New to reloading

[thisisdonald]

The latest Lyman reloading book is THE one to get, IMO.

Cheers for the recommendation.. I always value your posts Tac, and I'll pick this book up based on your advice. Theres so much shite out there, and it's like hiring a joiner off of gumtree, I'd much rather take the advice of a friend.
I got the richard lee book when I started reloading, but quickly realised I was technically in line with what it was saying.. now I'm looking for books with data that I can use... even though I'm only using a few powders..

Cheers mate

[tinbum]

Even more useful info!

We have ordered the US cleaner recommended by Turnup as Mrs Bum can use that for jewellery etc as well (Do you remove the primer before cleaning?).
I have so far managed to find a set of dies, a powder measure and I have a digital caliper. I will be getting a couple of books including that recommended by Tac. If I'm right that leaves a quality beam scale, a primer dispenser and press yet to find.

I plan to drive to a decent shop that's quite a way off on Wednesday for some supplies. I am going to buy 1k Geco factory rounds, this should give me a couple of months to choose a press. I will also get 1k bullets, 1k primers and some powder. I have a choice of bullets ranging wildly in price. Given that I am shooting both informally and badly at a fixed distance, am I right thinking the cheaper ones will be fine? (LOS 123 or 115grn). Could you also give me a few powders to look out for too?

[DedIdick]

Just make sure your cheap rounds are Boxer primed. There used to be an awful lot of Berdan primed stuff out there. You will really notice the difference once you try to de-prime!!!

[tinbum]

Just make sure your cheap rounds are Boxer primed. There used to be an awful lot of Berdan primed stuff out there. You will really notice the difference once you try to de-prime!!!

Everything I've found on t'interwebs says they are, and the fellas at the club all use them. Gilles even managed "Good, keep" when I turned up with the first box a few weeks back.

[simgre]

LOS bullets are plated, not jacketed. They are adequate for plinking. Use data for cast bullets, keeps the velocity a little lower which is preferred in plated. I have previously found inconsistencies with these, my last lot had bullets keyholing.

Powders wise, you’ll be well served with Vectan. I imagine you should never have supply issues that you can get with US powders. BA9 1/2 is a multi use powder covering lots of cartridges and loads.

Personally I believe when you’re learning, you need the best components and ammunition that you can assemble/obtain. As you’ll know, ammunition performance can vary greatly, and if that variable is removed you’ll know that you are chasing your skill level and not taking negatives from poor performance of the ammo.

[tinbum]

LOS bullets are plated, not jacketed. They are adequate for plinking. Use data for cast bullets, keeps the velocity a little lower which is preferred in plated. I have previously found inconsistencies with these, my last lot had bullets keyholing.

Powders wise, you’ll be well served with Vectan. I imagine you should never have supply issues that you can get with US powders. BA9 1/2 is a multi use powder covering lots of cartridges and loads.

Personally I believe when you’re learning, you need the best components and ammunition that you can assemble/obtain. As you’ll know, ammunition performance can vary greatly, and if that variable is removed you’ll know that you are chasing your skill level and not taking negatives from poor performance of the ammo.

Apart from the obvious, what is the difference between FMJ and plated? Please bear in mind this is all totally new to me!

I have found 124grn FMJ Geco for €78 per thousand, (which I am currently using) so with the amorces at €25 per thousand that makes it half the cost of factory, plus powder. Powder cannot be bought easily by mail order, so I may see what powder the shop has and order the rest on t'interweb

[rockdrill]

Jacketed bullets have a formed, often copper*, jacket with a lead core, plated are a lead bullet with a light plating of copper.

The jacketed bullets are more robust and can generally be shot at higher velocity.

[simgre]

In short, as rockdrill said above. The copper jacket on an FMJ is a separate component, where as plated is a covering.

I've just remembered you're using a Glock. If memory serves, the polygon rifling of the Glock does not generally shoot lead or plated bullets well. I remember that the manual also guards against it. Obviously there will be those that have found otherwise. All I'm saying, is double check first. Don't go dropping cash on a thousand bullets unless you know they'll fly straight out of your barrel.

[DesG]

Reloading is not cheap or money saving.
After spending out on dies, press, scales, vernier gauges, load trays, pocket cleaners, lube, powder, primers, heads and anything else I've missed this no cheaper than buying factory ammo, but it is a hobby and art form in its self. It's very relaxing and interesting and the results are fascinating.
The only way to make it semi viable is to load multiple calbres and try and use the same powder for each one which is usually possible..
You'll spend more time reloading than shooting !!!!

I beg to differ. For pistol calibres such as 38 and 9mm I can reload 200 to 400 an hour on my lee progressive depending on my mood. With cheap primers as low as 30quid a thousand and home cast bullets (heads, projectiles, ball, whatever) and gm 3 or similar I reckon I’m shooting for 4 quid a hundred. I bought my press in around 1990 so that’s paid for itself many times over. Even starting out you can get set up for under two hundred. I haven’t seen thirty eights for under thirty quid a hundred so that’s quite a saving.

Reloading rifle ammo with bought bullets then the margins are much narrower, and for 12bore, forget handloading except for specials.

