New to reloading...this is my plan...

[clownbuster]

Yeah its definitely a crossroads where art, science, and obsession come together. Once you figure out whats important to you and what you're really trying to accomplish, figure out your budget, focus your research, keep it simple and have fun gathering your equipment. Most guys I shoot with get it done well without all the latest and greatest gadgets on the market, and much of it comes lightly used. There are a few items and some fundamental bench processes that will take your loads to the next level in terms of long range consistency.

 

[CUTTER1]

I don't like ****ing contests on this forum either; however, when someone recommends to someone (who is just starting out reloading) to purchase a progressive press, that deserves a response. For someone to recommend to someone just starting out to get a progressive press is like taking someone from a bicycle and telling them to buy a Holley!! This isn't a ****ing contest. He's received a lot of good information and recommendations about what he is going to need; and, I as well as others have provided some of those recommendations. If you "don't care about" what I or someone else has written to the OP's question, perhaps you ought to go to another thread. I'm only trying to answer his questions and help the OP out, and nothing more. While I am at it, maybe you might want to try being a bit less insensitive with your replies.

Ditto. Agree 100% I load thousands of rounds a year and have 4 Dillion 1050s setup in my reloading room and each is caliber specific for USPSA competition incl 3 gun and none are capable of producing long range sub 0.5 MOA ammo. I load mine on a RCBS Rockchucker and a Forester in line for long range!

 

[ar10ar15man]

it you cannot load 1/2 moa on a dillon you need
a better technique
or a better gun
or a 223 is not a long range rifle as a rule
1/2 moa aint hard..its when you get to 1/4 and less than is a challenge.
that is hand loaded.

Ditto. Agree 100% I load thousands of rounds a year and have 4 Dillion 1050s setup in my reloading room and each is caliber specific for USPSA competition incl 3 gun and none are capable of producing long range sub 0.5 MOA ammo. I load mine on a RCBS Rockchucker and a Forester in line for long range!

 

[CUTTER1]

MossyHorn:
Welcome to LRH!
Glad to hear u have an MOA Summit, Bob Beck's group builds very consistent rifles and is a great crew to work with! I have multiple long range rifles from several gunsmiths but after meeting Bob and shooting my first MOA rifles I now own 11 of their
rifles (22 Creedmoor to 338 Lapua Ack Imp). All shoot better than 1/2 MOA. A 7 Rem Mag is usually not a great choice for long rang caliber but Bob uses them frequently as his School Guns in his long range classes and they are all tack drivers!
I've personally shot a couple that had lots of school rounds thru them and 1200+ yard steel plates were chip shots! Your load data for your gun are proven loads in that gun and in every one of my guns I've struggled to produce loads that can do better. This sport is a "rabbit hole" for money and time but is filled with amazing people who are very willing to help! After 50 years of big game hunting and competitive shooting, it has been a true joy to become addicted to this sport (cocaine or heroine can't be any more addictive).
Bob Beck puts on some great long rang schools and I would encourage you to try one.
Len and Andy have a terrific site and store and the members on this site reflect the best of the hunting and shooting world I've ever experienced!
Again welcome to the world of long range hunting and shooting!

 

[kenneth abruzzese]

Hi, I'm a new member here. Been reading for some time and this will be my first post. I've hunted my whole life...Oregon, Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana. Never shot at anything over 400 yards and recently bought a MOA extreme summit 7mm Rem Mag as I wanted to stretch things out and shoot a bit further with confidence. With the help of a friend, my first shot at 1000 was a dead ringer! After a string of shots, I then stretched it out to 1160 with pretty good results!. I have to say I'm hooked on the long range shooting deal.

So I figured I might as well get into the reloading thing too! The custom ammo made for my gun is about $4.25 a squeeze! I figured I might as well invest in a reloading setup for that kind of money.

After reading a great deal on here and finding a great sale online, I'm thinking about purchasing the Rockchucker kit and a chargemaster lite. On Natchez I can get both for $500. Additionally I'll need some premium dies and my components, obviously.

So is this a good starting point for someone that wants shoot out to 1000-1200 yards? What other tools will I need that aren't included in the Rockchucker kit that I may need?

Thanks!

 

[kenneth abruzzese]

if you want to get into reloading,first thing you do is,get yourself some manual and read up on it, it's not just throw some powder in,pump a slug in,and good to go.a friend of mine got me into reloading,first thing he handed me was a book on reloading,know what you are DOING,because your making a bomb.

