Opinions on My Acquisition of Reloading Gear?

[BuffCyclist]

I know, I know, not another "Reloading Newbie" thread, but researching can only do so much so please, bear with me.


I've convinced myself that I am ready and wanting to start reloading, and have permission from my Fiancee to start and eventually build a workbench either in my garage or out in the "sunroom" for reloading. Just starting out, I will be reloading either 9mm or .40S&W, then once I get that down and figure out all the necessary steps, I'll upgrade to reloading .223 and other pistol calibers.


Since I don't have the $500-$750 or more to buy everything up front, I wanted to slowly piece everything together. I thought I'd start with a tumbler: Lyman 1200 Pro Sifter (and crushed walnut lizard bedding), and two manuals: The ABC's of Reloading and Lyman 49th Edition Reloading Handbook. However, I've read mixed reviews about The ABC's of Reloading, that its kind of outdated material. I might even get a hand primer and find some way of depriming my brass (advice?) so I can at least start out with prepping my brass. I was hoping/planning on ordering the tumbler/books today on Amazon (Prime 2 day shipping), though I'm hesitant of getting the books since I'm not sure how helpful they'll be and reviews of The ABCs makes me not want to waste money.


I was originally going to get Lee Carbide Dies, but then have read much better things about the RCBS Carbide dies. Are the RCBS Carbide dies the better ones to get, or are there even better ones for around $60/set?


Regarding the press, I was going to get a Lee Anniversary Challenger Kit but then I've read mixed things about it and the mantra of "Buy Once, Cry Once". Looking into it more, I found the Dillon BL550, that can be upgraded down the line to a RL550 by getting the Auto Prime and Powder Measure. Since I can get the BL550 for $250 (plus caliber conversion kit for $45), I thought this would be a great alternative to the Lee Challenger, since in the beginning I'd be weighing every powder charge individually and paying close attention to exactly what I am doing (another reason not to start out on the RL550). But, after adding the cost up, it would be cheaper in the long run just to get the RL550 and use it as a single stage press instead of taking advantage of the progressive setup off the bat. And removing the Powder Measure, I could still weigh/drop-in each powder measure on my own.


Is there a good quality (precise) digital scale that anyone recommends in the $50-75 range? I guess I could go with a bar type scale, but thought the digital would provide faster results. I already have a set of very precise calipers (Mitutoyo 6").


Since I am extremely OCD about everything, I have more than enough confidence that I'll be able to monitor every aspect of reloading, do it all safely, and enjoy the benefits of cheaper/more-accurate ammo. And as much as I'd LOVE to go out right now and buy it all, I want this to be a long term hobby and gathering all the parts/pieces will be part of the fun. Not to mention, everything is backordered or has long lead times to receive, so its not like I could go out and buy everything right now.

Lastly, I was thinking about buying the powders/primers/bullets BEFORE getting the press, so that once I get the press I can start reloading immediately instead of having to source components, which could take a while depending on when I get it. I think my timeline is 1mo for everything else, and maybe 2-3mo for a press.

[Caithford]

The ABC's of Reloading is a great place to start. I also liked the Lyman book.

I know that I'm the only one who says this, but before dropping the $$ on a Dillon, get a cheap single stage press. It teaches you the step-by-step (much like the ABC's of Reloading) and you won't be in a whole lot of money. Besides, then when you want to do rifle calibers later, you're already set up to do so.

I use Lee dies and don't have a problem with them. I haven't loaded a whole lot yet, so my guess is that until you're reloading the volume where the type of dies matter more, I wouldn't worry about it.

I don't agree with "Buy once, cry once," but that's just me. Get what you can afford, what works for you.

A descent set of calipers and a good digital scale are what I found were most important.

I totally agree, grab components when and where you can, especially right now.

[Jamnanc]

Call me, I'm selling a complete setup and could do a little coaching. I could set it up for 9mm. Maybe work partial trade. Pm sent.

[Jamnanc]

I just noticed your in New Mexico. This might not work as well as I thought.

[BuffCyclist]

The ABC's of Reloading is a great place to start. I also liked the Lyman book.

I know that I'm the only one who says this, but before dropping the $$ on a Dillon, get a cheap single stage press. It teaches you the step-by-step (much like the ABC's of Reloading) and you won't be in a whole lot of money. Besides, then when you want to do rifle calibers later, you're already set up to do so.

