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September 25, 2012
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I picked up a litely used Dillon RL550b press with a bunch of extras and am going to try my hand at reloading.
I have a DW 15-2 I'll load for, as well as .223 and .308/7.62.
Everyone wishes me good luck finding primers, powder and projectiles right now but the press was a good deal so I couldn't resist.
Jim
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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My "wisdom" is to get what you can, when you can. Even through the frenzy of the past couple of months, I have purchased (locally) primers, powder, cases, bullets, and many reloading accessories. I shop 3-4 local shops on my day off every week, and I almost always come up with something.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
September 25, 2012
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Steve CT said
My "wisdom" is to get what you can, when you can. Even through the frenzy of the past couple of months, I have purchased (locally) primers, powder, cases, bullets, and many reloading accessories. I shop 3-4 local shops on my day off every week, and I almost always come up with something.
I think you're right, besides I need to learn some basics and technical stuff before I actually start to load anything.
Jim
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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My recommendation is to get a few reloading books or get on a reloading forum and read. It can be very satisfying but very frustrating if you don't follow the numbers. GO slow, be deliberate and you'll be fine.
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
Dans Club
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April 20, 2010
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I started reloading for the first time a couple months ago so I am still new to it too. Like you said the most frustrating part so far is acquiring bullets and primers but I am successful finding enough here and there to keep me busy. For reloading accessories I started asking around to guys I knew who reload and I picked up a lot of good used items, the only new things I had to buy so far are 1 set of dies (32-20) and a brass tumbler.
I didn't have a lot of confidence in myself starting out, but I realized that reloading is broken up into distinct steps, so I read and learned until I understood and performed each step and before I knew it I had loaded ammo
. An enjoyable hobby.
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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+1 on getting a couple of manuals. I have the Lee, Speer, and Lyman manuals. I like to compare loads in all three, and I find the Lyman to be my best general purpose one.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
September 25, 2012
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thanks guys for the advice.
I have been looking online for reload manuals and will check out the local goodwill this weekend. I have seen reloading manuals there in the past.
As for going slow, at my age that's the only speed I got left.
I plan to start just assembling the press and getting familiar with it's function.
I have no personal knowledge but was told get carbide dies for pistol loads and use steel for rifle. They said with carbide I don't need to lube pistol brass. Rifle brass requires lube though,, correct?
Jim
Dans Club
DWF Supporters
April 20, 2010
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Jim,
Yes that is my personal (limited) experience. I have carbide dies for my straight walled handgun cartridges and I don't lube them. I have a non-carbide rifle die set which I lube the cases just like the directions say. Very little lube, just enough that the brass feels slippy. So far all dies have worked great for me.
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
February 21, 2011
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Welcome to the other hobby of shooting, reloading! A few observations if I may to point out some pitfalls to avoid.
Verify independently every on-line reload data. Many "Internet wonder loads" are at best a fantasy & at worst dangerous.
Start slow & carefully & add skills one at a time, speed will come, but don’t force the issue.
Make your first case of every "new to you" caliber a dummy (no powder, no primer) you can use that later as a setup case or action proving dummy & any blunder will still be inert so you can just chuck it out safely.
Load small batches when starting (10 rounds). This way when you discover “that beginners mistake” (which you will). It’s only a few rounds to tear down if needed.
Never “interpret” data from manuals, stick 100% to EXACTLY the listed load when starting off.
Work out the kinks of one caliber at a time. Once you have that caliber "down pat" & are comfortable with it, start on the next one. Each has its own peculiarities & strengths.
Set up your Dillon one step & one die at a time. Load with it as though it were a single-stage press to start off. It’s way easier to get out of a jam if you only have one case in the turntable that first couple of sessions.
Possibly the biggest tip of all: START KEEPING COMPLETE & ACCURATE WRITTEN RECORDS RIGHT NOW AS YOU START OFF. It will pay you back a thousand times over, down the road. You’ll look back & remember & learn as much, if not more, from the early mistakes as you will from the successes.
Matthew Quigley on handguns:
“I said I never had much use for one. Never said
I didn't know how to use it.”
September 25, 2012
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mister callan said
Welcome to the other hobby of shooting, reloading! A few observations if I may to point out some pitfalls to avoid.
Verify independently every on-line reload data. Many "Internet wonder loads" are at best a fantasy & at worst dangerous.
Start slow & carefully & add skills one at a time, speed will come, but don’t force the issue.
Make your first case of every "new to you" caliber a dummy (no powder, no primer) you can use that later as a setup case or action proving dummy & any blunder will still be inert so you can just chuck it out safely.
