oLa
10-29-2009, 23:27
Reloading - My observations & recommendations
Hey guys
Wanted to share a few things that I have learned over the past year (almost a year anyways) in my reloading adventures. Looked at a lot of forums and articles prior to venturing into reloading to try and make sure I went the right way and spent my hard earned $$$ on the right things. I am not pretending to be an experienced reloader by any stretch but I did want to share a few things that I have learned to any new reloaders or to those who are thinking of getting into the hobby.
First, my disclaimers & rants:
1. I am not a lawyer or any other fancy titled guy. Therefore this is just advise and should be taken as is... no liability is assumed if you take my advice and something bad happens.
2. I have been reloading for most of this year. I realize I am new and thus my info is highly likely not to add to the knowledge of the experienced reloaders out there (nor is it intended to).
3. I have reloaded 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, and .223/5.56 to date - totaling about 4000 rounds (and shot most of them myself) so I believe I have the feel of things but am definitely not an old hand at it.
4. I am writing this article in the spirit that I wished I has read this before I ventured - not that I have had any major problems or anything, but I have purchased a few things that I wished I could have gone back and changed and a few things I have struggled with and so I want to try and help those that are in a similar place that I was.
5. I don't consider myself poor or rich, but I do think that I try to be very wise with what I spend my $$ on. If you have thousands of spare dollars lying around - my advice might not be as useful as you can probably afford much higher end equipment without trouble. I tend to try and get high quality for the absolute least amount of $ that I can.
6. Had about 5 beers (11 now that I am finished) so far tonight so don't criticize the spelling/grammar/etc.
7. Came back to #6 so I tacked on something else - I really enjoyed getting my thoughts down here - I hope to help others (as others have helped me) and think the more we all can share and educate and support each other - the more people will get into and enjoy this sport.
OK - Let's get to the info. First, my setup:
1. Home-made reloading bench (one screw up that I fixed and now it is ideal for what I have to work with - if I had more room, I would have done one other thing differently - see below)
2. Lee turret press (I screwed up here but not how you think - see below)
3. Dies, shell-holders, & press accessories (all good & I am happy though a few words of advice)
4. Reloading accessories (a few good things and a few lessons learned)
5. What do I have & use.
6. Where I get my goods (again, I would say I am pretty thrifty so I wanted to share where I spend my $ with as of late 2009)
7. Misc/Other
#1 - Very happy with my reloading bench - made from scratch with 2x4's, 2x6's, and plywood (5/8" now - see below). Stained, sanded, finished, and coated with urethane . Picture attached (assuming I can do this right) and I am happy to send my plans that I used to anyone who wants. Total Cost was about $100 and I am very happy with the results. Size is 2'x4'. While I am very happy, I did make a few things that I wish I could have changed (and a couple of things that I did change)
A. Had about a 1/2" to 3/4" lip from the top bench area overhanging the supporting wood except on the front where I thought I would make it flush for appearance sake. While it looks good, I wish I would have had that 1/2" overhang lip for practicality as cleaning up spent primers (less of a problem once you read my press comments below), powder, cleaning media, and other sh*t or stuff from the workbench top is not quite as easy.
B. Initially I purchased a piece of 5/8" plywood for the top workbench area and purchased cheap 1/4" thick board for the two lower shelves (big screw up like I said). Big mistake. The top at 5/8" is just thick enough (when I get a new place and/or more room here and build a larger bench I will use either 3/4" or two sheets of 1/2") so don't go thinner and go a bit thicker or use two sheets would be what I recommend. If you are building bigger that 2' x 4', definitely go thicker. The lower shelves at 1/4" lasted about 3 weeks - I thought that they would be plenty strong - however once a few thousand empty cases and a few thousand bullets are sitting on them, they start to sag. Use min 1/2" and I would recommend 5/8" or 3/4". (I ended up pulling out the thin shelves & the bracers, trimming the bracers and putting back in new 5/8" thick boards)
C. 2'x4' is a good size for a single press reloading station. However, once you get into things, if you are anything like me (and from what I have read, a lot of other reloaders) you are going to get another or a another couple of presses. If I had the space and could do it over again, I would make my bench larger than 2' x 4'. 2x4 is just enough for a single turret press. With that said, I am reloading both rifle and pistol and with the rifle reloading, I wish I had room to buy & install another press (simple & cheap single stage). If you have the room - go for 2'x6' or 2'8' or bigger - I don't think you can have too much room. If had enough space - my ideal size would be like 2'-6" x 8'-0" (though with the standard sizes of lumber - 2x8 would be what I would make as to not waste $ / materials).
D. Building the bench to your height. I am tall (6'-6") so I built it tall (3'-8 1/2")- if you are shorter, build it short. Bottom line - build to suit YOU. Another point on height, my buddies keep saying, get a barstool and work while sitting on that. My thoughts are (in my extensive 9 months of reloading) you are going to get better leverage and a better product from standing so I have resisted and just stand while I build ammo - others may want to sit but I think standing gives you a better feel for the press and more leverage so that I what I suggest.
