Is there a list of needed equipment to reload (9mm)? Thanks for all the responses!Is there much of a cost reduction for doing this?
Malcolm
Thanks!Right now you can save $40-$50 per thousand if you reuse your brass. Of course market forces can change that in a instant these days.
I have a pretty nice setup but when the cheap Russian 9mm was at $150 per thousand I didn’t bother. Right now for me it is a tossup as it takes me around 2 hours to make 1000.
Question comes down to how much you shoot and how much you want to invest in reloading equipment. Take those numbers and see if it makes sense to you.
I have a single stage RCBS Rock Chucker. I got it when 9mm was unobtainable. I think it’s a good quality machine that isn’t overly complicated and find reloading to be a zen type activity. You go through various stages by hand, removing primers, reshaping the brass, pressing primers, measure and weigh powder, press the bullet, etc. Being a single stage, it isn’t mass production, but you do focus on each stage. Like I said, it’s a zen activity.Thanks!
What reloading equipment do you use? What would you recommend for a newbie?
My set up has been accumulated over 4 decades. Currently I have:Is there a list of needed equipment to reload (9mm)? Thanks for all the responses!
Budget friendly for nowAre you after the least expensive, basic reliable setup kit? Or something higher end?
Great single stage options are the RCBS Rock Chucker, the Redding single stage, or a Lee setup.
If you shoot just a little, no. If you shoot a lot, perhaps. It will take a lot of shooting to make it worthwhile if you do not already reload and have the equipment. Evidently you do not. With the recent volatility of the ammo situation, price should not be your only consideration if you plan on shooting a lot. Getting into loading and stockpiling components while they are available can keep you shooting through all the ups and downs.Is there much of a cost reduction for doing this?
Malcolm
This. Right. Here. All. Day.When it comes to reloading, the relaxation pays me for my time.
This. 2hr to load 1k on my 650, but $50 savings isn’t worth it with 2 little ones at home.Right now you can save $40-$50 per thousand if you reuse your brass. Of course market forces can change that in a instant these days.
I have a pretty nice setup but when the cheap Russian 9mm was at $150 per thousand I didn’t bother. Right now for me it is a tossup as it takes me around 2 hours to make 1000.
Question comes down to how much you shoot and how much you want to invest in reloading equipment. Take those numbers and see if it makes sense to you.
Agreed. I always recommend new reloaders:I started with a Dillon 550, but I knew I was going to be shooting a lot, and had a mentor to help get me started with the 550.
HOWEVER, for most people just getting started, I don't recommend anyone start with a progressive. The 550 is a bit different, as it does not auto-index the shellplate, so it is easy to operate it as a single-stage press. However, most of the reloaders I know have more than just one press, in fact I have 4 on my bench. I have the 550 on one end, a Lee Classic Turret on the other end, and cheap Lee C press, and a Lee APP. They each have their own dedicated jobs. My point is, if you start with a single stage, or a turret press, you will still have a use for them if/when you step up to a progressive press, so don't worry about "outgrowing" a press. I could have started with the turret press and then bought the 550 and still be in the same situation I am now.
In my case, I only use the progressive for my semi-auto handgun rounds that I shoot a lot, such as 9mm, 45acp, etc. I load almost all of my rifle and revolver rounds on the Lee turret press, operated in single-stage mode. I use the cheap C press to pull bullets with a collet style puller, and I use the APP press for decapping large batches of brass (back when I was selling lots of brass online).
For my needs, if I only had room for one press, it would be the turret press. I wouldn't be able to crank out ammo as quickly as the 550, but with the auto-index enabled, I can still do 250 rounds per hour.
As others have mentioned, the real economy starts when you begin loading more than one caliber. Once you have the press, calipers, tumbler, scale, etc., it is pretty much just adding another turret or toolhead, and a set of dies. I'm up to over 20 different calibers now, some of which are uncommon calibers that can be expensive. The most savings I have is with 429DE, which factory ammo costs over $2.00 per round, but I can reload for about $0.40 per round.