First Attempt

[Three50seven]

Finally got all the gear and components together to start reloading. I Set up and did my first ones today, so I figured I'd share.

.38 special
-158gr copper plated bullets
-3.5 grains of Hodgdon Tight Group
-Winchester Primers

First 12:

And they didn't even shoot too bad! 15 yards off-hand:

And a little celebrating afterwards

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Not bad! Now as other members will mention, go load some more!

Anyway, are you hooked? I was ever since my first ever load, a 44Magnum round with a 240g Montana Gold JSP atop 19g 2400 came out of my press. And as you will hear from others besides myself, reloading DOES NOT save you any money! Rather than spend 1/4th the cost for the same amount of factory loads, you will shoot 4 times as much! :lol:

 

[Three50seven]

Thanks! I'm definitely hooked, but I desperately need to invest in a powder measure....dipping it out and weighing them 1 by 1 gets really old really fast :shock:

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Way to go!!! Tip: A set of powder dippers and a powder trickler makes weighing charges easier. I made one myself out of a pill bottle and a straw glued in the side. A few taps on the straw with a dipper and a few grains of powder drop into the pan. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

 

[Donaldjr1969]

I have a Lyman 55 measure on extended loan to me and I love it. More accurate and infinitely more adjustable than the Lee Auto-Disk (which was not bad. The Lyman is just better) that came with my press. Of course, when you get really serious, you can get one of those automatic dispensers like the Lyman 1200 DPSIII.

When working up and developing loads, I like to set my measure to throw charges .1 to .2 g short and trickle the balance. But once I found a load, I just throw the charges and weight every 5th to 10th charge. If it varies by +/- .1g, that probably is inconsequential in terms of overall accuracy. Now if I am working up small load quantities of, say 6 to 12 rounds, I merely use my trickler, an RCBS unit, to measure. That RCBS trickler will pour out rapidly if you tilt the trickler tube too far from horizontal. But I use that to my advantage. For charge weights of 15g or more, I let it pour into the pan until the scale just starts to deflect. Then I trickle up to my desired weight. I can do 12 rounds like that in less time then it takes to dial in the right charge on the Lyman 55. For light charges, such as 5 to 8g powder (such as 44 Special and 45Auto loads using powders like Bullseye, Titegroup, and HS-6), I do not even need to tile the trickler to pour it out. I merely twist the trickler knob and can get 5g of powder out quickly and accurately. However, when loading 18 or more rounds, I use the Lyman.

That said, I too started out measuring every charge when I first started even with a measure. I feel it gives the starting reloader a sense of safety and accuracy. Then as I got more comfortable in my abilities, I let the powder measure rip. Now unless one works at the ragged edge of charge weights, it could be said that one does not even have to weigh a sampling of charges. For example, a pet plinker load of mine is the 240g JSP slug over 9.5g Titegroup. If the Lyman measure is accurate within +/- .1g, why bother to weigh if max charge is 10g? Well, adjustment sliders can work loose. And, ESPECIALLY with low volume, fast burning powders such as Bullseye and Titegroup, that is something you don't want to occur. So for my own sense of security, I weigh every 5th to 10th charge. Indeed, I let the biggest drum slider on that Lyman to come loose. I noticed that when I had so much Titegroup being dropped that it nearly spilled out of the case! So I tightened all screws and I even recheck them every few charges!

Anyway, those are practices that work best for me. But as you reload more, you will be constantly thinking "what kind of results will I get if I try this powder?"

 

[AZshooter]

I've scale-weighed powder for decades for more critical loads, & have 2 Lyman 55's - 1 dedicated to specific powder weights I use for .45ACP & the other for whatever I'm currently loading.

Last month, I got an RCBS Chargemaster combo Scale & Dispenser - I highly recommend it, since the older I get, the shorter my attention span becomes & the digital set-up makes it too easy to load up a quantity of ammo in short order - it's the only way to go when dispensing extruded powders such as IMR 4198.