E. Be proud of your workbench but remember it is a tool and not a fancy dining room showpiece. Example - when applying polyurethane - apply the first few coats thick (I did 5 coats total) and then once dried, if you need to lightly sand - no problem. Last coat or two apply thin. You are going likely to get gunpowder, grit, spend primer cases & dust, and all sorts on the table.
F. Don't light up smokeless powder on the table... while I am all for experimenting when things have been thought through to eliminate safety hazards - I can tell you from experience that burning a pile of smokeless powder (that I spilled) on the urethane leaves a noticeable mark on the lacquer finish.
#2 - The press. The backbone of your reloading. I shoot the rounds I listed above plus 22LR (in both pistol and rifle) and shotguns in 410 bore and 12 gauge and am starting to shoot 308 and 30-06 (that is big choice at present, which to select as primary hunting caliber) - and over the past few years excluding the ones I don't reload (yet in the case of the shotguns) I shoot about 70% pistol and 30% rifle. Thus I opted for a press that matched my shooting (& was reasonably priced). In my case I went with the Lee Deluxe Turret press.
A. I am VERY happy with the turret press. It reloads handgun and rifle well. It in my mind is a good cost/benefit (i.e. if I won the lotto, I would get a several presses for each pistol and rifle to maximize speed and not be so much concerned with cost). I strongly recommend a turret press and I am very happy with my lee press with one exception - I got the wrong one. If I could go back - I would get the Lee Classic Turret press. Biggest reason - hollowed out ram with tube insert to collect the spent primers. Second reason - taller than regular/deluxe turret press and thus can reload bigger/taller rifle ammo (and gives you more working room with all ammo which comes in handy with rounds as small as 5.56mm). If you want to know, the next press I buy will very likely be the Classic turret press and I will keep my existing turret to use when my buddies come over so we can all reload different calibers at the same time or to reload with the index disabled for certain reloading stages for rifle (I will discuss below but basically, set it up for full length resizing for rifles on a semi permanent basis.
B. As far as what I am doing to date... including restocking primers, powder etc. in the primer feeder and powder dispenser I can make about 125 to 150 rounds of pistol ammo and about 50 to 75 rounds of rifle ammo per hour. That is based on loading 100 primers into the feeder at a time, having the cases cleaned and sorted in advance, and going at a good pace. If I am going for speed - I can hit 200 plus rounds of pistol and just above 75 rifle in an hour, but I do not like that as a little time spent having the production go shorter will ensure no issues later and safety is important to me (examples that I have run into upon inspection while trying to go as fast as I can is primer seating not ideal, seating the bullet at an angle relative to the wall of the case, and crushing some cases/bullets/fingers by going for the speed.
C. As far as press selection goes, I read a lot before my purchase - the consensus of my internet musings were that single stage is great if all you are going to ever reload is high powered hunting rounds. That progressive presses would be great if I both had the $ to spend and had the experience (which I was lacking at the time) to use (time after time, I read about mastering either single or turret presses before moving on to progressives to ensure that you the reloader has a detailed understanding of what is going on to prevent any problems from occurring - likely is a problem that you have to fix while slows up all stages of the progressive but more rare is a problem that goes undetected until the ammo is fired which in some cases can be very bad). Thus, I strongly recommend a turret press for a reloader unless you are either only reloading a couple hundred rounds or less per year or have a good amount of experience on your friends single stage or turret press.
D. Installing the press on your workbench. My mistake... I installed it so that when I actuated the ram while testing before bolting it down, it had just the thinnest clearance to the edge of the bench (after using - I had to sand the bench brace as leaning or using strength on the arm of the press moved the ram piston to the point it was sliding on the wood tabletop brace). Either build your bench with a lip on it or install it such that while testing it out before drilling the holes, you have 1/8" to 1/4" clearance between the back of the ram piston and the bench front.
#3 - Dies, Shell holders, and other press accessories. Second most important (read necessary) to the press is the dies and to make the dies viable, you need the shell holders as well. I have purchased Lee dies and only Lee dies so I cannot comment on how good other manufacturers equipment is. From what I have researched, my opinion is they are just as good as the Lee dies, however they are not better and they do cost more. Thus with my thrifty ways, I am purchasing Lee dies.
A. Lee pistol dies are excellent. Always purchase the deluxe 4-die carbide set ($36 as of this time if you go to good places online). Those sets contain everything you want/need which is full length case sizer/primer remover, powder charging die, bullet seating die, and factory crimp die. Buy a set of these (and a turret) for each caliber you plan to reload for. They come with the shell holder as well (that is the thing you mount on the press that you put your empty case in before reloading it). They also come with a dipper (nice to have I guess, but I have not ever used and probably never will except as a backup for if my stuff breaks and that is my only method for measuring powder.
