I just ordered my Lee Press set 50th anniversary set. I have been watching your videos to learn how to to this. This will be my first go at doing reloading. Wonderful video series. I liked the trivia at the end too. Thanks for doing these.
These were probably the most comprehensive videos for basic reloading that I've seen to date. I'm wanting to get into it for many reasons, probably the relaxing hobby part as much as anything else. I've been kicking around to go single stage or turret press. But you made the single stage look fun. You are a very good instructor as well. Enjoy my friend.
My compliments on this very clearly understood series of videos. I learned more in one hour than I have from hours of poring over books and I'm going to be coming back again and again. One tip though: put a small light behind the camera and open up those shadow areas.
i really want to get into reloading but i cant find consumables for a descent price that would save me or be equal to factory ammo. any suggestions like where to buy
@temporaryscars That still comes out to $10.50/50, but I actually figured about $12/50 of 45ACP. The cheap stuff is going for around $18/50. Plus, you don't have to add the cost of the brass each time. I just happened to buy 350 pieces of once-fired, nickel plated brass because I wanted to. I still think this is a pretty good deal. At least in our area. It is true, though that you save more with the more expensive calibers because the cost is about the same to reload them.
@temporaryscars I got the bullets from Georgia Arms. 500 bullets for about $43. At the end of the original video that I put together, I had a math correction up, but the end of the vid got chopped off when it uploaded.
Some other good things about reloading your own ammunition is that you can control every aspect of the final product. Also you learn to make every shot count knowing you spent hours reloading all of that
Excellent set of videos! Have you considered doing the bullet seating and crimping all in one stage using the bullet seating die? I'm about to starting to reload 45acp and was wondering what your thoughts and/or experience is on this? Thanks! :)
@MisterPo If my bullet seating die had a crimp feature, then yes! Anything to save time and work. LOL! I've loaded more 45ACP now than anything else. For me, the Power Pistol did better in my gun than Unique, but that may be pistol-specific. I used the bulk bullets from Georgia Arms, and they did great. If they ever come to a gun show in your area, definitely pick some up. I'll be loading .223 next!
Thanks for taking the time to do the reloading videos!! This has helped me a lot since I am new at reloading and watching someone doing it is a big help. I have started with the single stage press and like you I want to make sure I understand what is going on with each step. I am already getting requests to reload ammo for others but I am concerned about the liability aspect of doing that, do you have any advice about that?
@68Charger46 The liability aspect is one of those touchy areas. I wouldn't sell your reloads to anyone, and I don't even know if giving away your ammo to someone is prudent either. I have let others shoot my reloads with me present, and it hasn't been a problem. It's really for their protection as much as yours. I would feel terrible if one of my reloads caused any type of injury to anyone. I'm glad that my videos were helpful to you.
@OHwrestlingIO For beginners, I recommend a single stage to start off with. There's nothing wrong with starting with a progressive, but for me, I wanted to understand each stage of the process as much as possible. Everyone is different, but since I was loading a potentially dangerous thing, I preferred to learn it from scratch. I will eventually graduate to a more progressive setup, but for now, I kind of like the single stage approach. I hope that helps!
I think your math was off on your bullet cost. I believe you said 42$ for 300 of them. That comes out to 14cents/bullet, instead of the 7.1cents you had. So the total cost per box should be $3.50 more. So $12.
@Mr911rugster Yeah, I had a math correction annotation at the end, but now that I've watched it through again, it looks like the end got chopped off. I think it's a YouTube conspiracy!
You can save even more buying in larger quantities and using cast bullets for the 45ACP. 200gr LSWC are cheap, shoot great and make nice holes... :)
Also, you might want to bell the case as little as possible and crimp as little as possible. I noticed the resistance you were getting with the FC die. When you get it all set right, it will go smoothly and you will have no marks on the case mouth.
Great series, very informative and easy to follow. Thanks! Hopefully I'll eventually be able to get some extra punch out of the 9mm, which would be very useful.
