What equipment to buy

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10 years 3 months ago #41185 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic What equipment to buy
That looks like it should get you loading and for a very good price :twothumbs:

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10 years 3 months ago #41186 by MTM
Replied by MTM on topic What equipment to buy
Looks like you're off to a great start. Of equal importance is actually where you set up all your new equipment. What kind of environment, i.e., a dedicated room, space in the garage, corner of the living room, etc. How about the bench--is it sturdy? Do you have a place to store powders, primers, bullets, brass, books, notes, tools, and stuff you haven't even thought of yet? Give careful thought to the layout of your work bench. I understand you're just getting started but make sure there's room for expansion. Don't crowd your bench--give yourself room to work.

If you don't have a suitable bench then build your own. I did and made it fairly large...36" wide by 5' long. It's almost too small now that I've added a progressive press to the original turret press, as well as a bunch of other gadgets and tools to make better reloads. The gist of all this is to give plenty of fore thought to your new project--how you do, what you do, where you do.

Cleaning dirty brass is a chore, at least for me. I usually de-prime then wash/soak the brass in a solution of Simple Green, lemon juice and water. Rinse well and allow to dry. Quite often the brass comes out looking quite spiffy. If it's rose colored then there's a bit too much lemon juice. It will turn back to normal after tumbling. I then tumble it in a RCBS Turbo something or other...don't remember the model using ground walnut shell. I may give it a second round with ground corn cob for a polished look. Everyone will have their own methods. I like mine.

I like Dillon's case lube for sizing brass. As mentioned in an earlier post, you don't need a lot and too much will gum up your die. I got a large foil baking pan from the grocery store to spray the lube onto the brass...just spray a bit, roll the brass around in the pan to insure good coverage and let it set for a few minutes.

I'm tired and it's late and I've rambled on enough. There's a lot of experience on this forum and I'm willing to bet someone will have the correct answers to your questions. Enjoy your new endeavor! :cheers:
The following user(s) said Thank You: jtallen83

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10 years 3 months ago #41190 by NightForce
Replied by NightForce on topic What equipment to buy

Siscowet wrote: That will get you started and last you a long time. The feeling when you craft a batch of really accurate handloads is one that you will enjoy. It gets to the point that you take pride in your loads out perfoming factory made ammunition. That list should get you there. Good luck and keep us informed as you go. I for one am sure I will learn a few things along the way.
:thumbs:


Very well said Sisco! :thumbs:

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10 years 3 months ago #41599 by jdizzle3id
Replied by jdizzle3id on topic What equipment to buy
I received my equipment a few weeks ago, finally got a bench built, started to lay things out and mount stuff tonight. There is a lot more setup involved here than I originally thought. Hopefully I'll be able to get some rounds loaded by this weekend to try out. I have about 50ish once fired & tumbled FC brass, 1000 CCI primers, 1lb of IMR 4064, 100 175gr .308 SMK HPBTs and I haven't shot a rifle in almost a month.

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10 years 3 months ago #41610 by MTM
Replied by MTM on topic What equipment to buy
Looks like a good solid bench. Got the essential ingredients. Take your time and enjoy the experience.

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10 years 3 months ago #41614 by Siscowet
Replied by Siscowet on topic What equipment to buy
:I-agree:

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