What tools do you need to reload ammo

Therefore, this device is used to press the bullet down, to press the casing against an expanding die, so that a new bullet can then be inserted, or to press the casing so that the brass returns to have its original dimensions, among many other functions.

These steps, as well as others, can also be accomplished with other types of tools. However, this reloading press allows you great versatility for the entire ammunition reloading process.

Learn more about best reloading press. After you shoot the brass cartridge, the cases will surely be dirty. This dirt can vary depending on where you shoot.

At least you will find loose dust as residue, as well as other types of dirt having been in contact with the floor. A simple way to clean brass is to use hot water in a plastic container and a special mixture of dish detergent, vinegar, and salt. Finally, you must dry completely to recharge.

You can also use a brass glass, which allows you to do a better cleaning job inside and out. You will need to screw the die into the refill press. Guns generally have a three-part dice set.

The reload press will allow you to hold the case and push a die. Simply in this step, a certain number of dies is required according to the caliber you want to reload. With the help of a holder for each of the gauges, you can use it as an insert so that your press can hold the base of the cartridge case solid.

You will be able to carry out the recharge of each of the powder loads, corresponding to each of the handheld cartridges. However, it turns out to be an option that will take too long just to reload the first batch of ammunition. On the other hand, having a dust meter turns out to be a suitable option, to specifically calculate the amount of dust they need for each pull of a lever.

This way, you can save a lot of time in the procedure. You should consider that each of the cartridges carries a specific measure of powder so, loading too much or too little each cartridge can be dangerous. To achieve the correct measurement for each of the cartridges, you must have an electronic or mechanical scale.

This way, you are sure that each cartridge has the desired amount of powder in each one. There is a set of ammunition reloading kits on the market that include a scale. Furthermore, you can also get one separately. It may be that the recharge kits do not include a calibrator so it would be convenient to get it separately.

A caliper allows a very accurate measurement of things. Therefore, you should be more concerned with the total length of the cartridge. You must also take into account and verify that the bullets are properly seated.

It would be convenient to have a reload manual to know the exact depth to seat each of the calibers as well as the correct type of bullet. Keep in mind that the instruction manual must always be next to any ammunition reloading. Therefore, it is one of the options that should not be missing in this procedure. This can be compared to a kitchen recipe since if you want to get the right plate of food, you must follow each step with the best precision.

Therefore, by following each of the guidelines that the recharge manual will explain to you correctly, you will be able to avoid various types of inconveniences. First of all, you can opt for a couple of reloading blocks. Usually, this press takes longer to set up than any other style of press.

However, once you have it set up, it will produce quality, and balanced reloads for years to come. If you are a beginner, I recommend you to use a single press. However, many people still prioritize the quality and detail of the single press over the turret and the progressive. If you want to measure powder charges you definitely need a scale.

There are two types of scale out on the market:. Both of them works fine, but the digital model is a little more comfortable and faster on the eyes. Many of us will find the digital scale perfect for measuring. I also use a digital scale over 20 years, and I have no complaint about it. You can get calipers in two types, be it analog or digital dial. Regardless of which one you pick, as it depends on your preferences, each one of them will allow you to measure stuff like the cartridge length.

Calipers are good safety tools too! They will help you prevent overloading the interior of the case, which could keep you from suffering a nasty accident later on.

Basically dies are what does the job step by step. They are responsible for the resizing of the primer removal, brass, and other significant levels.

If you have pistols, I strongly inspire you to have carbide die that avoids the need to lubricate the cases. For a rifle owner, there are plenty of options including bushing dies to micrometer adjustable dies. But they are little pricey. When using turned necks, you will find the bushing dies most helpful with some advanced technique.

On the other hand micrometer, adjustable dies are pure luxury. A shell holder is also essential equipment that you need for reloading. You need it because of your caliber that fits the press and ability for loading. If you want to pour the powder into the cases safely, you need an easy powder funnel. You need one if you cannot throw the charges directly into the cases. They are inexpensive funnels. Every time you fire a cartridge case, they will leave remnants behind.

The amount of residue left may vary depending on how much you shoot, but the result is pretty much the same: you want to collect every bit of that as possible to reuse it later on for other purposes.

