OK, I'm thinking about getting into reloading, and I bought the ABCs of reloading as an introductory read. Good stuff, and right off the back they tell you all about the dangers--double charge, case malfunctions, safety issues where you store powder, etc. There seems to be a lot that can go wrong.

Any of you (or a friend) ever have something like that happen to you?

Started reloading 2.5 years ago. Have done well over 20,000 rounds of 9mm and .223 with no problems. No squibs, double charges, or any other failures that could have caused damage to me or the gun. Pay attention to what you're doing and use common sense and you'll be fine.

So far I have only reloaded rifle and have had no problems. Having a full case helps to keep away from the double charges.

MA beat me to it. Use powders that fill or almost fill the cases (even pistol) and you're very unlikely to have an accident. For powders that don't have that volume, take a flashlight and shine in the loaded cases before you press the bullets to ensure they're all the same level. I do this religiously.

Also, write down all your loads and LOOK at them before you start. Going from memory is a big no-no. I know mine by memory, and I still have my load data in front of me every time.

Sr90 i have been reloading for a loooong time. i read the manuals and i wonder how in the world did those things happen. if you take your time and watch what you are doing, you won't go wrong. if you follow tx's advice and shine a light into the cartridge before putting on a bullet, you will eliminate the double charge as well as the no charge condition. when loading keep only the powder and primer type you are going to use on your bench. keep the rest of them somewhere else. document what you do. powder type & weight, primer, bullet, overall length, etc. also you got a reloading question folks on the outdoor board can get you an answer.

Having a double charge is definitely not the only problem you can run into. As herbie alluded to, using the wrong powder can be a problem, especially if you are using a powder measure to throw charges for many different cartridges. The solution here is to completely empty it EVERY TIME when you are done with a certain batch of ammo. Sometimes you can get over pressure signs and catch the problem before it becomes unsafe. For example, if you notice a fired primer is "flattened" in the primer pocket, that is a good sign of overpressure. Seating a bullet too far out where it jams into the lands when chambered can cause an over pressure situation. Too much case stretch or headspacing with out full length resizing the casing can do this also. You need a full length sizing die for this operation as most standard die sets neck size only. You also want to inspect fired casings, especially ones that have been fired numerous times for hairline cracks that are sometimes hard to see. Many things to look for when reloading your own ammo

[This message has been edited by str8shot1000 (edited 3/25/2009 4:49p).]

The best advice I can give, with over 25 years experience of reloading, it to always try to use a powder that will fill the case the most. This way if you do accidentally double charge, it will overflow. Always check the cases before seating the bullets to see if all the powder appears to be at the same level in the brass.

Also, read some of the reloading manuals, ie: Speer, Hornady, Lyman and Nosler. They all have good step by step procedures and don't try to make short cuts. That's where you will get into trouble without knowing it.

I have seen the results of a double charge of Unique with a S&W 357 mag. It blew out the chamber and left half the wheel in a 2X4 in the roof of the shooting range. The guy was lucky he only got scratched and not carried away, injured or dead.

I have a question for you reloader types:

How much does it cost to get the equipment?
New vs. Used equipment costs?
How much does a redoaded .223 round cost, including buying the brass?
Are the supplies hard to find?
How much does a reloaded .223 round cost, not including the brass?
Why can't steel be reloaded?
I can buy .223 for as little as $.32/round. How much volume does it take to payback the initial equipment expense?
About how many times can brass be reloaded safely?

I am just trying to see if the investment is worth it.

Thanks for the advise!

Always go by the good reloading books and you will enjoy it as long as I have, so far 43 years and still shooting good groups!

How much does it cost to get the equipment?
$250 and up. Single stage, turret, or progressive, brand, scale type, and tons of other options can quickly make this price rise into the thousands.

New vs. Used equipment costs?
If you watch local classifieds you can get really good deals sometimes. Most going online or at auction sites isn't that good of a deal. Most reloading equipment doesn't wear out and the companies usually have really good warranties so resale can be high.

How much does a reloaded .223 round cost, including buying the brass?
~$250 for once fired brass and 55 gr. FMJ ammo

Are the supplies hard to find?
Right now powder and primers are scarce. Normally no and stores like Gander Mountain, Carter's Country, and many online stores sell them. Buying powder or primers through the mail adds an extra $22.50 HAZMAT fee to shipping. So buy that locally or make a big order.

How much does a reloaded .223 round cost, not including the brass?
~$155 for 55 gr. FMJ is what I am paying right now.

