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Ammunition reloading advice, tips and tricks

Pugs

Back from the range
None
There appears to be some interest so I thought I’d start an ammunition reloading thread here in the firearms section and I’m sure if it’s active it will get stickied.

My thoughts on it include a clearing house for FAQ and how to get started followed up, I suspect, by more detailed questions. I would suggest that we stay away from specific load recipes as the Web-San likely is rightly concerned about liability. Since we’re all adults here I’m sure it can be handled via a message if you have to know.

No need to limit yourself to rifle and pistol, feel free to include shotgun reloading as well. I haven’t done it since my days of 20K rounds a year at skeet but I still have the full family of Mec 650’s in the basement.

Why reload? A few reasons

You will save money from buying factory ammo. Well sort of. You’ll find that with reloading you often shoot more so it’s a wash but the fun sort of wash.

  • You will have a much wider variety of bullets to pick from for target or hunting. These days some bullets have become very specialized and by selecting the right bullet for the right job you’ll often get much better performance be it a varmint bullet designed to disintegrate and reduce ricochets to the new monolithic big game bullets designed to expand at certain velocities.
  • Rifles and Pistols are strange beasts and from one to another, even the same make and model they will like different loads. With handloading you have the ability to alter powders, primers, bullets, seating depth, concentricity and many other aspects of the load to end up with the right load that makes it as accurate as possible.
  • In some case the only way to get affordable ammo for an esoteric cartridge is to reload. .38 Smith and Wesson (NOT the same as .38 Special) for my 1942 Webley is $60 for a box of 50 when you can find it. I can reload it for less than $7.50 a box. Don’t get me started on .44 Russian for a Colt New Service or .257 Roberts with a modern bullet.
  • It’s fun. OK, maybe resizing and trimming 1000 pieces of .221 Fireball rifle brass two days before you have to have it reloaded to go to South Dakota isn’t, but it’s a hobby that you and your kids and even spouses enjoy. It helps if you’re a detail oriented individual with a technical mindset. Since that pretty much describes everyone here I think we’re good to go.
How do I get started?

Reloading can be done very simply or it can be as complicated as you would like. To get started for metallic reloading (rifle and pistol) you only need a few things.
  • Reloading Press
  • Priming Tool
  • Manual beam Powder Scale
  • Reloading dies for your caliber of choice
  • A reloading manual from the company of your choice
  • Some misc little stuff like case lube, small funnel and some loading blocks to hold the shells while you put the powder in and such.
These things can all be purchased separately or most manufactures have kits where you can get it all together. Do not hesitate to buy any of this stuff used. It will pretty much last forever.

Names to look for include;

Redding reloading - http://www.redding-reloading.com
RCBS - http://www.rcbs.com
Lyman - http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/home/
Lee Reloading - http://leeprecision.com

All are fine companies. There are others and it’s a vibrant industry in America with many Mom and Pop shops producing just what you need (even if you don’t know yet that you need it)

You’re also going to need a sturdy place to mount your press. We’re dealing with some significant leverage here and you don’t want to break up the household stuff.

A little guidance on the differences in presses. There are basically three kinds

(1)Single Stage – You resize/deprime and seat new bullets in the same press by swapping out the dies – For rifle and pistol it’s what I use
(2)Turret presses – Have a head that holds the resizing and seating dies (as well as the flare guide for pistols cartridges) in rotating head so you don’t have to unscrew them as you move function to function. It’s what I would buy if ZI wasn’t cheap and happy with the single stage I have
(3)Progressive presses, once configured, do all the reloading functions at a pull of a lever and stage empty brass from fired to sized to primed and charged to seating a new bullet and crimping. It’s what you’re going to want if you shoot a lot of pistol or EBR rounds in competition.

The actual process of reloading is easy and I’m not going to write it out but instead refer you to RCBS’s really excellent site at http://www.rcbs.com/guide/ that contains videos and FAQ that is really helpful.

