Starting Reloadin

[eppy]

I am also interested in reloading, is there ant books I should get or one I should stay away from to help get the ball rolling

[Great-Kazoo]

I am also interested in reloading, is there ant books I should get or one I should stay away from to help get the ball rolling

Sticky top of A&R forum. You can never have too many Books.
http://www.ar-15.co/threads/18232-Reloading-Links

[Dylan Never Sleeps]

Definitely read the sticky and read as much as you can on the subject, be it online, or in books.


Sent from the future using a Delorean

[ColoradoMike]

Eppy, Read all you can and also take a peek at some of the YouTube videos out there.....you can pick up some good tips! Also, if you can find someone that already reloads you may want to talk to them about mentoring you on the basics.

I love reloading and I am ALWAYS learning new things....I have one caveat....TRUST BUT VERIFY.....some folks my or may not be doing things safely.

Remember....start small....be meticulous.....check your measurements!

It may sound like it is "troublesome" but once you get the hang of things it will pay off dividends in the future!

Cheers!

Mike

[losttrail]

Here's my experience with a FA tumbler.

I purchased one in 2009 from Sportsman's Warehouse as a secondary several years ago when I started shooting more, so I could do rifle brass in one and pistol in another. My primary was an old Lyman circa 1985.

The FA died within a month and under not heavy use. The Lyman was getting the majority of the workout. I returned it and got a replacement. Within 6 months the second FA died.

I replaced it with a Lyman Turbo 1200 which is still going strong. The original Lyman died this past December so I'm back down to one but my shooting volume has dropped off also.

Just my experience.

[rondog]

Here's my experience with a FA tumbler.

I purchased one in 2009 from Sportsman's Warehouse as a secondary several years ago when I started shooting more, so I could do rifle brass in one and pistol in another. My primary was an old Lyman circa 1985.

The FA died within a month and under not heavy use. The Lyman was getting the majority of the workout. I returned it and got a replacement. Within 6 months the second FA died.

I replaced it with a Lyman Turbo 1200 which is still going strong. The original Lyman died this past December so I'm back down to one but my shooting volume has dropped off also.

Just my experience.

Similar experience here. FA tumbler crapped out, went to the Lyman 1200. The 1200 runs circles around what the FA could do. The FA had a flat bottom, where the 1200 has a bottom shaped like an upside-down donut or bagel....the center of it rises up. This seems to greatly enhance the "churning" ability of the 1200 and really gets the brass and media moving. I could easily overload the FA and bog it down to where it wouldn't do shit, but that 1200 will handle a surprising amount of brass and media.

One thing, put the tumbler on a hard surface like a concrete floor, etc. Carpeting will absorb some of the vibrations and diminish the effectiveness of the tumbler, and those things usually draw their cooling air in from the bottom as well. So carpeting will also mess up the airflow and make 'em overheat.

Good luck with the reloading! It's addictive.

[ColoradoMike]

I have two tumblers...one is a FA that came with my purchase of a guy's reloading equipment I snagged on Craigslist and the other is a Harbor Freight one.....

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-lb-v...ose-96923.html



The Harbor Freight 18 lb vibratory bowl tumbler is on sale on their website for $159. You can pick these up even cheaper at times on sale as well. ALSO if you get "American Rifleman" they usually have harbor freight coupons for one item at 20% off.

I have been using this tumbler with walnut media (again purchased from HF at a MUCH cheaper price than Sportsmans or other places) and it works like a champ!

On a side note...the HF tumbler runs much quieter than the FA one. It has more than 5 times the volume (estimate) of the FA and is a solid tumbler! They say you can do liquid in the tumbler as well. This is TRUE. There is a hose adapter that is attached to the bowl. NOT TO WORRY if you only want to do dry media. The hose has a sturdy cutoff that prevents any media from coming out of that port.

[losttrail]

Similar experience here. FA tumbler crapped out, went to the Lyman 1200. The 1200 runs circles around what the FA could do. The FA had a flat bottom, where the 1200 has a bottom shaped like an upside-down donut or bagel....the center of it rises up. This seems to greatly enhance the "churning" ability of the 1200 and really gets the brass and media moving. I could easily overload the FA and bog it down to where it wouldn't do shit, but that 1200 will handle a surprising amount of brass and media.

One thing, put the tumbler on a hard surface like a concrete floor, etc. Carpeting will absorb some of the vibrations and diminish the effectiveness of the tumbler, and those things usually draw their cooling air in from the bottom as well. So carpeting will also mess up the airflow and make 'em overheat.

Good luck with the reloading! It's addictive.

Great points. The Lyman is easily 4 times more active than the FA was. Better results in about 1/4 the time of the FA. The only detriment of the Lyman is the open 'grill' of the lid lets dust fly about. But I have a plastic bag that I slide over the bowl that keeps it in. That and a couple of tablespoons of Brasso.