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Old May 16, 2011, 01:06 AM   #1
American Dad
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Want to reload my own ammo ima newbie and need help

So I shoot A LOT of .223, .45 ACP and .38 and want to start reloading once I am stateside again. I have never done this before and need some direction on equipment, supplies and so forth.
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Old May 16, 2011, 02:20 AM   #2
dmazur
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Not trying to be brusque, but the standard answer to this common question is to read this first -

For the new reloader - equipment basics

then, after you've read up on the whole process a little, you can easily get answers to specific questions on forums like this one.

(Such as, "Can I use neck-only resizing dies to reload for a semi-auto rifle?")

On the other hand, you will probably get quite a few recommendations which others have found to work for them...but they aren't you.
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Old May 16, 2011, 09:01 AM   #3
CherokeeT
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Thank you for your service. The link for reading would be a good start, then we can get to more specifics once you have a basis. I load all three of those and will be glad to help once you have a starting point.
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Old May 16, 2011, 09:07 AM   #4
BDS-THR
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Thanks for your service and a "Hooah" from an ex medic.

If you are looking to reload pistol and rifle cartridges, I highly recommend the Lee Classic Turret press for starting out reloading.

Although it is a turret press, you can also use it in single stage mode by removing the center indexing rod.
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Old May 16, 2011, 09:38 AM   #5
oneounceload
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Before you buy ANY equipment, read the stickies here and on other forums to get an idea of what you are looking at, THEN buy reloading books and manuals and read them. After all that, you'll have an idea of things you still need some guidance on and equipment to get
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Old May 16, 2011, 10:38 PM   #6
stinkybriches
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buy a manual and read it. the ABC's of reloading, hornady, speer, all good manuals. dont skim, it will answer alot of questions and teach you safty.

i regret buying a lee turret. if you want to go lee imho get a single stage, a classic cast if you can.
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Old May 17, 2011, 07:06 AM   #7
Uncle Buck
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These guys hit it on the head! Read the stickies, get the books and then figure out what you want to do.

I did it arse backwards. I bought the Rockchucker reloading kit (Thankfully it came with a manual) and had a guy tell me what I needed. I bought a few different powders and any bullets I could find.

Then, when I got everything set up and thought I was ready to go, I could not find any matches for the powder/bullet combo I had. I bought another manual and same thing, no matches. (How many recipes are out there for 300 gr. .452 diameter bullets that use 700-x?)
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Old May 17, 2011, 09:46 AM   #8
wncchester
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"I shoot A LOT of .223, .45 ACP and .38 "

Just for a start, and for that assortment, you couldn't do better than Lee's Classic Turret for a press.

Now, thing to remember about reloading equipment and brands is it's much like Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge; a lot of people insist on one, a lot on another other and those in the middle have enough sense to know it's largely a matter of personal taste about how individual things better fit the owner's work pattern ... or ego. Bottom line, all of our makers provide excellant tools but, like any other tools, they do vary in features and you need to choose based on YOUR needs, not the needs of others. Sadly, most advice sorta starts like "I really like xxxx brand, it's always worked for me and I've never even used anything else!"

I try to use my decades of experiece to recommend what's right for the individual and rarely suggest, or even mention, what "I" use. While I don't have a Lee Classic Turret, I KNOW it's a very good press with a LOT to offer someone with needs like yours!

Thanks for what you do. Be careful, keep your head down and come back home safely.
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Old May 17, 2011, 01:52 PM   #9
jb683
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Wncchester ... Just bought a Lee Classic Turret, and could not be more pleased. Started out with a single stage Lee press and have loaded hundreds of rounds with it. For handgun the turret, equipped with the Lee Auto Disk powder measure is a blast to use. I would recommend any of the Lee stuff as it is good quality equipment. The only exception would be the Perfect Powder Measure. It don't like any flake powders.
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