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More on Reloading
Posted by MikeH on Mar 29 2006
Some good comments so far. gohip2000 mentioned basics. You didn't say how much you plan to reload/shoot. A single stage press such as a Rock Chucker (as noted by Snowwolfe) or Orange Crusher will allow you to reload 40-50 rounds an hour because of all the steps you need to do. A progressive press like the Dillon 550 will get you 300 or more rounds an hour. You can reload one round at a time on most progressive presses if you are doing load development. Mauserboy mentioned books - the more the merrier. The Speer manual (which comes with the better RCBS kits) and the Lyman manual both have excellent sections on reloading. Most of the other books have good sections also, but I've found these two to be better. You are going to need a case trimmer after maybe 2-3 shots from your 270 if you use max loads. The handgun cases (and 223) may not ever need trimming if you use light loads. In either case you need something to measure the case for length (and overall length after loading). I'd suggest a dial or digital caliper. The Lyman EZEE or others like it let you know max case length, but not how much you need to set your trimmer to get to trim length. You may also consider getting something to clean your cases after firing. A tumbler is the more convenient way to go. You could also get the liquid cleaner, such as the stuff Lyman offers, but it's a little messy. I normally drop all my fired cases in the tumbler when I come back from shooting, so I have clean cases next time I reload. Something only a few manuals mention is the need to use a deburring/chamfer tool on the cases. New cases and those just trimmed need to have the outside deburred, and the inside mouth chamferred. This is particularly important for bottleneck cases. If you miss these steps, you could easily collapse the case mouth and shoulder when you try to seat a bullet, ruining the case. Try to get the best kit you can afford, you'll save money in the long run. The better kits have most (if not all) of the equipment you'll eventually need. All of the equipment makers have beginning to expert kits available. Look at all the offerings. RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, Lee, Redding and others all have good stuff. In many areas the RCBS equipment holds a better value if you ever want to resell your stuff. A tool I've found to be very handy for single stage loading for 30 years is the Lee AutoPrime. Several companies make a similar tool, but the Lee is still one of the better ones. If you decide on a progressive press, I'd suggest extra items. For example, for the Dillon 550, extra toolheads, powder measures and powder dies to set up your dies for each caliber, and extra primer tubes to speed up loading a bunch of ammo. Handloading can be a lot of fun and save you a pile of money also (actually not - since you'll probably end up shooting a lot more for the dollars). If you really want to shoot a lot and save money, cast your own lead bullets - but that's a whole new story. I have loaded over 30 calibers over the years, and currently still load up to 10000 rounds per year just for plinking or hunting.
Good Loading!
Mike
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