Reloading Supplies...

nightsun · January 27, 2009, 10:53 AM

I am new to this site and this is my first post. I am very interested in learning how to reload. I purchased a few items yesterday such as a Redding big boss press, case holder tray, lube, manual deburring tool, and since I am only concerned with reloading .223 (at this time)- the RCBS .223 FL die set. As you can see, they did not have everything I needed to get started. My main go for now, is to gather supplies and learn what I can. I am not concerned with turning out 100rds/hr. I just want to get my feet wet. With that in mind, do you think I will need the most expensive scale available? The rep over at Sportsmans Warehouse suggested I go with a digital scale. Is this more for speed or are they actually more accurate and easier to use? At this point, I am hoping someone can help me figure out exactly what else I am going to need. I am looking for the best possible accuracy out of my .223 rifles which include a couple of AR's and a Savage 10. I really appreciate any information or direction. Regards

CrustyFN · January 27, 2009, 11:28 AM

A digital scale is nice but a good beam scale will do a fine job. RCBS and Dillon both make a very good beam scale. You will also need a seating die. I don't know how you plan to measure powder but a good powder measure like the RCBS Uniflow would be good to have. If you wanted to check every drop you could drop a little light and finish with a powder trickler. You will also need a trimmer and caliper. Welcome, be safe and have fun.
Rusty

fastshotivy · January 27, 2009, 11:43 AM

CrustyFN Check your pm

ericswan_1 · January 27, 2009, 12:20 PM

hi,
as far as scale and thrower go i put my big chunk of money in those 2 and bought the rcbs charge master auto thrower and dont regret a single second of it. ive got a couple manual throwers and have checked the accuracy against it and neither one can beat it. i wouldnt trade it for anything except another one.

Eric

oneounceload · January 27, 2009, 12:46 PM

Ohaus makes most of the reloading scales for the different companies. Look at them directly, try e-bay or equivalent, garage sales, gun shows, etc. As long as it hasn't been abused, you should be able to find one inexpensive that will do the job

dlb435 · January 27, 2009, 06:00 PM

Ebay is the way to go if you don't mind used gear. I like the old beam scales better than the digital scales. I have both and find I use the digtal only to check loaded rounds for squibes or doubles. I always use the old beam scale to work up my powder charge. The RCBS JR presses are more than enough for everything but 50 cal. The Redding press might be overkill.

CrustyFN · January 27, 2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

I have both and find I use the digtal only to check loaded rounds for squibes or doubles.

I wouldn't count on that too much. I have seen enough variation in brass and bullets that you could be one grain over on powder and have it weigh good.
Rusty

Selfdfenz · January 27, 2009, 06:41 PM

If are only loading 20-50 rounds at a time, and rifle at that, while you are learning the ropes weigh each charge and forget the powder measure for the time being. You don't even know if the powder you're going to settle on at this point in time is even compatable with some measures. If you have several 223 rifles and they are all different spend you money on a variety of componets and reloading manuals.

I have both beam and digital balances and each has it's place.

S-

rn22723 · January 27, 2009, 07:37 PM

Your first step is buying the best reference book or what I call Reloading for Dummies or The ABC's of Reloading from Krause Publications. Read it cover to cover, and then read it again while taking notes! Look for a mentor at your local club, range, or purveyor of supplies! Another more technical book, is Handloading for Competition by Glen Zediker.

There are several great reloading manuals of the real kind not the freebee ones! Freebee manuals are good for cross referencing data, at times. For meaty manuals a person can not go wrong with the Lyman49th, Hornady, and Sierra. One must always look up loads when you compare/cross-reference data. Especially in larger calibers as some data might be using different brass from yours. Case in point Hodgdon used WW brass to work up loads with, whereas Sierra used Fed cases in their 308 Winchester loading information.

Press - Single Stage or Turret presses are the best way to learn before advancing to any kind of progressive press. You will always have need for a single stage press. Redding and RCBS are good sources of all kinds of presses. RCBS Rockchucker Supreme for a single stage and Redding T7 for a turret press are basically the gold standard for the two different types.

