Newbie starts a reloading journey...

[MGoBlue2B1A1]

Greetings,

A few months have passed since I started thinking about reloading. During that time I watched and read a lot of what's out there about reloading, and I realized that (1) for obvious reasons this is a lousy time to start this hobby, and (2) the amount of info out there is daunting, and the best way to get answers is to ask; the more specific the questions - the better the answers will be.

Eventually, I plan to be reloading 9,45,38,357, and 223/5.56, but for simplicity I want to start with 9mm. I'm building a modified NRMA bench, and a Hornady Lock-N-Load is waiting to be mounted (and I got the Hornady book as well).

So let me start with a few questions (and I apologize in advance - if there's a "ready-made" set of answers for these which I failed to find - please point me in that direction and I'll be quiet...)

1. Powder - which should I get? (I saw something about searching for "ole standby", but it didn't quite help). Will it be same for all pistol calibers?
2. Another thing one about powder - in the reviews I watched of the Hornady powder measure, I recall lenticular vs, spherical powder and the fact that one is preferred over the other; any LNL AP users that can comment of this?
3. Dies - Looking for a recommended set of carbide dies that I don't have to wait for 2022 until it's available? Lee, for example, have a 3-die set and 4-die set - which do I need?

On last thing (for now...) - is it just me or nobody has anything that's got to do with 9mm? If it's not considered as "best kept secret" - is there some go-to vendors list with primers, bullets, casings?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Shadow9mm]

1- Powder-depends on what you can find. I really like Power Pistol. Got me the best velocities. Its now my personal go-to. I got some accurate #7 to try, but have not had a chance yet. and HP-38 and N340 where underwhelming. I like full power loads.

2- the powder measure DEGREASE, DEGREASE, and DEGREASE. If not the powder will stick to the insides of the multiple funnels, you wll get inconsistent throws, and it will make a mess. I prefer brake cleaner. It seems to do ok with both stick and round, have not tried flakes yet.

3- I have Hornady, Lee, and RCBD die sets. for 9mm, personally, I would get the lee 4 die if you can. I have the Hornady 3 dies set for 9mm and ended up buying the lee carbide sizer, and carbide crimp die. may be getting the lee seater as well since you can get custom stems from lee for it.

4- I had problems with powder jumping out of the case mouths due to the detent on the plate snapping things in place. Don't hit the ball bearings with a hammer. Don't take a dremil to your plate. try replacing the metal case retaining spring with an o-ring 2.5x69mm, they are like $15 for a 25 pack on amazon... it will dampen the snap.

Casings, try "no-bull tactical llc". $74.99 for 2000 once fired unprocessed 9mm casings. Flat rate shipping. They are an odd shop. You will need to call and order over the phone. he will call you back in a couple days to get payment and shipping address. He does not take payment until its ready to ship. I have ordered from him twice, 1000 223, 3000 9mm, 500 44slp, the once fired unprocessed is dirty, but good brass, wear some rubber gloves, you hands will be black. I suspect it comes from indoor ranges and it swept up with all the powder and trash on the floor at the end of the day. But its the best prices I have been able to find.

Bullets, If you dont mind cast lead, go with Brazos Great coated bullets, the 115g cast lead are around $0.046 each cents each ($42.99 for 889, they sell by weight, 15lb) They also have 5lb sample packs here https://www.brazosprecision.com/SAMPLES-5lbs-of-any-Pistol-profile_p_42.html. they are running about 2-4 weeks backordered, but my stuff has been coming pretty quick. with coated lead you will need to flare the case mouth a touch so you don't scrape the coating off. and you will need make sure your bullets are properly sized. they need to be no less than 0.001 larger than the widest part of your barrel. my guns measured at 0.3355, so I Order 0.337.

 

[MGoBlue2B1A1]

Thank you for this very informative reply!

... I really like Power Pistol...I got some accurate #7 to try, but have not had a chance yet. and HP-38 and N340 where underwhelming.

That's a great starting point; I have not yet gotten to the point of exploring alternatives, so I'll be on the lookout for PP. A bit surprised about the Hodgdon, but I guess it's the power of advertising.

the powder measure DEGREASE, DEGREASE, and DEGREASE. If not the powder will stick to the insides of the multiple funnels, you wll get inconsistent throws, and it will make a mess. I prefer brake cleaner. It seems to do ok with both stick and round, have not tried flakes yet.

