ordered Lee Turret and other items -starting to reload! FINALLY!
 

Just broke down and bought myself a new Lee Turret press, 10mm dies, auto-riser attachment, safety prime, Hornady load book and a tumbler. Will pick up some bullets, primers (large pistol, mag) and powder (AA9, PP and 800x) here in town within the next few days. Have lots of once fired 10mm brass on-hand to learn on. I have been wanting to start reloading for a longggg time. Finally did it. I can't wait!

I'll be looking for a good, cheap, light plinking load, some warm defense loads for my DW Razorback and some full house hunting loads for my incoming Fusion longslide. Any favorite target, defense or hunting loads anyone wants to share? Any tips or suggestions?

The only thing I haven't really decided is what I'll be mounting my Lee press to. Not sure there....

Man that's great! Congrats! I can't wait to start reloading myself. Which Lee turret did you buy? And, if you don't mind, how much (approx.) did you pay for the whole "kit"?

Congrats again!

I got the Lee Deluxe 4Hole Auto Advancing kit with some other accessories. I ended up totaling about 265 with shipping for everything although I still haven't gotten powder, bullets or primers. Will get them in a day or two here locally. Can't wait!

i think the deluxe one is a pos if you can imho send it back and get the lee classic turret

I read something to that effect about 2 hours after I ordered it, ha. I'm keeping this one. It was rough when I opened it but it slicked right up once j lubes it thoroughly. I'm not too worried about it. As I said, it's running real slick now.

or get a dillon sdb :whistling:

learn on the one you bought; save your cash for components! you'll need to for 10mm.
you're ahead of me; i learned on a lee single stage.
congrats on taking the first step.

Awesome! Have fun and don't blow yourself up! :wavey: :supergrin:

Cabelas has Nosler 135 gr JHP bullets on sale for like $31 for 250, and free shipping if you order more than $99 worth of stuff, and yes back orders count!

A great watermelon defense load starts out with 11.5 gr of 800x Nosler 135 gr loaded 1.250" either primers work LPM or LP but I did not like Winchester LP they were too small, 1 out of 10 would come out upon shooting higher power loads. Tula and Wolf primers are GREAT! they are .001 larger in diameter and you can feel it when you seat them, they are in.

135 grain is awful light for the 10mm.
800x doesn't work very well in progressive presses.

I would go with 165 grain and longshot.

Pic of reloading set up .... dark and not a lot to look at but its all I have for now ...

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/373...adingsetup.jpg

I see you have the magic eraser...right there in the middle you know the bullet puller!
Good luck and have loads of fun!..............pun intended! :)

Good deal, Nick! My first recommendation (which you obviously already know) is GET MORE LIGHT!! You want a nice brightly-lit workspace. Keeps you awake and aids in seeing that there's powder in the case and all that...

My second suggestion is to start with plinking loads, so that you can get used to the process without the extra anxiety of also worrying about getting your loads "just right" and not going too hot, etc. Load a couple hundred rounds of plinkers, and you'll have a lot more confidence in your feel of how things work.

My favorite plinking/practice/target load is 5.6grs of W231 and a 175gr LTC, but you could just as easily do 5.0grs and a plated TC of 165grs-180grs. (Those plated are not bad for expense - if you shop right, they're just about half-way between lead and FMJs.)

Have fun!

Yep, you're right, I need more light ... however, my daughter just turned 6mo old and she seems to think its "okay" to keep me up all night when I have to work in the morning, lol, so my main issue with my reloading setup is that .... I NEVER GET TO USE IT! Finding time is my biggest challenge lately. When I do get some time, I try and load 25-50 rounds and eventually they will all add up to enough to go shooting, haha...

I DID, however, make my first 70 rounds last week ..... YES! :) Started with a minimum load (180gr Berry's HP over 9.5gr AA7) and just went really slow, checking every 5th or 10th round for correct charge weight. I'll tell you, the loads I made were SUPER accurate out of my Razorback and functioned flawlessly. I was on cloud 9.... Also, my new Graco Models Brass Catcher caught every spent case which is great.

