Reloading Tools

[wrmettler]

I’ve read with interest the threads about the reloading setups, presses, and scales. But, I was wondering what other reloading tools people think are important to their reloading process.

I use regularly 3 tools. A RCBS Precision Mic Gauge which measures rifle brass set back. I use it every time I start to resize rifle brass to confirm the setback. There are other such tools, but I like this one. I’ve had my Gracey power case trimmer for a long time, and I use it exclusively for 223. It saves a huge amount of time and work.

My last tool is my chronograph. I use a Magnetospeed, which is simple to use and accurate. I don’t see how anyone can seriously reload rifle cartridges without a chronograph.

What are other tools do people use to reload.

[JAD]

Love my Browne & Sharpes (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002FTZKY/ (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002FTZKY/)). Like my mitutoyos (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MBHXWGY/ (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MBHXWGY/)). These are tools I've used professionally since the last time we elected a Clinton.

A good scale loupe is handy too (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JHPTK28/ (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JHPTK28/)).

[walker2713]

I'd have to say my 21st Century Shooting hand priming tool is one of my most important and valued tools. I have two of them, and they've become an key pieces of equipment that are always at hand.

http://nebula.wsimg.com/93ada38d3bb29c88f04e12df07ee84e7?AccessKeyId=D665A A0C95BD1D877538&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Also, I've been very happy with my RCBS Chargemaster.....it's been accurate and consistent for me.

[JV_]

I like my Scott Parker tuned 10-10 scale with one kernel sensitivity.

I also like my Sinclair bullet compare and bump tools:
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-equipment/measuring-tools/bullet-comparators/sinclair-bump-gage-insert-prod35265.aspx

[Hambo]

For measuring I use the 1" Brown and Sharpe mic my dad gave me a zillion years ago. I've got dial and digital calipers. They're not the same quality as the mics, but I'm not a tool and die maker.

My RCBS Chargemaster is a great piece of equipment. I load a lot of rifle cartridges, but none of them in great quantity. Calibrate and zero the scale, then punch in the load and hit dispense.

[JV_]

I also like my Chargemaster, I just wish it was of higher quality. This is not my first one as the keypads tend to go wonky. I find myself preferring my Harrell Powder Measure over the CM.

[NETim]

Dillon case gauge(s), Dillon primer pocket swager and Mitutoyo calipers.

[SLG]

Hornady Base to Ogive Comparator. Works with the OAL gauge. Both have really improved my rifle accuracy. Huge.

[GuanoLoco]

To what goals? Hunting? Plinking/Precision Plinking? Competition? Bench Rest? Precision Rifle Series? Bulk ammo for Practice and/or Action Pistol competition?

I've loaded 308 capable of 3/4 MOA in my less than capable hands with LC brass processed on a RT1200 and loaded on a Dillon 550 progressive press (41.5 IMR 4895 / Hornady 168 gr BTHP, JP 308 gas gun) . And I'm pretty sure I am the limiting factor as much as the ammo. The only time I trickle is when I'm working up loads because it is faster than adjusting a Dillon.

Favorite tools? I dunno, LOTS of things make life easier, and I use them constantly.

GemPro250 Scale. Ballistic Tools primer pocket and case/neck gauge tools: http://ballistictools.com/store/three-gage-pack. Dial calipers.

Dillon 1050 / Mr. Bullet Feeder / Mark 7 Autoloader (9mm, 223). :o

Perfect Powder Baffle

Super Swage 600/RT1200 size/trimmer when messing with rifle brass.

A gallon of 99% isopropyl alcohol and a lot of cotton swabs and paper towels.

Crappy air compressor.

[JV_]

Hornady Base to Ogive Comparator. Works with the OAL gauge. Both have really improved my rifle accuracy. Huge.That looks identical like my Stoney Point system.

[LSP552]

My RCBS Chargemaster is a great piece of equipment. I load a lot of rifle cartridges, but none of them in great quantity. Calibrate and zero the scale, then punch in the load and hit dispense.

I love my Chargemaster for rifle ammo.

