How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

Discuss ammunition and reloading topics here.
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Flash
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#16

Post by Flash »

Most automatic progressive presses have a way of disabling the automatic feature and sort of using them like a single stage. The Dillon 550 is a manual progressive, not an automatic progressive like most are, so it's harder to get in trouble with it....but still possible for some people. I always look at the ceiling above 550s when I see one. Old habit.


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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#17

Post by omegaman »

Start with Lee single stage kit if its your thing then buy a dillon 650. I started with the kit then had 2 lee pro they suck in comparison to the dillon now have 650 1050 and a rock chucker
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#18

Post by 338lapua »

GunSmoke wrote: August 17th, 2018, 6:04 am 338lapua, thank you for the amount of time and detail you put into that post. Congratulations on your success.

To be frank, your recommendation is much more in line with what I do with most purchases. I would rather buy the machine or product I expect to have in the end, and force myself more rapidly along the learning curve, then shorten the learning curve and he forced to purchase advancements in a product later.

If you would be willing to show a newbie in reloading like myself the ropes. That is an amazing offer, and when I'd be foolish to pass up. Good news is, I'm not an a******, but I can't promise anything about sarcastic, lol.

I'm going to send you a p.m. If it's convenient for you to respond I appreciate it. If not I understand how busy you must be. Thank you again for the great information.
I wrote the book on sarcasm. Got fired from a company and on the termination paperwork was too many sarcastic comments at inappropriate times.

Starting with a progressive can safely be done and if you are a high volume shooter there is no need to punish yourself by starting on a single station.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#19

Post by shooter444 »

Gunsmoke,... I believe one must learn to crawl before they can walk and walk, before you can run. :mrgreen: What I mean by that, is,... creating a single cartridge at a time, through intimate learning of each and every step, can give you reloading insight, a progressive may not.

Not trying to start anything, I never did mass produced reloading, or, full auto reloading,...so, this is just my very limited opinion.

But, I doubt you will hear many anal retentive moron single stage reloaders saying you would blow up all your guns :angry-extinguishflame: for not being experienced enough when doing each and every loading step,... by hand,... on a single stage press.

As I am most definitely in the GREAT MINORITY when it comes to my opinion of progressive presses,... bottom line for me is, if I don't see, or, I don't do, every step in hand, with every cartridge,... it don't go in any of my weapons!!! :whistle:

Now,... putting all the above in proper context,... consider that I am someone who only shoots a dozen rounds, when some will shoot hundreds,...I am someone who only shoots a few hundred rounds, per weapon, per year,... compared to some who will shoot thousands!!!

All the best to you!
Last edited by shooter444 on August 18th, 2018, 7:06 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#20

Post by brandyspaw »

I started reloading around 1975/1976 and it was all about the cost savings for me back then. I couldn't afford to shoot my magnum revolvers, much less any rifle rounds, so I decided to start reloading. I managed to buy a couple reloading manuals along with an RCBS Rockchucker press, scale, dies, etc and just had at it. Just read a Speer, Hornady, etc manual and proceed slowly and safely. There's also resources all over the web if you don't hook up with a member here to show you the ropes.

BTW- reloading started out an economic necessity but it eventually became a hobby on to itself. However, these days, with practice ammo for many popular calibers so cheap, I'll only be reloading precision rifles, magnum handguns and a few other calibers. With practice ammo so cheap for 9mm, 223, etc it just doesn't make sense to me to reload those anymore.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#21

Post by jbone »

Id say learn on a Dillon 550. You hafta index it manually so you can go slow and take your time watching each step and the press wont jump foward on you. That said I dove in with a 650. Took my time learning the machine. Its doable but alot more expensive to see if your going to keep at it.

However Dillons hold the value well so if you end up hating reloading its easy to get rid of a blue machine. Others not so much. My 2cents

J
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#22

Post by 338lapua »

shooter444 wrote: August 17th, 2018, 8:31 am Gunsmoke,... I believe one must learn to crawl before they can walk and walk, before you can run. :mrgreen: What I mean by that, is,... creating a single cartridge at a time, through intimate learning of each and every step, can give you reloading insight, a progressive may not.

Not trying to start anything, I never did mass produced reloading, or, full auto reloading,...so, this is just my very limited opinion.

But, I doubt you will hear many anal retentive moron single stage reloaders saying you would blow up all your guns :angry-extinguishflame: for not being experienced enough when doing each and every loading step,... by hand,... on a single stage press.

As I am most definitely in the GREAT MINORITY when it comes to my opinion of progressive presses,... bottom line for me is, if I don't see, or, I don't do, every step in hand, with every cartridge,... it don't go in any of my weapons!!! :whistle:

Now,... putting all the above in proper context,... consider that I am someone who only shoots a dozen rounds, when some will shoot hundreds,...I am someone who only shoots a few hundred rounds, per weapon, per year,... compared to some who will shoot thousands!!!

All the best to you!
Making ammo on a large scale is not for some people, some will never have the mental capacity to think all I need to worry about is powder in the case and don't pull the handle so fast it throws the powder out. Some are so anal they would rather not shoot as much than to admit progressives are better.

Just like firearm technology progresses so does reloading. Right now for 10K you can buy a fully automatic reloader but when you started it was single station or production level machines nobody would sell you. I guess by your logic we should all start with a cap and ball to gain some perspective then a revolver and a lever action because those auto loading guns are just dangerous.