My main complaints were the Lee Disk Measure throwing tiny amounts of powder out the side of my turret which caused my Lee Lever Prime to hang and jam up, falling on the ground too many times and bumping its primer cup out of spec, causing primer feed problems. The upgraded Pro measure coupled with a good cleaning and a new Lee Lever Prime arm (provided at no cost by the good people at Lee) has resolved my issues. (I was using the standard model at the time so I've since upgraded to the Pro model as shown in my pic)

Improvement of my reloading bench area is my main goal for the next few months. I'm debating whether to move to to a bedroom and get one of those portable reloading stands instead of keeping everything in a dingy basement. I currently have the advantage of only reloading ONE caliber right now until I get more comfortable with it so I don't really need a whole bunch of stuff. Box of bullets, container of powder, box of primers, tupperware full of cleaned brass, tumbler loading block and loading manual. I can keep all of that on a single shelf on a portable loader such as one of these:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...sting-_-155024

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...dingstand.html

Whaddya you all think? Move shop into upstairs walk in closet?? :)

Yesterday I stopped by my local Graf's Reloading store and stocked up on a few more necessities: a pound of IMR-800x, a pount of Alliant Power Pistol, 100 200gr XTP's, 100 175gr cast SWC's and 100 new Winchester cases. I needed a good powder for full power loads (and some new cases for load workups) and a good all-around powder with some cheap bullets.... and some 200gr XTP's to keep my 180gr XTP's company. I should be set for a while on powder. The next thing I forsee needing is more bullets and primers.

When I get a chance, I'm going to start working up a load for small game hunting (headshots) that is mild and accurate with the cast bullets, as well as a full power deer load with new cases, 800x and XTP's.

What I love about reloading is how much I can shoot for the same prices I used to pay to only shoot a box or two. :)

Congrats Nick on the set up I am working on my reloading room now, I was looking at the RCBS turrent Press kit off cabelas I have the hornday LNL single stage but was looking at the RCBS cuz you can use it as a single stage as well still debating that. The BIG BROWN truck brought my hornady 500 free 155grn XTP bullets so that is what I am am going to start out with to get going! great set up and have fun.

WHAT, no blue dot? oh man you better run out and get you some of that! That stuff's the real deal :thumbsup: you get hollywood flash, dirty harry KA-BOOMS and chuck norris accuracy!

Congrats!

Just curious as to what tumbler you purchased. I use a Thumblers tumbler with a stainless steel tumbling media from these guys www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com

I deprime first with a lee universal decapping die and then run my brass through the tumbler. Cases are squeaky clean in and out as well as the primer pockets.

10mm is what finally forced me to get into reloading.

Xmm

Hey bud,

I got my press and accessories from Midsouth Shooters Supply so I ended up getting their own tumbler, which I figured was going to be a cheaper no-frills model and it ended up being really nice with a strong and quiet motor. I use corncob type media from Walmart (lizard litter).

I'm loving my setup so far... Only complaint I have is my bench. I've ordered a Lee portable bench because we will be moving in a couple months and I won't have a workbench to mount my press to.

Congrats Nick!

AA7 is a really useful powder in 10mm, and loading several hundred "light" cast loads in the 180 grain range, will go along ways towards the learning curve before you start on the "hot" stuff.

I didn't go through your list, but a good powder dispenser, accurate scale and CHECK WEIGHTS, are essential in my book.

Along with several sources of published data...I always try to get a minimum of two sources of published data that are in agreement before starting a load.

Thanks Jitterbug,

I'm currently working with AA7 but have a pound of Power Pistol and 800x to play with one of these days. I just finished loading 60 more rounds of my medium 180gr XTP load... (10.9gr of AA7) giving me a total of 160 rounds of ammo to shoot on my next range trip. WOOHOO!! I think I might load up a nice warm small game load with my cheapo 175gr LSWC/TC just for the heck of it. Soon, I'm gonna dip into my 800x just to see what all the hype is about, aside from corn flake type metering.

I freaking LOVE burning powder... especially when I packed them myself!

