Hey, Know-it-alls, this is your chance...finish my set up

[virtus]

I'm a noob. I'm doing my reading trying to figure out this reloading thing but in the meantime, I need to finish getting all the gear. I will be reloading (at least) 9mm, .45, 5.56 and .308.

So far I have this: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/rcbs-rc-supreme-master-kit-9361.html

I know that I still need dies, calipers, case timmer and a way to clean brass (thanks stu929).

For a tumbler, I was looking at this: http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...roduct.jsp%3FproductId%3D731769&WTz_l=Product Any thoughts?

I found a bench at Harbor Freight that I will probably use.

How about the rest of the stuff? Any brands recommended over others? Best places to shop for reloading supplies?

I was hoping there would be a sticky in this section to get noobs up and running. If any of the experienced reloaders wanted to take that on, I think it would be a great resource

ETA: I saw the Dillon thread that is stickied, but something more general and not geared just towards getting a Dillon up and running is what I was hoping for.

 

[DocAitch]

I am waiting for the first one who accepts the mildly pejorative term "Know -it-All" to respond.
DocAitch

 

[kstone803]

That tumbler is fine but if you want to save some money I've been using this one for years and never had a problem. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/587176/frankford-arsenal-quick-n-ez-case-tumbler-110-volt

Also I prefer Lyman dies or RCBS. I would recommend winchester 231 for your handgun loads as it does a wide range of calibers and is fairly available. Make dummy bullets to set your dies by so you can repeat loads even if your dies get off kilter.

 

[virtus]

I am waiting for the first one who accepts the mildly pejorative term "Know -it-All" to respond.
DocAitch

We're all friends here. It's in good fun

That tumbler is fine but if you want to save some money I've been using this one for years and never had a problem. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/587176/frankford-arsenal-quick-n-ez-case-tumbler-110-volt

Also I prefer Lyman dies or RCBS. I would recommend winchester 231 for your handgun loads as it does a wide range of calibers and is fairly available. Make dummy bullets to set your dies by so you can repeat loads even if your dies get off kilter.

Thanks for getting things started

 

[trickg]

I'm by far not a know-it-all on this topic, but I have a few things I do with my setup.

For starters, the press you picked up is way better than what I've got.

Some guys swear by RCBS dies, and that's what was mainly on my Dad's reloading bench, but I like Lee dies well enough, and they tend to be a bit more economical than other brands.

I have an RCBS tumbler though, and I've had good luck with it, but you should be fine with the Cabella's tumbler. My favorite tumbler media additive is Flitz, but other people use car polish to good effect, and some people like the Frankford Arsenal stuff.

Powders - different strokes for different folks. W231 is a reloading bench staple, but I prefer Bullseye over W231. Another powder that is used a lot for Handgun loads is Unique. I've not used Power Pistol, but some guys really like that, and it's fairly universal, as is Clays. Powder is one of those things where you'll just have to do some reading and experimenting on your own.

Get a couple of good reloading manuals - Lee's book is decent and Hodgdon and Hornady make decent manuals as well.

Regarding the rest of it, reloading is one of those things where out of necessity you'll pick up the things you need that will be specific to your reloading needs and wants. Some people really spend a lot of money on it, sparing no expense on the gear and components they use, and some people are bit more budget minded - where you wind up falling in that spectrum is going to be on you and how extensive you want your setup to be. I bought a Lee Challenger kit because I wanted to carry on a family tradition of reloading, but I didn't want to throw a lot of money at it from the outset. I've had that setup for around 5 years and it's produced a fair amount of great ammo that all goes "bang" when I pull the trigger.

The subject of hand loading is vast and everyone has their own opinions, and there's probably only a few I would call "expert" - My Dad was good at it, but so much has changed since he passed. I wish like heck he was still around though - I'd pick his brain all the time if he was because he did just a little bit of everything and probably forgot more than I'll ever know.

 

[Traveler]

Okay, my 2 cents, and a few things I learned the hard way.

Nice press. RCBS is the minimum gear I would buy, since their warranty and support are spoken well of. RCBS, Dillon, Forester, or Redding dies. Buy once, cry once. Carbide for pistol, steel for rifle.

Really cheap tumblers seem to be hit or miss. The RCBS gets decent reviews. That or the Berry's. Lizard bedding works for me as a media. Stainless steel and a rotary tumbler is more than some want to deal with. I like it, and it never wears out.

I have had good luck with this caliper.

http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Digital-Fractions-Conversion-446/dp/B000YFT0A2/ref=sr_1_20?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1382988782&sr=1-20&keywords=digital+calipers

I read many good reviews on the L.E. Wilson trimmer. It works well for me with the power adapter hooked up to my Milwaukee drill.

These two places are a bit of a drive, but worth it. No hazmat fee, and they have the stuff at good prices.

http://www.tropgun.com/

http://www.shydasoutdoorcenter.com/

I have heard Greentop in VA is sweet. I have not been. I need to take a drive.