I use Lee dies and don't have a problem with them. I haven't loaded a whole lot yet, so my guess is that until you're reloading the volume where the type of dies matter more, I wouldn't worry about it.

I don't agree with "Buy once, cry once," but that's just me. Get what you can afford, what works for you.

A descent set of calipers and a good digital scale are what I found were most important.

I totally agree, grab components when and where you can, especially right now.

No, you aren't the only one to mention getting the single stage press first, and thats what my plan was in the Lee Challenger. But, if I got that I wouldn't be able to sell it easily to upgrade at a later time due to where I live and how small the town is. Thats partly why I was looking at the BL550, because it can basically be treated like a single stage, but so can the RL550, it just comes with the goodies to make it a progressive at a later date. Just stopped at my LGS on the way home from running a few errands, they have RL550's in-stock for $440 (decent price considering I wouldn't have to pay shipping or wait), but I don't know how long they'll have them in-stock. They also carry a lot of Dillon accessories and parts, so I'd have a local source for everything, and the prices are pretty in-line with what I'm seeing online.

I have always tended to buy things that are nicer and will last longer, than cheap out and buy the lowest priced item. Then again, I also take extremely good care of everything I own.

My LGS has bullets, powders and primers in stock. Primers ~$4 for 100, powders ~$20-25 for 1lb, bullets ~$30 for 250. I'll talk with my Fiancee about it more, but I may end up picking up 1lb of powder and enough powder/primers for around 500rds, just to have something on hand when I get the press.


Call me, I'm selling a complete setup and could do a little coaching. I could set it up for 9mm. Maybe work partial trade. Pm sent.

Thanks, replied to your PM but I'm in southern NM. The US/Mexico border is closer to me than the NM/CO border lol. But thanks for the offer, I'm sure shipping would cost too much though.


eta: I have just under 500x 9mm, just over 1k .40S&W brass, 500x .45acp (but no pistol to shoot this...yet), 1.5k .223, and about 500-1000 unsorted random pistol. So I'll probably start reloading .40 S&W since I have the most brass for it right now.

[spqrzilla]

I know that I'm the only one who says this, but before dropping the $$ on a Dillon, get a cheap single stage press. It teaches you the step-by-step (much like the ABC's of Reloading) and you won't be in a whole lot of money. Besides, then when you want to do rifle calibers later, you're already set up to do so.

You are not the only one who says that.

[BuffCyclist]

You are not the only one who says that.

Agreed.

So, is my line of thinking incorrect in that I can use a progressive press with only 1 case in the shellholder at a time? Because I think that would offer me the most versatility in starting out, and then loading progressively down the road. I guess I could find a cheap $100 press or something and work with that right off the bat, but then I'd need to convince my Fiancee down the road why I need to buy another press when the one I currently have works just fine.

With that said, I'm not completely opposed to getting a single stage right off the bat. It would allow me to start reloading quicker since it costs less. Is there a single stage press that people recommend? Is RCBS Partner Press better/more-durable/more-precise than the Lee Classic Press? I know the Lee at least has the quick change kit so I can retain the settings on my dies after dialing them in the first time. I could even get the Lee Hand Press for around $45 to start out with, then could dedicate that to depriming once I got a bench mounted press. Sure, its much slower than a bench press but the cost factor is quite appealing.

eta: Pro of the Lee is that it accepts bushings for quick die changes, it doesn't look like the RCBS Partner press accepts bushings, which seems like a big deal to me.

[BuffCyclist]

After looking more into the costs, I am currently leaning towards a Lee Classic Cast single stage press. It accepts the quick change die bushings that lock in the settings and seems to be built like a tank. The reviews I've found online praise it (though in general Lee is "crap") but can't find any negative reviews other than RCBS owners saying Lee is "crap". Then again, I've found a lot of reviews of RCBS presses breaking, not strong enough, flexing, handle stripping out or bending, etc.

With that said, are there any REAL reasons to steer clear of a Lee Classic Cast single stage press?

[Caithford]

Again, speaking only for myself, I prefer to do rifle calibers on single stage. So I don't think a single stage would be a throwaway later on if you decide to do rifle calibers. I'm not familiar enough with the 550 to know if you could effectively use it as a single stage or not.

I do like the twist lock bushings. I don't know of any reasons to steer clear of Lee other than the fact some people just hate Lee products. I use two Lee single stage presses without the twist lock bushings, because I got my stuff second hand.

I think my point is that if you get the single stage, you won't have to "get rid of it" later on. Then you could still get the progressive later.

Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck!

[streetglideok]

The Lyman 49th edition is a good book to have. They use a variety of powder and bullet makers in their data. I also keep a Nosler and a Speers book on hand. I use a Lee turret press, and it works great for pistol rounds. For 40 and 45acp, I use the Lee carbide dies, with the factory crimp, and use the Lee powder measures that mound on the dies. No complaints here, I doubt you'll find the higher dollar dies will outperform them. For the rest of my dies, I use mostly RCBS. I use an RCBS powder measure for my rifle rounds, a hornady electronic scale, Lyman case trimmer and micrometer for case length issues. The Lee auto indexing turret press is fine for pistol rounds, and will get you by with rifle rounds, but a single stage press with quick change bushings would be my suggestion for your longer action chamberings, ie 300wm, 30-06, etc.

[Danimal]

With reloading it is not where you are at now, it is where you are going. Answer these questions first then you will know what equipment to get

1) How much do you plan on reloading? 100 a year, 100 a month, thousand a month?

2) How much time are you willing to invest? A couple hours a month, a couple hours a day, every waking minute?

3) How long do you plan on reloading? While it is necessary, on occasion, frequently, all the damn time because it is awesome?

The real bottom line is you need to get a piece of equipment that will meet your needs or you wont be happy with it no matter what. The more you shoot, the more a single stage becomes impractical because it just takes to long. The faster you want to get the reloading done the more you need to invest in quality equipment that is reliable. Get a firm number in your head about how many rounds you want to make a month on average, and how much time you have to make those rounds and then the press and equipment choice is easy.

It gets real old trying to reload hundreds of rounds on a single stage, and it gets really scary reloading on a Lee progressive that the primer ram broke the first day and the powder dispenser sometimes forgets to put powder in the round. I have done both and can tell you that investing in quality equipment will save you a lot of time and heartache.

[BuffCyclist]

With reloading it is not where you are at now, it is where you are going. Answer these questions first then you will know what equipment to get

1) How much do you plan on reloading? 100 a year, 100 a month, thousand a month?

2) How much time are you willing to invest? A couple hours a month, a couple hours a day, every waking minute?

3) How long do you plan on reloading? While it is necessary, on occasion, frequently, all the damn time because it is awesome?

The real bottom line is you need to get a piece of equipment that will meet your needs or you wont be happy with it no matter what. The more you shoot, the more a single stage becomes impractical because it just takes to long. The faster you want to get the reloading done the more you need to invest in quality equipment that is reliable. Get a firm number in your head about how many rounds you want to make a month on average, and how much time you have to make those rounds and then the press and equipment choice is easy.

It gets real old trying to reload hundreds of rounds on a single stage, and it gets really scary reloading on a Lee progressive that the primer ram broke the first day and the powder dispenser sometimes forgets to put powder in the round. I have done both and can tell you that investing in quality equipment will save you a lot of time and heartache.

Thanks for the reply, here are my answers:

1) Probably around 200-400 Pistol per month, about the same rifle (although this is probably wishful thinking)
2) I have plenty of free time, but at the very least, I'd be able to devote about 8-12 hours per week (Tues or Thurs all day, or split up on multiple days for 2-3hr sessions)

3) I've been wanting to get into reloading for a long time, but if I drop the coin, I'd like to make it a regular part of my shooting hobby (which I know its a hobby in and of itself). And with my Fiancee supporting this, she said that I could have the space I need to build up a reloading (corner-of-a) room [LOL]. But, I reminded her that if I reload, then it'll be cheaper for me to take her shooting too, so she'll get to shoot a lot more.

But I can do brass cleaning anytime, since I have 7-10 days off between work shifts and am only gone for school all day 1 day of the week. For instance while I'm studying I could have the tumbler going. Then when I need a break from studying, I could take a 1-2hr break and deprime/prime/resize my brass. Not to mention I have major insomnia issues (since I work at night, transitioning is difficult), so when I don't sleep at night I could work on reloading or case prep.

I have read of the inconsistencies with the Lee Pro 1000 progressives, so I'm not even considering those. I think the appeal in progressives is that I can do everything without changing the setup. While I realize with a single stage you do batch processing (prime 500 cases, then charge 500 cases, etc), with a progressive I could still do that but wouldn't need to setup the dies again.

