New to reloading and looking for some guidance

[Ramem7mm]

Reloading is a big rabbit hole with lots of opinions and you will need to form your own opinions based on your testing. Learn the basics and if you find something that works do it the same every time to be able to repeat the same results. Quality results are an outcome of repeatable consistency.

Panhandle Precision and Erik Cortina have a few youtube videos that can be super informative. Watch them a few times and take notes.

Get Mitutoyo digital calipers and some basic hand tools. Burstfire anealer with prep center might be a decent option too.

If you pay for quality components brass, powder, bullets, barrel, and so on, you will get better results. Buy once cry once type of situation.

 

[alexnelon]

Where’s the best place to buy powder/primers?

Primers are usually cheaper online when you can get free hazmat.

Powder is way better to get in person unless you're buying 24 pounds at a time. $80 for a pound of H4350 in person is way cheaper than $59 + $20 hazmat + $17 shipping from PV or Grafs.

 

[Chris in TN]

Powder and primers are *best* when bought together from someplace like Blue Collar Reloading or Powder Valley when you can find the powder you want and the primers you want, both in stock at the same time, and you're confident enough in what you need that you can buy powder in 8# jugs.

Don't hold your breath on that happening every time or even often and maybe never. Until then just buy primers on sale and powder wherever.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Doesn't that frankford case prep deally trim as well? If so i'm not seeing a reason to get a little crow trimmer.

Depends they make a model that does and a model that doesn't. I have the model that does..I recommend upgrading the cutting head. Add the primer pocket swager and your good on 556 forever...lol

 

[wind gypsy]

Primers are usually cheaper online when you can get free hazmat.

Powder is way better to get in person unless you're buying 24 pounds at a time. $80 for a pound of H4350 in person is way cheaper than $59 + $20 hazmat + $17 shipping from PV or Grafs.

Powder in a # or 2 is usually a bad buy. Never done that but would if hazmat was free or I was already buying other powder/primers.. But if you buy an 8#er its not hard to beat what you see on the shelf at least around me even with hazmat. Not uncommon to find 8# hodgdon powders for $330-350 online. I haven't seen that in stores recently.

 

[Firth]

You've already gotten some good advice on powder, but I'll had my 2 cents.

Another reason to get the 8 lb containers is consistency. Lot to lot variation often isn't much, but sometimes it is, and even when it's not much it still might be important. You just don't know until you test it. An 8 lb container makes it so you don't have to deal with that as often; although if you can get same lot 1 lb containers that also addresses the issue. You'd have a pretty good chance being able to get the same lot if you are buying multiples at once, not so good otherwise.

Anymore, I pretty much buy 8 lb containers, and keep a 1 lb container on hand. I fill up the 1 lb container from the 8 lb jug and then use the 1 lb container for reloading until it's gone then refill it. That way I don't have to open the 8 lb jug as often. I don't know how much difference it makes but years ago I read that opening them less helps keep the powder more consistent over time. The thinking is opening the jug allows the powder to off gas and allows air with different humidity in. I think I read it from John Barsness.

For a lot of years, I just bought 1 lb containers though. Back when you could stroll into a store and pick up what you wanted anytime. A couple pics that will bring back memories for some:

 

[Harvey_NW]

I'll be the objective one and say a case prep station was a game changer for chamfer/deburr/nylon brush necks in 3 quick steps, no way I would ever go back to hand cranking.

I also prefer 99% alcohol and lanolin homemade spray lube (Hornady One Shot is actually super toxic in confined spaces), and a quick tumble in milled white rice.

Auto chargers are nice, but the more affordable ones have more variance so you'll still have to double check charges and trickle up if you want them precise.

Mitutoyo calipers, and a Hornady headspace gauge kit with bullet inserts work fine.

I still just use cheap Hornady Custom Grade FL die kits, but plan to test some mandrels in the future to see if it's worth the extra step, or investing in SAC dies with mandrel included.

140 class pills and N565 is usually a pretty PB&J combo for the 6.5 PRC.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

OP, I brought this one and it trims as well, was $189 I think on Amazon.

Case Trimmer & Prep Center for Reloading | Frankford Arsenal

Frankford Arsenal's Case Trim & Prep Center accurately trims brass in seconds. Includes inside and outside chamfer tools and primer pocket cleaners

www.frankfordarsenal.com

My Hornady brass always needed trimming and I got tired of cranking that trimmer like a circus monkey. The only stuff I never need to trim is the Nicker 5.56 Speer brass and this last batch of the AR 6 ARC brass none of it grew for some reason but it grows shot from my wife's RAR after I size it.

For the powder, Midsouth just came off a free Hazmat + free Shipping promo. I picked up primers and powder and some other stuff with zero extra charges.

When I first started I bought all the die sets I needed for each rifle, RCBS, Hornady, and Lee depending what was on sale at the time. Now the only thing I use from any of them is the sizing die because I swear everything with the Frankford Universal seating kit. I do crimp the AR cartridges so I guess those dies aren't a complete waste.

The above is all written by a new to reloading guy who really doesn't know much so FWIW. I did do 217 of my 6.5 CM trim, chamfer, deburr, and primer pocket cleaning two nights ago on that Frankford that would've taken a couple months without it.

 

[Castle Rock]

OP, I brought this one and it trims as well, was $189 I think on Amazon.

Case Trimmer & Prep Center for Reloading | Frankford Arsenal

Frankford Arsenal's Case Trim & Prep Center accurately trims brass in seconds. Includes inside and outside chamfer tools and primer pocket cleaners

www.frankfordarsenal.com

My Hornady brass always needed trimming and I got tired of cranking that trimmer like a circus monkey.

There is something really wrong with your sizing process.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

There is something really wrong with your sizing process.

I hope not, things are shooting well so I'd like to keep it that way. I will say I'm a stickler for consistency and like all the brass to be the same size so I set the trimmer to trim spec and go. Not sure if they're growing out of max spec or not but they're growing past the trim spec. The anomaly in the 5 cartridges I've been loading for is the AR that didn't grow at all. Out of about 120 rounds I did recently only 8 or so actually trimmed.

 

[NZsoufhunt]

Insize calipers are excellent and a good price, common over here in NZ. Get a good pair anyway because you'll use them a hell of a lot