Glock bulge edition.
>mixed brass
>230gr Berry's plated round nose
>Lee factory crimp
>won't seat in P220 match chamber
I have a Lee "bulge buster" just for this. These rounds chamber in my factory P220 barrels.

Remington factory yellow box 230gr JHPs seat fine. This barrel I got on eBay for $200, didn't expect a match dimensions chamber. It's not a Bar-Sto, but it could be a shop reject as there are some mild blemishes on it.

How much does it cost to get started on reloading? My buddy collects all his brass but doesn't reload (something about being eco-friendly)

Still need to finish crimping btw...

>>63900775
>press $200
>full die set $75
>scale $50
>powder silo $150
>calipers $50
At least $525 approx for something like Hornady or RCBS. I'm sure you can do it cheaper, but that's the going rate for what I have for my RCBS. I got it years ago for less than that but inflation is a bitch.

>>63900775
>>>63900786 is nothing more than a product consoomer, who thinks money spent = more better.

You need pic related ($40), a rubber mallet (you already have this), a pound of powder ($40), a 100ct sleeve of primers ($10), and 100 bullets ($20 or less depending).

You can have a great time and learn all the fundamentals and load basically anything you want for less than $150 (and it fits into a grocery bag) and that's being generous, not even to mention the autist who handloads with a rusty C-clamp.

Don't consoom product, consoom fundamental skills, then later on you can always upgrade if you want more capacity.

>>63900857
Based anon who exists within real life

>>63900857
>>63900874
>destitute tier

>>63900857
>consoomer
Code word for "I'm poor"

>>63900925
>>63900942
It's wet your feet tier
But yeah
>consoomer
is code for poorfag cope.

>>63900925
>>63900942
Also post guns or reloading press.
>no guns talk the most shit

>>63900775
You can start with a lee hand press to get started, pretty cheap, probably $200 or so all in. If you like it eventually youll want an actual press and a digital scale for trickling charges bare minimum, but most of your dies and such can be used with it so the only "wasted" investment would be on the hand press itself.

>>63900764 (OP)
Just ordered a 458 win mag the other day so I'm going to need to start reloading.

>>63901062
Go big (730 grains) or go home anon.

>>63900857
I love the marketing for the Lee Classic Loader. It's clearly aimed at apocalypse peppers. I have the .308 set...

>>63901102

>>63901102
That gas check makes my penis the big penis.

>>63900775
Estate sales are good places to get presses, scales, maybe the right dies too.
For some reason nobody sells this stuff at yard sales but when some fudd croaks you might be able to scoop up a box of used reloading equipment for cheap even if his guns are selling near online prices.

>>63901102
>>63901102
What is the little copper cup on the back technically called? Does it help with the lead smoke issue?

>>63901420
That's a "gas check" and it helps protect the soft lead projectile in high velocity loads.

>>63900947
>poorfag cope.
or former poorfag who doesn't want to go back to those days.
I've seen mother fuckers who earn $90,000 a year live in a shit shack eating hot plate cooked ramen packs with no additions that were never married, used or gambled.

>>63900857

I got one of these in 9mm because fucking Commiefornia and its in-person ammo background check requirement and 21% gun/ammo tax. Ended up getting a digital scale and micrometer off Amazon for like $30 all told, then a Lee primer tool for $45 with all the holders, then the $12 Lee dipper set so I can more easily reload with Autocomp (the most commonly available pistol powder locally) which doesn't play well with the included dipper. Takes me about 3 minutes to grind out a single 124gr FMJ round, if you add in setup/cleanup time.

It's addictive to play at grugloading.

Is there a way to test rufle bullet quality that isnt just using a scale and exel file? I know i can test cases for roundness and internal water volume but what about bullets? Can i test if they're round, the OAL, OGive tobtip? Getting my rifle in 3-4months so i can plan tests and gear.

>>63901660

Even a cheap micrometer can help with length. Amazon sells them for like $10.

>>63901675
And roundness, can i use those with just the bullets like a CNC machine?

>>63901511
Cool story, bro

Im one lucky autist. The 200g calibration weight for the scale came, also bought a 20g weight to see how the precision is in a classic reloading range. Look at that sexy number :3

>>63900857
im looking to into reloading and dont want to put crazy amount of money in tooling
these looks nice, but they are not available in any of the calibers i shoot (neither being particularly exotic) : 8x57 mauser, 9mm Makarov and 7.62x39

i have to say im quite surprised that the 3D2A crowd dont care about manual reloading jigs (apart for 9mm)

> captcha PAAY4
sure gookmoot, but for what ?

>>63900857
How about the hand press? It's pretty cheap and i don't mind the idea of doing a light arm workout while watching shit.

>>63901102
>730 grains
Cute lil guys

>>63904933
Do those work for something else than removing the primers?

Also pic related, watch out for asymetrical muscle growth

>>63900857
>Don't consoom product, consoom fundamental skills
Facebook boomer ahh comment.

>>63905244
>than removing the primers?
You can put any die in it. So it works for case mouth expanding as well as seating and crimping.

>>63905244
NTA, they can be used like a normal loading press but as you can imagine you're not getting anywhere near the leverage you get compared to a typical press bolted to a sturdy bench. They're passable for things that don't require a lot of force like straight-walled pistol cases or perhaps doing neck sizing only on rifle ammo, but you'd hate your life real fucking quick trying to, say, FL size .308 with one of those.

>>63905292
Thas nobsecret but look at that thing, it was made as a suicide assistance device. Better buy the most cheap reloading press just to get a level and stable workspace. >>63905298 like that Anons said, you might end up at its limitation extremly quick + a scratched table and angry mom :) i need a workbench, no reloading for me till i got that

Can you reload .223 with a small press? My country just allowed buying .223 semi auto rifles but ammo is too expensive and I want to get a cheat small press. Also, do I really need those lathe like thingy to rectify rifle shells? or is just a gimmick.

>>63905483
Ydont need those, a simple electric drill or just turning it by hand will shorten the expanded cases just right. Calculate around 20€ for it and its fine
>>63901703 and thats autistic, rather for F Class or LRP and not generic shooting on budget

>>63905553
so I just put pic related into my electric drill and spin it?

I'm too nervous about getting into reloading, afraid I might literally blow it off. I have a CNC operator background but I'm too unsure, that .01 might fuck up my gun, blow the extractor away.

>>63905582
There is something else, looks like that but with a added outside cone. But yeah, thats how it works. Brass is soft enouth that you're able to handturn it without drill

>>63905582
Shells spat out from autoloading rifles are often dinged up so you will probably need a deburring tool like this.
In my experience, 223 and similar cases don't stretch too much even with repeated use.
BUT if you're using magnum rifle rounds or doing something advanced-level like resizing wildcat rounds, you might need a case trimmer.

>>63900925
>>63900942
>>63900947
Dollars to pennies you are fat.

>>63906338
Yeah I need to loose 20lbs I admit that.
But your pissy little bitch attitude won't make you any more money lol.
Get a better job. Or a second one.

>>63906338
NTA but I'm fat if that counts

>>63905483

Dude you can reload .223 with a Lee Classic like in >>63900857. They make one in .223/5.56mm. All you technically need is a cheap rubber mallet from the hardware store, plus components. However a cheap micrometer caliper and equally cheap digital scale (both from Amazon or similar) will go a long way towards making it safer, especially if you can't get the exact powders listed on the sheet.

I also got a deluxe Lee priming tool set because fuck hammering primers in. Had enough pop in my hand to just get a tool.

