Getting into handgun and a little precision rifle reloading

[ree]

So what if I want to get started in reloading doing mostly 40S&W and 45ACP today and maybe starting a little 308 in a year or so? Is there a good progressive loader I can start with? I certainly understand that learning the basics on a single stage is undoubtedly a good thing, but at the moment, I'm really just interested in cost savings for handgun ammo without a huge time investment. I plan on getting a 308 rifle soon and, if shooting it a lot floats my boat and I prove to have some skill, perhaps I'd consider loading it, for cost and consistency.

I don't want to spend a lot, but I also won't skimp on cost alone as I don't want to end up with equipment that frustrates me.

Also, I know very little except what I've read here recently and seen in a few videos (maybe JFettigs). So anyone care to summarize the various types of equipment that an average joe might need or want in order to be time-efficient as well as some common recommendable produts for each type of equipment?

[mmcnx2]

A progressive press for handgun is wonderful, I use a dillion 650. For presision rifle I'd actually go back to a single stage, becuase I would weigh each charge.

If you are looking to get started I'd run to the GUNSTOP and talk to John, he is the local reloading god. He handles Dillion adn RCBS. They are other good presses also though and everyone has an opinion. Find what you like and start out. I loaded tens of thousands of rounds on a old single stage RCBS C press until I got my dillion. It may have been slow but it was accurate and tought me alot. A progressive is quick and I would never go back but they are not cheap and if you make a mistake it can be harder to catch.

A few suggestions pick a caliber to start with or two at most. Try to find a powder you can use for both, buy jacketed or plated bullets, cast are cheap but they gunk up the dies and are a little harder to learn on. After you get the hang of the whole thing you can run the cast. Buy a good electronic scale, you'll use it forever. You'll also need a micrometer, a digital one is very easy to use. Buy a good reloading handbook, you'll need it specifications. Although some may say it is not needed, I use ONE Shot as a case lube, it makes resizing a dream. Lastly, on the equipment side get case gauges for the calibers you are loading and test fit your ammo before using it. I check 100% of mine and to date have not had a single feed issue. I have however caught a bad primer, a nicked case and malformed bullet, as I was checking so these went in the the scrap pile verse into my gun.

A few cautions, know your components, free brass from unknown sources can be an issue. Sometimes folks leave it lay because they have reloaded through its life. The last thing you want is to reload someones wore out brass. Brass can also be deformed. 40 brass form my glock will not resize to fit in my case gauge due to the low bulge. It needs to be roll sized. 9mm does not seem to have the same issue. Be very careful with load recommendations, start at least 10% below the powder weight and crono your loads. Barrel lenght, primers, brass and bullet shape all impact pressure, check you spent rounds for signs of pressure and primer flow. A load a few feet per second slower is not going to make a huge difference but it may be significantly safer.

Lastly, take you time. If you need help ask. Send me a message if you want to talk or need help shopping or setting up.

[Einthoven's Triangle]

Your first step in reloading is go and buy the ABC's of Reloading. Then READ it cover to cover. Then make notes..........for future use.

Skip the 650, get a 550 it is much more vesatile with respect to loading rifle rounds.

The 550 with an experienced reloader is a great machine, but for the NOOB reloader it is manual indexing that seals the deal, yeah I know the 650 can have the auto index disabled. But, reloading straight walled handgun rounds is one thing vs loading bottlenecked rifle rounds......so hence the compromise.......

Churning out handgun ammo fairly straightforward.
#1 clean the brass up, dirty brass can bugger up your dies, clean brass loads easier.
There are liquid ways to clean and dry ways to clean. Notice I said clean not polished to shiney bling bling bright!
#2 cull the brass, ie sort out for defects.........or oops like 380 in the 9mm brass, or 9mm case in a 40SW case, or a 40SW in 45ACP case.
#3 find hard bound loading data, not something you skimmed off the internet. First you have to work up a load that is safe, reliable guns, and accurate in your guns. That is one trip to the range alone.......hey every one needs an excuse to hit the range more often!
#4 Reloading on the 550 is sweet deal.....get you supplies.......etc...working up loads is not hard just a necessary chore.

Reloading handgun loads is straight forwardr.....there are 4 steps on the 550......
first you size and decap and reprime, then you flare the case mouth and instill a powder charge, then you seat the bullet, and finally you crimp the bullet (misnomer really is that you just reducing the case flare for most cartridges......

Once you are in production mode 500 nice rounds are an hours chore with clean brass and plenty of supplies.......you will be bummed when you run out..........

Now, reloading rifle ie the 308.......
There are more steps to that......
Again we start with clean cases......you either FL or neck size the case then the fun begins
you need to trim after sizing (not always but with bolt guns it is easier on brass then say a M1A), then you need to deburr and chamfer the case mouth, I clean my primer pockets every time for rifle rounds, I do some other tweaks that are done once to cases like uniform the primer pocket and deburr the flash hole.....(not really necessary with say Lapua brass), then clean the brass again to remove the case lube........ Now we can load some 308......of course you have to work up loads that are safe, accurate, and reliable in the gun you shoot......that takes a trip to the range.........

Then with prepped brass a person primes on station one (I use a universal decapper to get any stray media or metal shavings out of flash hole), you can use the DPM but for most of the time a person might want to hand weigh the powder charges, so John has die that allows for you to instill the powder at station #2, then you seat the bullet.....at station #3.
There is NO crimping necessary for precision grade 308 PERIOD so you have no use for station #4 on the Dillon.......as if you look at precision 30cal bullet there is no cannalure so there never was intent for them to be crimped.......and the same would would hold true for loading for self loader like M1A, M1 Garand, DPMS LR, and the list goes on................if you buy good stuff the first time you will never regret it!

John W. at the GS does not sell crap, although he says Ah Crap alot! Buy once and cry once.

The upside to the loading the 45ACP is that is same shellplate as the 308 so you just need a 30cal funnel.......

[Pinnacle]

The 550 would be a great place to start - there is no need for anything more for most people and most ammunition requirements for occasional shooting.

Go see John...

[ree]

Okay, okay. I'll go see John. And order ABC's of Reloading.

[selurcspi]

Okay, okay. I'll go see John. And order ABC's of Reloading.

John will sell you a copy...