Almost ready!!

[Gliden07]

Its been a long road!! I'm on a tight budget, every week I try and put a couple dollars aside to get my equipment together to reload for my 45ACP. I have everything I need to reload except bullets!! I was planning on casting the bullets that I was gonna use but I'm probably gonna buy 100 or so to get everything set up and try my new toy! I still need lead for ingots/bullets and a few misc. items to start casting but I'm closing in!! Heres what I have.

Reloading Equipment:

Lee Pro 1000 (Set up for 45ACP)
Winchester 231 Powder
300-45ACP Large primer shells
CCI 300 LP Primers
BOOLIT when I start casting is gonna be Lee TL452-230-2R
Misc- Scale, Digital Caliper, Lyman 49th Handbook odds n ends

I was gonna start with 4.5 grains of 231 and see how that goes. Any suggestions from some of you experts out there would be welcome!!

Thanks!! :veryconfu

[Mk42gunner]

If this is just for plinking, a 200-ish grain boolit will save you lead. 231 works well in the .45ACP.

Robert

[Wayne Smith]

Post your location. Somebody is likely to be close and willing to help.

[462]

Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook -- 3rd or 4th edition, or better yet both -- are invaluable. The 3rd list loads for some classic moulds that are out of production, while the 4th lists loads for a few moulds from other manufacturers. Of course, they explain the entire casting process.

[trixter]

BOOLIT when I start casting is gonna be Lee TL452-230-2R


I made that same choice and love it. I have a lee reloader press set up with the sizing die at .452 for my cast boolits. I use Lee liquid alox for lube and all is well.

It works great.

[Gliden07]

Post your location. Somebody is likely to be close and willing to help.

I'm in Western Mass. About an hour away from Alabany NY!!

[km101]

I have used Unique for about 35 years, and have always had good results. I used to be a LOT cheaper than other powders, adn is still a few bucks cheaper per pound. Lets you shoot a little more. It's kinda' dirty, but what the heck, you're gonna' clean it after each trip to the range anyway!

Just my $0.02

Ken

NRA Life Member

[Moonie]

Unique is not as dirty as it used to be, it has been reformulated. I've also used Unique for many years and change between it and clays in my 45 loads.

[.22-10-45]

Hello, Gliden07..I hear ya on that tight budget thing!..while your waiting for other stuff..keep a lookout at garage sales, etc. for a couple of stainless steel spoons & old cast-iron muffin moulds. I like to grind/sand to match inside pot contour, & drill bowl full of as many 1/8" holes as I can fit in there..perfect for scraping dross off pot sidewalls & skimming surface after fluxing. Pair of canvas/leather gloves & kind of pricy..but you'll never wear it out..a leather welders apron. Goggles and/or full face shield.

[Bret4207]

You're starting off with a progressive press??? Might be worth spending $20.00 and getting the bottom of the line Lee single stage press so you can learn to reload before you try to use a progressive.

[sparky45]

You're starting off with a progressive press??? Might be worth spending $20.00 and getting the bottom of the line Lee single stage press so you can learn to reload before you try to use a progressive.

I would respectfully disagree; My theory would be to buy the very best you can afford the first time. The learning curve isn't all that great. My first press was the Lee Pro1000. There are some excellent videos on setup and use of this press on Youtube.com by Cowboy T.
Sparky45

[Gliden07]

You're starting off with a progressive press??? Might be worth spending $20.00 and getting the bottom of the line Lee single stage press so you can learn to reload before you try to use a progressive.

Not to beat a dead horse but I'm on a tight budget, and the Pro 1000 was givin to me it was set up for .38spec and 357Mag when I got it. I bought all the conversion pieces Shell plate, Die set and large primer setup so minus the 45ACP dies it cost me about 24 bucks for the press! I sold the 38/357 die set for $15 so $9 for the press! I rebuilt the press disassembiling every piece of it degressing it removing rust etc... I did have to replace the Hex Rachet in the shell plate assembly (A local Gun shop here gave me a package of 3!) other than that all the reconed parts were in good order.

Sparky 45, I've watched all of Cowboy T's videos (there GREAT!!) along with going to the Lee factory sight and tuning the press the best I can without running a reload thru yet (I'm waiting for a scale so I can verify the powder charge). I don't know how well the press will work but I plan on using it like a turret press until I get the hang of it (Running it with a case at a time). Everything seems to be working Great right now cases Cycle thru? But time will tell?