Yeah, every review talked about having to dismantle and totally clean the powder-drop unit. I plan to use One-Shot per Hornady's instructions. Brake cleaner? Never thought about it since I'd be concerned that it's too aggressive, but I guess I'm wrong. As to the powder shape: the reviews talked about the stopper acting like a "guillotine", which tubular powder may cause it to stick.

...personally, I would get the lee 4 die if you can.

That's what I was thinking - glad to have this confirmed.

I had problems with powder jumping out of the case mouths due to the detent on the plate snapping things in place. ... try replacing the metal case retaining spring with an o-ring 2.5x69mm

Ah, some videos I watched discussed this "jumping powder" issue - they were mitigating it by timing the placement of the bullet in the brass on the downwards stroke before it hits the bottom. Something that (I think) cannot work if you use bullet feeder.

Casings, try "no-bull tactical llc"...

I checked their site - very interesting. Will definitely give them a call.

Thanks again!

 

[Shadow9mm]

Dont get me wrong about the Hodgdon, they make good powder. They just did not give me the resuts I wanted, I was looking for 1200 fps or better ith 115g and 1100fps or better with 125g

my results
Power Pistol
115g FMJ, 6.7g (lee max older manual) 1296fps
124g xtp, 5.7g, (lee max, older manual) 1173fps
125g cast lead 6.4g (old lee max 6.6, older manual, too hot in my opinion) 1234fps

N340
115g fmj, 4.8 and 5.0, very weak ejection. 5.4, max, 1109fps
124g xtp, 3.9, 4.1, very weak ejection. 4.6 max, 1022fps

HP-38
115g fmj, 5.1g(max) 1190fps
124g xtp 4.8(max) 1133

This may also help. thread on 9mm powders i started looking for warmer loads
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609960


bought AA #7 to try, no testing done yet, hopefully in the next week or 2. was well recommended in the thread.

Heard good things about CFE Pistol, but I cant find any

I used Hodgdon universal years back. no chrono or data, but it seemed to burn well and relatively clean and give a good kick. Cant find that either.

Unique, I used it years, back, If I remember correctly it burned on the dirty side and I did not like it. again that was before I had a chrono...


Yes, You can put the bullet in as its coming down, however that make it impossible to use a powder cop die to check the level for over or under charge like I had hoped to. Granted you can see the level in 9mm pretty well, I plan to visually check the powder level every round, and weight it every 50rnds or so.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

So let me start with a few questions (and I apologize in advance - if there's a "ready-made" set of answers for these which I failed to find - please point me in that direction and I'll be quiet...)

Powder - which should I get? (I saw something about searching for "ole standby", but it didn't quite help). Will it be same for all pistol calibers?

There are several handgun powders that can work with pretty much all handgun cartridges, albeit some better than others. The one I use is Winchester 231, which is the exact same powder as Hodgdon HP-38. I can use it (and have used it) in everything from .380 ACP through .45 Colt.

I should note that a "full" charge of Win 231 in .45 Colt is a small drop in the bottom of the case. It works and it's safe, but I have concerns about both double-charging a case, and also having the powder charge moving around in the case affecting pressure and velocity. So for .45 Colt I bought a bottle of Trail Boss.

That was before all the shortages came upon us. Today, your choice of powder may be less "What's best?" and more "What can I get?" You can also look at Unique, Bullseye, and some others. Look at as many reloading manuals as you can find on the Interbet and see which powders keep turning up in the calibers you want to load for.

Another thing one about powder - in the reviews I watched of the Hornady powder measure, I recall lenticular vs, spherical powder and the fact that one is preferred over the other; any LNL AP users that can comment of this?

Some powders are finer than others, and are more prone to leakage. Depending on what's available to you, this may be something you're going to have to accept.

Dies - Looking for a recommended set of carbide dies that I don't have to wait for 2022 until it's available? Lee, for example, have a 3-die set and 4-die set - which do I need?