[SLG]

That looks identical like my Stoney Point system.

It is. Hornady bought them.

[Slavex]

For rifle stuff I love my Chargemaster too, I was advised to never turn it off, as it's the cycling on and off that kills it the quickest, it's been on for probably 4 years straight now, no issues. For trimming I still love my Sinclair trimmer with micrometer adjustment, I just wish they'd add a distinct stop to the shaft so one could remove the handle and attach a drill/driver without having to reset the measurements, Redding competition bushing dies are a must for me. I love my Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler too but need to source some slightly larger pins for it. The Dillon 1050 and I have a love hate relationship, it's much more love now that I have the Mk VII hooked up, but it's another device that I think could use some significant improvements.

[Hambo]

For rifle stuff I love my Chargemaster too, I was advised to never turn it off, as it's the cycling on and off that kills it the quickest, it's been on for probably 4 years straight now, no issues.

This and the post about keyboards going bad show that electrical equipment is all a crapshoot. I turn my CM on and off all the time. In fact, due to the ups and downs of the local grid, plus excessive lightning a good part of the year, I don't even leave mine plugged in.

[LtDave]

I also like my Chargemaster, I just wish it was of higher quality. This is not my first one as the keypads tend to go wonky. I find myself preferring my Harrell Powder Measure over the CM.

I'm on Chargemaster number 3 right now. RCBS customer service is great on these and that's good because you will likely need it. My next door neighbor is on Chargemaster #4 or #5, but he uses his a lot more than I do. That being said, I'll never willingly go back to a balance beam scale for rifle loads because the Chargemasters are so fast and convenient. For pistol, I run 99% thru a Little Dandy measure.

[JV_]

What I like about the CM is that it's mindless. You can do something else while it's dropping the charge. Using a measure and a trickling in powder requires my attention.

[richiecotite]

I've been very impressed with my little Frankfort Arsenal digital scale, especially for the price


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[Luke]

So in looking for the bare minimum to load 9mm in bulk. So far I've got a powder scale, and some digital calipers.

I know I need:

1. Bullet puller
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?...

What is some other stuff I have to have besides the press and consumables.

[Mitch]

A tumbler to clean the brass, and if you're truly going in bulk, a media separator will make your life a lot better. Other than that, a press, and dies I can't think of much that I would classify as bare minimum. I actually get most of my load data from powder manufacturers websites now, but a couple manuals isn't a bad idea either.

I didn't have a bullet puller for about a year.


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[Luke]

Yea I forgot about that but did know if need one. Gonna get a nice one soon but for now use my buddies nice one!

[Super77]

For 9mm a bullet puller is the last thing you need. If you screw a few up it's not worth the time it takes to pull them.

I'd get "The ABC's of Reloading" by Bill Chevalier for about $15 and read the chapter on bulk pistol ammo production. Remember your time is worth something so it makes sense to streamline production as much as possible.

I highly recommend a GOOD progressive. Do some research. I recommend a Dillon 550B but a friend of mine uses a Hornady and likes it a lot. Don't cheap out on a "starter setup" from like Lee. It's so tedious that you'll never want to use it and will have to re-buy all that stuff again. I still just use a simple Ohaus beam scale. It was cheap and there aren't any electronics to make me question readings. I check about the first 10 powder throws after warming the press up and then spot check every hundred after that.

You want a tumbler and media. If it was available when I started reloading I would have gotten a stainless steel tumbler setup. When my current one breaks that's what will replace it. Nothing wrong with going cheap-ish on the tumbler and media though.

Get good dies made for progressive e.g. Dillon

Don't use a factory crimp die.

GET A GOOD PRESS MOUNT> either a SOLID bench or tool stand anchored to the floor. A lot of problems and inconsistencies stem back to vibration and wobbly mounting. I used to have everythingn mounted to a thick piece of butcher block that I C clamped to the kitchen counter. That was before I was married.

Get a few $3 buckets from home Depot to sort and store brass using those plastic brass-sieve sorters that midway and amazon sell.

