Need help with a couple of things.

[Smoke & Recoil]

I checked it out earlier and the shipping cost alone near out priced the
100 count box.

[USSR]

I checked it out earlier and the shipping cost alone near out priced the
100 count box.

Good Grief man, you're talking about 2,000 lead bullets. You think they can ship them on a postage stamp?

Don

[Smoke & Recoil]

I spoke of the 100 count box, not the 2000 count.

100=12.00 s/h
2000=18.00 s/h

[condor bravo]

Buying less than 500 is often not much of a bargain when considering the shipping costs. We're usually caught between the small and medium size boxes. Would be ideal if the USPS had a box half way between the two. Even with 500 bullets there is often 3/4 of the medium box left over filled with some kind of filler material. But the packages do arrive quickly so we're paying for the speed of course.

[USSR]

When ordering online, don't buy anything by the 100's, buy by the 1,000's and spread the shipping cost out so as to make the purchase cost efficient.

Don

[condor bravo]

Don,
1000 would fit easily in a medium size box, but due to the excessive weight do most vendors actually ship 1000 in one box or divide them up between two? 4000 would fit in one medium box but I doubt if any vendor would do that.

[USSR]

Don,
1000 would fit easily in a medium size box, but due to the excessive weight do most vendors actually ship 1000 in one box or divide them up between two? 4000 would fit in one medium box but I doubt if any vendor would do that.

In the case of the 2,000 Remington 148gr HBWC's, they ship in the cardboard case in which they come from the Remington factory.

Don

[44 AMP]

I checked it out earlier and the shipping cost alone near out priced the
100 count box.

This is something a friend and I discovered back in the 80s. Lead is HEAVY!

(pre internet, remember...)

We were paying something like $38 for 1,000 .45acp lead slugs at the local gun shop. Found a mail order deal, $22 for the same 1,000 slugs, so we ordered them. Final cost, $22 for the bullets $20 for the shipping!!!

(prices approximate, old memory...but the point is that counting the shipping, mail order bullets were actually MORE expensive than buying at the local shop, at least in the quantities we were buying at the time.)

[SonOfScubaDiver]

I wanted to order the boolits, powder, and primers online, but I found out pretty quickly that the shipping and hazmat fees would be high. So, I need to find that stuff locally. Besides, it gives me a good reason to go visit gun shops (as if I need a good reason ).

[USSR]

So, I ordered the 2,000 bullets which had a per bullet price of $.07. Add the shipping in and the cost per bullet is $.08. Now, tell me where else you can buy the finest HBWC made for $.08 per bullet? I think some of you guys can't see the forest for the trees.

Don

[Smoke & Recoil]

Good for you, you are an asset to the economy.

[SonOfScubaDiver]

Yay! I was able to get what I needed today. Well, I ended up with the DEWC, but that's ok. They said they could get me some Berry plated HBWC, so I may have them order me some. I ended up buying Winchester, CCI, and Remington primers, just to try them all out. I also went ahead and bought a real reloading manual. The one I got is caliber specific, and is nothing more than photocopied load data I could have gotten off the web.

A friend of mine with some experience in reloading is coming over to make sure I don't screw anything up. I am very excited! It's been a year since I started thinking about getting into reloading, and it feels good to finally have enough to get started. I'm looking forward to learning a lot, experimenting with different bullets and loads, and eventually expanding into 45ACP, 45 Colt, 9mm, 380, and 40.

[Smoke & Recoil]

Hey there Mr. Big Bucks...smile. It won't be long now, before the casting-bug gets ya.

[Jeffm004]

A couple "worries" to add.

With that powder a double charge will fit. Not sure of the press but it is hard to see the bottom of the case to confirm/eyeball powder is there. I like enough powder to KNOW the bullet left the barrel. It has been awhile for .38 but 3.2 sounds very squirrel fartish.

Only one type of powder on the bench and a disciplined process will help a lot.

Enjoy, I just got 1,000 plated 9mm in yesterday. I should go move then downstairs....