Load small batches when starting (10 rounds). This way when you discover “that beginners mistake” (which you will). It’s only a few rounds to tear down if needed.
Never “interpret” data from manuals, stick 100% to EXACTLY the listed load when starting off.
Work out the kinks of one caliber at a time. Once you have that caliber "down pat" & are comfortable with it, start on the next one. Each has its own peculiarities & strengths.
Set up your Dillon one step & one die at a time. Load with it as though it were a single-stage press to start off. It’s way easier to get out of a jam if you only have one case in the turntable that first couple of sessions.
Possibly the biggest tip of all: START KEEPING COMPLETE & ACCURATE WRITTEN RECORDS RIGHT NOW AS YOU START OFF. It will pay you back a thousand times over, down the road. You’ll look back & remember & learn as much, if not more, from the early mistakes as you will from the successes.
Thanks Lonwolf and mister callen,
By looking on the internet I meant for loading manuals for sale, in my former life as a computer consultant I learned the internet can be "fairyland" as far as accurate info is concerned. So it's mfg's manuals for me. I guy I got the press from suggested the same, get 2-3 manuals and cross reference between them to make sure of any load.
He also echoes your suggestion of loading like it was a single stage until I get my sea legs.
I think this is going to be fun and probably therapeutic while off work for health reasons the next several months.
Jim
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DWF Supporters
May 11, 2011
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Hi,
Lot's of good data at this link.
willy
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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JMHO, but it would be a royal PIA to use my Dillon 650 as a single stage. I got the video instrucitons along with the written manuals and studied before I loaded a single round. After that I got started using progressive right from the start. I made a few mistakes but nothing I couldn't deal with. I hadn't loaded anything in over twenty years prior to the Dillon so I was rusty. I didn't really find my experiences with a single stage Rock Chucker to translate well to the progressive as so many things I did with the single stage were laborious and time consuming and are just a matter of a single stroke with the Dillon.
The best thing any beginner can do is TAKE YOUR TIME. Speed will come after you get some experience. Also have multiple manuals on hand for reference as others have stated.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
My father
If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
My grandfather
September 25, 2012
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Scorpio,
I haven't loaded anything on a press ..ever. Just used to use a small handheld lee loader back in the 70's when I had my first DW 15 in front of the tv. Haven't done that since 1984
mister callan above suggested:
"Make your first case of every "new to you" caliber a dummy (no powder, no primer) you can use that later as a setup case or action proving dummy & any blunder will still be inert so you can just chuck it out safely."
I think this will be good to get the feel and rhythm, then add in checking by eye each powder fill level to make sure I'm not double filling.
I'll get the hang of it once I assemble & set the press up on my work bench.
Taking my time is not going to be a problem, buying the 3 P's, powder, primers and projectiles is what will hurt at first. I'll start small and hopefully by the time I'm ready to load more the current "panic" will have eased off a bit price wise.
If you guys don't mind I'd like to pick your brains once I get the press up and operating. Die recommendations, etc. probably will be end of April when I'm ready to start practicing.
Jim
DWF Supporters
Dans Club
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November 17, 2008
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The guys here are always eager to help out. If you haven't already found it, on the right hand column is a reloading discussion that Steve put together that may be of use, if not at least an interesting read. Good luck.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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Jim- Lots of excellent advice so far. Have you read the "Reloading Roundtable" on the right sidebar?
Reloading is very therapeutic for me, but no distractions (TV, cellphone, interruptions, etc). I have some music on low, and any load I am constructing is written down on a 3x5 card in front of me, no manuals open to create confusion.
I use a Lee Turret press, on which I have de-activated the rotating turret function to allow me to load in the single stage process for now. I'm just transitioning from "scoop and weigh" every powder charge to an automated powder scale. I'm not in any great hurry, and I'm learning a lot, 50 rounds at a time. Once I validate ME and some good loads, I'll switch into a higher production mode, using the rotating turret function and the Load Auto Disk powder measure.
I go low and slow, and not a minute of it is wasted time
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
March 15, 2011
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Welcome to the world of rolling your own! As you can see, reloading is another aspect of shooting in a class by itself. The nice thing about reloading is that it can be fun! For me, it was taking my old Lee Priming tool and reinserting primers into the brass while watching T.V, or building my own home-made brass polisher using an old coffee can, a pair of rolling pins, a fan motor, pipe claims, surgical tubing for the belt, and a home built frame to mount the components.