Get a half decent dial caliper in inches so you can check OAL and a case gauge. I actually prefer aluminum because my steel ones always seem to rush and I don't want to oil them and get WD40 on my ammo. The 7-hole ones EGW makes save a lot of time.

For pistol I look in each case before I drop the powder. For rifle I listen for powder to drop in each one and usually shake every round in the batch, if I don't hear/feel powder shaking it goes in the trash.

[Luke]

I'm going Next Sunday to get a 650 with a case feeder. I'll run it for a few months then get a bullet feeder. I also have a case gauge on my list. I prefer a single hole just from using one of my buddies. That way I get to look at each round. I will only inspect my match, practice ammo should include tap rack training every now and again!

http://www.cedhk.com/shop/products/CED-Brass-Tornado-“Pro-Series”-Tumbler.html

That's the tumbler I'm gonna get and I'll use Lyman's and lumi shine and stainless media.

I will have a very solid bench with a whole room dedicated to nothing but reloading. It's climate controlled and will have a dehumidifier running too.

A book sounds like a good idea.

I'll also be using the egw undersizing die.

[Mitch]

You can use a barrel from your gun as a case gauge.

Good call on the 650 with a case feeder. I am a bit jealous here.


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[Luke]

I'm excited too! I was like a brass crack head today at the match. I feel like I need multiple 5 gallon buckets of brass and atleast 20 pounds of powder and atleast 40,000 bullets. I have a feeling that this feeling doesn't get any better once you actually start reloading?

I wanted a 1050 but couldn't swing it :(

As to the barrel for a chamber checker.. That's so last year. I must buy something special

[Mitch]

I'm excited too! I was like a brass crack head today at the match. I feel like I need multiple 5 gallon buckets of brass and atleast 20 pounds of powder and atleast 40,000 bullets. I have a feeling that this feeling doesn't get any better once you actually start reloading?
With a set up like you're getting? It's gonna get way worse!

I fell into reloading hard, and I started on a single stage. Single stage pistol reloading sucks! The first time I used a 550 I felt like the heavens had opened. I really want a 650 with a case feeder but I just can't quite make myself do it yet.



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[Luke]

Sell the 550 man, so close to a 650!

[Mitch]

Sell the 550 man, so close to a 650!

Stay away from my credit card!! Lol

I really should, I'm only loading 9mm at this point. I only shoot around 1000 rounds a month, though, and on my 550 that's around 3 hours of reloading time per month. That's really not so bad (even though the 650 would knock it down to an hour or so).

If I were starting all over again I'd get the 650 for sure, but I don't dislike the 550 by any means.


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[SLG]

Get good dies made for progressive e.g. Dillon

Don't use a factory crimp die.





What makes Dillon dies better for a progressive than other dies?

Why not use a FCD?

[JM Campbell]

FYI

If you have a Academy Sports and Outdoors close to you, they started to carry gun powder. I've stopped by 3 locations in SA and have purchased Tight Group for $20.50 a pound.
CFE 223
BLC2
Tight Group
Some shotgun powder is what I have seen in stock.

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[Super77]

What makes Dillon dies better for a progressive than other dies?

Why not use a FCD?

I found the Dillon dies to cause less stoppages. They have generous chamfers that help eliminate crushing cases if you're off a hair lining up the shellplate. I started out using Lee which were functional but had little tiny "feed ramps" and a few other annoyances. The Dillon dies are also really easy to maintain because they can be cleaned without removing the die body and thus throwing off your adjustments. Once I get a load dialed in I like to keep everything as consistent as possible and that feature of the Dillon dies help with that. I know bulk 9mm isn't like reloading for a 1000m match but less variation makes better ammo and is safer. The Dillon seating dies have reversible seating cups for round and flat nose bullets which eliminates deformation. I'm sure there are other great dies out there but I haven't used them for pistol calibers. Redding makes very nice rifle dies and I'd imagine their pistol dies would be pretty good too.