 

[Traveler]

A few pistol powders:

#1 -- the one you can find.

W231 -- Lots and lots of load data, a good place to start
HP38 -- same powder and load data as W231
Universal Clays -- popular, versatile, cleaner than some. (will try it myself later)
Power pistol -- lots of load data -- I have two pounds I don't need.
WSF -- good for 9mm and 45, not a lot of load data, very clean.
WST-- good for 45, not a lot of load data, very clean.
N320 -- guys rave about it, pricey and hard to find.
Titegroup -- might as well argue 45 vs 9mm, some love it, some hate it. Best when you are more experienced
Unique -- many love it, not great metering in a progressive, should be fine for you.

Rifle:

5.56 and .308

H335 -- the one I picked, lots of load data, popular
bl-c(2) -- popular
Varget -- popular, not great for progressives and metering, quite temperature stable
CFE223 -- newer
IMR4895 -- popular
H4895 -- popular

That's just some I have found commonly recommended. Not exhaustive.

Loading manuals. I can quit any time I want. I am up to six I think. I would recommend at least three. Lyman 49th, Lee Modern Reloading, Sierra.

 

[liquidsilverr1]

I have the same setup you have, and here are the additional components I got.

1) Tupperware Bins from Walmart and a sharpie. For each caliber I have 4 bins, 1 - Dirty, 2 - Tumbled/Cleaned, 3 Sized, and 4 primed. When running a single stage press I found it easier to keep track of progress that way.

2) Tumbler - http://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-metal-vibrator-tumbler-67617.html I cheaped out and got the Harbor Freight tumbler, Its been running strong for a year and Ive even left it running overnight, and to my surprise it still works. They have the crushed walnut shell media there too. Its on sale now for $50 and theres a 20% off coupon in the NRA mag every month, the warranty was $10 for 2 years.

3) Media Seperator - I soon realized that after tumbling it was a pain to get the walnut shells out of the brass. So I got a wire basket and a big bin from Walmart.

4) Dies - I am using the RCBS X-Dies, so far so good. You have to trim all of your brass, set the dies up to the length you are running, and supposedly never have to trim again. Midway has the best prices I've seen on them. If you dont want to run X-dies, I have a set of RCBS FL 308 dies I would be willing to part with for $40.

.223 x-dies http://www.midwayusa.com/product/194698/rcbs-x-die-2-die-set-223-remington
.308 x-dies http://www.midwayusa.com/product/287168/rcbs-x-die-2-die-set-308-winchester

5) Case Trimmer - I have tried a few, and the most economical time and money for me was something I stumbled upon at bass pro. The Lyman EZ-Trim hand trimmer. You can do it by hand or hook it to a cordless drill, its only $30, and its very consistent.

http://www.basspro.com/Lyman-EZee-Trim-Hand-Case-Trimmer-Handgun-Set/product/1212171304/

If you have questions setting up your equipment, feel free to reach out. You will be overwhelmed at first. Honestly, if anyone told me up front how much work it was to reload, I would never have bought the equipment. But now that I have been doing it, I actually enjoy it, and even have the kids helping out with some of the work.

 

[Traveler]

Just a caution. If you are loading for more than gun, the x-dies won't work. They don't full length size. I don't think they are for semi auto either.

 

[liquidsilverr1]

Strange, as both my X-Die sets are full length "Set contains X-Die Full Length Sizer Die and Seater Die. Shellholder sold separately. "

Is the full length the only reason you say not for more than 1 gun and not for semi auto?

 

[jimbobborg]

I like Unique for most of my pistol reloading (.38 Special, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .45 Colt) Not the best for max power 10mm loads. Varget is nice for the rifle rounds you mentioned. The problem with Varget is it's hard to find right now. I like RCBS dies for rifles and Lee carbide dies for pistol.

 

[pcfixer]

You may need a kenetic bullet puller, but a necessity is a collet bullet puller.

You will sooner or later need a Stuck Case remover.

 

[Traveler]

Strange, as both my X-Die sets are full length "Set contains X-Die Full Length Sizer Die and Seater Die. Shellholder sold separately. "

Is the full length the only reason you say not for more than 1 gun and not for semi auto?

I am wrong. I was thinking neck sizing only. I need to read up more on them.

 

[Traveler]

The Lee universal deprimer is nice to do my 5.56 and .308 before stainless steel tumbling. If you use crushed walnut, or corncob, you will want to leave them in.

 

[jimbobborg]

Lizard Litter from Petco = good cheap crushed walnut shells. Get the desert blend.

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

I read many good reviews on the L.E. Wilson trimmer. It works well for me with the power adapter hooked up to my Milwaukee drill.

