[Kursk]

first post here and I have a few questions but first i'll let you know what my plans are.

I plan on reloading .45acp and .223 about equally but I also want to reload 7mm-08 and .280 Remington and maybe some 8x57.

my .280 Remington and 7mm-08 are both Remington 700 bolts. the .280 shoots nickel groups of three and the -08 is barely scoped in. both rifles use federal hi-shok 150gr soft points.

I am starting to look for components and I think that the standard federal ammo I mention likely uses federal 210 primers and not the magnum 215 primers. please advise on that.

I also think it is likely that the bullets for each of these is the 150-grain Sierra SBT but of course I would like to someone to confirm or advise.

I have a $100 on-line coupon for walmart and I was thinking of getting a turret press but people keep telling me to get a single stage. I can order that Lee anniversary or another lee 4 hole turret for around $150 (minus the $100 coupon).

I should also mention that I mainly would be reloading my .45acp and .223 for the ar-15.

Which primers/bullets and sources to you suggest for these also? I don't want to spend a lot of money on a press so I am thinking a lee product.

 

[Kursk]

thanks sub, I plan on going slow. do you have any info for the questions? how about federal 210 primers vs. 215 magnum? any need for that for the 280 and -08?

can anyone tell me what the recommended powder is for:

.223
7mm-08
.280
.45acp

at least this way I can start a search for the powder

 

[Kursk]

thanks vet. I know powder is not plentiful but if I don't start asking questions before I start buying then I'll likely have regrets....so that's why I'm asking.

Does anyone know a good powder manufacturer for those calibers?

 

[Kursk]

I didn't see the data right away so thanks for it. I did some checking and here goes:

100 .284 bullets = $33 or .33 cents per cartridge
1lb pwder - 7000 grain/55 per case = 127 cartridges. $35 w/shipping = .27 cents per cartridge
primers .04c ents
----------------------------
to reload the .280 Remington will cost about .64 cents each or $12.80 a box.
new boxes I've seen for $33. I understand the federal power-shok are now called American white tail.


the 7mm-08 I can load 152 cartridges at 46 grains....which is saving .04 cents a cartridge on powder. to reload a box would be $12



the .223 I can get 269 cartridges per pound or .13 cents each
primer still about .03 cents
bullets are about .21 cents each for the 65 grain
----------------------------------------------
so about .37 cents /round for .223

keep in mind these are rough prices and based basically on what midway shows.

I understand that steel case is not reloadable? is that true?

 

[Kursk]

thanks va. I looked at the links and there is a lot of random items that I would have no use for. I'll keep looking for right now. As far as steel is concerned, I can pick up 20rnd boxes of Russian .223 for $5.27 at walmart so those come to .26 cents a round vs the .37 cents a round if I reload. of course this is all based off of my numbers up above which can vary a little bit.

I will have to check out the .45acp reloading item costs next. I have about 425 wwb empties right now and another maybe 175 left to shoot. I use to make my own lead jigs for fishing but it is a pia finding cheap lead now. maybe I could use a lighter bullet and stay away from the 230 grn'rs.

 

[Kursk]

va - where do you get your 45acp bullets? I see that sears sells 5 lb ingots of lead for $12.50 equaling 150 bullets for .08 cents each.

can someone explain what the gas checks are etc.

 

[Kursk]

My intent is two-fold: One is to attain .45acp cheaper than the ridiculous prices in the stores in hopes of being able to take my XD out and have some fun with it at an affordable price. Second, since I would be reloading and already have purchased the equipment, is to reload my .280 and my daughters -08 and not pay $34 and $25 a box. The dies required for the two rifles are trivial to me as one day they will have paid for themselves and someone else will eventually buy them from me. The .45acp dies will hopefully be in my possession as long as I can pull the arm down on the press and I can hang on to a firing handgun.

Oh, 8x57 isn't cheap anymore either so why not load my spent brass for that also.

 

[Kursk]

Hijack, my .280 shoots those nickles. The -08 doesn't but it only has about 12 rounds through it and once it is sighted in a bit better it will only be used on Wisconsin whitetail for now and maybe some southern hogs in the future.' The .280 has a Nikon monarch 3.5 x 10 x 50, the whole setup is from around 1997 when I bought it all new. The -08 I bought for my daughter last year, a rem 700 cdl w/ drop magazine topped with a Nikon pro-staff non-bdc (should have gotten that damn bdc).