Dies - I like Redding Dies, and I would get the carbide expander ball upgrade for bottle neck rifle cases. Dillon makes carbide rifle sizer dies, but you still need to use case lube and make sure you lube the inside of the case neck, too. I would just stick with regular dies for rifle cartridges. Dillon makes die sets specifically for their press so to speak, meaning that it does not come with a case mouth belling die; Redding makes a set of dies for progressive presses, too. I like Forster competition seaters, and they can be had as an individual item. Dies are pretty much threaded universally, except for Lyman 310 dies, and Dillon dies for the Square Deal B. Accuracy nuts will use hand dies, and they require an arbor press be used.

Shell holders (if the die set doesn't have them like Lee) or the appropriate shell plate for the progressive press. Remember that many shell holders work for more then one cartridge. I would do some home work, especially if you get a Dillon. Some cartridge conversions might only require you to get powder funnel for the new cartridge.

A tumbler will be a good investment, as clean cases will not harm you dies. There are vibratory and rotary tumblers out there. I like corn cob media treated with some Iosso case polish. You can get walnut in bulk at Petco or Pet Smart. Bulk corn cob grit is a great way to reduce the cost of commercially supplied media, because you pay through the nose for the treated media from other vendors.

MTM makes great loading block tray that handles most cartridges.

Case Lube is great for both conventional dies, and to treat your brass used in a progressive press even with carbide dies. That extra lubricity makes the cycling of the press a tad slicker! Dillon spray lube works well for shake and bake application. I like Imperial Die Wax for rifle cartridges when FL sizing.

Case Neck Brush to clean bottleneck rifle cases, copper bore brushes work well for this.

Dial Calipers either mechanical or electronic

Case Trimmer (Lee works, but Possum Hollow is better, Wilson makes the best hand powered Lathe trimmer, and Giraud is the best powered Trimmer)

Deburring/Chamfering Tool – like the Wilson one chucked into the Sinclair Deburring Tool Holder. I like the K&M VLD chamfering tool.

Primer Pocket Cleaner, reamer like the Hornady, and uniformer just remember that small primers are same size, where as large pistol and rifle are different sized in terms of height not width.

Primer pocket swager is an optional tool, RCBS makes one that mounts on single stage presses. Some will use the Hornady Reamer. Some will use the Dillon Super Swage.

Flash hole deburring tool is good tool to have

Primer Flip Tray is needed for loading pick up tubes for some primer systems like the Dillon.

Priming Tool (I like the RCBS (now even better with universal shell holder, but Sinclair makes the best)

Powder Scale - remember that is always better to have a mechanical scale as a back up to any electronic scale.

Powder Funnel kit with drop tubes especially if you intend to use powders like Varget.

Powder Trickler (used to tweak powder charges)

Powder Measure (nice for faster powder charges it does require a bit of learning curve to get consistent powder charges sort of rhythm thing) standard with progressive presses, but the RCBS Uniflow is nice! Redding makes a better one, and Harrell is the gold standard!

Hammer Type Bullet Puller (for taking down the boo boo's), and you will always need one of these. The Collet type work great for most rifle rounds, to keep from making a mess. The Hornady Cam Lock is nice tool.

Ammo boxes and labels, you can make your own labels with Avery Labels. I sometimes pick up the boxes from range trash, as the ones with plastic trays serve as a good loading block.

A notebook for recording your results! Saves covering the same ground twice!

A chronograph is great when working up loads, but is more a luxury in the beginning.

nightsun · January 29, 2009, 09:53 AM

Thanks for guys and sorry for the late response. I had to go out of town for a few days. Anyhow, I was able to pick up a few more supplies yesterday afternoon. I got a Lyman Turbo Tumbler 1200 w/ Lyman media, RCBS Mech Scale, RCBS Hand Primer, Lyman Handloader Manaul, Honady 55g bullets, 1# W748 powder, and a .223 shell holder. I beleive I have all the tools to get started. Last night, I measured some of the spent .223 rem cases I had on hand and many of them were in the 1.730 - 1.740 range. I am not sure I will be able to use those. Correct me if I am wrong but the min is1.750". Anyhow, thank you for the wealth of information provided. It is truly appreciated.

