[infoseeker456]

Ok. So I want to start reloading the 50 BMG. i will admitt upfront that I don't presently reload. With that said, I have purchased several reloading manuals including the Lyman book and have several friends who reload so I am not going at this alone.

I would like some guidance on reloading equipment for the 50 BMG (subject said supplies, but I think I have those covered). i was going to get the 50 bmg kit made by Lee from Midway and a primer pocket burr. What else do I need to be thinking about in term of equipment other than a really large polisher in?

I will take any other advice or receipies that people want to offer up. I did so a search prior to posting this, but didn't see alot.

Thank you for the guidance.

 

[Rory]

a LOT of powder and any primers that you can find.

r

 

[infoseeker456]

Spoke with Pats today and have 40 lbs on the way and 500 primers on the way. Have API bullets and brass. I think I have all the supplies, now focused on the equipment.

I should have mentioned this is going to be used in a semi M2HB.

 

[Rory]

Spoke with Pats today and have 40 lbs on the way and 500 primers on the way. Have API bullets and brass. I think I have all the supplies, now focused on the equipment.

I should have mentioned this is going to be used in a semi M2HB.

buy more primers more brass and more bullets. in just the year that i have been buying 50 stuff, the brass has almost doubled in price, the bullets have tripled for the api and the others have gone up quite a bit too, the primers are intermittently just not available. so get more stuff from pats. it takes sooo long to get your order make it worth your while.


r

 

[Dave B - Great Lakes Arms]

All depends on how much you intend on shooting.
If you plan on shooting a few hundred rounds a year thnn a standard set up and a standard hand cranked case trimmer will work. If you plan on any volume shooting get a Giraud power case trimmer and a Hornady powder throw. These are two very indespensable pieces of equipment. I personally have an RCBS .50 set up and a friend has a Hornady, they are nearly identical presses. Lee is OK but when it breaks you throw it away and buy a new one. If an RCBS breaks you call them and they send you a new one.

The advice to spend as much as you can on components now is probably the best advice going. There will be no more so get it now while you can. I suggest over buying on the bullets and bulk powder if at all possible. The bullets for sure without a doubt. When the pull down stuff is gone you will be shooting $1 new made imported M33 FMJ's....none of those fun API or APIT's. There will always be commericially available powder, it will be expensive but it will be available. The bullets are another story. Brass will be around and as a scrap commodity its price will go up and down.

 

[Rory]

i have the hornaday powder thrower. sooo much easier than double throwing from another measure.

i just spot check to make sure that it is consistent. so far it has been and i have loaded only 500-1000 rounds.

i have enough api bullets to get me through a few lifetimes. pats had them for 6 cents apiece and one of my clients lived only minutes from pats so i had him bring me down a dozen cans or so when he was picking up an order from me.


r

 

[Rory]

the primers have been my only real issue. i can not find a price better than 25 cents each right now. they were just under 20 cents when i first bought them.

r

 

[L999here]

....Dave is right....

+1 on what Dave said. Especially the case trimmer. Doing a few (less than 25) cases by hand is OK and not a real chore. But for a .50 BMG M2HB.... even a semi-auto....you will be doing HUNDREDS. Invest in a motor driven case trimmer set up for the .50 BMG case.....you will never regret it and will breath a sigh of relief after the first couple of hundred cases you do. It took me almost a week to reload my first (1,000) years ago with the RCBS kit. It would have been a month w/o a motorized case trimmer. Just be sure to trim your cases enough so that you will get 4-5 loadings w/o having to do it again.....usually about .050 below suggested trim legnth. Some may disagree....but have shot in bolt and semi guns w/o any problems.

 

[bigbird1]

Natchez has the lee 50 kit on sale

 

[ajmdreammg42]

Rory,
where are you getting primers for 25 cents apiece ? Also what type of powder do you use and how much ? What the best load for a M2hb ? Anybody know how many grains there are in 1 lb ? I thought it was around 7000 but I am not sure. I want to start reloading 50 bmg also - been reloading for years on just about every thing else though. Just want to know how much powder I should get for about 2k rounds

 

[Rory]

Rory,
where are you getting primers for 25 cents apiece ? Also what type of powder do you use and how much ? What the best load for a M2hb ? Anybody know how many grains there are in 1 lb ? I thought it was around 7000 but I am not sure. I want to start reloading 50 bmg also - been reloading for years on just about every thing else though. Just want to know how much powder I should get for about 2k rounds

crap have they gone up again?!?!

last i received were from patsreloading.com but it looks like they are out and have no price listed. what is the going price now?

rory

 

[blake's guns]

ajmdreaming,
7000 grains in a pound...so you would need 64 pounds assuming you were charging each case with 220-225 grains.

 

[shortround]

Rory,
where are you getting primers for 25 cents apiece ? Also what type of powder do you use and how much ? What the best load for a M2hb ? Anybody know how many grains there are in 1 lb ? I thought it was around 7000 but I am not sure. I want to start reloading 50 bmg also - been reloading for years on just about every thing else though. Just want to know how much powder I should get for about 2k rounds

www.wideners.com has the primers for $129/500. That is going up soon according to a notice on their board. I use 225 grains in just about everything. 5010 or 860 surplus powder. 5010 seems more consistent. 860 meters better.

@225 grs x 2k = 450,000 gr / 7000 gr/lb = 64.29 lbs

 

[ajmdreammg42]

Thanks guys, now only if I get the money I will start buying the supplies !!!!

 

[infoseeker456]

is anyone having any issues with their lee presses for the 50 bmg. I see the earlier comment that suggests if something breaks one would throw it away. is that big of an issue common?

 

[Rory]

heres how i see the difference in the 3 kits. the lee kit is cheaper by far so for the others you are paying for the warranty up front. you could buy 2 to 3 of the lee kits and have them staged for different parts of the process for the same price.

from the sounds of it you will be doing as much 50 loading as me. not really all that much. maybe 1-4000 over the lifetime. you will be fine with the lee press.

as for brass prep: the giraud power trimmer thing looks totally sweet. however i'm lazy. i hate hate hate brass prep. so i farm it out to a friend. he gets a portion of my brass and he does all the case prep work. that way all i have ot do is throw in a primer powder bullet and crimp. i may actually buy him the girraud power trimmer the next time i send him a ton of brass.

r

 

[pfarber]

I don't shoot .50BMG but here's my take:

The Lee 50BMG kit is like $250 for a press and dies and prime ram and caseholder. EXCELLENT DEAL. You will need a case trimmer (and a caliper for measuring case and OAL). A $20 HF caliper is good enough. Plus you can use it for normal sized cartridges when you need it. The press is cast iron and will outlive you.

Don't get excited about getting the powder charge down to a 10th of a grain.. for 220 grains, at a standard 7% variance of a lot, you can be off 15 grains and still be within manufacturers specs on pressure. Plus the cost of getting a throw that will do 200+ grains is pretty high.... and most rifle throws will probably only hold a few 100 grains anyway.

 

[SCRAMBLD]

Lee's Warranty is 2 years uncondiotional after that its half of the Current cost of what ever you broke to get it repaired or replaced.

Having said that I've loaded a couple 100 rds on my Lee Classic Cast (Iron) Press and have leaned on the handle enough to put a slight curve in the handle and its still gooing strong (btw loading 50 bmg).

The Press is tuff and the Dies work well enough for Plinking or Belt-fed. Some guys even load their Match ammo on the Lee Gear.

Hell, even if you don't like the Lee after a year or so I know you can re-sell for close to your original investment.

Jason