At the end of the day though, I think that with whatever I get, there will be features of it that I like/dislike and will have a better idea of what I want for the future. With that said, maybe a single stage is a better idea. And perhaps I should also go pickup ~1k worth of bullets/primer/powder from my LGS while he has it in stock, since he said he hasn't gotten any of the 3 in shipments for the past 3 months.

[Jamnanc]

You can use a 550 as a single stage, you leave the dies out of the stations you aren't using and remove the primer feeder. You can also use a powder funnel in station two and weigh each charge if you like. You could start out with single stage use and as you get comfortable, add more Stations. I wouldn't get an auto-indexing press if that's the plan though.

You can also use hornady locknload quick changes on any press that uses standard dies.

Oh, and you need access to a lee press for a while, you can feel what's wrong with them, sloppy stops, loose tolerances. Their dies and other reloading equip are very adequate though. Especially for the price.

[Great-Kazoo]

You can use a 550 as a single stage, you leave the dies out of the stations you aren't using and remove the primer feeder. You can also use a powder funnel in station two and weigh each charge if you like. You could start out with single stage use and as you get comfortable, add more Stations. I wouldn't get an auto-indexing press if that's the plan though.

You can also use hornady locknload quick changes on any press that uses standard dies.

Oh, and you need access to a lee press for a while, you can feel what's wrong with them, sloppy stops, loose tolerances. Their dies and other reloading equip are very adequate though. Especially for the price.


Actually the 450 you posted FS (yeah shill for an item) is a perfect combo for his needs. Plus you can use the manual primer set up OR hand prime off machine,prior to loading. One of the loaders in our co-op does all his rifle priming by hand then the rest of the loading process on the 650.

[rondog]

It's kinda like cars. You can get a beater, you can get good reliable transportation that'll serve you well for a lifetime, or you can spend the big bucks for a Lexus. I personally use a Lee Classic Turret and Lee dies, and am very happy. Unless you're planning on cranking out rounds by the thousands, I see no need for a progressive. But that's just me being a cheapass.

Basically, start reasonable and work your way up. You don't need a Lexus for a first car. And you'll discover more damned accessories and other goodies later that you'll want, and a lower startup cost will help.

One good item you mentioned would be a Universal Decapping Die, that just punches out primers from nearly all cases without resizing. Lee makes a good one.

[Danimal]

Thanks for the reply, here are my answers:

1) Probably around 200-400 Pistol per month, about the same rifle (although this is probably wishful thinking)
2) I have plenty of free time, but at the very least, I'd be able to devote about 8-12 hours per week (Tues or Thurs all day, or split up on multiple days for 2-3hr sessions)

3) I've been wanting to get into reloading for a long time, but if I drop the coin, I'd like to make it a regular part of my shooting hobby (which I know its a hobby in and of itself). And with my Fiancee supporting this, she said that I could have the space I need to build up a reloading (corner-of-a) room [LOL]. But, I reminded her that if I reload, then it'll be cheaper for me to take her shooting too, so she'll get to shoot a lot more.

But I can do brass cleaning anytime, since I have 7-10 days off between work shifts and am only gone for school all day 1 day of the week. For instance while I'm studying I could have the tumbler going. Then when I need a break from studying, I could take a 1-2hr break and deprime/prime/resize my brass. Not to mention I have major insomnia issues (since I work at night, transitioning is difficult), so when I don't sleep at night I could work on reloading or case prep.

I have read of the inconsistencies with the Lee Pro 1000 progressives, so I'm not even considering those. I think the appeal in progressives is that I can do everything without changing the setup. While I realize with a single stage you do batch processing (prime 500 cases, then charge 500 cases, etc), with a progressive I could still do that but wouldn't need to setup the dies again.

At the end of the day though, I think that with whatever I get, there will be features of it that I like/dislike and will have a better idea of what I want for the future. With that said, maybe a single stage is a better idea. And perhaps I should also go pickup ~1k worth of bullets/primer/powder from my LGS while he has it in stock, since he said he hasn't gotten any of the 3 in shipments for the past 3 months.

With that volume of reloading I think that you should start investing in brass preparation first and see what a time commitment it is. Get a solid used single stage press, dies, trimmer, tumbler and hand chamfer / debur tools and start knocking out some of the brass that you have saved up. At this point you will be able to save up for components and will get a chance to try out some of your first loads. I promise if you are making 4-800 rounds a month you will be aching for a progressive in no time. The real trick to reloading is to save up and buy components in bulk so that you shoot for the same price for as long as possible. With that said it can be some rather large expenses all at once.

