Thinking of reloading? Here’s some tips and warnings from a reloader and retired engineer. Kinda long, and it is no where near everything I know. If you are considering reloading to save money, know this, your first round may cost easily a thousand dollars for press, dies, scale, powder measure, book, caliper, trimmer, deburrer, reamer/swager, locking rings, cleaning equipment and materials, lighting, bench, powder, primers and bullets. And it can be very time consuming. With a single stage press I can make some nice cheap 9mm ammo at a rate of a hundred rounds in 1.5 hours with a material cost of under 20 cents a round. This time includes, time spent on set up, take down and clean up. It took me a few thousand rounds to pay off my equipment compared to buying ammo off the shelf. That's a lot of evenings sitting at the reloading bench. And if include the time scavenging brass, sorting brass and searching for in stock materials, add many more hours. For a while it was look online an hour a week for MONTHS at a time. If you are easily distracted, don't like to follow or read instructions, cut corners because you think you might get away with it, don't have time or space, reloading may not be for you. Reloading can be safe or it can be dangerous. It is your choice. NEVER eat, smoke, drink, or have distractions while reloading. Many powder manufacturers list their loads online. But get the book and read and understand all the introductory chapters before starting reloading. Then read them again when you think you know what and why you are doing. Shortages suck, and they will eventually happen AGAIN. Keep a minimum stockpile of 1 years worth of reloading components. More is better. It also counters inflation. There are proper ways of storing primers and powder. You can find them at the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI). ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. Sooner or later we all need them. Some people even wear disposable gloves because nitroglycerine can affect blood pressure and cause big problems. Dirty brass will scratch your dies. If that's how you treat your equipment you are on your own. You will find that scratched dies scratches brass which increases the possibility of poor feed and poor extraction. When I started reloading I was using a peanut butter jar, steel tumbling pins, hot water, dish soap and citric acid from the canning aisle. I would shake the jar with the water, brass, pins and cleaner for five minutes, let sit for five minutes. I would separate the pins, rinse the brass then dry it on a towel left on the drier for several loads of laundry. We've since gotten a tumbler and a food dehydrator. Work in a comfortable well lit area; this minimizes the chance for mistakes. And a solid bench is good for consistency. Some videos show so much bench flex we wonder when the press will come off. ALWAYS wash up after handling any of this stuff. Lead doesn't have to be fast to mess you up. Primers contain a lead chemical. Powder contains nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose and other chemicals. There is a case length specification with minimum and maximum, a minimum cartridge length based on powder and bullet and a maximum cartridge length based on the caliber. Know them all, or at least have them written down. SAAMI website has great pdf’s for this info. Some reloading books do not contain the minimum case length. ALWAYS follow the instructions for die set up and the recipe for powder weight and overall length. Steel and aluminum cases are not reloadable, but can be recycled as metal. Brass is reloadable. Nickel plated brass is reloadable. There's a couple types of primers, Boxer and Berdan. Boxer primers have once center hole on the inside of the case. These can be reloaded. Berdan has two holes inside the case and cannot be reloaded. If you run them through a sizing or decapping die you can break the decapping pin. There are different sizes and powers of primers, small pistol, large pistol, small rifle, large rifle, and then there's match, magnum, and so on. Know what you need and buy that. Clean up your equipment, dies, scale, caliper and bench when done. Then toss out the trash. Some of us deprime before cleaning, it gives a clean primer pocket. Lightly lube the press shaft and hinge points. In a big run, don’t wait to be done, but clean and lube once in a while. ALWAYS inspect your brass for cleaning media before reloading. If wet tumbling; make sure it is absolutely dry. Some of us swage/ream the primer pockets of all our 9mm, 40 S&W, 5.56 NATO, 7.62x51 NATO and other military/police cases unless we have done this to the case previously. Mashing a primer into a tight hole can set it off or give you a bad round. Some pistol brass has been bulged because of what firearm it was shot out of. (the dreaded Glock bulge for one) And because of the space between the shell holder bottom and the bottom of the die, not the entire brass gets resized. Lee has a bulge buster kit that's fairly cheap for eliminating this problem. (more costs, spend that money) NEVER mix different powders in a load or a powder feeder. If it happens accidentally, toss it. It is not worth the risk of blowing up a gun or getting injured. Some sizing dies have carbide inserts, this allows you to not have to lube your case before sizing. If you do not have carbide inserts you should lube the cases because they may get stuck in the dies. After resizing a lubed case you need to either wipe or wash off the lube. If you wash then you have to re-dry. If you lube cases, some of that lube will cake up in the die eventually. Clean it out. Legally unless you have a specific FFL you cannot legally sell your reloads. (just sayin') People will ask you to sell your reloads. If something goes wrong do you have a lawyer? Keep your loaded ammo identified by the recipe you used. If (when) you have a problem you want to be able to isolate it. Tossing multiple runs of ammo into an ammo can is just asking for a problem. Also, record all you loads in a separate log. This will give you recipes you can reuse, or starting places for future recipes. Some ammo can be loaded with cast lead or plated or coated ammo. It is cheaper. But if you are using mixed manufacturer brass to load it your case length and therefore crimp may vary. This crimp variation can lead to the coating coming off and your barrel being leaded or exceptionally high pressure which can cause damage or injury. Therefore, some of us trim our cases to a uniform length before loading these bullets. A great source of information is The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) You can find detailed cartridge drawings including tolerances, storage recommendations, and other good info there. Check it out. There's also questions like can I use this die for that load? 380 cannot be reloaded with 9mm dies. While they look close except for the length, they taper differently. Don't bother trying. 38 special can be reloaded with 357 magnum dies.
I disagree. First and most important rule...marry a woman that enjoys shooting as much as you do and gives it the same level of priority. Just offer to take them shooting on the first date. If they don't want to go...pass 'em by. It is just as easy to fall in love with a woman that likes to shoot. The down side?...they want to buy guns too! You have to share you gun buying funds. 😀 As regards handloading...my wife LOVES that we can make our own ammunition, it is MUCH cheaper to make your own practice ammo...that means more shooting.
If you have to ask permission from your wife, or your wife has control over your purchases you need to find a different wife. My wife thinks my hobbies are dumb but she would never say dont get into a hobby because of the cost. You yourself should know if a hobby is more than your paycheck can support. Grow up and get a relationship built on mutual trust.
How can you not let yourself know the cost ? Just do not let the lesser half know. If she finds out you will have to do a report on how much you save from buying ammo. I saved a lot of money making my own 12g slugs. Casting the lead and loading the shells. Those slugs are not cheap to buy and firing a lot of them would run me broke. A magazine fed 12 gauge can eat them up fast.
Laws are only valid when enforceable. If enough people didn't comply and refused to uphold those laws you wouldn't have them. Inches easily turn into miles.
@Semper Fi How do we know how many do that ? There are countless illegal Chili Choking Pepper Bellies not paying income tax. Many send it south and collect free Gov. $$ on 3 names they do not legally qualify for. California automatically registers them to vote getting a required drivers license and does not look for or charge any for voting. They vote demo crap. They collect them and collect blank ones and make them say what they want. Mail in ballots would be so wrong and rigged.
@Semper Fi 60 million illegals and all non-employed citizens do not pay income tax and people who buy nothing don't pay sales tax. Anyone that works under the table doesn't pay income tax and anyone buying second hand as a personal transfer does not pay sales tax.
@@notsogreat123 It is Commiefornia with the Senatoirs keeping us safe. Like CA Senator Leland Ye responsible for much of the gun laws and many of the worst that do not solve a problem or address one that does not exist . in the state with the most he was running for Secretary Of State of CA! We should ask him ! OH WAIT He was found guilty of some stuff including ARMS TRAFFICKING and in prison. His laws keeping us safe still stand. We keep them coming we will be as safe as where Obummer made it safe Chicago !
If you skip cleaning the brass too many times you may have more ramp issues in certain guns. The cleaner the brass the easier it slides into the chamber from the magazine.
Best thing about reloading equipment is that apart from the initial outlay for a press, dies, reloading manual, shell holders, etc., the only cost after that is for expendables. The hardware will last virtually forever, provided that reasonable care is used. I've been hand-loading for 35 years and my press and dies have paid for themselves many times over. Money saved over retail ammo not withstanding, the hand loader has way more options for bullet/powder combinations than a retail buyer and can tailor a particular load to a particular firearm to get the most out of both. It's a win-win all around!
After hearing from a few viewers I can say that you should tumble your brass to clean it. I also recommend you all head over to the Reloaders Network and sign up now!
I've been reloading for close to 8 years now. Bought my first Lyman Reloading Press T-Mag Press and some dies on June 24, 2012 from Amazon. I have saved thousands on buying ammo. Stock up on powder, primers, bullets, cases, dies and even a casting pot and lead. The only way to go.
@@HolleyProductions yes, I believe it will for sure. 100 rounds of brass for $15, where as 89 for 100 rounds I found for 115 fmj. Yes that doesn't include powder and lead but I feel in anything else I've done, doing your own work always pays off. Like my car. Lol
Quick tip for the reloader on the CHEAP If 2 boxed of 9mm is $30, which would yield 100ct brass, and brass is $20/100, save the hassle and grab 2 boxes, shoot them off, collect up the brass, and in theory, it will only cost you $5/box to shoot those initial boxes. -buying brand new high end brass is best kept for those looking for EXACT specs and super accuracy, (and lets face it, thats not why ur loading 9mm)
travisp11 great vid man. I’m going to senfmd this to a buddy who is exactly where you are in the process(from what I gather) It’s also worth mentioning -spent cases have a fineite lifespan.
Reloading by hand with a Lee Classic Loader set is a good budget route for those who want to start with one single caliber. It's also good for an on the go, easy to pack kit.
Cleaning your brass is very important. Depending upon where you shoot, getting it off a clean indoor range floor and picking it off gravel or dirt are very different things.
I shoot buckets full of range pick up brass so I remove the primers with a hand tool and fill the bottom of a Home Depot bucket with brass. Add really hot water and a good squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid and agitate for 10 or 15 minutes. Drain and rinse, fill bucket with hot water again, add brass and 3 to 4 tablespoons of citric acid. Agitate every 5 minutes for a half hour. Drain and rinse brass, spread out on a cookie sheet and put it in a 200* oven until dry. The brass comes out looking new with clean primer pockets, sort and throw away any damaged brass. You could load it as is but I give it a couple hours in a tumbler with crushed walnut hulls. Ready to rock.
Due to the cost of supplies for reloading, you can now forget about saving a FN dime. The cost of reloading is now more than the cost of new ammo two years ago. BUT, if you have the stuff, you will have ammo.
Still have the same kit on the thumb nail . Loaded hot 45 colt for a TC contender and 762 39 for a SKS . Buy good bullets shoot them and save the brass . You can turn out some pretty good rounds with practice . The single press is slow but works . If you shoot a lot you will need a multiple station press more expensive . Lee has every thing you need . Bought the kit about 30 years ago .
A few comments on the video: 1. Get multiple reloading manuals as some are more conservative then others , even for the same powder. Cross reference. 2. Sonic/media cleaning of brass is not required but at least wipe down so no grit is forced into your dies. 3. Strongly suggest not to accpect/buy opened cans of powder as they may be mixed or mis marked. 4. To reduce chance of stuck cases, lube all cases even with carbide. 5. May save money per round, but amount required loading to pay back cost of equipment is high. Reload for fun or for self dependence. (my thoughts)
Stumbling brass is to see any cracks in your brass when clean and has a crack it will show up as a dark line that did not clean out so cleaning brass is not to make shiny brass but to show the reloaded if he has cracked brass
You should also look near the base of the brass for a ring of lighter colored brass around the case. This indicates the case has been stressed and may fail the next time it is reloaded.
i been wanting to start and learn how to reload.ive been collecting brass and lead at the range i go to, and ive been melting the lead into ingots so i have when ready to purchase the equipment.. nice to have /know people to help you. hands on..
With 9mm (I shoot 124gr lead) I just use the dipper for my powder(hp38). It is a plinking load. The Richard Lee book is great. You may want the "one caliber one book" from midway. They are agraggetes of a lot of info.
