happened to be cruising Pawn Shops, and ran into one with a Dillon SDB press. Talked to the owner, and he said: "Most people don't even know what that thing is - it's yours!"
The folks at Dillon helped me figure out what it needed in the way or parts, and sent me the parts and the manual for FREE!!!
That D*$N "free" press has cost me thousands!!!! BUT, it has given me many hours of enjoyment and my shooting has improved greatly.
Now my UPS and FedEX men hate me cause they are always humping 1000 230gr bullets up my driveway (300 feet of 35-42 degrees steep) and the wife jokes that if there is ever a forest fire, they will all know when it reaches our house!!! BOOOOM!!!
Truthfully, though, reloading is enjoyable to some, but impossible for others. If you can trust yourself to make certain that each cartridge you remanufacture will be the best you can, and if you can hold yourself to perfection levels, it might be worth it if you shoot a lot. One mistake, and you could be seriously hurt, or blinded, or junk your favorite gun.
Many folks who shoot a little are fooling themselves thinking reloading will save them money - I am certain that for the first few years, I didn't save ANY money! It is kinda like the Neighbor you have (we all have one) who convinces his wife that the reason he needs a boat is to make the fish the family eats cheaper. $10,000 for the boat, used, and $40,000 for the truck, Higher insurance, fuel to go fishing, along with the tackle and beer and sandwiches, could buy a whole lot of fish from the market.
I guess I am one of the weird ones who would rather be reloading while listening to good music, than watching TV. I have been reloading for myself for over twenty years, and I am not sure that I am at break-even yet, what with all the dies for all my calibers, all the shelving, benches, brass polishing media, brass, primers, etc. AND I GOT A FREE PRESS! For me, reloading became a sorta Zen thing, sitting in my little shop, making ammo. A little personal bubble of peace. I do it at least once a week, for a couple of hours each time. Cleaning Guns is sorta the same for me. Part of the hobby, and just as enjoyable as blasting away at the elusive black dot, or playing "Top This" with the old men at the range.
My Daughter, now, SHE might be able to shoot on the cheap, what with all the thousands of rounds of ammo I will leave behind, all the Presses, all the dies, all the tumblers, tools, gauges, Safes, books and so on.0 -
to be honest guys, i'm not in a hurry. i want to learn to learn. i want to learn everything i can about reloading, smithing, everything. so that in time, i can open my own shop. i don't care if i ever get as famous as some guys out there, but i wanna be that good at it. i am a perfectionist when it comes to working on anything. if i had the funds to go to school for it, i would, but i don't. so at this time i'm forced to learn what i can from the multitude of sources available to me at the moment. so whether the calibers i choose right now are worth it or not is irrelevant to me. these are the calibers i personally shoot right now so i have them as a starting point. i don't think anyone here reloads anything that they don't personally shoot, it wouldn't be prudent for you to do so. if you don't own a .45, why reload .45s? experience yes, but then you have a bunch of .45 shots taking up space that you may need for something else. i'm not limiting myself to just my personal calibers by any means...they are just a starting point. others may be cheaper or easier, but i don't have the means to utilize them...yet. so, please forgive me if i concentrate on the 9x18 and 7.62x54r calibers...they are all i know about at this point. 0 -
Buy a RCBS rock chucker kit and you will be well on your way to a fun hobby. Read the book in the kit cover to cover before you start reloading.
It can save you money over time, especially if you like premium hunting ammo. Cheap plinker ammo can be bought and shot but it is the premium hunting ammo and match grade competition ammo that you can save money on handloading.0 -
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lyman-Ideal-EZY-Reloader-Measure-Scale-dies-243-brass_W0QQitemZ250120002632QQihZ015QQcategoryZ71120QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
would this be a good press to start on?0
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