>>63905298
>>63905385
Major skill issue, hit the gym
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2TeFVvw6Cc

So, this Lee bulge buster makes some of the .45s pass my stainless match barrel's chamber, but not all. It's an improvement though. I had maybe 1 out of 200 fail my factory P220 chamber so far and as long as it eliminates that point of failure I'm happy.

>>63904933
I just got into reloading. 45-70 with black powder for an original trapdoor rifle. The only step where I found the hand press to require effort was during resizing with too little case lube. Since I use only one rifle I now skip resizing anyway. So, for people who are locked in city/flat life like me in Prague, this was a comfy way to get started reloading.

Also thanks to everyone who provided advice and encouragement last week. I experimented with powder compression, hollow base bullets and different lubricants. For leading I now use some brass wool to get the barrel back to shiny. Those new loads are still not tack drivers but quite an improvement. First disastrou batch, no compression, no lubricant beyond one grease groove, flat base bullets, 50 rounds at 25(!) yards.

New batch. Blue: two rounds, hollow base, compressed powder, 3 nivea lubricated grooves
Teal: 5 rounds, flat base, compressed powder, sandwich of felt, nivea, felt.
50 yards
Still ways to go but light-years better than the first batch that almost made me quit.

>>63908822
I need to pick you autist upbwhen we do long range next year in CZ. You got alot going on over there

>>63905582
>I might literally blow it off. I have a CNC operator background but I'm too unsure, that .01 might fuck up my gun, blow the extractor away
Parts loader or button pusher? Regardless, this kind of stuff will give you a better appreciation of the accuracy those machines are capable of, and what you're capable of with a bit of practice. Just follow book loads to start with and you'll be fine.

Casings are washed and ready for the next reloading. I definitely want to keep learning more. The Trapdoor rifle I plan to sell though. So in case you know anyone in Czech Republic who would like to buy it (unregulated and freely sold at 18 years old without a license here), please let me know. Since blackpowder is also unregulated here you may even reload your own casings. Just need to buy primers in Germany for example since there they are unregulated.
The LGS in Žižkov currently has a Pedersoli Rolling Block replica and with this I feel like I can experiment more safely with blackpowder .45-70 than with a 150+ years old Trapdoor.

Newguns here, I get reloading to save money, but in the case of cartridges like 300WM i see people saying that they only shoot their own loads, and factory is meh. What is different or can be different about a self made round to make it so much superior? Are factory rounds just more inconsistent than I think?

>>63909107
>What is different or can be different about a self made round to make it so much superior?
Fire formed brass to their particular chamber would make it better suited to that specific rifle versus factory ammo.

>>63909107
>What is different or can be different about a self made round to make it so much superior
You can fine tune projectile weight/type and powder charge to fit your firearm, there's also forming the brass to exactly match your chamber. Every single firearm behaves slightly differently in a way that is unique to it and this is a big deal for cartridges such as .300 WM because they're typically used for long range shooting and as you may expect accuracy is critical. No one cares about such minute differences otherwise.
>Are factory rounds just more inconsistent than I think?
You can achieve higher consistency handloading, yes. Factory ammo is made on an automated assembly line that is only as precise as it needs to be for the average consumer. Handloading with a single stage you can be as precise and spend as much time on each step as you want to.

>>63900771
Don’t be a pussy and hit that with a hammer and chisel

>>63909155
If by chisel you mean firing pin? Then yes.

>>63901420
Did this motherfucker get 6 bullets stuck in the barrel, reload, and jam 2 more?! Is this the power of dementia?

Bump

>>63904989
are those 10ga brass shells or what?

How exactly would I go about trying to work up a >2400fps .355" diameter bullet load? My current thought is
>start with .460 Rowland for the case capacity
>neck it down a la 9x25 Dillon
>get a custom barrel made, thread it into a homemade pull-cord action
>clamp that to a table and fire it through a chronograph
>start with slower powders & heavier bullets
>increase charge until I get overpressure signs, then decrease bullet weight
>start over with a faster powder if unsuccessful
>repeat until victory or death

>>63909181
They was a factory test gun, as I recall. The barrel was intentionally plugged with the first two bullets, then the rest were fired normally. The whole barrel was then cut lengthwise, creating a display piece that demonstrated the strength of the firearm.

>tfw finally finished 1,000 rounds of .45 on a single stage press
I think from now on I'll just be doing 500 at a time.

Onto the next batch of .45s. 500rds, same load as the prior 1,000 but with small pistol primers.

a good way to recover expanded bullets with is shooting a trash bag full of water.

oh man, found a picture of the bad old days

30-30 Winchester, 220 gr round nose, 1.6cc trail boss. For single feed use obviously, didn't tried them in a lever rifle. Subsonic and mostly for having fun with a suppressor. On the upper limit of hearing safe with a K length 30 cal rifle can. Berry's 220gr plated for the 300blackout would be a more cost effective solution.

Bullet seated backwards to help trail boss fill the case. Trail Boss please come back.

>>63908822

How does the hand press work for you? Thinking about getting one since I don't have a good spot for a worktable and I want to handload .40/10mm and .223.

>>63912602
shit bro I'm tired after just a couple hundred, I couldn't image doing 1k at once

>>63913480
not him but I have been handloading for about a decade exclusively on the hand press. I have never owned a bench mounted press.
it will do pretty much everything you want and I don't have any complaints with the functionality.

My only complaint is how the press handles are "skeletonized" and quite meager and will get uncomfortable after long sessions, even though I am young I feel like I am developing mild arthritis after using it. I would love if Lee sold an accessory rubberized cover for the handles. I will probably end up taping something on it.

>>63913614
>>63913480
also I would not recommend this press for bulk loading handgun rounds, you might only get a magazine or two before feeling the insanity creeping in. this is a problem with all single stage presses but the fact that you always have to have a hand on the hand press to keep it upright to keep powder from spilling, makes the problem a little worse.

you should still get it though

>>63913609
I did it over the course of the past 6 weeks lol. Not in one week. But with only 500 I'll move quicker and get in more range time.

>>63913654
That's why you should spend the extra $ and get a mounted press...

>>63911570
8ga rifle brass. Or if you want to be more anal about it, it's .888 cal, which is technically "7/1" bore, the first standard oversize above 7ga.

>>63913664
no, I like and enjoy my hand press despite the flaws. for me the compromise is worth it.

>>63913656
Makes sense, I have to do the same in the summer(too hot in the garage, I need to get a thermometer to see the temp but its gotta be around 90 or so) but in the winter Ill bang out 200-300 in one session

>>63913685
Alright man whatever floats your boat.
>>63913688
>in the garage
I have a dedicated shop in my basement so the temp is decent year around. Though I may get a small electric heater this winter to stay down there longer.

>>63912479
#1 Research. What you want is quite close to existing cartridges like .357 Wildey Magnum, .357 AMP, .357 Maximum/.357 SuperMag, .357 Bain & Davis, etc. A lot of this work has already been done, you just need to read about it.
#2. Software tools like Load From a Disk (old), Quickload, or GRT.

I don't see why the fuck you'd start with heavy bullets, especially if your goal is high velocity. Lighter bullets will give higher velocities, and lighter bullets are also safer when you're experimenting because they tend to result in lower pressures. You also shouldn't need to go randomly trying powders, the software and existing load data should get you very close.

You also will need to define your starting conditions in a bit more detail: 2400fps with what bullet weight and what barrel length? what kind of gun is this for (revolver, single-shot, semi?)

>>63913614
>>63913654

Okay. I'm currently banging a 9mm Classic Lee Loader on some scrap wood (can't secure it enough for a mounted press), so anything's an improvement. I've gotten the Classic down to 3 minutes a round on average with my calipers, priming tool, and digital scale, will the hand press be faster or slower? I know I need to change dies and everything so that'll add maybe a minute overall?

