reloading equipment

[timfinle]

I am jumping into this all the way.

What do I need to reload for a 260 remington and 45 acp.

So far, I have researched a dillion 550 with dies for both and a brass cleaner. Also, a die setup for the 45 that will just screw in. Calipers and ?

I have a scale (non-digital) used for loading shot shells.

What do you all recommend?

[ajj]

Progressives (Dillon) are for high-volume loading. How much do you shoot that .45, because you sure aren't going to shoot enough .260 to justify a progressive. I'd start with a basic single-stage press. You need to learn the fundamentals of handloading first and a single stage lets you focus on the process and not the equipment. If you really need a progressive later, no harm done.
Lee collet dies have been great for me for silhouette loading. No lubing of cases. (When I got mine for .260 years ago they were supposedly "special order" but I found a distributor that had them in stock.) Get carbide dies for the .45 for the same reason. You need a powder measure to throw charges. Dial calipers, yes. Case cleaner, yes. Digital scales are nice. Some way to seat primers...the Lee auto-prime hand tool is good if you're careful and learn how to use it. That's about it. Forgot the manual. Get a couple and read both of them.

[Bob Mc Alice]

I HAVE TO AGREE WITH AJJ. STARTING OUT WITH A SINGLE STAGE PRESS IS THE WAY TO GO. RCBS FOR EXAMPLE SELLS A KIT THAT HAS THEIR ROCKCHUCKER PRESS AND ALL THE BASIC TOOLS YOU'LL NEED TO GET STARTED LOADING AMMO. THE DIES ARE SOLD SEPERATELY. THE KIT SELLS FOR AROUND $225.00 AT MOST DISCOUNT MAIL ORDER STORES. YOU CAN ALWAYS UPGRADE TO A PROGRESSIVE LATER IF YOU FEEL THE NEED TO. .......BOB M.

[timfinle]

I have owned the rifle for a two weeks and shot about 80 shells. Shot twenty today for fun along with practice for upcoming sb match. I figure I will shoot about 40 for the match and 40 to 60 practicing, so, 80 to hundred per month. I shoot about two hundred round per month 45 acp and I am considering 22 hornet for hunter pistol. This makes me think a progressive that does not index may be the way to go.

The RCBS rock chucker is around 250 at midway (quick look). I will have to think about how much time I want to spend reloading. I use a progressive for loading shot shells (mec 9000).

Per month I shoot approximetly:

22lr = 120 match, 150 practicing
22mag = 40 match 100 practicing
260 = 40 match, 40 - 60 practicing
45 = 200 practicing
22 hornet - potential to switch from 22 mag.

that is approx 3 to 4 hundred rounds a month. Is this progressive territory? I don't think I want to load that many one at a time.

[ajj]

It wouldn't even be close for me, but that's me. Progressives are neat machines, especially for people who like to tinker with things. They're almost a separate hobby in and of themselves. I suspect that a progressive won't save you any time at all when you're talking about loading only 500 per month in three different calibers but if that's what you want, have at. You have experience with the MEC and know what you like.

[papabear]

IPer month I shoot approximetly:

22lr = 120 match, 150 practicing

that is approx 3 to 4 hundred rounds a month. Is this progressive territory? I don't think I want to load that many one at a time.

I hope you are not planning to reload 22lr, that might be a problem.

I have a square B from dillon and have been using it sparringly for 45 acp, actually I just ask my son to reload. It is very easy to use and I have only missed putting powder in 2 shells out of thousands that we have reloaded.Although i have placed primers inside out more than ten times.

Reloading is a hobby on its own,

Watching TV and reloading is not a good combination.

[Tlee]

Tim -

I have a 30 year old RCBS Rockchucker and a Lee Pro1000 Progressive thats a couple years old. I load 4 different calibers and keep finding the single stage the most flexible. I'd bought the Progressive thinking I'd dedicate it to a single pistol caliber but have found that I still load too many different loads/bullets in any one caliber to make that practical. I found myself tweaking for different loads with it more than loading. If I ever settle on a standard 45ACP load, I MAY dedicate it for that load.

IMHO, for bottle necks such as the 260 and 22Hornet, regardless of volume, single stage is definately the way to go.... I probably load twice as much 22Hornet as all other calibers combined, and still use the single stage press. For a couple hundred rounds/month or less of 45ACP I wouldn't bother with a Progressive. Somewhere around a 100 rounds/week I'd start considering one though, but only if the load was identical every time. Regardless, you'll always have a need for a single stage press, even if were just to experiment with a new load.

Don't rule out the Lee Challenger press/kit either. They aren't quite as rugged as the RCBS, however are just as reliable (unless abused). IMHO, for anyone contemplating reloading anything, the Challenger kit is an easy/cheap way to decide if reloading is "your cup of tea" or not.

I love Lee's dies. They are "on par" with every RCBS or Redding die set I've ever owned, and, for some calibers, I actually prefer them over "the Green standards".

my .02,

--Tim

[lone ringer]

My two cents regarding progressive re-loaders. I reload for no less than 10 rifle calibers from the 25-20 Win to the 270 Win and most of the problems that I have ever had with my Dillon 550 involved the use of the powder measure so for years I have used a Redding 30BR instead of the Dillon's and my problems went away.

