[bigbird1]

just thinking what to buy for Christmas , thinking of a Dillon 650, but have heard the ammo place that demills ammos is closed, so it it still the way to go . or should I spend it on a new gun and buy wolf? Will there still be supply's to buy and if so will I save any money in the long run? thanks

 

[Rory]

i'd say to buy all the reloading supplies that you can (bullets powder primers and brass)

then go for the dillon later www.polygunbag.com has 30 cal bullets.


rory

 

[WRMorrison]

Depending on how much/how you shoot, you probably won't save any money...you'll just end up shooting more. I reload because it's pretty much a necessity. I can get MUCH better accuracy and a handload that matches MY rifles.

If the only weapon you plan on reloading for is the M1919, I'd switch to .30-06 and buy all the greek ammo from the CMP that I could afford (or 8mm from wherever if that's your flavor). If you plan on reloading for other weapons, I'd say go for it! I get some of my components (mainly LC brass and pulldown projos) from http://www.gibrass.com . Jeff is good people, and his prices usually can't be beat.

-WRM

 

[csa4ever2001]

the only thing about wolf steel case there is only a one fire thing where if you do reload boxer primed you can do it multiple times. Just trim and make sure everything looks good and reload the same case. I have the dillion 1050 but i would like to get a T-7 Turret manual press that holds 7 dies where i can make sure everything is seated exactly the same each time along where i can put 2 sets of dies in it and not have to keep changing. It can be a fun thing to do but also it can also be expensive just depends on how often and how much you shoot like what was stated before. I used to never shoot .223s now that my dillion came in .223 seems to be thats all i shoot.

 

[shortround]

Take it from a 30+ year reloader: You do not want to start with a progressive reloading setup. When you use a progressive reloader there are several things going on at a time, some of which can be dangerous if not caught.

Get a single stage unit from any of the name brands and then get a good reloading manual and study it first. Scratch that. Get the manual, study it and then decide if you want to get into it. Reloading can be a rewarding past time if done right. It is also a lot of work. Graduate to the progressive later.

 

[WRMorrison]

Nice setup you got there donttell, I got the 550B myself. My vote would have to go for the 550 for beginners (and the "seasoned" guys as well) for so many reasons. Mainly, the convenience of interchangeable die plates CAN'T be understated. I don't use mine as a progressive press for reloading rifle cartridges, but more as a single stage with multiple stations. I've even been thinking of buying another just to leave one setup with large primers and one for small. I enjoy rolling my own, but only to a certain extent; so anything that gets me out of the shop quicker is a plus.

The only question at the moment is do I buy another 550B, or get a Giraud case trimmer...

-WRM

 

[Kali Komrade]

I can...

Take it from a 30+ year reloader: You do not want to start with a progressive reloading setup. When you use a progressive reloader there are several things going on at a time, some of which can be dangerous if not caught.

Get a single stage unit from any of the name brands and then get a good reloading manual and study it first. Scratch that. Get the manual, study it and then decide if you want to get into it. Reloading can be a rewarding past time if done right. It is also a lot of work. Graduate to the progressive later.

I can agree with that too... I still have my 25+year old single stage loader however if you are still so inclined to get a dillon my suggestion is get the 550 it much easier to use because you can move at a single shell rate or the multiples... + Its a lot easier to figure out if you priming issues shellplate issues... Caliber conversion takes minutes vs. 30-45 minutes... Lets we have one 1050, two 650's, one 550 and the shotgun press...

 

[par0thead151]

buy up as much pulled tips as you can afford. they are disappearing fast.
I vote getting a dillon 650 if you have patience and dont have a problem investing a few hours in studying up on reloading and the650 before you try to load.

 

[Belt driven]

If you're going to reload, Midway USA will become a new best friend. If you can't swing a dillon, look at a Lee Loadmaster. They may be better suited for pistol, however I have one set up for .308 and it works fine. Their dies are nice and their factory crimp die is the only way to fly.

A single stage press should be the essential first step as you will always have a use for them as your interest expands into other rifle applications. Single stage starter kits are a good way to go, after you buy a reloading book and read it thru. RCBS, Lee, Speer all have good how-to sections. As mentioned above, progressive presses have a lot of things going on all at once and it's easy to loose track of what needs to be verified.

If you are still set on bypassing a singe stage outfit, you should still get a quality scale to qualfy the powder charge weights. It is a good habit to re-check ever so often, as things adjust, wear in, get lubricated by the power passing by, etc and your power weights can move around on you w/o knowing it.

Only rifle shooters put their face with inches of a provoked explosion that violently generates 30,000 psi time and time again with complete faith that all will be well.

Be respectful of the event and all will be well.