>>63913746
>can't secure it enough for a mounted press
You sure? I handloaded in my college dorm room. I screwed my press to a small scrap of plywood (about 1 foot square) and when I wanted to use it I took it out of my closet and C-clamped it to a desk. When I moved out into my first apartment I C-clamped it to the kitchen countertop. Done loading? Remove clamps, put press back in closet.

Also, if you want to speed up loading you don't swap dies every time, jesus that would take forever. Do it in batches. Start with the decapping/sizing die and do all the brass in your batch. Then prime all the brass. Then charge all the brass with powder. Examine all the filled brass and do a double-check that the powder levels are consistent, making sure you didn't accidentally leave one empty or double-charge one. Then seat all the bullets, etc.

>>63913746
The hand press isn't really any faster than the Classic, the main benefit is that it's quieter as you aren't using a hammer. The secondary benefit is that you can use regular dies, which enables you to do things like full length sizing or bullet pulling.
The Lee breech lock (the blue thing on the hand press) makes changing dies take less than 5 seconds.

If you're comfortable with the Classic and haven't blown yourself up yet, then the hand press is a fine upgrade. I also recommend the Frankford Arsenal tool for punching out primers.

>>63913680
okay. now you HAVE to show the gun

these cowboy dies are the shit, no more wrenches

>>63913780

Do I even need to use the powder die for .40 since it's straight walled and not crimped? I've got the Lee funnel and can just pour in my charges long as the brass is on a flat surface.

>>63913787

I'm mainly interested in using regular dies. The quick-change bushings mean I don't need to readjust them after swapping once I've got them dialed in, right? Just need to tighten the bushing with a wrench to make sure it's not loose, then screw/unscrew away?

>>63913780
Keep an eye out for a good used single stage press… if you can snag one then run that and your original press with a different die in each… for example decap and bell, or seat, then crimp depending on the round.

>>63915827
If you're talking about the brass rings on those cowboy dies or the blue ring in >>63913787, then yes those have a small hex setscrew so hold the die at a specific mounting depth, and the small upper rings set and hold the depth of the part inside, be it a decapping pin, case mouth flare or bullet seater.

lee 3 hole is the goat

I'm new to annealing. Should I bother annealing my 45-70 brass or just stick to my precision rifle brass?

>>63913480
As I mentioned I load .45-70. And not even for a repeater but a single shot Springfield Trapdoor. For that purpose it's fine, as my max batch size is 50 rounds currently.
So I recommend it for people who want to dip their toes in the reloading world. Or in my case, people with limited space (all my reloading equipment fits in a small box). Bonus also for me to deprive fired casings at the range to dump them into a jar of soapy water to soften the blackpowder fouling. If you don't like reloading, sell the hand press off easily. If you like it, all the dies fit into Lee presses as well, so you may transition to a more comfy reloading setup.
Reloading for autoloaders with hundreds of rounds would be annoying with only the hand press, I guess. Also, since .45-70 is straight wall, my experience is limited.

>>63916456

I'm currently bulk loading 9mm FMJ with a Classic Lee Loader, rubber mallet and all. I guess I'm used to the annoyance of trying to do a lot with very simple/limited tooling.

>>63901102
Hell yeah.

>>63904989
>>63913680
Wild. I wanna see the gun too.

>>63901123
Yeah because in the apocalypse there's no place to attach a single stage press

>>63915779
>Do I even need to use the powder die
Nope.

>>63909107
>>63909154
>Factory ammo is made on an automated assembly line that is only as precise as it needs to be for the average consumer
Mind that there exists commercial Match ammo which is manufactured to a higher standard of consistency, and it's going to be appreciably more consistent than regular ammo.

But yes, even so, handloading can net even further efficiency.

>>63917038

Sweet. So if I build a wood scrap decapping rig (hole drilled in the wood) and use a universal decapping pin, and prime the cases with my Lee hand tool, all I need the press for is the bullet seating die. Hell, I can just put holes in the decapping die to hold the cases in so I can more easily pour powder in too.

Sounds like an easy plan.

>>63916613
I'm currently going through about 1000 rounds of 9mm my dad loaded with the Classic Lee Loader, and almost half of them are swollen at the base too badly to fully chamber. I've shot thousands of his rounds made on a proper press and none of them had this problem. Something about that particular loading system doesn't support the case properly during the seating step. I told him about the problem and he said it was happening to his 357s also, so he built himself a new bench and started using the press again.

maybe take the barrel out of your gun and use it to do a drop test on every round you make, so you're not stacking hundreds of fucked up rounds that will jam your gun almost closed on a live round.

>>63920706

I've had absolutely zero problems with my loads, they feed and shoot without any issues at all. Sounds like user error, probably the die lifting out of the base at an angle while seating, which only seems possible if you're not using a flat surface and are being really careless about your strikes. Either that or something's wrong with the decapping chamber bases not giving proper case support. Are the decapping bases the same for .357 and 9mm? Because if they're not and he swapped them, that might be part of the problem.

>>63917486
If the gun hates the Match Ammo its still trash, with handloads and rifle custom loads you can turn trash guns to a new dimension which is the fun part of reloading.

>>63921463
It's also much more economical. Match ammo is expensive, it does not take long at all to pay off the cost of loading gear.
That's what got me into reloading. My rifle (.300 win mag) happened to love Federal Gold Medal Match, but my wallet did not.

>>63921636
Very true, here the Hornady and Lapuas are cheap and thats enouth to make some premium LRP ammo. I wish high BC Sierras and Bergers would be better priced desu. Anyways, time to reload some 9mm now

>>63921463
Idk, there are many kinds of match ammo and finicky guns
Sometimes they will just hate one bullet but love another of the same weight

>>63900857
Unless you spend $1000 on your reloading equipment then your bullets will keyhole. It’s simple gun physics. Just like how Knight’s Armament ARs have twice the terminal ballistics as a PSA AR.

>>63900947
Jesus Christ, get a tripod, Michael J Fox. You have so much money, don’t you?

>>63921801
>Michael J Fox
Lol
>You have so much money, don’t you?
I'd rather invest that fiat elsewhere. A tripod wouldn't be an investment.

Tested the hornay scale with a calibration weight, 5mg off isnt bad. Wanna test my cheap letter scales next

>>63922052
The Hornady scale is good, but it tends to wander a little if you start weighing stuff right away
Less than the Lyman equivalent though

>>63922157
It went ip by 25mg right after starting it, than letting it sit for 5mins to calibrate again made it stay. The letter scales i used as a noob didnt stop wandering, thats the most dangerous shit that can happen so i stopped for a few weeks. A real reloading scale might be the most important part of reloading

>>63922219
Idk what Lyman my friend has but it can vary as much as 0.1g which is a no no, never seen my Hornady have more than 0.02g slack

Can you load full house H110 .357 magnum using FMJ bullets with no cannelure? Or do they need to be crimped in place for the powder to build pressure?

>>63922052
>with a calibration weight
Did you calibrate it? I do every time I turn mine on.

>>63922511
The scale got a 10gramm weight i use to calibrate it with every time. The other 20g weight is a real weight to check lab scales, that costs more than the Hornady scale itself. Only bought it to get a 2nd weight for the big boy scale i gonna use soon >>63902173

>>63922508
You can.
A general truism is that crimping is nothing compared to neck tension.
Now you may have to slightly flare the case for seating comfort and then use a gentle crimp to remove the flare.
There's no paper published out there in the world that suggests you see higher pressures when a heavy crimp is applied and your manuals generally won't talk about it.
That's not an accident, it's not an observable phenomena. Crimping is going to be most important for cast bullets where the neck tension is lesser because it's a softer material and there's exposed lube unless it's powder coated.
You should invest in some proper 357 bullets though.