 

[Duhawk]

Again, I appreciate the constant flow of ideas. No worries on getting off topic. I'm trying to absorb all of this info.

Quality calipers is something many have mentioned. I know there's dial and digital... calipers in the $17 to $300 range. What is a quality caliper? I've read about and compared a bunch but when you guys say quality, what is good enough?

Well. If you're a machinist you can't get enough numbers...but in handloading you'll live in the thousandths range for the most part....015 off the lands etc.
Digital by far are the easiest to use and read...
Do what I did in the beginning. Go to say Midways website (and others) and search calipers....you'll find prices from several hundred $$ down to say $30. Read the reviews from people who use them....funny thing, the one with the most reviews on Midway, and somewhat glowing were the Hornady for $32.00.
Mine were a bit more pricey than that, though maybe do as well...dunno. You'll find you'll eventually use them for measuring everything from COAL to neck wall thickness so mid-range $$ wise and they'll last years and give you good numbers.

 

[Alibiiv]

perhaps you should move into the 21 century.
i learned on a progressive.
this is not the 50s
tons of info with videos available.
dillon sells an info disc.
for the record i went from a trail 90 honda to a 750 norton.

Perhaps you and "clowbuster" ought to take some lessons in how not show such cruel disregard to others with your remarks. And..........maybe you ought to learn how to read before you get to be so abrasive and critical about what other people have posted. If you read my response (#54) I wrote that I have a Dillon 650 XL, or course you were being too critical and sarcastic to notice that!! And only a person who does not know too much about reloading would suggest to anyone who is just starting out to buy a progressive press. If the OP was a veteran at reloading and/or had a mentor to help him out, that would be different. If you'd have taken the time to read all of the posts, and you took time out from being judgemental, you would have figured that out. If you do not know the difference between starting out with a progressive press vs learning on a Rockchucker press when starting out then this is a waste of my time; there's lots going on with a Dillon (KISS principle). And.....thanks to you and "clownbuster's" rude/critical/sarcastic/judgemental remarks it now "is" turning in to a ****ing contest; something that clownbuster wrote that he doesn't like!!!

Mossyhorn, I apologize for the way this has turned out, sometimes these threads can go sideways like this. Generally everyone's replies on the forum are helpful and polite. Once in a while some people think that they control what is being written, they think that they know everything about everything, and become belligerent when they don't like what they are reading. I read that you are new to this forum, don't let the last couple of replies discourage you from referencing this forum, there's lots to learn when first starting out, and there's lots of good people on here with good experience and with good suggestions to help answer your questions.

 

[ntsqd]

As a newbie here myself, but with tens of thousands of forum posts in different topics (search user name if you're curious), maybe y'all should just take a step back, breathe deep, then go out and burn some powder? I know that I have to do that time to time.

I don't doubt that a guy can start reloading with a progressive press. I don't think it's a good idea, but I'm sure it can done successfully. Learning curve is steep enough with a single stage. At the volume that I shoot a progressive would be a neat toy. At the volume that a friend shoots his progressive is a necessary tool. You don't buy a Peterbilt 359 to haul 5 bales of hay four times a year, and you don't haul 40t of hay weekly with a diesel pick-up. Size the tool for the job. I don't get the sense that the OP's shooting volume dictates a need for a progressive press. Perhaps later if his volume goes up, and maybe not. So can we please set that "discussion" aside?

Mossyhorn, Now that you've got a 6 page thread on what to buy do you have a new preferred buy list? I'm thinking that input from actual users of each proposed purchase might be rather helpful?

As I posted before I had a Pacific single stage 'O' shaped press when I started out. It's body was aluminum and in full length sizing .308 Norma Mag cases it flexed. An old boss offered me his well used, but dormant Rockchucker and I jumped on it. There may or may not be a better single stage press out there, but the RC is really darned good. Mine has loaded, by his primer box flap count, ~50,000 .38's & .357's Yes, one at a time. Plain wore out that 5 screw 8-3/8" S&W 27, flame cut the top strap to the point where S&W wouldn't return it. Not to mention what ever other calibers he and I have loaded on it as well.
It shows no wear. The ram has only barely perceptible play in it's bore in the body. It is so low that I've not bothered to measure it. If pressed for a number I'd estimate .001"-.0015" shaft to bore clearance (I design production tooling for work), which is very likely what it left RCBS with.