This is such a FANTASTIC series. I'm going to put all three episodes in my "Favorites" list. Very, very nicely done. I've been an on-again off-again reloader for quite a few years now and found this series to absolutely perfect. Total Thumbs Up!!
@Nicho2177 I got many items as gifts, so my start-up costs are going to be different that others. You can get most of those items at local gun stores, gun shows, or online. I'll be doing a video on start-up costs.
@yellowbusguy Not really. I figure that I'm saving at least $5-6 per 50 rounds, so if you shoot a lot, it won't take that long to recover your costs at all. Plus, if ammunition comes in short supply, you know that you can always manufacture your own (as long as you have the components).
It seems like an interesting and challenging hobby. Thank you very much for doing this three part series, it was great to watch. I've never tried reloading, and I've heard of and I've seen progressive loaders/presses. In your opinion, do you think it's worth the extra costs to save time and not have to adjust the new dies every time?
@binyamj It really depends on how much patience you have. Switching out dies isn't a problem for me, but that's just me. The Lee Turret Presses have the dies pre-loaded in the turrets, so that would save a lot of time there. I'm enjoying reloading much more that I thought I would. When I come home from work, I'll just start resizing brass for no reason. LOL!
Another good video, thanks. When I bought my equipment, I didn't look at it as a cost I would have to recoup during the reloading time span. I looked at it as a cost I would normally have spent on factory ammo when I went out to shoot. So from that point on I was saving money. FYI...a trick I use to waterproof the bullets is to throw some fingernail polish around the primers (after reloading). Ck most military ammo primers, their sealed so water will not get in. Take Care :-))
@SurviveN2 That's a great way of looking at it. I figure that I'm just spending money on a fun hobby. I've seen the nail polish thing on military ammo. I might try that sometime. Thanks for watching!
I have watched alot of reloading vids cause i find it interesting and i want to get into it someday but i find myself getting bored with other ppl;s vids.. but not yours.. you were able to keep my attention the whole time.. thanks again man
that was one of the best and well taught series on reloading i've seen on yt Ed.Thanx for sharing it.Well done man.I'm gonna check into getting my own equipment.Don't be surprised if you get several pms,cause i'm sure i'll need some advice.8)
When you are trying to tighten the collet leave the round in the die as it will hold it in place.
If you start to shoot precision rifle down the road from a bolt gun you'll find you won't crimp. Also congrats on starting single stage, jumping to progressive can lead to mistakes. When ammo needs to be perfect I'll always go single stage.
@isellchickens When I first started, it was well over an hour. But as I got more comfortable with the process, that time has been cut down a bit. I'm probably down to somewhere between 45 min and an hour.
Great video's man. I reload shotgun shells, and try different loads with that, but haven't stepped into the pistol or rifle realm yet. I do find it quite therapeutic to sit and reload in the man cave lol. Nice job.
Great stuff this just reinforced my want for a progressive press. I understand you like to be involved in each part but thats too much work for 50 rounds lol
@jerry015 Oh, I'll eventually upgrade to something like a turret press. I just wanted to be sure that I fully understood each part of the process. I'm kind of anal that way. LOL!
Thank you for sharing your vids. on reloading. I found them very informative. I realy like how you walked through each step. Keep up the good work. Take care
@TheArmoryGuild Yes, the turret press is sort of a semi-progressive. I looked into them, but they were a bit pricey. It would speed up the process a bit, but I'm very happy with my little single stage for the time being. I'll probably upgrade at some point in the future.
@keylitho Thanks! I want to reload .223 also. I've been saving my brass, so the process has started. Of course, I saved brass for almost 20 years before I reloaded my first round. LOL!
@ironheadgram Thanks! I've been training people to do various technical things for about 20 years (as part of my job), so I guess that's where I developed it.
Your right Lee makes a good press ; however , I think you should keep your single stage press for rifle bullets only and then you enjoy one of the Turret presses. I usually size and remove primer on the single stage and then polish. The rest I do with the Turret press. Glad to see you are having as much fun as I do with reloading.
@MrRichardbryan I looked into the turret presses, and I really liked them. However, the cost would usually stop me from taking the plunge. I will graduate to the turret eventually. Thanks for watching!
