Setting up for .45acp

[Seabear]

I used to reload years ago, YEARS AGO. I own NO reloading equipment now. I have been shooting (and saving the brass) about 200 rounds a week. An maybe 150 rounds 9mm. I would like to start reloading .45acp first due to exspense. (would love to be shooting 4-500 rounds a week.)

I am intrigued with the price and the videos I see of the Lee Pro 1000. I know Dillon is better, is it enough of an advantage to justify the price ? I figure I could by a.45 and 9mm Lee for the same price and just leave them set up and ready to go.

I could probably get by with a Turret press, I'm not in that big of a hurry. Heck I spent 3 hours cleaning guns today, could have done it in 30 minutes and loaded for 2.5 hours.

So, with that in mind, what would be the most cost effective kit to get? Keeping in mid 200-300 rounds of each a week. Or 500 of one if I quit the 9mm.

[jason237m]

The Dillon 550 is hard to beat for moderate volume loading. It gives you full control of the process via manual indexing and changing calibers is a snap. Also, your eyes won't be wandering after a year or two like they might if you get a Lee.

[CWOOD]

I load primarily 45ACP and some 9mm for the daughters. I have the dies and components to load .223 as soon as I get around to it.

I would strongly recommend the Lee CLASSIC(not Deluxe) Turret. The benefits of a turret are several for a new, or renewed reloader. This system will allow you to load nearly all pistol rounds, as well as rifle rounds and up to the .50BMG (as single stage only on this). Very versatile.

In order to get the reloading process fully set in your mind, many folks recommend a single stage reloading system. This is a very valid argument in that the repetition involved in each stage of the reloading process speeds up your learning curve as well as your skill and confidence level in your equipment. The Lee Classic Turret lets you operate as a single stage reloader. You can re-activate the auto advance feature easily and quickly and perform each of the four stages separately as long as it takes you to become comfortable.
1. size and deprime/prime
2. bell and load powder
3. seat the bullet
4. factory crimp (a very useful stage)

The benefit of the turret system is that at whatever point you gain the confidence to move up to a faster and more automated system, you do not have to buy more equipment. You simply restore the auto advance system and each stage is performed with each pull of the lever.

For a long time (over a year) I felt more comfortable depriming/priming every thing in a session at one time as a single stage. This was because for a while in did not seat 100% of my primers on the first try and had some misfires. It is dangerous to try to reseat a primer on a loaded round and is a real pain to have to pull the bullet and powder and then reseat the primer. So I would just do them all at once, check them all, fix any that were not properly seated and then complete the reloading process in the auto advance mode. The system is that flexible. I have since gotten confident enough to do all the stages in the auto-advance mode. Things seem to be working well now that I have gotten more experience. You can actually feel the primer seat properly after a while. It would good to be able to acquire that experience on that stage of the process.

As for as speed, with the single stage you can go as slow as you need to. I am guessing the upper limit would be around 50 rounds per hour. I never used it that way much so others may have better info on this.

When I was doing priming as a single stage and finishing every other stage in the auto advance mode I could do around 90-120 rounds per hour. That was weighing powder charge and measuring cartridge length every 10 rounds or so to start, and then later doing so about twice per 50 rounds.

In the full auto advance mode with some experience, you can comfortably crank out 150 per hour and I have heard of more experienced folks finishing up to 175 per hour.

As for expense/payback, the Classic Turret Kit cost in the $200 at Cabelas:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lee-Clas ... l+Products" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and at Kempf's here:

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?pag ... &Itemid=41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

These are both good kits but as you see they have slightly different mix of equipment.

Another nice thing about the Lee Classic Turret is that you can change calibers in less than 5 minutes. You can get a spare turret disc for $12 and a different set of dies, get them set up ONE time, and then interchange them as needed. I can go for 45 to 9mm in five minutes and then only re adjust the powder measure.

The powder measure with the kit if very accurate and consistent. The scale is not real high tech but is very functional and accurate and easy to work.

My turret press has required no repairs or significant maintenance other than cleaning and lubrication in two years.

I would also urge you to get a low end brass polisher, Cabelas has a $50 kit that has worked very well. Harbor freight has one. Harbor freight also has a good set of calipers which is helpful. Cableas has an inertial bullet puller for under $20.

All in all you can expect to reload 45ACP for about half of Winchester white box and Walmart. 9mm will not save you quite as large a percent but maybe 40%. This assumes you have essentially free brass.

Get in the habit of picking up brass at every match you can to make sure that you can get in the habit and will actually do it. You can also buy once fired brass on the internet and at some ranges. The reuse of brass is THE savings source in all this. I shoot between 2 -3000 rounds per year and I paid for all of my equipment in the first 12 months and everything now is basically half price.

The Dillon equipment is excellent equipment and is much faster and much more expensive. If you realistically are going to shoot 5000-10000 rounds per year, I would urge you in that direction. But for relearning and a more moderate rate of shooting the Lee Classic Turret is great tool.