When you have settled in with your single stage and you have a significant back log of brass to reload you can make the decision whether or not to jump on a nicer press. That is what I did and I still use the single stage for load development as well as for processing brass. As you get more and more into reloading you will see that you just accumulate equipment and never get rid of anything. Everything just starts to serve a more specific purpose and it saves you time and you start wanting more progressive presses so that you don't have to take the time to adjust anything or change tool heads. Anything you get will work, it just changes how long you spend making X amount of bullets but the fun and sense of accomplishment are there no matter what.

[cstone]

After looking more into the costs, I am currently leaning towards a Lee Classic Cast single stage press. It accepts the quick change die bushings that lock in the settings and seems to be built like a tank. The reviews I've found online praise it (though in general Lee is "crap") but can't find any negative reviews other than RCBS owners saying Lee is "crap". Then again, I've found a lot of reviews of RCBS presses breaking, not strong enough, flexing, handle stripping out or bending, etc.

With that said, are there any REAL reasons to steer clear of a Lee Classic Cast single stage press?

This is the single stage I own and I really like the quick change setup. I bought I bunch of bushings and use Hornaday lock rings. I have both Lee and RCBS dies and don't find any significant differences. Definitely worth carbide dies for pistol calibers.

I have the 9th Edition of the ABC's and find myself reading different portions from time to time. I am glad I have it. I also use the Harvey hand deprimer. I use an RCBS universal hand primer. I like doing as much as I can away from the bench or press. It allows me to get some things done while spending time with my family or outside.

Focus on building up your supply of brass, primers, bullets and powder. While you are waiting to get primers, bullets, and powder get your brass cleaned, sized, and primed. Once the brass is sized and primed, charging and seating bullets in lots of hundred is easy, even on a single stage. Even if you eventually move up to a turret or progressive, you can leave the depriming/sizing station empty.

[dwalker460]

I currently have a Lee Classic Turret ( I use almost every day), a single stage Pacific I use for decapping or test loads, a Lee Pro 1000, which I like for pistol calibers and will occasionally run rifle on, and a Lee Loadmaster I have no room to set up...yet.

By far my favorite press is the Lee Classic Turret. It allows me to have near-progressive speed yet is easily used as a single stage press.
I cannot see loading rifle cartridges on a progressive unless you have spent a fair chunk of money. I say this because consider for a second your steps in loading a rifle cartridge-

Clean cases
deprime/resize
clean and swage primer pocket
trim cases
deburr and chamfer
clean case lube off cases
prime
charge
seat bullet.

Many of these steps are hard to perform on the press, so using a progressive press is not a great time saver.
Pistol calibers are easier, especially if loading plinking rounds.

[BuffCyclist]

Awesome, thanks for all the replies everyone! Now, to catch up with my own replies…



Actually the 450 you posted FS (yeah shill for an item) is a perfect combo for his needs. Plus you can use the manual primer set up OR hand prime off machine,prior to loading. One of the loaders in our co-op does all his rifle priming by hand then the rest of the loading process on the 650.


That setup might be a great one for me, its used so I don't pay the clean-n-fancy markup price. Granted, I don't have that much money to work with right now, hence my plan to get the BL550 and slowly acquire the parts to work it up to a full on turret setup. I'm definitely liking the idea of getting a hand decapper.





It's kinda like cars. You can get a beater, you can get good reliable transportation that'll serve you well for a lifetime, or you can spend the big bucks for a Lexus. I personally use a Lee Classic Turret and Lee dies, and am very happy. Unless you're planning on cranking out rounds by the thousands, I see no need for a progressive. But that's just me being a cheapass.


Basically, start reasonable and work your way up. You don't need a Lexus for a first car. And you'll discover more damned accessories and other goodies later that you'll want, and a lower startup cost will help.


One good item you mentioned would be a Universal Decapping Die, that just punches out primers from nearly all cases without resizing. Lee makes a good one.


This line of thought does make sense since it is a lot of things I need to buy and figure out. On the other hand, my first car WAS a lexus, soo… I do agree that no matter what I buy, I'll figure out something else I should have bought, happens all the time. By the way, my first car was not a lexus, but I had you going there, didn't i?!


I'll have to look for the lee decapper. I found the Harvey decapper (i think thats what its called), but is it really worth it for $50?





