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NcongruNt

Thanks for the advice. I don't own any revolvers, so can't really get into that initially. My kit is a single-stage, the Lee 50th Anniversary kit, which includes the Challenger Press as the included press. I'm in no hurry to crank out rounds, as I'd much prefer to hone my skills one at a time. I'll be consulting manuals, friends, and folks here as I go along and I'm quite a meticulous person, so I think I'll be OK will starting out on 9mm. My only other option at this point is 7.62x54R, and I've only got a dozen or so cases to work with there, so 9mm is the obvious choice for me at this time, logistically and simplistically.

I do plan on trying out lead bullets in the future. I'm sticking with FMJ starting out, as there's less prep to do with them, and am starting out conservatively. My first powder is Blue Dot, which is easy to get a hold of and as mentioned above, won't double-charge. That is by no means my insurance against proper loading - I am going to be paying acute attention to my measurements, triple (or more) checking my measurements and loading steps as I go along.

I will hopefully start my first batch of reloads within the next week, as soon as I can complete the house-arrangement mentioned in my previous post. Will update here then, I'm sure.

NcongruNt

I've got a good 1000 cases or so run through the tumbler now. It's quite satisfying to get them cleaned up and shiny!

I've got a few cases with various dings and dents in them, some more severe than others. I'm told by the missus that I'm not allowed to set up the reloader until we do some house cleaning and rearrangement first, so I can't get to it for a few more days. This may make itself evident once I start trying, but maybe not. Will the sizing dies straighten this kind of thing out?

I've taken some photos to show what kind of dents and such there are:

What do y'all think?

As an aside, I've found that there seem to be considerable differences in the residue left behind in various brands of ammo. I particular, I've found that after tumbling, CCI-branded cases (Blazer, Speer) are amazingly clean inside, almost as if unfired. Conversely, I've found that PPU-stamped brass (generally Monarch) tends to have a sticky black residue inside that collects the corn cob meda and takes vigorous swabbing with a q-tip to get out. S&B seems to have quite dirty residue leftover in the brass as well, though not sticky. After tubling a thousand rounds, I've found that if there's a bunch of media stuck in the case, it invariably has a PPU headstamp.

NcongruNt

Jeremae wrote: I tumble before deprime. I sometimes tumble after final crimp. The Lee deluxe die set is great and since sizing die is carbide no case lube needed.

So you tumble finished ammunition? I had never considered that. That would make things considerably simpler for me, as I tend to hand-polish my carry rounds every month or so between rotations.

NcongruNt

Alright, I'm nearly ready to start reloading! I just went to Cabela's and got :

powder (Blue Dot, 1lb.)
primers (!!! yes, Cabela's had Federal SPP in stock, bought 1000)
a couple hundred bullets (100 124grn Hornady XTP, 100 124grn Remington JHP)
a reloading manual (Modern Reloading by Richard Lee)
a bullet puller
the Cabelas-brand case tumbler kit.

I've got a batch of 9mm brass tumbling as we speak. Unfortunately, there were no dies for me there. As I searched, I ran across another fellow who was purchasing the same press kit I have and was looking for 9mm dies as well. Anyone know of a good source for the Lee Deluxe Pistol die set in/near Austin? Red's is listed as a Lee dealer, but I don't recall ever seeing a lot of reloading stuff there. Maybe the North location?

NcongruNt

NcongruNt

Oldgringo wrote:
ghostrider wrote:I've not used this supplier or Wolf primers, but they seem to have some in stock:

http://www.site.graceammo.com/Primers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
That's not a bad price in this day and age until one adds in the Hazmat and shipping charge.

Yeah, that's the killer there. Cabela's online store has Remington SPP's available on their website, so I'm wondering if they have some in the store. I really don't want to pay $50 for a $30 box of primers.

NcongruNt

Thanks for the offer and recommendations. I really appreciate it.

And yes, the factory crimp die is a separate step from seating. The inclusion of that die is what makes that set "deluxe".