Great video, all good points. This is my 50th year reloading and I'm still learning little tips and tricks. 1st off let me say RUclips is your friend, lots of info here. The Press, I picked up a Lyman Spartan in like new condition for $15. Case cleaning, a $2 bucket from Home Depot filled with hot water and a squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid gets agitated for 10 minutes, rince, fill with hot water again. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of citric acid, add brass and agitate every 5 minutes or so for a half hour and rinse thoroughly. Nice, clean brass. Throw them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 200* until dry. Case lube, Heet gas line antifreeze in the red bottle is 99% Isopropyl alcohol and comes in 12oz. bottles. Add 1oz. of liquid lanolin. Best case lube EVER. Throw your brass in a plastic bag or bowl, put a couple squirts in and shake. Let brass dry out and resize. The digital scale is a good idea, Just make sure you check zero. Lee pistol dies come with a powder dipper and a Factory Crimp Die ( extra stuff you don't have to buy) and with the money you save you can get a Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer. I helped my nephew get started doing 9mm, got him casting too. Powder Coated the bullets for lube. This is very basic of course but he's loading 9mm for a nickel a round and his investment was just under $200 with a pound of powder and primers. With store bought 9MM at ($12/50) it didn't take long to get his investment back and now in 2020 he has plenty of ammo to shoot.
One important thing a lot of reloaders forget to talk about is the correct brand of primers to use for certain types of guns. any gun that has had an action job done on it or a semi auto striker fired pistol you should only use Federal brand primers. Because these use the softest metal for their primers resulting in less misfires due to a lite primer strike. This is the only brand I use anymore because there is nothing more frustrating when I'm shooting in a competition match and I get a misfire from a lite primer strike when I;m on the clock. And yes I have use every brand at one time or another CCI is the worst for this issue.
I have never had a problem of light primer strikes unless a bad action job was done on my gun or i didnt seat the primer far enough into the pocket. But if you do have problems i would agree with wiseguy436; just make sure you test your loads before relying on them.
@@TeensierPython Light primer strikes are notorious in Cowboy Action Shooting it is not about a Bad action job but competitors often install lighter spring kits to help smooth out the actions.. Also you can have the same problems with some stock striker fire pistols.
You need to clean your brass after every shooting at the range It keeps your gun from following up and breaking parts in your gun so it’s a mass and a good practice to clean your brass every time
After you have reloaded for a while, you'll actually be drooling over progressive presses like the Dillon. Single stage presses are still useful for processing milsurp casings like 5.56 and 7.62 NATO to swage the crimped primer pockets or getting rid of the Glock Bulge that most resizer dies can't get rid of and to size cast bullets. I would look for a Lee APP Deluxe press because you can use it as a single stage press and for the case and cast bullet prep I mentioned. And get the Lee 4 die Carbide set because it's the best value and comes with all the dies you'll ever need for a handgun round, especially if you get into using cast bullets.
This is an amazing video. I am just starting off reloading and I am absolutely going to tell everyone to check this video out. I just wish it were about the press I have. You explain things really well and made a lot more sense of things for me.
Thank you! We did a series of podcasts about reloading for beginners. If you have time, check out the first one! It is an older episode but still relevant...ruclips.net/video/rU8nCQTdMhw/видео.html
The rainy day is here, hope you thaught ahead , definitly have the time. Make sure the recipie for the round , operates good with the nug. Semi autos can be picky, and physically look to make sure powder is in the brass, 1 squid load can ruin your day.
I dig through the trash at my range 2x/week and end up with 200-300shells of 9mm each time, plus odd rounds that I don't shoot that I can save up and sell for cash or trade for .45acp or whatever. It saves me a ton on brass. I shoot at a backwoods range in ky. Some save their brass, others sweep it up and toss it.
In the 56 years i have been a handloader reloading tools have increased in price like everything else .. But for dies, press , power scales , powder measure and small acc one will use as you go along from what i have seen in sporting goods stores , it's really not that much money to start out .. What you save on every box of handloads compared to factory ammo will soon pay for all your tools .. I agree with what was said in a Speer reloading manual some years back, "Handloading is the hobby of a lifetime".. With me that's very true.. It's a lot of fun too..
Biggest thing I could suggest to anyone who is considering getting into it, buy a lee hand loader and start out like that. Makes you appreciate every single round you produce and be observant. And they are cheap, comes with everything you need to start, besides primers, brass, and bullets. If you want to get into it further, then a breech lock lee isn’t that much more of a stretch.
Found my tumbler at a pawn shop with media for less than $40. Picked up a set of Hornady dies on clearance for $20. Every year Hornady does a rebate program for free projectiles with certain purchases. Saved a bunch of bass pro gift cards that didn't cost me bit time and did the mountain dew promo for another gift card. Cabelas will price match "approved online vendors". Walked out with that same press kit for $12 out of pocket.
Reminds me when I played resident evil 3 and Jill needed some gun powders and the bullet machine, I never thought that was real, thank you for making this video, is awesome all the things that can learn in the internet
Travis my friend.... U came thru for me yet again!!!!... The new semester started last week and guess what we're covering??? Lol... Due to my horrible work hours I've been doing some online window shopping for tools.. Needless to say between wife, bills, teenagers, and cars cash flow is a bit stretched.... But I found a local old timer that was "retiring" and was selling his whole set up for the dirt (cheap) and this was the EXACT set up... Now I know I got some cool quality machinery... I'll keep u posted on this, stippling and checkering....
Sounds great! I hope your studies go well and enjoy the reloading! It aint the fanciest reloading set out there but I feel that it is all well built by company that stands behind their products.
In 2018 I was paying $12/box of Speer 147gr Lawman 9mm. In 2020 I paid $35/box of the same brand, 124gr. I would like to get into reloading but for the past few months there have been no primers available around here - northeast USA.
I started with one of the simple "LEE LOADER" kits in the red plastic box for 38/357. Very basic and dirt cheap. I was able to reload straight case revolver rounds for dirt cheap. One powder, box of bullets and primers, and a box of nice nickel Federal cases from a box of .357 JSP that I fired off. That box of 50 Feds cost 18$ at the time which seemed astronomical. I recycled those cases many times despite the slow process. But it produced ammo that went bang every time and shot well, on the low budget. Auto ammo is more critical for functioning, so perhaps a regular loading press like I have now, is best for 9MM.
Some of my family does their own reloading and if i went to the ranges in Florida with them we used to go check our targets and pick up as much lead as we could in the sand backstops i had to always make sure i had a good belt on my britches or they would get too heavy with the loaded pockets LOL
A good suggest that I have done for picking up brass at the range. I have a few Coffee Mate Creamer Cans (Large One), I have cut a hole in the top, about 1.5 inch and the several holes on the bottom, this a great to collect and sift the brass from any dirt or sand (I live in a Desert Area). Take a little drilling but, if you make about 4 or 5, (I got them from our work break room) you can take an empty one every time you go out to the range.
No you don't have to shine up brass but it makes it a lot easier to find when you go to pick it up off the ground. I tumble to shine brass. I don't wash or clean brass. Before I had a tumbler I just tossed the cases into a bowl of rubbing alcohol to cut the dark carbon fouling, shake them around and let sit for a while then wipe them off with an old rag. I have also just taken a wood block and cut holes with various size spade bits for different case sizes for a loading block. Once you get past the reloading gear initial cost you only have to buy components. It will pay for itself over time. I use a Lee turret press. I reload a lot of 9mm and .223. Some .222, .30 Carbine, and .22-250. I can load 20 gauge with a Lee Load All if I need to. If I had one thing and one thing only to say about reloading it would be that when you reload avoid distractions. Keep your head in what you are doing from step to step. If there is a distraction then stop and come back later. Other things to say. Observe all safety measures and use reliable ammo manufacture reload data only. Check your powder charges visually for consistency so you don't throw double charges or over pressure charges. Check your case lengths and your cartridge overall lengths to ensure you are within specs so the rounds chamber. You are responsible for the safety and quality of your ammo and you can get better accuracy and reliability with your reloads than you can with factory ammo. One other thing also is when you can't get factory ammo for whatever reason you will be glad that you had taken up reloading. Have fun reloading and enjoy it. Thanks for sharing.
One thing to consider when it comes to reloading for 9mm (or any pistol) is that you really don't want to do it on a single stage press. For rifle where you are loading 20, 40 or 100 max and you need to trim the cases (approx every 3 times you fire the brass) it's fine. For Pistol loading where you will want to do 200-1000 at a time you need a progressive press. You also don't need to trim pistol brass (you can, but nobody does). They cost a bit more (but some of the basics will overlap - like the scale, calipers), but will save you a ton of time since you are essentially doing 4 - 5 things (in 4 - 5 separate stations on the press) each time you pull the handle (see Hornady Lock-n-Load, Dillon xl750).
The Lee set is good. The deburring tool is absolut garnage though. Wet a good one. The scale works and is accurate. But it doesn't have magnetic damping, what makes it slow. I use mine just to confirm my digital scale. Also get a check weight. The powder dropper I don't like. It has problems with static charge and I couldn't get mine to meter within +- 0.5 gr. It you want to do precision loads and trickle every charge it's probably good enough. I upgraded to one from rcbs.
I’m going to invest in the RCBS auto powder dispenser. My friend that taught me how to reload .308 uses one and the time savings and precision dispensing alone make it worth it.
Just got into casting and it is as fun as reloading. Been loading for over a decade and wished I would have done it sooner. Now I can load range ammo for about .07 a round
I load between 4-5 thousand rounds of 9mm and 38 Special a year. I can run off 100 rounds of that in a 3 hour evening listening to some music on my little Lyman Spartan, no problem. I used to shoot a lot of PPC and stock class IPSC so my Dillon SDB sits right next to it but for just a hundred rounds a week or so IMHO it's just not worth it especially with a caliber change over.
The Harbor Freight calipers are ok. Pistol casings don't stretch like rifle casings, so you don't have to worry about trimming them as much. Basically, they'll be worn out and splitting by the time they need trimming. The Lee case cutter kit is really good for rifle casings. Harbor Freight makes a good tumbler and their media is a bargain. you can supplement it with a dryer sheet to knock down dust and a cap full of Nupolish car polish. Tumble your casings before you decap them or you'll have to use a paperclip to pop media out of every primer pocket. Hornady Case Shot is the best for rifle casings. It's faster and not messy. Don't lube straightwall casings, the lube will attract dust and dirt and you'll have to clean your dies regularly.
Post the link to the next video. The set up and a how to, if you made them. I watched the whole 20 minutes of this and want to continue the series lol. Definitely don't have time to go over your 1.5k videos lol
I got lucky at academy sports and someone bought and returned a Lee 50th anniversary kit. The only difference is it comes with and extract primer holder but doesn’t come with the shell holders which are nice. I stick to lee specific because anything lee is comparable and my grandfather will loan me some dies. My advice is if you are loading on caliper more than another I would order 8 pounds of power because you get more for your money.
I reload 30.06 on a Lee classic loader. ($40) Just had to buy a caliper ($25), scale ($30), and a rubber mallet ($5). Along with bullets($30 for 100ct), powder($35 for 1lb) and primers($35 for 1000ct), I just collected all my brass since I started shooting 30.06 ($free-ish for 300ct) I started reloading for less than $200 The Lee loader has a small loading sheet to get you started. I use the internet for loading information. Very therapeutic. To make things easier you can get a manual case trimmer and something to knock out the burrs. (Edited to add pricing info)
@@travisp11 I'd look in Midway USA. The classic loads 223 Rem 243Win 270Win 30-30Win 308Win 30-06Spri 7.62x53R 7.62x54RRuss 303brit 9Lug 38spec 357Mag 44RemMag 45ACP 45Long Colt 45-70Gov It's not as fast as a lever loader but it's cheap and portable.
Good job 4 weeks ago my brother in law was bitching about the shortages of TP, Food, AMMO I offered him the loan of a press and give him brass 9mm & 223 paper copies of loading data, link to more, but powders does primer was a big stumbling block a lot of online retailers have little stock but he procrastinated. His cost with a tumbler was $200. I have been loading 50-100 rounds a day .308, 223, 9mm and FYI Dillion’s do break and mine broke today after 35 years of service they are sending me parts, if you are loading rifle and pistol you want a powder measure for each. Pick a powder charge that you can live with for practice and defense like I like 223 with 55gr fmj and
It doesn't really matter now as there are no supplies anywhere. I looked I have reloaders, I could not find primers anywhere on-line in stock. Sure I found powder and didn't even look for bullets as they are useless without a primer.
