Reloading : Thinking about starting up, need help

[Toxie]

I also have the Lee Challenger Ann. Kit and it works well. I've loaded .380 and I wouldnt recommend it as your first caliber As sometimes the min and Max charges are the same so the margin for error is small. Learn on 40 or 45 and have fun.

[Kouki]

Well, just when I thought I was going to get a Lee or RCBS. I decided to shoot for a Dillon RL550B. I have reloaded before, just not on my own. I have a friend that is a wealth of knowledge that suggested to not "F" around and get a dillon even if its my first. I've used his progressive loader before and once setup, it is a breeze to use even for a beginner.

[djpaintles]

RCBS RockChucker is a single stage press and you will be able to pass onto your Great Grand Children, Its slow compared to progressive but a cheap and good start for beginners. Also straight walled pistol ammo (.380, 9mm, .40S&w) are the most forgiving rounds for a newbie. The other thing you need to do is read, read and read some more. Get at least six different reloading manuals and always double check your work.

Some people will automatically suggest a progressive, My take on that is you would not give a 16 year old a Ferrari on the day they pass there driving test.

Give it a year or two and let the RockChucker pay for itself and use the single stage to work out the recipe for your reloads as its a bitch trying to make small changes on a progressive to work up a final load. Once you have your finished load recipe then it will be time for a progressive.

This kit contains all the basics for equipment to get started.
RCBS® Rock Chucker Supreme Select Reloading Kit, New Shooting Gear for 2012, Misc. Shooting, Home : Cabela's

Big +1

This is some very Good advice.

Simply put, as someone who has loaded extensively, I have found that thou Lee products are often very well designed they are also made from inferior materials and can by personal experience wear out from use. RCBS products will last your lifetime and those of your grandchildren's.

After 36 years and a couple hundred thousand rounds my first RockChucker Master Reloading Kit will still load excellent ammo whilst several Lee products have smooth worn out.

Buy a RockChucker reloading kit and move on from there, it is a solid reliable choice that will retain good value. Lee products can work well for a while then??????

The difference is comparable to a popular Chevy model (RCBS) to a Yugo (Lee). Solid reliable Vs Cheap.


I've counciled several beginning reloaded to start with RCBS kits and all have reported back with good results...........DJ

[HK SD9 Tactical]

Big +1

This is some very Good advice.

Simply put, as someone who has loaded extensively, I have found that thou Lee products are often very well designed they are also made from inferior materials and can by personal experience wear out from use. RCBS products will last your lifetime and those of your grandchildren's.

After 36 years and a couple hundred thousand rounds my first RockChucker Master Reloading Kit will still load excellent ammo whilst several Lee products have smooth worn out.

Buy a RockChucker reloading kit and move on from there, it is a solid reliable choice that will retain good value. Lee products can work well for a while then??????

The difference is comparable to a popular Chevy model (RCBS) to a Yugo (Lee). Solid reliable Vs Cheap.


I've counciled several beginning reloaded to start with RCBS kits and all have reported back with good results...........DJ

As I mentioned, I have several presses. I like the RockChucker. It is a solid press. It will last a lifetime and then some. Lee makes some fine presses but they are not as solid. I also like Redding, expensive though but you get what you pay for. Hornady also makes excellent presses. I have their LnL AP progressive.

Looking at what you want to load, for a non-progressive or non turret, stay with a heavy duty single stage press. If you are mechanicly inclined, and are one of those that pays extremely close attention, you may wish to look at a progressive. I know that I will be flamed for this as it is not a "first time" press, but if you are careful and can understand the operation, for everyting that you want to load, a progressive would be the way to go.

However only Hornady supports progressive loading of the 5.7x28 with factory parts. Dillon parts for the 5.7 are available through EA.

Single stage, turret and progressives presses will do what you want.

In single stage, I have a RCBS RockChucher Supreme, Lee Challanger, and Lee Reloader Press. My progressive is a Hornady Lock n Load AP with the bullet feeder and case feeder atachments. Everyone has their favorite and claim that theirs is the best for one reason or another. If you can, go to a store that you can actually put your hands on them.

Either way, there is lots more you have to buy then just the press and and will take some time to recoup your investment. And like everyone else, you are more than likely to increase you shooting because you can now get ammo for cheaper.

There is lots of good advice in this thread. There is also a document floating around that compares a RCBS, Dillon, and Hornady LnL progressive. I'll see if I can find it again.

Here it is: http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillon...Comparison.pdf

[hyperdog]

Here it is: http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillon...Comparison.pdf

Good read. Still doesn't convince me to switch from Lee. Just stuck in my ways I guess. Have yet to have any issue with it is all. (knock on wood). All I make is plinking rounds anyway, if I were making match grade ammo I might look into the finer details of how each press differs.

On another note, I don't see the need for a progressive press unless you are shooting a couple thousand rounds a month.

.02

[jathtech]

prepping the casings. How do I do it? Knock out the primer, and do what else? How is the primer removed?

[HK SD9 Tactical]

prepping the casings. How do I do it? Knock out the primer, and do what else? How is the primer removed?

You need to use either a universal decapping die or a 5.7 specific die set that has the depriming pin and resize the shell at the same time. Your brass would have to be clean and lubricated before you used the deprime/resize die. With the universal decapping die (deprimes anything from .17 through .45) you do not need to prep the brass prior to using it. But you will still need to lube the brass prior to resizing it.

Get a reloaders manual. The Hornady or Lee will explain all this. The Hornady is better.