Posted: 10/6/2006 10:03:09 AM EDT
|
Just like a video game system, I dont really want one in my house.. Is there a place that lets you use their equipment for an hourly fee and you reload your own stuff? yes i am sure the legal disclaimer would be 45 pages long but I would sign it regardless. Anyone know something I dont ? :) |
I actually dont have a political inclination. That being said.. I need to make a new friend or get one of mine to buy a setup. The problem is it takes a few thousand rounds to make 9mm pay off.. Making it a hard sell :( |
|
You don't save too much reloading 9mm but, that's not the case with many other rounds. I don't know of any service like the one you mentioned... I think you should wait until you start shooting other calibers than 9mm and buy the necessary equipment when it is worth it... |
I believe its that you dont have to change everything just to change calibre, http://205.178.152.121/891088/bulletfeeder650.wmv Looks much faster than I ever imagined! |
Are Dillon's very good? Absolutely, and thier customer service is second to none. Dillon is very good for mass producing quality ammo quickly, but to give a blanket statement that they are the best is a bit much. The ability to change calibers quickly doesn't do it for me, as it's just as easy as unscrewing 1 set up die, inserting the other and adjusting the powder flow. For other things like making precision reloads, the Dillon doesn't do the job as well as a sturdy single stage without modifying things. I used a 550 to do all my reloading for years and I had no complaints. Since all I reload now is precision ammo, I make better use out of a cheap single stage press and good match dies. For plinking ammo, I just buy it as usually it's not worth my time to mass produce ammo for plinking. If you are wanting to make a lot of ammo quickly, then the Dillon will do it very well. If you are wanting to load a single type of ammo where you don't need as much (say 250 or less), then a good single stage will do it well and a lot cheaper. JFreinkel, I'll let you pay by the hour all you want if your close to Snellville-but I do it all on a single stage. 
|
I agree with that. Another reason is that it isn't worth the cost of all the equipment you'll need just to reload a small amount of ammo. I could tell you a lot about why I think the Dillon series is the best choice for a progressive press but, I'll have to find the time to write it down. If you ever get the chance to use one, you won't need me to convince you...
|
|
A guy at work has bought several Dillon presses off of egay and has made a couple of bucks reloading for people he knows. You might want to check there for a cheap dillon with all you'll need for it. They will still warranty it. For me, what it comes down to is what is your time worth? Would you rather spend 2.5-3 hours reloading 100 rounds on a single stage or 20 min. on a Dillon? Of course I shouldn't be talking about using time wisely, I'm trying for find someone to order Large rifle Berdan Primers from PMC so I can reload the swiss ammo for my Schmidt Rubin k31. Bookhounds going to look into it, but I can't belive that shops who are PMC distributors won't even call PMC to ask about the Berdan primers shown here. www.pmcammo.com/primers.php Guess they don't need a gratefull customer who would surely buy from them again. |
|
For straight wall cases, Lee equipment works just fine. You will never break or wear out their presses loading pistol ammo. They have the most robust decapping die in the industry, and their factory crimp/taper crimp is what you want for a round that headspaces on the case mouth. A Lyman 55 powder measure and a 550 gr capacity beam type scale will put you in business. Or you can spend 5 times as much and have about the same end result. 
|
If you go ahead and do your brass prep ahead of time (including priming) I can drop powder, seat bullet, and check OAL on 100 rounds in about 45-60 minutes easy. Hand priming I prefer just because I can make sure there are no high ones. If you use a powder that meters easily you can go even faster. When I load for my 458SOCOM using Winchester 296 that stuff meters awesome. Same charge every time. I had spent time checking every throw but it was always the same. You can feel if something is wrong on the powder throw and if that happens I dump it and throw another load. I dont reload 9mm because it is not worth my time. But for match grade .223 and my 458SOCOM I have paid for my setup many times over. 
|
Interesting- assuming you could get some ".217 Large Rifle" Berdan primers, how would you decap some South African 7.62 ammo? I have a good bit of that brass I've been retaining to sell for scrap- I'd rather reload it, since it seems to hold up better in my FAL than Remington brass. Doesn't the Berdan primed brass have 2 holes? I seem to remember reading that, but I've never whacked a case apart, since I didn't think you could get the primers. |
Berden primed has 2 smaller holes, there is a special decapping tool that is sold for it. You pretty much take each individual case and use the special punch and a hammer. Remington brass is notoriously soft-not as soft as Federal, but it doesn't take long to chew it up or too have the pockets open us so that it won't hold a primer. You may want to try Winchester brass as far as commercial brass goes as it's definetely harder. |