looking at shooting a lot more, must start reloading

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  • looking at shooting a lot more, must start reloading

    Ok I'm looking at buying one of these off a member of the forum http://www.competitionshooting.com/c...tegory33/p1612 24" version

    I've never reloaded before but its become apparent to me i can't afford not to at this time. I've got more time than money so I'll handle a simpler press if its a lot less money. Only requirement is I need to be able to reload 6.5 grendel, 556, and .45acp. Is it reasonable to do all 3 with just a die change set or do I need a system for the pistol seperately?

    I don't know what I'm doing so can yall point me in the right direction? (like read this link, cheapest good system is this and why, for the 6.5 start with this loading adjust from there) i've got friends that reload but..... well they don't go for cost effective they go for tournament accuracy and reloading fast. I'll get them to show me how to reload, but trying to get my head on straight first.

    Oh a friend heard I was shooting 6.5 and gave me 200 pcs of wolf gold brass is that even reloadable?
  • RangerRick

    #2
    Yes you can reload both with the right press. Some presses have a short throw for pistol and don't have enough room for some rifle length cartridges. There are several starter kits around. Dillon, RCBS, and Hornady make good presses. Everybody has their favorites, so you'll probably get lots of advice.

    Here are a few kits:

    Cheaper Than Dirt! is America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter, and we live up to that title. Expect bulk ammo deals, discount firearms, parts to build your next gun and more.




    Dies are Important too. Get quality, stay away from Lee Grendel dies.

    RR

    Comment

    • Drifter
      Chieftain
      • Mar 2011
      • 1662

      #3
      My advice might be different from others, but I suggest that you pick one cartridge to get started and learn.

      Obviously, I don't know your nature, nor your 6.5's intended use, but precision reloading usually isn't something that you simply start and get everything right from the beginning. It's not difficult to safely put together a cartridge that will go bang, but it can be challenging to consistently load accurate ammunition for long range precision. Just when you think you have everything figured out, it becomes obvious that there's sometimes more to it than originally thought.

      Please don't misunderstand. I do not want to discourage you from reloading. But I couldn't imagine jumping into the game with three different cartridges.

      Pick one and get started. There's lots to learn.

      If you choose something other than the 6.5, try a box or two of Hornady 123gr A-max factory loads. They often shoot very well, and can be purchased for ~$100 per 100 rounds. New Hornady brass runs ~$70 per 100, so the loaded ammo seems reasonably priced. Save your brass for obvious reasons.

      You could do the same for the other cartridges if you choose to begin with the 6.5.

      Or ignore my advice altogether and start loading for all 3.

      Good luck. You'll likely enjoy it.
      Last edited by Drifter; 01-12-2012, 01:42 AM.
      Drifter

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      • vanguard138

        #4
        A Redding single stage gets my vote, I love mine. Although I just purchased a Dillon RL550B since my newby comfort level has risen and I am going to be shooting a lot more 40 cal.

        Comment


        • #5
          You will want a good single stage press, it is something you will keep all your life, even if you go to high speed progressive press down the road you'll need a good single stage for load development and such. RCBS makes good stuff and the Rock Chucker is an all time favorite. I have a Redding Big Boss II which is pretty much the same as the Rock Chucker. Hornady makes a lock n load that does a good job too. A kit isn't a bad way to go but you don't have to get one. You'll need a scale, a chamfer tool, and a way to lube cases. Pam works great, just spray on the cases and shake in a bag, it will distribute around the case in a few minutes and costs about $2.00 at the grocery store. Avoid the roller pad lube systems.
          Bob

          Comment


          • #6
            I've just started reloading myself and went with the Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Anniversary Kit from Midway. They had it on sale for $90 several months back. The funny thing is I paid more for my first 100rnd of brass & SMK bullets than I did for the reload kit. You will also need dies, shell holders for chamfering and trimming, and a few misc supplies such as extra lube, lube pad, bullet puller, and tools like calibers are a must. My overall impression of the kit is that it is descent and can produce good accurate ammo if you're easy with it take your time to really get everything calibrated and set up correctly. The press is cast Al and decent quality, the balance beam scale is nice, the powder feeder and primer holder are functional but very cheap. You'll also need to think about how you're going to clean your brass. You'll need a tumbler and media for that. And don't forget about a chronograph to measure velocity in your load development. For a few extra dollar you would be better off going with the RCBS or Reading, but the Lee single stage is getting the job done for me. One more thing, keep your .45acp factor ammo plastic shell holders. They work great for holding your grendel brass when reloading. Good luck!
            Last edited by Guest; 01-12-2012, 03:39 AM.

            Comment

            • bwaites
              Moderator
              • Mar 2011
              • 4445

              #7
              Buy either a Forster CoAx single stage, (because you won't have to buy shell holders, and it handles the primers by dropping them into a little cup, far better than the system any of the other single stages use), or buy a Redding T-7 turret press, (so that you can set your dies up one time and don't have to switch for each stage of reloading).