 

[ar10ar15man]

you are so spun up on your high horse you never read what i said to the OP.
to repeat
i said one could start on a progressive.
i also said it is not the tool for the OP.
TAKE A CHILL PILL

Perhaps you and "clowbuster" ought to take some lessons in how not show such cruel disregard to others with your remarks. And..........maybe you ought to learn how to read before you get to be so abrasive and critical about what other people have posted. If you read my response (#54) I wrote that I have a Dillon 650 XL, or course you were being too critical and sarcastic to notice that!! And only a person who does not know too much about reloading would suggest to anyone who is just starting out to buy a progressive press. If the OP was a veteran at reloading and/or had a mentor to help him out, that would be different. If you'd have taken the time to read all of the posts, and you took time out from being judgemental, you would have figured that out. If you do not know the difference between starting out with a progressive press vs learning on a Rockchucker press when starting out then this is a waste of my time; there's lots going on with a Dillon (KISS principle). And.....thanks to you and "clownbuster's" rude/critical/sarcastic/judgemental remarks it now "is" turning in to a ****ing contest; something that clownbuster wrote that he doesn't like!!!

Mossyhorn, I apologize for the way this has turned out, sometimes these threads can go sideways like this. Generally everyone's replies on the forum are helpful and polite. Once in a while some people think that they control what is being written, they think that they know everything about everything, and become belligerent when they don't like what they are reading. I read that you are new to this forum, don't let the last couple of replies discourage you from referencing this forum, there's lots to learn when first starting out, and there's lots of good people on here with good experience and with good suggestions to help answer your questions.

 

[ntsqd]

sigh......

 

[Alibiiv]

As a newbie here myself, but with tens of thousands of forum posts in different topics (search user name if you're curious), maybe y'all should just take a step back, breathe deep, then go out and burn some powder? I know that I have to do that time to time.

I don't doubt that a guy can start reloading with a progressive press. I don't think it's a good idea, but I'm sure it can done successfully. Learning curve is steep enough with a single stage. At the volume that I shoot a progressive would be a neat toy. At the volume that a friend shoots his progressive is a necessary tool. You don't buy a Peterbilt 359 to haul 5 bales of hay four times a year, and you don't haul 40t of hay weekly with a diesel pick-up. Size the tool for the job. I don't get the sense that the OP's shooting volume dictates a need for a progressive press. Perhaps later if his volume goes up, and maybe not. So can we please set that "discussion" aside?

Mossyhorn, Now that you've got a 6 page thread on what to buy do you have a new preferred buy list? I'm thinking that input from actual users of each proposed purchase might be rather helpful?

As I posted before I had a Pacific single stage 'O' shaped press when I started out. It's body was aluminum and in full length sizing .308 Norma Mag cases it flexed. An old boss offered me his well used, but dormant Rockchucker and I jumped on it. There may or may not be a better single stage press out there, but the RC is really darned good. Mine has loaded, by his primer box flap count, ~50,000 .38's & .357's Yes, one at a time. Plain wore out that 5 screw 8-3/8" S&W 27, flame cut the top strap to the point where S&W wouldn't return it. Not to mention what ever other calibers he and I have loaded on it as well.
It shows no wear. The ram has only barely perceptible play in it's bore in the body. It is so low that I've not bothered to measure it. If pressed for a number I'd estimate .001"-.0015" shaft to bore clearance (I design production tooling for work), which is very likely what it left RCBS with.

Thanks for posting this, it is the point that I was trying to make. I don't usually get caught up with the BS, pushed my button and I got hooked. For me it takes the fun out of a post when a couple of people go at it on the thread. I use my Rockchucker to reload my 10mm's for the Glock 20 for hunting; one at a time for all four processes. I don't shoot the 10mm that much so have not bothered to buy a set up for the Dillon, it is solely used for .45 ACP. Usually will load 200-300 to practice with and take hunting, all on the Rockchucker. My press has to be at least 25 years old, has had just about everything put through it and it is a good as the day that I bought it. I used to use the automatic priming tool, however has changed that to the RCBS hand priming tool, I find it easier to use.

 

[Mossyhorn]

Yes, I'm getting a good complete list of individual products and getting things priced out, thanks to all the advice given so far! One of my biggest hangups is a scale. I don't know that I can justify the cost if an fx-120 to get that .01 accuracy. And if I don't do that, and want the accuracy that I'm getting, is it worth getting into? The cost of that scale alone could keep me shooting custom ammo for years...

 

[Zep]

Scale - I have a beam - RCBS 10-10. Very happy. Of course I use a trickier, manual Redding.

I have some old powder scoops that me close and then I hone in with the trickler. I powder 50 cartridges at a time (wooden loading blocks, Sinclair).