So this will start the thread and hopefully folks will chime as they would like for discussion.
I load for the following calibers

.22 Hornet
.221 Fireball
.243 Winchester
.257 Roberts
.270 Winchester
7-08 Remington
.308
9mm
.38 S&W
.38 Special/.357 Magnum
.44 Russian, Special and Magnum
.45 ACP
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
How about loading 30-30 or other "rimmed" cartridges? I've heard the length "stretching" of brass can negatively affect one's ability to reload a cartridge multiple times. Is this the case, or is it overcome by trimming? I currently don't reload, but with today's fear-driven prices, I might start.
 

Pugs

Back from the range
None
How about loading 30-30 or other "rimmed" cartridges? I've heard the length "stretching" of brass can negatively affect one's ability to reload a cartridge multiple times. Is this the case, or is it overcome by trimming? I currently don't reload, but with today's fear-driven prices, I might start.

Brass life can be an issue and stretching can be an issue for all rifles not just rimmed cartridges it has more to do with the slanting shoulder (the .22 Hornet faces this too) . There's a couple ways to approach it.

The first is to ensure that the brass is used just in that rifle and thus you can partially size it on reloading (neck sizing) and you will end up with a longer life as you're not reworking the shoulder and body with a full length sizing.

Light loads when you are plinking certainly helps extend case life too with only full loads when you need it.

Another is to not sweat it. I load some pretty hot loads in my .257 (100 gr bullets at 3000 fps) and I still end up with 6-8 loadings with trimming between loads before I start seeing some neck cracks and bright rings at the bottom that means it's time to toss it. With 500 pieces of brass on hand I suspect I toss less than 5 a year.

Should you lapse into true rifle loonyness you can start looking into getting rifles rechambered in cartridges that are Ackley Improved. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.O._Ackley where the shoulder us steepened up to increase capacity and pretty much makes stretch and trimming a thing of the past.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I have most of the reloading supplies, but where do you get the powder now? I have no place around me that sells it, can you order online? I thought there were restrictions on that.
 

Pugs

Back from the range
None
I have most of the reloading supplies, but where do you get the powder now? I have no place around me that sells it, can you order online? I thought there were restrictions on that.

Easy to order on line at the purveyor of your choice. Keep in mind that modern smokeless powder is not even classified as an explosive but a class B propellent so there is a hazardous materials charge. Ordering is most efficient if you can find a buddy and get a big order since it's a fee based on the shipment, not the size of the shipment.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Easy to order on line at the purveyor of your choice. Keep in mind that modern smokeless powder is not even classified as an explosive but a class B propellent so there is a hazardous materials charge. Ordering is most efficient if you can find a buddy and get a big order since it's a fee based on the shipment, not the size of the shipment.

Good to know, any place you would recommend? Now I just need to get my reloader repaired, luckily I met someone who has the exact reloader as me and is an expert with it.
 

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
Good thread. Think it will take off. I "second" the part about staying away from "specific recipes"...what works for one person could be disastrous for another.

My one hint: NO PISTOL POWDER IN A RIFLE CASE. Two different animals entirely.

"Now, set Condiition ZEBRA throughout the ship. Stand by for missile hits port, starboard and aft!"
 

C420sailor

Former Rhino Bro
pilot
Cheap case lube! I use this recipe with great results.

4-8 parts 99% isopropyl alcohol (find what ratio works best for you)
1 part liquid lanolin oil

I pour the ingredients into a clean 32oz spray bottle, then put the bottle in a pot of hot water for 5-10 minutes to heat everything up. Shake vigorously. You can use 91% alcohol in a pinch, but the lanolin will eventually settle out. Not a big deal, you'll just find yourself shaking up the spray bottle before each use.

Spray into a gallon size freezer bag until the sides of the bag are visibly wet (but not enough to make the lube pool in the bottom of the bag). Toss in a few handfuls of brass, and shake away. Your brass is ready to go!
 

C420sailor

Former Rhino Bro
pilot
ALWAYS START WITH THE MINIMUM/STARTING LOAD AND WORK YOUR WAY UP!

Just because a manual specifies a safe range doesn't mean that it's safe for your specific brass/powder/bullet/primer/rifle mix. When my goal is a hot load, I like to make 5-10 rounds starting at the start load, shoot them, check for signs of overpressure, and then bump up the powder charge and repeat. A chrono is a very good thing to have if you want to make hot loads.

Starting at the max load is a good way to kaboom your rifle, shorten the life of your brass, etc.
 
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