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Posted: 1/3/2014 3:06:41 PM EDT
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I am going to buy the Lee Classic Turret Kit-http://www.midwayusa.com/product/785993/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press-deluxe-kit
What else do I need besides this? I want to reload 9mm, 45, and 223. |
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I would recommend an RCBS or Hornady starter kit instead. More $$ but higher quality. After 35 yrs I'm still using my Hornady press and scale.
Also you need a reloaing manual, again I really like Hornady. They have more than just load recipes. They tell you about the terms used in the hobby and how things work. Also get "The ABC's of Reloading" as it covers the same material in a little more depth. Pick up a reloading magazine on the magazine rack when you see one. Especially when starting out you can't read too much on the subject. |
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Quoted:
I would recommend an RCBS or Hornady starter kit instead. More $$ but higher quality. After 35 yrs I'm still using my Hornady press and scale. Also you need a reloaing manual, again I really like Hornady. They have more than just load recipes. They tell you about the terms used in the hobby and how things work. Also get "The ABC's of Reloading" as it covers the same material in a little more depth. Pick up a reloading magazine on the magazine rack when you see one. Especially when starting out you can't read too much on the subject. +1 |
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Yes you will need specific dies for each caliber you want to load.
You will need a press, dies, scales, primer tool (most presses have them built in - I really hate the Hornady one and use an RCBS handheld primer seater), case trimmer, case mouth tool and a lube pad. Hornady and RCBS, and I think Lee also, have starter kits that have what you need to get started and offer them at a discounted price over buying each part or tool individually. This is the way to go. From your question I'm taking it you have nothing right now. I highly recommend you go straight to Amazon, or Barnes&Noble, or whatever your favorite book outlet, and order The ABC's right now and start reading before you order a kit. You'll have a better idea of what you'll need and want and it'll save you money. Please do this first. |
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Quoted: Do I need dies for each caliber? what other equipment would I need? OK my answers are for the Lee equipment like you asked about. u need a turret for each caliber. you need dies for each caliber. you need a dial or digital caliper. a case gauge. you need a case trimmer for the 223. since that kit has the cutter tools, just spend the couple of buck to get this http://leeprecision.com/gage-holder-223-rem.html its slow going, but works well for a beginner. |
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Quoted: Do I need dies for each caliber? what other equipment would I need? Lots of good info up there.
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LINK
You may not like what I have to say but it is based on years of reloading experience. My suggestion is forget reloading rifle for now and start with one pistol caliber which ever you prefer to shoot for me that would be 45. Buy a Dillon progressive reloader and their dies then buy what ever reasonably inexpensive powder scale you can find to be sure the powder charge is corrrect. Dillon powder throwers are far more reliable than other brands that I have used. Working with a progressive loader you set the dies once and leave them. When one works with a single stage loader or a single stage loader with a turret on top if one changes caliber each die needs to be reset each time its changed. Horniday has a system where the die screws into a quick connect sleeve to make this less painful. Rifle cartridges require that you measure the case length trim the case length and deburr the trimmed neck on every case in addition to cleaning and uniforming the primer pocket and unforming the flash hole this is a huge pain in the ass unless you are shooting a lot or shooting particularly expensive calibers or need a specific load for some purpose like match competitions. I load rifle calibers with a RCBS Rock Chucker and have since the mid 70s it is very time consuming to make rifle cartridges. A progressive press will use a carbide sizer ffor pistol cartridges so no lube step no case trim step. I do suggest you have a measuring device to check over all cartridge length but you can eye ball it for a while. One more tid bit if you ever go to 40 S&W there is a resize die that you push the entire case through and they seem to need that where the 9 and 45 dont. |
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Quoted:
OK my answers are for the Lee equipment like you asked about. u need a turret for each caliber. you need dies for each caliber. you need a dial or digital caliper. a case gauge. you need a case trimmer for the 223. since that kit has the cutter tools, just spend the couple of buck to get this http://leeprecision.com/gage-holder-223-rem.html its slow going, but works well for a beginner. Quoted:
Quoted:
Do I need dies for each caliber? what other equipment would I need? u need a turret for each caliber. you need dies for each caliber. you need a dial or digital caliper. a case gauge. you need a case trimmer for the 223. since that kit has the cutter tools, just spend the couple of buck to get this http://leeprecision.com/gage-holder-223-rem.html its slow going, but works well for a beginner. list of stuff Lee classic turret kit 45acp turret 45acp dies digital caliper 45acp case gauge Will I be GTG for reloading? |
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Quoted: list of stuff Lee classic turret kit 45acp turret 45acp dies digital caliper 45acp case gauge Will I be GTG for reloading? Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Do I need dies for each caliber? what other equipment would I need? u need a turret for each caliber. you need dies for each caliber. you need a dial or digital caliper. a case gauge. you need a case trimmer for the 223. since that kit has the cutter tools, just spend the couple of buck to get this http://leeprecision.com/gage-holder-223-rem.html its slow going, but works well for a beginner. list of stuff Lee classic turret kit 45acp turret 45acp dies digital caliper 45acp case gauge Will I be GTG for reloading? Yes, for 45's, for 9 and 223 you need a turret for each one and dies for each one. The turrets work for all the dies, not caliber specific. I suggested getting a case gage for 223, didn't say anything about 45's and I don't know about 45's cuz I don't load that one. |
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Quoted:
I have decided that I would rather buy the Lee Pro 1000 Proggessive Press Kit 45ACP. Can someone please list the other equipment I would need besides bullets, brass, powder, and primer? Thanks for your time. A good QUALITY scale! Your choice whether you want an electronic or a balance beam. I have both, now. But I reloaded for 40 years with just a balance beam. It recently started giving erratic results... I sent it back to RCBS and they replaced it their top of the line scale (no longer make the medium unit I had). Service like that is unmatched! If you get an electronic, check it often... as batteries or voltage fluctuates, so to will your results. Charge weights is not something to "guess" at. If at a minimum, all you injure is your pride or a gun with improperly loaded ammo... that's too much! Secondly, buy as many reloading manuals as you can afford. My bench has books from Speer, Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Hodgdon, IMR, Lyman, Alliant, Accurate and Winchester guides. None of them are limited to one edition. I also have the Alliant, Accurate and Hodgdon data sites bookmarked on my laptop... which often accompanies me out to the reloading shop. I can show example after example of changes to data, some conflicting information between publishers, even from the same publisher. Lastly keep in mind that every gun, be it whatever brand or model you wish to name has minute differences from one unit to the next. If your gun was chambered with a brand new reamer, the chamber is likely larger than the one that was cut with that same reamer after it's been used 50,000 times. Do you know where in the life of that reamer your chamber was cut? I fear not. For that reason... no matter what your buddy or anyone on any forum might say... NEVER start at the maximum load given in ANY load data book or resource. The best advice I was given when I started was to start just below the mid-point and work up in MINUTE increments until you find the best accuracy in YOUR gun... or you start to see signs of high pressure... sticky extraction, brass shaved into ejectors, flattened primers, punctured primers, et al. The internet is full of pictures of destroyed guns due to overcharges, squibs (usually ends with a bullet plugging a barrel and the next round being a full charge), study them... THINK about what you're doing while you're doing it. Not the bills that need paid, your car, your sex life or anything else. Endeavor to NOT be an example of what NOT to do. Reloading ammo is not difficult... it ain't rocket science. But, it demands attention to details to be done right. I've been reloading on a progressive for about 28 years, but... each time I set my machine up for a loading session, I double check the settings of dies and powder charges just the same as I did when reloading on a single stage. I keep dummy rounds of each caliber and bullet for that cartridge in the reloading box the appropriate dies came in. I then double check the seating die depth, even if that is the exact same load & bullet as the previous session. This ensures that the finished rounds will cycle in the action, checking powder weights each and every time ensures that performance will be a close to the same as humanly possible. Lastly, I recommend the last thing you acquire is a mentor to help guide your initial loading sessions. Pick this person with care. They are your fail-safe. This should be someone well-versed in all types of reloading... someone you trust with your and your family's future. Sorry about being long-winded, but one seldom does one get to make a mistake that doesn't have serious consequences. There are many areas of reloading that are equally important, but... frankly, they publish whole books to cover the subject... I'd destroy the bandwidth here if I tried to cover it all. Some shooters shoot to reload, others reload to shoot. Whichever you are, or end up... reloading is a hobby of it's own. Enjoy it. |