05:35 - Do clean your brass. You don't want cases sticking in your chamber (or 'stovepiping' on an auto loader) and residue left over from prior firings may do that. You also don't want that crud being bonded to your chamber with the heat and pressure of firing. Excellent advice at 08:17 . 10:22 - there are better 'bullet pullers' to be had. Impact ('hammer type') pullers are ok for occasional use but are messy and eventually will break. There are several collet type and other pullers designed to work with your press, including the simple 'plier type': grip-n-pull.com/ . 11:48 - Carbide dies are an excellent choice for your pistol cartridges. 12:32 - The term for cartridges that have been fired (usually with a light powder load) to precisely fit your chamber is 'fire formed', not "case fired". Fireforming is often employed with cartridges that rely on their shoulder for headspacing, particularly when the shoulder is slight, but is a good technique for precision loading any bottlenecked case. Lee kits are excellent, particularly for the beginner or small batch reloader. I started with a Lee Anniversary Kit (about the same as what you have) decades ago to reload for the obsolete 9.5X57 Mannlicher Schoenauer (.375 Nitro Express Rimless) and used it to save $ on other cartridges, as well. All of the 'basics' came with the kit (including carbide .44 Mag dies), and for small batch reloading is all you'll need. The dies for my MS, by the way, are RCBS and work flawlessly with the Lee kit. Good video, enjoy reloading. *** As said on the video - use great care when reloading. Read, read, and read more before you ever fill a case. Get to know your equipment. Measure with extreme care and measure again. Very important - develop set routines and checklists, be consistent. Follow the same procedures in the same order for each and every batch of a particular cartridge. Do it the same way each and every time - this point cannot be overstressed. If you suspect you may have made an error, spoil the batch and start again. Have absolutely no distractions. Reloading is economical (brass is the most expensive component) and highly rewarding but always be aware that there are no 'minor' errors, A SLIGHT ERROR IN RELOADING / HANDLOADING CAN BE INJURIOUS AND / OR FATAL TO YOU AND / OR OTHERS NEAR YOU. With that said - enjoy!
@@travisp11 Holy cow, back! I'm glad you enjoyed / benefited from my post. I'm not, by any means, an expert. I'm just a guy who did the same thing you're doing some years back and got excellent results. There was an excellent article about reloading by Bill Sharpe in the 1939 Stoeger catalog that you may enjoy; it's as true now as it was then. I've posted it before to this website: www.thefirearmsforum.com/threads/this-reloading-game-from-the-1939-stoeger-catalog.172277/
@@travisp11Take it slow. Not only while learning, but always while reloading. Start with a clear area and a clear mind, lay out and prep absolutely everything that you'll be using for the particular step you're performing, in the order you'll be using it, and clear all else. Always be certain of every step and procedure, log everything. Once you have the basics, you can start to tailor your loads for optimal performance, if you'd like.
Great video. I have been thinking about taking the "leap" into reloading. These types of videos help to make it seem like something a novice can get into and be successful. Thanks!
I would be cautious with range brass. You don’t know how many times the brass has been reloaded. Cases are generally good for 10 firings. Also they get longer each time you size them so a set of calipers and a case trimmer are necessary
That is valid only for rifle cases. For 9 mm you can reload cases basically undefinitely, if one starts cracking you will see it very quickly. And as for .223 cases, if those have a crimp, you can be sure 100% it’s once fired.
This may be the case with rifle brass. I've got 38 special brass that has been around since the 70's and probably been reloaded a few dozen times. I load them until they split, usually at the case mouth.
It’s a labor of love pastime my friends. A hobby. If you stay out of the rabbit hole, you can reload cheap. But that cool guy gear is like smoking crack for the first time. I’ll just try it once.
Good reloading equipment lasts a lifetime. I am using the same RCBS Jr. press, Ohaus Du-O-Measure and Redding #2 scale I bought in 1973. I have added other presses since then, and a digital scale, but still use the Redding scale and a powder trickler, and the Jr. press for cartridges I load on a smaller scale (obsolete rifle and pistol cartridges which I do not shoot so many of) The moral of the story is...used equipment can be very useful and available at low cost. Unfortunately, things like loading presses are heavy and shipping costs can be high for sources like Ebay. Check local gun shows (when we have gun shows again) as they are often the best place to get used loading equipment. Start out with the basics and add things as you go along. At some point, consider bullet casting, which I have also been doing for decades. I have many 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights on hand. Literally, bullets for a lifetime. Lay in stocks of primers, which last for decades and take up little space and your favorite powders. Stored inside under controlled conditions they will last for many decades. Handloading has given me absolute independence from these transient "shortages". Being a handloader does not prevent you from getting good deals factory ammo when you can (it is a good source of brass).
So I have abandoned reloading 9mm. I reload everything else and don't have the time to reload 9mm. 9mm is cheap (and consistent) enough that I can buy it anywhere for a couple of pennies more than reloading it myself. Now .380ACP, I only shoot what I reload because of the cost. Also, I consider the tumbler a must. I really like my hornady dry tumbler. 2-6 hours in that guy and I am making jewelry :) Great stuff as always.
I understand what your saying and agree except the fact I live in California and ammo is getting harder and harder to come by. I dont reload 9mm but with this new law here I just bought 9mm dies to start. I also just ordered 556 dies lol which probably dont make sense to reload but California just forced me to lol have great day
If you can find 9mm, 45acp, 357 mag. 44mag or 10mm in stock. All are rare around here (MN) Reload cost 9mm 15.50 per 100, 45acp 16.60 per 100, 357 mag 16.80 per 100, 44 mag 17.00 per 100 and 10mm 17.50 per 100. I buy bullets in bulk 500-1000 at a time, they are the biggest expense. i can assemble about 150 rounds an hour and tailor the load to my liking.
A lot of people say its not worth it to load 9mm but me and my buddies were reloading 1000 rounds for $115 at prepandemic prices when we all ordered stuff in bulk. Its pretty fun to blow 800-1000 rounds once or twice a month and not worry about the cost. But I only scored about 3000 primers this year so I had to slow down.
@@matthewdiehl1647 I think the 124s are what I loaded up this summer. my cost per round was based on new brass but once I reuse it I'm already gonna be saving quite a bit.
@@travisp11 That's the best way, right? My friend and I are splitting the cost of the equipment. I bought books on loading data too. Quick question.... Have you ever noticed any problems with using loading data from older books? I have a Herter's reloading manual from the 70's. I would Check my data online the best I could anyway before I knew, but in case you had some insight, I'd love to hear it. Thanks brother!
Question pls. Let's say I'm loading .308 ,how do I know how many powder it takes I side the case shell, and also if I have 175 grain bullet and a 150 grain bullet does 175 will need more powder in the case. Main question is how do I know how much powder to add in each load or if I load different grain bullet in reloading .308 . Is that info comes in the one book for reloading
You need to get a reloading manual, look up .308 and in the manual they will give you brands and types of powder to choose from. From there you look up your grain of bullet and the powder you are using and the manual will tell you exactly how much to load and length of the round, etc. once you start pressing.
It just doesn’t seem like that much of a savings for 9mm... I was looking at prices online... with the bullets, primers and powder it comes out to around $0.14 to $0.16 per round not including brass (which seems to be about $0.20 per round). Buying new boxes ammo in 9mm is around $0.18 when you buy in quantities of 1,000 or more.
When it comes to 9mm, yes, you would have to shoot alot to save money. But, don't overlook times like now where 9mm ammo is scarce on the shelves and prices are going up, especially if you want to buy in bulk. You will save more if you reload pricier calibers and you can load a more premium bullet (hollow point for example) for less if you reload vs. buy off the shelves. If you are a competitve shooter you will save money if you burn through thousands of rounds per year. But, just the ability to be able to make your own comes in handy in times like these where 9mm options on the shelves are thin.
Because you are looking on the current component prices and prices for small amounts of components. If you buy in bulk and in normal times, you will be much, much lower than prices in store.
MidwayUSA has slammin deals on Lee Presses. Lee often has clearance deals on their website and great customer service from my experience, they are good people.
For 9 mm and .223, you have to bulk reload and buy components in bulk to save money. Also, to reload 9 mm on single stage, especially with lubricating on the pad well, it doesn't make any sense at all. More work than worth the effort. Do yourself a favor and at least lubricate with lanolin+isopropyl alcohol mix in the plastic bag. You can lubricate 500 hundred cases (.223 as well) at once. Maybe it's just me but I would never use single stage except for very few, very precision oriented ammo for bolt action sniper rifle. Even than, some serious turret like Lyman American or Redding R7 is better. But I guess one has to start somewhere. Oh well, I'm too spoiled now with my Dillon XL 650 with case and bullet feeder :)
MY WIFE AND I USED TO RELOAD (AT LEAST A HUNDRED YEARS AGO - LOL!!!!!!!) - WE SPENT MANY, MANY WONDERFUL HOURS TOGETHER MAKING HULLS GO "BOOM AGAIN"!!!!!!!!!!!! PS - YOU MADE A GOOD VIDEO - SO, BRAVO TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think most of the reloading sets you buy these days are gonna work fine. Finding components will be a bit tough but definitely spend some time reading up on all of the equipment and the process involved in reloading. I have a copy of the Lee and Lyman reloading manuals and they are definitely worth it.
If you use your spent brass casings it is much cheaper. I only showed off the new brass as a maximum cost example. 9mm is tough to save on because it is already very cheap in the store. Of course now is a good idea to get into reloading as it is difficult to source 9mm ammo in stores right now.
Adam Goll never bought 9 mm cases, why? Those are everywhere and you can reload them undefinitely. Before this whole Corona era I just finished wet tumbling about 3 huge buckets of 9 mm cases and my pal has 3 more left in his garage (I reload for him on progressive as his single stage is well, slow).Bought .223 cases, once fired. About 5000 of cases and it was like 50 bucks. Can reload those ar least 6-7 times before a I throw them. And 18 cents for a bullet? You must be crazy, for such price I reload 230 grain .45, whole round. Forget current prices, those are way over these days. Just look at ammo prices now, if you can find some. We reloaders usually have supplies of components in huge amounts and I can choose what I’m going to reload today. 55 gr. 223 for plinking? Ok. Have mood for something more tasty? Here we go, 68 gr. Hornady. 9 mm? Which one, 124 gr. with epoxy coating or match FMJ? Etc. let me tell you, my supplies will last me many, many years without problem. Rule number one for reloading - buy in bulk (I’m talking tens of thousands of bullets and primers) when cheap and never regret that. How about 9 cents per 9 mm round? Sounds good?
@@travisp11 well not only prices of ammo and components went up. I used to buy gold and silver before corona. Well, gold went up despite that last year and it went up very, very quickly by huge amount. But now it's first, nowhere to find and two, it you find it, it expensive as hell (in comparison what it used to be). At least 30 - 40 % more per troy ounce. Silver, same. People are not stupid. After corona, huge economy crisis will come (it will be even bigger than 2008 Lehman brothers, trust me). Value of currencies will go down. These days, it's good to buy only stocks of valuable companies (those will go up after some time, now are cheap), buy land and homes and flats (if you have money). Those are cheap and will be even cheaper as many people will lost their jobs and will have a hard time to pay for a mortgage. So lead and other components, bullions (now not good investment) and stocks and property. Those who bought components few months before are now happy they did so :) I always order at least 10 000 of 9 mm bullets and 6 to 10 thousands of .223. Obviously, I have factory ammo too. As said, I can sleep calmly as I have supplies to shoot for long time. For me it's a sport, a practice and fun. That's the advantage of reloading - price, variability and not to rely on stores if situation like this occurs.
💲🏧💰⌚📒 Calculating the break even ROI is complex & Fuss probably has the 'solve for' equation. But presume you bought the equipment you've shown & enough materials to make 5000 9mm rounds for a grand total of $500 (just picking rough numbers here). And lets say you're saving $0.03 per round (16 vs. 19 cents for a similar-to commercial brand). The napkin math says you saved 5000 x $0.03 = $150 by spending $500. Not enough. If you spent $900 ($400 more in materials, no new equipment) to make 25k rounds, then you saved 25k x $0.03 = $750. So your break even point will be somewhere above 25,000 rounds. Again, just rough numbers. Obviously the materials for each round of 6.5 Creedmoor will be higher, but the savings per round will be better also. So by rough interpolations, and using the prices for what you'll actually buy for a caliber (not necessarily what you have now), you should be able to determine you approximate break even point*. From then on, it's gravy! * Even if you mix calibers as you go, as long as you know how many of each you've made & a good estimate of pennies saved per round, you'll know about what you need to make to pay for what you bought. Of course this all assumes you value your personal time at zero dollars. In reality, it has some perceptible monetary hourly value because you're giving something else up to reload, even if it's sleep or watching Survival reruns. 😁
Frank don’t forget, one accident from filing for brankrupxy, it would be a shame if your reload fucked up and hurts someone at he range and they loose their eyes for the rest of their life. Good luck. Homeless city here you go!!
