From: bbx!bbxrbk!russ@unmvax.cs.unm.edu (Russ Kepler)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Getting started in reloading
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:08:54 GMT
Organization: /etc/organization

In article <1992Nov16.211031.14153@igor.tamri.com> donb@igor.tamri.com (Don Baldwin) writes:
#I've been thinking about reloading for a while now and I wanted to find
#out what the minimum setup is to get started in reloading.  Is there some
#relatively inexpensive (under $100), low capacity setup I can get that
#will let me start loading my own inexpensively?
#
#At this point, I don't anticipate needing to load more than, say, 20
#rounds per night.  Later, I'll investigate the more involved setups
#(e.g., Dillon); here, I'm simply looking for the bare minimum.

Find a reloader who is prepared to take the jump to a progressive and
convince him or her that they'll not need the old single stage, and
that their best bet would be to sell it to you now for cash before the
rust starts.  Of course it would be best to get a couple of beers into
them first - say a pitcher or so...

The "cheapest" startup may not be what you really want.  The better
method of reloading would be to find a friend who reloads and to offer
them the same beer as above if they'll let you use their reloading
gear once in a while, then to abuse the privilege.  This lets you
accumulate the brass, primers, bullets and powder that you'd otherwise
have to buy all at once, and to gain some experience in using a press.
If you decide that a single stage press isn't your cup of tea you then
can decide which progressive you want.

I'd say that most folks wouldn't have the patience to reload 20 rounds
per night for a week to have 100 rounds on the weekend, most would
rather reload them in a marathon reloading session.  This session
would take about an hour on a single stage (if you're being careful
and still are using a good powder throw) or 15 minutes on a
progressive (in both cases I'm assuming cleaned cartridge cases in
advance).  So, 100 rounds per week wouldn't justify a progressive.

Progressives are better for folks that don't have a lot of time and
still want to shoot more than a little, or for folks that shoot a
*lot*.  I occasionally do both, taking a few friends out to the range
and popping off 500 rounds that I loaded that morning isn't all *that*
uncommon, so a progressive is sort of necessary for me.

I'd suggest that you get some catalogs: Natchez's, Black Hills,
Widener's, etc. and start looking at supplies.  Getting started in
reloading .223 and .308 cost a friend about $80 (250 .223, 100 Sierra
168 grainers, buncha .223 cases, AA2230 and IMR4895 powder) and I'm
letting him use my Dillon 550B until he decides what he wants.  I've
suggested that he buy a scale and fliptray and lube pad when he feels
like it, and he'll have that stuff before Christmas, so by the time
Christmas hits he'll likely order a 550B himself.  He's having a blast
reloading, and he's working up to it fairly slowly over a few months.

I wouldn't have the patience to do that.

Maybe someone in the Bay Area would be willing to show Don the ropes
as reloading goes?  Let him play with some gear, explain the setup and
maybe he'll have a better idea of the tools necessary.  You don't
*have* to have a primer flip tray or lube pad - you can handle it
onesey-twosey on a single stage press (or with a Lee primer thingy)
and some folks have almost convinced me that spray lube is the way to
go (but I grew up on motor honey...)  The only things that you *have*
to have are a press, dies and scale.  

If I were stuck on getting started and didn't have a local to help out
I'd get a RCBS "Partner Press Reloading Kit" and a Lyman Reloading
Handbook.  That'd run about $100 from Natchez and get you a lot of
gear (press, scale, lube kit, funnel,primer try, deburring tool,
loading block and Speer manual).  I'd add to that some nice
inexpensive dies (the Lee dies aren't all that bad for a single stage
(evil on a 550B)) and maybe a Lee powder measure.  The whole shebang
would run about $130 or so.  

Remember that supplies will run about $15/pound for powder, $13/1000
for primers and 12/100 for bullets. Powder will last about 200
rounds/pound for rifle and 1000 rounds/pound for pistol for "common"
rounds.

-- 
Russ Kepler, posting from home   bbxrbk!russ@bbx.basis.com
Will hack unix for food