>>63922511
I almost never do, but I check with a bullet or something that it shows the correct weight

which press kit should I get

I have a dillon xl750 that i bought about... maybe 4 years ago, still in the box. i got with it a bunch of dies or something, and a lyman book. idk. I think I was just in a manic state or something.

Now I'm finally going to set it up somewhere and give it a go.

>>63900775
$300ish

>>63905483
argentina?

>>63912993
>>63912602
whats your guys source for cheap 45 projectiles?

>>63926627
I like missouri bullet co for coated lead, and if you don't need cannelures then berry's plated will probably be your cheapest option in copper.

>>63926627
>>63926645
>missouri bullet co for coated lead, and if you don't need cannelures then berry's plated
I'll second these.

>>63926876
Why the dime in the grip anon? Just for looks? Making a statement? Sentimental value? Nosy minds want to know.

>>63927075
I like silver. The US 1944 merc dime is 90% silver and on the other side is a 1966 Swiss half Franc that's 83.5% silver.
I always liked medallions in grips so I had my gunsmith set those in. They're my favorite fractional junk silver coins types.

>>63926876
>>63926645
i used missouri coated 230gr ball and was having problems with fitting in the chamber because the bullets would bulge the brass after seating i think they might be uneven with the poly coating. i dint have that problem with my PPU FMJ projectiles

>>63927156
>bullets would bulge the brass after seating i think they might be uneven with the poly coating
Wohh. I get not buying them again, but have you considered a bulge buster >>63908470 ?

>>63927179
thats what i ended up using to fix the problme but i got paranoid that squeezing the projectile might make it longer and mess with the internal pressure levels. im gonna try plated berrys next time for a cheap plinker to see how it does

Has anyone worked up load data for M80A1?

>>63929920
Same as any other ~120-130gr .308

>>63913435
Has anyone found a good alt for a trailboss replacement?

>>63929753
>squeezing the projectile might make it longer
It would straighten it out not stretch the bullet. It's not like you're forcing a .358 through a .355. It's a .45 Auto cartridge through a sizing hole meant for that cartridge. Loaded or unloaded it doesn't matter.

>>63930224
Vihtavuori Tin Star, which was of course discontinued and is unobtanium. All other attempts are cope.
Please email Hodgdon and politely demand that production be resumed.

>>63930279
>6 available
I just know there is some cowboy action boomer about to kick the bucket somewhere with like 50 pounds of trail boss stashed away.
And it will be disposed of by their kids.

>>63930299
havent been in the reloading world for too long, whats so special about trailboss, is it just out of production?

>>63930328
It was just an extra bulky powder for people who assumed you didn't need to measure it.

>>63930328
Its a really easy powder to work with, its the go to reduced power cowboy action and subsonic powder. Some would even say its was a real "Universal" powder. Its made by Australian Defense Industries and the buid up of armaments for a possible war in the Pacific, increased production of munitions for the war in Ukraine and tariffs have made Trail Boss a very VERY hard powder to obtain and it is very VERY sought after.
The war in Ukraine and the build up of European munitions is also what killed the supply of Alliant powders as well.

>>63930328
>whats so special about trailboss
It has unusually low density for gunpowder, meaning you can fill pretty much every case to max capacity and still not be anywhere near max PSI.
This makes it great for e.g. subsonic loads in rifle cartridges because there won't be any air space which leads to erratic pressure and velocity.

>>63930013
Cool would have figured the length of the projectile compared to lead core would have reduced available volume for powder.

>>63930328
>whats so special about trailboss
it is a boomer meme

>>63930279
>>63930224
is trailboxx just temporaorily suspended because they are catching up on other shit or was it officially discontinued forever

>>63900764 (OP)
What should I get to safely store gunpowder?

>>63932977
I just leave mine on a shelf in my basement.
>safely
A dehumidifier.

>>63932977
The humidity level of the shorage place will influence the velosity of the bullet. Low humidity = less absorbed water = higher V0. Its not that important but changes in humidity can negativ influence handloads for long range. Im forced to buy a airtight ( rubber sealed box) to store the powder in my next bath room, some dry packs gonna keep ot nice dry. Im not allowed to dry the powder outside of the original sales box so using special dry chambers are no options. Stupid cuck rules

>>63926627
I've loaded thousands of Berry's 230 grain plated with no issues. I sometimes load 45 Super with them too, usually @ 1100 fps they have never been a problem.

I have also loaded a lot of Xtreme plated 230's, they seem to be the same quality as Berry's and are usually the same price if not a little less.

>>63932439
The official Hodgdon answer is that it is still being produced and they are trying hard to keep up with demand.

The unofficial answer is that one 40ft container per month comes in and is instantly scooped up like bags of rice in an impoverished village and Hodgdon is OK with that because they have market dominance now that alliant powder is being used for artillery shells in Ukraine and Israel. Also they are at the whim of the Australian Military Industrial Complex.

>>63900764 (OP)
retard question, but can I use one brand's dies in another brand's press?

>>63936327
Depends.
Standard dies are 7/8" and work in any press threaded so. There are dies in other sizes but they tend to be special order.
Length can be an issue. Some dies (Dillon/Lee) can be too short to be used in certain presses.

>>63936337
okay, thanks for the info

Trying to finally square off a space for reloading purposes, what sort of table do you set up your press on? I'm thinking of getting like a used metal workbench

>>63936943

Metal seems like it'd be an issue to drill into for mounting the press, doesn't it?

>>63936955
Berhaps. Would love to see pics of everyones stations.

>>63913614
>I will probably end up taping something on it.
I'd recommend either heat shrink tubing or rubber coating spray instead. Tubing would probably be the overall best, quick and easy.

>>63913780
>Also, if you want to speed up loading you don't swap dies every time, jesus that would take forever.
I refuse to believe someone actually does this

>>63936966
2'x4' of 3/4inch plywood then some 2x6's for legs. need to add some cross beams to keep from being too weeble wobbly but it gets the jobs done

>>63936943
The sturdier and heavier, the better.

>>63936955
No

>>63930368
Is it better than Titegroup for mouse fart loads?

>>63937031
that sounds too small does it actually work running the press without tipping the table off the floor on one side

>>63937031
and doesnt the plyood have too much flex?

>>63936955
>doesn't it?
No. An ordinary hand drill, corded or cordless, will drill steel just fine. As much as I hate to believe it, the memes about the internet generation being totally clueless about tools appear to be true.

>>63937754
NTA, if you're worried about that just use a double thickness or strategically located braces underneath the top.

>>63938045
>An ordinary hand drill, corded or cordless, will drill steel just fine.

It's really not about the drill. It's about the bit in the drill. Make sure you have the right bit. Depending on bit, type of steel, and hole size lubrication/coolant may be advisable. Don't try to do it at high speed. The bit will get hot. The work piece will also get hot. Don't use too much pressure. Deburr the hole before you cut yourself.