B. Lee rifle dies piss me off. They are a great product, cheaper and with the same quality as other dies (from what little I have personally seen and from what lot I have read). My big complaint is that the sets that they sell them in are not what I (and most reloaders I would guess) would ideally want. I think that they should sell a 5 die set. PERIOD. But no, they sell two different three die sets - neither of which is complete. They sell the pacesetter set which has the full length sizer die, the bullet seating die, and the factory crimp die. All 3 are needed. The other 3 die set that is offered is the Collet Die set - this set includes the full length sizer die (same as the other set), the collet neck sizing die, and the bullet seating die (again a duplicate). Again, all good and needed (other than two duplicates and one die missing). What should exist is a 5 die set: Full length sizer (used for cases that did not get fired in your rifle and probably every few reloads for even those fired in your rifle (esp. if you have an autoloader)), neck sizer (used for cases fired in your rifle), Powder charging die for rifle, bullet seating, and factory crimp. The powder charging die from Lee is great for reloading rifle up to 308 but I do not what to have to use one on a rifle caliber like 5.56mm, remove it from the turret, change the settings and then install it on a 6.8 turret for reloading that. I want my turrets setup and adjusted so I can pop them in and out with ease. Also see the next point:
C. Turret setups - For pistol it is easy - 4 dies, 4 holes in the turret (get a 4 hole turret press or get a simple single stage press - three is not worth it). For rifles, I strongly recommend (again, based on a turret press setup), that you have a turret for each rifle caliber you reload with the collet neck sizing die, the rifle powder charging die, the bullet seating die, and the factory crimp die in the 4 positions. Keep a separate turret (or other simple press) for the full length sizing dies. You will want to resize all cases that you did not fire from your gun or that you fired from your auto loading gun (every other time or so) but if you fired it from your gun, you can skip this step and just go to your turret with the neck re-sizer (no lube needed! ) and act like you are reloading pistol (well almost).
D. Accessories - Scale - Get a digital scale and do not even both with a manual one. Period. The Lee scale that comes with the Deluxe Reloading kit I purchased is a piece of shit. And when you are reloading anything more than 100 rounds per year - the time it takes to measure your powder etc will really get old fast with the manual scales.
E. Accessories - Powder Funnel & Powder Measure devices. Again, I am not promoting or disparaging brands other than Lee - I can only talk to what I own or have used (and I own Lee because I believe if you buy the right stuff (and they definitely have some wrong stuff), you get the best value for your $ with them at the present time). Get the Lee Pro autodisk powder measure. The regular one works great but has a three annoying problems. First, can't change the disk without emptying the thing out of powder (which is really fun (read waste of time) when you are working up a load in .2 or .3 grain increments and trying to build 25 rounds of 4 to 8 different charges). Part two of that point is that if you are loading rifle larger than 5.56mm - get the double disk kit. Second, the regular autodisk powder measure requires you to unscrew a couple of screws that go into the powder holder which will crack and cross thread into the plastic within a dozen or so changes (and requires a screwdriver to be handy in order to break the part). Third, the powder capacity is about 30 to 40% less that the pro version which will only matter to you when reloading rifle in bulk. Last point - get TWO Auto Disk risers. You will need one (Lee should include one with any auto-disk product) but two is good when reloading pistol rounds to get the perfect flair on the case without interfering with the safety primer feed. A couple of other notes - The double disk kit is only useful for rifle reloading - if you reload only pistol, save you money. Also, the adjustable charge bar (at least mine) is a great concept that introduces variability into your powder charges (again, at least mine) - use the standard fixed capacity disks is what I recommend.
F. Primer feeds - Get both sizes small and large, if you don't use one size at present, you are almost assured to use it in the future unless you give up reloading.
#4 - Reloading accessories (off the press process) - Really this falls into case prep, trimming, and sorting.
A. Get a vibratory cleaner. I got a Hornady one that holds 300+ rounds of 40S&W. It works but once this one burns out in a few years , I will get a larger capacity one. Again, this goes to what you shoot - I like to shoot several hundred rounds of ammo in pistol or pistol and rifle every time I go shooting. I also track how many times I have reloaded my cases (any try to keep my reloaded cases in synch by reloading everything for the 2nd time before I reload anything for the third time as an example). Thus I try to have all of my empty cases reloaded and then clean a few thousand spent cases after - and that takes some time.
B. Get calipers. Good ones are $20 and you will use them.
C. Get a bullet puller. Nothing fancy needed - think kinetic puller and a left over piece of 2x4 from the workbench for $15. You will make a few mistakes and over time, this will pay for itself.
D. Get the other 'standard' items - primer pocket cleaner, hand trimmer, misc containers (go the the home depot, target, the container store - wherever is least expensive and get twice (or more) as many good sized containers as calibers that you plan to reload.
E. Reloading books - Lyman, Lee, and Speer all got great reviews. I personally have Lyman and Lee - I like both and think the reloading folks should all have a few.
F. Cleaners etc. - Get one quart of synthetic motor oil and a can of either brake cleaner or electrical contact cleaners. The motor oil is for lubing cases (see below) and the other is for cleaning your press. WD-40 is also good to use on the press. I also suggest some case polisher and walnut media for your tumbler (go to a pet store or Wal-Mart to the bird isle - you can find walnut and corncob there less than what it takes to buy it where it is 'made for reloading').