The factory crimp die can theoretically swage the bullet along with the brass. The brass rebound but the lead bullet doesn't leading to a bullet that's actually looser in the case than if you'd just used a standard crimp. I got crazy amounts of leading in .45 ACP when I went to a FCD and my theory is that it undersized the bullets enough to prevent good obturation. The one I was using for 9mm was creating vertical streaks down the brass around where the bullet was seated leading me to believe it might be swaging the bullet as well. As with anything in this endeavor I'm sure there are thousands of folks with FCDs that swear by them but I'm not one of them.

This is just my experience; I'm claiming any sort of encyclopedic knowledge of reloading kit. I think if you go into it having done plenty of research, buy good equipment, and adhere to a safe reloading procedure that ensures safe ammunition you can't go wrong reloading. I used to wonder why some people have like 20-30 guns they never shoot because of ammo costs but balk at the idea of spending $600 or $1000 on a nice reloading setup. Now I'm just glad they're not competing with me for components!

[Mitch]

I've only loaded jacketed ammo with it, but I've had no such issues with my Lee FCD.

I use Lee Dies on my 550 and other than the lock rings being a little big for the tool head, I've had zero issues with them. I've never used Dillon dies so maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but for nearly $70 they better come with a happy ending.

All of the stoppages I've had on my 550 have been crushed cases at the powder station (the only Dillon part on my tool head). I've found that most if not all of my stoppages on the 550 have been because my shell plate has been a little too loose. That is something the 550 is actually pretty picky on in my experience. The shell plate is the same for 40 S&W and 9mm (which doesn't really make sense to me, but whatever), so if it's not torqued just right there can be enough slop to cause problems. Would the tolerance for that be better with Dillon dies? Possibly, but I don't know. I'm not willing to pay almost $70 to find out.

As far as cleaning, I keep my components clean and I only clean my dies every year or two. By the time I clean those the entire press is due for a clean and lube so I'm okay breaking them down as well as the rest of the press. That is one thing I actually really like about the 550, you can have that thing stripped down to the frame, cleaned, lubed, and back together in 20 or 30 minutes once you're comfortable with the process. The design is really, really well thought out.

[Slavex]

I hate the Dillon dies, the sizing die undersizes the case in 9mm and you end up with that hourglass shape when the round is loaded. I found brass got fatigued quicker with the Dillon sizing dies than the RCBS carbide die, but the Dillon decapper is, in my opinion, the best there is. So, I combined them. I had a buddy drill out and tap a RCBS sizing die to take the Dillon decapping unit, we made a small nut for a spacer and that's all I've run in position 1 on my 1050 for the last few years. I then use a Redding competition seating die and the Lee FCD die (the only Lee product I'll use). I know that the FCD will swage a bullet if it's not seated right, but I find those when gauging anyhow, which is very very seldom. I have zero issues with that setup with well over 700,000 loaded. 70,000 since I got the MkVII hooked up.

[Luke]

So in looking for the bare minimum to load 9mm in bulk. So far I've got a powder scale, and some digital calipers.

I know I need:

1. Bullet puller
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?...

What is some other stuff I have to have besides the press and consumables.

Went a picked up the 650 today! Now to build a bench!

[NETim]

I really think the Double Alpha Dillon powder funnel is worth $$$. A must have if you're going the bullet feeder route. (But I believe the AA funnel comes with the bullet feeder.) Even w/o the bullet feeder, the AA funnel is better than the Dillon factory version IMHO.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/2670460203/double-alpha-mr-bulletfeeder-dillon-powder-funnel

[Slavex]

I just started loading 124gr bullets again and found that the old Mr Bullet feeder powder funnel wasn't working good, then I tried a newer one from one of the 1050s I just picked up, what a difference. I ordered another one so that I'd have it for both presses. No more tilting bullets as the machine runs

[LittleLebowski]

You can use a barrel from your gun as a case gauge.


I assume it would be better to have dedicated case gauges?

[JV_]

I assume it would be better to have dedicated case gauges?

Correct. You can have out of spec ammo drop in and out of a chamber, especially a Glock chamber.