@thebudgetarmory1 You may want to look into the Hornady lock and load auto-progressive press Ed,I purchased one last year and I really like it. I sent the provided form back and got 1,000 free bullets.
I just ordered my Lee Press set 50th anniversary set. I have been watching your videos to learn how to to this. This will be my first go at doing reloading. Wonderful video series. I liked the trivia at the end too. Thanks for doing these.
ltd51 2 weeks ago
can i use this press with rifle ammo?
trophyhunter147 3 weeks ago
@trophyhunter147 Absolutely. I currently load 5.56x45mm on it. It'll load pretty much everything except .50 BMG size cartridges.
thebudgetarmory1 3 weeks ago
@thebudgetarmory1 thank you!
trophyhunter147 3 weeks ago
These were probably the most comprehensive videos for basic reloading that I've seen to date. I'm wanting to get into it for many reasons, probably the relaxing hobby part as much as anything else. I've been kicking around to go single stage or turret press. But you made the single stage look fun. You are a very good instructor as well. Enjoy my friend.
aeronca11bc 1 month ago
@aeronca11bc I'm glad they helped you!
thebudgetarmory1 1 month ago
My compliments on this very clearly understood series of videos. I learned more in one hour than I have from hours of poring over books and I'm going to be coming back again and again. One tip though: put a small light behind the camera and open up those shadow areas.
WarrenDee 1 month ago
which digital scale are you using? TIA
WarrenDee 1 month ago
@WarrenDee I use a Hornady 1500 Digital Scale.
thebudgetarmory1 1 month ago
great job...enjoyed the videos
covalentfilmgroup 2 months ago
very nice series off videos , well done . thanks
paintedhorse1957 2 months ago
Ed, what manuals are you using?very good video.
donthebodyguard 3 months ago
@donthebodyguard I'm using the Lee reloading manual, second edition. I think it's called Modern Reloading.
thebudgetarmory1 3 months ago
these video's are awesome. i've been considering this for a while and you definately helped me in getting the ball rolling.
maskedpieeater 4 months ago
@maskedpieeater Thanks for watching!
thebudgetarmory1 4 months ago
i really want to get into reloading but i cant find consumables for a descent price that would save me or be equal to factory ammo. any suggestions like where to buy
leviet2010 5 months ago
@leviet2010 Wideners dot com has some good deals as well as natchez shooting supplies. I actually get most of my components from gun shows.
thebudgetarmory1 4 months ago
Oh, I should have added this. This is the cost I'm looking at:
Powder = $0.01
Primers = $0.03
Brass = $0.05
Bullets = $0.12
Grand total per round - $0.21 per round. Ugh.
temporaryscars 6 months ago
@temporaryscars That still comes out to $10.50/50, but I actually figured about $12/50 of 45ACP. The cheap stuff is going for around $18/50. Plus, you don't have to add the cost of the brass each time. I just happened to buy 350 pieces of once-fired, nickel plated brass because I wanted to. I still think this is a pretty good deal. At least in our area. It is true, though that you save more with the more expensive calibers because the cost is about the same to reload them.
thebudgetarmory1 6 months ago
Where do you find such cheap bullets? It costs me more than that to load 9mm. :(
temporaryscars 6 months ago
@temporaryscars I got the bullets from Georgia Arms. 500 bullets for about $43. At the end of the original video that I put together, I had a math correction up, but the end of the vid got chopped off when it uploaded.
thebudgetarmory1 6 months ago
Some other good things about reloading your own ammunition is that you can control every aspect of the final product. Also you learn to make every shot count knowing you spent hours reloading all of that
toshiyatsujimura 6 months ago
@toshiyatsujimura There is a certain amount of pride that you can take in your own handiwork.
thebudgetarmory1 6 months ago
@Mr05banshee Glad that they were able to help you out. That's what it's all about.
