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B24H · April 8, 2000, 09:46 PM

For shotshells, I use AA or Blue Magic hulls, WW209 primers, Windjammer or AA wads, and the appropriate amount of Green Dot or Red Dot powder. Winchester has a very nice brochure-type reloading booklet that lets you tailor the load to your needs. I have a Remington 870 pump, if you have an auto you'll need to find a load your gun likes best for feeding and ejection. I use a MEC 650 Jr, it works fine, is not expensive, and handles 50 or so rounds an hour.
For 45ACP, you can't go wrong with Bullseye or WW231 powder, WLP primer, and a cast bullet of 200 to 230 gr. I recommend you get a reloading manual such as the Speer, Sierra, Lyman, or Hornady (your library might have one), the "45 Auto" reprint from the NRA, and DBI book's "ABC's of Reloading" by Dean Grennell. You'll likely want to start by reading and accumulating reloading books. You don't need to get into bullet casting unless you shoot more than 500 rounds a year. I use an RCBS Rockchucker (single-stage) with a Lyman 4-die set, and I have an RCBS Ammomaster. The Ammomaster is tricky to set up and use, I can't vouch for any others. If you shoot more than 100 rounds a week the progressive presses earn their keep.
Lee is the least expensive, the others (Hornady, RCBS, Dillon, Lyman) are higher and similar in price. You might end up like me with a filing cabinet full of reloading equipment, always looking for more, and using it all. Get a single-stage press anyway, they are always useful.
As far as cost, without considering the equipment investment or my time I can load shotshells for about $2.50 a box (I buy reclaimed shot from the trap range) and 45ACP for about $4.00 a hundred using range lead for cast bullets.
Join the NRA, if you're not already a member, the American Rifleman magazine has nice articles about reloading every issue.
Good Luck!

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"Our most pressing problems...are at their core moral, not material, problems." Richard Nixon
"We should not substitute the state for the parents or the family." Lee Kwan Yew

[This message has been edited by B24H (edited April 08, 2000).]

April 8, 2000, 09:46 PM	#5
B24H Member Join Date: April 5, 2000 Posts: 58	For shotshells, I use AA or Blue Magic hulls, WW209 primers, Windjammer or AA wads, and the appropriate amount of Green Dot or Red Dot powder. Winchester has a very nice brochure-type reloading booklet that lets you tailor the load to your needs. I have a Remington 870 pump, if you have an auto you'll need to find a load your gun likes best for feeding and ejection. I use a MEC 650 Jr, it works fine, is not expensive, and handles 50 or so rounds an hour. For 45ACP, you can't go wrong with Bullseye or WW231 powder, WLP primer, and a cast bullet of 200 to 230 gr. I recommend you get a reloading manual such as the Speer, Sierra, Lyman, or Hornady (your library might have one), the "45 Auto" reprint from the NRA, and DBI book's "ABC's of Reloading" by Dean Grennell. You'll likely want to start by reading and accumulating reloading books. You don't need to get into bullet casting unless you shoot more than 500 rounds a year. I use an RCBS Rockchucker (single-stage) with a Lyman 4-die set, and I have an RCBS Ammomaster. The Ammomaster is tricky to set up and use, I can't vouch for any others. If you shoot more than 100 rounds a week the progressive presses earn their keep. Lee is the least expensive, the others (Hornady, RCBS, Dillon, Lyman) are higher and similar in price. You might end up like me with a filing cabinet full of reloading equipment, always looking for more, and using it all. Get a single-stage press anyway, they are always useful. As far as cost, without considering the equipment investment or my time I can load shotshells for about $2.50 a box (I buy reclaimed shot from the trap range) and 45ACP for about $4.00 a hundred using range lead for cast bullets. Join the NRA, if you're not already a member, the American Rifleman magazine has nice articles about reloading every issue. Good Luck! ------------------ "Our most pressing problems...are at their core moral, not material, problems." Richard Nixon "We should not substitute the state for the parents or the family." Lee Kwan Yew [This message has been edited by B24H (edited April 08, 2000).]