[Slavex]

A dedicated case gauge is better than a barrel, especially the 100 round gauges. Much quicker and easier to use.

[Super77]

I use the EGW 7-hole
(http://www.egwguns.com/index.php?p=product&id=844)

It save a lot of time: I can hold the gauge in my left hand, fill with my right from a box of unchecked rounds on my right side, visually check the rounds and run my thumb over them, then dump them into a box of checked round on my left side while I watch TV.

[dbateman]

In regards to case gauges. For pistol I don't case gauge every round, I just pick up random rounds from time to time and inspect them as they come off the press. I don't really inspect my rounds much past that, they just stay in the blue plastic tubs until I load them, although I do give them a once over as I'm loading my mags.
If I ever wanted to gauge all my rounds I'd buy one of those 100 round gauges bizzos.

For rifle I don't case gauge at all, most of my rifles have fairly tight chambers and I've been caught by cases that will pass a gauge but cause problems in my gun. If I make changes to my ammo, I make a few dummy rounds and make sure they run through my gun.

[Luke]

I'm in the process of case gauging 2,000 rounds with a single hole gauge. SUCKS. Gonna buy a hundo soon! I like it because it gives me that much more confidence and I get to inspect the primers.

[Edwin]

What's everyone using for a seating die on coated lead bullets (think: Bayous, Blues, H&S, etc)? I find that my Redding Competition Seating Die changes the shape of the cast/coated bullets.

[Jim Watson]

I LIKE the Coke Bottle shape on a reloaded round, it tells me I am not likely to get bullet setback against the feed ramp.
The Dillon sizing die is ok for most, but for light short bullets, I keep EGW/Lee "U" dies.

The Dillon seating die is about a dead loss. Now I am loading mostly coated bullets, the quick cleanout feature meant to get out bullet lube is no use and adjusting seating by turning the whole die in coarse loose body threads is very tedious. I have the 9mm set for my present supply of bullets and will leave it until I find something clearly better. I have an assortment of .45 bullets, so the Dillon seater was replaced with a Hornady with micrometer spindle. When I arrive at a good seating depth, I write the micrometer setting on a box label. It repeats very well.

I bought one of the EGW 4 holer gauges but it is not much use. It has no "leade" so a load with any bearing surface ahead of the case mouth won't pass.
I now have a Wilson .45 and a Lyman 9mm - because they were out of Wilson 9s.
I used to have a Midway - sure looked like a Wilson except for the roll mark - that had been hit with the same reamer as the chamber of the gun I was shooting most at the time.

I am shifting to a cheap dial caliper for OAL and other coarse measurements. My old Sears plastic vernier is getting hard to read, even with bifocals.

My old Midway tumbler has lasted a lot longer than I would have expected. Except that the bowl has the shadow of a Thumler's trademark.

[cheshire_cat]

I assume it would be better to have dedicated case gauges?
The OAL on my initial load passed my case gauge, but it turned out to be too long for my barrel. So the cartridges would not manually extract. That was before i knew about the plunk test. You should be able to drop the reloaded cartridge into the barrel, twist it and it should turn, put the barrel upside down and it should fall out. So that is one reason to not just rely on a case gauge.

[GuanoLoco]

What's everyone using for a seating die on coated lead bullets (think: Bayous, Blues, H&S, etc)? I find that my Redding Competition Seating Die changes the shape of the cast/coated bullets.

I'm currently using the Hornady New Dimension with the floating sleeve for 9mm 135gr Bayou Bullets, a Redding competition die should be here shortly.

You can always reshape the seating die with a Dremel, or I have even head of using hot glue. Other substances come to mind.

[GuanoLoco]

I'm in the process of case gauging 2,000 rounds with a single hole gauge. SUCKS. Gonna buy a hundo soon! I like it because it gives me that much more confidence and I get to inspect the primers.

Fire up some NetFlix and settle down, I CG's 10's of thousands one at a time before I got a Hundo.

Put them in a MTM box primer up and inspecting primers is easy enough, although not as easy as with a Hundo case gauge.