#5 - What do I have & use
Most of what I have I have covered other than the components.
A. Brass - I have a mix of brass that I have fired and saved, brass I have picked up from other shooters that came before me at places I go shooting, and some brass I ordered off of the internet. Brass has all sort of great variations - but bottom line is the only cases you want are brass or nickel. You see steel (I don't care how it is coated) or anything else - leave it alone or throw it away. As far as the headstamps go - there are a few very good websites that can give you some good details and additional info but in my mind, I will always toss F C or Federal NT (the NT is the thing to look for), AAA, and A-Merc. I always sort by headstamp and always try to reload the headstamp that I have the most quantity of first except when I am building up a new load. Another fun things to watch out for regarding cases - Speer (and a few others) are making 45 ACP cases with small pistol primer pockets - don't do what I did and wait 3 weeks for your back ordered large pistol primers to arrive only to find out you could have been building your 45s with your small pistol primers all along. Last point, when you are reloading by headstamp and are running into primer seating problems based on a particular type of headstamp - unless you have a lot of the brass, either toss the brass or save it to sell to a recycler - usually not worth the time it takes to clean the pockets and ream/drill it out to proper size.
B. Primers - Small & Large, Rifle & Pistol, Regular & Mangum (8 possible combos there) plus the 209 shotgun = 9 different kinds. Bottom line, use your manual and only get & use what it says. Unlike the author who in our lovely shortage of ammo and components resorted to small pistol magnums in lieu of regular small pistol. This can be done. I know (at least for pistol). And I have not had any problems. But it is not ideal. First, the magnum primer will cause you to go to a slower powder (I regularly use Bullseye for 9mm through 45ACP but that is too fast for me to be comfortable using a magnum primer in concert). Second, while it can add a little velocity, depending on the powder, the case, the bullet, the seating depth, etc. it can add a LOT of pressure - including enough pressure to both reduce the life of the firearm, the barrel, and springs, but to potentially give you a kaboom. Third, it can take away from the accuracy of your round/load - it might not hurt with all loads, but it can't help, and I can tell you for sure that it can hurt with some load combinations.
C. Powder - Different people have different preferences. I use and like Bullseye for the pistol calibers that I shoot. Except when I resorted to Magnum primers due to availability in which case I used Power Pistol (for no reason other than that was the powder that was available and I do not have enough experience with difference powders to recommend it or something else in its place). I have been using H335 and Varget for my 5.56 rifle loads.
D. Bullets - Lead, Plated, and Jacketed. At today's prices, I can get Plated for barely more than the lead bullets. I do not case my own bullets and do not know if that would save a little or lot of $. Jacketed bullets are the best in my opinion (unless you are carrying a handgun for self defense where I would not use reloads, or carrying it into the mountains for protection from animals where I would probably handload some hardcast lead SWC rounds in my 45ACP (I don't have a magnum but would carry that if I did)) but they also cost the most. If I am plinking, target shooting etc. I use Plated bullets. If I were to go to a shooting competition, I would use Jacketed. For Rifle, if I am hunting, I will research the game and the bullet and spend the $$$ to get the right round for penetration/expansion, otherwise I tend to get the least expensive jacketed bullets that I can find.
#6 - Where do I buy my stuff (& what do I buy) - short list is really Midway USA, Cabela's, the local shops here in Denver (when they have what I am looking for and I can spend a little more to support the local businesses) and then a few face to face and gunshow sales (to get out of stock/backordered components). I also purchased some one time used brass from Precision Brass to get my stock up. When buying powder and primers other than local - buy in bulk. I tend to look at the specials and then choose which company to buy from.
#7 - Misc & Other - A few random thoughts:
A. Reloading is great. I encourage people to get into it.
B. Break-even point is about 4000 rounds I figure (for myself based on what I shoot and how often and what I made/purchased). More rifle or larger caliber pistol or unusual caliber = less rounds to make it worthwhile $-wise. I am about there at present after almost 9 months of reloading.
C. Safety - empty primers & powder back into original containers each time.
D. Safety - primers are dangerous - wear safety glasses.
E. The internet has a lot of good info - search long enough and you will find it.
F. While I like the Lee products, the instructions in most cases leave a lot to be desired. If I get some time like this another night, I probably will try and give some instructions to the instructions that come with the products to help where I (and from what I have read - a bunch of others) think they are lacking. (though it is fun to try and figure out some things).
G. I used case lube for my rifle full length sizing for a short while. Then saw a U-Tube video where a guy uses just a little bit of synthetic oil (only synthetic) about every 10 cases or so and then re-tumbles. That works great.
H. Any other feedback/thoughts/comments/corrections - add to this thread and let's get more folks informed.
I. Camera is not working so only picture I have is an old one prior to the pegboard, rails, and lower shelf replacements were installed. I will try and get a working camera and more accurate picture.