I have more than 20,000 rounds of ammo components on hand. That's going by primers on hand, I probably have 100,000 or more bullets on hand in the form of buckets full of wheel weights, (depends on whether I cast a 115 gr. bullet or a 500 gr. bullet) When the ranges are closed due to covid, and you are stuck at home, it is a great way to spend time. I handload in my spare time, I do not give up any activity at which I am EARNING MONEY in order to handload. So that time has no revenue value to me. It is spare time. Comparing savings on relatively inexpensive cartridges is not a good way to do it. I handload for 81 cartridges and 5 shotshells. I really don't bother much with 20 and 12 ga shotshells because I cannot save so much on those. I definitely DO handload 16ga., 28 ga, and .410 shells. My wife loves to shoot a Colt Officers Model Match .38 revolver with wadcutter ammo. I cast those and load them for about the same cost as .22 LR ammo. Factory wadcutters cost $27 for a box of 50.
@@garyK.45ACP You're fortunate, sir. Well, except for whatever state you're living in. I'm sure it's nice overall, but where I happen to reside the Governor declared gun shops and ranges as "essential". So they're still open. Best of luck to you and yours.
@@frankhellman6879 Gun shops are still open. At least the ones I usually go to. Ranges were declared essential BUT one of the clubs I shoot at is staffed only by volunteers and most of them are retired gentlemen. They decided to close. The other is a privately owned range and chose to close, it was not forced to close.
Make friends with police officers and see if they'll let you come to the police range with them. Brass galore! Our local PD range is also the area's police academy. They actually have a device that looks like an old time lawnmower that has rubber fingers that picks up the brass off the grass and gravel. They don't mind people running it around and picking up some brass, just don't go crazy. They usually have three or four barrels overflowing with 9mm and .223/5.56 brass. They sell the brass to a local ammo remanufacturer so they can get a discount on ammo. You can go go a public range and find all sorts of casings, even pick up .22LR casings. Most ranges don't mind at all if you clean up their range for them by picking up and trashing the steel casings and .22 LR casings. You can sell the casings you don't want to other reloaders, gun stores, or scrap dealers and turn around and turn that money into new reloading components.
When I started reloading I figured I would break even reloading around 3000 rounds of 9mm. You are recommending way more tool's than is needed to reload straight walled hand gun ammo.
Once you get the reloading manual you can decide what you need. Yes, you can get by with way less but what I mentioned was done so because it makes the experience more convenient,
I bought that same kit from Brownells $118 on sale, Lee 9mm 4 die set $22 Amazon on sale, digital scale Amazon $20, caliper Home Depot $20. Wet tumble brass (my kids shakes it in a gatorade bottle) $1.49. I have been reloading 9mm for 11 cents a round, that's polymer coated cast bullets and fast burning powder like Titegroup (like 1800 rounds per pound). You can do it on the cheap, just be patient and find the sales and stay away from mail ordering components if you can. I live in Kansas City and can buy everything locally so I dont pay shipping and hazmat costs
I'm doing the same thing but I'm casting and also and powder coating for lube. $15 for a used Lyman Spartan press, $10 for a used set of dies at a gun show, $22 for a Frankford Arsenal scale, free range brass, free lead cast into 124 gr bullets ( Used mould and dipper at a gun show, $10 and a hot plate and cast iron pan, $14) 3c for a primer, 1c for powder, 1c for powder coating in an old toaster oven with leftover powder from a local coater and they shoot great. Nickel a pop.
Great vid. I went with the hornady LNL AP. I knew I was going to have other calibers and I was going to shoot by bulk. So I treat my progressive at times as a single stage. Theirs times I’m dialed in and I crank out a few and I do a recheck on powder and other things then I start back up. So I have both worlds. How has your press worked for you so far. As far as cost I’m saving in quality, precision and having fun.
Great. I’m in the same boat I haven’t had much time to reload. I’ll find time to train but not enough to load. But I manage to keep my spent cases all separated and deprimed so all I have to do Is clean them run through the dies swag primer pocket if needed run the case trim work station if need then load them up.
I am not an expert by any means just started during the 2020 election when I could not find 223 even online for under $1 a round I reuse my brass I fire on the farm and I bought each component individually I have the LEE single stage C press, LEE die sets for the calibers I have, the lee bench primer, lee perfect powder thrower, Hornady case gages, RCBS brass prep tools it comes with the brush to clean the inside and primer pocket decrimpers, and to make sure my powder weight is correct I have a cheap pocket scale that I just 0 for each new case I am charging I don't even use the loading blocks and have yet to need to pull a bullet, I was getting into this for as cheaply but efficiently as possible and with the new panic buying I just bought more powder and primers to hold me over.
Been reloading for 30 years using my Dillon 550 its been a great press with no problems. The main cost is as of now is components buttheads buying it up and selling it on line for jacked up prices.
Dillon is an awesome brand and I hope to upgrade to one from them someday! Yeah, component supply is definitely and issue. Crazy what some of these places want for used brass alone and the primers. Seems like everyone turns into a black market merchant when things go south.
Absolutely I still have like 3k large magnum rifle primers that I paid $ 1.95 a hundred and have people wearing my butt out to sell them for what I paid for them. I just have to look at them like they are nuts.
I’m actually looking at buying a small business that manufactures ammunition, I figured it’s a great time to switch careers 9mm target ammunition is nonexistent.
Rick Samuels Did you try online, direct from the manufacturers. That’s what I do, I just ordered from Target sports USA. 1000 rds hollow point. Fair price too. Good luck, stay aware and safe.
I believe to sell ammo you may need a license and liability insurance. I had a buddy that did it for a while a few years ago and there was quite a bit that goes into it. With today's primer prices it will be hard to make a profit with ammo prices slowly decreasing.
That's wild, I get a box of 100 9mm for a about 38$, less if I buy the box of 500 (Herters brand) ends up being like 32$. I want to get into reloading but I guess I can cross the money saving aspect off 😅
@@grlocal if you re use your brass you will start to save. I only load hollow point ammo similar to Critical Defense or Speer Gold Dots so I can load for less than half of what it costs in the store. When you get into loading your own rifle ammo, that is where you really start to save.
This is something I've been wondering for awhile. I've been thinking about reloading but not sure if it's worth my time or just keep buying cheap ammo.
Travis I really hope you read this I need your help bad how do I buy or get bullet heads like the actual bullets i wanna get into reloading ammunition but i just need with everything like where can I get primers and gunpowder I’m really so interested in reloading and especially in the pandemic I need ammunition please and thank you
If you have an Academy Sports, Scheels, Cabelas or Bass Pro shops nearby those are good places to look for supplies. Go join thereloadersnetwork.com and in the meantime pick up the Lyman and Lee reloading manuals from a local book store or on Amazon and start reading. I studied reloading for nearly 2 years before I started rolling out my own rounds. Also, check out my reloading podcasts over on my podcast called Caliber Corner. Dont rush getting into it and educate yourself on the topic (reading, youtube videos, etc.) until you feel comfortable pressing your own ammo.
You can amortize the cost per round. The first hundred rounds is $3.34/round. The first 1,000 is $0.33/round. The first 10,000 is $0.03/round. It’s a good investment for the serious reloaded. It’s expensive for the dilettante.
travisp11 I agree. If you hunt or shoot competitions, then reloading makes sense. If you’re plinking, it may not. One of the costs involved is your time, and you have to ask yourself if the time needed to reload makes sense.
Idk if this is a stupid question but can you reuse primers if theyre not punctured? Also, if one spent 1,000 dollars on this stuff, how long do you think it would take to break even?
I am seeing boxes of 115gr 9mm FMJ selling for $40 for a box of 50. Let’s just say it will cost you .75 per round to buy new. If you could get everything you needed to get started for $1000, at today’s current market price it would take 1125 rounds to break even, assuming you acquired enough supplies to load 1K rounds. After 1125 rounds you are now just paying for supplies like powder, projectiles, primers, etc. but just remember, over a lifetime this can turn into a pretty significant savings.
Check out Squibs channel for reloading info...ruclips.net/channel/UCJ33UJi_sckBRs-OIHRXPcg
Thinking of reloading? Here’s some tips and warnings from a reloader and retired engineer. Kinda long, and it is no where near everything I know.
If you are considering reloading to save money, know this, your first round may cost easily a thousand dollars for press, dies, scale, powder measure, book, caliper, trimmer, deburrer, reamer/swager, locking rings, cleaning equipment and materials, lighting, bench, powder, primers and bullets. And it can be very time consuming. With a single stage press I can make some nice cheap 9mm ammo at a rate of a hundred rounds in 1.5 hours with a material cost of under 20 cents a round. This time includes, time spent on set up, take down and clean up. It took me a few thousand rounds to pay off my equipment compared to buying ammo off the shelf. That's a lot of evenings sitting at the reloading bench. And if include the time scavenging brass, sorting brass and searching for in stock materials, add many more hours. For a while it was look online an hour a week for MONTHS at a time.
If you are easily distracted, don't like to follow or read instructions, cut corners because you think you might get away with it, don't have time or space, reloading may not be for you. Reloading can be safe or it can be dangerous. It is your choice.
NEVER eat, smoke, drink, or have distractions while reloading.
Many powder manufacturers list their loads online. But get the book and read and understand all the introductory chapters before starting reloading. Then read them again when you think you know what and why you are doing.
Shortages suck, and they will eventually happen AGAIN. Keep a minimum stockpile of 1 years worth of reloading components. More is better. It also counters inflation.
There are proper ways of storing primers and powder. You can find them at the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI).
ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. Sooner or later we all need them. Some people even wear disposable gloves because nitroglycerine can affect blood pressure and cause big problems.
Dirty brass will scratch your dies. If that's how you treat your equipment you are on your own. You will find that scratched dies scratches brass which increases the possibility of poor feed and poor extraction. When I started reloading I was using a peanut butter jar, steel tumbling pins, hot water, dish soap and citric acid from the canning aisle. I would shake the jar with the water, brass, pins and cleaner for five minutes, let sit for five minutes. I would separate the pins, rinse the brass then dry it on a towel left on the drier for several loads of laundry. We've since gotten a tumbler and a food dehydrator.
Work in a comfortable well lit area; this minimizes the chance for mistakes. And a solid bench is good for consistency. Some videos show so much bench flex we wonder when the press will come off.
ALWAYS wash up after handling any of this stuff. Lead doesn't have to be fast to mess you up. Primers contain a lead chemical. Powder contains nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose and other chemicals.
There is a case length specification with minimum and maximum, a minimum cartridge length based on powder and bullet and a maximum cartridge length based on the caliber. Know them all, or at least have them written down. SAAMI website has great pdf’s for this info. Some reloading books do not contain the minimum case length.
ALWAYS follow the instructions for die set up and the recipe for powder weight and overall length.
Steel and aluminum cases are not reloadable, but can be recycled as metal. Brass is reloadable. Nickel plated brass is reloadable.
There's a couple types of primers, Boxer and Berdan. Boxer primers have once center hole on the inside of the case. These can be reloaded. Berdan has two holes inside the case and cannot be reloaded. If you run them through a sizing or decapping die you can break the decapping pin.
There are different sizes and powers of primers, small pistol, large pistol, small rifle, large rifle, and then there's match, magnum, and so on. Know what you need and buy that.
Clean up your equipment, dies, scale, caliper and bench when done. Then toss out the trash. Some of us deprime before cleaning, it gives a clean primer pocket. Lightly lube the press shaft and hinge points. In a big run, don’t wait to be done, but clean and lube once in a while.
ALWAYS inspect your brass for cleaning media before reloading. If wet tumbling; make sure it is absolutely dry.
Some of us swage/ream the primer pockets of all our 9mm, 40 S&W, 5.56 NATO, 7.62x51 NATO and other military/police cases unless we have done this to the case previously. Mashing a primer into a tight hole can set it off or give you a bad round.
Some pistol brass has been bulged because of what firearm it was shot out of. (the dreaded Glock bulge for one) And because of the space between the shell holder bottom and the bottom of the die, not the entire brass gets resized. Lee has a bulge buster kit that's fairly cheap for eliminating this problem. (more costs, spend that money)
NEVER mix different powders in a load or a powder feeder. If it happens accidentally, toss it. It is not worth the risk of blowing up a gun or getting injured.
Some sizing dies have carbide inserts, this allows you to not have to lube your case before sizing. If you do not have carbide inserts you should lube the cases because they may get stuck in the dies. After resizing a lubed case you need to either wipe or wash off the lube. If you wash then you have to re-dry. If you lube cases, some of that lube will cake up in the die eventually. Clean it out.