While there are plenty of options to clean all that mess, like Tide or hot water, the result is not going to be the most pleasant. Next is primer which comes with a pistol. Before reloading, check the reloading manual to know which primer your caliber needs. There are many universal one-size-fits-all loading blocks and specialized loading blocks that fit a certain range of cartridges based on the width of the cartridge rim.

All loading blocks are made out of plastic material that is not harmed by oils or lubricants. Case neck brushes are used to deposit a slight amount of dry lubricant inside the case neck.

It is important to lubricate the inside of the case neck as the lubrication will reduce friction as the expander ball of the sizing die is pulled out of the case neck increasing the ease of resizing brass and lengthening brass life.

Everyone makes a mistake every now and then when reloading. This tool is important to have to reclaim valuable components when a mistake has been made.

There are a few different types of bullet pullers : impact style, press mounted collet and pliers- type bullet pullers. Impact style bullet pullers work like a hammer and use inertia to separate the bullet and powder from the brass case. A few hard whacks on a piece of wood are usually all that is necessary to remove the bullet. Different brands of impact bullet pullers hold the round in the puller differently. Some use collets and others use adjustable chucks. This style of puller is ideal for the reloader who only has a few bullets to pull at a time.

Press mounted bullet pullers mount in the press and use interchangeable collets to pull bullets. These collets are available for a wide range of calibers.

This style of puller is usually ideal if the reloader has a lot of bullets to pull. This style of puller will not work if the reloader is using cast bullets. Pliers type bullet pullers are designed to work with light tension seated bullets and are used with the press. The reloader takes their die out runs the round all the way up, puts the appropriate caliber puller around the bullet and lowers the ram to remove the bullet. Labels are very useful to a reloader.

They act as a place to detail everything about the load that you just made. This information is very important to have listed. A reloader can purchase pre-made labels or create their own.

Pre-made labels usually include space for the following information: caliber, bullet weight and style, brand of bullet, powder weight, powder type, primer type, type of brass, brass length, overall length, number of times brass has been loaded, date, a space for important notes and bullet seating depth.

Not all labels have spaces for the same information so it is always useful to make sure the labels have space for the information you find useful. Pre-made labels have an adhesive backing which makes them very useful when using reusable ammo boxes. There are many different types of ammo boxes available. The plastic ammo boxes are designed to last much longer than their cardboard counterparts. They are also available in a large variety of sizes and can hold anywhere from cartridges per box.

This versatility makes them the choice of a lot of reloaders. A reloading bench is one of those items that can be very simple and homemade that takes up very little space or it can be a heavy duty bench that is manufactured to tight tolerances and is very elaborate.

Portable reloading stands are desirable to the reloader that does not have very much space like living in an apartment. A reloader that prefers to make a homemade bench should make sure that the bench is large enough to hold all of the necessary reloading equipment and is heavy enough or anchored down where the bench does not move during resizing.

Storage is also a consideration when purchasing or building a bench. Many of the manufactured reloading benches have plenty of drawers and shelves to store reloading equipment when it is not in use.

For reloader looking to make a bench themselves a quick internet search will turn up a bunch of different plans and ideas while a reloader who prefers to buy a bench has plenty of options over a wide range of prices. To create a loaded round of ammunition the reloader needs 4 basic components. Brass case, primer, powder and bullet. There are many different manufactures of brass cases with large price variances between them; figuring out the best to use can be difficult.

Reloaders have their own personal preference when it comes to the manufacturer they prefer to use. Some swear by the most expensive brands while others swear by the least expensive brands.

Usually more expensive brass has been drawn with higher quality materials under tighter quality control tolerances. Higher end brass is typically ready for the reloader to reload out of the box without having to do the prep work that is required from the less expensive brass.

Less expensive brass works the same way as expensive brass it, holds the bullet, powder and primer, it just takes more work to get it ready to use.

There are many match shooters that swear by the least expensive brass they can buy. By utilizing cheaper brass they can afford to reload more ammunition so they can practice more. The type of primers being used depends on the cartridge being loaded as there are different size primers for different size cartridges.

Refer to a reloading manual or contact the brass manufacturer to determine which primer size to use.

Once the primer size is determined figure out what brand is going to be used. Primers tend to vary from one brand to another and also from lot to lot so it is important to find a brand that works well with a particular load and stick with it.

