New to reloading: Recommendations for handguns and rifles

NavyVette said:
My big tell is to add like 100,000 of one type of primer to the cart. If it allows that, they are a scam.

ALSO, if they have no hazmat shipping charge they are almost always a scam.

The only place that I have bought from that did not have a hazmat charge was NormaUSA.

At least one vendor - I forget which - occasionally has free hazmat if you order over $99 of hazardous materials, WITH a coupon. That might be Midsouth Shooters Supply.
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Midsouth are cool people. Bought a lot of reloading supplies from them over the years.

While I have a personal beef with both Brownell's and MidwayUSA, both of them routinely offer either free shipping or free hazmat. Usually on the weekends. Brownell's bought out Gamaliel Shooting Supply, which is how they got into the reloading supply business... they were once just a parts and tools business.

Local gun shops are an option for your initial needs to cover learning the basics. Most shops will sell primers in the 100 count flats, instead of the 1,000 count bricks, and propellants by the pound instead of the 8 lb kegs. So, if you just want enough to try out a combination, yeah, that works despite costing you more per finished round.

Once you have your own favorite recipes down pat, you buy in bulk from the mail order houses.
 
no4mk1t said:
4895 comes in two flavors, IMR and Hodgdon.
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I don't want to hijack but since we are talking military bores, what do think about 4895 for 8mm Mauser out of a '39 K98 sporter? The bore is not great but not too bad. Just looking to get a decent group at 100yds. Maybe longer. I've plenty of bullets and 100+ "newer" mfg cases. Have a SS press and dies. Need primers (LG rifle) and powder. I want an inexpensive powder I don't have to use a lot of. ;)

I also have a 1917 US Enfield sporter. I have maybe 50 decent cases (30-06) but nothing else. 4895 work for that, too? No bullets but I believe it takes LG rifle primers. This gun has a beautiful bore as it escaped salute and parade duty. Again, 100yd group would make me happy... :)
no4mk1t said:
Remember, unless someone is running a sale, you have to pay shipping and HazMat. If you can buy at a gun show, you just pay tax unless you live in a state with no sales tax.
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I didn't see any "deals" at the last gun show I went to. I think they roll their hazmat and S/H into the price, which would be expected. I know here in FL, if they are a more "legit" biz, they are going to charge sales tax (6%+) especially if they have to run a credit card. Cash is king at the gun show... ;)

I specifically went to the show looking for 32WCF/32-20 rounds and found a reloaded bag of 57 for $50. No problems with them and I now have cases I can reload. Any thoughts on plated bullets? I thought I read somewhere someone had used 32ACP but they might be a little light?. Just for a 20" 1873 to plink with--bore is rough but gun ran fine. I'm going to have to search for cartridge dimensions and load data. None of my older manuals had any info on it. I found a pistol load was about it.
 
Bobster said:
I don't want to hijack but since we are talking military bores, what do think about 4895 for 8mm Mauser out of a '39 K98 sporter? The bore is not great but not too bad. Just looking to get a decent group at 100yds. Maybe longer. I've plenty of bullets and 100+ "newer" mfg cases. Have a SS press and dies. Need primers (LG rifle) and powder. I want an inexpensive powder I don't have to use a lot of. ;)

I also have a 1917 US Enfield sporter. I have maybe 50 decent cases (30-06) but nothing else. 4895 work for that, too? No bullets but I believe it takes LG rifle primers. This gun has a beautiful bore as it escaped salute and parade duty. Again, 100yd group would make me happy... :)

I didn't see any "deals" at the last gun show I went to. I think they roll their hazmat and S/H into the price, which would be expected. I know here in FL, if they are a more "legit" biz, they are going to charge sales tax (6%+) especially if they have to run a credit card. Cash is king at the gun show... ;)

I specifically went to the show looking for 32WCF/32-20 rounds and found a reloaded bag of 57 for $50. No problems with them and I now have cases I can reload. Any thoughts on plated bullets? I thought I read somewhere someone had used 32ACP but they might be a little light?. Just for a 20" 1873 to plink with--bore is rough but gun ran fine. I'm going to have to search for cartridge dimensions and load data. None of my older manuals had any info on it. I found a pistol load was about it.
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Short answer, yes, 4895 can be used in the 8mm Mauser. (see link below)
4895 will also work great in 30-06. It was the original powder used in M2 Ball ammo from WW2 until Lake City quit making it in the early 70's.