CrustyFN · January 29, 2009, 10:59 AM

In order to check brass to see if it needs to be trimmed it has to be sized first. It will grow in length during the sizing process.
Rusty

January 27, 2009, 10:53 AM	#1
nightsun Junior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 8	Reloading Supplies... I am new to this site and this is my first post. I am very interested in learning how to reload. I purchased a few items yesterday such as a Redding big boss press, case holder tray, lube, manual deburring tool, and since I am only concerned with reloading .223 (at this time)- the RCBS .223 FL die set. As you can see, they did not have everything I needed to get started. My main go for now, is to gather supplies and learn what I can. I am not concerned with turning out 100rds/hr. I just want to get my feet wet. With that in mind, do you think I will need the most expensive scale available? The rep over at Sportsmans Warehouse suggested I go with a digital scale. Is this more for speed or are they actually more accurate and easier to use? At this point, I am hoping someone can help me figure out exactly what else I am going to need. I am looking for the best possible accuracy out of my .223 rifles which include a couple of AR's and a Savage 10. I really appreciate any information or direction. Regards

January 27, 2009, 11:28 AM	#2
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	A digital scale is nice but a good beam scale will do a fine job. RCBS and Dillon both make a very good beam scale. You will also need a seating die. I don't know how you plan to measure powder but a good powder measure like the RCBS Uniflow would be good to have. If you wanted to check every drop you could drop a little light and finish with a powder trickler. You will also need a trimmer and caliper. Welcome, be safe and have fun. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

January 27, 2009, 06:41 PM	#8
Selfdfenz Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2001 Location: The Gas Tax State Posts: 949	If are only loading 20-50 rounds at a time, and rifle at that, while you are learning the ropes weigh each charge and forget the powder measure for the time being. You don't even know if the powder you're going to settle on at this point in time is even compatable with some measures. If you have several 223 rifles and they are all different spend you money on a variety of componets and reloading manuals. I have both beam and digital balances and each has it's place. S- __________________ Selfdfenz

January 29, 2009, 10:59 AM	#11
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	In order to check brass to see if it needs to be trimmed it has to be sized first. It will grow in length during the sizing process. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

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January 27, 2009, 11:43 AM	#3
fastshotivy Member Join Date: November 18, 2008 Posts: 66	CrustyFN Check your pm

January 27, 2009, 12:20 PM	#4
ericswan_1 Member Join Date: December 8, 2008 Posts: 19	hi, as far as scale and thrower go i put my big chunk of money in those 2 and bought the rcbs charge master auto thrower and dont regret a single second of it. ive got a couple manual throwers and have checked the accuracy against it and neither one can beat it. i wouldnt trade it for anything except another one. Eric

January 27, 2009, 12:46 PM	#5
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Ohaus makes most of the reloading scales for the different companies. Look at them directly, try e-bay or equivalent, garage sales, gun shows, etc. As long as it hasn't been abused, you should be able to find one inexpensive that will do the job

January 27, 2009, 06:00 PM	#6
dlb435 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 654	Ebay is the way to go if you don't mind used gear. I like the old beam scales better than the digital scales. I have both and find I use the digtal only to check loaded rounds for squibes or doubles. I always use the old beam scale to work up my powder charge. The RCBS JR presses are more than enough for everything but 50 cal. The Redding press might be overkill.