I've had great luck with Titegroup Powder - 3.8 gr pushing a 158 gr. Berry's FP. Is insanely accurate for me in .38 spl & 5.0 gr with the same bullet in .357

 

[WESHOOT2]

-Buy a $25 LEE Reloader press;

-mount 7--8" to the left of your main press;

-mount a Lyman 'M' flare / powder drop-thru die on that cheap LEE;

-mount your new (RCBS / Hornady / Redding) powder measure on top of the Lyman die; it's standard-threaded to accept such things;

Now when you have already batch-sized / -de-primed / -cleaned / -primed cases, you can mount your bullet-seating die in your 'main' press. Into that LEE goes the prepared case, flare it and drop the charge, remove it and seat its bullet.
WAY speeds up conventional single-staging, yet maintains every benefit from the single-stage process.
Plus you needed some way to mount the measure anyhow.
Yeah.

 

[Chief_10Beers]

Thanks! I'm definitely hooked, but I desperately need to invest in a powder measure....dipping it out and weighing them 1 by 1 gets really old really fast :shock:

IMHO, the LEE Pro Auto-Dick Measure is worth it's weight in Gold, I'm assuming you have a single-stage or turret press.....................

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=348753

 

[Three50seven]

Thanks for all the useful tips and info from everyone! I've been looking into the Lee Auto-Disk, and that's what I plan to go with for the time being, just for the sake of saving some $$.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Thanks for all the useful tips and info from everyone! I've been looking into the Lee Auto-Disk, and that's what I plan to go with for the time being, just for the sake of saving some $$.

I assume that for now, the only metallic cartridges you are reloading are 38 Special? If so, the auto-disk is good as-is. If you get involved in 44 Magnum or 45 Colt as an example, you may make loads needing heavy charges of, say, IMR4227 or H110. The largest single cavity can only dump 20.4g of IMR4227 or 24g of H110. If you need more powder than that, you will need to get the Double Disk Kit. In fact, I would recommend that to be bought along with the auto disk for an additional 12 dollars or so. Then you will have it handy. And for the charges you throw for 38 Special, using the 2disk kit will allow you go get a charge weight that falls between what you would get with two adjacent cavities. I do recommend against the micrometer adjustable charge bar. While it claims to be an anti-backlash design, I still get some backlash with mine and I did not think its consistency was all that great. Others here may very well have had better results with the Lee adjustable charge bar.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

If you haven't already, suggest getting a set of the Lee dippers. Not instead of, but in addition to, whatever powder measure you decide to get.

They're invaluable for "working up" loads when you don't want to dink around w/ the measure. Like AZshooter, I seem to have developed some of that "adult onset ADD" thing...

I don't have a trickler, but find I can throw a "close enough" charge w/ a larger dipper and then "bump" extra granules onto the scale tray w/ a smaller one "fast enough."

My "real" powder measures are a Lee Perfect model and an RCBS Uniflow. Of the two, the Lee is the easier to set quickly. It uses the "cc" volume system, same as the dippers, so if you find a particular dipper (or combo) works well, you can dial in the measure to match that charge w/ relative ease and a lot less "trial and error" than the Uniflow. But it's kinda "flexy" compared to the rock solid RCBS. Charge consistency is comparable between them...

Rick C

 

[CLAYPOOL]

The "Little Dandy Powder Rotors', are very nice also.....

 

[Three50seven]

I already have a set of dippers, which I'm using currently along with am RCBS scale to measure my charges. I'm looking into the Lee Perfect Powder Measure, but I'm a little concerned that it's at least 1/2 the price of the competition....What's the general consensus on these?

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I already have a set of dippers, which I'm using currently along with am RCBS scale to measure my charges. I'm looking into the Lee Perfect Powder Measure, but I'm a little concerned that it's at least 1/2 the price of the competition....What's the general consensus on these?