With that volume of reloading I think that you should start investing in brass preparation first and see what a time commitment it is. Get a solid used single stage press, dies, trimmer, tumbler and hand chamfer / debur tools and start knocking out some of the brass that you have saved up. At this point you will be able to save up for components and will get a chance to try out some of your first loads. I promise if you are making 4-800 rounds a month you will be aching for a progressive in no time. The real trick to reloading is to save up and buy components in bulk so that you shoot for the same price for as long as possible. With that said it can be some rather large expenses all at once.


When you have settled in with your single stage and you have a significant back log of brass to reload you can make the decision whether or not to jump on a nicer press. That is what I did and I still use the single stage for load development as well as for processing brass. As you get more and more into reloading you will see that you just accumulate equipment and never get rid of anything. Everything just starts to serve a more specific purpose and it saves you time and you start wanting more progressive presses so that you don't have to take the time to adjust anything or change tool heads. Anything you get will work, it just changes how long you spend making X amount of bullets but the fun and sense of accomplishment are there no matter what.


Is a chamfer/debur tool necessary for pistol brass? I don't plan on reloading rifle for at least 6mo, I want to fully understand the process behind reloading before mixing in the rifle complications (that I've read of at least).


I will be getting my tumbler tomorrow and was planning on cleaning up all of my brass and finishing the sorting, so it'll all be ready to go whenever I get my press.


The thought of a single stage is definitely starting to appeal more to me, mostly because I can get that relatively soon instead of having to wait a little longer for a progressive (which was my original plan).





This is the single stage I own and I really like the quick change setup. I bought I bunch of bushings and use Hornaday lock rings. I have both Lee and RCBS dies and don't find any significant differences. Definitely worth carbide dies for pistol calibers.


I have the 9th Edition of the ABC's and find myself reading different portions from time to time. I am glad I have it. I also use the Harvey hand deprimer. I use an RCBS universal hand primer. I like doing as much as I can away from the bench or press. It allows me to get some things done while spending time with my family or outside.


Focus on building up your supply of brass, primers, bullets and powder. While you are waiting to get primers, bullets, and powder get your brass cleaned, sized, and primed. Once the brass is sized and primed, charging and seating bullets in lots of hundred is easy, even on a single stage. Even if you eventually move up to a turret or progressive, you can leave the depriming/sizing station empty.


Glad to hear someone owns the lee classic press, was starting to believe that no one owned one lol. The quick change bushings are very appealing.


You recommend the Harvey decapper? I may have to get one if they're really that good (or the lee alternative if i an find it, still haven't seen it though).





I currently have a Lee Classic Turret ( I use almost every day), a single stage Pacific I use for decapping or test loads, a Lee Pro 1000, which I like for pistol calibers and will occasionally run rifle on, and a Lee Loadmaster I have no room to set up...yet.


By far my favorite press is the Lee Classic Turret. It allows me to have near-progressive speed yet is easily used as a single stage press.
I cannot see loading rifle cartridges on a progressive unless you have spent a fair chunk of money. I say this because consider for a second your steps in loading a rifle cartridge-


Clean cases
deprime/resize
clean and swage primer pocket
trim cases
deburr and chamfer
clean case lube off cases
prime
charge
seat bullet.


Many of these steps are hard to perform on the press, so using a progressive press is not a great time saver.
Pistol calibers are easier, especially if loading plinking rounds.


Its sounding like a single stage will not be obsolete too soon for me, so this might be the better route to start with. Again, I'd be able to get a cheaper press much sooner.


And perhaps I have my terminology mixed up, I thought a progressive and a turret were one in the same.




I think my next plan of attack will be to clean my brass, and swing by my LGS to stock up on some bullets/primers/powder. They had quite a few primers, so I'll buy maybe 1k worth (which should be around $40 and hoping thats reasonable).


I'll probably start loading .40S&W first, and have found the following powders in order of top down preference (lower ones seem to be more like performance/accurate shooting; higher are all purpose). Will I have any problems loading .40 with these?


Alliant Power Pistol
Alliant Unique
Alliant Bullseye
Winchester WSF
Hodgden HS-6
Hodgden Titegroup




And with that, I think this may be the longest single post on this forum lol.

[cstone]

I load 155 gr Montana Gold JHP, over 7 gr of Power Pistol. It is a relatively light load out of my P229 and Glock 22. I've gotten 6.8 to 7.8 gr of Power Pistol to cycle fine out of all of my .40 pistols and my Kel Tec Sub 2000. The 7.8 is a bit hotter than I need for just range shooting.

