imho,things you DO NOT NEED for reloading.

[9mm]

DO NOT NEED case pad for case lube, Small stuff use Hornaday spray 1 shot lube, big stuff like 30-06 to 50bmg use poly gloves and a touch of Imperial Sizer wax, little goes a long way.

 

[Silver Hand]

I wonder if other "Handloading Luddites" are as amused as myself when very basic problems are described by those who learned on (and never explored away from) progressive machines: Problems that single-stage pupils found solutions for very early on.

This is not to say one approach is better than the other. I believe each approach has proper application to desired results. Rather, it is a statement toward hard evidence that a Handloader that begins and learns on single-stage equipment can insulate and educate himself toward many pitfalls that may erupt should he later choose to become a Reloader with progressive equipment.

Well said
Spitpatch I will be purchasing my second progressive loader soon. I have used both single and progressive for quite some time, shot gunning. I feel a need to speed things up a bit for some of my hand iron applications. I like to shoot at cans as much as the next guy and do not see a need for the refined art to do so. I am also sure the resulting rounds will be close to the same accuracy I am getting now using an RCBS Uniflow and not weighing each charge.
I totally agree Starting off on a single stage loader gives a person experience in reloading. It also makes mistakes much easier to solve given the production rate of progressive machines.

 

[deadshot2]

I wonder if other "Handloading Luddites" are as amused as myself when very basic problems are described by those who learned on (and never explored away from) progressive machines: Problems that single-stage pupils found solutions for very early on.

This is not to say one approach is better than the other. I believe each approach has proper application to desired results. Rather, it is a statement toward hard evidence that a Handloader that begins and learns on single-stage equipment can insulate and educate himself toward many pitfalls that may erupt should he later choose to become a Reloader with progressive equipment.

Couldn't agree more. Started with a Single Stage and will always have a single stage. Also have a nice progressive. I guess that's why there are two ends to my bench. One of each press

I can honestly say that by starting with a Singe Stage I found it totally unnecessary to consult either the Manual or Customer Service for troubleshooting when starting up my Dillon 650. If you don't know what's supposed to happen at each stage then you're pretty much lost from the beginning. Doesn't make either the manual or CS unnecessary, just makes them less needed.

Back to the topic of the thread stating things you don't need for reloading, I can honestly say that most of what I have on my bench and in the storage boxes around it are more "wanted" than "needed". Isn't that the American Way?

 

[Silver Hand]

Couldn't agree more. Started with a Single Stage and will always have a single stage. Also have a nice progressive. I guess that's why there are two ends to my bench. One of each press

I can honestly say that by starting with a Singe Stage I found it totally unnecessary to consult either the Manual or Customer Service for troubleshooting when starting up my Dillon 650. If you don't know what's supposed to happen at each stage then you're pretty much lost from the beginning. Doesn't make either the manual or CS unnecessary, just makes them less needed.

Back to the topic of the thread stating things you don't need for reloading, I can honestly say that most of what I have on my bench and in the storage boxes around it are more "wanted" than "needed". Isn't that the American Way?

Things that are not needed ?
Every thing I don't yet have!

 

[rdt]

Ill split the 100 with you and we can finance a bulk buy on components after we flip the Dillon.

+1 to learning on a single stage and buying second hand. Im pretty pleased with Lee dies.

What do you all think about this? --> I would say virgin brass is unnecessary for 99%+ of all rounds handloaded on the planet.

 

[bballer182]

What do you all think about this? --> I would say virgin brass is unnecessary for 99%+ of all rounds handloaded on the planet.

I agree 100% with 2 exceptions that I can think of.
1. Bench rest shooting, and even at that...
2. In my case I can't go to my local ranges and pick up some 1x .458socom brass so virgin is almost necessary, because there is only one or two other people in Oregon that I know of who own 458's, and I know they ain't leaving their brass behind.

 

[Spitpatch]

I would say virgin brass is unnecessary for 99%+ of all rounds handloaded on the planet.

For the most part, most probably, but I share the quandary with bballer: I need virgin .357 brass to form my .256 Wincesters, because with the "springy" Marlin 62 action, case life is only 3-4 firings. Also, for my 1885 Winchester, .25-20 Single Shot brass is not found just laying around. My .25 PPC is best when formed (and neck turned) from virgin 6mm PPC.

So, the "planetary" percentage is probably accurate. I'm from a different planet.

 

[Spitpatch]

big stuff like 30-06 to 50bmg use poly gloves and a touch of Imperial Sizer wax, little goes a long way.

Wow! That IS a case-forming chore!

 

[Jacurso]

Sure is.

 

[Jacurso]

Ill split the 100 with you and we can finance a bulk buy on components after we flip the Dillon.

+1 to learning on a single stage and buying second hand. Im pretty pleased with Lee dies.

What do you all think about this? --> I would say virgin brass is unnecessary for 99%+ of all rounds handloaded on the planet.

Virgins are overrated anyway.

 

[AMProducts]

What you might want to try is annealing the brass before forming, and perhaps a light anneal after forming... going from .35 down to .25 is a tough step for most brass to make and it will crack without stress relief... I would bet if you did some now and waited a few years it would probably come out of the box cracked. Might also want to try doing a 2-stage reduction take an old worn out die and drill it out to 7mm or so.

 

[Spitpatch]

AMP:

In my work with the .256, I have by necessity become intimately familiar with the case-forming process, including annealing. (Enough so, that Terry Wieland consulted my work prior to writing his recent article in Rifle magazine on the cartridge/ Marlin 62 rifle.)

I also have RCBS factory two-stage forming dies and utilize them; although numerous people state not much trouble with one pass in the FL die/no annealing, along with a reliable lube.

Case life in the .256/Marlin 62 is limited by the same factors that can limit case life in a Savage 99 (the Marlin 62 is basically a scaled-down version of it). Rear-cam lockup allows some "springiness" in the action. If full-throttle loads are repeatedly fired, the dreaded "bright ring" on the brass ahead of the web can appear, indicating incipient head seperation. SOME mitigation of this can be achieved by meticulous "partial sizing" of the brass, allowing the shoulder to halt some case stretching, but with a lever gun of this type, it is not generally a good idea (for hunting loads intended for the field) to strictly neck size only.

Another strategy I hit upon for limiting case stretching/failure in the .256 Winchester is to utilize .357 Maximum brass (trimmed) to be the base case. Wall thickness for the length of the case used for .256 is generally thicker than a standard .357 in that overall area.

Now to qualify this post as on-topic: I don't need used .357 brass to make .256's. There.