Hey guys
Wanted to share a few things that I have learned over the past year (almost a year anyways) in my reloading adventures. Looked at a lot of forums and articles prior to venturing into reloading to try and make sure I went the right way and spent my hard earned $$$ on the right things. I am not pretending to be an experienced reloader by any stretch but I did want to share a few things that I have learned to any new reloaders or to those who are thinking of getting into the hobby.
First, my disclaimers & rants:
1. I am not a lawyer or any other fancy titled guy. Therefore this is just advise and should be taken as is... no liability is assumed if you take my advice and something bad happens.
2. I have been reloading for most of this year. I realize I am new and thus my info is highly likely not to add to the knowledge of the experienced reloaders out there (nor is it intended to).
3. I have reloaded 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, and .223/5.56 to date - totaling about 4000 rounds (and shot most of them myself) so I believe I have the feel of things but am definitely not an old hand at it.
4. I am writing this article in the spirit that I wished I has read this before I ventured - not that I have had any major problems or anything, but I have purchased a few things that I wished I could have gone back and changed and a few things I have struggled with and so I want to try and help those that are in a similar place that I was.
5. I don't consider myself poor or rich, but I do think that I try to be very wise with what I spend my $$ on. If you have thousands of spare dollars lying around - my advice might not be as useful as you can probably afford much higher end equipment without trouble. I tend to try and get high quality for the absolute least amount of $ that I can.
6. Had about 5 beers (11 now that I am finished) so far tonight so don't criticize the spelling/grammar/etc.
7. Came back to #6 so I tacked on something else - I really enjoyed getting my thoughts down here - I hope to help others (as others have helped me) and think the more we all can share and educate and support each other - the more people will get into and enjoy this sport.
OK - Let's get to the info. First, my setup:
1. Home-made reloading bench (one screw up that I fixed and now it is ideal for what I have to work with - if I had more room, I would have done one other thing differently - see below)
2. Lee turret press (I screwed up here but not how you think - see below)
3. Dies, shell-holders, & press accessories (all good & I am happy though a few words of advice)
4. Reloading accessories (a few good things and a few lessons learned)
5. What do I have & use.
6. Where I get my goods (again, I would say I am pretty thrifty so I wanted to share where I spend my $ with as of late 2009)
7. Misc/Other
#1 - Very happy with my reloading bench - made from scratch with 2x4's, 2x6's, and plywood (5/8" now - see below). Stained, sanded, finished, and coated with urethane . Picture attached (assuming I can do this right) and I am happy to send my plans that I used to anyone who wants. Total Cost was about $100 and I am very happy with the results. Size is 2'x4'. While I am very happy, I did make a few things that I wish I could have changed (and a couple of things that I did change)
A. Had about a 1/2" to 3/4" lip from the top bench area overhanging the supporting wood except on the front where I thought I would make it flush for appearance sake. While it looks good, I wish I would have had that 1/2" overhang lip for practicality as cleaning up spent primers (less of a problem once you read my press comments below), powder, cleaning media, and other sh*t or stuff from the workbench top is not quite as easy.
B. Initially I purchased a piece of 5/8" plywood for the top workbench area and purchased cheap 1/4" thick board for the two lower shelves (big screw up like I said). Big mistake. The top at 5/8" is just thick enough (when I get a new place and/or more room here and build a larger bench I will use either 3/4" or two sheets of 1/2") so don't go thinner and go a bit thicker or use two sheets would be what I recommend. If you are building bigger that 2' x 4', definitely go thicker. The lower shelves at 1/4" lasted about 3 weeks - I thought that they would be plenty strong - however once a few thousand empty cases and a few thousand bullets are sitting on them, they start to sag. Use min 1/2" and I would recommend 5/8" or 3/4". (I ended up pulling out the thin shelves & the bracers, trimming the bracers and putting back in new 5/8" thick boards)
C. 2'x4' is a good size for a single press reloading station. However, once you get into things, if you are anything like me (and from what I have read, a lot of other reloaders) you are going to get another or a another couple of presses. If I had the space and could do it over again, I would make my bench larger than 2' x 4'. 2x4 is just enough for a single turret press. With that said, I am reloading both rifle and pistol and with the rifle reloading, I wish I had room to buy & install another press (simple & cheap single stage). If you have the room - go for 2'x6' or 2'8' or bigger - I don't think you can have too much room. If had enough space - my ideal size would be like 2'-6" x 8'-0" (though with the standard sizes of lumber - 2x8 would be what I would make as to not waste $ / materials).
D. Building the bench to your height. I am tall (6'-6") so I built it tall (3'-8 1/2")- if you are shorter, build it short. Bottom line - build to suit YOU. Another point on height, my buddies keep saying, get a barstool and work while sitting on that. My thoughts are (in my extensive 9 months of reloading) you are going to get better leverage and a better product from standing so I have resisted and just stand while I build ammo - others may want to sit but I think standing gives you a better feel for the press and more leverage so that I what I suggest.