Alright i need an opinion from fellow tiny apartment dwellers that did this, i've seen plenty of talk about bolting a press to a wooden board (plus a soft layer like a towel to prevent scratches) and then clamping that to a desk, my question is would this really allow me to use a press comfortably without worrying about damaging a 2 cm/0.75" thick particle board desk? It's a nice fucking desk i really like it and don't want to eventually snap a chunk out of it.

probably would be ok as long as the press isnt too heavy and you arent putting tons of muscle into the sizing doing unlubed bottelneck rifle cases. i probably wouldnt use a rockchucker or some huge dillon progressive because they are dense heavy shits. i would just get a simple lee classic or wahtever ive been using a press clamped to a .5" table for a few years and the flex and wobble is annoying but doesnt impede the actual process

>>63940869
>>63941290

got a press and a ton of supplies on the cheap last week, I got almost 6000 polished empty cases for calibers I dont have or want to get, and easily as many bullets too, tons of cast lead ones as well. Where do I go about selling the extra stuff? can't seem to find anything online besides the "we will pay you 1$ for 1lb of brass", and eBay doesnt permit bullet component sales

>>63937749
i have the press towards one side but without that crossbeam the table does shake a good bit, enough that i cant have my chargemaster dispensing while seating bullets
>>63937754
initially i was kinda skeptical but its been fine
once i get a proper place of my own ill do the same thing i did for my computer desk and just by a premade butcherblock countertop and set it on 2 home office filing cabinets and that should be leagues better than it is now
in other news my barrel had finally come in from craddock and the initial 45 shots with factory 77gr looked really promising so heres hoping that ill get a really nice load with RMR's 75gr pills

?
any good july 4 sales for reloadin shit?

is all the reloading shit still unobtainium?

Last time I looked everything from plastic dogshit to top tier presses were all out of stock, even if primers were available

>>63942113
everything is in stock and easy to get but still more expensive than shit before the kike bioweapon release of 2020

>>63940869
>worrying about damaging a 2 cm/0.75" thick particle board desk? It's a nice fucking desk

>particle board
>nice desk

Anon, I... I don't know how to tell you this, but your desk is a piece of shit.

>>63916020
No one ever anywhere has actually needed to anneal brass. It's something done to pass the time and help you sleep at night, it will never make sense financially or for accuracy

>>63934382
>one 40ft container per month and is scooped up
Interesting anon, I would love any leads you have on this theory, assuming you didn't just >it was revealed to me in a dream

>>63937502
Yes, it's the ultimate low velocity powder, I will say again that nothing else even comes close. I have tried all the "reduced load" powders in every combination and Trail Boss is just the best. It always fills the case and never leaves unburnt powder

I need to get back into reloading. need to clear my bench though.

>>63943653
I have the opposite problem: I need to clean my guns but my bench is full of reloading stuff.

>>63943493
It was hyperbole anon, meant to emphasize the scarce availability of Trail Boss Smokeless Powder even though it is available according to the manufacturer.

>>63943479
For most handloading I'd agree with you, there's rarely if ever a need to anneal. On the other hand, if you're wildcatting and you need to reduce or expand case necks by a significant amount? Then you will certainly want to anneal.

>>63941305
Gunbroker

bumo

>>63943177
Well in that case i did your mom on a piece of shit, does that make you feel better?

>>63944705
Get lead poisoning, idiot.

>>63944799
Yeah that might just happen if I eat her out again.

>>63943255
what is that black adapter base thing

>"Just a side note for anyone that cares; 300 blackout factory ammo is pretty good. But if you want to see the true versatility get a reloading press and start cranking out some rounds. You have at your disposal the entire catalogue of 308 tips to choose from. Not only that but 1680/H110/N110 are cheap powders that absolutely shine in this caliber. You can cut down 5.56 to make 300 brass or do what many of us do and praise the god of starline for 30cpc. My entire life I’ve been a 5.56/.308 fanboy until I stumbled across reloading and realized the real Swiss Army knife of ballistics is among us. And its name is 300blk"

I haven't yet begun reloading, and I'm only eyeing a gun chambered for this caliber, but if what this man is saying is true, I'm in for a good time. Anyone able to back him up on this?

>>63946083
i simply dont like the name. 300 BLACKEDout. I dont need to elaborate any further.

>>63945298
It's wood painted black made as a riser because I'm tall and don't want to hunch over.

Does anyone have experience with these shitty chronos from aliexpress?

I want it for load development and to put my barrel speed into ballistic calculators

>>63946419
Why not just pony up for the garmin?

>>63946083
The hype is never real, for anything.
>the real Swiss Army knife of ballistics
fuck does that even mean lmao

>>63946425
yeah I should but I'm a poorfag and also shit is expensive in my country even before currency conversion, I bought a Ruger American Gen II for $1000USD recently lol.

But yeah I get your point if it sucks then I've just got to spend more in the long run

>>63940869
I wouldn't if you don't know what you're doing, it would need to be a thick board, good surface area. Maybe you can do it kitchen bench

>>63946083
>but if what this man is saying is true
It's hard to tell what he's trying to say because that greentext is mostly hype and is very short on facts. Let's break it down:

>You have at your disposal the entire catalogue of 308 tips to choose from
This is just saying it's a normal .30 cal cartridge that uses .308 diameter bullets. That's pretty nice as .308 bullets are very common and there a wide variety to choose from. However, there's tons of other .30 cal cartridges, like .308, so there's nothing special about .300 Blackout here.

>Not only that but 1680/H110/N110 are cheap powders that absolutely shine in this caliber
Those work great in other calibers too, nothing unique here.

>You can cut down 5.56 to make 300 brass
You can, but nobody does that. It's also not special, there's tons of cartridges which use brass that can be made from other kinds of brass. It's a tedious process that nobody ever bothers to to because you can just buy brass, like he goes on to mention.

None of what homeboy is ranting about is unique to .300 blk. And nobody has bothered to ask the question of whether or not .300 blk is even appropriate for what you want to do?

>>63946419
You probably shouldn't buy inherently dubious equipment when the sole purpose of it is to clear doubts to begin with. I buy plenty of chinkshit from ali myself, but chrono i wouldn't.

need some advice and this is the best place to ask
I'm going through my grandfather's reloading stuff, and I found a bag full of 38 special and a cottage cheese container full of 30-06
there's no load data for either of them
I have a 357 and a rifle in 30-06, so I could technically shoot it all
but I have no idea how long it's been out here and beyond being dusty, I don't really see any signs of corrosion
would you take the chance on it, or should I dispose of it?

>>63946083
I've reloaded a lot of 300bo, he's not wrong about the bullet selection. It's about the same as 357 magnum, the same amount of the same powders pushing similar bullet weights. My gun's sweet spot is 15 grains of h110 behind a 150 grain bullet gets me ~1500fps, the case mouth hits the brass deflector and gets a little flat spot on every single case mouth, and the brass all lands in a 2 foot circle 3 feet away at 4 o'clock. Tidiest gun I've ever shot. Round nose soft points jam it up though, the soft lead catches on the feed ramps, so most 30-30 bullets are out. Found that out with pic related.

>>63948446
the thing to do is pull the bullets, toss the powder, then reseat the old bullets with your own fresh powder, then you know the ammo is good, assuming you did a chamber fit test on each case/round to see if they're sized properly.

>>63947135
>And nobody has bothered to ask the question of whether or not .300 blk is even appropriate for what you want to do?
Using a carbine flexible enough to compete with 5.56 out to 300 yds while having the option to effectively penetrate armor?

>>63946387
so the press is only bolted to the riser and the riser is only held by the clamps to the table? how did you connect the riser to the board the clamps are gripping? screws? glue?

>>63948446
was your grandfather competent at loading? are you sure he loaded them and they werent randomly bought at a gun show?

>>63949144
>how did you connect the riser to the board the clamps are gripping?
>screws? glue?
A little of each. Screws from the RCBS plate penetrate the wood and I added some glue between the boards for the hell of it.

>>63949144

>>63949152
I am pretty confident if he did reload them, the man reloaded fucking everything
but I have absolutely no idea if he even reloaded these, there are no notes or labels to indicate anything about them

>>63949898
yeet em faget

Which is a good first reloading press off these two? The lyman or the hornady?