Why can't steel be reloaded?
Can't be formed as easy as brass. Harder on your equipment, hard to reform to the proper size and crimp bullet into. Some people do it though.

I can buy .223 for as little as $.32/round. How much volume does it take to payback the initial equipment expense?
Figure you spend about $400 on a good single stage press using brass picked up from the range at $155 per thousand reloaded, it would take you 2,730 rounds to break even. Buying once fired brass each time it would take 5,700 rounds. You'll save a lot more if you are reloading match or hunting ammunition compared to bulk.

About how many times can brass be reloaded safely?
Depends on how hot you are loading. Watch the cases for signs of failure, cracks and the like. Anywhere from 2-10+ I usually have lost it before I get past 3 or 4 and have picked up new brass off of the range.

So is it OK to pick up range brass?

Thanks for the info!

Sure it's ok, as long as your range is cool with it. I haven't bought brass but once. You just have to sort through the cases and inspect them for any defects. Cracks, large dents, or anything else that looks like it might cause a problem.

Does brass get banged up/scratched upon ejection (particularly at a range as opposed to in the field)? If so, do you have to polish the scratches out to avoid it affecting accuracy? I would imagine you wouldn't want a scratched or scuffed casing.

Lexofer:

First off thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. It is one reason I like this board so much. Always someone with experience to bounce ideas off of.

Next question, where is the best place to find .223 bullets, primers and powder?

I also shoot 5.45X39. Any idea about that round? I have 55 grain, 60 grain HP and I just bought 70 grain. Is there that much of a performance difference with 55 vs. 60 vs. 70 gr.?

Was the $155/1,000 all inclusive of tax and shipping? If so, it won't take that long to get a payback with ammo prices these days.

i've never reloaded, but i watched a guy blow the back of a M1 into his face with a reloaded round. He was damn lucky to not die, his entire face was cut to hell

Scratches on the outside won't matter much as long as they aren't too deep. The resizing die will smooth them out. I tumble my brass first to clean it which also takes off any sharp edges.

Prices I listed included tax and shipping. I buy the bullets in bulk on the internet, powder and primers locally. Most places will ship bullets in the USPS flat rate boxes so 40# of bullets can be shipped for $10. Bullets I buy from Montana Gold, but I just checked and they have no .223 in stock at the moment. Last case I bought a couple of months ago was $233 for 3,500 bullets shipped which was $68 per k. About $40 for powder and $30 for primers. That puts you at $138 for 1,000 rounds loaded.

I don't know much about 5.45x39 other than you can still get surplus somewhat cheaply.

Just bought 70 gr. 5.45x39 for around $.22/round including shipping. I don't know if I can get brass for this round. The only stuff I can find is steel.

quote:

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How much does it cost to get the equipment?

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...just got back in the game after being out 25 years... ...dropped a grand on some great Redding equipment. Top end stuff but not necessarily considered the best of the best. Also just bought out a reloading friend's powder and bullets for a relative bargain (he moved overseas). I'm set now.

MA

Reloading Horror Stories
Here's the often repeated story (and pics) of a completely destroyed Colt Anaconda. It bears repeating just as a caution to be vigilant when reloading.

http://www.thegunzone.com/anaconda.html
http://iris.nyit.edu/~bithead/anaconda/
http://grantcunningham.com/blog_files/f78966a0fdd6ccc74de87fc14e1c6015-102.html

I had a blown primer and stuck case on a 30-06 when I first started reloading (~30 yrs ago). It was actually on the first shot working up a new load; 10% under published. Took the gun to a smith to get the brass removed. For some reason I had taped together the rounds and the tape residue on the brass caused a problem. Could have happened with factory ammo. That is what the gunsmith told me anyway. I never did figure it out or have a problem with that load in subsequent shots.

I've been reloading for several years now, and have been shooting reloaded rounds for the better part of 30 years. Only problem I've ever run into was a squib in one of my grandfather's loads for my .45ACP. Luckily I was able to easily tell that something wasn't right with the round before firing the next one.

Lots of good advice on this thread, and here's my two cents:

Get a system going, and abide by that system, regardless of caliber or any other factors. I do the same steps in the same order every time for each rifle or pistol I reload for and have yet to have a problem. This includes periodic spot check of my powder charges (used to be every 10 for pistol, but I generally do every 25 now due to the fact that I learned a long time ago that loading up magnum rounds for plinking takes a lot of the fun out of plinking, so a small variation in powder charge one way or another isn't a major issue at all).

If you figure out what procedure works for you, including how you lay out your equipment and supplies, and stick to it religiously, you won't have an issue.