I also have a Lee turret press (I think its a Lee 1200 classic) and my current load is 8.0 grains of ram shot silhouette and it so far is easy on the brass and its a blast to shot.

Once you start enjoying the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that comes from safely making your own, you'll probably never look back…my groups shrink by about half when compared to factory.

My supply of 180 grain Gold Dot's is dwindling, and they seem impossible to find, so I just picked up a box of the 180 XTP's the other day. 10.9 grains of AA7 looks like a sweet mid-range load, I'll have to give it a try.

I spent a few hours yesterday researching for a 200 gr. Hard cast load. It looks like the 800x might be the way to go, either that and or AA9 but I don't know if the 800x would offer an advantage over AA9 at the velocity I'll try and achieve in the 4.25" 1911, given that it is a PIA to measure.

I’m not an expert by any means and I don’t want to offend anyone, but some of the “off the charts” loads some guys are running are on the edge in my opinion, I'd really hate to read about anyone getting hurt, so please be careful, especially with a 1911. Discerning overpressure can be a challenge, especially with the 10mm.

Many years ago when the .40 S&W first came out and in my more careless days I pushed a Sig 229 a little to hard while trying to max out a 135 Nosler, back then we didn’t have much 40 data and I took my load off a magazine article…no corroborating data, but otherwise I thought I was safely "working up" the load, once was enough for me.

I don't want to run my 1911 Dan Wesson CBOB at some of the pressure levels some of these guys are going with their Glock's, I wish I could but I have to wonder if the 1911 and especially a Commander is up to it, if I can get that 200 grain bullet safely running in the 1000-1100 fps range out of my 4.25" barrel I "think" that would be adequate for penetrating a Black bears skull in the hopefully unlikely event I'd ever need to brain one, when penetration is the order for the day, no other bullet style can do what a hard cast can.

Irritable Moose while fishing are another concern, I've given up stream fishing in northern Colorado, I’m too old to tango with a Moose in the willows, even with a .44! Not to mention the .44 is a pain to carry or hit with repeatably and quickly.

While on Beartooths website I noticed they have a 125 grain Hard Cast for the 9mm, I may even play around with that, since the wife carries a M&P 9c on our woods adventures, not that a 9mm is bear medicine but a Hard cast at a reasonable velocity would be better then nothing or any factory fodder in my opinion.

One of the nicest things about making your own ammo is that you can custom tailor the load, to your gun, shooting style and given purpose. And of course the wonderful 10mm gives you incredible versatility.

I've run a 185 grain Colorado Cast bullet over 9.0 grains of AA7 which gives me around 975 fps, it makes for a sweet shooting all round practice load for me in the 10mm.

I'm about ready to put in an order with Penn bullets for some 9mm, .45acp and 10mm range loads and plan on "toning" down my “range load” even more, I think a 170-185 grain cast 10mm bullet in the 850-950 range would be the ideal practice load for me and my CBOB. My goal is to mimic a .45acp target load.

Be careful, good luck and enjoy!

How's the Razorback holding up?

One of these days I’ll get my hands on a 5” 10mm 1911.

Jitterbug,

I think that carefully loading upwards of max data using 800x, new cases and CCI300 primers with a fully supported barrel could be safe assuming you're hand weighing charges. Still, I'm simply loading to book max for now while I get some experience under my belt.

The Razorback is holding up GREAT... in fact, its better and better every time I shoot it. Slide is like its on ball bearings and it feeds 100% of EVERYTHING I feed it... and its still tight as the day I bought it. Its got a good deal of wear showing on it since its been my primary deer gun for the last 3-4 seasons (just little dings and scratches and all that) but it still looks great and has a lot of character. Also, I've never seen a smiley or sign of ANY kind, even with DT or BB loads. Nice, tight ramped barrel. I will have no qualms with putting full power loads through it, personally.

I can't wait to get my Fusion longslide this spring when its done being built. I think a longslide with a good heavyweight XTP or Beartooth bullet at high speeds out of that 6" tube will be just the ticket I'm looking for.