These two places are a bit of a drive, but worth it. No hazmat fee, and they have the stuff at good prices.

http://www.tropgun.com/

http://www.shydasoutdoorcenter.com/

Wilson trimmers are great. I sprung for the enhanced Wilson "Ultimate Trimmer" from Sinclair. Money well spent.

Get lots of zip lock freezer bags to store your cleaned brass in. It keeps the shiny brass from tarnishing as they would in open containers. Keep the bags of brass in bins -- I use cheap 6 quart rectangular bins. I also sort my brass by times reloaded and headstamp, so I use lots of bags.

Trop is much better than Shyda's. Plus they have a new, bigger store.

 

[Winterborn]

I'm a noob. I'm doing my reading trying to figure out this reloading thing but in the meantime, I need to finish getting all the gear. I will be reloading (at least) 9mm, .45, 5.56 and .308.

So far I have this: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/rcbs-rc-supreme-master-kit-9361.html

I know that I still need dies, calipers, case timmer and a way to clean brass (thanks stu929).

For a tumbler, I was looking at this: http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...roduct.jsp%3FproductId%3D731769&WTz_l=Product Any thoughts?

I found a bench at Harbor Freight that I will probably use.

How about the rest of the stuff? Any brands recommended over others? Best places to shop for reloading supplies?

I was hoping there would be a sticky in this section to get noobs up and running. If any of the experienced reloaders wanted to take that on, I think it would be a great resource

ETA: I saw the Dillon thread that is stickied, but something more general and not geared just towards getting a Dillon up and running is what I was hoping for.

Nice press. I started with an RCBS Rockchucker and I still have and use it.

I would highly recommend RCBS dies. They are warrantied for life and have outstanding customer service. When you break one (and you will), they will replace/repair at zero cost to you. As has been said, go with Carbide dies whenever possible.

As far as places to shop, there are a variety. Graf and Sons is excellent, as well as TitanReloading. If you have a C&R FFL 03 license, these places will give you excellent discounts.

For dies and actual equipment such as trimmers and tumblers, I've always ordered from Amazon if available to take advantage of the shipping (Prime).

For components such as power/primer/bullets, again Graf and Sons is great, as well as Powder Valley Inc, Midwayusa, Brownells, Wideners, and many many others that you will discover.

Good luck, and feel free to ask for further advice in general or for specific issues. I'm sure there is someone here who has run into it a few times before.

Rich

 

[Pinecone]

You will not need to trim the pistol rounds.

If you are reloading a lot, it is worth it to get a powered trimmer. There are a couple threads on that subject in this section. I like the WFT.

For dies, they are work fine. Lee are fine. RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, Dillon are good. Redding standard dies are about the same as the others. But they have higher end competition dies for rifle that are more in the class of Forester and Whidden. But high end dies are NOT needed. I have dies from ALL these companies, except Forester. I also have some Pacific dies.

If you have once fired military brass, or plan on getting some, you will need some way to remove the primer pocket swage. For a small number of cases, a Lyman or RCBS primer pocket reamer will work. For more, get the Dillon 600 case swager.

And the Lee Universal Decapping Die is GREAT in removing swaged in primers.

I use KayKob from Pet Smart for tumbling. And Dillon Case Polish. I just clean enough to get the junk off, to protect my dies.

 

[Vince55]

Okay, my 2 cents, and a few things I learned the hard way.

Nice press. RCBS is the minimum gear I would buy, since their warranty and support are spoken well of. RCBS, Dillon, Forester, or Redding dies. Buy once, cry once. Carbide for pistol, steel for rifle.

Really cheap tumblers seem to be hit or miss. The RCBS gets decent reviews. That or the Berry's. Lizard bedding works for me as a media. Stainless steel and a rotary tumbler is more than some want to deal with. I like it, and it never wears out.

I have had good luck with this caliper.

http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Digital-Fractions-Conversion-446/dp/B000YFT0A2/ref=sr_1_20?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1382988782&sr=1-20&keywords=digital+calipers

I read many good reviews on the L.E. Wilson trimmer. It works well for me with the power adapter hooked up to my Milwaukee drill.

These two places are a bit of a drive, but worth it. No hazmat fee, and they have the stuff at good prices.

http://www.tropgun.com/

http://www.shydasoutdoorcenter.com/

I have heard Greentop in VA is sweet. I have not been. I need to take a drive.

Why? Is stainless harder to use? And I haven't started reloading or buying yet. Still reading on the subject so I'm always looking for information and opinions from you experienced guys.

 

[kstone803]

Why? Is stainless harder to use? And I haven't started reloading or buying yet. Still reading on the subject so I'm always looking for information and opinions from you experienced guys.

Stainless requires a rotary tumbler (more $$) and wet brass. Some people (like myself) think it is more of a hassle than it is worth. But then again I met a guy who told me he stainless tumbles brass in a cement mixer he does so much of it. So to each their own.