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Old March 1, 2007, 10:35 AM   #1
jr05
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How about this relaoding setup?

I am just getting into reloading and have done all the appropriate reading and learning from another person....now I am finally getting some equipment. I was just wondering what everybody thinks of this setup (am I all set, do I need to change some components, do I need something else, do I have stuff I don't need?)

I will be reloading .45, 9mm, and .223 (more rifle cartridges soon to come)

Lee classic turret press
Lee safety primer
RCBS 502 scale
LE Wilson case trimmer
LE Wilson chamfer and debur tool
lyman 600 case tumbler
media
polish
case lube pad
case lube
die sets


How does that look?
Thanks for any input,
Jason
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Old March 1, 2007, 11:30 AM   #2
CrustyFN
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Make sure you buy the large and small safety prime.
You can buy corn cob and walnut at the pet store and save money on your media.
You will want to buy a caliper for checking OAL.
You might want to buy some extra turrets for the other calibers. It will save you a lot of time and they are only around $10.
Make sure you buy at least one reloading manual. It is good to have more that one to cross reference in case one has a type-o.
Great choice on your press. I have one and think it is an awesome press.
Rusty
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Old March 1, 2007, 01:03 PM   #3
DaveInGA
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"I was just wondering what everybody thinks of this setup (am I all set, do I need to change some components, do I need something else, do I have stuff I don't need?)"

I will be reloading .45, 9mm, and .223 (more rifle cartridges soon to come)

Lee classic turret press Good choice
Lee safety primer Good, get the large/small combo kit
RCBS 502 scale I would go with the 505 instead, due to the locking/latching fine adjustment.
LE Wilson case trimmer I would recommend a power trimmer instead or one that can be upgraded, such as a manual RCBS Trim Pro (Can add power later - trimming brass gets tedioius.). The Wilson is expensive and I'm not sure it can be upgraded for power. Sort of overkill precision wise for .223 and an AR15 and not needed for pistol.
LE Wilson chamfer and debur tool You could do just as well with RCBS or Lyman tools of similar nature for less money. That said, the RCBS Trim Mate and accessories greatly speeds up these operations. The Wilson is pricey and provides no advantage for cost.
lyman 600 case tumbler I would suggest a Frankford Arsenal Tumbler with a rotary sifter combination. Less expensive and works as well.
media Buy 1/8" corn cob media at your local feed store.
polish Use Nu Finish car polish. It's 4 bucks at your local Dollar General store for 12 oz. and it works as well as the high priced polish you buy from a reloading company. Has nothing in it that will harm brass.
case lube pad I wouldn't use this. Really messy, unless you use Gardner Bender Wire Aid Wire Pulling Lubricant Part #79-006.
case lube Imperial sizing die wax, though you can also use Gardner Bender Wire lube you can buy at your local Ace hardware. See above for part number.
die sets I would go with Lee Deluxe die sets for all calibers you mentioned. Especially the pistol calibers. You may also want to look at getting an RCBS X-die for the .223 to limit the amount you have to trim.


"How does that look?"

I don't see a set of calipers and I don't see any reloading manuals. Look at the newbie sticky at the top of the forum for a good list of reloading manuals. Don't forget to buy reloading components. Have you thought about a reloading bench/area?

The case lubes I mentioned above are both very economical and effective. I would advise against using lubes for pistol, so rifle is your only concern lube wise. I just ran through 3000 .223 brass with a few swipes of my fingers through a can of Imperial sizing die wax. Very slick stuff. Hard to beat it and it'll resize the toughest brass.

Regards,

Dave
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Old March 1, 2007, 01:22 PM   #4
jr05
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Thanks for the quick responses,
I forgot about the calipers and will add those to the shopping list. As far as the manuals and components I left those out because I thought they were a given.

DaveInGA,
for the trimmer, the LE wilson trimmer is only $30 which I figured would be good for a hand trimmer. The ones which can be converted to electric are about $80....is it worth the extra money to get the upgradeable one?

also, the LE wilson chamfer tool is cheaper than the others ($10) which is again why I chose that one. Should I get a better one like RCBS for a little more money?

Thanks for such a detailed response, very helpful since there are soooo many options out there.


-Jason
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Old March 1, 2007, 01:39 PM   #5
blancoman
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Did I miss a powder measure? If you do not have one in the list you need to add one. Especially if you are using the Lee classic turret. A shame not to use it to full potential. The lee pro disk measure will only throw up to 22 grains of powder. Not enough for your 223 but plenty for the pistols. If you opt for one be sure to get a powder riser. Gets the powder measure up above your safety prime. If you are going to load more rifles in the future then get the perfect powder and get the auto connector, I forget what it is called but it allows the press to automatically run the powder measure without an extra step. If you already have these things then with the additions above you are ready to go.
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Old March 1, 2007, 01:46 PM   #6
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Rusty, I did not notice that you had posted until I had already sent my post. So, how are you liking the Lee Classic Turret. Have you tried using it for rifles yet? I noticed in the lee catalog that they have a connector for their drum powder measure. I have not purchased one yet and am metering my powder as a separate step and then pouring it thru the rifle powder die. It would seem that Lee has a solution. RCBS also makes a connector die to use a drum powder measure but the die is 65.00.
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Old March 1, 2007, 02:31 PM   #7
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blancoman, no I haven't loaded rifle yet. I am getting ready to buy dies and start loading 223 very soon. As far as how I like the press, I think it is an awesome press. I shoot a lot of IDPA, GSSF, Bullseye and just fun stuff and at 200+ rounds per hour I don't see myself out growing the press. I was going to try 223 with the pro auto and the double disk and see how that goes. I have heard of some people using the pro auto and adjusting it for half the powder drop and then double throwing each case. I might experiment with that and see how it goes and if I'm not happy I will add a different powder measure. Do you have one or are you looking to buy one?
Rusty
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Old March 1, 2007, 03:20 PM   #8
DaveInGA
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Jason,

You answers in context below.

"I forgot about the calipers and will add those to the shopping list."

I missed you didn't list a powder measure. I'd go with the Lee Pro Auto Disk with a double disk kit along with a Small rifle charging die and an Auto Disk riser. You can also use an RCBS Uniflow on top of either a Hornady or RCBS case activated powder drop. Makes dealing with rifle powders real easy. That's how I have mine setup, but your budget will dictate this.


"for the trimmer, the LE wilson trimmer is only $30 which I figured would be good for a hand trimmer. The ones which can be converted to electric are about $80....is it worth the extra money to get the upgradeable one?"

I think so if you think you might trim over 100 cases at a time. Are you reloading for an AR15 and will you be shooting it a lot? If so, the answer is you'd be better off getting the motor upgradable one.

"also, the LE wilson chamfer tool is cheaper than the others ($10) which is again why I chose that one. Should I get a better one like RCBS for a little more money?"

I didn't realize it was less expensive. If it is, then I'd just buy it. But then, I bought the RCBS Trim Mate instead when I bought. I've not regretted it yet. But your budget is what is the deciding factor in this one.

"Thanks for such a detailed response, very helpful since there are soooo many options out there."

It's enough to confuse anybody, but thank God we live in such a country, eh?


Regards,

Dave
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Old March 2, 2007, 07:27 AM   #9
HankL
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L.E. Wilson also makes what they call a cartridge case gage. While not being an indispensable item they come in very handy for setting up your dies and insuring your sized cases within specs.

You will eventually need to clean primer pockets.

Have fun and stay safe.
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