>inb4 both are shit find this rare used press on sale
No.

>>63930224
Unironically black powder is probably your best bet, at least if you're using cast bullets with adequate lube grooves. You'll lose a bit of velocity but your pressures will be lower as well, so it's not all bad. Also the load development is a bit simpler.
>fill case at least to bottom of bullet
>don't worry about the bullet weight, just make sure there's at least enough to get to the bottom
>seat bullet
>crimp

>>63948446
Personal rule: if it wasn't loaded by myself or someone that I can sue if it's a grenade load, I don't shoot it. Pull it down, dump the powder, and reuse the other components.
>or roll the dice, what's the worst that could happen?

>>63950353
If im resorting to black powder for subsanic loads it truly is over, isn't it?

Anons, does any one here have any experience with the importation of hazardous chemicals? Surely there must be some powder manufacturers in like Kazakhstan or Bulgaria that can whip us up some Trail Boss clone powder. I also dont want to deal with India, but desperate times...

>>63950293
Honestly they’re both fine from the looks of it, the Hornady has a longer handle so better leverage if your resizing big stuff.. if you wanna load a lot of little stuff the Lyman will go faster with the shorter handle

>>63946419
Just save up for the garmin, or whatever the new radar based one is.. being able to just run it and not have to shoot through it, and not accidentally shoot it means you’ll use it a hell of a lot more…

>>63913435
I keep thinking about using a rice paper pad, and something like cream of wheat to make up case volume…. I’ve heard of people doing it, generally without a rice paper disc, but I’m a bit paranoid about having cream of wheat mix with powder…

Finally bought the Lee hand press kit with a 9mm quick change die set included, should be here in a week or so. Saved a bunch of money since the die sets alone are like $40-50 and the kit was $75 with a $15 ram prime set thrown in too. Since I don't shoot much these days I'll just take my time with this stuff; with my Lee Classic 9mm I turn out maybe 15-20 rounds on a lazy weekend, then shoot them off a couple months later. The reason I got the Lee is it should let me turn out different calibers without needing to bolt shit down (getting a table is easier than finding a place to put it in my shared garage), since I'm going to buy a Lee quick change .40/10mm die set fairly soon as well. Fucking California makes even 9mm kinda expensive, and .40/10mm is fucking eye-watering here, especially since online/mail order sales are banned and you have to go to the gun store for a signed-paperwork background check every time you buy ammo at a 21% tax and $5 state ammo transfer fee. I've got a 10mm (with .40 conversion barrel) to feed, even building my own .40 or 10mm off virgin brass is cheaper and easier than buying from the FFLs here. Fucking boomers standing there talking to the gun store's sole clerk for an hour about bullshit while the line is 30+ people deep for ammo transfer paperwork alone, fuck that shit. Fucking Turners.

tl;dr: Fuck California and fuck bullshitting Turners boomers, I got the Lee hand press kit for almost the cost of the included 9mm die and ram prime sets. If I ever get around to buying the $50 Lee single stage press (and more importantly find space for a table to bolt it on) I can reuse these components.

>>63930834
It does to an extent, but generally not nearly enough.. also at a certain point it starts to get a bit ridiculous seating that deep, especially with straight wall cartridges. Also powder charge vs grain weight of bullet is somewhat counterintuitive in that the heavier bullets take less charge.. if you check a reloading manual it’s easy to notice, but not well explained why…. The lighter bullets start moving down the barrel a LOT faster than the heavy bullets will… as it moves it greatly increases the available volume for the explosion to exist in…. This means it needs more powder to create more gas to fill the extra volume up to the pressures they’re looking for to properly drive the bullet.. however a heavy bullet will accelerate more slowly, leaving a smaller volume to fill…. And need a smaller charge weight to avoid becoming a bomb. So putting the heavy bullet in a subsonic round increases the energy the round has because it’s got more weight, but drastically decreases the amount of powder your gonna want to load if you want to keep it subsonic…. And trailboss as many others said is extremely friendly for that kind of load…. Also it looks like little donuts. Which I’m surprised hasn’t been mentioned..

>>63950293
Red looks sturdier and also faster since it is red

>>63950698
>fuck california
Yeap

There is no cheap shooting here. and i feel your pain with turners, the one time i checked them out, the guy at the desk said he didnt have 30-30 to sell me. I saw boxes of them right there, but i guess he didn't like my vibe.

>>63950818

I'm just annoyed that I need to wait for hours in long lines full of bullshitting boomers to get anything from an FFL here. Some people get C&R FFLs/COEs just to have ammo shipped to their door, but that requires all manner of other paperwork and fingerprinting because you're legally an FFL then. Not to mention CA DOJ being assholes about issuing COEs to them just so they can use their FFL. Range fees are a bitch since I don't live within two hours of BLM shooting land. At this rate it's just easier to press small batches of my own ammo for the few times I get to shoot every year.

>>63949497
what the heck is the RCBS plate? they make that specifically for table mounting with clamps? or did you repurpose something else like a custom RCBS stand platform

>>63949898
eh you can always pull them down and replae the powder. powder is cheap. keep the primed brass and projectile and just reload them with new powder if you want to be safe. unless you know for certain he loaded them i would erro on the side of caution.

>>63949087
>effectively pen armor
>300blk
Lol.

>>63950293
The Hornady. O-frame design is much stronger than the open frame of the Lyman.

>>63926618
Yep, waiting for the new legislation, they talk about having a gun safe and being part of a gun club. Hopefully by the end of the year we can get some ARs made by Bersa in the US, and some locally made FALs by september.

The only downside is the ammo price, twice as much as in the US

>>63948446
I wouldn't shoot it. Not so much because of the age, but because you have no idea what the loads are. They might be normal ammo that's perfectly safe to shoot, they might be squib-o-licious gallery loads, some kind of pissin hot experimental shit, you just don't know.

>>63950901
>what the heck is the RCBS plate?
RCBS has sold those for years. They're currently at version 3, I don't know which one anon has in his pic. As I understand it, their main function is to let you quickly swap out different loading tools instead of having all of them mounted at the same time on a large bench. In my opinion it would be a pretty silly purchase if you just wanted to mount one press with clamps because a board or piece of plywood would do that for a fraction of the price.
https://shop.rcbs.com/Accessory-Base-Plate-3/

>>63950869
I would never ever do my paperwork at turners. that sounds like hell. you might as well do it at basspro at least you can buy a lawn chair while you're there and sit in it. Always find a good smalltime lgs not far from you and build rapport

>>63950728
>he's not buying green because it's the best color

>>63950901
I just took some wood, paint and glue to make my base

>>63950293
Hornaday, the lock and load system is objectively superior.

hello old friend.

Does Alliant Bullseye still exist? It's still listed on the Alliant website, but I haven't seen a new container of it in five years.

>>63954555

>>63950537
>it truly is over, isn't it?
Not really. BP hangs just fine with most smokeless powders at subsonic velocities when the cases are larger than 9x19mm or so. Admittedly I haven't fucked around with suppressed BP loads yet but I don't see any glaring issues.
>not a good idea with gas operated autoloaders obviously
>45 ACP 1911 runs just fine on it, believe it or not

>>63954891
Hello old friends.

>>63952774

Ass Pro fucking stops giving out line numbers and tells people to go home if their gun counter line gets too long or they get backed up on DROS transactions. I've heard horror stories from acquaintances of Ass Pro closing their counter 2-3 hours early because of that shit, like they were there to pick up a gun at like 5 PM and were told to come back at 9 AM tomorrow because lmao too busy talking to bullshitting boomers for the next few hours until closing time. What a fucking shitshow.