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Quoted:
A good QUALITY scale! Your choice whether you want an electronic or a balance beam. I have both, now. But I reloaded for 40 years with just a balance beam. It recently started giving erratic results... I sent it back to RCBS and they replaced it their top of the line scale (no longer make the medium unit I had). Service like that is unmatched! If you get an electronic, check it often... as batteries or voltage fluctuates, so to will your results. Charge weights is not something to "guess" at. If at a minimum, all you injure is your pride or a gun with improperly loaded ammo... that's too much! Secondly, buy as many reloading manuals as you can afford. My bench has books from Speer, Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Hodgdon, IMR, Lyman, Alliant, Accurate and Winchester guides. None of them are limited to one edition. I also have the Alliant, Accurate and Hodgdon data sites bookmarked on my laptop... which often accompanies me out to the reloading shop. I can show example after example of changes to data, some conflicting information between publishers, even from the same publisher. Lastly keep in mind that every gun, be it whatever brand or model you wish to name has minute differences from one unit to the next. If your gun was chambered with a brand new reamer, the chamber is likely larger than the one that was cut with that same reamer after it's been used 50,000 times. Do you know where in the life of that reamer your chamber was cut? I fear not. For that reason... no matter what your buddy or anyone on any forum might say... NEVER start at the maximum load given in ANY load data book or resource. The best advice I was given when I started was to start just below the mid-point and work up in MINUTE increments until you find the best accuracy in YOUR gun... or you start to see signs of high pressure... sticky extraction, brass shaved into ejectors, flattened primers, punctured primers, et al. The internet is full of pictures of destroyed guns due to overcharges, squibs (usually ends with a bullet plugging a barrel and the next round being a full charge), study them... THINK about what you're doing while you're doing it. Not the bills that need paid, your car, your sex life or anything else. Endeavor to NOT be an example of what NOT to do. Reloading ammo is not difficult... it ain't rocket science. But, it demands attention to details to be done right. I've been reloading on a progressive for about 28 years, but... each time I set my machine up for a loading session, I double check the settings of dies and powder charges just the same as I did when reloading on a single stage. I keep dummy rounds of each caliber and bullet for that cartridge in the reloading box the appropriate dies came in. I then double check the seating die depth, even if that is the exact same load & bullet as the previous session. This ensures that the finished rounds will cycle in the action, checking powder weights each and every time ensures that performance will be a close to the same as humanly possible. Lastly, I recommend the last thing you acquire is a mentor to help guide your initial loading sessions. Pick this person with care. They are your fail-safe. This should be someone well-versed in all types of reloading... someone you trust with your and your family's future. Sorry about being long-winded, but one seldom does one get to make a mistake that doesn't have serious consequences. There are many areas of reloading that are equally important, but... frankly, they publish whole books to cover the subject... I'd destroy the bandwidth here if I tried to cover it all. Some shooters shoot to reload, others reload to shoot. Whichever you are, or end up... reloading is a hobby of it's own. Enjoy it. Quoted:
Quoted:
I have decided that I would rather buy the Lee Pro 1000 Proggessive Press Kit 45ACP. Can someone please list the other equipment I would need besides bullets, brass, powder, and primer? Thanks for your time. A good QUALITY scale! Your choice whether you want an electronic or a balance beam. I have both, now. But I reloaded for 40 years with just a balance beam. It recently started giving erratic results... I sent it back to RCBS and they replaced it their top of the line scale (no longer make the medium unit I had). Service like that is unmatched! If you get an electronic, check it often... as batteries or voltage fluctuates, so to will your results. Charge weights is not something to "guess" at. If at a minimum, all you injure is your pride or a gun with improperly loaded ammo... that's too much! Secondly, buy as many reloading manuals as you can afford. My bench has books from Speer, Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Hodgdon, IMR, Lyman, Alliant, Accurate and Winchester guides. None of them are limited to one edition. I also have the Alliant, Accurate and Hodgdon data sites bookmarked on my laptop... which often accompanies me out to the reloading shop. I can show example after example of changes to data, some conflicting information between publishers, even from the same publisher. Lastly keep in mind that every gun, be it whatever brand or model you wish to name has minute differences from one unit to the next. If your gun was chambered with a brand new reamer, the chamber is likely larger than the one that was cut with that same reamer after it's been used 50,000 times. Do you know where in the