Stayed in tonight and did some reloading. Thought I'd take some pictures for you folks to look at. Enjoy. [?=The Magic Ammo Maker!][/?] [?=Tumbler and Separator][/?] [?=Trimmer][/?] [?=Scale][/?] [?=Booooleeeets!][/?] [?=By the Numbers][/?] [?=Closeup][/?] [?=w00t!][/?] [?=Load em Up!][/?] [YT="Filling the Primers - camera quality "]D6f6d56TlRw[/YT]
Man id love to know how to reload. But I wouldnt know where to start. I mean I dont even know what sort of equipment you would need. I take it you were making 5.56mm. What type (55gr, 62gr, etc..)? What is your unit cost? How much in savings are you looking at?
You guessed it, 5.56. The bullets are of the Hornady FMJBT variety at 55gr. The equipment ran into 4 figures, but I wanted to jump in with both feet (I have a deathly fear of buyer's remorse). Considering 1k of decent commercial ammo goes for $400 nowadays, I'm saving about $300 per thousand for ammo of better quality and consistency. I learned most of my reloading knowledge from the reloading section of AR15.com and bought my supplies from powdervalley.inc. Brass is free if I can beat the old guy at the range.
$300 per thousand? Are you absolutely sure about that? I ask because I just spent $150 or so on 500 rds of that Georgia Arms crap. On Cheaper Than Dirt, they have the surplus M855 for $379.97 for 600 rds. @ 1000 rds that would be $633.28. So what you are saying is there are cost savings of around 50%? . In fact Im heading to the lakeland show in a few minutes to see if I can score any ammo. Thanks for the info on education though.
Aye. What with buying in bulk and picking up free brass at the public range, it comes in to around $100 per 1k easy.
A shooting range managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife commission. There's two shotgun ranges, a 100 yard rifle range, a pistol range, and a 200 yard rifle range. Costs 3 bucks to enter all day. During a cold range break, I scramble to change my targets and pick up as much brass as I can. Picked up a bunch of 30'06 last time.
$600 yougottabefuckingshittingme!!!!!!! Fuck even the fancy pants indoor ranges in Tampa (like Shoot Straight) only charge like $8.00 per hour. Dade City Rod and Gun club is $10.00 for all day. Its less at both if you have a membership. Ok so let me see if I have this straight, I would need: A press (Probably Dillon or Lee?) Dies (.223 and .40) Tumbler Trimmer Scale Powder Primers Brass Bullets Is that correct? I guess my next question would be...what the hell are dies and what do you use em for? I just got done watching the instructional videos at Lees, but Im not entirely sure I grasp everything. I think I have everything else figured out. What brands are you using and where did you get em from? Im sorry to be acting like an annoying n00b, but I really wanna learn.
Every time a cartridge is fired, it expands slightly. A sizing die is used to force it back to the proper dimensions. Bottlenecked cases such as the .223 will have the brass "pushed" up toward the neck when sized, which is where the trimmer comes in. The powder die drops the powder, then there's the bullet seater die and crimp die that seals the bullet in to avoid bullet setback while feeding. A good website to read up and purchase from is www.brianenos.com. I've bought most of my equipment from that site. Add case lube to your list.
$600 is the entrance fee into the Memphis sport shooters association. I don't know where to sight in my scope around here, so this fall it's either continue to shoost with iron sights like I did last season, or use a scope that could be off.
Range access "technically" costs me $50 per year. Those are my FOP dues. We can shoot six days a week. Sunday is off-limits due to a handshake deal. There's a small local church nearby and they ask that they don't hear gunfire during their services. Of course, I miss my personal and private range. Back when I had my land, I used a buddy's bulldozer to push up a berm. I planted grass, put in target stands, and tables to create a 25yard handgun range with graduated gravel paths and a 100 yard rifle range.
So that is the only rifle range around? Or is that a city / county organization you have to become a member of to be able to shoot at any rifle range? Sorry if I sound like a dunderhead, but it sounds so bloody confusing to me. I just search for a range and head there. It may be a haul, but how long would it take you to get to Oak Ridge? I hear they have a 1000m range there.
MSSA has a one time $400.00 initiation fee, then the yearly dues are $240.00 a year pro-rated. I was a member there for three years, but I let my membership laps last January because I don't know how much longer I'll be living in Memphis. They've got all outdoor ranges. They've got 15, 25, 50, and 100 yard covered ranges, Action pistol pits, a cowboy action area, Archery ranges, skeet, trap, and sporting clays, and a 200 - 600 yard high powered range. It's a nice set up, but it's pricey to join.
About the 500th time I was on hands and knees picking up brass, an idea came me... giant magnate on a scythe. Seriously, just sweep it over the ground, brass jumps up. Then I got to thinking about if brass was magnetic or not. And then we were done picking up brass and I quickly forgot. This whole cycle occurs every time we go to a range. One day I'm actually going to think of, and care enough about, the subject when I'm home and have access to the internet.
Brass is non-ferrous, and thus does not attract magnets. They have these things called "brass catchers" though.
Whew! You just saved yourself a whole buncha time building a magnetic scythe that wouldn't pick up brass.
I hate you all. Now I wish I was back in Kuwait where they had little Bedouin children running around picking up brass for me! (I've heard they have the same in Korea as well).