As for C&R FFLs and COEs, you do that paperwork directly with the ATF and CA DOJ. Which is arguably worse, especially when DOJ is involved.

>>63955201
Wait wuh? As opposed to the process not being directly with them at turners? What are you saying here

>>63955223

I mean applying for a Type 03 C&R Federal Firearms License (FFL) and a CA DOJ Certificate of Eligibility (COE). Basically the CA law banning mail/online ammo orders has an explicit exemption for any and all FFLs, because otherwise the gun stores couldn't get ammo shipped to them. ATF has a special FFL for non-dealer personal collectors of Curio & Relic Firearms, which falls directly under said CA ammo ban FFL exemption. However, for any FFL or FFL employee to do anything with firearms or ammo in CA (including ordering ammo), they need to apply for/receive a personal COE from CA DOJ, which is another piece of annoying Sacramento paperwork/fee. So, basically, any ATF-licensed C&R collector FFL with a valid CA DOJ COE can order ammo directly sent to their house and skip all the gun store bullshit, the $5 ammo fee, the additional 11% tax, boomers taking up counter time, etc. Just log into your favorite CA-friendly online ammo retailer, send them copies of your ATF C&R FFL and CA DOJ COE, and order away. Like the old days.

Technically you're supposed to be using the C&R FFL to buy Curio & Relic firearms through interstate commerce (shipped directly to your house without a 4473, long as your ATF "bound book" is filled out correctly for each C&R gun), but ATF doesn't really give a shit as long as the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted. A lot of C&R FFL guys in SoCal only use theirs to buy ammo and ATF could care less.

>>63954585
Almost every Alliant powder is being used up for European military orders. Also there is a scam site pretending to be a direct Alliant store front.

>>63951512
Isn't that what heavy rounds do at short distances?

>>63955523
No. Heavy = slow = bad for penning armor. Velocity is king. And if you wanted to shoot heavy bullets out of your AR it's pretty silly to stop at .300 BLK when things like .350 Legend, .458 Socom, etc, offer much larger bullet weights.

>>63955876
Velocity is only king if you're retarded and fundamentally don't understand how to pierce something.
Put a hard spike at the front of a very slow moving train and ask yourself if that's going to penetrate the suv someone parked on the tracks.
Bullet construction(how hard is the bullet, how long, how pointy), energy behind the object, and the ability to conserve it when meeting resistance all matter more than velocity.
Velocity is a cope because without proper bullet you just splatter.

>>63955919
Bullet construction is super important, sure. But the topic being discussed here is the cartridge, not the bullet. And anything .300 blk can do cartridge-wise, other cartridges can do better.
Like I said, if you think a heavier bullet is better then why stick with .300 blk when you could use, say, .458 socom instead?

>>63955281
Do you have a C&R FFL?

Bump

>>63955343
God dammit. I still have 4 pounds of Bullseye left, but I guess I'll start looking at other powders then.

>>63957229

Nope, just going off of what I'm hearing from acquaintances and various forums. All their paperwork and experiences seem to square with what ATF and CA DOJ have on their websites.

Besides, if I'd gone through the trouble of getting a C&R FFL and COE, would I be troubling myself with reloading common calibers? I'd buy what I wanted online, and only reload if it was some rarer shit like 11mm Montengrin Gasser.

should I get a single stage press or go right to a turret press?

>>63959393
dillon xl750

>>63959393
Mating press

>>63959393
It really depends on how much you shoot. A manually advanced multi-hole press is probably all you'd ever need. Single-hole has more unscrewing of dies, for the times you grab a case you forgot to flare the mouth on. With the lee 3 and 4 hole presses like >>63915993, you can even get a new $15 pic related for each caliber and never have to unscrew them, that's what my dad does. Each one has a little stand and a clear plastic cap.

I'd only recommend the big fancy ones that drop out a cartridge with each pull to people that go through thousands of rounds per month.

>>63959393
I don't think you can go wrong with either a single stage or a turret press. Turret presses are my preference. A single-stage is always handy to have even if you are an experienced loader with other tools because you can always set it up as a dedicated decapping station, use it for experimental stuff without messing with the setup on your main press, and so on.

In my opinion a *progressive* press makes little sense unless you're loading super high volume like >>63959671 mentions.

>>63960176
>>63959671
but its also pretty cool to see your round go through each stage. its like having your own little ammo factory. you really feel like a chinese slave.

>>63960544
If you want to feel like a slave get a Lee Loader.

>>63960805
Nah that's more like an insurgent in a cave feeling.

Bumb

Big think: I'm thinking of handloading 9x18 Makarov because California a shit at $30-40 a box for shitty 95 grain FMJ. Problem is I only have Winchester Autocomp, and there's no publicly available 9x18 charge list for that. Would .380 ACP load data be a good substitute? I'd go on the low end of the Hodgdon load data for safety's sake, like 4 grains Autocomp under a 95 grain FMJ bullet. Think I'll blow my hands off?

>>63963691
I think that's a solid plan

>>63963757

What, 4 grains Autocomp being a safe load, or blowing my hands off?

>>63963884
>4 grains Autocomp
That's low enough to try safely.

>>63963691
Buy a box of 9×18 or use a factory round you have. Use a bullet puller and measure how many grains of powder are in the case. It will give you an idea of how much you should be using. Adjust to your needs.

>>63963691
>Would .380 ACP load data be a good substitute?
Yes. The bullet weights and the case capacity are comparable. The .380 ACP actually has slightly smaller case capacity than the 9x18 so one would expect slightly lower pressures in the 9x18.
You can also model it in software like Quickload or GRT if you want a sanity check.

>>63964128
>>63964443

Okay, sounds like a plan. My hand press is still on the way, and 9x18 is far down on my list for dies after 10mm and maybe .223. Won't happen until at least next year, but hopefully it'll be easy. 4 grains should be enough to get a 95-grain bullet out of the barrel of a CZ-82 though, right? It's polygonally rifled, after all.

>>63964365

That doesn't help if I don't know what powder the factory is using. I already have access to the Hodgdon powder charge sheets for 9x18, just not for Autocomp, which is the only pistol powder I have on hand/can reliably get locally.

Crimped primer pockets suck
Reaming them because I'm angry

I am going to start perusing Facebook marketplace. Tons of people are just throwing their reloading stuff on there for cheap

Any other good sources? Do I need a sonic cleaner

>>63968264
has potential, you can swap that 3rd panel out for any solo male hobby.

I understand there's plenty of books that go into load data, basically from all the different powder manufacturers and such.
But is there a good book on the actual process of reloading? Something that goes into the steps involved, the benefits and drawbacks of types of equipment? That sort of thing? I want to have some familiarity with what I want to do so I can get the right equipment for what I want to accomplish in the space I have to work with. Instead of going at it half blind and buying things that might work but don't work well for me. Lacking a good book, is there a Paul Harrell level reloading channel somewhere? Somebody that reviews equipment and methods and pros and cons?
Thank you to anyone that takes the time to answer my questions. I appreciate it.

>>63968977
>But is there a good book on the actual process of reloading?
All the big-name handloading manuals (Hornady, Lee, RCBS, Lyman, etc.) cover that. It's the first part of the book before they get into the data tables.

>>63968271
>Any other good sources?
Small Mom-N-Pop gun stores often have a consignment area or buy-and-sell loading gear, if you have any local places like that check them out. Garage sales and flea markets are also good places to look.

>ultrasonic cleaner
Not necessary. I own one but I've never used it for anything handloading related.

>>63969168
>All the big-name handloading manuals (Hornady, Lee, RCBS, Lyman, etc.) cover that. It's the first part of the book before they get into the data tables.

