Reloading FAQs

[marknb]

hello everyone iam new to this blog stuff. so be kind please. i have a ar 15 a ak 47 a 30.06 for rifles and in hand guns i have a 9mm and a 45. smmunition is getting expensive and i use to own a 44 mag that i reloaded with a single stage rcbs which was great and saved me a lot of money on ammo. but my ex wife took my 44 and reloader. iam looking in to investing in a new reloader, i have narrowed it down to a 550 or a 650 xl dillion, or a rcbs pro 2000 but since iam new to a progressive reloader i would like to get some input to which yall thought would be the best and most easy to change from caliber to cliber i have done some reading and it seems that the rcbs gun powder dispensor or mre accurate and jost one does rifles and hand guns where with a dillion you have to have 2 different powder dispensor for rifle s and guns . i have also read that the rcbs is much quicker to change out from claiber to caliber. please LET ME KNOW HWAT YOU THINK..

 

[swampratt]

Welcome marknb.
I feel the progressive presses are good for pistol ammo ..
For my rifle stuff i use a single stage.. why?
I deprime then clean..then i size..then i trim..then i measure all neck ID and OD and sort..
So a progressive for rifle would not work for me like that...

I have tried some powder dispensers.. and the powders i choose to use do not get along with them..
My scale is a beam.. on a separate bench and i can see the movement of 1 granual of stick powder..
where 3-4 weigh a tenth of a grain...
Picky i suppose...A lot of people use ball powder in their rifles to get a good metering from them..

What i am getting at is you may need a single stage and a progressive

 

[Old Fart]

Rounds p/Pound Reference Chart

http://www.reloadbench.com/gloss/grain.html

Seems somebody is always asking about or looking for this data.

 

[RedHawk357Mag]

Scales. I think scales would be a common asked question. Along with that is an excellent accessory called the Scale weight checkset, RCBS makes one and Lyman makes one. Thinking they run around 30.00. Think some folks use a coin, a bullet, or maybe a washer of some type. If I am running the ragged edge of MAX charges I feel just a little more comfortable using the real McCoy checksets. As for scales I think I will find that most cannot find disagreement with recommending the RCBS 1010 scale. I have a crazy accurate digital scale that is just short of laboratory grade that I paid way too much money for so can't really speak for digital recommendations. I also use a scale platform that I fabricate out of particle board to make leveling the scale a lot easier then trying to level the whole reloading bench. I need to make a new one as my old one came up missing during the move. Will post pictures in DIY thread when I get around to it.

 

[NikatKimber]

Scales. I think scales would be a common asked question. Along with that is an excellent accessory called the Scale weight checkset, RCBS makes one and Lyman makes one. Thinking they run around 30.00. Think some folks use a coin, a bullet, or maybe a washer of some type. If I am running the ragged edge of MAX charges I feel just a little more comfortable using the real McCoy checksets. As for scales I think I will find that most cannot find disagreement with recommending the RCBS 1010 scale. I have a crazy accurate digital scale that is just short of laboratory grade that I paid way too much money for so can't really speak for digital recommendations. I also use a scale platform that I fabricate out of particle board to make leveling the scale a lot easier then trying to level the whole reloading bench. I need to make a new one as my old one came up missing during the move. Will post pictures in DIY thread when I get around to it.

Good point. Scales, and calipers, are both invaluable tools for the reloader; even the beginner needs them.

 

[RedHawk357Mag]

Couple of useful PDFs 1st one is a supplement Handloader Magazine did. The 2nd one is from Lyman Basic reloader Guide. 3rd is a real basic guide put out by RCBS.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byat9FFyjtAWdXptYXg0eHI0eUE/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byat9FFyjtAWdVlwUnI4V0duRjg/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byat9FFyjtAWTllESGN1SzNLRjA/edit?usp=sharing

 

[NightShade]

Came across the Modern Reloading - 1st Edition - by Richard Lee

https://archive.org/details/Modern_Reloading_1st_Edition_by_Richard_Lee

Second edition is now available with updated information but a lot of people are complaining that some rounds have had information removed and some rounds have been removed completely so this is not a bad thing to have around for reference even if you have the second edition already.

 

[NikatKimber]

I'll try and go through and add/update this a bit soon. Bumping it for now. Also, anyone that can add information please feel free to do so, I can edit the old posts to include additional information.

 

[NightShade]

I think this will be helpful for people who are having a difficult time finding a particular powder that is recommended and want to look for an alternative. I took a screen shot of this page http://www.adi-powders.com.au/handloaders/equivalents.asp and will post it here JUST in case the original page were to ever go offline.

BIG HUGE NOTE: The load data for one round will not directly translate to another and you should look up ALL load data for the round and powder combination and start at the lowest point and work the load up. The equivalents are within approx 5% and can change from batch to batch and react differently with temperature variables. Be safe and find reputable load data before reloading.

Spoiler: Click here ONLY if you understand safe loading and do not hold the poster or the site liable for any damages due to the data below.

 

[kwaynem]

I have a question I haven't seen covered cleaning brass before depriming or anything else