Posted: 1/14/2006 7:40:14 PM EDT
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Ok folks. I would like to do some reloading what with the rising cost of ammo. Here is my dillema. I live in a 16x8 trailer for the nonce until I move to Fla later this year(please god). I would like to get into loading for .223 and 7.62 but I dont have 2 things. The knowledge and the gear. Now I know that I could pick up a single stage press and it wouldnt take too much time with a hogdons manual to learn how. I just prefer to learn from someone who has mastered the process. Preferably someone who has a multi stage press so I can bang out a few k rounds. I will happily supply my roll your own components and trade ak knick knacks and stuff. I am by no means poor but I like doing crap myself for some reason. I also tend to be very single minded so sitting and doing repetitive motion for 4 hours is a cake walk. So I guess my question is this. Does anyone feel like hosting a private reloading party for me? I will bring beer and stuff |
I'm fairly new to reloading. But when I get into things I tend to  Sorry, gotta pass on the beer though. |
Did you miss all the goofy smilies? Besides, I work for a beer company, so beer jokes are "flowing" all the time around here..... AKs? Now I KNOW you are an        -- plethora of smilies to convey I'M JOKING!!
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If you are referring to my comment, I failed to convey my thoughts...... A guy who builds AK's......... A guy who makes ammo......... Friends of the community!  Two great things that go great together! |
You have a bi-pod mounted on your pistol? On subject: You will not save money reloading!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will just shoot more  because more ammo is just a stroke of the press away. Get the book anyway, they are very usefull, Speer makes a good book for starting, so do many others. And after you decide you like reloading, look into a Dillon, you wont be sorry.Also check out the ARFcom reloading forum HERE , there is some good info there. |
Get the 650! With auto case feed, auto index, and the auto bullet feeder from GSI, all you need to do is pull the handle and make sure the components are topped off. Well, the GSI unit only works with pistol bullets currently, but still.... www.gsiinternational.com/pages/3/index.htm |
| +1 on the 650 w/ case feeder, I was going to buy the 550 but I got the 650 instead, it is well worth the extra $$ in time saved. I added the case trimmer on its own tool head and trim 800-1000 .223 an hour. I'll have to check out the bullet feeder, I am going to tool up for .40 and .45 this year. |
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I purchaced the 550 for my first press, and it has done everything I want it for. I currently load 9, .45, and .308. I actually don't like it for the .308 an I end up using it like a glorified single stage when I load that. Reloading isn't really that hard, you just have to go slow and pay attention to what you are doing, and make sure that you understand what happens at each station on the press, and you should be ok. BTW, I could use some help with a couple of ak builds, so if you are interested in a mini build/reloading get togeather, let me know. |
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Maybe I'm a purist, or just beleive that there is (and should be) a natural progression to these things, but- Start with the RCBS RockChucker kit, it's about $175 IIRC at Wally World, and you get all the basics except a tumbler, powder, dies, primers, brass, bullets. I spent several years loading just .45ACP and .38SPCL, simple straight wall pistol cases to learn technique before I attempted rifle calibers. Here's part of the grabber- to develop your loads, (I tailor one to each specific firearm, as opposed to just "OK, here's my receipe for .223") you only will load 5-10 each at a specific powder charge weight, then you'll vary bullets, primers,once you begin obsessing, you'll find yourself trimming brass to different lengths.....but I digress- the point there is sfter the learning curve of discovering what works for you in regards to technique, placement of components on the bench, prepping your brass, setting your dies, and once you've learned some more stuff about checking your work, working efficiently ect, then it's time to move to the progressive and dump another $450.00 into your new obsession. BTW-There's also a lot of "hidden" expense in developing these loads, a box of bullets cost from $9.00 to $20.00, powders around $17.00 a pound. Once you have a progressive, (I just got a Dillon RL 550B this spring and LOVE it), the single stage is still good for odd tasks, small lots, and when you just want to be ultra-picky-accurate. DDofWA is dead balls on...you'll spend the same, but shoot twice as much.  BTW-All.....did anyone else notice reloading 7.62X39 was mentioned and not a single person piped up and said "WTF???? That shit's waaaay to friggin' cheap to not just buy the commie stuff!!!"  Sign-O-the times I guess. 
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Now my thread is inundated with those insipid damn smilies. I am not pissed or anything people. It just seems to me that when a thread about.....anything gets started people seem to jump out of the woodwork with stuff that is totally off point. I enjoy beer, I enjoy guns. I sometimes enjoy them at the same time in great moderation. I did catch the sarcasm that the smilies helped to convey. Perhaps the reason for my outburst was that I had some sand in my mangina. I may have had a shitty day. Back to the topic. I am currently looking at loading some plinking ammo. This is not ultra accurate match ammo here. You CAN save money by reloading if you look hard enough and order in bulk.(using someone elses equipment helps!) I personally feel that using someone elses machine is just fine since I cannot get my own at the moment. I think we have priced out components for 1k of .223 at 95 /1000 and it goes down from there if I order larger amounts. I guess I could just pick up some xm855sd though.......... Paradox and I have come to an understanding and we will be loading like madmen for a bit and building him an ak on the side. |