reloading... serious questions

broknaero

broknaero

New member
for someone just getting started in reloading, there is alot of equipment out there. are the dies from one company interchangeable with the press of another company? should i stick with one brand of equipment? any features or brands better for entry level reloading? i would like the most precision i can find, just dont want to buy a bunch of junk i dont need.
 
Yep, most dies are standard 7/8 x 14 thread and will work in any press, unless you have a 50 BMG press or something like that. Those dies are like 1 1/2 x 12. Also there are some hand dies, mostly Wilsons, that require an Arbor press. For all intents though you can use about any standard RCBS, Forster, Dillon, Hornady etc in any standard 7/8 x 14 press.

Just about everybody swears by a certain brand, but these brands differ, kind of a Ford V. Chevy thing. Most of us have a menagerie of junk by about every manufacturer. Eventually you'll probably settle on a brand you like. Some of my cartridges I use one brand die for sizing and another for seating.
 
Yes, the RCBS, Redding, Lee, Lyman, and Hornady dies are interchangeable.

A starter kit has the basics, but as you progress with reloading you will most likely end up with different brands of tools etc. Sticking with one brand of equipment is up to you. All of the die manufactures have entry level kits. I purchased the RCBS kit when I got back into reloading. Redding has kits. Forster would be my next press. I would encourage to stick with quality equipment though.

Welcome to the fraternity. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
dan-

Ive been considering getting into reloading and for a guy that doesnt know the first thing doing lots of research, your write up really allowed me to understand several things that previously were not making any sense. Thanks for posting that, very helpful!
 
I'm an RCBS guy...fair prices, Top quality and the best in Customer Service...With the exception of shotshells, all my reloading equipment is RCBS.

Just my plug, and 2 cents worth
 
I second the Lee. It loads just as well and just as fast all the others for a fraction of the price if your just getting your feet wet I'd go LEE it was all I could afford now it is all I will buy /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
thanks guys, im gonna check out midway, and stop putting this off. thanks for the advice. anymore would be apreciated, im going to look at kits , and see if i can find what i want. thanks.
 
From what I have read you getting alot of good info about reloading. I would only add go to a gunstore and look at their books about reloading, not the reloading books by the bullet manufacturers, but the books that tell you how to go about getting started in reloading and give you indepth chapters about each step and stage in the process.
 
ok befor i get started i ordered some ABC's of reloading book from midway, that should give me some clue so i dont kill myself. now ive also checked out the reloading equipment and have some questions,this doesnt include the thousands of powders and primers. equipment to get started ,and do quality work. (im not worried too much about price as i am quality. equipment questions:
1.what is a decapping pin, and how important is it?
2.whats the difference between a single stage, progressive, and turret press, and what should i look for? i know what progressive is kindof, and im not going to do alot of reloading, just a dozen different calibers for myself.
3. whats the difference between a full length die, a neck sizer die, and a seater die? and do i need all three for each caliber to do it right?
4.didnt know the 22cal centerfires were different sizes. 223 and 224 bullet sizes. whats a 220 swift,22hornet, and 22-250? or would a decent reloading manual tell me?

i apreciate any help with any of these questions. you guys have already helped me alot. ive checked out the midway online and found i could drop $1000 easier than if i just walked into a cabelas, lol
ive checked out the starter kits, and even tho im partial to hornady, i like the lyman deluxe kit because of the digital scale. to me i think the digital scale would make less room for error, is this correct?

thanks for your help guys, help me answer these few questions, and ill hit ya with more til your sick of it! lol
 
1. Decapping pin....is in the sizing die and it knocks out the spent primer from the brass case.

2. Single stage press holds a single die in it, so you only do one reloading step at a time....real good for beginners. Turret and Progressive presses have several dies screwed in at once so you can do several steps with a single stroke of the handle.

3.Full length sizes most all of the case length, whereas the Neck sizer only resets the size and shape of the neck. The seater die is what seats the bullet. The seater can be adjusted up or down for setting bullets at different depths. On Rifle sets, they generally come in 2 die sets, as the sizing and decapping is done with one die (the sizing die has the decapping rod/pin in it as well) and the seating die. Neck dies are usually purchaed seperately. Die sets are caliber specific. You can buy a universal decapping die for decapping as a single step without resizing if you choose to.

4. Read the loading manuals on this topic. There are a number of different calibers that use the same diameter bullets....such as .223, 222, 222 magnum, 22-250, 220 swift use a .224 diameter bullet. 22 Hornet on the other hand has had rifles barrels designed for a .223 diameter bullet and some rifle barrels designed for the .224 diameter bullet.
 
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broknaero:

First off, a decappng pin comes with the sizer die and pushes out the old primer so a new one can be seated. It will come as a normal part of a FL die set and also with some neck sizer dies which just resizes the neck area of the cartrdige case.

