crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) This guide is both, work in progress and a living document. At this time I'm writing section after section, depending on my personal time and when I'm feeling creative. I will probably need a month or 2 to complete it. --- List of Content 1.) The right reasons to reload Yet another passion Saving money or shooting more Quality over quantity Perfection over factory Specialized handloads 2.) Financial considerations Short term vs long term 3.) How should I prepare Books Videos Forums Classes 4.) The right gear for the right task Single stage press solution Progressive press solution Used equipment 5.) Reloading Supplies Cases Primer Bullets Powder 6.) Cost examples and suggested tools Budget single stage press solution Budget progressive press solution Middle of the road single stage press solution Middle of the road progressive stage press solution High quality single stage press solution High quality progressive stage press solution High end hand-loading 7.) Do’s and Don'ts 8.) Beyond reloading Chronographs Uploads Ballistic testing Bullet pull-downs 9.) The Reloading Process Sorting brass Cleaning brass Lubricating brass Press preparation Swaging Sizing Trimming, chamfering and deburring Priming Expanding Powder weighting and charging Bullet seating Bullet crimping Edited July 6, 2018 by crockett 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) 1.) The right reasons to reload Yet another passion If you think that firearms and shooting is a decent hobby you are about to find out what it means to get hooked, literally. For most shooters, it comes down to not much more than putting holes into paper. And while matches or hunting add an entire level of excitement to the short, reloading adds an entire universe of possibilities. There are basically unlimited load recipes possible, and they all can be fine-tuned for each and every gun you own, as well as the task planned. Reloading can make one and the same firearm suitable for your 5 year old boy to shoot safely on the range in the afternoon, and take a fully grown whitetail at night. You can make your ammunition quiet (subsonic) or reach targets well beyond 1,000 yards. You can also created defensive loads that archive perfect penetration and expansion based on FBI specifications, to a degree of perfection that no factory ammunition can archive. Reloading gives you countless tools, and unlimited possibilities. You will rediscover many of your firearms by adding this addictive and worthwhile passion, and by being able to load better ammunition. Saving money or shooting more Many shooters start looking into reloading when they are trying to find ways to save money. And while it is indeed possible to save quite a bit of money, many if not most reloaders come to the conclusion that they are not saving any at all. The reality all to often is, that you might very well end up shooting more, or in some cases you might even get lost in a huge passion for all the reloading gear and tools. Keep in mind that if you really want to save money, you will need some restraint and good planning. Another factor is time. All to often reloaders ignore the value of their time. This might be ok if you love tinkering in your reloading room or in your garage, maybe to get away from your wife's nagging, but if you see reloading just as a means to produce ammunition, the time factor will be important to you, hence it adds an expense. If you don't want to waste time and make ammunition for plinking or your monthly matches, I strongly suggest to skip any single stage press, or even a turret. While some reloaders will try to steer you away from a progressive press as a beginner, it does have a bit steeper learning curve, I know plenty of folks who started on one without any issues. Your best bet as a true shooter will be with a Dillon 550 or 650 press. Quality over quantity Reloading offers the best of both worlds. If you are a competitive match shooter in need of 2,000 rounds each and every month, or if you are a benchrest perfectionist who gets by with 50 rounds in an entire range session, we have you covered. If you clearly fit into just one of these to categories your choice is clear. - Quality reloading: single stage or batch loading on a single stage or a turret press - Quantity reloading: reloading on a progressive press If you fall into both or none of those 2 categories, your initial as well as long-term setup depends on several factors: - what calibers do you intent to load - how much do you shoot - your budget - do you expect to enjoy the reloading process or do you just want to shoot more In this case you can get by with a single stage press, but if the funds are available a none-indexing Dillon 550 press might be the best choice. We will suggest example setups in the 6th section of this guide (Cost examples and suggested tools). Perfection over factory Either way, one thing that will become clear quickly is the fact that properly done reloads can surpass factory ammunition in basically every aspect there is: - affordability - accuracy - consistency - performance / velocity Reloading is so much more than just 'saving money' or 'shooting more'. If you think firearms are deep passion wait until you find out the possibilities of designing, crafting and testing your own ammunition. Specialized handloads Usually also considered benchrest reloading, this is the holly grail, with literally no limitations on the horizon. Benchrest shooting often requires the most perfect loads possible, in order to eliminate or minimize every variable that lowers accuracy. While some benrchrest shooter are quite successful with somewhat simple and affordable tools, many if not most have gathered equipment worth well beyond $10k. Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) Placeholder for: 2.) Financial considerations Short term vs long term Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) Placeholder for: 3.) How should I prepare Books Videos Forums Classes Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) Placeholder for: 4.) The right gear for the right task Single stage press solution Progressive press solution Used equipment Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) Placeholder for: 5.) Reloading Supplies Cases Primer Bullets Powder Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) 6.) Cost examples and suggested tools Budget single stage press solution Budget progressive press solution Middle of the road single stage press solution Middle of the road progressive stage press solution High quality single stage press solution This is actually the setup I suggest based on my experiences. I own every single piece f it. When I first looked into reloading, I wasn't able to find an all-inclusive price list. I had no idea what to expect. Reloader on different forums kept telling me that I will get everything I need for $250 etc. Only after I started spending money on my new hobby I found out that more and more items were missing, and that several suggested items are imprecise, of low quality and or provided bad ergonomics. This is a complete list that will allow you to reload in 9mm and .223. It even includes the needed supplies. If I would have to start over, or if I would want only one press, this would be my pick all around. High quality progressive stage press solution High end hand-loading Edited July 6, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Placeholder for: 7.) Do’s and Don'ts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) 8.) Beyond reloading Chronographs Uploads Ballistic testing Bullet pull-downs Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) 9.) The Reloading Process Sorting brass Cleaning brass Lubricating brass Press preparation Swaging Sizing Trimming, chamfering and deburring Priming Expanding Powder weighting and charging Bullet seating Bullet crimping Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) Place holder Edited July 22, 2018 by crockett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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