Reloading Setup

[Stuck]

Did Dromia just say Digital & Good in the same sentence? wtfwtf

[Alpha1]

I use the Target master set up with a Hornady beam scale and a RCBS powder measure. Fantastic piece of kit.
I use a Lyman single station press for all my reloading.
I use a Lee Hand held priming tool.(One of the earlier models)
My Dies are a mix of Lee. RCBS. Redding. etc.
I also use LeWilson bushing neck dies and Seating Dies.

[HALODIN]

Thanks for all the replies, will reply later once I get back from the range!

[dromia]

My reloading was autodidactic, classes drive me up the walls but again it is down to your own style of learning.

[rox]

2) What are the pros and cons for electronic sales for reloading? Both beam and electronic seem to measure up to 1/10th grain.

The pros and cons are numerous, and depend greatly on whether you have 'good' (read 'expensive') examples of each type. If you want value for money the beam balance wins every time. I believe that every loader should have one, and should learn loading using one. I have one beam balance and 4 digital balances - the finest of which reads down to 0.0001 grams (0.002 grains). If I could only keep one it would have to be the beam balance.

Pros of beam balance:

• Can be very cheap.
• Extremely reliable, Little to go wrong, Last a lifetime.
• Even cheap ones are moderately accurate.
• No problem with electrical or RF interference

Pros of digital balance:

• Can be faster to use than beam balance (but only good/expensive ones).
• Can also be used for weighing bullets, brass etc (not so practical with a beam balance).
• Can give better resolution than typical reloading beam balances, but usually means more £.

Cheap digital balances are often 'drifty',
Most digital balances need long warm-up times, very stable measuring environments free of electrical noise, air movement etc, careful calibration (with expensive calibration weights).
Half decent digital balances are expensive. Very expensive.
They are complex items of equipment with many points of failure, unlike beam balances which are very simple indeed.

3) Can propellant be divided up to 1/10th grain or does slight irregularity mean you can still accomplish the exact weight?

For .308 loading you will most likely be using an extruded 'stick' powder. The individual kernels are usually a little less than 0.02 grains, so you can certainly divide it to 1/10th of a grain.

4) Why not de-prime your brass before cleaning it in the tumbler? Wouldn't that save cleaning the primer pocket?

(Dry) tumblers are generally pretty ineffective at cleaning the primer pocket. On the other hand, media can get stuck in the flash hole - tumbling with the primers in can help reduce this, as can using suitably fine media.

1) Why would you want your scales to auto dispense your powder when you have to put it back in your powder dispenser anyway? I thought scales were just used to verify/setup the powder dispenser.

This I don't understand. Once you have a weighed charge on a balance of some sort (whether a beam balance, digital balance, or the balance of an automatic dispenser such as a Chargemaster), you then put the powder in the case (using a funnel). You might use a dispenser (thrower) for the initial charge and then trickle up to the final weight.

5) Why have a separate hand held priming tool when you can just use priming arm on the press?

The press has lots of mechanical advantage, which reduces the 'feel' you get as feedback. A hand-held priming tool lets you feel the primer seat into the bottom of the primer pocket. It also allows you to 'batch' your work, i.e. focus on priming 100 cases, rather than priming then charging then seating the bullet. Think Henry Ford here. If you prime 100 times in a row you are likely to do it more consistently than doing a sequence of 3 tasks then starting at 1 again.


In summary, it is very easy to spend a fortune to buy the Rolls Royce setup, but you will still find that you want to change the way you work and the tools you want to use as you learn more about what suits you. I started with a collection of second hand kit that cost about £150.00. Those tools took me to world level competition and gold medals at that level. I now have a crazy setup, but those basic, cheap, old tools were all I ever needed.

..

[HALODIN]

Wow that's quite a lot of answers as well... Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Nearly all of that makes sense and I'll take a look at the alternatives you've mentioned.

OK so if I understand you correctly, the electronic dispenser with built in scale, is an alternative to the beam scale and manual dispenser. I thought this was probably the case, but given the speed the electronic dispensers work, I wasn't sure. They seem to churn out 2-3 grains/second, which seems particularly slow to me, isn't it about 20+ seconds/round?

OK so presumably I'm correct in saying the powder trickler isn't required if you use an electronic dispenser, because it will dispense the exact amount of propellant. Is that right?

Thanks again. :cheers:

Wow that's quite a lot of questions my friend.
Think its best to start at the top and work through them.

[HALODIN]

Thanks, I'll take your advice on the beam scale, the words accurate and fast sold it to me.

Thanks for the heads-up on the die space issue on the Forster press, that makes me want to rethink which press I want. What makes it such a fine press in light of this? Sounds pretty limiting really.

Cheers,

Craig.

For less that the cost of the powder measure, stand and trickler you would get a Targetmaster powder dispenser and a Lee perfect powder thrower. Combine that with a good balance beam scale (RCBS 5-0-5) and a set of cheque weights and you will have the most accurate and fastest powder dispensing system. The funnel is for pouring the powder from the pan into the case without spillage.

The Forster is indeed a fine press, I have and use one, but any good single stage press will do as good, also the Forster has its limitations in the size of case it will handle and the length of dies you use, this may be an issue if you go beyond just the 308. I have Lyman micrormeter adjust seating die that is too long for use in the Forster.

It is also prudent to try different press configurations for the ergonomics, some people I know cannot get of with the Forsters central handle and its high position. I don't find it an issue but better to find out before springing your dosh.

I'd go for the Forster before the Redding trimmer but that is again personal preference.

[HALODIN]

Reliable sounds very appealing!

I would always go for a set of balance beam scales and set of check weights before a digital, there are good digitals out there but the can be finicky. I have a set of Pact digitals and very good they are too, I use them with the Pact powder dispenser and they are very handy for weighing bullets/boolits. Balance beams are nice and simple, you can see how they work, how to fettle them and they are just very reliable. Also you can use them with the Target Master which you cannot do with a digital.

[HALODIN]

Our local gun shop will do a course at some point, it's a shame Bisley isn't a bit closer.

Best thing I did was go on a reloading course at Bisley. Annoying at times but all your questions and more were answered. Probably the most important thing I bought and should also last a lifetime.

[HALODIN]

Thanks that's useful, I'll have a read over the next couple of days.

I use the Target master set up with a Hornady beam scale and a RCBS powder measure. Fantastic piece of kit.
I use a Lyman single station press for all my reloading.
I use a Lee Hand held priming tool.(One of the earlier models)
My Dies are a mix of Lee. RCBS. Redding. etc.
I also use LeWilson bushing neck dies and Seating Dies.