E. Be proud of your workbench but remember it is a tool and not a fancy dining room showpiece. Example - when applying polyurethane - apply the first few coats thick (I did 5 coats total) and then once dried, if you need to lightly sand - no problem. Last coat or two apply thin. You are going likely to get gunpowder, grit, spend primer cases & dust, and all sorts on the table.
F. Don't light up smokeless powder on the table... while I am all for experimenting when things have been thought through to eliminate safety hazards - I can tell you from experience that burning a pile of smokeless powder (that I spilled) on the urethane leaves a noticeable mark on the lacquer finish.
#2 - The press. The backbone of your reloading. I shoot the rounds I listed above plus 22LR (in both pistol and rifle) and shotguns in 410 bore and 12 gauge and am starting to shoot 308 and 30-06 (that is big choice at present, which to select as primary hunting caliber) - and over the past few years excluding the ones I don't reload (yet in the case of the shotguns) I shoot about 70% pistol and 30% rifle. Thus I opted for a press that matched my shooting (& was reasonably priced). In my case I went with the Lee Deluxe Turret press.
A. I am VERY happy with the turret press. It reloads handgun and rifle well. It in my mind is a good cost/benefit (i.e. if I won the lotto, I would get a several presses for each pistol and rifle to maximize speed and not be so much concerned with cost). I strongly recommend a turret press and I am very happy with my lee press with one exception - I got the wrong one. If I could go back - I would get the Lee Classic Turret press. Biggest reason - hollowed out ram with tube insert to collect the spent primers. Second reason - taller than regular/deluxe turret press and thus can reload bigger/taller rifle ammo (and gives you more working room with all ammo which comes in handy with rounds as small as 5.56mm). If you want to know, the next press I buy will very likely be the Classic turret press and I will keep my existing turret to use when my buddies come over so we can all reload different calibers at the same time or to reload with the index disabled for certain reloading stages for rifle (I will discuss below but basically, set it up for full length resizing for rifles on a semi permanent basis.
B. As far as what I am doing to date... including restocking primers, powder etc. in the primer feeder and powder dispenser I can make about 125 to 150 rounds of pistol ammo and about 50 to 75 rounds of rifle ammo per hour. That is based on loading 100 primers into the feeder at a time, having the cases cleaned and sorted in advance, and going at a good pace. If I am going for speed - I can hit 200 plus rounds of pistol and just above 75 rifle in an hour, but I do not like that as a little time spent having the production go shorter will ensure no issues later and safety is important to me (examples that I have run into upon inspection while trying to go as fast as I can is primer seating not ideal, seating the bullet at an angle relative to the wall of the case, and crushing some cases/bullets/fingers by going for the speed.
C. As far as press selection goes, I read a lot before my purchase - the consensus of my internet musings were that single stage is great if all you are going to ever reload is high powered hunting rounds. That progressive presses would be great if I both had the $ to spend and had the experience (which I was lacking at the time) to use (time after time, I read about mastering either single or turret presses before moving on to progressives to ensure that you the reloader has a detailed understanding of what is going on to prevent any problems from occurring - likely is a problem that you have to fix while slows up all stages of the progressive but more rare is a problem that goes undetected until the ammo is fired which in some cases can be very bad). Thus, I strongly recommend a turret press for a reloader unless you are either only reloading a couple hundred rounds or less per year or have a good amount of experience on your friends single stage or turret press.
D. Installing the press on your workbench. My mistake... I installed it so that when I actuated the ram while testing before bolting it down, it had just the thinnest clearance to the edge of the bench (after using - I had to sand the bench brace as leaning or using strength on the arm of the press moved the ram piston to the point it was sliding on the wood tabletop brace). Either build your bench with a lip on it or install it such that while testing it out before drilling the holes, you have 1/8" to 1/4" clearance between the back of the ram piston and the bench front.
#3 - Dies, Shell holders, and other press accessories. Second most important (read necessary) to the press is the dies and to make the dies viable, you need the shell holders as well. I have purchased Lee dies and only Lee dies so I cannot comment on how good other manufacturers equipment is. From what I have researched, my opinion is they are just as good as the Lee dies, however they are not better and they do cost more. Thus with my thrifty ways, I am purchasing Lee dies.
A. Lee pistol dies are excellent. Always purchase the deluxe 4-die carbide set ($36 as of this time if you go to good places online). Those sets contain everything you want/need which is full length case sizer/primer remover, powder charging die, bullet seating die, and factory crimp die. Buy a set of these (and a turret) for each caliber you plan to reload for. They come with the shell holder as well (that is the thing you mount on the press that you put your empty case in before reloading it). They also come with a dipper (nice to have I guess, but I have not ever used and probably never will except as a backup for if my stuff breaks and that is my only method for measuring powder.
