Reloading equipment recommendations

[Little Church Mouse]

I think that buying the reloading equipment before shooting is like putting the cart before the horse. It will be more expensive doing it this way as you will not know what to buy before you have enough experience to decide what you want to accomplish. I understand having something is better than having nothing in a country that is anti-gun, but you want to end up with the best equipment for your personal shooting habits/goals.

"buying the reloading equipment before shooting is like putting the cart before the horse."

What about buying ammo before you have the firearm to use it?

I actually have done that; however, I had intentions of getting something in that caliber sooner or later.

Came across good deals on 9mm and 223 green tips before I had a 223. I went with 10mm instead of 9mm for a carbine.

I figured I could use the 9mm up in friend's tools at the range. I had a 222 with lots of ammo, so I figured that if the SHTF I could use 223 for barter, etc.

Last year I found and bought a NY "compliant" pump action 222 from Troy Industries, along with a 223 upper for it.

Sporting PAR 18" 222 | TROY Industries

Sporting PAR 18" 222

worldoftroy.com

 

[MarkInPA]

I bought a EP Integrations to anneal brass. It uses a torch. For $240.00 it works really well. And not a big footprint on the bench. I do want to try and build a auto feeder onto it one of these days.

Me too.

 

[MarkInPA]

The only reason that I reload is that it allows me to customize my cartidges to fit MY guns whereas, factory ammo is made to work in ALL guns! Once again, ammo that works in all guns is generally only adequate in specific guns. My reloads fit well in MY guns and produce the best results in MY guns.

I agree with this statement too. It was in the back of my mind but, I did not verbalize it.

 

[MarkInPA]

I do not prime my cases on these presses, I use a dedicated Forster Co-ax Primer Seater and do it in a separate operation.

I have been getting an itch lately to buy one of these Forster Primer Seaters. Currently, I have been using the Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer. It seems to do alright. I can't find any reason to complain about it except maybe that it is made in China. I don't use any of the preset seating depths on it and rely on feel for when the primer bottoms out in the primer pocket. Do you have good feel on the Forster and do you know when the primer bottoms out? Can anybody quantify if you get better results using one over the other?

 

[orangelightening]

Well I kind of read though most of the info here.
Now Just how old are you? You don't have to respond. You'll see the reason why below.
How deep are your pockets, because you have hit the rabbit hole here. If you don't mind spending thousand to start with, then the sky is the limit. Lets start with primers and priming tools. A lot of presses have a primer holder to start with. or you can go to PrimeRight priming tool. Presses I would go to RCBS, unless you feel like spending $1275.00 or so for an Area-419. Powder measure about the top of line is A&D Fx 120i. It's over $1,000.00 or so. There a level up from that and it's about $6,000.00. Anealing, a Bench Source for $600.00 or AMP for about $1,400.00. Annealing I feel is a must. It will extend the life of your cases, consistance neck tension. I would suggest something to cut your neck to thickness. That way you are not having the use a mandrel to straight the necks out. (that would be cheaper) Or a 21st Century for cutting thickness with different cutting heads. You will need comparators for your cases, and bullets. You will need to trim your cases. You can trim manually or get a Henderson Presision for cutting cases to length plus attachments, and that goes for others mention here. Die's I using Redding bushing dies, but have order a RCBS dies now. Both are good, but I staying with bushing die. I cut my necks for thickness. That take away the uneveness out of the neck and consistance thickness for release of bullet. I can set neck tension with bushing. Cases, you are cheaping out by getting brass from manufacture of tailored ammo. If you want the most out your rifle, you'll get Petersons or Lapua brass and there another too that are top of the line brass. (match is better) You will need to get several differnet bricks of primers to try and fine what work best for your load. Primer pocket uniformer too. Bushing for your bushing dies, they come without bushing. Seating dies I would get the type that can be mic-calibrated. Because setting your bullet to lands is the up most importance or getting that way. The dies can come as a package. Calipers, and a ball mic. A chronograph for about $600.00 for the new one out now. There is cheaper ones out there.
So for several thousands you are in. $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 range. There more I haven't mention either.

I'm 32 and just getting into firearms, didn't know anything about them prior to getting my firearms license have learned a lot but still learning for sure. As for my price range/budget. It's not entirely an easy question to answer i don't entire have one, granted i can't afford thousands of dollars but originally before making this post i was looking at the lyman kit in Cabelas i've seen it on sale for $700 many times, but and if people recomended it i was going to try and wait for it to go on sale but if i had needed to i was willing to spend the $1000, if it costs a little more than $1000 i could do a bit more. Jesus the rest of what you said was a brainful lol i generally got the gist of it of it though.

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

"buying the reloading equipment before shooting is like putting the cart before the horse."

What about buying ammo before you have the firearm to use it?

I'll one up 'ya! I'm reloading the ammo before I have the rifle!

I actually have done that; however, I had intentions of getting something in that caliber sooner or later.

I'm waiting...impatiently, I might add...

Last year I found and bought a NY "compliant" pump action 222 from Troy Industries, along with a 223 upper for it.

Sorry to hear that you're in another one of the worst states in regard to our 2A.

I believe it's almost over, there's a couple SCOTUS hearings on March 17th or March 20th.

