scooter

I have been wanting to get into loading my own ammo for quite some time but never made the investment to get started. After a recent absence of 9mm ammunition in my town, i decided it was time. I had been doing some research, so i ordered a Lee Turret Press. It came in today and i followed the book to a T getting it all set up. I loaded 10 rounds into my p229 magazine and took it out to the neighbors shooting range and shot them, my gun functioned them flawlessly and they shot just as accurate as factory rounds, so i came home and loaded 50 more, im going to take them with me tomorrow along with a box or two of factory ammo. Its just a huge feeling of accomplishment for me.

Fishslayer

Well done. I've had my Lee Classic Turret for a bit over three years now. You're gonna like it.

You'll save no money, BTW. You will shoot more for the same $$$. And while everybody is moaning about another Great Ammo Drought you will be fretting over running out of ammo storage space!

scooter

Hey thanks. I wasnt really looking to save money, i was just looking to make sure that i dont run outta ammo again. Shooting more for the same money is just a perk. I have my 9mm's figured to about $0.15 per round, which is nothing spectacular til i got to clean my gun today and saw that my reloads were WAY cleaner than federals or WWB.

liquidrazer

I have been wanting to get into reloading for a lil while now. I would see is at being about to shoot more for the same but the cleaner gun... thats awesome!!! Happy Shooting!

drshame

The trick is in the re-processing.
You handloaded custom rounds for your gun....and may have used all new components.
Once you pick up your fired brass, the next trick is getting it ready for reloading....cleaning, resizing, possibly uniforming primer pockets, measuring length, possibly trimming...and getting it cleaned from any re-sizing lubes/dirt.
Then you go back to priming, pouring, seating and all the quality controls that go with it.

Have a casegage?
They are really helpful to make sure you don't have any "surprises". Also, what about reloading manuals and did you try any starting/midrange charges for accuracy yet??

How's the brass/primers after shooting? They can tell an important story if you know how to "read" them.

Smith3466

Good to hear scooter. I have been reloading for about 5 years now and really enjoy it. You can really fine tune your guns to make them shoot how you want with reloads.

SlickRick

welcome to the wonderful world of reloading I have been reloading for more than 23 years now, I currently reload 13 different calibers, I'm sure you have alot of fun ahead of you!

Rick

majorhavoc

Congratulations! Two things really struck me about your post:

1) you said you followed the directions to a "T" and you had success. Amen, brother. It's like baking your first cake from scratch. Just follow the damn recipe. Scrupulously. And it'll come out perfect. Don't get "creative" until you have a lot of experience under your belt.

2) you said it's a huge feeling of accomplishment. Is that the truth? I still get a goofy grin on my face every time I pull the trigger and it's my own boolits that are going bang. Just like the store bought stuff. It brings a whole extra level of satisfaction to the sport.

scooter

Been at it for 4 months now and im really getting it figured out. Since i can get brass for $2.50 /lb im always reloading in pretty fresh brass but i pick up all i can find as well.

paleojack

May I ask what powder you used that gave you cleaner results than factory rounds? I've not done 9mm yet but I have not found a "clean" powder for my 45. Thanks

scooter

I was using Titegroup powder, near max charge with 115gr remington fmj's and winchester small pistol primers. After shooting 200 rounds (typical weekend practice) it took less than half the number of patches that it would when i shot 200 rounds of whatever was cheap at wal mart or the farm supply store.

Sirsigalot

Sirsigalot here

What's going family need some help. Checked out the Lee website and well it was not really user friendly. Dose the press come with all the tools and stuff you need to get started right away or is there more equipment i need to buy to get started.

Sirsigalot

Sirsigalot here

What's going family need some help. Checked out the Lee website and well it was not really user friendly. Dose the press come with all the tools and stuff you need to get started right away or is there more equipment i need to buy to get started.

scooter

If you go to midwayusa.com , they sell several kits that are ready to rock.

docskeet

I love my Dillon 550.

majorhavoc

Hi Sirsigalot:

I responded to another question a while back and I ended up doing a pretty complete run down of all of the extras that you need to buy on top of the basic Lee single stage press reloading kit. Rather than just cut and paste, here's the link. My reply is the fourth one in the thread. It's stick out because it's the long-winded one.

ammo reload kit

Sirsigalot

Majorhavoc

Sirsigalot here, thanx. I checked out your post alot of good stuff the Lee website was not that informative.

cbrobertson

Scooter, I will get some negative feedback for this BUT!!

I have been reloading since 1965 and have NEVER trimmed straight walled pistol brass. That is: 9mm, .38 - .357 mag - 357 max, .44 special, 44 mag, 45 colt, 45 acp, .460 S&W mag, .500 S&W mag.
I have never had a failure of any kind relative to case length. Have never found it to 'strech' at all.Case mouth cracks from crimping occures long before that.
(Bottle necked rifle brass, .308, 223, .30-06 etc is a totally different story, even in a hand gun.)

Also, have NEVER trimmed primer pockets, with the exception of crimped military primed brass. I remove the crimp by swaging, but a deburring tool works just fine too.

If you buy brass, buy BRASS, not nickle pleated. It cracks after only a few reloadings. Also, dumpster dive & scrounge at the range, be suprised what some shooters will throw away.

niner

Then ya want this;


http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...psc77d5f8b.mp4

tommyhof

I really enjoy reloading, my favorite 9MM load is 4.3 bullseye, 124 fmj oal 1.14 or JHP 124 OAL 1.11, bullet is precision delta, been reloading since '99