Be careful, because it can become addictive! In one aspect, I was carefully ensuring that the powder levels were all appearing the same using a flashlight and doing an inspect to ensure no double charges in just charged cases. In another, I ended up branching off into casting my own bullets. Obtaining lead was starting to become a habit as I'd stop on a walk and pick up some wayward tire weight some unfortunate truck had lost. Upon casting and lubing the bullets, I'd used to be so anal about ensuring accuracy from my bullets that I ensured that no bullets deviated from 1/2 grain from an average batch. Incidentally, that might have paid off because I had used these bullets in a Smith and Wesson K-38 Masterpiece to shoot 38 Special 145 grain SWC bullets with about 3 grains of Bullseye to produce a single jagged hole downrange at a paper target. Nothing beats reloading, IMHO, and having rounds that do the job with accuracy.
DW41F.
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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If you have a Dillon press I highly recommend Dillon dies. Pistol dies are a three piece set, with seating seperate from crimping. One thing I like about an auto indexing progressive press is that its very hard to drop a double charge of powder. On a manual index, you can forget to turn the shell plate and drop a double. With the auto index, every time you cycle the handle, it moves the shell plate. Its almost more idiot proof than a manual index. I also have the Dillon powder check system so each case gets checked by the powder check die/alarm. It has caught a few no powder loads for me.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
My father
If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
My grandfather
February 21, 2011
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With all the (valid) comments on the double charging issue, I'd like to make a small point if I may, particularly as you're buying powder at this point.
Different powders are used in widely varying volumes, particularly with some pistol rounds like the .357 & so on. Unique is usually in the 3~6 grain range, but H110 is closer to 18~22 Grains, a huge difference!
Because of this, I make it a point to use a powder that immediately alerts me to the possibility of a double charge by only using powders that occupy more than 50% of the case volume. You might want to factor this in when picking components.
Yes, it's messy cleaning up the spilt powder should a double charge happen, but nowhere as messy as the wait at the E.R. if do fire a double charge!
Matthew Quigley on handguns:
“I said I never had much use for one. Never said
I didn't know how to use it.”
September 25, 2012
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SCORPIO said
If you have a Dillon press I highly recommend Dillon dies. Pistol dies are a three piece set, with seating seperate from crimping. One thing I like about an auto indexing progressive press is that its very hard to drop a double charge of powder. On a manual index, you can forget to turn the shell plate and drop a double. With the auto index, every time you cycle the handle, it moves the shell plate. Its almost more idiot proof than a manual index. I also have the Dillon powder check system so each case gets checked by the powder check die/alarm. It has caught a few no powder loads for me.
Scorpio,
I was advised by a reloader in my local gun shop to get the Dillon 650. He said the same thing you did about the auto index, things can get busy for both hands and the 650 might be less of a learning curve for the novice like myself. I was about to plunk down the $ and order from Dillon when I saw this 550 in the local online classifieds.
I got the press and over 400 worth of accessories for a little over 600. The same amount of goodies including the 650 press would be double that, out of my budget right now considering I still need dies and the components.
The good thing is that Dillon seems to hold it's value so I can upgrade to the 650 down the road if I am "addicted".
I have already decided the Dillon dies are probably a better investment in case I want to sell, not to mention they're not that much more expensive. I need 3 calibers right now 38/357, 9mm and 45 acp. Once I master those then I will try .308 and .223 rifle, but that's going to be my 2013 christmas present to myself.
Mister C , thanks for the tip on the powder. See that's the kind of info that comes from experience.
Jim
February 21, 2011
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I currrently have an older Dillon RL 450 with the RL450B upgrade kit. Essentially its a simpler version of the 550 with a single, fixed top deck. The bottom end & in particular the case handling is very similar to a RL550, so I'd absolutely get the Dillon dies for it, based on the experience below.
I started out using RCBS dies for all my bottleneck rifle cases with no problems. However when I added .357 S&W magnum I discovered something about the Dillon dies that made me switch from my existing RCBS set. The case doesn't 100% line up with the die due to the "U" slot it rides in. This dosen't matter with bottleneck cases as the neck & shoulder act as a guide so you never notice the slight misallignment as it is self-centering on the upstroke.
However with strait wall pistol cases a lot of the case mouths "catch" on the entry to the die & it'll drive you nutz in short order. The dillon's "radiussed" die mouth is literally hundreds of times smoother, faster & better.
I'm getting an RL 550 sometime in August, I don't know of any better endorsment I could give to the 4-die Dillons.
Matthew Quigley on handguns:
“I said I never had much use for one. Never said
I didn't know how to use it.”
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