Saw these at Outdoor Limited a few days ago when I was there..
Best price I'd seen on 500s inna while.
Bad time to get into reloading?
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Best price I'd seen on 500s inna while.
Timfoilhat
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Midway has Winchester 41 (5.56 military rifle primers) which is what you're probably needing for 300 blk. Price isn't awful relative to the new normal and availability matrix.
If you're already paying hazmat, might as well grab some H110 too.
Do a little math. Figure out how many loads you can make per pound.
There's 7000 grains to a pound. Then buy enough powder to match up to your primer purchase.
Powder valley had both CCI 41 and CCI 450 yesterday. They're gone now despite their prices being higher. Things are moving quickly.
If you're already paying hazmat, might as well grab some H110 too.
Do a little math. Figure out how many loads you can make per pound.
There's 7000 grains to a pound. Then buy enough powder to match up to your primer purchase.
Powder valley had both CCI 41 and CCI 450 yesterday. They're gone now despite their prices being higher. Things are moving quickly.
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I've also been talking with a good friend about going in on a basic reloading set up. We both stay pretty well stocked on ammo but during some of the man made shortages over the last several years we started saving all our empty cases. I've been sending them to another friend and getting a good discount on live rounds in return. I think it's time to get a basic set up to have on hand if need be. My buddy shoots 9mm almost exclusively other then his rimfires and shotguns. I shoot several pistol calibers that would be nice to reload for 357mag,38special,38short black powder only, 45LC,45acp, 32long,32acp,32short,25acp,7.62x25 tokarev, 9mm. And eventually maybe do a few rifle calibers.
Timfoilhat
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You're going to want a turret press. Loading all those pistol rounds on a single stage will make you crazy.
I would get a Lee 4 hole Turret press. Yes, they are inexpensive and won't last very long. I barely got 30 years out of mine before I gave it away and bought a new one. Get a few plates and you can switch calibers literally in seconds. I would not invest a lot of money on high end hardware until you spend a bit of time learning how to reload. You may enjoy it or you may consider it a total PITA. The big bottle neck is primers. SRP are a lot easier to find. Rumors abound that large rifle primers have been seen mixed in with unicorn droppings but I don't believe it.
If you get into reloading it will become a great lifetime hobby and with any luck you may only have $5 to $10 invested per round.
If you get into reloading it will become a great lifetime hobby and with any luck you may only have $5 to $10 invested per round.
I have a Co-Ax, and it’s verry nice.
300BLK isn’t known for it’s accuracy, you won’t be able to see a difference in grouping between a RCBS/Redding/Lee single stage.
I was surprised by the small group I got with Raptors https://cuttingedgebullets.com/308-100gr-flat-base-raptor
I’
Oh, I see now that you are in Charlotte. I second the recommendation of checking out Blue Collar Reloading. I wish I was closer to them. It broke my heart when they stopped coming to the local gun shows, I always picked up my hazmat items (powder and primers) from them. I did manage to stock up back when the prices were low (about 5-6 years ago). I learned my lesson, there was an earlier shortage of components right as I was just getting started. I still have a lot of primers with $28 - $30 price stickers on them. Those days are long gone....
FWIW, I prefer digital. For most of what I do, it is just easier. I would not trade my Chargemaster for anything. For quick verifications of my powder throwers, I use a cheap Gem20 scale that has 0.02gn resolution. Yes, I know it is not accurate to 0.02gn, but in my experience it is more than 0.1gn accurate. But regardless of what scale you use, a good set of check weights are highly recommended. And just in case I run out of electricity or batteries, I do have a nice balance beam scale.
^^^^^ This ^^^^^^
FWIW, I prefer digital. For most of what I do, it is just easier. I would not trade my Chargemaster for anything. For quick verifications of my powder throwers, I use a cheap Gem20 scale that has 0.02gn resolution. Yes, I know it is not accurate to 0.02gn, but in my experience it is more than 0.1gn accurate. But regardless of what scale you use, a good set of check weights are highly recommended. And just in case I run out of electricity or batteries, I do have a nice balance beam scale.
If you are not firing from an AR (most 300 BO shooters do) then you can use just about any brand small rifle primer.
LOL. Make sure you have a bullet puller - BEFORE you start seating bullets. 😆 Don't ask me how I know.You forgot "bullet puller".
Yes, you'll need one.
Another vote for a turret press, I recommend the Lee Classic Turret. Without the auto-index rod, it operates as a single-stage press, which is the best way to learn. With the auto-index, it will automatically rotate the turret through all the steps so that you don't have to handle the brass each time. You can easily knock out 200-250 rounds per hour that way.
