How much to start reloading....dirt cheap!

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by dlb435

Ok, guys, let's hear it:
Does doing basic reloading require a scale?

No, but it is the very first of my "optional" accessories.

I actually see myself as having a foot in each camp.

1) Without a scale, I would be content to rely on the factory-calibrated Lee dippers as long as I was staying with mid-range loads and not getting near any limits.

But my confidence in the dippers is bolstered by the fact that I have a scale and have personally verified that they do throw consistent weights (even if a little light).

2) With a scale, loading is slower, but the charge weights would be known for sure.

With a scale, AND dippers you have the ability of making and adjusting dipper(s) to speed things up and have the advantages of both worlds.

Around $8-$13 for a set of Lee Dippers and about $22-$25 for the Lee Safety Scale means under $40 will give you the relatively faster (than weighing each and every charge with a scale) speed of the dippers and the surety of actually knowing your powder weight.

The "You don't need a scale at first" and the "Don't ever load without a scale" approaches both have merit, so I cannot say either is wrong. I do say that both is better.

Since the loading manuals are all (except Lee's) denominated in weight, a scale definitely has the edge in simplicity and clarity. The dippers have the edge in economy and speed.

Lost Sheep

[Shootin Chef]

Are you factoring in the cost of reloading manuals? I don't recall seeing it anywhere.

Would you say you need the ABC's of reloading? Every review I've read says it's light on actual reloading information.

Chef

[maillemaker]

There are two books called "The ABCs of Reloading" on Amazon. I got the 8th edition.

I got this one:

http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloading...7205731&sr=8-1

I found it very informative. It even includes plans for a reloading bench.

Steve

[dlb435]

While I highly recomend getting a reloading manual, I'm not including it as part of the cost. You can often find reloading manuals at the public library and the internet has many resources. There are even videos that show reloading. With all of these free resources I see no need to include this as part of getting started. The reloading manual I have came free with some other gear that I bought.
I'll include it in the reloading kit but list it at zero cost.

[Sevens]

I started out on my own handloading without a mentor, without anyone's help, actually, and no internet... in 1989. I also started out with a set of Lee dippers, the slide-rule thingy that told you "about" what they dipped and no scale.

Yes, I made ammo. I made .38 Special ammo with Green Dot powder. They seemed accurate and worked well for my needs and I was happy. My budget was less than that of a shoestring... I was in high school at the time.

I had NO flexibility with loads and powders. I had only the dippers and no scale. I also could not adjust my loads in any direction -- it was "work" or "don't work."

I did handload without a scale but that was a mistake that handcuffed me quite a bit. I'll go back to what I said earlier... if it was 100% about the bottom line, you could buy the Lee "whack a mole" Lee Loader and be done with it and you could make ammo on a pocket-change kind of budget.

Yes, a working scale is a necessity.

[Sevens]

Oops, forgot to add... I had no scale and no internet and NO help from any person, but I sure as heck had load manual, a Speer #11 and I read it cover to cover about 7 times.

With some of the resources available on line, I would put the role of the manual lower today than it was when I started... but I would never, ever, EVER start a new handloader off without a manual even if I have to loan him one.

Hey, dangit, I've got a buddy across town that I started up three years ago and he's still got my old Speer #11!

[overkill0084]

I find it interesting that people with thousands of dollars in firearms will hesitate to spend a couple hundred on reloading equipment. If people all bought guns this way, people everyone would be shooting used Hi-Points.
Inexpensive & frugal is fine, but don't get carried away with cheapness. Getting your ammo right is more important than bragging rights for lowest cost setup.

[Shootin Chef]

I don't believe he is doing it for bragging rights, saying that seems to do him an injustice. Seems more to me that he's doing this to help out people who have never reloaded a day in their life, like me, get equipment and set up for as inexpensive as possible.

I don't have thousands to spend on guns, I don't even have hundreds, but I would like to enjoy this part of the hobby as well and this thread is one I've been watching closely since it was started.

Chef

[orionengnr]

Run the math and we get a 9mm case that needs to be trimed to 0.58 inch to make a powder dipper.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I thought the 9mm uses a tapered case. If so, that makes the math a fair bit more complicated.

If you use a cut-down .38 or .357 (or most anything else) case, the math once again becomes simple...

[dlb435]

Thanks again for all of your input.
Time for a little cost accounting:
Press - 40.49
Hardware - 4.00
Shellholder - 7.99
Lyman Dies - 15.45 (I got lucky here, they are carbide dies)
Brass (new) - 20.99 (100)
Bullets - 13.99 (100 Hornady 125 gr. hp/XTP)
Funnel - 4.99
Tax - 4.08
Scale - 18.00 (this was the best price I could find - now I can use a scale )
Repair parts - 0.00 (Thanks RCBS)
powder scoop - 0.00 (home made)
reloading manual - 0.00 ( I got mine for free... )
Primer parts - 4.00
Primers - 3.20
Powder - 16.49 (Titegroup, 1 lb)

Total - $153.67
Max I could spend 134.95

I still haven't made the ammo yet or test fired it in my gun. I'll try to post a picture of all the items soon.