I have taken people with zero experience and put them on Camdex and Ammoload machines that pump out 3K per hour and once they were trained zero issues. After about a month or two of training they were competent to run a line of 10 machines, a line of ten machines can produce up to 35K a hour and about 250K rounds in a shift. I am yet to have a accident or get a report of a blown up gun.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#23

Post by samnev »

When I lived in Oklahoma 40 years ago an old timer taught me how to read. Still have the RCBS Rockchucker press, powder measure and ohaus 10-10 scale he recommended I buy, Tough I've move on to the Dillon 550B press and RCBS Chargemaster.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#24

Post by storage_man »

shooter444 wrote: August 17th, 2018, 8:31 am Gunsmoke,... I believe one must learn to crawl before they can walk and walk, before you can run. :mrgreen: What I mean by that, is,... creating a single cartridge at a time, through intimate learning of each and every step, can give you reloading insight, a progressive may not.

Not trying to start anything, I never did mass produced reloading, or, full auto reloading,...so, this is just my very limited opinion.

But, I doubt you will hear many anal retentive moron single stage reloaders saying you would blow up all your guns :angry-extinguishflame: for not being experienced enough when doing each and every loading step,... by hand,... on a single stage press.

As I am most definitely in the GREAT MINORITY when it comes to my opinion of progressive presses,... bottom line for me is, if I don't see, or, I don't do, every step in hand, with every cartridge,... it don't go in any of my weapons!!! :whistle:

Now,... putting all the above in proper context,... consider that I am someone who only shoots a dozen rounds, when some will shoot hundreds,...I am someone who only shoots a few hundred rounds, per weapon, per year,... compared to some who will shoot thousands!!!

All the best to you!
Thats why I believe a Dillon 550 is the best re-loader ever. It was my first, I learned on it and for the first 1 1/2 years, it was a single stage loader. After that, it was used as a progressive. Since you can do that and still have the benefit of having a progressive press which can load much faster than a single stage makes it what should be recommended to a new reloader. As in my case, after I was comfortable with the reloading process, I would of had to sell it and get a progressive loader + accessories. That 550 saved me alot of money over the time I owned it.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#25

Post by shooter444 »

storage_man wrote: September 1st, 2018, 9:24 am
Thats why I believe a Dillon 550 is the best re-loader ever. It was my first, I learned on it and for the first 1 1/2 years, it was a single stage loader. After that, it was used as a progressive. Since you can do that and still have the benefit of having a progressive press which can load much faster than a single stage makes it what should be recommended to a new reloader. As in my case, after I was comfortable with the reloading process, I would of had to sell it and get a progressive loader + accessories. That 550 saved me alot of money over the time I owned it.
------------------------------------

storage_man, sir,... that is, BY FAR, the most pragmatic approach to this subject I have read!!

:clap: :clap: :clap:
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#26

Post by Flash »

shooter444 wrote: September 1st, 2018, 9:43 am
storage_man wrote: September 1st, 2018, 9:24 am
Thats why I believe a Dillon 550 is the best re-loader ever. It was my first, I learned on it and for the first 1 1/2 years, it was a single stage loader. After that, it was used as a progressive. Since you can do that and still have the benefit of having a progressive press which can load much faster than a single stage makes it what should be recommended to a new reloader. As in my case, after I was comfortable with the reloading process, I would of had to sell it and get a progressive loader + accessories. That 550 saved me alot of money over the time I owned it.
------------------------------------

storage_man, sir,... that is, BY FAR, the most pragmatic approach to this subject I have read!!

:clap: :clap: :clap:
And you can do the same with just about every progressive press made regardless of make or model or manufacturer.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#27

Post by 87jeep »

Got the reloading bug 10 years back. With Flash's wisdom, I started with a Loadmaster, never looked back. Now have built my own case & bullet loader hoppers (spinning happily above), with powder & primer warning lights & buzzer. Been a fun ride, trying to stay young.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#28

Post by shooter444 »

Flash wrote: September 1st, 2018, 1:37 pm And you can do the same with just about every progressive press made regardless of make or model or manufacturer.
----------------------------------------

Thanks Flash, good to know,... and, since I never felt the need to graduate from a single stage, I would never have know until now.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#29

Post by Flash »

shooter444 wrote: September 2nd, 2018, 8:21 am
Flash wrote: September 1st, 2018, 1:37 pm And you can do the same with just about every progressive press made regardless of make or model or manufacturer.
----------------------------------------

Thanks Flash, good to know,... and, since I never felt the need to graduate from a single stage, I would never have know until now.
Interestingly enough, this came up last week at the Bull/coffee session my weekly shooting group has after shooting. I was amazed how few people there knew you could make virtually every press a sort of single stage until you got comfortable with it. Heck, you can even do the same thing with a Lee Turret press very easily.

It's a good way to ease into progressives. I remember when I got my first progressive after years and years of single stage reloading I was kind of overwhelmed by 5 things going on at once. I got used to it quickly but there is that initial start up time that has a pucker factor.
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Re: How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

#30

Post by shooter444 »

Well,, you have intellectually convinced me Flash!

I can realize how having many loading stations completely set up, for one at a time use/aka single stage use, could have an advantage over breaking down and setting up for each stage on one press,... even an advantage over the two, single stage press set up I use.

If I wasn't currently committed to acquiring some lead casting molds, I probably would start looking for a progressive,... after your enlightenment!!!
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