Should I Collect My Brass

[JustinLawson]

I've been Saving brass for couple years now and finally decided to start reloading couple months ago. I feel like I'll never have worry about brass now. I'm really glad I've been saving it even when I wasn't reloading 

[firewood]

On ‎6‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 8:40 PM, BRJACKET said:

How many of you reload?

 

I would say that a very high percentage of posters here on BE handload their ammo. If your going to compete on a regular basic and do a lot of practicing then it is almost certain you will handload. It's not just about saving money it's about having a good steady supply of accurate and reliable ammo. There is of course an investment and once set up it takes time to make your ammo. It pays in the long run to buy good equipment and give progressive presses serious consideration. Do a lot of research first.

[BRJACKET]

 
I would say that a very high percentage of posters here on BE handload their ammo. If your going to compete on a regular basic and do a lot of practicing then it is almost certain you will handload. It's not just about saving money it's about having a good steady supply of accurate and reliable ammo. There is of course an investment and once set up it takes time to make your ammo. It pays in the long run to buy good equipment and give progressive presses serious consideration. Do a lot of research first.

Thanks for the advice. I have been holding off because I really don't know that much about it yet. I am looking forward to learning though.

[GlockGuy1]

You may as well buy a tumbler and head over to the reloading forum so you can begin to realize that you need an XL650 and a second or third job.  

Welcome to your new addiction!  You're not alone.

[Wolfmetalfab]

17 hours ago, GlockGuy1 said:

You may as well buy a tumbler and head over to the reloading forum so you can begin to realize that you need an XL650 and a second or third job.  

Welcome to your new addiction!  You're not alone.

 

and a case feeder, and a Mr bullet feeder (or DIY both) and a hundo gauge block =) 

XL650 is on the top of my things to buy list, wet tumbler is few items down.... 

 

[Steve RA]

If you don't have reloading equipment and a lot of brass, I'd suggest getting a good single stage - you will always have a use for one - and tumbling equipment.  Suggest stainless pins but dry certinly works.  Deprime all your brass and tumble it, then you are ready, brass wise, to begin loading when you acquire the equipment.

[BRJACKET]

If you don't have reloading equipment and a lot of brass, I'd suggest getting a good single stage - you will always have a use for one - and tumbling equipment.  Suggest stainless pins but dry certinly works.  Deprime all your brass and tumble it, then you are ready, brass wise, to begin loading when you acquire the equipment.

Thanks. That sounds like a good first step. I will start studying the reloading board too.

[sam_b]

15 hours ago, Steve RA said:

If you don't have reloading equipment and a lot of brass, I'd suggest getting a good single stage - you will always have a use for one - and tumbling equipment.  Suggest stainless pins but dry certinly works.  Deprime all your brass and tumble it, then you are ready, brass wise, to begin loading when you acquire the equipment.

 

Only thing I would add is getting a load manual before you even buy your press. Lee makes a good one. Once you get it start reading and learning all you can about how to spot over pressure, how everything works etc. I have an older manual that when I got started stayed in the bathroom and made for nice reading material at times.

[sm0k3d]

I saved all my brass from day one thinking one day I might get into reloading.  When that day came I had rather nice stockpile of brass to get started with.  I would say without a doubt save all of it!!!

 

[Wolfmetalfab]

On 6/5/2017 at 8:18 AM, Steve RA said:

If you don't have reloading equipment and a lot of brass, I'd suggest getting a good single stage - you will always have a use for one - and tumbling equipment.  Suggest stainless pins but dry certinly works.  Deprime all your brass and tumble it, then you are ready, brass wise, to begin loading when you acquire the equipment.

 

I see this said often, but after spending the last couple months reloading 9 and 40 on a single stage press in 100 round batches vs running off 200 round batches on my Dillon SDB... I would say buy a really cheap lee single stage press and a SDB or 550 or XL650 (or maybe some other colored progressive) if you are looking to load any sort of amount close to 100+ per week (or per session). I honestly think there is more room for error doing pistol (or any reloads actually) in large batches in trays (50rds at a time) plus having to handle each casing 3-4 times depending on the setup gets old fast. Running the progressive isn't hard, just work it the same as everything else in this hobby, safety first, go for accuracy off the start and don't try to push the pace faster then you are comfortable with, also make sure to have a understanding of how it all works before running the progressive with a case in each slot, you can always start off with one case and run it all the way till loaded in the beginning. 

 

Now I'll be happy when my XL650 w/ case feed shows up  

 

Edited July 8, 2017 by Wolfmetalfab

[Steve RA]

Point I was making was to acquire the single stage to deprime the brass and the cleaning equipment so it could be cleaned prior to the acquisition of the loading equipment.  That way the brass would be ready to go.

[Wolfmetalfab]

5 hours ago, Steve RA said:

Point I was making was to acquire the single stage to deprime the brass and the cleaning equipment so it could be cleaned prior to the acquisition of the loading equipment.  That way the brass would be ready to go.

 

Ahh, yes. That is a good point, then something like a lee press + universal decap die. I'm kinda lazy so I have been wet tumbling my brass with primers in still (5 gallons of brass at a time) 

[Iaddrummer]

I'll take it lol

[RMJack]

Not to hijack the thread, but now that Brian isn't selling Dillon, is there a preferred place to order from?

[GrumpyOne]

9 minutes ago, RMJack said:

Not to hijack the thread, but now that Brian isn't selling Dillon, is there a preferred place to order from?

http://forums.brianenos.com/forum/317-krakenpop/

[RMJack]

38 minutes ago, GrumpyOne said:

http://forums.brianenos.com/forum/317-krakenpop/

Thank you GrumpyOne!

 

I've been wanting to get started in reloading, and was bummed I didn't do it while Brian was available as a SME. Krapenpop has a variety of Dillon packages

[GrumpyOne]

4 hours ago, RMJack said:

Thank you GrumpyOne!

 

I've been wanting to get started in reloading, and was bummed I didn't do it while Brian was available as a SME. Krapenpop has a variety of Dillon packages

Brian is still a SME....he just doesn't sell Dillon anymore

[Wolfmetalfab]

On 7/15/2017 at 3:31 PM, RMJack said:

Not to hijack the thread, but now that Brian isn't selling Dillon, is there a preferred place to order from?

 

I just received a XL650 from Bobcat Steel/Bobcat Armament via talking to them on Facebook, everything went smooth and saved a few $$$, even snagged a used 40 S&W conversion kit from him to try to keep my cost down, also got DAA Mr Bulletfeeder powder funnels from them in my order so that saved on shipping and another order placed elsewhere 

 

[chenault]

Wish I had gone with Dillon instead of hornady but $300 for a lnl was too good to pass up.  

 

I pick up enough brass to meet my needs but recycle the rest.  I get maybe a 100 lbs every 3months which helps this teacher keep shooting 

[BRJACKET]

Wish I had gone with Dillon instead of hornady but $300 for a lnl was too good to pass up.  
 
I pick up enough brass to meet my needs but recycle the rest.  I get maybe a 100 lbs every 3months which helps this teacher keep shooting 

100 lbs. every 3 months is about how much I can salvage.

[af220wa]

If you can, do it.  Even if you don't use it you can trade for other things you need or even better, give it to a friend that reloads.  I collect a lot of brass and give much of it away, especially calibers I don't shoot.  If you don't use it or give it away the price of brass will eventually go up again so you can always sell it.  I've even heard of people keeping spent primers to sell back.  The one thing I'd advise is not to shoot any loaded ammo you pickup from the ground unless you know where it came from.