For 100 rounds, I couldn't keep my cost below factory rounds. However, at the end of that 100 rounds I'll still have everything I'll need to load an other 100 round except primers and bullets. That will only cost about $18.00. If I did not include the cost of the scale the total price is $135.67....about the same cost of premium ammo.
I think it's fair to say that even for someone who only shoots 100 to 200 rounds a year, reloading your own ammo is an option. If you shoot only 50 rounds a month (600 rounds in a year) reloading is your best option.
The kit I put together can easily add other calibers. Even if you move on to progressive presses, this gear will still be useful.

[dlb435]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I thought the 9mm uses a tapered case.

That's exactly why I chose the 9mm case; any error whould result in less powder than calculated. I was trying for 7.5 grains and got 7.3. Thus, a safe load. I didn't think anyone would notice my choice of the 9mm. Very obersvant.

[Shootin Chef]

DLB where did you find a press for that price?

Even on the little e big B they are hitting $80+

[thump_rrr]

In my opinion to start reloading a scale is a must.
As a beginner there are many things that you can do incorrectly which can cost you tens of thousands of dollars to repair via surgury.
Without a scale to verify what a powder measure can drop reloading becomes very slow and tedious.

Everything a beginner needs is in the Lee 50th Aniversary kit with the exception of a set of dies, the case length trimmer for your specific caliber, and a reloading tray.

[dlb435]

The press was on ebay. It looked bad, lots of rust. I just cleaned it up and painted it. I already had the paint.
Over the years I have obtained some other "dirt cheap" presses.
Lyman True-Line Jr. - free, it was just rusting away at a friends house
C-H 444 - $15.00 at the local gun shop, again, lots of rust
old "C" press - $15.00 on ebay, no rust
If you are willing to put in a little time and effort, most old presses will clean up just fine.

[rsrocket1]

Brass (new) - 20.99 (100)

Here's where you killed your budget.
Most people either save brass they already shot or scrounge at the range. You should not have had to pay anything for your first 100 rounds of RE-loads.

For a short time, I got by with a funnel made out of a piece of paper rolled into a cone and held together with tape. It was free.

The scale would not be an option for me, it would be a requirement. Many of the density numbers on the Lee chart are high which means you will be loading a lighter than expected charge. That's OK. However I found that the H335 densities were low for the jug I had and blindly using them would have put my 223 and 308 rounds seriously into the "approaching max load" area. A couple of shakes of the dipper would have sent the charges into the overloaded zone.

[dlb435]

Here is all of the reloading kit ready to start.
NOTE: this is not the $18.00 scale I found but one I had that is close to the same thing.

As for the budget busting brass, I have just now bought a 357 magnum and have no old brass. I checked at the range and found no 357 brass
Just not my lucky day with the brass.

[dlb435]

Finally! After three weeks, I got to load the rounds today. I'm used to reloading on a progressive press so reloading on a single stage press was sooooo slooooooow!
First; the homemade powder scoop worked perfectly. I did use the scale that so many of you thought I needed. (price was added to the total cost of the project) Adjustments to the powder charge was tiny and I could have easily done without it. This comes as a surprise to me; I didn't think that it would be so close.
Second; I really missed having a powder drop. If I was just getting started a nice powder drop would be my next purchase.
Third, I was lucky enough to get a press with the optional priming arm. This really helped out but I would add the small primer tube ASAP.
Fourth; my homemade loading block was OK but I spaced the holes too close.

I made 24 rounds in about one hour.

[macsters]

thanks for doing this.

just got a lee turret press from my uncle dirt cheap (he was too busy with his business to use it much....it was basically a gift).

figured that as a starving college student with a penchant for guns, it might be in the interest of my wallet to start reloading, and in my search for info i found this thread full of really useful info.

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by dlb435

Ok, guys, let's hear it:
Does doing basic reloading require a scale?
I'm going to give a no to this. Folks have been reloading for years without scales. Nice to have, but you can get by without it.
Do I have a scale? Yes, two of them.
Remember, we're dealing with a 357 magnum here.
If we were trying to load 32 ACP a scale would be a must.
I'll go with the majority rule on this. If most of you say yes to a scale, I'll put it in the project cost.

I ran across this thread on another forum
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/view...ote=viewresult
where a couple of posters are debating the relative merits of Lee Dippers and Scales.

It is worth reading for three reasons.
1) The entertainment value is priceless.
2) Their back-and-forth is a case study in mind closure and how not to conduct a thread.
3) There are some actual worthwhile facts tossed about in the flames.

Enjoy.

Lost Sheep

[isanchez2008]

I wish I had read this thread years ago when I started. I would have found some good ideas on how to not spend the tons of $ on items I didn't need.