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Screenshot_20191121-152344_Amazon Shopping.jpg plus a cheap scale is there anything else unfortunately i dont have enough room for the full set up or id just get a progressive
 
@THOT_Guy_Josh,
screw the 9mm. $46 for the lee carbide dies, and at current prices, you'll have to reload a few thousand 9mm to recover the cost of your hardware. Go directly to 308 & 450 Bush and watch the savings roll in (in theory).
The Lee setup posted earlier in this thread is a very good deal.

All you need is someone to show you the ropes on bottle neck cartridges. I'd be happy to but I'm slammed until the middle of February.
 
You can do it! It just takes stepping off the cliff and diving into to it. Go slow. Follow all the steps in order (PLEASE do not ask me how i know this :oops: ). Watch Youtube videos too. There are a ton of them.

I had no one to show me, and no one close that i could ask, and i loaded for an Auto Mag in 357AMP for my very first loads. (PROPERLY necking a 44AMP shell to fit MY chamber, trimming to proper length, sizing, necking, deburring, checking for chamber fit, proper powder, bullet seating, and crimping. Then taking it to the range and firing it. WHAT A RUSH knowing i did something like that for the first time by myself.)

If there is someone close to you, with a single stage, maybe they'd be willing to let you pull the handle on their machine sometime. If we were closer I would. I would sit with any newcomer and show them the basics to get used to it, and not be nervous the first time.

It is not hard, just freaky at first. It is so rewarding when you load everything, check everything 2 and 3 times, then take to the range and fire it off. It's a rush!

:s0155:
 
Although not absolutely needed, i would highly suggest crimping your semi-auto loads too. It can save you much headache in the future, especially if you are chasing FTF issues.

:s0155:
Yep! I had been rolling for a long time, never had a problem other that at die change it was a little hassle setting the correct crimp back up. I soon bought extra turrets to keep dies set up which helped a lot. Then ran into a 1911 that did not like my loads. Would feed factory all day, must have been a tighter chamber. I had kept seeing the FC Dies. Finally figured why not. Ran some of my loads through one and all of a sudden that picky pistol ate my stuff all day. After that I started buying them for all my rounds. The extra step is to me just well worth it. Not to mention set up so much faster.
 
@THOT_Guy_Josh,
screw the 9mm. $46 for the lee carbide dies, and at current prices, you'll have to reload a few thousand 9mm to recover the cost of your hardware. Go directly to 308 & 450 Bush and watch the savings roll in (in theory).
The Lee setup posted earlier in this thread is a very good deal.

All you need is someone to show you the ropes on bottle neck cartridges. I'd be happy to but I'm slammed until the middle of February.

While I no longer roll 9mm any more I STRONGLY recommend all shooters keep the stuff to do so if they have some guns for it. So many seem to quickly forget the panic shortages. Have seen a few. That last one we had was the worst one I had ever seen. It was sure nice having 5 gal buckets with the stuff to roll in the garage as I watched people screaming about not being able to find ammo. I was always able to still find enough to keep me at the range but if I had needed it? The stuff was there.
 
I guess it's not for everyone but, I've been using my hand press for 10+ years, yes I do have a multi stage press... I don't use it, I reload in weird places and prefer the portability of the hand press.

Plus my arms get a workout. :) I had a guy tell me I was going to get tired of using it real quick about 4 years ago so I purchased a bigger more expensive press that is currently rusting in my pole barn.

Again, not for most people but, the hand press can be fine for some.
 
Do you have any space for a bench top to mount a press?

I have a hand press, you are more than welcome to come down and load a dozen 9mm... I'll even supply the parts. See how fun it is. Doable. Just not as easy as a press even a cheap Lee Breechlock like what I gave away a month ago.
 
Hey guys im getting ready for black friday and id like to start reloading im curious to what all i need from the research ive done the list i have to order is
Lee 9mm 3 piece carbide set
The lee hand press
Lee hand prime
A scale
A de primer and a trimmer
Calipers
Is there anything else i plan on getting more kits just want to start with 9mm amd work up
Ps ive been reading the lee loader book just dont have a place to ask questions
Is the press you want the Breechlock hand press or non bushing? If it takes bushings, you'll want a couple extra for each die.

Door is open if you need hands on experience. Let me know, available to assist I have similar equipment you'll be using.
 
1. Find a way to be Absolutely CERTAIN that the powder charge is the right powder and the right weight. Check weights are good for this.

2. Make sure that the new primer is flush with the base of the case.

3. If you can remove the barrel, make sure that your new rounds good easily into the chamber. Test your first 20 rounds and every 10th round thereafter.

4. Dont be afraid to disassemble or discard any rounds that are imperfect.

Your first thousand rounds, you will be thinking 'I hope this works. I hope nothing bad happens.'
 
I never clean my primer pockets.

I clean a few but not many. Routine primer pocket cleaning doesn't provide much if any benefit for 95% of shooters.

THE LATEST RELOADING MANUAL FROM ANY OF THE BIG NAMES. SPEER, HORNADY, ET AL.