B. Lee rifle dies piss me off. They are a great product, cheaper and with the same quality as other dies (from what little I have personally seen and from what lot I have read). My big complaint is that the sets that they sell them in are not what I (and most reloaders I would guess) would ideally want. I think that they should sell a 5 die set. PERIOD. But no, they sell two different three die sets - neither of which is complete. They sell the pacesetter set which has the full length sizer die, the bullet seating die, and the factory crimp die. All 3 are needed. The other 3 die set that is offered is the Collet Die set - this set includes the full length sizer die (same as the other set), the collet neck sizing die, and the bullet seating die (again a duplicate). Again, all good and needed (other than two duplicates and one die missing). What should exist is a 5 die set: Full length sizer (used for cases that did not get fired in your rifle and probably every few reloads for even those fired in your rifle (esp. if you have an autoloader)), neck sizer (used for cases fired in your rifle), Powder charging die for rifle, bullet seating, and factory crimp. The powder charging die from Lee is great for reloading rifle up to 308 but I do not what to have to use one on a rifle caliber like 5.56mm, remove it from the turret, change the settings and then install it on a 6.8 turret for reloading that. I want my turrets setup and adjusted so I can pop them in and out with ease. Also see the next point:
C. Turret setups - For pistol it is easy - 4 dies, 4 holes in the turret (get a 4 hole turret press or get a simple single stage press - three is not worth it). For rifles, I strongly recommend (again, based on a turret press setup), that you have a turret for each rifle caliber you reload with the collet neck sizing die, the rifle powder charging die, the bullet seating die, and the factory crimp die in the 4 positions. Keep a separate turret (or other simple press) for the full length sizing dies. You will want to resize all cases that you did not fire from your gun or that you fired from your auto loading gun (every other time or so) but if you fired it from your gun, you can skip this step and just go to your turret with the neck re-sizer (no lube needed! ) and act like you are reloading pistol (well almost).
D. Accessories - Scale - Get a digital scale and do not even both with a manual one. Period. The Lee scale that comes with the Deluxe Reloading kit I purchased is a piece of shit. And when you are reloading anything more than 100 rounds per year - the time it takes to measure your powder etc will really get old fast with the manual scales.
E. Accessories - Powder Funnel & Powder Measure devices. Again, I am not promoting or disparaging brands other than Lee - I can only talk to what I own or have used (and I own Lee because I believe if you buy the right stuff (and they definitely have some wrong stuff), you get the best value for your $ with them at the present time). Get the Lee Pro autodisk powder measure. The regular one works great but has a three annoying problems. First, can't change the disk without emptying the thing out of powder (which is really fun (read waste of time) when you are working up a load in .2 or .3 grain increments and trying to build 25 rounds of 4 to 8 different charges). Part two of that point is that if you are loading rifle larger than 5.56mm - get the double disk kit. Second, the regular autodisk powder measure requires you to unscrew a couple of screws that go into the powder holder which will crack and cross thread into the plastic within a dozen or so changes (and requires a screwdriver to be handy in order to break the part). Third, the powder capacity is about 30 to 40% less that the pro version which will only matter to you when reloading rifle in bulk. Last point - get TWO Auto Disk risers. You will need one (Lee should include one with any auto-disk product) but two is good when reloading pistol rounds to get the perfect flair on the case without interfering with the safety primer feed. A couple of other notes - The double disk kit is only useful for rifle reloading - if you reload only pistol, save you money. Also, the adjustable charge bar (at least mine) is a great concept that introduces variability into your powder charges (again, at least mine) - use the standard fixed capacity disks is what I recommend.
F. Primer feeds - Get both sizes small and large, if you don't use one size at present, you are almost assured to use it in the future unless you give up reloading.
#4 - Reloading accessories (off the press process) - Really this falls into case prep, trimming, and sorting.
A. Get a vibratory cleaner. I got a Hornady one that holds 300+ rounds of 40S&W. It works but once this one burns out in a few years , I will get a larger capacity one. Again, this goes to what you shoot - I like to shoot several hundred rounds of ammo in pistol or pistol and rifle every time I go shooting. I also track how many times I have reloaded my cases (any try to keep my reloaded cases in synch by reloading everything for the 2nd time before I reload anything for the third time as an example). Thus I try to have all of my empty cases reloaded and then clean a few thousand spent cases after - and that takes some time.
B. Get calipers. Good ones are $20 and you will use them.
C. Get a bullet puller. Nothing fancy needed - think kinetic puller and a left over piece of 2x4 from the workbench for $15. You will make a few mistakes and over time, this will pay for itself.
D. Get the other 'standard' items - primer pocket cleaner, hand trimmer, misc containers (go the the home depot, target, the container store - wherever is least expensive and get twice (or more) as many good sized containers as calibers that you plan to reload.
E. Reloading books - Lyman, Lee, and Speer all got great reviews. I personally have Lyman and Lee - I like both and think the reloading folks should all have a few.
F. Cleaners etc. - Get one quart of synthetic motor oil and a can of either brake cleaner or electrical contact cleaners. The motor oil is for lubing cases (see below) and the other is for cleaning your press. WD-40 is also good to use on the press. I also suggest some case polisher and walnut media for your tumbler (go to a pet store or Wal-Mart to the bird isle - you can find walnut and corncob there less than what it takes to buy it where it is 'made for reloading').