The Hodgdon reloading database is very useful for not only reloading data itself, but as a means to compare powders.

Reloading Data Center – Hodgdon Reloading Data Center

hodgdonreloading.com hodgdonreloading.com

There have been no real "deals" in the reloading components market for some time. The panics and resultant shortages have made it a sellers market. For the last several years, peeps have felt lucky to find the powder they're looking for and therefore pay the price. Things won't change until there is powder sitting on the shelf and in the warehouse and the seller becomes motivated to lower the price to move it.

Plated bullets have a velocity limitation due to the fact that they are basically pure lead with a thin copper electroplating. They work well at pistol velocities, but are not suitable for full power rifle loads. That is why you mostly see them for pistol calibers only, and low velocity rifle applications like subsonic 300 BLK.
 
Bobster said:
I don't want to hijack but since we are talking military bores, what do think about 4895 for 8mm Mauser out of a '39 K98 sporter? The bore is not great but not too bad. Just looking to get a decent group at 100yds. Maybe longer. I've plenty of bullets and 100+ "newer" mfg cases. Have a SS press and dies. Need primers (LG rifle) and powder. I want an inexpensive powder I don't have to use a lot of. ;)
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Done that, and it works just fine. I used IMR 4895 with a mix of factory 8x57 brass and reformed 30-06 brass (special sizing/trimming die.) Bullets were 200gr Sierra Match Kings (boat tail, hollow point, spitzers.) I loaded the rounds using the velocities of 8x57 JS ammunition instead of the intentionally weak factory 8mm Mauser. Rifles were a Yugoslavian M48 and a post war FN K98k... so no concerns about the quality of the barrel steel.
 
I know people say "You won't save money" - some people say it's because you will shoot more....

But, right now my cost to load 5000 223 Remington (not including labor and the equipment) buying new stuff today is $2201.35 for new Starline brass, Primers, Powder, and Bullets shipped to my door,

That is 1000 New brass, 16 pounds of powder, 5000 primers, and 5000 bullets:
Componet Per 1000 Per 5000 Vender Notes
Starline Brass $242.50 $242.50 Starline
Primers $124.99 $624.95 MidSouth CCI #41
Powder $763.98 MidSouth Hodgdon Benchmark
Bullets $99.99 $499.95 MidSouth Varmint Nightmare 22 Caliber .224 Diameter 55 Grain FMJ Boat Tail W/ Cannelure
Shipping $46.98
Hazmat $22.99
Total $2,201.35
Per 1000 $440.27

I certainly cannot get 1000 rounds of loaded ammo to my door for $440.27.

The cost per goes down the longer the brass lasts of course :)

OH, and this is without military discount on the brass or shopping sites that offer military discount (rarely) on the other components. This was just a quick one stop shopping triip....
 
NavyVette said:
I know people say "You won't save money" - some people say it's because you will shoot more....

But, right now my cost to load 5000 223 Remington (not including labor and the equipment) buying new stuff today is $2201.35 for new Starline brass, Primers, Powder, and Bullets shipped to my door,

That is 1000 New brass, 16 pounds of powder, 5000 primers, and 5000 bullets:
Componet Per 1000 Per 5000 Vender Notes
Starline Brass $242.50 $242.50 Starline
Primers $124.99 $624.95 MidSouth CCI #41
Powder $763.98 MidSouth Hodgdon Benchmark
Bullets $99.99 $499.95 MidSouth Varmint Nightmare 22 Caliber .224 Diameter 55 Grain FMJ Boat Tail W/ Cannelure
Shipping $46.98
Hazmat $22.99
Total $2,201.35
Per 1000 $440.27

I certainly cannot get 1000 rounds of loaded ammo to my door for $440.27.

The cost per goes down the longer the brass lasts of course :)

OH, and this is without military discount on the brass or shopping sites that offer military discount (rarely) on the other components. This was just a quick one stop shopping triip....
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Yes, the economy in reloading is bulk components, finding deals like free shipping and HazMat, and be willing to do some work.
For 223/5.56, you can buy once fired Lake City brass and save even more.
If you know a soldier or Marine with training range access, you might be able to score a 5 gal bucket of range brass. You have to provide the elbow grease to clean and prep it, but hey, it's free. Got a friend of a friend to do just that years ago. A 5 gal. bucket will hold 3000 5.56 cases if you want the lid to snap shut. 3300 filled to the brim.
 