life of that reamer your chamber was cut? I fear not. For that reason... no matter what your buddy or anyone on any forum might say... NEVER start at the maximum load given in ANY load data book or resource. The best advice I was given when I started was to start just below the mid-point and work up in MINUTE increments until you find the best accuracy in YOUR gun... or you start to see signs of high pressure... sticky extraction, brass shaved into ejectors, flattened primers, punctured primers, et al. The internet is full of pictures of destroyed guns due to overcharges, squibs (usually ends with a bullet plugging a barrel and the next round being a full charge), study them... THINK about what you're doing while you're doing it. Not the bills that need paid, your car, your sex life or anything else. Endeavor to NOT be an example of what NOT to do. Reloading ammo is not difficult... it ain't rocket science. But, it demands attention to details to be done right. I've been reloading on a progressive for about 28 years, but... each time I set my machine up for a loading session, I double check the settings of dies and powder charges just the same as I did when reloading on a single stage. I keep dummy rounds of each caliber and bullet for that cartridge in the reloading box the appropriate dies came in. I then double check the seating die depth, even if that is the exact same load & bullet as the previous session. This ensures that the finished rounds will cycle in the action, checking powder weights each and every time ensures that performance will be a close to the same as humanly possible. Lastly, I recommend the last thing you acquire is a mentor to help guide your initial loading sessions. Pick this person with care. They are your fail-safe. This should be someone well-versed in all types of reloading... someone you trust with your and your family's future. Sorry about being long-winded, but one seldom does one get to make a mistake that doesn't have serious consequences. There are many areas of reloading that are equally important, but... frankly, they publish whole books to cover the subject... I'd destroy the bandwidth here if I tried to cover it all. Some shooters shoot to reload, others reload to shoot. Whichever you are, or end up... reloading is a hobby of it's own. Enjoy it. Thanks! Great advice. Sorry for the questions but I have never reloaded before. If I purchase the Lee Pro 1000 45 ACP Kit, a good powder scale, and a good reloading manual, am I set to start loading 45ACP? ETA: Besides bullets, brass, primers, and powder. |
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There's a link above to an article in the Resources at the top of the forum that lays out exactly what equipment you will need to reload, ranging from the basics to a deluxe set up. Read the first article.
Buy the LEE Classic Turret press. This is a cast steel press that is a sort of a hybrid that can be used in an auto advance or single stage mode. Die plates are inexpensive and easy to change. The price is a good value. The aluminum frame bench mounted presses made by LEE can't be recommended. The single stage aluminum press is okay for someone that just can't swing more cost, but it's not recommended, either. If you buy the LEE Pro 1000 get up to speed on all its quirks and buy spare parts for the common failures. This is a really bad way for a new reloader to start, you need to focus on the reloading process, not fiddling with the obstacles erected by a machine. An automatic progressing press is a bad idea for a new reloader even when the machine is set up and working correctly. When a glitch occurs, and they will, the machine attempts to advance anyway, and that leads to multiple problems to sort out. Unless you have experience with setup, adjustment, and maintenance of complex equipment such as a packaging line in a plant, an auto advance press should not be your jumping place. The LEE Classic Turret is simple enough and functions such that I would make an exception in that case. |
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Welcome to the forum and a great hobby.
Buy the ABC of reloading, buy a reloading manual (Lymanns, Speers etc) and read them multiple times from front to back. Don't simply flip to the .45 ACP section. It sounds stupid but those books will answer a ton of your up front questions and put you in a better place to ask the right questions. You will want to keep these books close to where you reload as reference material. The sticky thread at the top of the page as a ton of questions asked by folks that were in your same spot. The very kind folks on this board have taken time to answer those questions, you can learn a lot from other people's questions and the answers they received. Please please do not just dive into reloading half cocked. While this hobby is relatively safe when appropraite measures are taken there are still plenty of hazards that can lead to unfortunate accidents. I would agree on the pro 1000 being a bad idea to start, while the classic turret is far more forgiving. You can run it as a single stage or advancing station machine, low cost (not cheap), allows you to change calibers, and overall not a bad starting point. Once you have the basics down you can upgrade and either sell off your turret or keep it around to run a dedicated caliber or a brass prep station. |
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