#5 - What do I have & use
Most of what I have I have covered other than the components.
A. Brass - I have a mix of brass that I have fired and saved, brass I have picked up from other shooters that came before me at places I go shooting, and some brass I ordered off of the internet. Brass has all sort of great variations - but bottom line is the only cases you want are brass or nickel. You see steel (I don't care how it is coated) or anything else - leave it alone or throw it away. As far as the headstamps go - there are a few very good websites that can give you some good details and additional info but in my mind, I will always toss F C or Federal NT (the NT is the thing to look for), AAA, and A-Merc. I always sort by headstamp and always try to reload the headstamp that I have the most quantity of first except when I am building up a new load. Another fun things to watch out for regarding cases - Speer (and a few others) are making 45 ACP cases with small pistol primer pockets - don't do what I did and wait 3 weeks for your back ordered large pistol primers to arrive only to find out you could have been building your 45s with your small pistol primers all along. Last point, when you are reloading by headstamp and are running into primer seating problems based on a particular type of headstamp - unless you have a lot of the brass, either toss the brass or save it to sell to a recycler - usually not worth the time it takes to clean the pockets and ream/drill it out to proper size.
B. Primers - Small & Large, Rifle & Pistol, Regular & Mangum (8 possible combos there) plus the 209 shotgun = 9 different kinds. Bottom line, use your manual and only get & use what it says. Unlike the author who in our lovely shortage of ammo and components resorted to small pistol magnums in lieu of regular small pistol. This can be done. I know (at least for pistol). And I have not had any problems. But it is not ideal. First, the magnum primer will cause you to go to a slower powder (I regularly use Bullseye for 9mm through 45ACP but that is too fast for me to be comfortable using a magnum primer in concert). Second, while it can add a little velocity, depending on the powder, the case, the bullet, the seating depth, etc. it can add a LOT of pressure - including enough pressure to both reduce the life of the firearm, the barrel, and springs, but to potentially give you a kaboom. Third, it can take away from the accuracy of your round/load - it might not hurt with all loads, but it can't help, and I can tell you for sure that it can hurt with some load combinations.
C. Powder - Different people have different preferences. I use and like Bullseye for the pistol calibers that I shoot. Except when I resorted to Magnum primers due to availability in which case I used Power Pistol (for no reason other than that was the powder that was available and I do not have enough experience with difference powders to recommend it or something else in its place). I have been using H335 and Varget for my 5.56 rifle loads.
D. Bullets - Lead, Plated, and Jacketed. At today's prices, I can get Plated for barely more than the lead bullets. I do not case my own bullets and do not know if that would save a little or lot of $. Jacketed bullets are the best in my opinion (unless you are carrying a handgun for self defense where I would not use reloads, or carrying it into the mountains for protection from animals where I would probably handload some hardcast lead SWC rounds in my 45ACP (I don't have a magnum but would carry that if I did)) but they also cost the most. If I am plinking, target shooting etc. I use Plated bullets. If I were to go to a shooting competition, I would use Jacketed. For Rifle, if I am hunting, I will research the game and the bullet and spend the $$$ to get the right round for penetration/expansion, otherwise I tend to get the least expensive jacketed bullets that I can find.
#6 - Where do I buy my stuff (& what do I buy) - short list is really Midway USA, Cabela's, the local shops here in Denver (when they have what I am looking for and I can spend a little more to support the local businesses) and then a few face to face and gunshow sales (to get out of stock/backordered components). I also purchased some one time used brass from Precision Brass to get my stock up. When buying powder and primers other than local - buy in bulk. I tend to look at the specials and then choose which company to buy from.
#7 - Misc & Other - A few random thoughts:
A. Reloading is great. I encourage people to get into it.
B. Break-even point is about 4000 rounds I figure (for myself based on what I shoot and how often and what I made/purchased). More rifle or larger caliber pistol or unusual caliber = less rounds to make it worthwhile $-wise. I am about there at present after almost 9 months of reloading.
C. Safety - empty primers & powder back into original containers each time.
D. Safety - primers are dangerous - wear safety glasses.
E. The internet has a lot of good info - search long enough and you will find it.
F. While I like the Lee products, the instructions in most cases leave a lot to be desired. If I get some time like this another night, I probably will try and give some instructions to the instructions that come with the products to help where I (and from what I have read - a bunch of others) think they are lacking. (though it is fun to try and figure out some things).
G. I used case lube for my rifle full length sizing for a short while. Then saw a U-Tube video where a guy uses just a little bit of synthetic oil (only synthetic) about every 10 cases or so and then re-tumbles. That works great.
H. Any other feedback/thoughts/comments/corrections - add to this thread and let's get more folks informed.
I. Camera is not working so only picture I have is an old one prior to the pegboard, rails, and lower shelf replacements were installed. I will try and get a working camera and more accurate picture.