thebudgetarmory1 7 months ago
Excellent set of videos! Have you considered doing the bullet seating and crimping all in one stage using the bullet seating die? I'm about to starting to reload 45acp and was wondering what your thoughts and/or experience is on this? Thanks! :)
MisterPo 8 months ago
@MisterPo If my bullet seating die had a crimp feature, then yes! Anything to save time and work. LOL! I've loaded more 45ACP now than anything else. For me, the Power Pistol did better in my gun than Unique, but that may be pistol-specific. I used the bulk bullets from Georgia Arms, and they did great. If they ever come to a gun show in your area, definitely pick some up. I'll be loading .223 next!
thebudgetarmory1 7 months ago
Thanks for taking the time to do the reloading videos!! This has helped me a lot since I am new at reloading and watching someone doing it is a big help. I have started with the single stage press and like you I want to make sure I understand what is going on with each step. I am already getting requests to reload ammo for others but I am concerned about the liability aspect of doing that, do you have any advice about that?
68Charger46 8 months ago
@68Charger46 The liability aspect is one of those touchy areas. I wouldn't sell your reloads to anyone, and I don't even know if giving away your ammo to someone is prudent either. I have let others shoot my reloads with me present, and it hasn't been a problem. It's really for their protection as much as yours. I would feel terrible if one of my reloads caused any type of injury to anyone. I'm glad that my videos were helpful to you.
thebudgetarmory1 8 months ago
thanks for the video! really taught me a lot about reloading.
Rockness01 8 months ago
@Rockness01 Glad it helped you out in some way. That's what it's all about!
thebudgetarmory1 8 months ago
Would you recommend a single stage press or a multi stage press?
OHwrestlingIO 8 months ago
@OHwrestlingIO For beginners, I recommend a single stage to start off with. There's nothing wrong with starting with a progressive, but for me, I wanted to understand each stage of the process as much as possible. Everyone is different, but since I was loading a potentially dangerous thing, I preferred to learn it from scratch. I will eventually graduate to a more progressive setup, but for now, I kind of like the single stage approach. I hope that helps!
thebudgetarmory1 8 months ago
I think your math was off on your bullet cost. I believe you said 42$ for 300 of them. That comes out to 14cents/bullet, instead of the 7.1cents you had. So the total cost per box should be $3.50 more. So $12.
Mr911rugster 9 months ago
@Mr911rugster Yeah, I had a math correction annotation at the end, but now that I've watched it through again, it looks like the end got chopped off. I think it's a YouTube conspiracy!
thebudgetarmory1 9 months ago
Hey this is great, I am really glad you made this, thank you, I learn a lot from the "quick rundown" style vids like this, awsome!
timcourage 11 months ago
Great series man been wanting to get into reloading, think I will do it now!
dxporker 11 months ago
Good job, Buddy!
You can save even more buying in larger quantities and using cast bullets for the 45ACP. 200gr LSWC are cheap, shoot great and make nice holes... :)
Also, you might want to bell the case as little as possible and crimp as little as possible. I noticed the resistance you were getting with the FC die. When you get it all set right, it will go smoothly and you will have no marks on the case mouth.
Take care,
rich
wwlutherie 11 months ago
@wwlutherie Thank you for the advice. I'll take all I can get. I'm thinking abut using cast bullets. I've seen them at several shows.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
@thebudgetarmory1 No problem, Buddy
Keep doing what you're doing and it'll all get easier.
Cast bullets aren't as cheap as they used to be and the cheapest ones aren't always the best.
My favorite right now is Missouri Bullet Co. You kinda need to buy bulk to make it worthwhile.
You'll eventually go progressive press and cast bullets. It's inevitable... :)
I shoot nothing but lead out of my 1911s and have quite a few cowboy action guns. So lead is a way of life for me ... :)
wwlutherie 11 months ago
Great videos. You've made it look so simple. Thanks for all the great information and demonstrations. WOOHOO!!!
OneCreativeOrigin 11 months ago
@OneCreativeOrigin Thank you!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Great series, very informative and easy to follow. Thanks! Hopefully I'll eventually be able to get some extra punch out of the 9mm, which would be very useful.
ootdega 11 months ago
@ootdega Thanks!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
This is such a FANTASTIC series. I'm going to put all three episodes in my "Favorites" list. Very, very nicely done. I've been an on-again off-again reloader for quite a few years now and found this series to absolutely perfect. Total Thumbs Up!!