Legally unless you have a specific FFL you cannot legally sell your reloads. (just sayin') People will ask you to sell your reloads. If something goes wrong do you have a lawyer?
Keep your loaded ammo identified by the recipe you used. If (when) you have a problem you want to be able to isolate it. Tossing multiple runs of ammo into an ammo can is just asking for a problem. Also, record all you loads in a separate log. This will give you recipes you can reuse, or starting places for future recipes.
Some ammo can be loaded with cast lead or plated or coated ammo. It is cheaper. But if you are using mixed manufacturer brass to load it your case length and therefore crimp may vary. This crimp variation can lead to the coating coming off and your barrel being leaded or exceptionally high pressure which can cause damage or injury. Therefore, some of us trim our cases to a uniform length before loading these bullets.
A great source of information is The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) You can find detailed cartridge drawings including tolerances, storage recommendations, and other good info there. Check it out.
There's also questions like can I use this die for that load? 380 cannot be reloaded with 9mm dies. While they look close except for the length, they taper differently. Don't bother trying. 38 special can be reloaded with 357 magnum dies.
We all need a friend like Squiblo in our lives.
The first and most important rule, DON'T let the better half learn the cost.
Ah but once my wife heard about how much money per box I could save in the future, she was on board.
I disagree. First and most important rule...marry a woman that enjoys shooting as much as you do and gives it the same level of priority. Just offer to take them shooting on the first date. If they don't want to go...pass 'em by.
It is just as easy to fall in love with a woman that likes to shoot. The down side?...they want to buy guns too! You have to share you gun buying funds. 😀
As regards handloading...my wife LOVES that we can make our own ammunition, it is MUCH cheaper to make your own practice ammo...that means more shooting.
@Semper Fi Possibly, but you always have ammo vs. a situation like now where certain calibers are hard to find on the shelves.
If you have to ask permission from your wife, or your wife has control over your purchases you need to find a different wife. My wife thinks my hobbies are dumb but she would never say dont get into a hobby because of the cost. You yourself should know if a hobby is more than your paycheck can support. Grow up and get a relationship built on mutual trust.
How can you not let yourself know the cost ? Just do not let the lesser half know. If she finds out you will have to do a report on how much you save from buying ammo. I saved a lot of money making my own 12g slugs. Casting the lead and loading the shells. Those slugs are not cheap to buy and firing a lot of them would run me broke. A magazine fed 12 gauge can eat them up fast.
Avoiding California's new ammo purchasing law...priceless.
Laws are only valid when enforceable. If enough people didn't comply and refused to uphold those laws you wouldn't have them.
Inches easily turn into miles.
@Semper Fi How do we know how many do that ? There are countless illegal Chili Choking Pepper Bellies not paying income tax. Many send it south and collect free Gov. $$ on 3 names they do not legally qualify for. California automatically registers them to vote getting a required drivers license and does not look for or charge any for voting. They vote demo crap. They collect them and collect blank ones and make them say what they want. Mail in ballots would be so wrong and rigged.
Don't worry Cacafornica will infringe on reloading supplies next !! COUNT ON IT !!! Vote with your feet and LEAVE !!!
@Semper Fi 60 million illegals and all non-employed citizens do not pay income tax and people who buy nothing don't pay sales tax.
Anyone that works under the table doesn't pay income tax and anyone buying second hand as a personal transfer does not pay sales tax.
@@notsogreat123 It is Commiefornia with the Senatoirs keeping us safe. Like CA Senator Leland Ye responsible for much of the gun laws and many of the worst that do not solve a problem or address one that does not exist . in the state with the most he was running for Secretary Of State of CA! We should ask him ! OH WAIT He was found guilty of some stuff including ARMS TRAFFICKING and in prison. His laws keeping us safe still stand. We keep them coming we will be as safe as where Obummer made it safe Chicago !
If you skip cleaning the brass too many times you may have more ramp issues in certain guns. The cleaner the brass the easier it slides into the chamber from the magazine.
Best thing about reloading equipment is that apart from the initial outlay for a press, dies, reloading manual, shell holders, etc., the only cost after that is for expendables. The hardware will last virtually forever, provided that reasonable care is used. I've been hand-loading for 35 years and my press and dies have paid for themselves many times over. Money saved over retail ammo not withstanding, the hand loader has way more options for bullet/powder combinations than a retail buyer and can tailor a particular load to a particular firearm to get the most out of both. It's a win-win all around!
I agree! Thank you for watching!
After hearing from a few viewers I can say that you should tumble your brass to clean it. I also recommend you all head over to the Reloaders Network and sign up now!
I've been reloading for close to 8 years now. Bought my first Lyman Reloading Press T-Mag Press and some dies on June 24, 2012 from Amazon. I have saved thousands on buying ammo. Stock up on powder, primers, bullets, cases, dies and even a casting pot and lead. The only way to go.
So even tho the upfront cost is a lot it pays off over time?
@@HolleyProductions yes, I believe it will for sure. 100 rounds of brass for $15, where as 89 for 100 rounds I found for 115 fmj. Yes that doesn't include powder and lead but I feel in anything else I've done, doing your own work always pays off. Like my car. Lol
Quick tip for the reloader on the CHEAP
If 2 boxed of 9mm is $30, which would yield 100ct brass, and brass is $20/100, save the hassle and grab 2 boxes, shoot them off, collect up the brass, and in theory, it will only cost you $5/box to shoot those initial boxes. -buying brand new high end brass is best kept for those looking for EXACT specs and super accuracy, (and lets face it, thats not why ur loading 9mm)
I agree!
travisp11 great vid man. I’m going to senfmd this to a buddy who is exactly where you are in the process(from what I gather)
It’s also worth mentioning -spent cases have a fineite lifespan.
@@philspaces7213 This is true! Thanks for watching!
100 rounds cost me 16 bucks before the corona apocalypse....
Reloading by hand with a Lee Classic Loader set is a good budget route for those who want to start with one single caliber. It's also good for an on the go, easy to pack kit.
Alex Bowman True!
I keep a Lee Loader in my bugout bag.
I love those kits have a few of them.
thinking of buying one for my trip this summer, will have to buy a 44mag die set as well if I do that.
Cleaning your brass is very important. Depending upon where you shoot, getting it off a clean indoor range floor and picking it off gravel or dirt are very different things.
Yup
I shoot buckets full of range pick up brass so I remove the primers with a hand tool and fill the bottom of a Home Depot bucket with brass. Add really hot water and a good squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid and agitate for 10 or 15 minutes. Drain and rinse, fill bucket with hot water again, add brass and 3 to 4 tablespoons of citric acid. Agitate every 5 minutes for a half hour. Drain and rinse brass, spread out on a cookie sheet and put it in a 200* oven until dry. The brass comes out looking new with clean primer pockets, sort and throw away any damaged brass. You could load it as is but I give it a couple hours in a tumbler with crushed walnut hulls. Ready to rock.
@@hardball107 that is some awesome advice about cleaning the brass! I have a Hornady tumbler and haven’t tried it yet but I will soon.
Excellent video for those of us who are just starting. Thank you soooo much!
Thanks for watching!
Due to the cost of supplies for reloading, you can now forget about saving a FN dime.
The cost of reloading is now more than the cost of new ammo two years ago.
BUT, if you have the stuff, you will have ammo.
Exactly. I stocked up a bit so Im good.
Still have the same kit on the thumb nail . Loaded hot 45 colt for a TC contender and 762 39 for a SKS . Buy good bullets shoot them and save the brass . You can turn out some pretty good rounds with practice . The single press is slow but works . If you shoot a lot you will need a multiple station press more expensive . Lee has every thing you need . Bought the kit about 30 years ago .
A few comments on the video:
1. Get multiple reloading manuals as some are more conservative then others , even for the same powder. Cross reference.
2. Sonic/media cleaning of brass is not required but at least wipe down so no grit is forced into your dies.
3. Strongly suggest not to accpect/buy opened cans of powder as they may be mixed or mis marked.
4. To reduce chance of stuck cases, lube all cases even with carbide.
5. May save money per round, but amount required loading to pay back cost of equipment is high. Reload for fun or for self dependence. (my thoughts)
All points are great advice! Thanks!!
@@travisp11 NP
To elaborate on item No. 3...some guy named "Squib" sent you an opened can of powder...makes you wonder
@@upliftmofopartyplan1156 how many squibs will that powder produce? Lol
@@upliftmofopartyplan1156 yeah, that is a running joke with him. Anyway, that powder is still factory sealed.
Stumbling brass is to see any cracks in your brass when clean and has a crack it will show up as a dark line that did not clean out so cleaning brass is not to make shiny brass but to show the reloaded if he has cracked brass
Ok!
You should also look near the base of the brass for a ring of lighter colored brass around the case. This indicates the case has been stressed and may fail the next time it is reloaded.
i been wanting to start and learn how to reload.ive been collecting brass and lead at the range i go to, and ive been melting the lead into ingots so i have when ready to purchase the equipment.. nice to have /know people to help you. hands on..
With 9mm (I shoot 124gr lead) I just use the dipper for my powder(hp38). It is a plinking load. The Richard Lee book is great. You may want the "one caliber one book" from midway. They are agraggetes of a lot of info.
Great video, all good points. This is my 50th year reloading and I'm still learning little tips and tricks. 1st off let me say RUclips is your friend, lots of info here. The Press, I picked up a Lyman Spartan in like new condition for $15. Case cleaning, a $2 bucket from Home Depot filled with hot water and a squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid gets agitated for 10 minutes, rince, fill with hot water again. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of citric acid, add brass and agitate every 5 minutes or so for a half hour and rinse thoroughly. Nice, clean brass. Throw them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 200* until dry. Case lube, Heet gas line antifreeze in the red bottle is 99% Isopropyl alcohol and comes in 12oz. bottles. Add 1oz. of liquid lanolin. Best case lube EVER. Throw your brass in a plastic bag or bowl, put a couple squirts in and shake. Let brass dry out and resize. The digital scale is a good idea, Just make sure you check zero. Lee pistol dies come with a powder dipper and a Factory Crimp Die ( extra stuff you don't have to buy) and with the money you save you can get a Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer. I helped my nephew get started doing 9mm, got him casting too. Powder Coated the bullets for lube. This is very basic of course but he's loading 9mm for a nickel a round and his investment was just under $200 with a pound of powder and primers. With store bought 9MM at ($12/50) it didn't take long to get his investment back and now in 2020 he has plenty of ammo to shoot.
Crazy how the comments on this video have changed. Anymore it is worth it to reload! Thanks for watching!
Excellent!
One important thing a lot of reloaders forget to talk about is the correct brand of primers to use for certain types of guns. any gun that has had an action job done on it or a semi auto striker fired pistol you should only use Federal brand primers. Because these use the softest metal for their primers resulting in less misfires due to a lite primer strike. This is the only brand I use anymore because there is nothing more frustrating when I'm shooting in a competition match and I get a misfire from a lite primer strike when I;m on the clock. And yes I have use every brand at one time or another CCI is the worst for this issue.
I have never had a problem of light primer strikes unless a bad action job was done on my gun or i didnt seat the primer far enough into the pocket. But if you do have problems i would agree with wiseguy436; just make sure you test your loads before relying on them.
@@TeensierPython Light primer strikes are notorious in Cowboy Action Shooting it is not about a Bad action job but competitors often install lighter spring kits to help smooth out the actions.. Also you can have the same problems with some stock striker fire pistols.
wiseguy436 - I do 3 gun. And I try not to modify firing components because of light strikes.
Great information! Thank you!
You need to clean your brass after every shooting at the range It keeps your gun from following up and breaking parts in your gun so it’s a mass and a good practice to clean your brass every time
True.
After you have reloaded for a while, you'll actually be drooling over progressive presses like the Dillon. Single stage presses are still useful for processing milsurp casings like 5.56 and 7.62 NATO to swage the crimped primer pockets or getting rid of the Glock Bulge that most resizer dies can't get rid of and to size cast bullets. I would look for a Lee APP Deluxe press because you can use it as a single stage press and for the case and cast bullet prep I mentioned. And get the Lee 4 die Carbide set because it's the best value and comes with all the dies you'll ever need for a handgun round, especially if you get into using cast bullets.
This is an amazing video. I am just starting off reloading and I am absolutely going to tell everyone to check this video out. I just wish it were about the press I have. You explain things really well and made a lot more sense of things for me.
Thank you! We did a series of podcasts about reloading for beginners. If you have time, check out the first one! It is an older episode but still relevant...ruclips.net/video/rU8nCQTdMhw/видео.html
The rainy day is here, hope you thaught ahead , definitly have the time. Make sure the recipie for the round , operates good with the nug. Semi autos can be picky, and physically look to make sure powder is in the brass, 1 squid load can ruin your day.