If worse comes to worse I do have the bottem of the line Lee press that I am using to size the Boolits I just started to cast. This site has been FANTASTIC and has helped me so much, I could not have done what I've done without the help of the members of this forum!!

[Bret4207]

If you already have a single stage, I'd recommend running a couple dozen through that, at least, to get the feel for the actual reloading part. Progressives are great, but complex, you don't get in a Ferrari to learn to drive.

[sparky45]

"Sparky 45, I've watched all of Cowboy T's videos (there GREAT!!) along with going to the Lee factory sight and tuning the press the best I can without running a reload thru yet (I'm waiting for a scale so I can verify the powder charge). I don't know how well the press will work but I plan on using it like a turret press until I get the hang of it (Running it with a case at a time). Everything seems to be working Great right now cases Cycle thru? But time will tell?"

Cowboy T is good, isn't he? The thing I took from his and other videos is that the plastic parts probably should be replaced(the plastic gear thingy). Kudo's for using it as a Turret press to get the hang of it, but I bet that doesn't last long.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Gliden07]

"Sparky 45, I've watched all of Cowboy T's videos (there GREAT!!) along with going to the Lee factory sight and tuning the press the best I can without running a reload thru yet (I'm waiting for a scale so I can verify the powder charge). I don't know how well the press will work but I plan on using it like a turret press until I get the hang of it (Running it with a case at a time). Everything seems to be working Great right now cases Cycle thru? But time will tell?"

Cowboy T is good, isn't he? The thing I took from his and other videos is that the plastic parts probably should be replaced(the plastic gear thingy). Kudo's for using it as a Turret press to get the hang of it, but I bet that doesn't last long.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I do enjoy his vids!! They are very informative and easy to understand! Something I apperciated setting my Lee Pro1000 up. He really seems to like them. There seems to be a love hate relationship with these loaders. Don't wanna Jynx myself but I'm pretty confidant mine is gonna work?? I'm just waiting for that scale to verify the powder charge. I don't know why Lee does there powder measure in CC's not grains?

[evil5826]

Its been a long road!! I'm on a tight budget, every week I try and put a couple dollars aside to get my equipment together to reload for my 45ACP. I have everything I need to reload except bullets!! I was planning on casting the bullets that I was gonna use but I'm probably gonna buy 100 or so to get everything set up and try my new toy! I still need lead for ingots/bullets and a few misc. items to start casting but I'm closing in!! Heres what I have.

Reloading Equipment:

Lee Pro 1000 (Set up for 45ACP)
Winchester 231 Powder
300-45ACP Large primer shells
CCI 300 LP Primers
BOOLIT when I start casting is gonna be Lee TL452-230-2R
Misc- Scale, Digital Caliper, Lyman 49th Handbook odds n ends

I was gonna start with 4.5 grains of 231 and see how that goes. Any suggestions from some of you experts out there would be welcome!!

Thanks!! :veryconfu

I'd like to make a couple suggestions to add to your list
RCBS Carbide Sizer Die 45 ACP, 45 GAP Product #: 337711
Lyman Neck Expander M Die 45 Caliber Handgun Product #: 340927
RCBS Taper Crimp Seater Die 45 ACP, 45 GAP Product #: 480528

Product # = MidwayUSA product number just incase you wanted to search and buy there.

[mdi]

Sorry if I sound negative, but just because you got a progressive press free doesn't mean it's a good way to start/learn reloading. Spend a few bucks on a simple single stage press so you can learn what every step does and why it's done. Learning curve for beginning reloaders on a progressive is way steeper than a single stage or progressive. The goal is to successfully load safe ammo for your guns and figgering out a complicated machine added to that many times leads to frustration and quitting (and somettimes Kabooms!). Hey, no offence intended, jes a little wisdom from an old reloader...

[H.Callahan]

...and don't necessarily think of it as an additional cost. After you have one available, you are going to find a ton of uses for it even if you do have a progressive press. It won't be money wasted.

[Bret4207]

Glad I'm not alone.

[Moonie]

I'm currently out of room on my bench, I will be building more bench space. I have a new Pro1000 press that I need to mount on my bench, at first I thought just remove my turret and give it to my middle son. Then it dawned on me just how much I use that turret press as my other metallic press is a LoadMaster and cannot be used for the things a good turret or single station can be.

[Wayne Smith]

You have a single station press. I'll go with Bret and strongly recommend you load your first hundred or so cartridges on that so that you get the feel of each operation independently of anything else. You also get to see by experience the logical and common mistakes we all make when we start out. Then shift to the turret operation before you go fully automatic, if you ever do.