[BuffCyclist]

I load 155 gr Montana Gold JHP, over 7 gr of Power Pistol. It is a relatively light load out of my P229 and Glock 22. I've gotten 6.8 to 7.8 gr of Power Pistol to cycle fine out of all of my .40 pistols and my Kel Tec Sub 2000. The 7.8 is a bit hotter than I need for just range shooting.

Thanks for the reply, I've been reading tons and tons of reviews on various powders and my list has nearly doubled in length and orders changed. I've tried seeing which name pops up more often, but they all are spoken of in great regularity, there's no discernible difference. I guess I'll have to go to the LGS, see what they've got and try my luck with one. I've got to start somewhere, right? Might as well just pick one from the list lol.

[BuffCyclist]

Well, I've spent about 9 hrs total tumbling my ~1k .40 brass (in 3 separate groups for 3hrs per group) and they're all shiny as can be, and that was just plain crushed walnut lizard bedding. Went through and measured about 75% of them for case length and found the average was .835" (max is .85" and trim to length is .845"). I think its safe to say that I have discovered that pistol brass does not expand on each shooting and may omit measuring case length in the future. I will however measure the COL after loading to ensure that is within spec. I also got done sorting the brass into headstamps and will be loading those by groups, so I can keep track of number of times reloaded easier.


Read through the entire process of reloading on my Lyman reloading manual. Bought some lee carbide .40s&w dies (4 die set) and ordered myself a Lee Classic Breech Lock single stage press. With the cost being so low, I was able to buy it now instead of waiting a month for the Dillon. Plus, it was in stock and should be here on Tuesday.


I also picked up 1lb of Winchester WST for $21 (about the only powder they had in stock that I could find load data for .40s&w), it was either that or Vhitavuori N340 (that was $36/lb). I also got 2k small pistol primers for $43.90/1k. More expensive than I could find online, but didn't have to pay the hazmat or shipping, so I consider it a win, especially since they were in stock. I also got 500 bullets for more than what is a good price. Found two places online that have better prices (xtremebullets.com and powerbondbullets.com, that I found here). I like how powerbondbullets has a flat rate shipping, and its very low so if I get some extra money soon, I may end up order a thousand bullets from them, or more for other calibers that I plan to load in the future (9mm, .38spl and/or .380acp).


Of the bullets I bought, one is a "CMJ Cast RNFP" the other is "Frontier FMJ". Do I need to treat the CMJ Cast differently, or just load to FMJ specs (starting out on the low end that is)?


By my calculations, all I'm missing to truly get started loading is a beam scale, a kinetic bullet puller (worst case scenario) and a case max size gauge, only really important because I'm loading .40s&w (though I've read online you shouldn't worry about it that much, I'd rather start out with it and realize after loading 500rds or more that they're all just fine). While other things might be useful, I think those are the bare necessities.


One last thing, when reading through load data charts online, I've noticed that a lot of loads are for specific bullets, like 180gr BERB FP (taken from the winchester load data website). Can I treat any/all 180gr FP (FMJ) bullets with this load, or do I need to find loads specific to the brand name of bullets that I have? For example, that website shows that a load for the 180gr BERB FP loads as 4.4gr of Winchester WST (868 fps, 26,900psi) starting load and a max load of 4.9gr WST. Could I use that load as a starting point for my CMJ Cast RNFP and Frontier FMJ bullets? Or should I start out with 10% lower than that?


Thanks for ALL of the help, I really appreciate that everyone took extra time to talk me through my various questions and help me reconsider my equipment purchases. At the end of the day, I'll be happy to start reloading now on a single stage, than wait another month or two to get a dillon press that is more complicated. If I reload so much that I want to upgrade down the road, I'll definitely be able to.

[KS63]

I have the Harvey tool. It's a solid piece and I prefer to decap off the press. Watch tv and deprime is what I do. Do you have a decent dial caliper to measure with?

[BuffCyclist]

I have the Harvey tool. It's a solid piece and I prefer to decap off the press. Watch tv and deprime is what I do. Do you have a decent dial caliper to measure with?

Yes, I've got a nice pair of Mitutoyo dial calipers that I use at work.

[KS63]

Yes, I've got a nice pair of Mitutoyo dial calipers that I use at work.
Perfect. If you ever question the published load data, email the powder and bullet manufactures and ask them for a min/max data and cartridge OAL and compare them.