They make an adapter that fits on the Dillon tool and all I do now is record the settings on the Redding for the different loads I use so that the next time all I have to do is set the powder measure on the wanted charge and double check the charge with the powder scale to make sure I did not make a mistake. I do not load as fast as when I used the Dillon powder measure but in the long run I save time because I do not have to deal with the problems that from time to time I would have with it.

What slows me down a little bit is having to change from large primers to small primers but that only takes me a couple of minutes to accomplish.

I am not advocating that a person that has never reloaded starts with a progressive loader. I have loaded for over thirty years and started with a single stage RCBS Rockchuker that I still have and frequently use.

[ajj]

TLee and Lone Ringer make an excellent point: You're going to need a single stage no matter what, so why not start with one and see how it goes?

[timfinle]

Okay, you all convinced me to go with a single stage. The powder charge was something that made me question using a progressive. Thanks Lone Ringer for bringing that up. That issue is my exact concern with a progressive. With the shotgun, I do not worry so much, it's not an exact science. If I am off by .3 grains the effect is minimal.

No I am not reloading 22lr, the eley match works just great.

On to my new questions:

How do you all load the powder? I looked at the reloading kits and there seems to be an option for a powder despenser. The Redding boss pro pak plus has a dispenser and a powder tickler. Are the dispensers accurate or should I for go that item?

Also, what about case prep. Do I need to trim cases? I am intending to buy a case cleaner.

Here is the kicker, I get to do this once for my birthday soooo... after that I will have to pay for the items. At this point I am looking for a complete single stage setup to load competition quality loads for 260 rem, 45acp and 22 hornet. The redding and RCBS look good. I will check the lee systems.

[Bob Mc Alice]

TIM.......A GOOD QUALITY POWDER MEASURE & SCALE ARE A MUST. FOR LOAD DEVELOPMENT USE A TRICKLER TO GET TO EXACT AMOUNTS. WHEN YOU SETTLE ON THE CHARGE THAT YOUR GUN LIKES WITH A PARTICULAR BULLET , RECORD THE RECIPE. FROM THIS POINT CHARGES THROWN DIRECTLY FROM A MEASURE THAT ARE +/- 1/2 A GRAIN WORK PLENTY GOOD FOR ME. AFTER ALL, THIS IS AN OFFHAND GAME,NOT PRECISION BENCHREST SHOOTING. MY OLD LYMAN #55 THROWS 36.0 GRS. VARGET WITH +/- 1/4 GR. ACCURACY CONSISTANTLY. ...............CASE CARE & PREP IS MANDATORY. ASSUMING NEW BRASS, FULL LENGTH SIZING IS RECOMENDED TO IRON OUT ANY WRINKLES IN THE NECK. TRIMMING TO CONSISTANT LENGTH IS OPTIONAL AT THIS POINT.,BUT INSIDE NECK CHAMFERING SHOULD BE DONE TO REMOVE ANY BURRS THAT WILL SCRAPE THE BULLET WHEN SEATING. BRASS STRETCHES AT EACH FIRING SO LENGTH NEEDS TO BE CHECKED EVERY 2-3 FIRINGS AND TRIMMED BACK TO MINIMUM LENGTH. I DONT LOAD MY 7-08 BRASS MORE THAN 10-12 TIMES BEFORE I TRASH THEM. THAT LIGHT VARGET LOAD IS EASY ON BRASS. I CANT BEGIN TO COVER ALL THERE IS TO METALLIC HANDLOADING. I URGE YOU TO PURCHASE A RELOADING MANUAL BEFORE YOU GO OUT AND PURCHASE ANY EQUIPMENT. IT WILL COVER IN GREAT DETAIL ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT'" LOADING YOUR OWN"...............BOB M.

[timfinle]

thanks Bob.

I like the lee classic turret. It loads one shell at a time and seems to have all the tools needed. I will pick up a de-burring tool and prep the cases. Also, a brass cleaning tool seems to be in-order. Definely, a powder trickler. Dies for the 3 calibers and I think I should be able to load. I already own a scale to check powder measures.

I will pick up a reloading manual tomorrow.

[carl425]

Hi Tim,

Be sure to check out the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 before you buy a powder measure/scale/trickler. If you're a gadget junkie like me, you'll end up with one eventually and you might as well save the money you'll spend on the stuff it will replace. There's nothing like punching in 39.4 and dispense and having it dump exactly 39.4 grains of powder into it's pan. All you have to do is push dispense for the next charge of the same weight. Once you arrive at your favorite loads, there is a memory from which you can recall them by name.

[timfinle]

What about the redding t-7 turrent press and add a powder measure/despenser with a tickler from redding? Also maybe a case trimmer if you all think that it would be useful?

[sobrbiker883]

Tim, I have an old Lyman T-mag press setting in the garage if your interested.......

For case trimmers I think Possum Hollow trimmers are the way to go for those that can't drop the $$$$ on a Giraud.