And a big ol' BRAVO on a job very well done.
Cheers,
MrWheelie19
MrWheelie19 11 months ago
@MrWheelie19 Thank you, sir! It's great to hear that from someone that's been doing it for a while.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
I want to get started but dont know where to start. Where did you get your books and manuals on reloading? and did you figure the cost of those haha?
Nicho2177 11 months ago
@Nicho2177 I got many items as gifts, so my start-up costs are going to be different that others. You can get most of those items at local gun stores, gun shows, or online. I'll be doing a video on start-up costs.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Great vid!
TheDaytonDevil 11 months ago
@TheDaytonDevil Thanks!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
great series! Thank you.
IsbianBlackheart 11 months ago
@IsbianBlackheart You are very welcome!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
you did a great job in this series...the detail to the steps took the mystery out of the process. thanks so much.
mach1mustang1971 11 months ago
@mach1mustang1971 I really appreciate that!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Great series of instructional info, What would yo say is an average start up price to do your own reloading?
malibu1966 11 months ago
@malibu1966 I'll be doing a video on that soon, but a good ballpark would be around $200.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Will definitely check the channel out. Thanks for taking us along, it was fun for everyone, it seems!
DemonHide 11 months ago
@DemonHide Thank you!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Could you imagine how many rounds of rim fire it would take to break even? You'd be working that press till the end of time!!
yellowbusguy 11 months ago
@yellowbusguy Not really. I figure that I'm saving at least $5-6 per 50 rounds, so if you shoot a lot, it won't take that long to recover your costs at all. Plus, if ammunition comes in short supply, you know that you can always manufacture your own (as long as you have the components).
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
It seems like an interesting and challenging hobby. Thank you very much for doing this three part series, it was great to watch. I've never tried reloading, and I've heard of and I've seen progressive loaders/presses. In your opinion, do you think it's worth the extra costs to save time and not have to adjust the new dies every time?
binyamj 11 months ago
@binyamj It really depends on how much patience you have. Switching out dies isn't a problem for me, but that's just me. The Lee Turret Presses have the dies pre-loaded in the turrets, so that would save a lot of time there. I'm enjoying reloading much more that I thought I would. When I come home from work, I'll just start resizing brass for no reason. LOL!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
just a thought , if SHTF happends , the start up price will pale in comparison to the ability to manufacture yourown ammo
zippo1592647873 11 months ago
@zippo1592647873 That is an excellent point!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Another good video, thanks. When I bought my equipment, I didn't look at it as a cost I would have to recoup during the reloading time span. I looked at it as a cost I would normally have spent on factory ammo when I went out to shoot. So from that point on I was saving money. FYI...a trick I use to waterproof the bullets is to throw some fingernail polish around the primers (after reloading). Ck most military ammo primers, their sealed so water will not get in. Take Care :-))
SurviveN2 11 months ago
@SurviveN2 That's a great way of looking at it. I figure that I'm just spending money on a fun hobby. I've seen the nail polish thing on military ammo. I might try that sometime. Thanks for watching!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
i really think i want the all in one press like hickok45 if i do i dont think i 'd have your patients ed.. id get all angry and walk away lol
kniedelm 11 months ago
@kniedelm The Lee Turret Press would be a great compromise. I think of it as a semi-progressive press.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
I have watched alot of reloading vids cause i find it interesting and i want to get into it someday but i find myself getting bored with other ppl;s vids.. but not yours.. you were able to keep my attention the whole time.. thanks again man
lskw1 11 months ago
@lskw1 I really appreciate that. I really enjoy your channel and vids also.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
that was one of the best and well taught series on reloading i've seen on yt Ed.Thanx for sharing it.Well done man.I'm gonna check into getting my own equipment.Don't be surprised if you get several pms,cause i'm sure i'll need some advice.8)
1dabirdman 11 months ago
@1dabirdman Anytime! I appreciate the kind words.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
When you are trying to tighten the collet leave the round in the die as it will hold it in place.