Sporting PAR 18" 222 | TROY Industries

Sporting PAR 18" 222

worldoftroy.com

I guess that's ok, if that's what you want...but an older bolt action, 30-06, 308, 270, 7 rem mag, etc...there's a lot of great rifles to be had...but we're getting a bit off base...the reference to 5.56 was that @orangelightening asking me why I don't like to reload for it, and that is a caliber he has. So, given that, anyone out there have a press and some 5.56 components for @orangelightening that is in Canada? Short of that, is anyone willing to ship to Canada? LOL (at least it's not Australia... )

 

[orangelightening]

I think that buying the reloading equipment before shooting is like putting the cart before the horse. It will be more expensive doing it this way as you will not know what to buy before you have enough experience to decide what you want to accomplish. I understand having something is better than having nothing in a country that is anti-gun, but you want to end up with the best equipment for your personal shooting habits/goals.

That makes sense, although i'm not entirely looking for fancy per se just something that'll reload, although at the beginning of my post i was wanting something that i'd never have to upgrade, but reading comments it seems that that's kind of unavoidable regardless and have kind of come to terms with something to get me started and as time goes on and i'm learning, see if i even enjoy it etc than slowly upgrade my stuff. In regards to moving to a less anti gun country, well normally canada isn't bad it's just the current far left that are in at the moment. Also, moving to another country isn't so easy. Not like you can just back up and move. Most countries want people with specialized skills which i don't have, most places aren't looking for people to move to their country and do a job that their own citizens can do.

 

[Mike Matteson]

That makes sense, although i'm not entirely looking for fancy per se just something that'll reload, although at the beginning of my post i was wanting something that i'd never have to upgrade, but reading comments it seems that that's kind of unavoidable regardless and have kind of come to terms with something to get me started and as time goes on and i'm learning, see if i even enjoy it etc than slowly upgrade my stuff. In regards to moving to a less anti gun country, well normally canada isn't bad it's just the current far left that are in at the moment. Also, moving to another country isn't so easy. Not like you can just back up and move. Most countries want people with specialized skills which i don't have, most places aren't looking for people to move to their country and do a job that their own citizens can do.

Then look at Ebay. There item that come up all the time. You'll have to price them with a direct retailer to know what a new sell for and a used one sells for. Just have to watch and bid on them. Know when to hold them or fold them.

 

[orangelightening]

Then look at Ebay. There item that come up all the time. You'll have to price them with a direct retailer to know what a new sell for and a used one sells for. Just have to watch and bid on them. Know when to hold them or fold them.

That's probably a good place to look. I honestly forget ebay is a thing tbh

 

[twocan]

"buying the reloading equipment before shooting is like putting the cart before the horse."

What about buying ammo before you have the firearm to use it?

I actually have done that; however, I had intentions of getting something in that caliber sooner or later.

Came across good deals on 9mm and 223 green tips before I had a 223. I went with 10mm instead of 9mm for a carbine.

I figured I could use the 9mm up in friend's tools at the range. I had a 222 with lots of ammo, so I figured that if the SHTF I could use 223 for barter, etc.

Last year I found and bought a NY "compliant" pump action 222 from Troy Industries, along with a 223 upper for it.

Sporting PAR 18" 222 | TROY Industries

Sporting PAR 18" 222

worldoftroy.com

I also have bought factory ammo prior to buying the gun, but factory ammo is a completed product not a tool to make completed products that have thousands of choices to be made that will be based on feelings or reports and not on personal experience.

Buying proven products that are on sale is a special opportunity to attain inventory inexpensively. I would consider reloading components like bullets, primers and powders in the same category. Reloading tools, however, are not.

I have no good solution to the problem, I only have lots of tools purchased before I knew what the best ones were gathering dust and taking up space (and capital).

 

[twocan]

I have been getting an itch lately to buy one of these Forster Primer Seaters. Currently, I have been using the Frankford Arsenal Hand Primer. It seems to do alright. I can't find any reason to complain about it except maybe that it is made in China. I don't use any of the preset seating depths on it and rely on feel for when the primer bottoms out in the primer pocket. Do you have good feel on the Forster and do you know when the primer bottoms out? Can anybody quantify if you get better results using one over the other?

Yes, there is a good feel when using the Forster Co-Ax, and I found it to be more consistent than the RCBS hand primer that I had been using. I never used a reloading press to also seat my primers, as I could not get consistent results, and saving the little bit of time was not worth it. I think that you would enjoy using the Co-Ax.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Seating primer need to be set very consistent. I would look at PrimeRights. Primer pockets need to be checked for consistence of depth. Now I am reading that primers are being weighed for consistence also.

 

[twocan]

Seating primer need to be set very consistent. I would look at PrimeRights. Primer pockets need to be checked for consistence of depth. Now I am reading that primers are being weighed for consistence also.

Yes, I also trim the primer pockets on the first reload and clean the flash hole at the same time.
That way I can be sure that the ignition at firing pin strike will be consistent to burn the powder at the same rate each time.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Yes, I also trim the primer pockets on the first reload and clean the flash hole at the same time.
That way I can be sure that the ignition at firing pin strike will be consistent to burn the powder at the same rate each time.

I work over my case before starting any reloading process. Cleaning the flash hole, checking depth, setting and cut all cases to same length, cut the neck for thickness. Depending what I am doing to that cases. I may start to reduce the neck size, and stop mid way and anneal then finish the neck size reduction. Anneal again. Then check or volume weight the cases for consistance. Check the ogive start and place into containers of like size. I haven't even started yet place components into the case. Alot of this work only has to be done one time. Thank God!