Reloading questions.

[mark]

yes, but if you are new to reloading, it would be better to start off with a single stage for pistol and or rifle imo

progressives can get you into trouble quick if one does not pay attention to the steps involved

for sheer volume, progressives are ok, myself I prefer single stage for pistol and rifle,

I do not reload for shotgun

[dwlatham]

are dies interchangeable between brands or are they brand specific

[mark]

most dies will work in another manufacturers press,

for instance a redding die works in my rcbs press, if you stick with well known manufacturers you will be ok,


reloading is well worth the effort

[CalTeacher]

Originally Posted by mark

yes, but if you are new to reloading, it would be better to start off with a single stage for pistol and or rifle imo

progressives can get you into trouble quick if one does not pay attention to the steps involved

for sheer volume, progressives are ok, myself I prefer single stage for pistol and rifle,

I do not reload for shotgun

+1

I use a single stage press to produce all my rounds. It gives me great QC over the entire process and is much easier to stop once I notice a problem. When I reload I don't like too much to be going on at one time.

[dwlatham]

I already own this:

[dwlatham]

Would someone take a look at this two items and let me know which one is better to me they seem to be the same thing?

Cabela's -- Lee Anniversary Reloading Kit

Cabela's -- Lee Breech Lock Challenger Reloading Kit

This is getting confusing..

[CalTeacher]

Originally Posted by dwlatham

I already own this:


I'm thinking about getting this to try out reloading:

You receive a Lee Breech Lock Challenger O-Frame reloading press, an Auto Prime tool with a set of 11 shell holders, a Perfect Powder measure with stand, a Powder Funnel, Case Trimmer, Chamfer Tool, Safety Powder Scale, Primer Pocket Cleaner and a tube of sizing lube. You also get three Breech Lock Quick Change Bushings. These bushings make changing dies a snap and accomplishes the task in seconds. ~$100


Are there any other things I should get?

Get a couple reloading trays. That's all you'll need to get started. I own the Auto Prime tool and Perfect Powder Measure, shell holders, and a set of his 4-piece carbide dies for 9mm and they have all worked great. What cartridge will you be reloading? If it's .45, you'll never use the case trimmer. If you use carbide dies you won't need the sizing lube.

Now just learn to source your components for cheap. Try Zero bullets from Roze distributing, order primers in bulk, and buy once fired brass from Seminole Brass and Bullet.

[dwlatham]

Originally Posted by CalTeacher

Get a couple reloading trays. That's all you'll need to get started. I own the Auto Prime tool and Perfect Powder Measure, shell holders, and a set of his 4-piece carbide dies for 9mm and they have all worked great. What cartridge will you be reloading? If it's .45, you'll never use the case trimmer. If you use carbide dies you won't need the sizing lube.

Now just learn to source your components for cheap. Try Zero bullets from Roze distributing, order primers in bulk, and buy once fired brass from Seminole Brass and Bullet.

9mm, thats all I own right now.

I've been saving my brass since I started shooting, I've been wanting to start this for awhile now.

[CalTeacher]

Originally Posted by dwlatham

9mm, thats all I own right now.

Ok. I can say from much experience that Lee's 4-piece carbide die set is a great, easy to use, and cost effective set of dies. Case trimming for 9mm I'm not 100% sure of since I have thousands of casings, and have yet to fire them any more than 2X each. But my experience has generally been that you don't need to resize because autoloading pistol brass becomes shorter and fatter after firing...the opposite of rifle brass.

[neuron]

Originally Posted by dwlatham

I already own this:

You'll need some stuff to fine tune your cases: the RCBS case trimmer, a case mouth reamer/camfer, and a dial or digital caliper to measure OAL and other case/bullet dimensions. This stuff is needed even if you reload "new" brass. If you reload used brass, you need a vibratory tumbler to clean and polish your cases.

Getting the cartride dimensions exactly right is critical in reloading. The bullet has to precisely fit the headspace of your chamber, for accuracy and safety. It's all about pressure. Mistakes in OAL and bullet headspacing can lead to dangerous pressure that can make your gun explode.

[mark]

on calipers, the Harbor Freight ones are junk imo, I prefer Starret either dial or digi,

[dwlatham]

Originally Posted by mark

if you havent already, get a good brand of calipers, the Harbor Freight ones are junk imo, I prefer Starret either dial or electronic,

Yeah, the one I have is junk I wouldn't trust my gun or hand on it.

[mark]

I editted to quick

[CalTeacher]

I have a set of Kobalt digital calipers. They work great. Also look into the tumbler kit w/media from Cabelas. Good deal.

[dwlatham]

Originally Posted by CalTeacher

I have a set of Kobalt digital calipers. They work great. Also look into the tumbler kit w/media from Cabelas. Good deal.

is media reusable, how long does a tumbler take?