Oh?!
Obviously, I did not know this. But I do now. Thank you very much anon.

I did some research, it seems you need like 5 grains of Autocomp for 9x18 out of a CZ-82. Very interesting, wonder if it was his resized 9x19mm brass that was the culprit? Possibly gas leakage from a narrower case, I don't know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEwSEYJkXNg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de1sgyhRe7s

Anyone have tok loading specs, idk what gunpowder I'm supposed to use or what loading? Also what .308 or .309 exist in sub 110 grain?

Driving about 150 miles each way to buy a hornady classic reloading kit today bros, found it cheapish used

>>63950647
OK noted although I'm not American so can't fire many rounds before declaring bankruptcy kek

>>63970229

Ten fucking seconds in Google.

https://www.shootersreference.com/reloadingdata/762-x-25-tokarev/

>>63970229

>>63970328
>>63970335
Just 90gr xpt .309 are produced from all I see, I kinda didn't want to run hollows.

>>63900857
good way to have a kaboom using those fudd things.

a cheap press is only $40 more and worth your life.

>>63971431
Poor copers deserve kabooms though.

>>63971431
>>63971726

The key to using a Lee Classic safely is aftermarket safety tools, namely a caliper micrometer and digital scale. Long as your powder charge is within safe values and the round isn't compressed under COAL, you're fine. Getting your OAL seating rod dialed in is kinda the hardest part, and if you record its final length on a post-it note attached to the inside of the die case, it makes it much easier to reset each time.

death

hello I have never reloaded, noob question, how cheap (ignoring time spent) can one reload normal power 357 magnum jacketed bullets in 2025? thanks.

>>63975593
I think my cast ones are 25 cents if I'm not factoring in the brass. $25 per 100.
Xtreme bullets is pretty cheap plated stuff, works well and that's pretty similar cost.
The brass is the single most expensive component but you can stop factoring it into the cost after the initial firing because it would be pure waste otherwise.

>>63975593
I load to like 50% of retail cost

>>63976573
>>63975774
what press should I get?it would be low volume.

>>63976614

If you want to be a super poor just buy a Lee Classic for $40, although if you want to actually do shit safely with that you'll need to shell out for a set of decent calipers and digital scale, about $30 if you get a sale on Amazon. A priming tool goes a long way to saving your fingers from accidental primer seating detonations, about $45 for the cheapest one with a proper shell holder. At that rate you might as well buy a Lee hand press, there's one that comes with a full .38/.357 die set for like $90. You'll still need a set of calipers and probably a digital scale to do shit safely, because good luck finding the exact powders on your die set charge card these days. I know I had a problem finding shit on my charge card locally, and had to use alternate powder and measure by weight using Hodgdon's online charge data.

>>63976614
I'd get a progressive and just embrace shooting more and more, until I die. Lee has one that seats three dies, it is not very sturdy or expensive but it works good for straight wall cases like .38 and .357 that don't require much force to size, but for anything else I use my Dillon 550.

>>63976867
>If you want to be a super poor just buy a Lee Classic for $40
>>63976986
>I'd get a progressive
Just get a single stage press

>>63976614
Any single stage press with a set of carbide dies will do fine.
Low volume is still what I do because I'm not going to shoot much more revolver ammo than 300 or so round every 2 weeks.
Just do everything in steps through the week. Decap/resize, clean the brass if needed, prime, flare case mouth slightly, charge cases, seat bullet, crimp.
The only steps you should really do at the same time are the case charging and bullet seating.
A powder throw makes charging case a lot faster even if you weigh every charge.

I got a progressive cause i live in california and when i buy like 400 rounds of 9 and 100 rounds of 45, i pay for shipping to the ffl, i pay for sales tax, and then another roughly 38 dollars go straight into the hands of californias gun violence prevention program. That money literally goes straight into the hands of people who are actively making more laws and for protecting themselves against 2A lawsuits.

It's some really twisted fucking shit

>>63980129

Same here. Fuck that tax and fuck the transfer fees. I only shoot like 3-5 times a year anyways, might as well load some range food up while I'm waiting.

>>63946419
I have one, seems to work as well as all the other made in China chronos but without the boomer outsourcing company markup. The ir emitters are nice for low light too

>>63975593
I load hotter .357 for around 35-38 cents per round… 10-15 cents per bullet, 10 cents per primer. H110 is about 40-44 a bottle and I get about 350 rounds of 357 out of a bottle of it…. H110 is a pretty dense powder though, other options will cut this price down…. But… h110 is also loud, powerful and fun as hell…

I really gotta get a primer pocket swaging die kit for my press...

Is tzere some kind of ball spaced powder i could use for 556Nato? Ball shape is better for progressiv press, weight delta is like half the size compared to zylindrical. Winchester Staball Match would be my option rn.
Wednestday i drive to bavaria and paint the wall of tze reloading room :_:

>>63969168
Nta but is there a consensus of which reloading handbook is the best?

>>63982993
All of them.
Get as many as you can as cheaply or freely as possible.

>>63983242
This. If you get lucky sometimes estate sales have them listed for 1$. You never know when one will have a useful load for a weird bullet.. or a close starting point for something you can’t find a recipe for…

>>63983266
Worth adding that you want to pay attention to what the test gun was for a given load… sometimes one manual will have a load that they tested in something that’s a lot closer to whatever your gun is…

>>63983242
2nding this. I think all the big name books are pretty good, and any of them will teach you the procedure, but having multiple books to cross-ref is always a good thing. Also different books will list different powders and bullets so having more sources to consult is always a good thing.

I can recommend a few specific books worth tracking down:
Hatcher's Notebook by Juilian Hatcher and Sixguns by Elmer Keith are not about handloading specifically but they both cover it, and tangential topics, in a lot of detail. They're well worth reading for that information, and simply because they're fantastic gun books in general. 'Propellant Profiles' is a useful reference on powder burn rates.

Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders by P. O. Ackley is a set of two volumes and is well worth tracking down for any handloader. If you're interested in loading for shotguns then the "Advantages Manual" by Ballistic Products is the gold standard.

If you are interested in Wildcatting or loading for obscure calibers that require forming your own brass the two best references are Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions by Donnelly and Designing and Forming Custom Cartridges by Howell

If you are interested in large-bore or dangerous game calibers then look for "Any Shot you Want" by A-Square.

For black powder check out the Lyman Black Powder Handbook by Sam Fadala, and of course there is a lot of good information in The Gun and Its Development by W. W. Greener, which is simply the most important gun book ever written. It's out of copyright and you can read it for free online:
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL3156857W/The_gun_and_its_development
...that book also explains the development of powder and primers, including the development of smokeless powder, so it's also very interesting just from an academic perspective.

>>63975593
357 magnum is a great one for handloading cheaply. A variety of.357-size bullets are easily found bulk and economical, however just be aware of lead bullets and plated bullets and their limitations when you want to push them quickly- I know you said jacketed but it bears mentioning if you mess around with it. Some of the most popular powders are a little unobtanium right now, but there are many good choices that work (my overall favorite for heavy bullet 357 loads has been Accurate #9.) For components it's really not much more than loading for 9mm or 45 ACP, just more powder charge of a powder that might be a few bucks more per pound.

would you?

>>63983638
>Free
Absolutely. I'll take it apart, repurpose the shot, and use the powder for fertilizer.

>>63983654
Based

>>63983469
Most magnum pistol rounds are great choices for getting into handloading. They're easy to load and have long brass life due to the short straight-walled cases. And cost savings are significant since any factory ammo with "magnum" in the name tends to be overpriced.