All you need is a 3-die set, but I don't think Lee's 3-die set is carbide (maybe the decapping/sizing die is.) The three die sets -- from all the makers -- combine bullet seating and crimping in the third die. This makes adjusting the die somewhat critical. If you have the crimp dialed in too early, it can damage the bullets as they are seated. If the crimp is too late relative to the seating, you don't get enough crimp. Lee's factory Crimp Die (the fourth die in the 4-die sets) does the crimping after the seating, so you can adjust the seating die to seat the bullets and leave the crimp backed way off on die #3. The Factory Crimp Die also has a carbide sizing ring in it, so it does a post-seating full length resizing (re-resizing) while crimping. Some people love this feature, others hate it.

 

[rc]

W231, Unique or Universal will take care of most of your pistol loads in all calibers. No powder is optimum in all cases but some do well over a broad spectrum of pistol calibers and pressure levels. Lower pressure rounds prefer very fast powders like bullseye and higher pressure rounds prefer slower powders like Blue Dot or H110 for max velocity within pressure limits. You may want two pistol powders but something middle of the road like unique will work ok for all your pistol rounds. Much slower Rifle powders are completely incompatible with pistol powders.

4895, AA2230, W748, TAC and others are what you want for 223 and will work in many other centerfire rifles. As others have stated what you can find will dictate what you will be using. Some calibers work better with lead bullets than others. Like 38 special for example. Great caliber with lead bullets. 9mm can shoot lead but it's not as desirable. Be very careful starting with progressive press. You don't want an over charge and you must work SLOWLY until you get some experience and can pick up the pace. Some powders will fill a case and are less likely to allow a double charge without noticing. Some will only fill a small portion of the case and may need more vigilance while you are loading.

 

[Shadow9mm]

W231, Unique or Universal will take care of most of your pistol loads in all calibers. No powder is optimum in all cases but some do well over a broad spectrum of pistol calibers and pressure levels. Lower pressure rounds prefer very fast powders like bullseye and higher pressure rounds prefer slower powders like Blue Dot or H110 for max velocity within pressure limits. You may want two pistol powders but something middle of the road like unique will work ok for all your pistol rounds. Much slower Rifle powders are completely incompatible with pistol powders.

4895, AA2230, W748, TAC and others are what you want for 223 and will work in many other centerfire rifles. As others have stated what you can find will dictate what you will be using. Some calibers work better with lead bullets than others. Like 38 special for example. Great caliber with lead bullets. 9mm can shoot lead but it's not as desirable. Be very careful starting with progressive press. You don't want an over charge and you must work SLOWLY until you get some experience and can pick up the pace. Some powders will fill a case and are less likely to allow a double charge without noticing. Some will only fill a small portion of the case and may need more vigilance while you are loading.

Totally agree, lead in a 9mm auto pistol is not ideal, but they are available for now, are only 5 cents per bullet, and have not given me any issues as of yet.

Right now I feel like its about what you can even find. Given you are looking to load multiple calibers, unique and or universal would be a good place to start if you want to have a powder you can use across a wider range or cartridges. I kinda focused on 9mm now as that is what you are starting out with. but it is always good to have powder options.

 

[kmw1954]

My suggestion is if you are going to start with the 9mm find some Berry's or Xtreme plated bullets in the 115gr or 124gr verity they will be the cheapest and easiest to start loading with. Powders I have mine narrowed down to 4 for pistol, HP-38/W231, AA#2, AA#5 and Ramshot Silhouette.

In pistols I load for 380, 9mm, 38Spl, 45acp, the only one I use a fourth die is the 45acp and that is only because I have one gun with an exceptionally tight chamber.

Good luck and BTW Welcome to the forum!

 

[WESHOOT2]

1) ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION when touching ANYTHING OTHER THAN PAPER
2) Read your manuals first, and fully; if there is anything you do not understand, ask.
3) When in doubt throw it out (okay, keep it until you can pull it down to retrieve components).
4) One handgun powder? Alliant Power Pistol.
5) Bullets of the same weight but different manufacturer are NOT the same.
6) Start low work up slow.
7) ALL guns are ALWAYS different.
8) LEE and Lyman dies; for revolver cartridges crimp using the superior Redding Profile Crimp die.
9) NO distractions when loading; stop, distract, focus, return to loading.
10) Make two test two; make ten test ten; make two hundred test two hundred; make many.

 

[WESHOOT2]

and some (smart) people record everything they do, using specifics like component lot numbers, test conditions, etc.
Lyman data log notebooks.......