And as a general rule, you can reload rifle rounds for about 1/3 the cost of buying factory, and pistol rounds run me about 1/5 the cost of factory (that is using cast lead projectiles for plinking and range time).

If you are just getting into reloading, I strongly suggest looking at a single stage press by a reputable manufacturer. RCBS makes the Rock Chucker kit that includes the press, scale and powder drop. Add to that your dies (I prefer Lee dies, but RCBS, Redding, Dillon and a few others make quality brands as well), a caliper to measure case length and overall length, and a decent tumbler will get you going for a long time.

And for your tumbling media, go to Petsmart and get you the 20lb bag of walnut bird bedding for about $20. It is the same stuff that everybody else charges about 10x the price for. I put a cap full of NuFinish car polish about every 5th load, and the media lasts forever.

A friend of mine had a bullet case split in his .270. He reloads, I don't. We were sighting in our guns that day. After the shot, he started rubbing his eyes... the only indication I knew something was wrong.

He was lucky. He had glasses on but a little gas had shot back to his face. He was not seriously hurt but it was a little scary. I think maybe he re-used a casing one too many times?

Ok, another stupid question but you guys are the experts and I haven't seen this in any books:

If you're using different cases, but loading them exactly the same, will that cause any difference in accuracy? If I'm using spent brass that i have that was from Hornady, Winchester and Remington factory rounds, will that alter the accuracy?

Is one .30-06 case exactly like all the others, accuracy wise?

Here's the worst I've had happen. It was due to old brass that broke off in the chamber and then firing another round out of battery. Scary, but not as dangerous as it looks. Happens all the time with pistol caliber carbines.

quote:

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Ok, another stupid question but you guys are the experts and I haven't seen this in any books:

If you're using different cases, but loading them exactly the same, will that cause any difference in accuracy? If I'm using spent brass that i have that was from Hornady, Winchester and Remington factory rounds, will that alter the accuracy?

Is one .30-06 case exactly like all the others, accuracy wise?

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The only stupid question is one not asked, SR.
The answer to your question is different casings from different companies can and will have different dimensions...as slight as they may be. Even different batches from the same company can be different and most ammo has batch #'s printed on the box, or bag if you buy brass. The easiest way to tell is fill a casing level full of water and weigh it(the water).Then most accurate way is to weigh the empty casing, then weigh it full of water and subtract. Do this to a different one and see what it weighs. Some people weigh the casings themselves and you can see a difference there too. These differences can affect accuracy slightly, but usually not enough to notice in a hunting situation. Benchrest guys, though, look closely at these type of things.
Another situation that can be unsafe is undercharging a round with powder. I have seen a blown case from a cartridge that was way undercharged.

Thanks Str8.

another potential newbie to the reloading...are the progressive press' worth the extra money? do they save that much time?

Ol Army,
Yes, they do push out a lot more ammo than a single stage press. I personally don't have a progressive press, but you can get probably 4 to 5 times the amount of loaded cartridges per hour over a single stage. Keep watching this thread and Im sure one of the guys who have one can tell you what theirs does...

Ol Army, I started out with a single stage press in 1993. At the time, I was just reloading for .45 ACP. I was shooting at some IPSC matches and it wasn't long before I got tired of loading 'em all single stage.

I bought a Dillon Square Deal B because I was only shooting the .45 at the time. The literature says you can reload 350 rounds per hour. I'd suggest that 200 rounds per hour would not be unreasonable, if your arm doesn't get tired.

Eventually, I branched out into several other calibers and justified the purchase of a Dillon RL550B. I sold the Square Deal B to a guy that was worried that Y2K was gonna end the world. The literature on the RL550B suggests 550 rounds per hour. I don't remember ever having loaded more than about 300, but I'd guess 350 could be done. I would only load that fast if the ammo were pistol ammo intended for plinking or close range practice.

I use the Dillon as a progressive when I am loading up .223 for 200 and 300 yard competitions. When I intend to use the ammo for 600 yards or more, I still use the Dillon, but I weigh each powder charge individually. Because of the time it takes to weigh the powder, the load rate slows down to about 100 rounds per hour.

I think with any progressive machine that utilizes a powder throw to deliver the powder, stick powders will not be conducive to reproducible charges. I tend to lean towards spherical powders or small flakes so that the variance in powder charge is reduced.

When I bought my stuff, the Dillons were less than $250 each. Now the 550 is a shade over $400... and you still have to buy the dies.

All that being said, I'd suggest starting out with a single stage setup before deciding to lay out the money for the progressive. If you find yourself enjoying the reloading game, then move up to a progressive.