Reloading system?

Discussion on reloading the 9x18 and any other cartridge
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badgerjfr
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Reloading system?

Post by badgerjfr »

For someone who only has shotgun reloading stuff what are any of your suggestions for a reloading system? i looked up Dillan i think it is... that system seems to be about what im looking for. is there anything else that would cost less or better? any and all comments would be appriciated.
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by juniustaylor »

If you're familiar with a progressive press setup and have the money to afford a Dillon, then go with it. Hornady offers one called the Lock-N-Load Ammo Plant. Midsouth Shooters Supply has it for about $1100. Not sure how that compares to the Dillon presses. Looks like the Dillon 550B is under $500. I think I read about that one a lot. You have to buy different heads for each caliber you intend to reload. It may not be a bad deal. I guess that's for the base machine, all other accessories are not included...

I use a Lee Classic Cast Turret press and it does okay for me. However, what works for me may not work for someone else. You'll have to decide if you're going to be mass-producing rather than the small-production reloader like I am.
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by RobsTV »

+1 for the Lee "Classic Cast" Turret press. For a press that costs less than $100, it gets the job done in short order (after you add all the other goodies).
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by Dwight »

If I could justify spending the dough, I'd go with a Dillon 650.

Instead, I have multiple Lee Pro 1000 progressive presses. They work well (once you get them set up and adjusted properly, and if you keep them clean) and the price is definitely right. When I bought mine, they were about $170 each complete, including a caliber-specific die set, a very nice powder dispenser, and both small and large primer feed set-ups.

There is a case collating accessory for an additional $15 or so that is, in my opinion, a real necessity. Lee also sells an automatic bullet dispenser that I tried, but found it to be a waste of my time and money.

If money isn't the limiting factor, I'd go Dillon. If money is a concern and you are willing to put up with periodic tweaking and tuning, the Lee is a great deal.

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Re: Reloading system?

Post by badgerjfr »

Checked out the lee turret press on you tube. it seems like a pretty nice system and less start up cost for a beginner. i was hoping to get into a hobbie not a factory. i dont might doing some tuning, but how often do you tune them on average and are there any other common problems with the lee systems that anyone has had or that anyone knows about. Thanks.
"The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left." -Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV)
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by badgerjfr »

Was also wondering if there are any turret systems other than lee that are good or should i not waste my time looking. thanks again. :)
"The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left." -Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV)
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by juniustaylor »

RCBS, Redding, and Lyman make turret presses but they have a lot of holes for other dies... like 6 or 7. Seems a bit crazy to me. Lee has 4 holes in their turret and that is good enough for my purposes. In mine I use the Sizer Die, Expander/Powder Drop, Bullet Seater, then Factory Crimp. I can do a loaded round in about 10-11 seconds with my Lee Classic Turret. It is an easy press to set up, IMO. The directions were almost worthless, you will find better setup directions for them on YouTube. It is wise to look around. The other brands usually cost 50-100% more.
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by Frank Mucciolo »

You can't miss out on the "Lee," they have good stuff and it is reasonable, send for the catalog, I promise you, you won't be sorry.

Lee Precision, Inc.
4275 Highway U
Hartford, Wisconsin 53027

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Re: Reloading system?

Post by juniustaylor »

I'm going to upload a video on YouTube of me loading some .45 ACP on mine. Like I said, I can do a loaded round in about 10 to 11 seconds. It's not about speed really, but it's nice to have an idea on the rate of production. With the turret press you are completely in control of the operations.

In this video I don't talk because I don't like it when folks jabber on and on about the reloading process. It's just more flowing when you just sit down and do it.

EDIT: Here it is.
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by RobsTV »

Also when using the 4 hole Lee Turret press (get the "Classic Cast" version, check reviews), you can simply remove the advancing rod, and proceed by manually turning each die into position as desired. This is great for starting out, as you can see things at a slower pace, triple checking everything. You still have all 3 or 4 dies loaded, ready for use. You can use this method to also do several rounds at one stage at a time, for example if using a secondary power drop system, like Black Powder drop tube in 45-70. Or, only for de-priming all used cases before cleaning, if you use ultra-sonic or prefer it that way. After you get the hang of the round, insert indexing rod, and the dies will automatically move to each stage as you pull or lift the lever.
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by juniustaylor »

I completely agree with Rob. He brought up excellent points that I did not mention. I use mine as a single stage for certain things. Usually when reloading rifle cartridges.
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by RobsTV »

A great complete turret press system is the LEE90304.
It includes everything you need except specific die, and is the higher end Lee stuff.
$167 at Grafs if you have a $30 C&R, or $215 at Midway. (another reason to get the C&R).

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/785993 ... deluxe-kit

I bought the stuff individually, and in the end, paid a lot more for the same stuff.
Heard bad things about some parts, like the Lee scale, but after going through 3 digital scales that were highly rated, picked up the Lee powder scale just to see, and it is now my favorite and by far the most accurate and reliable. Sometimes old school mechanical just works better than modern electronic stuff.
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by badgerjfr »

love the video. you make it look too easy. im sure with practice its like second nature. i was mainly looking to reload .45 ammo. i love to shoot my glock 21, but it starts to get expensive compared to other calibers. i won't even mention the .44 mag ammo prices. that will probably be my second set of dies. thanks for all the info. im looking forward to getting in to reloading. do any of you use a tumbler to clean the brass? or do you clean it a different way?
"The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left." -Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV)
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Re: Reloading system?

Post by juniustaylor »

I use a tumbler. Mine is the Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-Easy 110 Volt version. Reviews are mixed. Lots of folks hate it and lots of folks love it. I personally think mine is a good one. Maybe a lot of folks got lemons or something. I do not know. I didn't seem to notice a trend as far as certain months or year that there were bad reviews. I think usually folks are more likely to put a negative review on a website than a positive one. There are lots of reloaders on here and I'm sure one of us will give you help or advice when you need it.
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