              Each has advantages. I've reloaded thousands of rounds of 5.56, Grendel, 7mm WSM, Beowulf, and pistol ammo on my Rockchucker, but the Forster would have been a better option because of the reasons I've mentioned. I will be buying one soon.

              The turret press will be marginally faster because you don't have to do die swaps, but that isn't very hard or time consuming to me, so its no big deal.

              Comment


              • #8
                Welcome to the board.
                The Lothar-Walther barrels are highly re-guarded. The 24" tube is suited more for bench shooting, not an ideal length & weight for hunting.
                Reloading is attention to details. Get a good reloading manual, it will give step-by-step directions on how to reload.
                A good single stage rockchucker press by any of the biggies, RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, Redding, will do the job. You can do all your calibers on the single stage press.
                Don't skimp on dies, buy the good stuff, Redding, RCBS, Hornady.
                For reloading I'd recommend the Hornady or Lapua brass for the Grendel, that's what I've used and had good success. I haven't heard of anyone reloading Wolf brass. There is a primer difference between Wolf brass and Hornady/Lapua brass, Wolf uses a large rifle primer and the Hornady/Lapua brass uses a small rifle primer. Hopefully someone will chime in about using Wolf brass for reloading, anyone?
                Hornady and RCBS offer starter kits for reloading, take a look at them, it will give you an idea what equipment is needed.
                Well there's my 2 cents, ask questions, the guys here will help ya out. Get started and good luck.
                Last edited by Guest; 01-12-2012, 04:41 AM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Bill,
                  If your going to get a Forster CoAx there are a couple of negatives you should be aware of. It is a quality piece of equipment but the shell holder jaws require reversing them between many calibers and for us the most common, 6.5 Grendel and .223 require they be reversed to change between them which is a tedious chore. It requires unscrewing two allen head screws and maintaining control of two captured springs, fail to do this and you are looking for a spring that you heard hit the far wall of the room but not sure where it went from there.
                  Then the handle stroke is different because it is over the top and has a longer arch to it. Depending on the bench height this can be awkward, I much prefer the downward stroke of a conventional press. The handle is much to long for short cases like the Grendel, but they make a short handle for it which works much better, but then changing the handle is and extra step when you need more leverage like for your 7mmWSM. There is a set screw that holds the handle in place and I managed to strip the threads on mine changing back and forth. The primer catch jar is nice and works well but i have had mine work loose and dump 500 primers on the floor of my den. There are a few other issues as well that I discovered over 20 years of hard use. I started with a Rock Chucker back in 1969 and over all I liked it better other than the primer mess. I gave it to a friend when I bought the then Bonanza CoAx and he still uses it.
                  Now a days I mostly load on my Dillon 550 or 650 but I still use a single stage press for my 600 yard line loads or some of my hunting calibers that I don't load in volume. I went with the Redding Big Boss II because it collects the spent primers in a drop tube much like the CoAx but it spills about two or three percent out the ram cut. The Redding T7 uses the same primer catch system.
                  Bob

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I still use my first and only press, a Lee Classic Turrett, I love it, Ive done everything from .380 to 7mm mag, and soon 6.5Grendel.

                    FWIW, I only use lee dies, never had a problem.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Wow lot to take in pretty much overloaded at the moment. I have used the vmax through my SBR it worked great. This is for the midland mi 600 yard range, no other purpose but to learn to shoot long range.

                      i've got roughly 5000 rounds of 45 acp and 2000 rounds of 556 so for a while I would just be reloading 6.5. and the .45 acp isn't going to be exactly a precision load in march when I run out, maybe june I'll start reloading it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        thats what I love about my Lee, the powder charge on it is fast, turrett lets me crank out the ammo fast. Here is an old vid of me reloading 9mm just to show you how easy it goes.



                        Comment


                        • #13
                          You probably want to avoid lee dies for the 6.5 Grendel. They were one of the original providers of dies and never got it quite right. They work for some people but many others have had major issues.
                          Bob
                          Last edited by Guest; 01-12-2012, 05:01 PM.

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                          • rasp65
                            Warrior
                            • Mar 2011
                            • 660

                            #14
                            yocan As you can see there are lots of choices available to you as far as reloading tools. A lot of it is personal preference I have used almost all brands of dies(except Forster) in my 30+ years reloading and have found Redding to be the best. Whatever you choose will work but there are a couple of things that are very important to remember when loading for the Grendel. Make sure you size the case correctly to fit your chamber, a cartridge case gauge is a good tool to have. You will also want to measure at what length to seat your bullets for your rifle. I outlined the method that has worked well for me in this post.http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...jump-amp-crimp

                            Comment

                            • vanguard138

                              #15
                              Yocan,
                              I have a couple friends who shoot competition at the range outside Ithaca.

                              Eric

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