[DesG]

Apart from the obvious, what is the difference between FMJ and plated? Please bear in mind this is all totally new to me!

I have found 124grn FMJ Geco for €78 per thousand, (which I am currently using) so with the amorces at €25 per thousand that makes it half the cost of factory, plus powder. Powder cannot be bought easily by mail order, so I may see what powder the shop has and order the rest on t'interweb

But for the plague, we would today be heading up from La tranche sur mer with the tintent on our way to near pont chateau. I would have been able to get you a press set up, teach you to reload, drop you off a nice leather badger bag and a bp box. And maybe convinced the missus that a place in France would be just right for us.

Damn the plague.

[tinbum]

In short, as rockdrill said above. The copper jacket on an FMJ is a separate component, where as plated is a covering.

I've just remembered you're using a Glock. If memory serves, the polygon rifling of the Glock does not generally shoot lead or plated bullets well. I remember that the manual also guards against it. Obviously there will be those that have found otherwise. All I'm saying, is double check first. Don't go dropping cash on a thousand bullets unless you know they'll fly straight out of your barrel.

It's a Gen 5 so has the marksman rifled barrel to allow lead/plated rounds. I think I'll still go with the FMJ though for simplicity

[severnsider]

Cheers for the recommendation.. I always value your posts Tac, and I'll pick this book up based on your advice. Theres so much shite out there, and it's like hiring a joiner off of gumtree, I'd much rather take the advice of a friend.
I got the richard lee book when I started reloading, but quickly realised I was technically in line with what it was saying.. now I'm looking for books with data that I can use... even though I'm only using a few powders..

Cheers mate

If you like a good read and some fascinating insights into the development of various powders and projectiles, along with a great range of reloading data for both pistol and rifle, then Philip Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Handloading" is worth getting hold of. First published in 1937 it includes data for propellants which are still available today. I downloaded a copy from the internet...…. booksellers also have them but buying from the USA will incur significant postage charges!

[severnsider]

In short, as rockdrill said above. The copper jacket on an FMJ is a separate component, where as plated is a covering.

I bought a bag of "FMJ" .38 a while ago from a gunshop in Wiltshire. I was surprised to find that they hadn't taken out the manufacturers ticket which stated "LOS plated". Being curious I carefully cut through one and found that the plating was very thick indeed. Not as thick as FMJ would be, but nonetheless not exactly paper-thin either. Shot these at a good speed on top of 2400 with good accuracy at 50m without any signs of the plating having stripped off or being cut through by the rifling (looking at bullets recovered from the sand backstop).

I wonder whether there are perhaps different grades of plating available?

[enfield2band]

Jacketed bullets have a formed copper jacket with a lead core, plated are a lead bullet with a light plating of copper.

The jacketed bullets are more robust and can generally be shot at higher velocity.

Some bullets are steel jacketed and copper plated.

Some are brass jacketed and copper plated.

I would always opt for either copper jacketed or cast lead.
Cast lead is adequate at 25 yards and is accurate at 100 yards in a rifle.

[Turnup]

Even more useful info!

We have ordered the US cleaner recommended by Turnup as Mrs Bum can use that for jewellery etc as well (Do you remove the primer before cleaning?).

<snip>

Yes, I size and deprime before US cleaning. I don't think the cleaner would get to the primer pockets if the primer were still in place.

I load 50 neck down into the plastic brick thingy found inside most boxes of cartridges (make sure that they are open at the bottom - some are closed and this will stop the vibrations getting into the case) drop the brick into the basket and zap for (I think) 6 minutes - it's the longest setting on my bath. Then I carefully lift out the brick and basket together, remove the basket and invert it on to the brick, then holding the brick in place turn the whole thing the right way up so now you have the cases neck down in the basket - put it all back in the cleaner and zap it for another 6 minutes. As I said before do not let the cases sit in the bath for long after it has finished - the fine crud will settle out on to the cases and it is very hard to get off again. I set a kitchen timer 'cos it is very easy to get engrossed in sometihng else and forget and I certainly cannot stand and watch it for 6 minutes. I usually then just give it a blow to get most of the drops off and sit it on a radiator overnight to dry. If I am in a hurry then I dry then in an oven (not in the brick!) but I usually have plenty of dry ones from earlier sessions to use.

Now is a good time to inspect the cases. IME when they are past it they develop cracks in the case mouth (that part gets worked each time you flare and crimp it). It is not particularly dangerous if a case is split and you miss it. It is supported during firing by the chamber wall but the crimp tension will not be so good. If it gets really bad there is a possibility of a piece of the case getting into the barrel but I have never had this, even with a case which ended up split from mouth to almost touching the rim (case material gets thicker towards the base). I bin them when they get a visible split.

To prolong case life use the smallest amount of mouth flare and the smallest amount of crimp possible. You can barely detect the flare on mine and I crimp only enough to leave the mouth parallel (i.e. remove the flare) but no more. Care setting this up is invested because it rarely needs to be adjusted again unless changing to a different brand of case which is a slightly different length.

I do not use case lube. I think it is more important on necked rifle cartridges than on straight pistol cartridges but others may know better.