Want to get into reloading!

[SealT5]

When I started out I didn't really get much out of reloading manuals. Many great articles and post on the internet that I personally find much more helpful. This forum has some good info. I highly recommend AccurateShooter and even Snipershide. Best advice I can give you is research, research, and research some more.

 

[SealT5]

I'm not sure what budget you have but I highly recommend a Chargemaster 1500. For a manual thrower the RCBS Uniflow is a good option.

been doing some research on powder measures and Hornady seem to be not very consistent , can you recommend one that is accurate

 

[Susquatch]

been doing some research on powder measures and Hornady seem to be not very consistent , can you recommend one that is accurate

You don't need a powder measure to use a powder scale but you do need a powder scale to use a powder measure.

In my experience, no powder measure is very accurate. The best is probably the Harrel. Some say that the Hornady, RCBS, and other powder dispensers can be set to be very accurate and repeatable. I have not had that experience. Although the digital readouts look like they are accurate, my powder scale tells me that they are lying to me.

The magic is in finding a load that is not sensitive to slight variations in powder charge. If you can do that, then the powder metering system doesn't need to be that accurate.

In my own reloading, I always use a scale and "trickle" charges to within a tenth of a grain. If (a very big if) I use a measure or a dispenser, I set them to throw a light charge, put that on the scale, and then trickle up to the desired charge. When you are doing load development, you will find this approach faster than using a measure because calibrating the measure takes longer than manually weighing the charges.

In other words, just like every other step in the reloading process, I like the good old manual one step at a time system. No automatic systems at all.

My advice is to buy a good powder scale and leave the idea of a powder measure or powder dispenser to a time in the future when you are ready for it.

 

[Kaveman44]

now what about that Hornady Scale a Powder Dispenser in one ,not bad for $200, i figure i need a good scale ($100) , and a powder thrower ($100) of some sort and that would rum me about as much as the Hornady all in one! sorry if I'm asking to many questions! , an really thinking about going with the Hornady Lock-n-Load Classic , or is the RCBS Chucker better , if they are basically the same I'm leaning towards the Hornady!

 

[Susquatch]

now what about that Hornady Scale a Powder Dispenser in one ,not bad for $200, i figure i need a good scale ($100) , and a powder thrower ($100) of some sort and that would rum me about as much as the Hornady all in one! sorry if I'm asking to many questions! , an really thinking about going with the Hornady Lock-n-Load Classic , or is the RCBS Chucker better , if they are basically the same I'm leaning towards the Hornady!

I think you are a bit confused, unless Hornady has a new device that I am not aware of, the scale that is built into the Hornady powder dispenser isn't really a scale. Yes, it acts like a scale while powder is being dispensed, but as far as I know, it can't be used as a scale to measure a given predispensed quantity of powder or a bullet or anything like that. I happen to have one. I like using it to dispense a volume of powder a half grain or so less than my desired charge, then I dump that charge onto a proper scale, and then I use a powder trickler to add powder a granule of powder at a time till I reach the required amount.

It is possible to do the same thing with the Hornady dispenser, because it has a trickler built in. However..... the trickler is rather crappy as purchased (but can be improved) and the scale is not very consistent - using a good scale to verify charges almost always shows errors.

Bottom line - you have to buy a proper stand alone scale.

Personally, I prefer the old fashioned balance beam type. They don't lie. The newer digital scales often lie and I don't trust them. Other members will probably disagree.

You don't need a powder thrower of any sort. A scoop (a measuring spoon will do) and a trickler (or even a smaller scoop tapped with your finger to drop a granule at a time) will work just fine.