I dig through the trash at my range 2x/week and end up with 200-300shells of 9mm each time, plus odd rounds that I don't shoot that I can save up and sell for cash or trade for .45acp or whatever. It saves me a ton on brass. I shoot at a backwoods range in ky. Some save their brass, others sweep it up and toss it.
Craig Vaughn brass scavenging can definitely pay off!
In the 56 years i have been a handloader reloading tools have increased in price like everything else .. But for dies, press , power scales , powder measure and small acc one will use as you go along from what i have seen in sporting goods stores , it's really not that much money to start out .. What you save on every box of handloads compared to factory ammo will soon pay for all your tools .. I agree with what was said in a Speer reloading manual some years back, "Handloading is the hobby of a lifetime".. With me that's very true.. It's a lot of fun too..
Norman Mallory I agree!
Biggest thing I could suggest to anyone who is considering getting into it, buy a lee hand loader and start out like that. Makes you appreciate every single round you produce and be observant. And they are cheap, comes with everything you need to start, besides primers, brass, and bullets. If you want to get into it further, then a breech lock lee isn’t that much more of a stretch.
A Glowing One True
I got a lee hand press and it was great to start reloading. Really like those lee loader kits as well.
They offer a lot for the money! Thanks for watching.
Found my tumbler at a pawn shop with media for less than $40. Picked up a set of Hornady dies on clearance for $20. Every year Hornady does a rebate program for free projectiles with certain purchases. Saved a bunch of bass pro gift cards that didn't cost me bit time and did the mountain dew promo for another gift card. Cabelas will price match "approved online vendors". Walked out with that same press kit for $12 out of pocket.
Reminds me when I played resident evil 3 and Jill needed some gun powders and the bullet machine, I never thought that was real, thank you for making this video, is awesome all the things that can learn in the internet
Thanks for watching!
Travis my friend.... U came thru for me yet again!!!!... The new semester started last week and guess what we're covering??? Lol...
Due to my horrible work hours I've been doing some online window shopping for tools.. Needless to say between wife, bills, teenagers, and cars cash flow is a bit stretched.... But I found a local old timer that was "retiring" and was selling his whole set up for the dirt (cheap) and this was the EXACT set up... Now I know I got some cool quality machinery...
I'll keep u posted on this, stippling and checkering....
Sounds great! I hope your studies go well and enjoy the reloading! It aint the fanciest reloading set out there but I feel that it is all well built by company that stands behind their products.
@@travisp11 #bestgunchannelonyoutube
@@ryanbrown938 Thanks!
@@ryanbrown938 Thanks!
Today.... 1/22/21.... the cost is an arm, a leg, and a pint of blood. That is IF you can find components.
This is true!
I got into reloading it cost my around $500 but I bought a gallon of powder instead of a lb great video and God bless you my friend I just subbed
Welcome to the channel!
That Lee Kit is now $300 on Amazon , everything is double to triple now, crazy times.
Check on gun.deals as brownells has had this kit for $159 twice now in the month of April
In 2018 I was paying $12/box of Speer 147gr Lawman 9mm.
In 2020 I paid $35/box of the same brand, 124gr.
I would like to get into reloading but for the past few months there have been no primers available around here - northeast USA.
Same here. You basically have to check the stores daily.
This Squib Load guy sounds like one of the best friends you could ever have he really hooked you up
He knew that I was interested in reloading but wasn’t sure where to start. This basically got me going after I bought the press and kit
Thanks for the video. There are many reasons to reload ammo, saving money is just one.
Yup. I am able to load an awesome hollow point round for about .45 cents per round or 1/2 of what I was paying for a commercials made similar round.
I started with one of the simple "LEE LOADER" kits in the red plastic box for 38/357. Very basic and dirt cheap. I was able to reload straight case revolver rounds for dirt cheap. One powder, box of bullets and primers, and a box of nice nickel Federal cases from a box of .357 JSP that I fired off. That box of 50 Feds cost 18$ at the time which seemed astronomical. I recycled those cases many times despite the slow process. But it produced ammo that went bang every time and shot well, on the low budget. Auto ammo is more critical for functioning, so perhaps a regular loading press like I have now, is best for 9MM.
Thanks for watching!
Some of my family does their own reloading and if i went to the ranges in Florida with them we used to go check our targets and pick up as much lead as we could in the sand backstops i had to always make sure i had a good belt on my britches or they would get too heavy with the loaded pockets LOL
Does not take long for that stuff to add up!
A good suggest that I have done for picking up brass at the range. I have a few Coffee Mate Creamer Cans (Large One), I have cut a hole in the top, about 1.5 inch and the several holes on the bottom, this a great to collect and sift the brass from any dirt or sand (I live in a Desert Area). Take a little drilling but, if you make about 4 or 5, (I got them from our work break room) you can take an empty one every time you go out to the range.
Solid idea!
No you don't have to shine up brass but it makes it a lot easier to find when you go to pick it up off the ground. I tumble to shine brass. I don't wash or clean brass. Before I had a tumbler I just tossed the cases into a bowl of rubbing alcohol to cut the dark carbon fouling, shake them around and let sit for a while then wipe them off with an old rag. I have also just taken a wood block and cut holes with various size spade bits for different case sizes for a loading block. Once you get past the reloading gear initial cost you only have to buy components. It will pay for itself over time. I use a Lee turret press. I reload a lot of 9mm and .223. Some .222, .30 Carbine, and .22-250. I can load 20 gauge with a Lee Load All if I need to. If I had one thing and one thing only to say about reloading it would be that when you reload avoid distractions. Keep your head in what you are doing from step to step. If there is a distraction then stop and come back later. Other things to say. Observe all safety measures and use reliable ammo manufacture reload data only. Check your powder charges visually for consistency so you don't throw double charges or over pressure charges. Check your case lengths and your cartridge overall lengths to ensure you are within specs so the rounds chamber. You are responsible for the safety and quality of your ammo and you can get better accuracy and reliability with your reloads than you can with factory ammo. One other thing also is when you can't get factory ammo for whatever reason you will be glad that you had taken up reloading. Have fun reloading and enjoy it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the awesome information and checking out my video!
One thing to consider when it comes to reloading for 9mm (or any pistol) is that you really don't want to do it on a single stage press. For rifle where you are loading 20, 40 or 100 max and you need to trim the cases (approx every 3 times you fire the brass) it's fine. For Pistol loading where you will want to do 200-1000 at a time you need a progressive press. You also don't need to trim pistol brass (you can, but nobody does). They cost a bit more (but some of the basics will overlap - like the scale, calipers), but will save you a ton of time since you are essentially doing 4 - 5 things (in 4 - 5 separate stations on the press) each time you pull the handle (see Hornady Lock-n-Load, Dillon xl750).
Jeff H I agree.
I've loaded thousands of rounds with this kit in 5 different calibers. Lee Makes excellent products at an affordable price.
I agree!
What’s your cost for 9mm?
The Lee set is good. The deburring tool is absolut garnage though. Wet a good one. The scale works and is accurate. But it doesn't have magnetic damping, what makes it slow. I use mine just to confirm my digital scale. Also get a check weight. The powder dropper I don't like. It has problems with static charge and I couldn't get mine to meter within +- 0.5 gr. It you want to do precision loads and trickle every charge it's probably good enough. I upgraded to one from rcbs.
I’m going to invest in the RCBS auto powder dispenser. My friend that taught me how to reload .308 uses one and the time savings and precision dispensing alone make it worth it.
I’ve been reloading for 40 yrs, my whole kit cost under a hundred bucks, brass was free for the picking, casting bullets was cheap.
Nice!
What do you use
Just got into casting and it is as fun as reloading. Been loading for over a decade and wished I would have done it sooner. Now I can load range ammo for about .07 a round
@@sawdustwhisper9397 definitely the cheapest way to go about it! Thanks for watching!
@John Beige yup
I have this set. It paid for itself twice within the first 50 rounds of 338LM that I reloaded.
I load between 4-5 thousand rounds of 9mm and 38 Special a year. I can run off 100 rounds of that in a 3 hour evening listening to some music on my little Lyman Spartan, no problem. I used to shoot a lot of PPC and stock class IPSC so my Dillon SDB sits right next to it but for just a hundred rounds a week or so IMHO it's just not worth it especially with a caliber change over.
Nice video, thanks. How about Lee Loaders, 1 caliber wonders?
The Harbor Freight calipers are ok. Pistol casings don't stretch like rifle casings, so you don't have to worry about trimming them as much. Basically, they'll be worn out and splitting by the time they need trimming. The Lee case cutter kit is really good for rifle casings. Harbor Freight makes a good tumbler and their media is a bargain. you can supplement it with a dryer sheet to knock down dust and a cap full of Nupolish car polish. Tumble your casings before you decap them or you'll have to use a paperclip to pop media out of every primer pocket. Hornady Case Shot is the best for rifle casings. It's faster and not messy. Don't lube straightwall casings, the lube will attract dust and dirt and you'll have to clean your dies regularly.
All solid advice! Thank you!
Post the link to the next video. The set up and a how to, if you made them. I watched the whole 20 minutes of this and want to continue the series lol. Definitely don't have time to go over your 1.5k videos lol
I got lucky at academy sports and someone bought and returned a Lee 50th anniversary kit. The only difference is it comes with and extract primer holder but doesn’t come with the shell holders which are nice. I stick to lee specific because anything lee is comparable and my grandfather will loan me some dies. My advice is if you are loading on caliper more than another I would order 8 pounds of power because you get more for your money.
I reload 30.06 on a Lee classic loader. ($40)
Just had to buy a
caliper ($25),
scale ($30), and a
rubber mallet ($5).
Along with
bullets($30 for 100ct),
powder($35 for 1lb) and
primers($35 for 1000ct),
I just collected all my brass since I started shooting 30.06 ($free-ish for 300ct)
I started reloading for less than $200
The Lee loader has a small loading sheet to get you started.
I use the internet for loading information.
Very therapeutic.
To make things easier you can get a manual case trimmer and something to knock out the burrs.
(Edited to add pricing info)
Z-Link Corrupted nice!
@@travisp11 well it's by no means fancy, but when I get bored I can hammer out a couple of boxes of ammo in my spare time.
Z-Link Corrupted No pun intended! Yeah, it is amazing how easy it really can be to seat a bullet. I’d like to get the Lee handloader.
@@travisp11 I'd look in Midway USA.
The classic loads
223 Rem
243Win
270Win
30-30Win
308Win
30-06Spri
7.62x53R
7.62x54RRuss
303brit
9Lug
38spec
357Mag
44RemMag
45ACP
45Long Colt
45-70Gov
It's not as fast as a lever loader but it's cheap and portable.
@@linkbond08 cool! Will do
Good job 4 weeks ago my brother in law was bitching about the shortages of TP, Food, AMMO I offered him the loan of a press and give him brass 9mm & 223 paper copies of loading data, link to more, but powders does primer was a big stumbling block a lot of online retailers have little stock but he procrastinated. His cost with a tumbler was $200.
I have been loading 50-100 rounds a day .308, 223, 9mm and FYI Dillion’s do break and mine broke today after 35 years of service they are sending me parts, if you are loading rifle and pistol you want a powder measure for each. Pick a powder charge that you can live with for practice and defense like I like 223 with 55gr fmj and
Frederick Kaludis right on!
It doesn't really matter now as there are no supplies anywhere. I looked I have reloaders, I could not find primers anywhere on-line in stock. Sure I found powder and didn't even look for bullets as they are useless without a primer.
You got to be persistent and basically check your local gun store or sporting goods store daily.
I am constantly fighting tweakers for brass! They piss me off.
buy a brass catch for your rifle
@@buck_shot4197 that's a great idea. I'm just to darn cheap. Do they make those for anything other than an ar ?
@@jmac3693 i seen them for AK and ar platform on etsy
I would lay a tarp down and keep a sign out that says -“ if it’s on my tarp, it’s probably my brass.” I see it too sometimes at open ranges.
@@jonduncansakurawallknifegarden good idea, I usually do that when I go camping. So I can easily do it at my local shooting spots.
05:35 - Do clean your brass. You don't want cases sticking in your chamber (or 'stovepiping' on an auto loader) and residue left over from prior firings may do that.
You also don't want that crud being bonded to your chamber with the heat and pressure of firing.
Excellent advice at 08:17 .
