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September 7, 2011
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Do you need a diff loader per Cal or is it one machine different attachments per? I've never reloaded before but I've been wondering if it is a skill id like to learn and is it expensive? do you have to cast your own lead? is it worth investing in equipment?
Thanks
" Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch , Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote " - Ben Franklin
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February 22, 2009
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Scroll down on the right hand margin to the Round-table Discussion on reloading. The guys did a good job discussing all those questions.
Basically- the dies account for the caliber changes. You can opt for a progressive machine, or a single stage. If you shoot a lot, a progressive tends to be what is liked. I went back to a single stage (Forster co-axial press) because I got into hand loading rather than just reloading. I prefer to craft hunting loads and less so, 'shooter' loads. For my shotgun loads however, I still use progressives.
It does save some money, but not initially. You might want to start casting your own lead bullets, but that's another addiction- completely. I'm hooked on all aspects of handloading, to include casting. Of course, my wife has a closet full of clothes, jewely, and shoes as her counter addiction- so beware.
Best Regards, Ron
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
September 19, 2011
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If you are considering reloading you may want to go and buy a reloading book and do some reading up first... there are a number of generic reloading books and any decent reloading manual (I like the Speer and Hornady manuals, myself) will be loaded with information you will need to make your decision.
As Ron says, the initial investment can be a little sizeable, but, like any tool you buy, you get what you pay for and once you have it, you don't have to buy it again. Does it save money? It does for me; I reload a few calibers that are not very common (.41Mag, 348WCF... even .380) and the only way I could afford to shoot is by reloading my own ammo. Back during the ammo scare when a box of .380's was $50 if you could find them, I was still cranking out a box for about $6.
I don't cast... I don't really have the room nor the time. I prefer to just buy my cast bullets commercially.
Reloading for me is just about as much fun as shooting... no fooling.
July 7, 2011
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I agree that you should first buy a reloading manual such as Hornaday, Sierra, Speer etc. and spend a weeks reading it. They are full of good information and will give you a good overview of the process. Plus if you start reloading you will need the load information. I started long ago when my first firearm purchased was a Weatherby Mark 5 in 240 magnum. It didn't take too many boxes of ammo before I knew I needed to reload. Before long I found I really enjoyed making loads tailored to different needs. The money savings is just gravy! 
September 30, 2011
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If you are not certain about reloading I'd suggest that you take a look on YouTube. There are dozens of basic reloading videos. This will give you some idea of how it is done and what is necessary. Here is a good place to begin.
If you are still interested in reloading you might consider the Lee "Modern Reloading" manual. It should keep you safe, teach you the basics and cover the "recipes" for any of the calibers you are ever likely to shoot.
Lee equipment is also a real deal. I have the Lee 50th anniversary single stage reloading kit. Lee factory sales has them on sale for about $82 right now. https://factorysales.com/html/xcart/catalog/anivers.html You'll only need the dies in the correct caliber to get started. It's almost all I use and I have been very happy with my results as an informal target shooters. I reload .32, 9mm, .38/.357 and various rifle loads. That allows me to shoot 50 rounds for $8-$12, rather then $15-$30 for store bought ammo. In addition, I can fine tune my loads for the most accuracy from my guns.
A single stage press is not the fastest way to go, but for me, I enjoy reloading almost as much as shooting. I only shoot 50-100 rounds when I go to the range and I can easily reload those in a couple of hours relaxing at the press. Without my reloads I couldn't afford to shoot.
Just My .$02 worth.
Shoot Safe, Shoot Often, Shoot Tens!
February 11, 2010
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Ok, not to Highjack this thread but what is the proper way to
insert a YouTube video ? The one member aprayinbear have posted
now has the words running off the page, this has happened to me
and others before and yet I have seen some videos posted that are
just a bit smaller in size that did not cause this problem.
-Blacktop
February 11, 2010
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rwsem said:
. Of course, my wife has a closet full of clothes, jewely, and shoes as her counter addiction- so beware.
Don't tell me about shoes, my wifes collection was literally spewing
out the walk in, the racks were full and the floor was covered.
I couldn't get to my little section without stepping on something.
I counted 70 pair 
nope that's not a mistake I said 70 pair !
I piled them up in the middle of the bedroom floor and made the
mistake of telling her how ridiculous this was and no one needed that
many and she needed to redout and downsize her collection.
Now I don't need to tell you how many times that came back to
bite me in the a$$ when I came home from a gun show for
atleast 6 months after. 
-Blacktop
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May 2, 2009
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May 2, 2009
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I loaded up 600 9mm's this morning, then I filled out the cost calculator… Substantial savings–I pulled the factory price from wallworld website.
May 3, 2011
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YouTube does have some really good videos on reloading from beginning to end. They cover pistol and rifle cartridges and trimming for precision shooting etc. You have to watch some of the guys on the videos though. One guy was talking about weighing powder in grams instead of grains. He looked like the sort that was used to weighing in grams (whacky weed). You kind of tell the ones that know what they are talking about and those that don't.
Reloading is a lot easier than you think. You need to read some books on reloading [How to Reload]. If you know some guys that reload they would be helpful. There are commercial videos that teach you how to reload, that you can order they would be real helpful for you.
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