[sellersm]

Imnsho, you don't need the case gauge tool, just use your barrel. When you start, load up a 'dummy round' (no powder) and drop it in the barrel (called the 'plunk' test). If it 'plunks' in (drops freely) and spins freely and isn't sticking out the end, should be good to go. The rounds are going to be fired from YOUR barrel, after all, so don't need the extra expense of the case gauge: I'm only talking about handgun rounds, rifle's another story.

[BuffCyclist]

Imnsho, you don't need the case gauge tool, just use your barrel. When you start, load up a 'dummy round' (no powder) and drop it in the barrel (called the 'plunk' test). If it 'plunks' in (drops freely) and spins freely and isn't sticking out the end, should be good to go. The rounds are going to be fired from YOUR barrel, after all, so don't need the extra expense of the case gauge: I'm only talking about handgun rounds, rifle's another story.

I'll be shooting these in a Glock 23 (gen3), so I'm a little worried about the whole "bulge" and kb thing. Granted, I'll be loading lighter loads for general purpose target practice. I have thought about just getting a Lone Wolf .40S&W barrel for the fully supported chamber.

Then again, after doing more research on it, it seems like it isn't that big of a concern for most folks who load light loads. It gets to be more of a concern when you're loading hot loads. Oh the decisions, decisions!

I did find quite a few people who recommend 3.6-3.8gr of WST behind a 180gr FMJ bullet. In the beginning, I'll be loading everything to 1.125" as that is something that I can easily control. Besides, if I'm changing powder loads AND COL, I get no reference as to what is truly happening.

eta: On second thought, I've found a lot of load data for Vhitavuori N340 and know that my LGS has it in stock, so I might just go pick up 1lb of that even though its expensive.

[BuffCyclist]

Quick update, my Lee Breech Lock Classic Cast press and quick change bushings arrived today. I am very excited, but it just had to be delivered late enough at night that I couldn't do anything with it today. Tomorrow, I'll be gone from 6am until at least 6pm, so I won't get to do anything with it then. Might be able to convince my Fiancee to help me move the workbench into the reloading room. Hoping its sturdy enough, but if not then I'll be building myself a new workbench sooner than planned.


On Thursday, I plan to mount up the press and dial in the decapper/resizer die so I can start prepping my first 100 cases (and possibly continue decapping many more if I've got the time). I believe I have everything I need to start reloading, except for a powder scale and the controversial case gage, which I may not get depending on how things look after I load up a few dummy rounds and see how the Lee Factory Crimp Die resizes the case.


Until I can get a powder scale (looking at a Dillon Eliminator beam scale), I'll probably continue deciding what loads I'll start with. I am wondering if I should start at the "Starting Load" of powder that my Lyman manual says, or start lower than that by 1gr and then work up in increments of 0.2gr to the "Starting Load". Purpose being, with reloading .40S&W, I don't want to get anywhere near the maximum pressure, and since I don't have a chrono to check the velocities, I have to base things on recoil and accuracy.

[Caithford]

Quick update, my Lee Breech Lock Classic Cast press and quick change bushings arrived today. I am very excited, but it just had to be delivered late enough at night that I couldn't do anything with it today. Tomorrow, I'll be gone from 6am until at least 6pm, so I won't get to do anything with it then. Might be able to convince my Fiancee to help me move the workbench into the reloading room. Hoping its sturdy enough, but if not then I'll be building myself a new workbench sooner than planned.


On Thursday, I plan to mount up the press and dial in the decapper/resizer die so I can start prepping my first 100 cases (and possibly continue decapping many more if I've got the time). I believe I have everything I need to start reloading, except for a powder scale and the controversial case gage, which I may not get depending on how things look after I load up a few dummy rounds and see how the Lee Factory Crimp Die resizes the case.


Until I can get a powder scale (looking at a Dillon Eliminator beam scale), I'll probably continue deciding what loads I'll start with. I am wondering if I should start at the "Starting Load" of powder that my Lyman manual says, or start lower than that by 1gr and then work up in increments of 0.2gr to the "Starting Load". Purpose being, with reloading .40S&W, I don't want to get anywhere near the maximum pressure, and since I don't have a chrono to check the velocities, I have to base things on recoil and accuracy.


I still would go with an electronic scale over the beam scale. Just as accurate and way faster. The MTM scale is $30 and works just fine if you wanna go cheap. Otherwise any of the digital scales will do.