3djedi Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I shoot 9mm but probably also .40 in the future. I shoot around 500-700 rounds a month. Would it be worth the expense to get into reloading or should I just spend the money on factory ammo? Also, can I reload in my basement office or would out in the garage safer? Or healthier with more air turnover.... Thanks! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Yes. At the rate you're shooting you'd break even in 6 months. Or you'd shoot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttolliver Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) The best first question to ask on whether to reload or not is whether it suits your temperament. Run for the hills screaming and don't give it a second thought if you already know that 2 or 3 hours spent relatively quietly at the reloading bench doing repetitive tasks will drive you mad. But if you're like me and a peaceful morning at the bench listening to podcasts or music or whatever sounds relaxing, then it may be just the thing for you. If you're still reading You can save a lot of money, but depending on how much you enjoy buying tools you may or may not realize the savings until your second year, hehehe. But there is indeed a savings. More important, though, is your ability to tailor loads to the sport and your individual guns. I can't even describe the difference between 9mm factory and a soft shooting 147gr load tuned to our uses. It is like night and day. I'm not a health safety person by trade, but I think reloading in the basement is just fine. Unless you cast your own (in which case fumes from the furnace is an issue), the only real environmental issues most people worry about is running your tumbler in the garage or a well ventilated area. The lead fumes that come off of tumbling is a hazard and I leave that in the garage. Otherwise all loading activity happens in the basement. Good luck!!! Edited March 11, 2014 by ttolliver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtp Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) In an office, basement or not, is fine. The most volatile component is the primers; treat them well, don't dump unused primers into a jar no matter what Bubba may tell you, and read/learn before doing. NRA and various LGS may offer reloading classes in your area. The comment about patience/temperament is valid; maybe another reason worth considering a reloading class if there's no one local to you that could act as a mentor for a bit. Shooting only 9mm and .223, my (progressive, LnL AP) equipment was paid for in 12 months even using today's ammo rates vs the nearly $1/rd for 9mm and $1+ we saw for .223 for a while. You will learn to buy in bulk for the best savings, but figure ~50% of the cost of factory blasting/target ammo, and yours will likely be better. How many rounds/year you shoot (or if ammo prices skyrocket again) will dictate how long it will take to reach theoretical break-even. I do say theoretical, as like others have said, you may well find yourself shooting more, or working on building your own stockpile of components, etc.. 600rds/month = 7200rds in a year. Right now brass target ammo is ~30c/rd + shipping. I reload 9mm for ~12-14c/rd, depending on the projectile used.. 7200 * .31 (allowing for shipping/taxes) is $2232 7200 * reload cost of 13c/rd is $936. $2232-$936 = $1296 'savings' for you in a year. Edited March 10, 2014 by rtp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3djedi Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Awesome. Thanks guys. I was thinking of getting the dillon xl650. Good choice? I looked at the 550b but in the long run I'd be happier with the auto advancing stations. The 550b looks like you have to turn it by hand. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronicTwitch Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Tons of posts on dillon stuff on here, recommend starting a search on the questions you have. The Brian Enos store was a great resource with lots of good info when I started reloading. Can't say enough about finding a local reloading mentor though. YouTube only got me so far... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerBaron Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 yes, the dillon XL650 is a great press to load 9mm and 40 on. you will save money. but more importantly (especially if you shoot a sport like USPSA or IDPA which have a 'power factor') is that you can tailor a load to suit the sport (power factor you need) as well as your style, and your firearm. you cannot really do that with factory (in fact you have to do the opposite and tune the gun to the ammo). cheap factory ammo is what 30c? expensive stuff maybe 50c a round? you will certainly be able to reload 9mm for less than 20c a round. but I cannot stress enough that the biggest benefit is in the tailored ammo, not the $$$. but the savings are there to be had too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow13 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 but I cannot stress enough that the biggest benefit is in the tailored ammo, not the $$$. but the savings are there to be had too. Yes, very much sothis. Depending on what you're shooting, you'll want to play around with powder load, bullet type, OAL,etc. All of these things are variables you cannot control with factory ammo. Especially if you're planning on shooting .40. If you're shooting a 1911/2011 you can go for a longer OAL for improved feeding and less case pressure. If you're shooting minor, you can make bunny fart loads in .40. There are places on the interweb to purchase tailored rounds. More expensive than loading your own of course plus $$$ for shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Yes. I reload just 9mm and it's totally worth it because of the softer shooting performance. I load in the basement but find somewhere else today tumble brass. Buy your press from Brian Enos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Start saving your brass, now . If