10:22 - there are better 'bullet pullers' to be had. Impact ('hammer type') pullers are ok for occasional use but are messy and eventually will break. There are several collet type and other pullers designed to work with your press, including the simple 'plier type': grip-n-pull.com/ .
11:48 - Carbide dies are an excellent choice for your pistol cartridges.
12:32 - The term for cartridges that have been fired (usually with a light powder load) to precisely fit your chamber is 'fire formed', not "case fired". Fireforming is often employed with cartridges that rely on their shoulder for headspacing, particularly when the shoulder is slight, but is a good technique for precision loading any bottlenecked case.
Lee kits are excellent, particularly for the beginner or small batch reloader. I started with a Lee Anniversary Kit (about the same as what you have) decades ago to reload for the obsolete 9.5X57 Mannlicher Schoenauer (.375 Nitro Express Rimless) and used it to save $ on other cartridges, as well. All of the 'basics' came with the kit (including carbide .44 Mag dies), and for small batch reloading is all you'll need. The dies for my MS, by the way, are RCBS and work flawlessly with the Lee kit.
Good video, enjoy reloading.
*** As said on the video - use great care when reloading. Read, read, and read more before you ever fill a case. Get to know your equipment. Measure with extreme care and measure again.
Very important - develop set routines and checklists, be consistent. Follow the same procedures in the same order for each and every batch of a particular cartridge. Do it the same way each and every time - this point cannot be overstressed. If you suspect you may have made an error, spoil the batch and start again. Have absolutely no distractions.
Reloading is economical (brass is the most expensive component) and highly rewarding but always be aware that there are no 'minor' errors,
A SLIGHT ERROR IN RELOADING / HANDLOADING CAN BE INJURIOUS AND / OR FATAL TO YOU AND / OR OTHERS NEAR YOU.
With that said - enjoy!
Holy cow! Thank you for the information! I don’t usually script my videos so sometimes the terminology may be incorrect. Awesome info!
@@travisp11 Holy cow, back!
I'm glad you enjoyed / benefited from my post. I'm not, by any means, an expert. I'm just a guy who did the same thing you're doing some years back and got excellent results.
There was an excellent article about reloading by Bill Sharpe in the 1939 Stoeger catalog that you may enjoy; it's as true now as it was then.
I've posted it before to this website: www.thefirearmsforum.com/threads/this-reloading-game-from-the-1939-stoeger-catalog.172277/
@@-oiiio-3993 I'm still a newbie to reloading but will be bringing more of that content to my channel.
@@travisp11Take it slow.
Not only while learning, but always while reloading.
Start with a clear area and a clear mind, lay out and prep absolutely everything that you'll be using for the particular step you're performing, in the order you'll be using it, and clear all else.
Always be certain of every step and procedure, log everything.
Once you have the basics, you can start to tailor your loads for optimal performance, if you'd like.
@@-oiiio-3993 Thank you!
Great video. I have been thinking about taking the "leap" into reloading. These types of videos help to make it seem like something a novice can get into and be successful. Thanks!
It is pretty easy to get into and you can do it with on a lower price than what I paid. Depending on what you shoot it may be worth it.
I would be cautious with range brass. You don’t know how many times the brass has been reloaded. Cases are generally good for 10 firings. Also they get longer each time you size them so a set of calipers and a case trimmer are necessary
I almost feel that used brass from a gun that is not yours should be passed on unless you know where it came from.
That is valid only for rifle cases. For 9 mm you can reload cases basically undefinitely, if one starts cracking you will see it very quickly.
And as for .223 cases, if those have a crimp, you can be sure 100% it’s once fired.
This may be the case with rifle brass. I've got 38 special brass that has been around since the 70's and probably been reloaded a few dozen times. I load them until they split, usually at the case mouth.
@@D.H.CE_FL Great info! Thanks!
@@ZhuJo99 True!
It’s a labor of love pastime my friends. A hobby. If you stay out of the rabbit hole, you can reload cheap. But that cool guy gear is like smoking crack for the first time. I’ll just try it once.
Can be used long pistol primers for 9mm or 38 special shells? reason stupid European law do not allow reloading for handguns or rifles
Good reloading equipment lasts a lifetime. I am using the same RCBS Jr. press, Ohaus Du-O-Measure and Redding #2 scale I bought in 1973. I have added other presses since then, and a digital scale, but still use the Redding scale and a powder trickler, and the Jr. press for cartridges I load on a smaller scale (obsolete rifle and pistol cartridges which I do not shoot so many of)
The moral of the story is...used equipment can be very useful and available at low cost. Unfortunately, things like loading presses are heavy and shipping costs can be high for sources like Ebay. Check local gun shows (when we have gun shows again) as they are often the best place to get used loading equipment.
Start out with the basics and add things as you go along. At some point, consider bullet casting, which I have also been doing for decades. I have many 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights on hand. Literally, bullets for a lifetime.
Lay in stocks of primers, which last for decades and take up little space and your favorite powders. Stored inside under controlled conditions they will last for many decades.
Handloading has given me absolute independence from these transient "shortages". Being a handloader does not prevent you from getting good deals factory ammo when you can (it is a good source of brass).
This is all awesome information! Thank you! Yup, reloading does get us out of the hoarding and shortage cycle.
Thank you for the heads up for MeWe
Yup!
So I have abandoned reloading 9mm. I reload everything else and don't have the time to reload 9mm. 9mm is cheap (and consistent) enough that I can buy it anywhere for a couple of pennies more than reloading it myself. Now .380ACP, I only shoot what I reload because of the cost. Also, I consider the tumbler a must. I really like my hornady dry tumbler. 2-6 hours in that guy and I am making jewelry :) Great stuff as always.
Mel_the_Nut I’m mainly gonna reload self defense rounds and try to run my own through guns in future range tests. Thanks for watching!
I understand what your saying and agree except the fact I live in California and ammo is getting harder and harder to come by. I dont reload 9mm but with this new law here I just bought 9mm dies to start. I also just ordered 556 dies lol which probably dont make sense to reload but California just forced me to lol have great day
If you can find 9mm, 45acp, 357 mag. 44mag or 10mm in stock. All are rare around here (MN) Reload cost 9mm 15.50 per 100, 45acp 16.60 per 100, 357 mag 16.80 per 100, 44 mag 17.00 per 100 and 10mm 17.50 per 100. I buy bullets in bulk 500-1000 at a time, they are the biggest expense. i can assemble about 150 rounds an hour and tailor the load to my liking.
A lot of people say its not worth it to load 9mm but me and my buddies were reloading 1000 rounds for $115 at prepandemic prices when we all ordered stuff in bulk. Its pretty fun to blow 800-1000 rounds once or twice a month and not worry about the cost. But I only scored about 3000 primers this year so I had to slow down.
I agree. I am able to load my own defensive grade hollow points for about .45 cents per round.
@@travisp11 I was loading hornady xtp 115 or 124 with tightgroup for about .28 per round. I get pretty good results with either from both my glocks.
@@matthewdiehl1647 I think the 124s are what I loaded up this summer. my cost per round was based on new brass but once I reuse it I'm already gonna be saving quite a bit.
What didn't your buddy give you? Haha. I'm happy for you man, thanks for the share.
It was pretty unexpected but it got me hooked on reloading.
@@travisp11 That's the best way, right? My friend and I are splitting the cost of the equipment. I bought books on loading data too.
Quick question....
Have you ever noticed any problems with using loading data from older books? I have a Herter's reloading manual from the 70's. I would Check my data online the best I could anyway before I knew, but in case you had some insight, I'd love to hear it. Thanks brother!
If you have to keep costs down, Lee is the way to go.
Capital cartridge for used brass. Components? All over the map.
Thanks for the info man. I appreciate this.
Thanks for watching!
Question pls. Let's say I'm loading .308 ,how do I know how many powder it takes I side the case shell, and also if I have 175 grain bullet and a 150 grain bullet does 175 will need more powder in the case. Main question is how do I know how much powder to add in each load or if I load different grain bullet in reloading .308 . Is that info comes in the one book for reloading
You need to get a reloading manual, look up .308 and in the manual they will give you brands and types of powder to choose from. From there you look up your grain of bullet and the powder you are using and the manual will tell you exactly how much to load and length of the round, etc. once you start pressing.
Good luck finding primers right now!
Sign up for alerts and you should be able to find some.
Costs alot when primers are .12 to .20 cents each one.
If you can find them.
I agree but many of us stocked up before the craziness happened
What a fantastic video! Thank you this helped a lot.
Thanks for watching!
It just doesn’t seem like that much of a savings for 9mm... I was looking at prices online... with the bullets, primers and powder it comes out to around $0.14 to $0.16 per round not including brass (which seems to be about $0.20 per round). Buying new boxes ammo in 9mm is around $0.18 when you buy in quantities of 1,000 or more.
When it comes to 9mm, yes, you would have to shoot alot to save money. But, don't overlook times like now where 9mm ammo is scarce on the shelves and prices are going up, especially if you want to buy in bulk. You will save more if you reload pricier calibers and you can load a more premium bullet (hollow point for example) for less if you reload vs. buy off the shelves. If you are a competitve shooter you will save money if you burn through thousands of rounds per year. But, just the ability to be able to make your own comes in handy in times like these where 9mm options on the shelves are thin.
Because you are looking on the current component prices and prices for small amounts of components. If you buy in bulk and in normal times, you will be much, much lower than prices in store.
@@ZhuJo99 This is true.
MidwayUSA has slammin deals on Lee Presses. Lee often has clearance deals on their website and great customer service from my experience, they are good people.
I should pick up an extra press now for decapping.
@@travisp11 I just bought my 4th Lee press, the new breech lock pro...watch out, it's a slippery slope
@@upliftmofopartyplan1156 dang...I'm already looking at their basic $40 press for depriming!
For 9 mm and .223, you have to bulk reload and buy components in bulk to save money. Also, to reload 9 mm on single stage, especially with lubricating on the pad well, it doesn't make any sense at all. More work than worth the effort.
Do yourself a favor and at least lubricate with lanolin+isopropyl alcohol mix in the plastic bag. You can lubricate 500 hundred cases (.223 as well) at once.
Maybe it's just me but I would never use single stage except for very few, very precision oriented ammo for bolt action sniper rifle. Even than, some serious turret like Lyman American or Redding R7 is better. But I guess one has to start somewhere.
Oh well, I'm too spoiled now with my Dillon XL 650 with case and bullet feeder :)
Solid advice. A Dillon set up is on my bucket list!
MY WIFE AND I USED TO RELOAD (AT LEAST A HUNDRED YEARS AGO - LOL!!!!!!!) - WE SPENT MANY, MANY WONDERFUL HOURS TOGETHER MAKING HULLS GO "BOOM AGAIN"!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS - YOU MADE A GOOD VIDEO - SO, BRAVO TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!
@@travisp11
YOU ARE VERY WELCOME - YOUR VIDEO BROUGHT BACK SOME GOOD MEMORIES - LORD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!
$240.79 for my entire kit. (June 2020). 8 cents/round BUT I then went on to get 2 more die sets. $299.23 included powder, 300 primers, bullets
Eventually it will pay for itself, especially if you load more expensive calibers.
You can still get all raw materials for a reasonable price? Where at?
I taught my grandsons and told them to keep their mouths' closed.
I found ammo for 100rounds, for like $18 on bass pro.
Check now lol. It sucks. All these pandemic panic buyers that will never fire a shot bought all the hand guns and all the ammo.
I just purchased the Hornady lock n load set. Any thoughts?? New to the game of reloading. Better late than never!
I think most of the reloading sets you buy these days are gonna work fine. Finding components will be a bit tough but definitely spend some time reading up on all of the equipment and the process involved in reloading. I have a copy of the Lee and Lyman reloading manuals and they are definitely worth it.
Tumble used brass til its clean , a shiny bullet is a happy bullet
george holder I agree!
Cartridge.
Not sure how cheaper per bullet if paying $18 for caseing and $20 bullet, and all extra.
If you use your spent brass casings it is much cheaper. I only showed off the new brass as a maximum cost example. 9mm is tough to save on because it is already very cheap in the store. Of course now is a good idea to get into reloading as it is difficult to source 9mm ammo in stores right now.
Adam Goll never bought 9 mm cases, why? Those are everywhere and you can reload them undefinitely. Before this whole Corona era I just finished wet tumbling about 3 huge buckets of 9 mm cases and my pal has 3 more left in his garage (I reload for him on progressive as his single stage is well, slow).Bought .223 cases, once fired. About 5000 of cases and it was like 50 bucks. Can reload those ar least 6-7 times before a I throw them.