I compared the cost new to the "once fired" stuff I can find online, and it was cheaper from Starline after shipping - of course, I also get a military discount at Starline.
 
NavyVette said:
I compared the cost new to the "once fired" stuff I can find online, and it was cheaper from Starline after shipping - of course, I also get a military discount at Starline.
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If you are looking at vendors that sell once fired Lake City in small quantities, look again at vendors that sell by the 1000+.
 
NavyVette said:
I certainly cannot get 1000 rounds of loaded ammo to my door for $440.27.
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Nope. But $550 will get you 1000 rounds if you shop around. $600 anywhere all day long.

The ROI of reloading is terrible unless your time is of no value. Some guys like to sit in the basement and do that repetitive kind of work but personally, I can't stand the monotony of it.

Reloading pistol calibers makes no sense to me. It's not much cheaper. I often run 800-1000 pistol rounds a month. I do keep my brass and usually give it away to fellow range rats whose wives divorced them because they sat in the basement all weekend reloading. :) Every minute spent reloading is a minute I'm not shooting and keeping my skills sharp.
 
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I started reloading to reduce the overall cost of ammo for my toys, some of which have become pricey in recent years.

I bought a used rig with most of what I needed to get started and bought my first powder and primers locally. I already had a small stash of brass.

I load everything I shoot with the exception of .22 LR. At any given time, there is a little over 4000 in my cabinet and cans, Food for ARs and 9mm toys are usually over 1000 each, and other calibers in the neighborhood of 3-400.

Some are loaded for specific toys, but all will chamber and fire in any weapon for which they are meant.

In all cases, loading is less expensive than purchasing factory ammo. This is the result of purchasing components in bulk when on sale whenever possible. It was not always the case.

Select several versatile powders for your pistol loads since availability can be problematic if you rely only on one. Find more than one powder for each rifle load, too.

Some popular powders have gotten very expensive so I suggest remaining flexible and research a lot before purchasing.

Bullets can get expensive, too. I have found RMR's in house offerings to be an excellent value and they produce excellent results in my toys.

Above all, read and research until you fully understand the process and your equipment's capabilities and limitations. Go slow, start charges low, never accept "good enough", and you will be rewarded with the knowledge that you are using reliable, custom ammo.

Last year while I was at the rifle range, the young man next to me was getting frustrated while shooting his new AR. He was using some surplus 5.56 green tip and was grouping terribly.

After checking his mounts and finding all to be in order, I gave him 10 of my 55 grain .223 handloads and suggested he try them.

He put the second shot into the first hole @ 50 yards. At 100 yards he was sub-MOA.

Sometimes the ammo makes all of the difference!

Sorry for being so long winded. :)
 
Primers ... wow ... a bit confusing. Is the attached chart a legitimate/accurate designation of the primer size to bullet diameter?

Looks like I'd need every primer size to address
Pistol: 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, 10mm
Rifle: 5.56 (.223), 7.62, .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, 300BO
 

Attachments

  • Primer Size and Bullet Diameter Chart.pdf
    501.8 KB · Views: 9
Steelart99 said:
Primers ... wow ... a bit confusing. Is the attached chart a legitimate/accurate designation of the primer size to bullet diameter?

Looks like I'd need every primer size to address
Pistol: 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, 10mm
Rifle: 5.56 (.223), 7.62, .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, 300BO
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There is small and large in both rifle and pistol. The brass you use dictates that.

9mm and 40 S&W take small. 10mm takes large. 45 ACP can be either small or large depending on who makes your brass. Personally, I stick with large, (more of it than small) and give the small primer brass to other reloaders in need. I don't want the headache of sorting for primer size.

5.56/223 and 300BLK takes small.
308 and the Creed take large.
7.62X39 is other caliber available in small or large. Pick one and stick with that size for the same reasons as 45 ACP.

That's the basics. For the caliber mentioned above, you don't require Magnum primers. There's a few more details, but that will get you started.
 
no4mk1t said:
There is small and large in both rifle and pistol. The brass you use dictates that.

9mm and 40 S&W take small. 10mm takes large. 45 ACP can be either small or large depending on who makes your brass. Personally, I stick with large, (more of it than small) and give the small primer brass to other reloaders in need. I don't want the headache of sorting for primer size.

