NEED ADVICE!!!

jcp7857 · Rookie Member Joined: Feb 28, 2008 Posts: 22

Hello all I new here to the forum and reloading.

I just purchased my first handgun a .45 ACP, and need some advice on reloading kits.

I plan to eventually have two caliber kits one for the .45 ACP, and another for my .300 Ultra Mag. I am going to be shooting just for fun with the .45, and only hunting/sighting in the .300. So the 45 is most important, but the .300 is no longer made so I will eventually have to reload them myself.

So I need a kit to start hopefully with dies for one or the other, I am looking at Progressive dies, and hopefully Dillon.

My questions include:
1. What are some good reads for a newbie?
2. What are the best manuals?
3. Which press will handle both calibers/lengths?
4. What all accessories do I need other then what is in the kit?
5. Are the progressive presses a good choice?
6. Where are the best place online to purchase; kits/accessories, brass/bullets/powder/primers, and also manuals/books?

Thanks in advance for the response,
Jesse

Feel free to ask any questions that will help you to help me!

Jack · Member Joined: Oct 19, 2005 Posts: 98

The first step is to get a manual or two, and read them. In addition to loading data, manuals (most of them) give step by step illustrated instructions on how to reload, and why you do things.
If there is a brand of bullets or powder you think you want to use, buy their manual.
Nosler, Hornady, and Speer for example, all publish good manuals.
My advice would be NOT to start with a progressive press. You'll want a single stage press for the 300 anyway, so start there. Once you have mastered basic reloading on a single stage press, you can move on to a progressive, if you feel the need.

woods · Member Joined: Oct 15, 2005 Posts: 89

Quote::

but the .300 is no longer made so I will eventually have to reload them myself.

Did something happen that I didn't hear about? Shocked

I was under the impression that the 300 RUM was becoming one of the most popular new calibers and has been chosen as the signature caliber for a lot of gunmakers.

To address your question I would recommend

1. A Nosler #5 reloading manual
2. A load data book called "One Book / One Caliber" from www.loadbooks.com
3. Continue to hit the internet forum sites and read everything you are interested in at all. Don't take every post for fact but you will learn to separate the wheat from the chaff
forums.accuratereloading.com/eve
www.reloadersnest.com/...efault.asp
practicalrifler.6.foru.../index.php
www.longrangehunting.c.../index.php
www.predatormastersfor...mp;Board=5
www.24hourcampfire.com...hreads.php
4. Search for and read off the internet
www.varmintal.net/arel...#Case_Prep
stevespages.com/page8.htm
www.rathcoombe.net/sci...thods.html
www.surplusrifle.com/s.../index.asp

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:34 am Post subject: Re: NEED ADVICE!!!

First of all...Forget the progressive press until you have learned the basics. And you can only learn them on a single stage press. Besides when you decide to move up to a turret or a progressive press you will still have need of the single stage press. And a better idea of what you want...

1. Lyman's 48 Edition Reloading Hand Book would be a good first start.
2. There are a maraid of different manuals, but Lyman's will serve you well and it has conservative load data that will keep you in the safe range until you have it all figured out.
3. Buy a good "O" type press. Lee, RCBS and several others.
4. Calipers...Which kit? There are several and they all have a different inventory.
5. For starting out? NO. When you have learned the basics. And I mean really understand what you are doing, then yes...
6. I use www.midwayusa.com for most of my purchases other then powder and primers. I purchase them locally to avoid HAZMAT charges...Others on this site will also direct you to other sites.

Tell us what "kit" you plan on buying. Most "kits" are quite rudimentry and only have basic tools and leave out some important tools like calipers, trimming tools and other cartridge refining tools...

If you start this Hobby you must remember that it is like a drug and very habit forming...Has caused perfectly good husbands to fib to their spouses or make up excuses as to why they need to spend more money on accesories and components. Feel free to ask all the questions you wish on here. We have a wide range of hunters and reloaders with a wealth of knowledge.

Welcome to this fine site. Make sure you have a good substantual stump under you and a quality beer in your hand...

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:41 am Post subject: Re: NEED ADVICE!!!

I have never understood why people like those single calibre load books. In my (notso) humble opinion they are pretty much useless. Out of curiosity I bought one for .38 Special. $6.00 plus $18 more and I could have had a good load data manual. The loadbooks have little information and copy information from a number of real load data books. I found that I had all and more information in the three manuals that I already had...Just my thinkin' out loud... Very Happy

jcp7857 · Rookie Member Joined: Feb 28, 2008 Posts: 22

Well thanks for all of the response. I plan to do a lot of reading before buying. My uncle has a turret and he plans to reload with me before I even buy one. I just have to buy the dies for his press to do my .45ACP. I will keep looking at single presses.

My uncle has a Turret made by Lee, I am thinking thsi is my best route. I would liek to buy some dies for my .45 that can be used in his press. He said he would guide me through it, and let me use his set-up any time.

So another addictive hobby begins, as if my Saltwater Reef, Cigars, and Hunting and fishing weren't enough!

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:56 am Post subject: Re: NEED ADVICE!!!

Do you know anyone locally who reloads? That would be a good first step.

I agree with the folks above, start with a single stage press to learn reloading. My personal favorites are RCBS and Hornady but there are others. Make sure it's a pretty sturdy press for reloading the rifle round.

Read a few good manuals before buying anything else. Here I like Speer's, Hornady's and Lee's. If you have a particular bullet (or bullets) in mind buy that manufacturer's manual.

NOTE!! If you buy cheap now you're sure to regret it later! You don't have to buy the most expensive but be sure to get good quality.

midwayusa.com is a good place to start for reloading tools online. Natchez Shooting Supply is also good.