[SonOfScubaDiver]

Success! It took longer than I thought it would, but I got the first 50 rounds loaded. Woohoo! It wasn't without a few hiccups though. It turns out that I forget to order the shell holder set for the hand primer, so I had to use the primer that came with the press (Lee Breech Lock hand loader). It worked just fine, but it definitely slowed the process down. It also took longer to charge all 50 than I thought it would. After I got that part done, I realized that I had forgotten to expand the case mouths. So I ended up dumping the powder from each case, one at a time, back into the bowl thingy while expanding them. And, of course, it took time to get each of the dies set right. From start to finish, it took 3 1/2 hours. I had already resized and deprimed the cases earlier this week.

So.......my thoughts are as follows: I enjoyed the process, except for how long it took to charge all the cases. The hand loader worked as advertised, but I can definitely see that a regular press will speed things up quite a bit and simplify the process. Once I got the technique down for the powder scoop, it consistently gave me 2.9grns with the trickler providing the remaining .1 grns. One of them thar fancy automatic digitized powder measure contraptions is on mah wish list! D I will get the remaining 50 rounds loaded this afternoon, and then I have to wait until next Saturday to go to the range.

[Smoke & Recoil]

Maybe for now, make a chart as to what process' to follow as you go.

Don't be afraid to continue to ask questions as you go.

[SonOfScubaDiver]

I made sure to write everything down and even put a note in the boxes of completed rounds. There are so many different directions I can go in, which is something I find very intriguing. My friend and I were talking about that last night. We talked about different loads performing differently in different guns, and how much fun it's going to be figure out which loads work best at which distances. I really had a lot of fun last night and today! You guys have been a lot of help to me, and I appreciate it.

[LBussy]

Originally Posted by SonOfScubaDiver

I don't have any plans on using anything other than factory ammo for SD, but I like that a reloaded wadcutter could be used for that purpose.

My attorney (who writes for one of the concealed carry/self defense magazines) recommends you never use cartridges which you have loaded yourself for self-defense. The reason being the prosecutor will make you out as a murderous mad scientist who's only goal is to kill poor defenseless criminals. His advice was to find out what the local law enforcement officers use, and buy those. Then if the question ever came up it would be "I used what the police use."

Anyway, to keep from going too far afield - welcome to reloading! Lots of good advice here from very experienced folks.

[USSR]

A couple "worries" to add.

With that powder a double charge will fit. Not sure of the press but it is hard to see the bottom of the case to confirm/eyeball powder is there. I like enough powder to KNOW the bullet left the barrel. It has been awhile for .38 but 3.2 sounds very squirrel fartish.

Low charge weights with wadcutter bullets in .38 Special have something like a 90 year history. 3.2gr or even 3.1gr of W231 is a well established wadcutter load. The velocity window you are shooting for is 710 to 730fps, so you can't really reach it without using small amounts of fast burning powder.

Don

[USSR]

My attorney (who writes for one of the concealed carry/self defense magazines) recommends you never use cartridges which you have loaded yourself for self-defense. The reason being the prosecutor will make you out as a murderous mad scientist who's only goal is to kill poor defenseless criminals. His advice was to find out what the local law enforcement officers use, and buy those. Then if the question ever came up it would be "I used what the police use."

Ah, lawyers, gotta love 'em - NOT! They will get you with that advice just as well. You say "I used what the police use", and they will hit you with "Ah, so you think you are a policeman"? Use what you train with and as long as it was a justified shooting you will be fine.

Don

[LBussy]

Originally Posted by USSR

Ah, lawyers, gotta love 'em - NOT! They will get you with that advice just as well. You say "I used what the police use", and they will hit you with "Ah, so you think you are a policeman"? Use what you train with and as long as it was a justified shooting you will be fine.

I love this Lawyer ... as much as you could love one anyway. He's successfully defended home defense shootings. He's in my wife's phone and she has strict orders to make that her first call if TSHTF.

I said almost the same thing. He smiled and said he'd find a way to imply that since the Police were not murderous knuckle-draggers, using what they use was a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

Anyway, factory ammo and for heaven's sake no "Punisher" grips and a guy should be able to come out of that okay.

[USSR]

Anyway, factory ammo and for heaven's sake no "Punisher" grips and a guy should be able to come out of that okay.

On dear, what on earth are they gonna think about my Model 19 snubbie with Elk horn grips shooting my hand cast 158gr SWCHP's in my FBI load? Should I say, hey, if it was good enough for the FBI...?

Don