Cheap Start to Reloading?

[paulsharvey]

 

[paulsharvey]

Powder measurers; is there any compelling reason to not just get the $24 Lee Perfect Powder Measure? Lee Perfect Powder Measure - MPN: 958

There are also auto drums, Perfect Powder Deluxe, Hornady, ect. Do there offer a significant advantage for one at a time powder drops?

Lyman also has a fairly affordable one 'Brass Smith' Lyman Brass Smith Powder Measure - MPN: 77677.

 

[Soundguy]

I prefer an rcbs powder measure to the lee ppm, and I simply do mot like the auto disc...

 

[FarmWrench]

The reloading I do is for fun. It's"shooting" time and I often enjoy reloading as much as "unloading".

I use a Lee ppm. I weight each and every charge and correct to the 0.1gn if needed (sometimes I have to) I can't imagine only checking once every few rifle loadings. It would be like never checking a target.

 

[rbstern]

Powder measurers; is there any compelling reason to not just get the $24 Lee Perfect Powder Measure? Lee Perfect Powder Measure - MPN: 958

There are also auto drums, Perfect Powder Deluxe, Hornady, ect. Do there offer a significant advantage for one at a time powder drops?

Lyman also has a fairly affordable one 'Brass Smith' Lyman Brass Smith Powder Measure - MPN: 77677.

The Lee feels cheap, but it reliably does what it's supposed to do. They have a deluxe model with a brass body and rotor, if you want something more substantial feeling. The Lyman, RCBS, and pretty much all of the other cast metal powder throws feel more substantial. If you're one of those folks who only cares about the end result, get the Lee. If you get focused on how the tool feels while it's being used, go with the higher priced brands.

I'm a big fan of the Lee Auto Disk for high volume reloading. It's very reliable, and as repeatable as the powder type allows in volume measuring.

 

[txndncowboy]

There really isn't a cheap way because sure as shootin' you'll be buying a bigger better reloader. Get a good progressive loader like a Dillon 550 and you'll be reloading for life. The cheap stuff even though it works can make reloading a royal pain and turn you off. Get a good unit and you'll be hooked. I started with a Lee and wish I had gone with a Dillon from the beginning.

 

[paulsharvey]

Pulled some 124 gr Xtreme Hollow points out of a pressure treated 12"x12", and figured I'd show the results. ok Little to no expansion. Of maybe 50-100 fires over the past couple weeks, I found at least a dozen that didn't expand at all, although I also found fragments that could have come from factory loads, XTPs, Xtremes, or Berries.

 

[rbstern]

Pulled some 124 gr Xtreme Hollow points out of a pressure treated 12"x12", and figured I'd show the results. okView attachment 565753View attachment 565754 Little to no expansion. Of maybe 50-100 fires over the past couple weeks, I found at least a dozen that didn't expand at all, although I also found fragments that could have come from factory loads, XTPs, Xtremes, or Berries.

It may seem counter intuitive, but when a hollow point enters denser material, before it has a chance to expand, there may not enough lateral force on the edges of the bullet to overcome the compressive strength of the material it's penetrating. The bullet's "petals" are pushing against dense wood, instead of soft tissue.

If you front that 12x12 with a few inches of wet newspaper, you might see a different result.

 

[Gunny]

I agree with rbstern, you'd have much different results if you fired into ballistics gel. I know, not something most people even look for and very few have, but for real expansion comparisons, it can't be beat. Not that expensive either if you just mix up smaller targets, but rifles need much larger sizes.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Just skip to the Dillon progressive and eliminate all the in between steps. If you are working up bench rest loads, skip Lee. Buy Redding and avoid buying stuff to sit on a shelf.