5.56/223 and 300BLK takes small.
308 and the Creed take large.
7.62X39 is other caliber available in small or large. Pick one and stick with that size for the same reasons as 45 ACP.

That's the basics. For the caliber mentioned above, you don't require Magnum primers. There's a few more details, but that will get you started.
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I was seeing that some calibers take large or small, something I hadn't realized. I guess for those calibers I'll need to go through my brass/ammo stash to see what primer size is associated with what I have in "stock".

Note: dang ... hazmat fees could add up :rolleyes: I need to be a bit selective on when I order powder/primers to take advantage of "no hazmat fee" sales.
 
Take a look at the regular shipping costs too - some places the shipping costs are higher than the hazmat fees at other places with lower shipping.

And, watch for sales.

I bought 24 pounds of powder from a vendor that had the powder for enough less per unit than the vendor with free hazmat that I paid less after shipping and hazmat than I would have from the free hazmat place.
 
no4mk1t said:
There is small and large in both rifle and pistol. The brass you use dictates that.

9mm and 40 S&W take small. 10mm takes large. 45 ACP can be either small or large depending on who makes your brass. Personally, I stick with large, (more of it than small) and give the small primer brass to other reloaders in need. I don't want the headache of sorting for primer size.

5.56/223 and 300BLK takes small.
308 and the Creed take large.
7.62X39 is other caliber available in small or large. Pick one and stick with that size for the same reasons as 45 ACP.

That's the basics. For the caliber mentioned above, you don't require Magnum primers. There's a few more details, but that will get you started.
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Thank you so much for this. I know little about reloading, but want to learn about it. The primers and caliber matches have always been a question I've had, so thank you!

I have access to buddy's complete RCBS system, just know little about how things work. I don't want to hijack this thread, but I did have a question about whether Hornady dies will work in an RCBS system? I have read online that they do, but it was at a random website and I don't recall the name.
 
Steelart99 said:
I was seeing that some calibers take large or small, something I hadn't realized. I guess for those calibers I'll need to go through my brass/ammo stash to see what primer size is associated with what I have in "stock".

Note: dang ... hazmat fees could add up :rolleyes: I need to be a bit selective on when I order powder/primers to take advantage of "no hazmat fee" sales.
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If you buy your powder and primers from a brick and mortar store, or at a gun show, there is no shipping or Hazmat. If you belong to a gun club that has shotgun ranges, they have to buy clays, typically once a month. Some of these vendors deliver via their own fleet of trucks. The club I belong to does this. Club members can order anything from the vendors catalog and it gets delivered on the next truck. No shipping and no Hazmat.
 
MOST dies are of a standard size and will work in any press.

50 BMG and perhaps others are a larger diameter. BUT, any press that can handle 50 BMG dies should be able to handle any 50 BMG die.

Normal dies are 7/8x14 thread
50 BMG are 1 1/4x12 thread
 
USApat said:
Thank you so much for this. I know little about reloading, but want to learn about it. The primers and caliber matches have always been a question I've had, so thank you!

I have access to buddy's complete RCBS system, just know little about how things work. I don't want to hijack this thread, but I did have a question about whether Hornady dies will work in an RCBS system? I have read online that they do, but it was at a random website and I don't recall the name.
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All brands of standard reloading dies are 7/8"X14 thread. Brand A dies will fit brand B press etc.
It always a good idea to use a shell holder made by the same company as the dies to avoid tolerance stacking issues.

Here's both a rifle and pistol basic reloading procedures. Read and then ask your questions.

Tutorial - Rifle Reloading 101

no4mk1t submitted a new resource: Rifle Reloading 101 - A basic overview on how to do it Once again, this is a basic look at rifle reloading. Consider these instructions applicable mostly to a bolt action. Reloading for auto loaders and lever guns have some additional steps. The M1/M14/M1A...
www.patriotgunbuilders.com www.patriotgunbuilders.com

Tutorial - Pistol Reloading 101

@no4mk1t submitted a new resource: Pistol Reloading 101 - Tutorial: Basic reloading typical pistol and revolver cartridges. Pistol Reloading 101 This will be a basic overview on how to load typical pistol and revolver cartridges. We will only be talking about the most basic of reloading...
www.patriotgunbuilders.com www.patriotgunbuilders.com
 

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