Once you start reloading 9mm or 45acp in bulk (thousands) you'll buy one.....or wish you did.
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What did you do in the reloading room recently?
- Thread starter DW357
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Once you start reloading 9mm or 45acp in bulk (thousands) you'll buy one.....or wish you did.
That has been the plan, maybe with tax return. For now I just wanted to give it a try. I have only done bottleneck rifle cartridges so this will be a learning experience. Wonder if I should buy a Hi-Point to test the initial roundsOnce you start reloading 9mm or 45acp in bulk (thousands) you'll buy one.....or wish you did.
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headednorth
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Can't imagine loading 9mm on a single stage again. Once you go blue...
Reloading 9mm is stupid easy compared to rifle calibers. You’ll be fine. And you’ll definitely want to get a progressive press if you’re going to be jumping into USPSA lol.That has been the plan, maybe with tax return. For now I just wanted to give it a try. I have only done bottleneck rifle cartridges so this will be a learning experience. Wonder if I should buy a Hi-Point to test the initial rounds
That's good. Maybe I am a little too worried. I feel like I read a bunch of threads/sites saying how reloading pistol was more challenging and dangerous, etc. Looking forward to not needing to lube. I hate trimming, too. Still I think I'll shoot the first rounds out of my Glock and not my Sig or Shadow. Or invest in that Hi-Point lol. A progressive seems a bit anathema to how I load currently but it's the way to go, I'm sure. Just need to figure out how to get one running as it seems complicated, probably just because I haven't really looked into it.
mark2215
NES Member
I use an xl650 and find it neither challenging or dangerous. It is also not complicated at all. It takes a bit of work to get setup but it's not difficult in the least. Sure, if you're speeding through the process and only care about maximum output things can go wrong but if you take your time and pay attention you'll get great results.
Eric H
NES Member
I started off reloading with a Hornady LnL AP loading 9mm, ironically to help feed my Hipoint back before I had an LTC. Using an auto-indexing progressive press is probably less dangerous than a non-autoindexing press due to a lesser chance of a double powder charge, especially if you fully complete the ram stroke. In that case, it's no more dangerous, certainly much less challenging, and more expedient than reloading for rifle cartridges. You're going to wish you had gone progressive much sooner once you start cranking out those rounds!
With either major flavor you choose, Hornady or Dillon, there are TONS of sources out there to help you set up and troubleshoot whatever issue you may come across in the beginning. It honestly is not that complicated or difficult, just need to pay attention and take your time, just like anything else mechanical. I know you're more than capable!
Pussy
Yup. I’m not all that mechanically inclined and I had it setup in no time. Watching YouTube videos was helpful though.
.38 Special could present issues due to the large case capacity relative to the typical powder charges used. If you get distracted and double charge (even triple or quadruple charge) you could cause serious problems with gun and body parts. Unless you are looking directly into the case, you'll never even see multiple charges with most powders. I think it takes about 7 charges of Clays with a HBWC to fill to the mouth.
Other pistol calibers like .357 SIG, .380, 9mm Makarov and .30 Luger could be problematic due to the short neck and/or stubby bullets, but they aren't impossible.
That said, I didn't load any of these today, just these...
Other pistol calibers like .357 SIG, .380, 9mm Makarov and .30 Luger could be problematic due to the short neck and/or stubby bullets, but they aren't impossible.
That said, I didn't load any of these today, just these...
Attachments
EddieZoom
NES Member
An impressive show of restraint....well done ;-)
84ta406
NES Member
If loading just pistol calibers a Dillon Square Deal B can be had cheap. Love mine and it's crazy fast once you get into it.
Making Garand food makes for a much better Friday night than entertaining the mother-in-law.
Did up 40 rounds of 30-06 with IMR 4064, as well as sizing a bunch of cases, chiefly 8mm Mauser for my first K98 rounds once the projectiles arrive. Tumbled 7.62x54R and 38spl/357 Magnum. On Sunday I'll have these cases to prep as well as getting my first 9mm cases ready for the new dies and stuff.
All Garand loads done under the supervision of these guys. Hopefully they would approve.
My grandfather is among them. He's in the middle here, fourth from the left. Stocky Irishman, of course.
Did up 40 rounds of 30-06 with IMR 4064, as well as sizing a bunch of cases, chiefly 8mm Mauser for my first K98 rounds once the projectiles arrive. Tumbled 7.62x54R and 38spl/357 Magnum. On Sunday I'll have these cases to prep as well as getting my first 9mm cases ready for the new dies and stuff.
All Garand loads done under the supervision of these guys. Hopefully they would approve.
My grandfather is among them. He's in the middle here, fourth from the left. Stocky Irishman, of course.
Eric H
NES Member
Another thing once you get into a progressive and run into issues, like Andrew alluded to, Youtube is a fantastic resource and I would recommend checking into the Highboy Reloading channel. He has done some impressive videography setting up and trouble shooting the Hornady LnL AP and the Dillon 650xl, I don't recall if he's done videos with the 1050 yet. INCREDIBLY long winded, but you will learn.