 

[Predator 22]

i spent good money on my Caliper , its digital but a nice one. Looking for the HOAL and cant find it , any recommendations on where to look? im also thinking about getting the
Lyman Case Prep Xpress, is that a good machine to do most of the casing prep except Case trimming , someone said it doesnt do a great job on the on the primer pocket cleaning and reforming ? Geting really excited!!!1

I have the Lyman case prep center and would highly recommend it. Wish I would have bought one a long time ago. Doing it all one step at a time sucks! I can chamfer, deburr, and clean the primer pocket in a fraction of the time it would take to just clean the primer pocket. I did switch the pocket cleaner for a rcbs though.
A powder thrower is great as long as you don't trust it to throw a perfect charge. I use one and set it to throw .2 light and trickle up from there. Way more efficient than a scoop. I've tried both btw.
I will second what was said above about e-scales. Tried one of them and it drifted terribly. A balance beam is all I trust.

 

[Kaveman44]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003O20UOW/?tag=lrhmag19-20 This is what i was talking about

 

[Susquatch]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003O20UOW/?tag=lrhmag19-20 This is what i was talking about

Yup, that's the exact same unit that I have. The built-in trickler really sucks and the digital scale cannot be counted on. I only use mine to throw light charges and then trickle up using a balance beam scale and powder trickler.

There are lots of threads out there on various forums on how to improve the setup for the unit and modify the built-in trickler. Nothing can be done to improve the digital scale other than leaving it on for a day before using it - which is better but not enough to trust it.

That all said, that unit does make the process of throwing powder charges a lot faster, and it's way better than using a scoop.

However...... I am totally convinced that every new Reloader should start reloading the old fashioned way using single stage processes and manual equipment. As others have already said, faster and automated do not promote safety or understanding. Better to take your time, and enjoy the journey. You can always get all the fancy stuff after you have a few hundred rounds under your belt and fully understand the process. By then, they may have even better stuff available.

I don't think I can stress this point enough. Reloading isn't about fancy equipment or pumping out a thousand rounds a minute or saving money. It's about producing custom ammunition that produces better results on targets and game. It's also a process that is fraught with opportunities to make serious mistakes and get hurt. It must be done carefully with no distractions. Focus on keeping it simple, understand what you are doing, and developing good habits. These practices are all consistent with both safety and the end goals of reloading.

 

[Kaveman44]

are there ant digital scale that you can count on?

 

[Susquatch]

are there ant digital scale that you can count on?

In my opinion, no. I must have a dozen or so. None of them can be trusted. I really really really want one that does work. I even bought one VERY EXPENSIVE Laboratory grade scale supposedly accurate to a tenth of a tenth (0.01gr). It "looks awesome" and seeing that second decimal makes one "believe" that it's great, but it was no different than the rest. None of them I have ever tried can be trusted. I have an OHaus laboratory grade balance beam that is always bang on. I have used it to test my other scales. The only scales that work are the balance beam scales. I personally use a Redding Powder Balance Beam Powder Scale but am constantly on the look out for something better because I am old and getting the weights in the right groove on the beam isn't as easy for me as I'd like it to be. As long as the scale range is sufficient for your heaviest and lightest loads at 0.1gr resolution, any balance beam type scale will work (rcbs, Lyman, redding, Hornady, etc)

 

[Susquatch]

The other thing about balance beam scales is that it's possible to use them to a quarter of a tenth or so with an eagle eye and careful attention to parallax.

 

[Kaveman44]

What are the better Beam Scales?

 

[Susquatch]

I like my Redding Master #2 Balance Beam Scale - I just don't like my old hands.....

As far as I know, Lyman doesn't make one I would buy today, but some of their old models were very good.

The RCBS M1000 has a wider range, offers 0.1 accuracy, and is a bit more error proof.

The Hornady Lock n Load scale has the same features as the Redding and is comparable.

I guess I lean toward the RCBS simply because it's a little easier to use for a beginner.

You should also get a powder trickle to go with it. Again, they are all comparable but I do love my Ohaus. It has just the right internal threading to feed small and large granule powder equally well.

 

[Kaveman44]

so is one Single Stage Press any better or more accurate? I'm really close in choosing the Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic , like how they have the lock in bushing!