[VA-Vet]

primers and powder in short supply everywhere. Recommend you buy several reloading books and start searching your LGS and gun shows for primers and powder.

Primers are more easy to find than powder, so you may want to buy powder first than start looking for primers.

I would go with a manual progressive press. Don't rush and for gods sake don't crank out hundreds of rounds. Make 10-15 rounds, go shoot, see how they perform, than make 50, go check those out, than make more.

Go slow, put your eyeball on each case, make sure it has powder. Weight your charges when you start out so you know the measure is throwing accurately.

Oh, and get several manuals before you do a dang thing!

VA-Vet

 

[VA-Vet]

My knowledge is this:

Magnum primers for magnum rifles. If you load magnum primers in something like a 308 you need to back off the powder load about 10% lower than using a standard rifle primer.

That said, I've not loaded magnum primers so my knowledge could be suspect.

I would stick with standard primers for now. You got a steep learning curve (I'm still learning all the time).

And one last thing, if you find powder stocked deep in a LGS, there is a reason for that. Maybe you should not buy it...

 

[VA-Vet]

ireload2 gives great advice:

Here are some links for guys getting out of reloading or just looking to sell excess equipment:

http://www.vaguntrader.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/703157/gonew/1#UNREAD

http://www.vaguntrader.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/701440/gonew/1#UNREAD
Note: doubt he ever sells this as a complete unit!!!

http://www.vaguntrader.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/687669#Post687669

http://www.vaguntrader.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/703955#Post703955
This guy on crack!!!!

 

[VA-Vet]

I buy all my powder and primers locally. In order to have the hazmat and shipping fee not kill you wallet wise, 16lb minimum order has to be done if buying from a vendor and its being shipped..

I pay 10.7 cents per 45 ACP bullet (lead alloy), I have over 2200 in stock. 5000 9x19 rounds, 3000 9x18.

Bottom line, stock up, you are one shooting away from another run. I'm good for maybe 2 years.

I buy when I can, use a pound of powder, buy a pound of powder...

Also, I've standardized on particular products. I have one vendor for 45 ACP, one for 9x19, and one for 9x18 bullets. Assuming world doesn't collapse, I can get more within 3-5 days.

I buy primers in bulk, when I buy. I won't bother buying 200-300 primers at a time, its a waste.

 

[VA-Vet]

You need more than lead to make bullets. Gas checks are for rifle bullets, not needed for pistol rounds. CJN Casting, guys stuff is great. 9mm Luger rounds are 115gr plated Berry's bullets. Nothing fancy about those rounds, but they fly right.

 

[VA-Vet]

Kursk,

Let me add one more observation: I haven't saved a nickel yet, as I'm still buying gear. While the cost per round is lower I have to buy the gear and then shoot enough so the average cost per rounds drops, then drops some more as more rounds are fired. I'm pretty sure I would need to shoot between 3000-4000 rounds of 45 ACP to make everything pay for itself. I'm not close to that yet... I've got probably $2000 in equipment. Thats a lot of 45ACP. This cost doesn't include powder, primers, brass, or bullets. Probably got $2000 in that as well.

 

[VA-Vet]

10 #'s of powder: $300 (if lucky) You do want to shoot, right???
10k primer: $350 (maybe $300 if lucky)
5k 45 ACP bullets: $500 (unless you cast), and my price assumes lead bullets, not plated or HP, those are more

Bottom line: you will spend, you will spend...

 

[VA-Vet]

Kursk,

Goin' be honest with you. Forget about casting right now. Get your reload equipment and then get your ammo loading process down pat 1st. Then, after some period of time, like a year, maybe start casting. Its too much to learn and master all at once.

I have some linotype, no lead, and no equipment for casting. Maybe some day I will. Don't have enough time right now to reload, can't see burning the time I do have casting too.

MTC,

VA-Vet

 

[VA-Vet]

I use 200gr RNFP from CJN Casting. They are 10.7 cents per bullet delivered to my door.

Since I don't have time to cast, the price is right for me. They don't lead up my barrels, and they shoot just fine. Don't buy his entire stock or I'll be mad.

The extreme price is not too bad. Size doesn't have anything to do with hardness. Size has to do with barrel size. Some 45s might like .452 better than .451. The bullet gets "crushed" just a bit through the dies (I think I'm right on this), so a .452 might end up .451.