you're spending $2,000/yr on 9mm factory ammo, the 650 will be paid for very quickly. When you get into .40 - the factory prices are even worse. And, you'll have better (accurate, recoil impulse, etc) ammo. And, you'll probably shoot a LOT more, if you reload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorfish Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 The Dillon 650 is a great choice. If you're like most of us, that 500-700 rounds a month will quickly go to 1000-1500+ rounds a month. Some people will say you won't save money, but instead you'll simply shoot more. I disagree... I shoot more and therefore I save more! (That's my story and my wife believes it, so I'm sticking with it ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3djedi Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 (edited) The Dillon 650 is a great choice. If you're like most of us, that 500-700 rounds a month will quickly go to 1000-1500+ rounds a month. Some people will say you won't save money, but instead you'll simply shoot more. I disagree... I shoot more and therefore I save more! (That's my story and my wife believes it, so I'm sticking with it ) lol......My wife thinks guns cost $100-$125 ........ ......That's why I never ask her to buy gun stuff for christmas...birthdays....etc.... Don't rock the boat! Edited March 11, 2014 by 3djedi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 If you want to spend a little more time reloading, and a lot less for the reloader, think re: a Square Deal for $380, complete for one caliber. If you're planning on reloading .40 Major, I'd stick with the 650, but if you're reloading .40 minor, the Square Deal is a great buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3djedi Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) How does reloading work out with kids and busy life? If I set up the xl650 for 9mm can I crank out rounds for say like 15minutes leave it sit and come back the next day and crank out some more? Is it safe to leave the powder and primers in the machine.... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk Edited March 12, 2014 by 3djedi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDA Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 How does reloading work out with kids and busy life? If I set up the xl650 for 9mm can I crank out rounds for say like 15minutes leave it sit and come back the next day and crank out some more? Is it safe to leave the powder and primers in the machine.... I do, When I return, I cycle the powder two times, cycle a third time to confirm the weight and rock on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadarTech Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 How does reloading work out with kids and busy life? If I set up the xl650 for 9mm can I crank out rounds for say like 15minutes leave it sit and come back the next day and crank out some more? Is it safe to leave the powder and primers in the machine.... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk I leave my 650 totally set... Load 30 min and do other stuff quite often. Once it Is setup you can load 300-400 easily in an hour. And later 500 or so.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayDubU Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) I would recommend getting a Dillon 1050. Not much more than a 650 after added components like the case feeder, dies and what not. The 1050 is made for reloading dummies (like me)! Edited March 12, 2014 by JayDubU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Y'all are great salesmen. 550 is a great machine and different calibers are cheap and easy to switch out. I keep kicking around the idea of getting a 650 but then I look at my press and how it only takes me two minutes to switch from .40 to 9mm (they share the same shell plate, primers etc.) and I fall in love with it all over again. I can comfortably load 3-400 rounds an hour on it and frequently crank out 200 at midnight the night before a match. Even if I start shooting 1500 rounds a month I'm still only loading for four hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow13 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 How does reloading work out with kids and busy life? If I set up the xl650 for 9mm can I crank out rounds for say like 15minutes leave it sit and come back the next day and crank out some more? Is it safe to leave the powder and primers in the machine.... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk I used to reload 1K rounds at a time, leaving the 650 press untouched for weeks. When I ran dry, I would just pick up where I left off. Just to be safe (paranoid), I would keep a cap on the shell that just received a throw of powder to make sure the same amount of powder was there when I came back. Oh yeah, and don't forget your upstroke to seat your primer before you leave so you know it's a down-stroke every time you come back. Helps to have auto-indexing press. If you have a manual indexing press, be extra diligent on checking your cases before starting again. Hell, leave a big note to yourself on the bench to remind yourself where you left off. If you have a long enough hiatus, don't forget to clean the cobwebs first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadarTech Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 How does reloading work out with kids and busy life? If I set up the xl650 for 9mm can I crank out rounds for say like 15minutes leave it sit and come back the next day and crank out some more? Is it safe to leave the powder and primers in the machine.... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk I used to reload 1K rounds at a time, leaving the 650 press untouched for weeks. When I ran dry, I would just pick up where I left off. Just to be safe (paranoid), I would keep a cap on the shell that just received a throw of powder to make sure the same amount of powder was there when I came back. Oh yeah, and don't forget your upstroke to seat your primer before you leave so you know it's a down-stroke every time you come back. Helps to have auto-indexing press. If you have a manual indexing press, be extra diligent on checking your cases before starting again. Hell, leave a big note to yourself on the bench to remind yourself where you left off. If you have a long enough hiatus, don't forget to clean the cobwebs first. Won't cobwebs help with the power factor ? You know take up space to increase pressure without a powder change? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow13 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) In the appendix of my reloading manual, it says to only use cobweb loads in fully supported chambers. Edited March 12, 2014 by mellow13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBolt Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I am a new loader and dove in with a 650. Between the DVD and having some friends check my work I got the machine setup and running great. Between my wife and I we shoot about 1k rounds of 9mm a week. The 650 with a case feeder is awesome. I leave it setup and covered when not in use. As others stated I run a couple and confirm the powder drop and then start cranking. At a comfortable pace where I can still watch what is going on I can crank out 500 rounds in about 45 mins. The machine will do much more but that is beyond my current comfort level right now. I will likely buy a second 650 in the near future so I can have one setup for small primer and one for large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtp Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 How does reloading work out with kids and busy life? If I set up the xl650 for 9mm can I crank out rounds for say like 15minutes leave it sit and come back the next day and crank out some more? Is it safe to leave the powder and primers in the machine.... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk So now is where we all jump in to tell you about bad habits.. Undisturbed time is important, but inevitably you get disturbed. I run a LnL AP, but same general things apply... At the start of any session, I figure out how many rounds I want to load up, and load up (extra) primer tubes accordingly, and check powder in the PM. In my case, I have two powder measures, one dedicated to rifle (and marked as such clearly!!), and one for pistol, so I check that I have the right labeled PM in the press as well. Any time I fill a powder measure, I put a 1# jug of it behind the press, and leave it there as long as the powder is in the PM, and the PM on the press. You really do not want to confuse a hopper of Titegroup with other powders, let alone confuse rifle and pistol powders. When I'm done with a session, I leave the PM on the press, and leave it with powder in it, and jug behind it (you could also use a sticky note, as long as you're SURE it won't fall off), and dies set up. Start of a session, I throw a few charges into a cup and back into the PM, then throw 10 and weigh them, multiply desired charge by 10, and expect to be within a few 10ths of a grain or better (which is better than .1gr accuracy per rd). If I only left the last session within a few hours, I'll just throw a couple of 'throwaway' charges into the cup, then back into the PM, and just keep loading. If I'm temporarily interrupted during loading, I always put the press into ram full up position. Why? When I come back, I know exactly where I am across the 5 stations, and can just continue on my way. If I manage to screw this up, I clear the plate, or at least partially, dumping powder back in the PM, etc. I try to end any session with an empty shell-plate and empty primer tube, and that happens 90% of the time, but not always. in those cases, I stick an empty primer 'wrapper' on the primer tube, leave the powder in PM, powder jug behind the PM, and clear the shell-plate, finishing up a few rounds if need be to do so. Disable the case feeder if need be. I generally don't empty my powder measures, but load inside, and throw a Pringles can over top to keep the sun away, which I expect as much ammo as I load wouldn't really have time to impact/degrade the powder, but don't need to take chances. Maybe it sounds like a lot, but I can pretty easily jump into loading rounds w/in a few minutes, load what I need, then clear the shell-plate and be done pretty quickly. I try to allow myself a minimum session of 30-60 minutes or so, because I don't think 'rushing' is a good idea with reloading, but again, if I have a temporary interruption or break, I'm good to pick right up again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3djedi Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Thanks guys! I think I will be getting a lnl ap. Two buddies at work have them and can help me out with set up and such. Also, cabela's has them on sale tomorrow for $379. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disxbxjun Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) How does reloading work out with kids and busy life? If I set up the xl650 for 9mm can I crank out rounds for say like 15minutes leave it sit and come back the next day and crank out some more? Is it safe to leave the powder and primers in the machine.... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk As far as reloading and with kids, safety is of concern and correlates with the maturity level of the kid. I have a 7 year old, and one concern I have is with tumbling media and lead exposure. Kids like to touch stuff and then put their hands in their mouth, so make sure they wash their hands if coming into contact with anything. My 7 year old I let get involved with some stuff in reloading and it helps her learn more about what is going on. I have her sort brass with me which she suprisingly enjoys to look at the headstamp and sort everything out. She also helps me mark my ammo with sharpees, so I get colorful randomn rainbow marked cases lol. Edited March 13, 2014 by disxbxjun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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