I have a LCT that I use A LOT. I have a Dillon 550 that I use for my semi-auto pistol rounds that I shoot in quantity (380, 9mm, 40, 45acp, 10mm) but for all my revolver rounds and most rifle rounds, I use the LCT. I have multiple turrets, one for each caliber, that takes only seconds to swap out. It is also great for decapping brass since the primers and residue drop straight through the center of the ram and into the collection tube - the residue doesn't gum up the ram like on other presses.
Great people!!
Truth right here!I would get a Lee 4 hole Turret press. Yes, they are inexpensive and won't last very long. I barely got 30 years out of mine before I gave it away and bought a new one. Get a few plates and you can switch calibers literally in seconds. I would not invest a lot of money on high end hardware until you spend a bit of time learning how to reload. You may enjoy it or you may consider it a total PITA. The big bottle neck is primers. SRP are a lot easier to find. Rumors abound that large rifle primers have been seen mixed in with unicorn droppings but I don't believe it.
If you get into reloading it will become a great lifetime hobby and with any luck you may only have $5 to $10 invested per round.
If you want to get started, now is the time. Prices will never be better. After each cycle, the new normal is always higher than the last. If you’re only after MOAish with a rifle, cheap equipment, good prep and decent shooting will get you there… ask me how I know. Spend as much as you can on stockpiling primers, powered bullets and brass, in that order. Upgrading equipment is easy later, especially as the cycle rolls through where components are scarce and casual participants bow out.
I think it's a great time, as you're under zero pressure to hurry and and make rounds due to ammo being relatively cheap right now(on line 9mm reloads <.20/round), so you can take your time while you learn
For the love of all that is good, please heed my advice. I am a novice reloader. Cartridges with bottlenecks like 300 BO, 5.56, 30-06, etc are neat. BUT if you have straight walled cartridges, the case mouth will have to be 'flared' in order to have the bullet seat properly, which can be a huge pain in the ass to get right.
Good on you for getting into it. Best time to get into anything (ammo, reloading, cars, guitars, etc) is always yesterday/last year/back then. Second best time is right now.
Good on you for getting into it. Best time to get into anything (ammo, reloading, cars, guitars, etc) is always yesterday/last year/back then. Second best time is right now.
OP
Paradigm .45
More like Paradigm 9mm now
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So I went to bass pro near me when I got off work and grabbed some H110 and CFE BLK. They didn't have the cci 450 primers but I got a pack of cci 400s and a pack of Winchester #41 small rifle primers. How'd I do? Lol
Timfoilhat
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Excellent. Solid start.
Dale Gribble
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41s are pretty much the same as the 450s…same cup thickness, same compound, same amount👍
If I read correctly, you’re going to be using a Ruger American (bolt gun). Those primers are all you need.
The 41’s have a thicker cup to keep them from accidentally going off from a free floating firing pin when the bolt slams home.
OP
Paradigm .45
More like Paradigm 9mm now
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Wondering if should have bought more lol. They also had some more expensive primers, the cci br4s but I looked them up and it said they were like a match primer
Yeah let the precision shooting 80 year old bench rest guys fight over those. Save the 41’s for loading for an AR and use the 400’s first. Either one is great in a bolt gun but I can testify to a slam fire on first round loading in an AR with 400’s. I’ve seen it twice in my life. They’re still my fav SRP though!
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Dale Gribble
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Fine with whatcha got…take @SINNER advice👍
The 400s will be fine in your bolt-action smoke pole. For your AR, stick to the 450s or 41s. The cup is a bit thicker (.025) vs the 400s (.020). Only difference between the 450s and the 41s is the anvil-to-cup distance, which is slightly increased in the 41s.
Another noob question. Whats a good powder choice for some lower power loads for my old top breaks? 32 long 32 short and a good option for my 38 short black powder only. These are just fun old plinkers. So I'd like to take it easy on them. I'm planning on starting with components like you guys suggested then get needed machinery.
This is where you'll want to have manuals on hand. Every bullet manufacturer has a manual and they'll list several powders, their minimum and maximum loads, and the velocities each gives.
Timfoilhat
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NC - RCBS Chargemaster Lite
Selling my RCBS Chargemaster Lite. Used to work up loads for a 300 RUM but sold the rifle so no longer need. Works like new. In Wilmington but do travel between Fayetteville and Greenville often so can deliver if needed. $175
carolinafirearmsforum.com
This might be good for one of you guys just getting started.
Powder manufacturers websites can be helpful.
AJoldfart
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Now is not the best time to get into reloading as you all may know. Soon It may be the only way to get certain types of ammo. Seems the potus has got us in some deep doo doo [like we never saw that coming]. Seems like AR ammo is difficult to find on 10.26.23, with prices going up daily. That may be the new plan for gun control.