But of course, you've got the NES hivemind to pick too.
But of course, you've got the NES hivemind to pick too.
headednorth
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He's the Nutnfancy of the reloading world, but its the closest thing to being in some guys garage looking over his shoulder while he explains how the machine works, why its not working, etc. Havent seen one of his vids in a while but when I was first getting into reloading his stuff was very helpful.
I said goodby to a portion of my basement now the daughters room. Although not my "reloading" space it was where my PC was and where I did a lot of other work.
Spent a lot of time redoing this room and painting the furniture. I have one small crawl space door to finish up and new tiles for the ceiling THEN I can start getting whats left of "my" space back in order and functional.
Spent a lot of time redoing this room and painting the furniture. I have one small crawl space door to finish up and new tiles for the ceiling THEN I can start getting whats left of "my" space back in order and functional.
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Looks nice.I said goodby to a portion of my basement. Although not my "reloading" space it was where my PC was and where I did a lot of other work.
Spent a lot of time redoing this room and painting the furniture. I have one small crawl space door to finish up and new tiles for the ceiling THEN I can start getting whats left of "my" space back in order and functional.
I finally can get into my reloading room. Although I need to find a way to get everything that was mine from the new room in here?
View: https://imgur.com/a/YJ8J8tA
Might get a little cramped haha. My problem isn't space, I've got probably 30 square feet, it's not having storage or shelves or anything. Other than one rack which is full and the bench itself which is kind of cluttered as a result, there's just the floor. All my ammo cans and coffee cans of brass are on the floor.
yeah I need to figure out some storage, not much area between the heater, oil tank, hot water heater and the cabinets on the left ?
For now im just working on purging of stuff not needed
gerrycaruso
NES Member
No progressive press? I hope you're loading for a single shot.
I have a total of 6 presses just no room for them.
MIL visit was good for reloading progress. Over the course of the weekend (at least what I can remember):
- Charged/seat 40 rounds of 30-06
- Sized/trimmed/primed 125 cases of 30-06
- Sized/primed 56 cases of 8mm Mauser
- Sized/primed 20 cases of 7.62x54R
- Sized 150 cases of 9mm (not needing to lube + carbide die made this pretty easy, even with single stage).
Also cleaned up a couple rifles and a couple pistols.
Cleaned up a whole bunch of other brass, too, and sorted into coffee cans appropriately.
8mm Mauser and 9mm powder/projectiles should arrive on Friday, just in time for loading.
I am not bold enough to try the 9mm reloads for Sunday's match, but maybe I'll get to test them out sometime next week.
- Charged/seat 40 rounds of 30-06
- Sized/trimmed/primed 125 cases of 30-06
- Sized/primed 56 cases of 8mm Mauser
- Sized/primed 20 cases of 7.62x54R
- Sized 150 cases of 9mm (not needing to lube + carbide die made this pretty easy, even with single stage).
Also cleaned up a couple rifles and a couple pistols.
Cleaned up a whole bunch of other brass, too, and sorted into coffee cans appropriately.
8mm Mauser and 9mm powder/projectiles should arrive on Friday, just in time for loading.
I am not bold enough to try the 9mm reloads for Sunday's match, but maybe I'll get to test them out sometime next week.
Love Machine
NES Member
Just ordered a bullet mold for 79gr .224 boolits and a hornady trimmer. Gonna work up some 7U1 loads.
It doesn't help you folks in MA, but much to my surprise Cabela's does free shipping (at least on projectiles) for orders over $50, plus it comes in two days, I just ordered and it says guaranteed Friday delivery, which seems pretty fast. Seems pretty good to me. I have another 1000 9mm projectiles coming since I suspect I'll blow through the current batch fairly quickly. Still trying to source good vendors now that "the world is my oyster" since I'm out of MA.
Nice. What 9mm bullets did you buy from Cabelas?
Nothing fancy, Berry's 115gr RN at about 8.5 cents each. Just looking for initial "practice" rounds as I learn the 9mm reloading game. Is it true that 147gr is most popular for USPSA? I feel like I've heard that a lot. I feel like I've heard a lot of praise for Titegroup as well.
I just got back from a lunch range trip and bagged/collected my brass to tumble tonight for Friday. It was a beneficial trip, as I not only snagged the brass but made a change to my shooting technique which was very promising.
Yeah 147’s are popular. There’s a few guys running the Xtreme 165 gr bullets too. I haven’t tried those yet. The 150 gr blue bullets have been great.
Titegroup is a good economical powder but it burns really hot and not super clean. I used a lot of it until I switched to N320.
If nothing else, those bullets look cool. Perhaps I'll try them next. For my maiden batch I'll be using the Berry's with Accurate # 7. No particular reason I chose that powder other than the free hazmat deal was predicated on Accurate/Norma powders, and it was in my manual. The Hornady manual I have listed it as "one of the better ones" for 9mm.