January 27, 2009, 07:37 PM	#9
rn22723 Junior member Join Date: December 10, 2001 Location: Burbs of Minneapolis Posts: 676	Your first step is buying the best reference book or what I call Reloading for Dummies or The ABC's of Reloading from Krause Publications. Read it cover to cover, and then read it again while taking notes! Look for a mentor at your local club, range, or purveyor of supplies! Another more technical book, is Handloading for Competition by Glen Zediker. There are several great reloading manuals of the real kind not the freebee ones! Freebee manuals are good for cross referencing data, at times. For meaty manuals a person can not go wrong with the Lyman49th, Hornady, and Sierra. One must always look up loads when you compare/cross-reference data. Especially in larger calibers as some data might be using different brass from yours. Case in point Hodgdon used WW brass to work up loads with, whereas Sierra used Fed cases in their 308 Winchester loading information. Press - Single Stage or Turret presses are the best way to learn before advancing to any kind of progressive press. You will always have need for a single stage press. Redding and RCBS are good sources of all kinds of presses. RCBS Rockchucker Supreme for a single stage and Redding T7 for a turret press are basically the gold standard for the two different types. Dies - I like Redding Dies, and I would get the carbide expander ball upgrade for bottle neck rifle cases. Dillon makes carbide rifle sizer dies, but you still need to use case lube and make sure you lube the inside of the case neck, too. I would just stick with regular dies for rifle cartridges. Dillon makes die sets specifically for their press so to speak, meaning that it does not come with a case mouth belling die; Redding makes a set of dies for progressive presses, too. I like Forster competition seaters, and they can be had as an individual item. Dies are pretty much threaded universally, except for Lyman 310 dies, and Dillon dies for the Square Deal B. Accuracy nuts will use hand dies, and they require an arbor press be used. Shell holders (if the die set doesn't have them like Lee) or the appropriate shell plate for the progressive press. Remember that many shell holders work for more then one cartridge. I would do some home work, especially if you get a Dillon. Some cartridge conversions might only require you to get powder funnel for the new cartridge. A tumbler will be a good investment, as clean cases will not harm you dies. There are vibratory and rotary tumblers out there. I like corn cob media treated with some Iosso case polish. You can get walnut in bulk at Petco or Pet Smart. Bulk corn cob grit is a great way to reduce the cost of commercially supplied media, because you pay through the nose for the treated media from other vendors. MTM makes great loading block tray that handles most cartridges. Case Lube is great for both conventional dies, and to treat your brass used in a progressive press even with carbide dies. That extra lubricity makes the cycling of the press a tad slicker! Dillon spray lube works well for shake and bake application. I like Imperial Die Wax for rifle cartridges when FL sizing. Case Neck Brush to clean bottleneck rifle cases, copper bore brushes work well for this. Dial Calipers either mechanical or electronic Case Trimmer (Lee works, but Possum Hollow is better, Wilson makes the best hand powered Lathe trimmer, and Giraud is the best powered Trimmer) Deburring/Chamfering Tool – like the Wilson one chucked into the Sinclair Deburring Tool Holder. I like the K&M VLD chamfering tool. Primer Pocket Cleaner, reamer like the Hornady, and uniformer just remember that small primers are same size, where as large pistol and rifle are different sized in terms of height not width. Primer pocket swager is an optional tool, RCBS makes one that mounts on single stage presses. Some will use the Hornady Reamer. Some will use the Dillon Super Swage. Flash hole deburring tool is good tool to have Primer Flip Tray is needed for loading pick up tubes for some primer systems like the Dillon. Priming Tool (I like the RCBS (now even better with universal shell holder, but Sinclair makes the best) Powder Scale - remember that is always better to have a mechanical scale as a back up to any electronic scale. Powder Funnel kit with drop tubes especially if you intend to use powders like Varget. Powder Trickler (used to tweak powder charges) Powder Measure (nice for faster powder charges it does require a bit of learning curve to get consistent powder charges sort of rhythm thing) standard with progressive presses, but the RCBS Uniflow is nice! Redding makes a better one, and Harrell is the gold standard! Hammer Type Bullet Puller (for taking down the boo boo's), and you will always need one of these. The Collet type work great for most rifle rounds, to keep from making a mess. The Hornady Cam Lock is nice tool. Ammo boxes and labels, you can make your own labels with Avery Labels. I sometimes pick up the boxes from range trash, as the ones with plastic trays serve as a good loading block. A notebook for recording your results! Saves covering the same ground twice! A chronograph is great when working up loads, but is more a luxury in the beginning.

January 29, 2009, 09:53 AM	#10
nightsun Junior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 8	Thanks for guys and sorry for the late response. I had to go out of town for a few days. Anyhow, I was able to pick up a few more supplies yesterday afternoon. I got a Lyman Turbo Tumbler 1200 w/ Lyman media, RCBS Mech Scale, RCBS Hand Primer, Lyman Handloader Manaul, Honady 55g bullets, 1# W748 powder, and a .223 shell holder. I beleive I have all the tools to get started. Last night, I measured some of the spent .223 rem cases I had on hand and many of them were in the 1.730 - 1.740 range. I am not sure I will be able to use those. Correct me if I am wrong but the min is1.750". Anyhow, thank you for the wealth of information provided. It is truly appreciated.