And 18 cents for a bullet? You must be crazy, for such price I reload 230 grain .45, whole round.
Forget current prices, those are way over these days. Just look at ammo prices now, if you can find some. We reloaders usually have supplies of components in huge amounts and I can choose what I’m going to reload today. 55 gr. 223 for plinking? Ok. Have mood for something more tasty? Here we go, 68 gr. Hornady. 9 mm? Which one, 124 gr. with epoxy coating or match FMJ? Etc. let me tell you, my supplies will last me many, many years without problem.
Rule number one for reloading - buy in bulk (I’m talking tens of thousands of bullets and primers) when cheap and never regret that. How about 9 cents per 9 mm round? Sounds good?
@@ZhuJo99 Solid argument for me! Thanks!
@@travisp11 well not only prices of ammo and components went up. I used to buy gold and silver before corona. Well, gold went up despite that last year and it went up very, very quickly by huge amount. But now it's first, nowhere to find and two, it you find it, it expensive as hell (in comparison what it used to be). At least 30 - 40 % more per troy ounce. Silver, same.
People are not stupid. After corona, huge economy crisis will come (it will be even bigger than 2008 Lehman brothers, trust me). Value of currencies will go down. These days, it's good to buy only stocks of valuable companies (those will go up after some time, now are cheap), buy land and homes and flats (if you have money). Those are cheap and will be even cheaper as many people will lost their jobs and will have a hard time to pay for a mortgage.
So lead and other components, bullions (now not good investment) and stocks and property. Those who bought components few months before are now happy they did so :)
I always order at least 10 000 of 9 mm bullets and 6 to 10 thousands of .223. Obviously, I have factory ammo too. As said, I can sleep calmly as I have supplies to shoot for long time. For me it's a sport, a practice and fun. That's the advantage of reloading - price, variability and not to rely on stores if situation like this occurs.
@@ZhuJo99 Good info! Thanks!
💲🏧💰⌚📒 Calculating the break even ROI is complex & Fuss probably has the 'solve for' equation. But presume you bought the equipment you've shown & enough materials to make 5000 9mm rounds for a grand total of $500 (just picking rough numbers here). And lets say you're saving $0.03 per round (16 vs. 19 cents for a similar-to commercial brand). The napkin math says you saved 5000 x $0.03 = $150 by spending $500. Not enough. If you spent $900 ($400 more in materials, no new equipment) to make 25k rounds, then you saved 25k x $0.03 = $750. So your break even point will be somewhere above 25,000 rounds. Again, just rough numbers.
Obviously the materials for each round of 6.5 Creedmoor will be higher, but the savings per round will be better also. So by rough interpolations, and using the prices for what you'll actually buy for a caliber (not necessarily what you have now), you should be able to determine you approximate break even point*. From then on, it's gravy!
* Even if you mix calibers as you go, as long as you know how many of each you've made & a good estimate of pennies saved per round, you'll know about what you need to make to pay for what you bought.
Of course this all assumes you value your personal time at zero dollars. In reality, it has some perceptible monetary hourly value because you're giving something else up to reload, even if it's sleep or watching Survival reruns. 😁
Frank don’t forget, one accident from filing for brankrupxy, it would be a shame if your reload fucked up and hurts someone at he range and they loose their eyes for the rest of their life. Good luck. Homeless city here you go!!
I have more than 20,000 rounds of ammo components on hand. That's going by primers on hand, I probably have 100,000 or more bullets on hand in the form of buckets full of wheel weights, (depends on whether I cast a 115 gr. bullet or a 500 gr. bullet)
When the ranges are closed due to covid, and you are stuck at home, it is a great way to spend time. I handload in my spare time, I do not give up any activity at which I am EARNING MONEY in order to handload. So that time has no revenue value to me. It is spare time.
Comparing savings on relatively inexpensive cartridges is not a good way to do it. I handload for 81 cartridges and 5 shotshells. I really don't bother much with 20 and 12 ga shotshells because I cannot save so much on those. I definitely DO handload 16ga., 28 ga, and .410 shells.
My wife loves to shoot a Colt Officers Model Match .38 revolver with wadcutter ammo. I cast those and load them for about the same cost as .22 LR ammo. Factory wadcutters cost $27 for a box of 50.
@@garyK.45ACP You're fortunate, sir. Well, except for whatever state you're living in. I'm sure it's nice overall, but where I happen to reside the Governor declared gun shops and ranges as "essential". So they're still open. Best of luck to you and yours.
@@frankhellman6879 Gun shops are still open. At least the ones I usually go to. Ranges were declared essential BUT one of the clubs I shoot at is staffed only by volunteers and most of them are retired gentlemen. They decided to close. The other is a privately owned range and chose to close, it was not forced to close.
@@garyK.45ACP That's too bad. But at least when they reopen, you'll be able to shoot for hours and hours and hours!
Though of getting one of Lee's hand press and try that out
Always an option!
seems like your buddy Squib gave you the full setup. good for you !
Pretty much. It was enough for me to get the rest.
Make friends with police officers and see if they'll let you come to the police range with them. Brass galore! Our local PD range is also the area's police academy. They actually have a device that looks like an old time lawnmower that has rubber fingers that picks up the brass off the grass and gravel. They don't mind people running it around and picking up some brass, just don't go crazy. They usually have three or four barrels overflowing with 9mm and .223/5.56 brass. They sell the brass to a local ammo remanufacturer so they can get a discount on ammo. You can go go a public range and find all sorts of casings, even pick up .22LR casings. Most ranges don't mind at all if you clean up their range for them by picking up and trashing the steel casings and .22 LR casings. You can sell the casings you don't want to other reloaders, gun stores, or scrap dealers and turn around and turn that money into new reloading components.
When I started reloading I figured I would break even reloading around 3000 rounds of 9mm. You are recommending way more tool's than is needed to reload straight walled hand gun ammo.
Once you get the reloading manual you can decide what you need. Yes, you can get by with way less but what I mentioned was done so because it makes the experience more convenient,
I bought that same kit from Brownells $118 on sale, Lee 9mm 4 die set $22 Amazon on sale, digital scale Amazon $20, caliper Home Depot $20. Wet tumble brass (my kids shakes it in a gatorade bottle) $1.49. I have been reloading 9mm for 11 cents a round, that's polymer coated cast bullets and fast burning powder like Titegroup (like 1800 rounds per pound). You can do it on the cheap, just be patient and find the sales and stay away from mail ordering components if you can. I live in Kansas City and can buy everything locally so I dont pay shipping and hazmat costs
Right on!
I'm doing the same thing but I'm casting and also and powder coating for lube. $15 for a used Lyman Spartan press, $10 for a used set of dies at a gun show, $22 for a Frankford Arsenal scale, free range brass, free lead cast into 124 gr bullets ( Used mould and dipper at a gun show, $10 and a hot plate and cast iron pan, $14) 3c for a primer, 1c for powder, 1c for powder coating in an old toaster oven with leftover powder from a local coater and they shoot great. Nickel a pop.
Great vid. I went with the hornady LNL AP. I knew I was going to have other calibers and I was going to shoot by bulk. So I treat my progressive at times as a single stage. Theirs times I’m dialed in and I crank out a few and I do a recheck on powder and other things then I start back up. So I have both worlds. How has your press worked for you so far. As far as cost I’m saving in quality, precision and having fun.
It runs just fine. I have not had as much time as I have hoped for to reload but I feel that it is a great kit for just about anyone.
Great. I’m in the same boat I haven’t had much time to reload. I’ll find time to train but not enough to load. But I manage to keep my spent cases all separated and deprimed so all I have to do Is clean them run through the dies swag primer pocket if needed run the case trim work station if need then load them up.
DJMEDIC671 De priming is something I need to do. I should be doing that with all of the spent brass that I have.
I am not an expert by any means just started during the 2020 election when I could not find 223 even online for under $1 a round I reuse my brass I fire on the farm and I bought each component individually I have the LEE single stage C press, LEE die sets for the calibers I have, the lee bench primer, lee perfect powder thrower, Hornady case gages, RCBS brass prep tools it comes with the brush to clean the inside and primer pocket decrimpers, and to make sure my powder weight is correct I have a cheap pocket scale that I just 0 for each new case I am charging I don't even use the loading blocks and have yet to need to pull a bullet, I was getting into this for as cheaply but efficiently as possible and with the new panic buying I just bought more powder and primers to hold me over.
You are off to a great start!
Been reloading for 30 years using my Dillon 550 its been a great press with no problems. The main cost is as of now is components buttheads buying it up and selling it on line for jacked up prices.
Dillon is an awesome brand and I hope to upgrade to one from them someday! Yeah, component supply is definitely and issue. Crazy what some of these places want for used brass alone and the primers. Seems like everyone turns into a black market merchant when things go south.
Absolutely I still have like 3k large magnum rifle primers that I paid $ 1.95 a hundred and have people wearing my butt out to sell them for what I paid for them. I just have to look at them like they are nuts.
@@georgedistel1203 yup!
I’m actually looking at buying a small business that manufactures ammunition, I figured it’s a great time to switch careers 9mm target ammunition is nonexistent.
I agree!
That’s why I’m watching videos. Can’t find 9mm if my life depended on it!
@@RTS907 Thanks for watching!
Rick Samuels
Did you try online, direct from the manufacturers. That’s what I do, I just ordered from Target sports USA. 1000 rds hollow point. Fair price too.
Good luck, stay aware and safe.
@@goontubeassos7076 go to ammoseek.com and you can see what is out there. Im seeing 1K rounds of wolf 9mm for $349 if I am not mistaken.
Brand newbie here, can this be done as a decent side hustle? I’d be interested in making bullets and selling them? Any challenges?
I believe to sell ammo you may need a license and liability insurance. I had a buddy that did it for a while a few years ago and there was quite a bit that goes into it. With today's primer prices it will be hard to make a profit with ammo prices slowly decreasing.
That's wild, I get a box of 100 9mm for a about 38$, less if I buy the box of 500 (Herters brand) ends up being like 32$. I want to get into reloading but I guess I can cross the money saving aspect off 😅
32$ per 100 rounds if I buy the 500 box is what I meant
@@grlocal if you re use your brass you will start to save. I only load hollow point ammo similar to Critical Defense or Speer Gold Dots so I can load for less than half of what it costs in the store. When you get into loading your own rifle ammo, that is where you really start to save.
This is something I've been wondering for awhile. I've been thinking about reloading but not sure if it's worth my time or just keep buying cheap ammo.
Depends on how much you shoot and what caliber you use.
Travis I really hope you read this I need your help bad how do I buy or get bullet heads like the actual bullets i wanna get into reloading ammunition but i just need with everything like where can I get primers and gunpowder I’m really so interested in reloading and especially in the pandemic I need ammunition please and thank you
If you have an Academy Sports, Scheels, Cabelas or Bass Pro shops nearby those are good places to look for supplies. Go join thereloadersnetwork.com and in the meantime pick up the Lyman and Lee reloading manuals from a local book store or on Amazon and start reading. I studied reloading for nearly 2 years before I started rolling out my own rounds. Also, check out my reloading podcasts over on my podcast called Caliber Corner. Dont rush getting into it and educate yourself on the topic (reading, youtube videos, etc.) until you feel comfortable pressing your own ammo.
I would suggest you look at Nosler's RDF bullets for 6.5 CM
Will do!
we all need a friend like squib!
Absolutely!
You can amortize the cost per round. The first hundred rounds is $3.34/round. The first 1,000 is $0.33/round. The first 10,000 is $0.03/round. It’s a good investment for the serious reloaded. It’s expensive for the dilettante.
Dan Liberty true but the reasons to reloading go beyond just saving money!
travisp11 I agree. If you hunt or shoot competitions, then reloading makes sense. If you’re plinking, it may not. One of the costs involved is your time, and you have to ask yourself if the time needed to reload makes sense.
@@danliberty734 I agree.
Squibo really came through
great vid!
Yup. And now I have a reloading addiction.
Idk if this is a stupid question but can you reuse primers if theyre not punctured?
Also, if one spent 1,000 dollars on this stuff, how long do you think it would take to break even?
I am seeing boxes of 115gr 9mm FMJ selling for $40 for a box of 50. Let’s just say it will cost you .75 per round to buy new. If you could get everything you needed to get started for $1000, at today’s current market price it would take 1125 rounds to break even, assuming you acquired enough supplies to load 1K rounds. After 1125 rounds you are now just paying for supplies like powder, projectiles, primers, etc. but just remember, over a lifetime this can turn into a pretty significant savings.
And ad for your question on primers, I honestly don't know.