I have one other minor question....

Do y'all run your brass through the tumbler before or after you've deprimed the cases? My inclination is to do it after depriming, but I was wondering if there was a reason not to do so.

Thanks!

ghostrider wrote:> I'd also really like to get a chronograph to check my consistency and check my work.

I have one. We can meet at Lone Star someday and chrono loads.

>The way you explain it, 9mm makes more sense, and I can better sort my ammo to make sure I use
>matching headstamps for my loads. 9mm means I can also get the deluxe carbide die set from Lee
>that includes the factory crimp die.

I highly recommend crimping as a separate step from bullet seating especially for taper crimps. I think that's what the Lee die set gives you, but I'm not sure since I generally use Dillon, Hornady, or RCBS.

> My next question: what kind of powder do y'all recommend for 9mm, and why? I know everyone has their
> preferences, but I'd like something good to start out with, having zero knowledge of powders. If it makes any
>difference, the rounds will be going through a standard-length Hi-Power (4.7" barrel). Several brands would be
>good, as I'm likely going to end up with whatever Cabela's has in stock and is suitable.

I like to experiment so I've tried several powders. For 9mm I've had good results with: blue dot, HS-6, WW231, Power Pistol, N340. I've also tried Titegroup and Longshot, neither of which I liked in 9mm.

My current powder of chose for 9mm (124gr and 147gr) is power pistol. It meters well (on a Dillon) and burns clean, though it tends to have muzzle flash. I also use it for 38spl +P

Slower powders (blue dot) generally require larger charges so its harder (or impossible) to double charge a 9mm case without overflowing, whereas with the fast powders (WW231, Unique, bullseye) you can fit double charges. Even with a Dillon press I have a light over the shell holder and check every case for proper powder load.

NcongruNt

Thanks for the replies, guys. Yes, a set of calipers is also on my list of things to get, I just forgot to list them in my post. I'd also really like to get a chronograph to check my consistency and check my work. I think that's another paycheck or two away, though.

The way you explain it, 9mm makes more sense, and I can better sort my ammo to make sure I use matching headstamps for my loads. 9mm means I can also get the deluxe carbide die set from Lee that includes the factory crimp die.

I'll try to make my way down to Cabela's this weekend and see what they have available.

My next question: what kind of powder do y'all recommend for 9mm, and why? I know everyone has their preferences, but I'd like something good to start out with, having zero knowledge of powders. If it makes any difference, the rounds will be going through a standard-length Hi-Power (4.7" barrel). Several brands would be good, as I'm likely going to end up with whatever Cabela's has in stock and is suitable.

It looks like there's a decent selection of bullets in stock, at least from the site, so hopefully they have a decent selection in the store. It looks like Sierra, Hornady bullets at least are to be had.

NcongruNt

After a couple of years of getting around to it, I finally got a reloading kit. More specifically, I put it on my Amazon wish list, and someone bought it for me as a Christmas gift. I left a little up to fate there.

It's a Lee 50th Anniversary Kit. I've still got to get some dies, a brass tumbler and media, a bullet puller, and a reloading manual, but I should have all that squared away by the weekend as long as I can put my hands on the stuff and some components locally.

The good news: I've been collecting my spent brass on and off for a couple of years now, in anticipation of purchasing a reloading setup. I have a decent little stockpile of 9mm brass, some .380, some 9x18, as well as a bit of 7.62x54R.

An interesting observation about 7.62x54R: from what I've found, new brass costs more than loaded factory ammo. S&B (yes, brass and boxer-primed) runs somewhere just under $1/round as loaded ammo in quantities of 20. The only brass I can find to purchase new is from Midway, and even in quantities of 500 it runs $1.23/round.

Anyhow, I'm debating on what caliber to start on. I figure that .380, rare as it is, would probably be a good place. This brings me to my real question: Where do y'all find small pistol primers? They seem to be made of the same unobtanium that .380 range ammo is made of these days.

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