Reloading ?s

[glock27]

So I have been tossing around in my head about reloading since I hate having to drive to a bunch of walmarts to try and find the federal 100 pack for 24.99 for .40. Does anyone on here load .40 s&w and if so what is your average cost per 100. Any info would be great. I guess i would have to start with a single stage press at the begining until i get use to it.

 

[Red Cent]

The single stage is good but............if you are getting into reloading get a Lee Turret Press. In the beginning use it as a single stage. As you become educated and confident, you can put all the dies in the tool head. Buy a four holer. Later you can get a powder dispenser that dumps powder when a cartridge is present.
Imagine putting a piece of brass under the decapping and sizing die, work the handle down for sizing and up firmly to set a primer. Then manually turn the tool head one click, pull the handle down. The case is inserted into the powder measure and the correct amount of powder is dispensed. AND, the case is lightly belled to accept lead bullets. Pull the handle up, turn tool head one click, insert bullet, pull handle down and walla, a real bullet. I know, sounds simple. Simply read, remember, and have fun. The most important part? MENTOR!!!
I started on a Lyman Spartan single stage. I wish someone had told me about the turret or the other presses. It is kinda intimidating.

Saves money? The more you load the more you shoot the more.....and its fun

 

[glock27]

Thanks I just looked into that lee press and it seems very affordable as well.

 

[dial1911]

I can't answer that question directly, but I cast and load .45 bullets... I only pay for the primer (about 3 cents) and the powder (like almost no cents- at 7000 grains/lb and about 4.5 grains per bullet, it's actually 1.6 cents per round assuming a pound of powder is $25)... of course I have to pay for electricity for my 400 watt melting pot, but that's not much. So like 4.6 cents per round- I've yet to wear out the brass. And I have about two tons of lead that my Dad left me, so I'm not running out anytime soon. Oh- and you have to buy bullet lube, but that's not much money. So a box of 50 runs me about $2.30.

Reloading 9mm using Ranier jacketed bullets at about 9 cents apeice (guessing- haven't bought any in a long time) puts me at closer to 15 cents per round- but you don't have to spend time casting bullets. So buying projectiles is about $7.50 per 50 round box.

I also cast 9mm and .38SPL bullets, but keep them at a low velocity.

 

[gth813x]

problem with reloading is you look at all the money you're saving and forget about the money you're spending. it's addicting and money flies and you don't really think about it.

reloading 40 gets you down to about 1/2 what factory stuff costs. especially fi you want really nice hollow points.

example, 44 magnum xtp box of 20 costs like 30 bucks, i can make it for around 5, the smaller the bullets the less you save but it saves more in the long haul

- - - Updated - - -

and get a hand press, it's a single stage press but it's mobile, bout the same price...MAYYYYYBE a little cheaper. but you sit in front of the tv and do certain aspects there. and when you get the turret press you can still do other parts in fron of the tv with it

 

[FredAlert]

This is good but I find that I can reload much faster and get more quality by doing all of one step at a time then all of another step at a time. If you're doing thousands of them I tumble them, then resize/decap them all, then prime them ALL then I measure/dump the charge and hand it to the kid to seat the bullet in the press .... if you didn't have a helper you could do them in batches ... fill them with powder and sit them in a board then put bullets in 100 of them at a time. I also find that doing one step at a time pretty much eliminates any margin for error that you run into when trying to do a bunch of things at once. I've been doing this 15 years and I've never had a single round that didnt go boom .... but it happens to my friends using turrets and progressives all the time.

Also as to the original post ... it's difficult to compete with the cost of bulk factory plinking ammo from places like GA arms unless you're on the second/third use of the case or you didn't buy the brass at all .... BUT using that brass you can load high quality hollowpoints from hornady or speer for the price of those cheep plinking ammo from walmart.

The single stage is good but............if you are getting into reloading get a Lee Turret Press. In the beginning use it as a single stage. As you become educated and confident, you can put all the dies in the tool head. Buy a four holer. Later you can get a powder dispenser that dumps powder when a cartridge is present.
Imagine putting a piece of brass under the decapping and sizing die, work the handle down for sizing and up firmly to set a primer. Then manually turn the tool head one click, pull the handle down. The case is inserted into the powder measure and the correct amount of powder is dispensed. AND, the case is lightly belled to accept lead bullets. Pull the handle up, turn tool head one click, insert bullet, pull handle down and walla, a real bullet. I know, sounds simple. Simply read, remember, and have fun. The most important part? MENTOR!!!
I started on a Lyman Spartan single stage. I wish someone had told me about the turret or the other presses. It is kinda intimidating.

Saves money? The more you load the more you shoot the more.....and its fun

 

[sc951]

Look at Titan Reloading, GREAT prices

 

[Clarke123]

I reload the .40 S&W and am currently using a Lee Classic Cast Iron Turrent Press.
Yes, you can start out using it as a single stage press ... then progress toward progressive.
Good production, quality function, and dependable results ... all the things that you want in a press.

Prices quoted are accurate, but you will tend to shoot more ... So, there goes your savings (in a most pleasant fashion).

Personally, I do not like the performance of cast lead projectiles even thought I load and shoot them.

Lots of good stuff here on the forum .. just read and follow it!

BTW: If you would like to spend a few hours seeing a Cast Turrent in actiion, I'm close by in Cumming, GA

 

[glock27]

I reload the .40 S&W and am currently using a Lee Classic Cast Iron Turrent Press.
Yes, you can start out using it as a single stage press ... then progress toward progressive.
Good production, quality function, and dependable results ... all the things that you want in a press.

Prices quoted are accurate, but you will tend to shoot more ... So, there goes your savings (in a most pleasant fashion).

Personally, I do not like the performance of cast lead projectiles even thought I load and shoot them.

Lots of good stuff here on the forum .. just read and follow it!

BTW: If you would like to spend a few hours seeing a Cast Turrent in actiion, I'm close by in Cumming, GA

I might take you up on that offer. I wouldn't mind watching one in action

 

[PJ Martin]

Kyle, if you would hit the pin on every shot, you wouldn't have to worry about reloading. Haha