Powder is one of those components that it is very important for the reloader to make sure the correct type and weight is being used. Putting a few extra grains of powder or the wrong powder for a given load can lead to a serious and potentially deadly situation. Always used published load data from respected sources e. Powder Manufacturers. Start low and work up to higher velocities and pressure. The highest velocity load does not always mean it is going to be the best load for a particular rifle.

Many manufacturers list the most accurate load with a given powder and bullet. Shop Reloading Powder Bullets There are almost as many different bullets as there are calibers, each type of bullet having certain advantages and disadvantages. The type of bullet a reloader decides to use it based on the application for their loaded ammunition. Hunting bullets depend on the type of animal being hunted.

As a general rule, hunters look for a bullet that is solidly constructed, exhibits controlled expansion and does not come apart if a bone or branch are hit. There are specialty hunting bullets for different applications depending on what a reloader is looking for. Good varmint bullets are designed to expand very rapidly and dump their energy into the varmint so the bullet will not pass completely through. Reloaders looking at target bullets typically look for bullets having the greatest ballistic coefficient possible and are made to strict tolerances.

It is very important to consult a good reloading manual when deciding on which bullet to use. A good manual will help guide the reloader to the correct bullet for their application. This is a very important topic. As the reloader develops and shoots more loads it is important to have some way of looking back to see which loads worked the best and which ones to avoid.

Taking notes on the performance of a particular load while at the range after firing a few rounds is one of the easiest ways to do this. All that is needed to be written down is what the reloader feels is important.

These books can be as simple as a three ring binder, a folder or small note book. For reloaders that would rather purchase a pre-made data book, these are available also and have pre-printed pages full of very useful information like the bullet type, powder type, primer type, case type, firearm used, velocity, conditions and other valuable information.

Most reloading manuals have a section of pages for the reloader to write down notes. Reloading Manual This is the most critical source of information for reloading. Shop Reloading Presses Single Stage Presses Single stage presses are the easiest to set up and learn the basic reloading processes and are the recommended press for first time reloaders.

Turret presses Turret presses are ideal for a person who reloads larger batches of ammunition but not enough to justify spending the additional money to purchase a progressive press.

Progressive Presses Progressive presses are ideal for shooters who reload high volume and need to turn out up to rounds per hour. Reloading Dies Reloading Dies are used to deprime the brass, resize the brass within specification, seat and crimp the bullet. Shop Reloading Dies Bottleneck cartridges Bottleneck cartridges can be resized using a full-length resizing die which resizes the entire case or they can be resized using a Neck sizing die.

Straight wall cartridge Straight wall cartridge dies can be purchased singly, as 3-die sets or 4-die sets. Shellholder Each cartridge that is being reloaded needs to have the appropriate shellholder. Shop Shellholder and Shellplates Powder Scale A powder scale is another essential tool for reloading.

Shop Powder Scales Powder Trickler Powder tricklers are an important tool for getting the powder charge to the exact charge weight needed. Shop Powder Tricklers Powder Funnel A powder funnel is needed to pour the powder from the powder pan from the scale into the brass case.

Shop Powder Funnels Powder Measure There are a few different ways to measure out the correct powder charge. Dippers Dippers are the least expensive way to measure powder and they measure by volume. Bench Mounted Bench Mounted powder measures use a hopper to hold the powder.

Electronic Dispensers Electronic Dispensers are a very useful tool for getting the exact charge you want to get without a lot of experimentation. Shop Calipers Priming Tool Most presses come with a priming attachment so a priming tool is not a necessity. Bench Mounted Priming Tools Bench mounted priming tools mount on a sturdy bench and offers excellent feel when seating primers.

Press Mounted Priming Tools Press mounted priming tools mount on the reloading press, they can be either upgrades to a press or they can mount in the same location as the reloading dies get mounted. Chamfer and Deburring Tool This is an important tool for any reloader to have in his or her reloading kit.

Shop Chamfer and Deburring Tools Flash Hole Deburring Tool The brass forming process sometimes causes burrs to be created inside the flash hole of brass cases. Shop Flash Hole Tools Primer Pocket Tools There are a few different tools used for cleaning primer pockets, uniforming primer pockets and reaming primer pockets.

Primer Pocket Cleaners Primer pocket cleaners do precisely what their name implies.