If you start to shoot precision rifle down the road from a bolt gun you'll find you won't crimp. Also congrats on starting single stage, jumping to progressive can lead to mistakes. When ammo needs to be perfect I'll always go single stage.
midwestiowashooter 11 months ago
@midwestiowashooter Thanks for the advice. I always welcome it from experienced reloaders!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
What is the total time you would spend on making 50 rounds?
isellchickens 11 months ago
@isellchickens When I first started, it was well over an hour. But as I got more comfortable with the process, that time has been cut down a bit. I'm probably down to somewhere between 45 min and an hour.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Great video's man. I reload shotgun shells, and try different loads with that, but haven't stepped into the pistol or rifle realm yet. I do find it quite therapeutic to sit and reload in the man cave lol. Nice job.
WallyMerc06 11 months ago
@WallyMerc06 I hope to get into reloading shot shells some day. I've even kept some of my spent shells.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Thank you. The info is great.
scarmenl 11 months ago
@scarmenl Thank you!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Great stuff this just reinforced my want for a progressive press. I understand you like to be involved in each part but thats too much work for 50 rounds lol
jerry015 11 months ago
@jerry015 Oh, I'll eventually upgrade to something like a turret press. I just wanted to be sure that I fully understood each part of the process. I'm kind of anal that way. LOL!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
@thebudgetarmory1 Ya I cant afford to do both but whats nice with a turret press you can still do the same thing just do 1 round at a time.
jerry015 11 months ago
Thank you for sharing your vids. on reloading. I found them very informative. I realy like how you walked through each step. Keep up the good work. Take care
hk45shooter 11 months ago
@hk45shooter Thanks!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Thank you for your effort. I learned a great deal. I'm not sure I can justify it at this time, but I have enough information to make a decision. J R
jrossi9250 11 months ago
@jrossi9250 Glad I could contribute some of the information. That's what it's all about.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
could you please tell us how much each piece of equipment costed you???
TKS
Takuan66 11 months ago
@Takuan66 I got several pieces as gifts, but I'll post another video with the costs.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
@TheArmoryGuild Yes, the turret press is sort of a semi-progressive. I looked into them, but they were a bit pricey. It would speed up the process a bit, but I'm very happy with my little single stage for the time being. I'll probably upgrade at some point in the future.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
That was great! Who won your contest?
thenowandaway 11 months ago
@thenowandaway I had three winners. I posted a video of the drawing with the names of the winners. It went great!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Thanks for sharing this. Interesting videos.
Protoplayer9217 11 months ago
@Protoplayer9217 My pleasure. Thanks for watching!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Great job... I really enjoy your video's... I hope to get into reloading this summer..and I am very excited...
I would love to see this process with some .223
keylitho 11 months ago
@keylitho Thanks! I want to reload .223 also. I've been saving my brass, so the process has started. Of course, I saved brass for almost 20 years before I reloaded my first round. LOL!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
I really like this series of videos. If you do not teach for a living, you could. Thanks for the cost brake-down and all the other great info.
ironheadgram 11 months ago
@ironheadgram Thanks! I've been training people to do various technical things for about 20 years (as part of my job), so I guess that's where I developed it.
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
Your right Lee makes a good press ; however , I think you should keep your single stage press for rifle bullets only and then you enjoy one of the Turret presses. I usually size and remove primer on the single stage and then polish. The rest I do with the Turret press. Glad to see you are having as much fun as I do with reloading.
MrRichardbryan 11 months ago
@MrRichardbryan I looked into the turret presses, and I really liked them. However, the cost would usually stop me from taking the plunge. I will graduate to the turret eventually. Thanks for watching!
thebudgetarmory1 11 months ago
@thebudgetarmory1 You may want to look into the Hornady lock and load auto-progressive press Ed,I purchased one last year and I really like it. I sent the provided form back and got 1,000 free bullets.
500SWMAGOPERATOR 11 months ago