I have and use one. It works pretty good with the flake handgun powders like Unique, Universal or BlueDot but it spills powder out of the rotor all over the table with any of the fine ball powders. If you can live with that it measures fairly well although I don't trust mine and I am constantly checking and adjusting it to get the best performance out of it that I can. Can't really recommend it unless price is the most important thing. I call it my 'Not So Perfect' powder measure. 8) 8)

ETA: This is going to be my next one.
RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure with Small Cylinder
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=295370

...JImbo

 

[WESHOOT2]

Please buy a RCBS / Hornady / Redding measure; the satisfaction (or lack of frustration; "Buy Best buy once") is worth the money.
Really.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

^^ What he said! ^^

 

[Three50seven]

Yeah....I'm just afraid I won't be satisfied with the Lee. I'm going to check ebay and gunbroker to see if I can pick up a used RCBS, hornady, or redding before I drop the cash on a new one. Being in college sucks

 

[jadek44]

I just love the reloading snobs that rat on Lee .. I've been using Lee products since the mid sixties. Press, dies ,scale and a few yrs back the powder measure. I am loading 9,45,357 with HP38 and don't have a bit of trouble. Maybe I got a good one????????

 

[M'BOGO]

The Lee Pro Auto disk has worked great for me, as long as ball powders aren't used. Thousands of rounds later, it is a great tool.

 

[mikld]

Remember, powders will meter differently. I can easily hold .05 grain tolerance when dropping charges of W231, but other powders, like Unique, and especially extruded powders a full grain is conidered good. I currently have a Lee Perfect and an older Bonanza and both are good repeatable measures,just some powders are easier to mete than others...

 

[Bucks Owin]

Technique is key to getting uniform results with ANY powder measure IMO. My ancient Redding throws within a tenth, just as it has for 50 yrs, even with coarse extruded powders that get cut during the cycle.... eg 4831. (Set slightly light and "trickle up" if playing around the redline however)...

UNIFORM OPERATION=UNIFORM RESULTS.... :wink:

 

[Rick Courtright]

Technique is key to getting uniform results with ANY powder measure IMO.

Hi,

Bucks has said a mouthful right there!

I've got a rather eclectic assortment of equipment from a variety of mfrs. A lot of it is "green." All of it works... and pretty well after the "operator" gets "broken in" to the various ways the same question is answered by different designers and engineers!

About 10 yrs or so ago, I became curious as to why there was so much "Lee bashing" and bought one of their inexpensive "Anniversary" kits to play with and see if it self-destructed by sundown as I sometimes thought it might (judging by the reports.)

What I found is their equipment (at THAT time, before the iron "Classic" series presses came out) is great for the "light duty" user who has a "gentle hand." (It's NOT the best choice for the ham-handed 800 lb gorilla types I've run into!) I kept track of the number of rounds loaded on the Challenger press. It went back on the shelf after 12k rounds, and is still almost good as new. It's loaded a variety of ammo from 9mm thru .30-06 and hasn't hiccupped w/ any of them...

This leads us to their "Perfect" measure which came in the kit.

What I like about it is it's easy to adjust, has the powder cutoff that makes emptying the hopper easy, and is as accurate and consistent as any other measure I've used, IF one heed's Bucks' advice! And it doesn't cost much.

What I don't like is that it's a bit "flexy" though a "gentle hand" when operating minimizes that fault, it isn't set up where it can be fitted directly to a standard 7/8"x14 press or powder measure stand (though there's a "workaround" kit that "kinda" works), and it can be messy w/ ball powders.

I learned a bit about the ball powders, though:

Lee says the measure is set up for a one pound pull on the handle. I never checked mine when new, but by the time I was getting ball powder all over the bench, it was NOT that heavy.

So I took things apart, cleaned everything well, and reassembled. I tied a weight, exactly one pound, to the handle and adjusted the tension screw so the handle just started to move w/ that one pound pull, and have a lot less trouble w/ ball powders since.

And, while it's nowhere nearly as robust a measure as the RCBS Uniflow sitting next to it, I find myself using the Lee measure far more often! My own technique, as Bucks suggests, may be part of the reason...