 

[mgulino]

Good suggestion above to start with some Berry's plated bullets. If you do, use load data for lead bullets and slowly work up.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

For me these are my go to powders for 9mm and .223. 9mm Clays and 700X. .223 H4895, Varget, and H335. If you get in to either of these, 7.62x39 ACC1680, and 6.5CM H4350. Now powders I’ve used that work well in .223, Benchmark, IMR4064, RE15, and BlC2. In 9mm, HS6, HP38, Power Pistol, Autocomp, and Titegroup.

 

[MGoBlue2B1A1]

Wow. Thank you all *so much* for the warm welcome and this helpful (and patient...) input !

Some of what's been said here is worth printing as "reminder banner" on the wall in my reloading area. Definitely going to log as much as I can (probably keep an active Excel sheet using an older, out-of-comission laptop on the bench). Probably a bit OCD, but I think I'm going to copy and retain in an easily-accessible way some of your comments & recommendations here. You guys are golden!

Some followup questions:

...for revolver cartridges crimp using the superior Redding Profile Crimp die.

When I get a 357 die set for my Python, are you saying I should get Redding? What's unique about the crimping of a revolver ammo?

...I don't think Lee's 3-die set is carbide ... Lee's factory Crimp Die (the fourth die in the 4-die sets) does the crimping after the seating, so you can adjust the seating die to seat the bullets and leave the crimp backed way off on die #3.

I'll check, but I think LEE's info page about that set says it's carbide. Also, if I use the 4 die set - does that mean I cannot use a powder-check die?

Look at as many reloading manuals as you can find on the Internet

"Knowledge is power", but what are the real benefits of getting more manuals beyond the Hornady book?

 

[mgulino]

When I get a 357 die set for my Python, are you saying I should get Redding? What's unique about the crimping of a revolver ammo?

I use Lee dies for all my reloading, including .357. Regardless, you will need to crimp revolver loads to prevent the bullet from creeping out the case mouth due to recoil.

I'll check, but I think LEE's info page about that set says it's carbide. Also, if I use the 4 die set - does that mean I cannot use a powder-check die?

Check with Lee. The 4-die set is usually resize/decap, powder-thru flare, seater, and crimp.

"Knowledge is power", but what are the real benefits of getting more manuals beyond the Hornady book?

More "good" data sources are always preferred. Manuals like Hornady or Lyman and online sources like Hodgdon's Reloading or Nosler are good sources of information. The more information you have, the easier it will be to begin working up a safe, accurate load.

 

[Shadow9mm]

I prefer the lee manual. I feel like it has the most data. Some don't like it, and I have heard some say lee just complies other factory loads. Either way, in my experience, I like it better.

I usually also reference online sources. Powder and bullet makers usually have load data for their products.

 

[Shane Tuttle]

From one Michigan fan to another,

1. I'm in the same boat as Aguila. I love HP38 and Win231. Same powder. I prefer to load for range shooting. Preferred charge level is where the slide will fully function without issue. It's usually at the lower/mid range of the load data. All due respect to Shadow's preferences, I wouldn't go on a quest for high speed/low drag velocities if all you want are loads for long range sessions and being able to have reasonable accuracy and soft recoil. If you're trying to muster accuracy to the nearest thousandth of an inch, you might try Shadow's preferences.

2. The said powders meters like a dream in my Hornady Lock 'N' Load powder measure. It's been very consistent.

3. I'm a buy once, cry once kind of guy. Redding dies are my all-time favorite. RCBS is next. Lee if I'm in a pinch. If you're patient, order Redding dies. (I have warmed up to the Lee Factory Crimp Die).

Oh, and I'm borderline OCD when it comes to cleaning/maintaining/caring for my equipment. (Well, with everything, really). One of the last chemicals that touch my press is brake cleaner...chlorinated or not. That stuff is not friendly to paint finishes and plastics. Denatured alcohol (at Lowe's) or even Isopropyl with what I use to clean/degrease my press. Even then, I don't keep cleaning the plastics (such as the powder hopper) with it.

My absolute favorite bullet vendor is Precision Delta. Competitive prices. Bullets are consistent. Customer service is outstanding. If you prefer plated (which their prices don't seem much different), Berry's is the only place I recommend. Rainier plated bullets are garbage, IMO. Powder Valley, Inc. is a good source for powder/primers. I normally buy local for that stuff.

