Need info on reloading

thrasherfox

BUSA
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I want to start reloading my own ammo.


I want to be able to take lead, melt it down, poor it into a mold to create my own bullet.

Then I want to be able to reload 6 types of differant rounds.


Can someone give me a laundry list of what I need and a souce from where I can get the equipment?

Thanks in advance.
 
Call me Bro, I have a press and have been reloading since '82 :whistle:

Wag is into it too :beerchug:
 
I used to pour my own .38 semi wad cutters, old wheel weights work like a champ as they have enough hardness (antimony?) to keep the rounds from leading up the bore.. Pure lead is way too soft

My god father got me started doing this when I was about 7 years old so is not rocket science.. I never did ball ammo or hp, just the semi wad cutters..

if you are going to pour your own here are the bare essentials..

cast iron smelting pot (does not need to be very large)
method to heat pot (small propane burner works fine)
Ladle
Bullet mold (find a multi, all I had was a single)
Sizer/lube die (sizes the round and lubes it in one push)

first few rounds are garbage as the mold needs to be at a certain temp for a smooth bullet pour.. after that it goes pretty fast..
 
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found some molds and sure there are plenty of other sources.

Bullet & Ingot Molds

the third item (left to right) is what I used.. the mold closed like a clam shell and the top slides shut.

The top has a small funnel/reservoir to channel molten lead into mold and hold a little extra. The extra keeps the mold topped off as it cools.. (takes maybe 10 seconds per round?)
 
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I am a reloader too since '88. But i do not cast my own bullets. I buy cast and lubed semi-wad cutters in bulk. Used to shoot competition.
I use Lee Precision Loading equiptment. They are on the internet.
Dont flame me you Dillon guys!:laugh:
 
Unless you are shooting things like 45 acp and 38 special, I would not jack with casting your own. You are better off with jacketed bullets for many reasons. You can buy jacketed .224 and .355 (9mm) for about $275-$285 per 3500.

Three basic press styles
Single stage (RCBS Rockchucker)
Turrent (Lyman T-Mag)
Progressive (Dillon)

I'd recommend starting with a T-Mag Kit to get you going. Step up to a dillion later after you learn the ropes and wnat something faster.

Lyman T-Mag Expert Deluxe Reloading Kit

This, a set of dies, shell holder, powder, primers, bullets, you should be good to go.
 
Unless you are shooting things like 45 acp and 38 special, I would not jack with casting your own. You are better off with jacketed bullets for many reasons. You can buy jacketed .224 and .355 (9mm) for about $275-$285 per 3500.

Three basic press styles
Single stage (RCBS Rockchucker)
Turrent (Lyman T-Mag)
Progressive (Dillon)

I'd recommend starting with a T-Mag Kit to get you going. Step up to a dillion later after you learn the ropes and wnat something faster.

Lyman T-Mag Expert Deluxe Reloading Kit

This, a set of dies, shell holder, powder, primers, bullets, you should be good to go.

I cast several dozen different bullets 22 cal to 60 cal. Very few of my firearms have seen jacketed bullets. Just the gas operated ones.

Get a Lyman or RCBS 20 pound bottom pour pot. Use 4 cavity moulds, Saeco, RCBS, NEI. Lymans are ok but the handle is uncomfortable. Stay away from Lee stuff.

A Star sizer is the best out there. Now sold at Magma Engineering. They sell a good casting book. A Lyman cast bullet handbook is also very good.

Get a separate pot and burner to melt scrap lead or to alloy in. Use a cast iron pot and propane burner or coleman stove for that. Use animal fat as a flux to reclaim lead. Bacon fat works well. My reclaim burner is 120,000 BTU with a huge dutch oven. Holds about 90 pounds of lead. I alloy in an electric plumbers pot.

I would not buy a single stage press either. Get a Dillion. You can run it one round at a time till you get the hang of it. Single stage die sets don't transfer well to progressives. You end up short a die and have one you can't use.

I have cast and loaded hundreds of thousands of rounds.

Go to

Cast Boolits - Dedicated To The World Of Cast Bullets!

All most all the information there is accurate. Lots of pics of casting setups.

I could go on for hours about casting alone. Alot of things you just have to play with and learn by failing. Alot of frustration. Figuring out casting temps is one of them. Every mould is different, cool down times and pour rates vary too. Preheat your moulds on a hot plate while your pot heats up. I preheat to 400*. You'll get usable bullets after 5 or 6 cycles that way. New moulds need to be broken in. Sometimes hundreds of cycles before you will get good results.