Since you're starting out, I would recommend a single stage press which is one that just does one thing at a time, ie. resizes brass with one die or seat bullets with another. A progressive press is kinda' like a merry-go-round where alll phases are being done by a different die with each pull of the handle and each pull of the handle rotates the cylinder and the cartridge to the next station.

I would also recommend you start with a FL die set because eventually you're gonna' need it. Even if you choose to just neck size brass, eventually you need to bump the shoulder back as the brass gets progressively tigher in your rilfe's chamber with each firing.

As for a scale, I would recommend a balance beam scale to start with. They are just as accurate as an electronic scale, and many of the lower end electronic scales are "finicky" and can easily drift from zero without you knowing it. I tried several of the low end ones when I finally went to an electronic scale and finally gave up on them and went back to a balance beam scale. Since then, I have bought an electronic scale, but it was farily expensive to find one that gives good reliable performance without drifting, etc. I paid lots of good money to get it however.

Any of the good reloading manuals wil show you what diameter bullet you need to reload a certain cartridge. Remenber, the cartridge names are just that and may have nothing to do with bullet diameter. For example, the 223 rem, the 22-250, and the 220 Swift all use .224" daimeter bullets. A 22 Hornet rifle may use .223" or .224" bullets, depending on the age of the rifle. A reloading manual will show which diameter bullet is needed for each cartridge.

Personally, I think the RCBS starter kit is a good one as you get a great single stage press and just about all the goodies you need to get going. And RCBS service is excellent, even if it's just questions. Any of the other brand names stuff will serve you well, however.

Good luck.....reloading is lots of fun and very rewarding.

JMO -BCB
 
Broknaero, You continue to get good advice from this site. A little something I have done is to go to a univeral decapping (depriming) die. What this does is only remove the old primer from the fired case, no other function. Why do I do this? It seems to take some of the stress of the resizing die by removing one step from the resizing die. Can I prove this statement, not really, but it seems to make the resizing step a little easier, translated less pressure needed to complete the down stroke on the press and less stress on the whole die.

The universal depriming die is relatively inexpensive and true to its name, it deprimes all caliber of cases. Yes, it does add a step to the process though it is a really quick step.

Somethingelse you have not asked about is the case lube. I started out using the RCBS lube pad that came with my Rockchucker kit. I found it a messy to use, but that's me. I eventually switched to Hornady's One Shot lube which is an aresol spray lube. It dries very quickly and is not really messy at all. Some other companies make a similar product.

Another item you will need is a set of calipers to measure case length. The dial variety are made by many companies and are accurate. I switched to electronic calipers because I thought they were easier and quicker to read than the dial style. A fellow poster on another site told me about his electronic calipers that he bought at Harbor Freight that were just as accurate as the much more expensive brands. Like all companies Harbor Freight has a website and I think I paid around $20.00.

If I can help you more just send me a private message and I'll assist you and share with you what I can.
 
Quote:
i would like the most precision i can find, just dont want to buy a bunch of junk



Press - co-ax
Thrower - Harrel
Dies - Redding has a great rep and I own some. For the money, I like the forrester Bench Rest dies also. A lot of people have been talking good things on the lee collet dies.
Manual - Lyman
As for bullet & powder selection, well there is a lot to pick from based on your needs.

NOTE: This list is what I think, which does not imply that everything else is junk. There is a lot of good equipment out there other then what I have listed.

There are also a few (as well as here) great reloading web pages out there. Spend some time reading and ask questions if not sure. Better to be on the safe side.
 
Quote:
i would like the most precision i can find, just dont want to buy a bunch of junk



Press - co-ax
Thrower - Harrel
Dies - Redding has a great rep and I own some. For the money, I like the forrester Bench Rest dies also. A lot of people have been talking good things on the lee collet dies.
callipers - mitutoyo
Manual - Lyman
As for bullet & powder selection, well there is a lot to pick from based on your needs.

NOTE: This list is what I think, which does not imply that everything else is junk. There is a lot of good equipment out there other then what I have listed.

There are also a few (as well as here) great reloading web pages out there. Spend some time reading and ask questions if not sure. Better to be on the safe side.
 
wow, you guys are full of info, thanks. ill check out the RCBS a little more since most of you seem to like them. ill probaly feed ya's some more questions tomarow! thanks.
 
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A good source of information is www.reloadbench.com . Very simliar to the forums here at predator masters.
Look at the RCBS X-dies and the Lee collet dies as a way to make your brass last longer. Cartridge brass will be your most expensive component and normal neck resizing works the brass and eventually leads to case failure.
 
thanks for the link entropy, ill check it out.

another question : whats the idea of tumblers? i know they clean the brass but how important is that?
 
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