I'm going to start a new thread on dies. Thanks to all. btw, I wasn't trying to improve the .280 accuracy, just tired of paying out the rear for the ammo.

 

[Kursk]

I see VA. Well, to be honest I am likely going to order that Lee classic turret. I like the idea of changing the tool plate for caliber change and you get to monitor each step vs. a progressive. I feel that the single stage would be just fine also but I really don't want to go that route.

I don't plan on sticking that kind of money into this like you did but I do plan on stocking up on powder/bullets/primers.

Thanks all.

 

[Kursk]

va if I wanted to cast and not go thru the hassle of trying to drum up lead wheel weights but rather buy the lead ingots...where can I get them?

can you tell me what is acceptable for lead hardness also?

 

[Kursk]

here is a link off that website. getting 1lb of lead and equaling 30 bullets comes to around .42cents a bullet. this if you order more than $99 worth. that isn't cheap. I must be missing something here.

 

[Kursk]

ok well where can I get sized lead .45acp bullets cheaper than plated then?

I see that extreme has 500 for $60 w/free shipping and they are .452 diameter while midway has them but they are .451 diameter. I assume that has something to do with the hardness of the jacket?

 

[Kursk]

Same price for me delivered to my door as the extreme with free delivery. I have an XD45 service and have only shot some magtech 230rn and the rest wwb 230rn. I suppose I would have to put a caliper in my barrel muzzle in the groves. What tolerance is acceptable? couple thousands max? If that's the case then my barrel muzzle should be .450?

 

[Kursk]

db, do they have to be resized after casting? I've cast my own lead jigs in the past but used a smaller electric pot.

i'll have to look into this a little more as it's always best to ask lots of questions (at others patience albeit) before sinking some cash. Thanks for the info you guys.

 

[Kursk]

Well thanks guys I really appreciate all the responses. BTW, I did read part of LA SIl website and I already knew that molten metals shrink. I am very familiar with injection molding and the engineering tolerances than need to be built into the steel molds based upon the linear shrinkage of different plastics. In this case we have aluminum molds that expand and shrink also with the molten lead.

I have watched a few youtube videos showing guys cast their own bullets also. I do read a lot so don't think I don't. I am simply trying to get as much info as possible.

Oh, I did use a micrometer on a few of my spent jacketed 45's and they are WAY under .451. These are WWB. I know they deform but even the most concentric bullet was a few thousands under. Right around .444 to .448. The micrometer is accurate and it is a Brown and Sharpe.

Edit: I have a silicone base mold release that I use for my silicone molds when I cast resin parts. It is sprayed on lightly and will dry on it own in a short time. I wonder if I can use that to lube the lead before resizing???

 

[Kursk]

Ok so I stop in at a Scheels store and they have a whole rack of 1lb'ers and 8lb'ers on display. I asked if the had any W231 or Hodgon and they said that they are all out except for a couple other powders, and that there was a factory fire.

So I ask what the other powders were and they had IMR 4350 which immediately rung my bell and I snagged 1lb can of that for me -08 and .280. Cost was $26 or so. I talked with another person there and he swore that Accurate #9 is what he uses for .45acp. I looked in the Nosler, Hornady, and Lyman books and couldn't see that powder listed for the caliber. He told me to just reduce the load. Well, since powder is so hard to get I picked up 2ea. 1lb cans of the #9 for $23 a can and 1000 large pistol Winchester primers for $35. Not the best price but I didn't want to waste money on gas.

I was going to buy the lyman book but the hornady and nosler books seemed much nicer except that hornady book was $35 vs. $24 for the lyman and $25 for the nosler.

They were totally out of sierra .284 bullets and I figured I would look on-line for those instead of paying $35 for the hornady 154grainers.

They had cast bullets for $56 230gr rnfp...passed on them.

Can anyone verify I can use that #9 on .45acp rounds or is the info I found after I got home true that it is too slow?

 

[Kursk]

That's a shame but a lesson. I did find where people have used it with the #7 load data and it worked fine for them.

Here is a link: http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WP_LoadSpec_1-23-14.pdf

ACCURATE NO. 9
230 (L) PENN T-HEAD 5.7 720 6.7 855 19,961 1.505

http://blog.westernpowders.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LoadGuide-45AutoACP+P-update1-28-14.pdf

Well, not sure what to do with that powder now as it cannot be exchanged. I'll likely put it for trade/sale in the local shoppers guide and hopefully unload it. Definitely a lesson learned.