 

[P Flados]

9mm stuff is at a premium right now.

If you are having a hard time getting the stuff you want at regular prices, you might want to consider swapping over to 38/357 or 45 acp for starting out. In my experience, either of these are easier to get up and running with good results. They are also both generally much happier to get along with commercial cast bullets that are readily available.

For powders, anything with a burn rate from Red Dot to Unique work good for most pistol shooting. However some powders meter good, some ok and some poor. Also, some have lots of load data available and some have little to none.

Right now, you may want to make a list of at least a half dozen that sound Ok and just see what you can find available. I will work my way down the burn rate chart and talk to some of the powders I use or am familiar with.

Red Dot / Promo: Very cost effective (Promo especially). I load more ammo with Alliant's bulk version of Red Dot (Promo) than anything else. This is a very versatile powder that will do full power in the 9mm & 45 acp, will do great in the 38 Sp and will do very nice mid range loads in the 357. Tons of load data. For all flake powders, metering is not great. However, this powder seems to do OK for more people than most flake powders.

700x: Very similar to Red Dot in performance. Not used in handguns nearly as much but still works well. Metering is not great. Reasonable load data.

Bullseye: Great powder made specifically for handguns that has tons of dedicated followers. Meters great. Tons of load data.

Titegroup: Very cost effective and my choice for the 9mm. Meters great.
Has some quirks. I do not recommend it for things like progressive press and 38 Sp, 357 Mag or other applications where it will only fill a small percentage of the free space in a case. Also noted to cause your gun to get hotter if you are into anything resembling rapid fire competition. Hodgdon provides data for all typical applications.

Green Dot: Works good but not really all that popular. Adequate load data.

231 / HP38: These are the same thing and are made for handguns. They meter great, work great and have tons of load data.

Unique: This is at the slow end of the general purpose handgun powders. Many folks use it more for its flexibility (i.e. works in everything) than anything else. In some revolver cartridges, it will deliver pretty stout loads. Universal is Hodgdon's attempt at a Unique clone and probably works about the same but is not nearly as popular.

Power Pistol: Slower than Unique, but more dense. Many times it will give you a little more than anything above if you are pushing for maximum velocities. Not the most economical. Example loads were noted where it required close to 50% more powder to get 5% more performance than Red Dot.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

Wow. Thank you all *so much* for the warm welcome and this helpful (and patient...) input !

Some of what's been said here is worth printing as "reminder banner" on the wall in my reloading area. Definitely going to log as much as I can (probably keep an active Excel sheet using an older, out-of-comission laptop on the bench). Probably a bit OCD, but I think I'm going to copy and retain in an easily-accessible way some of your comments & recommendations here. You guys are golden!

Some followup questions:

When I get a 357 die set for my Python, are you saying I should get Redding? What's unique about the crimping of a revolver ammo?


I'll check, but I think LEE's info page about that set says it's carbide. Also, if I use the 4 die set - does that mean I cannot use a powder-check die?


"Knowledge is power", but what are the real benefits of getting more manuals beyond the Hornady book?

Might I make a couple quick suggestions. If you are planning on loading for .357/.38 I’d suggest starting with .38, it’s a little easier to load for than 9mm. My second suggestion is for crimping.357, get the Lee Collet Crimp die. It’s easier to use, easier on brass, and more tolerant of slight differences in case length.

 

[WESHOOT2]

consider your goals

When I get a 357 die set for my Python, are you saying I should get Redding? What's unique about the crimping of a revolver ammo?

The Redding Profile Crimp die offers a gentle taper as it symmetrically roll-crimps, enhancing both accuracy and ballistic consistency.
Most highly recommend.

You've gotten, and continue to get advice about powders.
Any advice I may give starts with the premise of 'Safety First', because...

Based on the cartridges you listed, Alliant Power Pistol is very safe, meters well, burns clean, has significant tested data available, and offers great accuracy potential.
If unavailable, or merely adding choices, my second recommendation is Hodgdon Universal, for the same reasons as PP, but with better economy.

I always recommend as many manuals as possible, and most highly recommend adding the Lyman choice.