My goal in reloading was NOT to acquire another hobby. It was to make my CURRENT hobby less expensive.

I hope this helps.

Regards
Carl

[Jumping Frog]

I am intrigued with the price and the videos I see of the Lee Pro 1000.

If you want to go with a progressive press, the Lee Loadmaster is a much better setup than the Pro 1000 and not much more money. Better press, 5 stations instead of 3, better priming system. If you get the Loadmaster, there are a ton of videos on setup and operation over at Loadmastervideos.com.

Personally, the Pro 1000 is in that in between space where you go down to a turret or go up to the Loadmaster.

[Rifleman55]

Buy once, cry once GET A DILLON ,a 550 will load a lot of different rounds and a 650 will do it faster, especily with a case feeder.

[Reloader]

The Dillon folks guarantee EVERYTHING for LIFE of the machine. No questions asked. I have a 450 that is at least 20 years old and going strong..never could warm up to the 550, et. al. With Dillon you can do everything.

[CWOOD]

I generally agree with the idea of getting high quality equipment like Dillon in the long run. In fact, if my shooting volume increases substantially, I would go with Dillon. I have been reloading for two years now, and have found that actually CAN do it well for my purposes and that I will continue to do it, that it really does save money, that it can be fun in its own right, that I will actually collect used brass at matches.

However, for someone fairly new to the concept, who might be on a somewhat limited budget (aren't most of us to some degree), and not really sure if they will really have the patience, or time or enthusiasm to continue it for an extended time, a price tag of $250-300 to get started with a reasonable reloading speed and minimal set up effort might be more appealing and do-able than a set up cost of a $700-800. Even with the excellent warranty and service and significantly faster loading speeds, a person new to reloading might find that a high threshold, "just to see if I want to do it long term".

In addition, if the newcomers interest and shooting volume eventually do rise to the point where the Dillon makes sense, they still might want to keep and use a Turret setup for specialty loads where there is not need for high volume. For example, if a shooter later gets heavily involved with IPSC, IDPA and other handgun sports, the Dillon could be set to there handgun loads where the volume is needed and keep the turret set up for 30-06 for their hunting rifle, where volume is not an issue. Best of both worlds.

If I had had only the Dillon option, I would not have gotten it. Just to much cash outlay for my budding interest in reloading and shooting volume could justify. I would not have used a single stage because it is just to SLOW for my taste.

If you shoot over 5000 rounds a year and are sure you want to reload, and maybe want a new hobby, go for the Dillon. If you shoot under 3000 rounds a year and just want to save money with your current hobby or just want to dip your tow in the reloading waters, there are other options that will let you do this with a much lower price threshold.

[threoh8]

I used to reload for IPSC matches using a Lee Loader. Tap, tap, tap .... tap, tap, tap ...

[CWOOD]

I used to reload for IPSC matches using a Lee Loader. Tap, tap, tap .... tap, tap, tap ...

A man of infinite patience.

About 30 years ago I first dabbled in reloading for 38 Special/357 Mag using a Herter's reloader which was very similar to the simple Lee Loader. In fact during our move last year I found the kit. I guess I reloaded a couple of hundred rounds. That first attempt didn't take. I went back to just buying the ammo...which was fairly inexpensive then.

I had NO experience and no mentor, just bought the kit from the Herter's catalog and read the instructions. I was concerned about safety and did it all outside under the trees at the ranch.

I do recall the tap, tap, tap, that your referenced. Did you ever have a tap, tap, tap, tap, BANG!? Setting of a primer while trying to seat it could certainly get your attention. I guess it still would.

I cannot imagine reloading for IPSC with such a kit. A man of infinite patience I am not.

Thanks for the memory.

[rkl56119]

I think LEE has the worst instruction on how to setup the press. You can find lots of online help for a LEE. Google "Loadmaster Video Forums"

I have a LEE Loadmaster that I used to reload over 3000 .45ACP, hundreds of 9mm, .38/.357, 38 S&W and .308. I have to say .45ACP and .38/.357 are the easiest.

[threoh8]

I've long since switched to presses, but keep the Lee Loaders, Ideal tong tool, and some other special reloading setups in various calibers for backup, portable loading, loading at the range, etc. Yes, I'm a packrat. But if I had to, I could reload for a surprising number of cartridges with just the stuff on hand.

Agreed on not caring for the early Lee Loader priming system. That was a long time ago. Yes, I had the occasional popped primer - pretty scary at the moment, but not disastrous. I quickly abandoned tapping the primers in, and started using an Ideal tong tool for primer seating, ,followed by an Auto Prime. To Lee's credit, later Lee Loaders included a one-at-a-time squeeze priming tool.

I mostly use my old Lee Turret these days, augmented with an Auto Prime hand tool. I'm just used to it.