You're going to need:
MANUALS!!!
Press
Dies
Shell holder
Powder measure
Scales (I'd go ahead and get electronic scales)
Calipers
Loading block

A separate priming tool seems easier for me but you can prime on the press. Pretty quickly, if not immediately, you're going to need a case trimmer with the correct shell holders and pilots.

As Bushmaster said, PLEASE ask questions! Lots of good folks on here willing to help answer them.

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:12 am Post subject: Re: NEED ADVICE!!!

jcp7857...Looks like you have it in the bag. Uncles are nice to have once in a while. Just remember that an Uncle's job in life is to teach his nieces and nephews what their parents don't want you to know.. Very Happy

..( Taught my nephews how to steal oranges from a mean old neighbor when they were 10 and 12 years old...Shame on me Very Happy

)...

Never mind Pumkinslinger...He never reads previous posts. Embarassed

I've been loading on a Lee three hole Turret for the last 20 years. Do side and special jobs on a Lee "C" single stage (Going to replace it with an "O" single stage in about a week. The "C" press will be religated to priming chores only). They more then do the job...

Just remember...There are no councelers, no halfway houses or special drugs to cure you of the "degrading" hobby. Insane

Just gun shops that have more loading equipment and components... Very Happy

jcp7857 · Rookie Member Joined: Feb 28, 2008 Posts: 22

Thanks bushmaster, I think pumpkinslinger must have been typing when I posted.

Any one have any advice on dies, which ones to get, where from? Looking to get just the carbide .45 ACP for now!

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:31 am Post subject: Re: NEED ADVICE!!!

Oh man...Now you've gone done it...Take your pick. There are so many to pick from and all good or better. I use Lee and RCBS. In fact my loading bench is a mix of Lee and RCBS...

wncchester · Member Joined: Apr 08, 2006 Posts: 160

You can be assured of one thing; none of our makers produce bad loading equipment. It all works good so you won't go wrong with any of it. Over time you will develop a taste for some specific design features and gravitate to what serves your working style best but that takes experience.

Forty five years ago I started with a turret press. It was obvious that it would be more versatile, right? Well, it's not for me. I still have that old press but most of my work is now done on a single stage. All presses have a bit of "spring" in the frame and linkages but the turrets add more; there has to be a little slack there in order for that turret to rotate! And I don't load in enough volume to justify a progressive, few people do, so I eventually learned that a single stage press is right for me. I feel safe saying that Lee's newest single stage press, the "Classic Cast (iron)" is the best deal on the market, bar none, and it's inexpensive too.

I have an alternate view of digital scales; IMHO, standing alone (not an electronic powder dispenser combo) digitals are an expensive exercise in gimmicry. Much better, far more durable, reliable and repeatable are the beam scales. Digitals do offer some advantages for measureing anything other than powder charges, that is they work well for weighing cases, bullets, etc. But I rarely do any of that anymore, I think it's tilting at windmills, so I only use my scale for measuring powder charges.

Loaders need simplicity, who needs to constantly have to wonder if a scale has changed sensitivity? Digitals really aren't very simple. Good digital scales, especially the dispenser combos, are expensive and MAY be a couple of seconds faster per charge than a modern beam scale and a good (Redding) manual measure/tricker but, for me, that's trivial even for a lengthy loading session. On the other hand, my old beam scale (a Lyman M-5, basically the same as the current RCBS 1010 or 505) needs no "warm-up" time, it follows my trickler nicely and it does not drift in accuracy while I work.

I believe that no other handbook gives a beginner as good a foundation as does Lyman's. Other manuals are good but the Lyman is best because it gives good info and clear diagrams ranging from very basic to advanced. And it has a lot of data for cast lead bullets which the others neglict. You will eventually need/want a few of the other manuals because each one offers some unique info and data.

For easy to use .45 dies, or any pistol for that matter, you can't beat Lyman or Redding due to their excrellant expander design but, what ever brand you get, pay for the CARBIDE type! For now and a long time to come, any brand of standard rifle dies will do you a fine job. Later you may want to look at Forster or Redding competion type dies for the very best accuracy, but even they won't work a whole lot better than conventional dies so you may never need them.

jcp7857 · Rookie Member Joined: Feb 28, 2008 Posts: 22

Thanks guys, this is very helpful. I will be ordering a couple mauals, and looking for some dies to use in my uncles press. Before I order the dies I will see what you think on quality and price.

Thanks again,
Jesse

jcp7857 · Rookie Member Joined: Feb 28, 2008 Posts: 22

www.leeprecision.com/c...ivers.html

Is this what you guys would consider a good begginers set-up.

I talked to a man at work today that said if I get a singel stage set-up he would come over and train me on it. He said he has been reloading since early 80s and has not had a single issue thus far. Hopefully he and my uncle will give me a good start.

Don't worry I am not buying anything yet, just planning ahead. But I am going to get a couple manuals here quick.

One more question, what if any is the diff. between a .45ACP and .45 Colt?

thanks

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: NEED ADVICE!!!

.45 ACP, as you already know, is for mostly auto pistols. .45 Colt is also known as .45 Long Colt and is mostly used in SAA revolvers and is older then the .45 ACP.

When you get your first load manual you will see the difference...One is, by far, longer then the other...

The .45 Colt (or Long Colt) is a rimed case and the .45 ACP is a rimless case...

Almost forgot...Yes, that would be a good starter kit...However you still will need calipers. Midway has them for $25.00. Not the best, but they will do what you want them to do. I use them at my bench and keep my very expensive Starrets in my tool box. I would invest in a few more breech lock adapters for future calibres. This will save having to change out the dies every time you change calibres...

jcp7857 · Rookie Member Joined: Feb 28, 2008 Posts: 22

So the manual again, I am just going to go order one now, or maybe pick one up at Bass Pro on my way home! Finally something I will enjoy reading, something diff then damn text books!