What ever you do, do not touch a mould with a wire brush or any abrasive. I don't even touch them with my hands. Store them in an air tight ammo can, lead in the cavities with the sprue attached. Load the can the silica decisient.

PM me with questions, I love casting. Nothing better than out shooting someone with your home cast bullets. Especially when they tell you casting's too hard or produces crappy bullets.
 
Thrasher, like others I have been reloading for many years. I worked in a gun shop and was shooting over 4000 rounds aweek with a .44 mag and .45 auto. I had to reload to afford it. I have some stuff laying around along with a real good book I would be more than happy to pass off to you.
I use Lee because they are here in Wisconsin and Old Man Lee has done some very neat experiments. PM me your addy and I will see about getting the book off to you.
Reloading is a fun end enjoyable experience. Just like riding the Busa though, you need to be safe and aware of what you are doing at all times.
Kevin
 
Thrasher, like others I have been reloading for many years. I worked in a gun shop and was shooting over 4000 rounds aweek with a .44 mag and .45 auto. I had to reload to afford it. I have some stuff laying around along with a real good book I would be more than happy to pass off to you.
I use Lee because they are here in Wisconsin and Old Man Lee has done some very neat experiments. PM me your addy and I will see about getting the book off to you.
Reloading is a fun end enjoyable experience. Just like riding the Busa though, you need to be safe and aware of what you are doing at all times.
Kevin

PM sent!

Thanks :thumbsup:
 
sure has come a long ways since I was having fun pouring one round at a time :laugh:

Any of you comment on the wheel weight lead we used? it did not deform much as I recall when we recovered spent lead.. could it actually be too hard?
 
I've only been reloading for 10+ years so I'm no real expert. I will say a few things.

Never use Lee equipment. It really blows. Dillon has a great reputation but I've never used their stuff. Personally, I prefer Lyman products.

Get carbide resizing dies. Worth the extra $$.

I don't cast bullets. I think the risk in breathing lead fumes is very high. If you do decide to cast your own, make SURE you have more than an excellent exhausting system set up. Also, I don't like lead in the barrels of my guns. That said, however, copper in the barrels is just as bad! Again, that said, I haven't completely excluded the possibility that I might start casting bullets but I haven't decided for sure.

Accuracy is my goal. Therefore, I use a single stage press so I can get ammo as close to consistent and perfect as possible. Strategically, I load for each gun. 10 rounds and test, 10 rounds and test, 10 rounds and test, etc. When you get close to what you want, fine tune until you get it spot on. I have a .38 Spl. round for my wife's GP100 that gives same-hole accuracy at 25 feet.

Watch yourself. Reloading is NOT an activity to do while you're tired or after tipping a few back with the buds.

Safety first. Don't do anything that has not been recommended by a loading manual. Seriously. As a footnote, faster bullets are not always the most accurate and higher powered or heavier loads aren't always the most accurate either. Translation: More is NOT always better. You're not a scientist or an expert in flammables so no experimentation is allowed on your loading bench.

If you need a tool, buy it. Do not improvise 'cause it just ain't worth the trouble it can cause. You're running a miniature precision machine shop so do it right. By the same token, you do NOT have to pay tons of money for good equipment, either. Shop around and buy used from someone who no longer loads. Take a friend who knows the hobby to help you. Have that same guy teach you what to do. Then read at least a couple of loading manuals. It really doesn't take that long to read through them. Better to spend a week or two studying than the remainder of your lifetime with only six fingers or only one eye. Or worse, accompanying a family member to the ER.

Check out GUNFORUMS THE PLACE TO TALK ABOUT ALL GUNS!. They have a reloading section and most of those guys know their stuff. What I would never do, however, is use a build recipe I got from an internet forum. Too risky.

Have fun! You'll enjoy the hobby.

--Wag--
 
If you are primarily interested in pistol rounds the Dillon square deal is a great reloader. It has removeable blocks so when you go from 45 to 9mm or 40 all you have to do is swap blocks and reset your powder. I have put upwards of 50,000 rounds through it without a problem .I haven't bought any lead since the election but, a box of 500ct 45cal 200grain fmj used to be pretty reasonable. Myself I would stick to fmj's better on the gun and you. I used to pour lead for 50cal to use for slingshots and muzzel loaders but, tollerances are not uber critical there and thats about it .
 
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Everybody around here uses RCBS Rockcrusher press. Bunch of machinists & tool & die. Don't buy a set, go for individual components when you know what you want, saves upgrading on components. +1 jacketed bullets. Lots of loads posted on the net but you need to know your way around micrometers. Nice hobby, no good if you smoke:whistle:
 
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