Rick C

 

[Kho]

Congratulations on your first reloads. However, I must question your taste in Canadian beer. There are better choices

I just started reloading a few months ago and have been a great time with it. Started with 9mm and .45 and have now moved into .38. I used lead bullets for my first .38 loads and have had good results.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Congratulations on your first reloads. However, I must question your taste in Canadian beer. There are better choices

Yep, O'Keefes "Extra Old Stock" comes to mind.... :wink:

 

[WESHOOT2]

I just love the reloading snobs that rat on Lee .. I've been using Lee products since the mid sixties. Press, dies ,scale and a few yrs back the powder measure. I am loading 9,45,357 with HP38 and don't have a bit of trouble. Maybe I got a good one????????

The fact is simple; there are numerous measures better than the LEE choices.
Doesn't mean the LEE is poop, just that better choices exist.

I personally am heavily invested in LEE tooling, and various other brands. I've tried to buy the best tool for the job while balancing value against my resources.
Certain tools simply work better, making the task less tedious or difficult.
I don't buy by brand; I buy by value vs demonstrated performance.
Hence my recommendation.



Okay, it's close to poop.

 

[Three50seven]

However, I must question your taste in Canadian beer. There are better choices
.

Haha! I'm pretty partial to Moosehead, but I really like Labatt's as well. That's about the extent of my Canadian beer experience, not a lot of varieties to choose from here in Indiana...



I think I'm going to go ahead and get a Lee measure and see how it works. For right now I just plan to load a few .38 and 9mm, so I doubt I'll wear it out any time soon.

 

[M'BOGO]

However, I must question your taste in Canadian beer. There are better choices
.

Haha! I'm pretty partial to Moosehead, but I really like Labatt's as well. That's about the extent of my Canadian beer experience, not a lot of varieties to choose from here in Indiana...



I think I'm going to go ahead and get a Lee measure and see how it works. For right now I just plan to load a few .38 and 9mm, so I doubt I'll wear it out any time soon.

Those are all pretty solid choices, IMHO. There are better, but more expensive options, but we don't all have gold bathroom fixtures.

If only the Canadian Molson Bradors were available in the states, if you go through the duty free, pick some up. Hopefully they haven't taken the same turn as Molson Canadian. Used to be my favorite boat beer, now it tastes like Bud.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Technique is key to getting uniform results with ANY powder measure IMO. My ancient Redding throws within a tenth, just as it has for 50 yrs, even with coarse extruded powders that get cut during the cycle.... eg 4831. (Set slightly light and "trickle up" if playing around the redline however)...

UNIFORM OPERATION=UNIFORM RESULTS.... :wink:

The Lee dippers can give very consistent powder drops if your techigue is good.

Lee recommends pushing the dipper straight down into the powder and letting gravity fill the cup and striking off the mounded powder level with the rim.

If he intended that technique, I think he should have put the handle on vertically instead of at a right angle.

The technique I developed is to scoop shallowly through the powder and shake the excess mound off with my forefinger. Weighing each charge, I have found that I get within .1 grain of the same charge every time with every powder I have tried. But I do have to practice.

You can even adjust the dipper volume. Fill the bottom with a filler (wood putty, carpenter's glue, bee's wax, etc. or punch a hole and stick an appropriately sized machine screw to make the dipper micrometer-adjustable.

I use the Auto-Disk most of the time, but traded off all my other powder measures in favor of the Lee dippers. (Redding, RCBS, Lyman)

The Dippers cannot jam, cut or crush powder granules and you will never run out of powder without knowing it. They are inexpensive, accurate as anything and dead simple. But they are slower than most other methods (though not by much) and do require you do your part. You MUST use good and consistent technique.

Lost Sheep

 

[Bucks Owin]

Good tip Lost Sheep and since the majority of my loading equipment (eg powder measure) is packed away in storage right now, I use my Lee dippers quite a bit as I soldier on with my "bare bones" setup. I also have some I made from trimmed to length reject cartridge cases with a paperclip handle soldered on. Instant "custom charge" dipper... :wink:

(Verify charge of any dipper with a scale BTW 8) )

 

[Three50seven]

The good info just keeps on coming! It's awesome to have such a wealth of knowledge within such easy reach for newbies like me!