As many as you can get/afford and compare.

If you are looking at reloading 9mm, i would not chose a hand press to do it. Your hand will get tired real fast. I'd go at the very least a single stage press.

Completely agree. Even the cheapest Lee bench top basic press would be better for most uses.

Maybe he has big hands. Whatever, the exercise can't hurt, right?

Well, maybe. That kind of repetitive motion is more wearing on the hands than using a bench-mounted press.

I can see getting that funky hand press and end up hating reloading.

This.

i would highly suggest crimping your semi-auto loads too.

This. If I'm not mistaken, the newer Lee pistol die sets have a taper crimp feature in the bullet seating die. Which should be used in two stages. First set the die for no crimp and seat the bullet. Then dial the die down until you get a gentle taper crimp and apply it to the cartridges with the bullet already seated to appropriate depth.

plus a cheap scale is there anything else unfortunately i dont have enough room for the full set up or id just get a progressive

A scale is a pretty handy and important reloading tool to have. I'll say it again, even the least expensive Lee scale is better than none. People who reload using progressive equipment also need a scale. The Lee dippers are better than absolutely nothing but not as accurate as a scale.

screw the 9mm. $46 for the lee carbide dies, and at current prices, you'll have to reload a few thousand 9mm to recover the cost of your hardware.

It's difficult to argue this point. Loading common handgun cartridges is where you are least apt to save money by reloading. But there are other reasons for reloading aside from saving money. One I can think of is once you get started on one cartridge, it often leads to others and many of those can be real money savers when hand loaded.
 
Looks like you're getting lots of good advice here.

My advice:
Go slow
Read lots on the subject
Ask questions AHEAD of time

Good luck, and be safe.
 
Good luck with your choice of going down the reloading rabbit hole, it is deep and dark but don't be afraid. :)
I too am a Lee fan although I started out with an RCBS single stage press but no biggie. I now have a classic Turret and a Pro-1000 but I leave the RCBS as a dedicated deprimer and resizing press and the Challenger would work as well.
Go with the 4) die carbide dies, you'll never regret it.;)
Another very important aspect of reloading is to not get distracted. It can really mess up your progress and your guns so be careful!!!:confused:
 
You've gotten great advice here. I'll just reiterate, factory crimp dies are your best friends. And a scale, Hornady makes a pocket sized scale that is quite effective. The scale will make sure you retain your fingers...
 
If you load up a round without powder and a primer to the right C O L you can use it to quickly adjust your dies when swapping them around. It gets you 90% of the way, usually I still need a quarter turn or so adjustment after that but it's quicker then adjusting them every time.

Edit: Just read the part about wanting to do rifle rounds after, you will absolutely need some case lube, I use the Franklin arsenal spray. With that hand press if you don't, they will get stuck, it will be extremely difficult to get the brass out. (Hand press has less torque). Spray the rifle brass with it good, pistol doesn't matter so much.
 
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If you load up a round without powder and a primer to the right C O L you can use it to quickly adjust your dies when swapping them around. It gets you 90% of the way, usually I still need a quarter turn or so adjustment after that but it's quicker then adjusting them every time.
This is great advice and I have one of these "adjustment rounds" for each bullet profile/caliber I reload, saves lots of time. Breech lock presses or additional heads for multi-station presses also speed the process.
 
View attachment 634764 plus a cheap scale is there anything else unfortunately i dont have enough room for the full set up or id just get a progressive


Your making this way too complicated. Bag that hand press and get a real press. In a kit, then your not going in piece meal. Personally I went with the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Kit. RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit with M500 Scale The Lee kit looks much lesser built. Ask around here how old some of these guys RCBS presses are? Lee?

I don't see how a bushing set up for dies is any advantage in a single stage press. Dies have threads, they screw into the press and stop at the lock ring. ? If your on a progressive then having 3-4 dies in a tool head IS an advantage. Priming on the press with those little tubes looks like a PIA. I never tried it? But I just can't see how it's better than a hand primer. A hand primer will give a better feel and take less time to set up and operate.

Plus i live in in an apartment so im not worried about speed i plan on doing 308 450 bush and 223 after 9mm if i like it or what would be an easy caliber to start

So? I live in a 974 square foot house. All it takes is a small solid table in a corner. ;)

P1040788.JPG

That table is 4' X 2'

And before people jump on me that TWO kinds of powder on the bench are a supreme NO-NO only one is open and the AA5 is getting ready to be put up for sale. Besides, there is never an open/being used/ready to be used powder on that side of the table. Any bottle to be used would ALWAYS be near the powder dispenser.

Oh yeah, don't forget to get a tumbler for brass cleaning. And a set of calipers. Mine are Harbor freight and have served me well.
 
I never clean my primer pockets.


I don't either, but then I also tumble my brass and that gets it pretty clean. I like it shiny and clean.

When I first started I cleaned the pockets though, it was better then nothing. But then I also used car polish to individually clean each piece of brass too....

I don't recommend that, it's very time consuming. :)
 

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