Real basic questions

[prairiefire]

I took the plunge and bought an RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme at my local Cabelas. Starting slowly and have already run into some questions. First off, how often do I need to change the medium in my tumblers? I use the vibratory kind. I have only cleaned 300 rounds of once fired range brass - it seems to dirty up the medium.
My first foray will be 9mm only. Is it advisable to deprime before I tumble the brass - or does it really make a difference with a pistol sized case? My other basic question for you pros regards purchasing any upgrades/additions to my kit to make the job easier. My ultimate goal is to reload 9mm, .45, .223 an maybe 300 blackout. Any things you have found that would be advisable to augment this kit. I'm already looking at ancillary purchases including a bullet puller, calipers and of course all the requisite bullet holders. I'm sure that more stupid questions will follow as I get deeper into this.....

 

[Apothus]

I don't know about your other questions, but as far as depriming, I de-prime before tumbling so the media cleans up the primer pockets for me. This is on 300 RUM that I'm trying to be somewhat precise with

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I tumble before depriming, and leave the pockets as-is. After trying to demonstrate an accuracy performance difference between cleaned and uncleaned pockets with a vide variety of chamberings, I have never seen a consistent difference.

After a couple of decades of handloading and match shooting, I have come to believe that just doing the handloading basics with adequate diligence strikes a good compromise between handloading effort, expense, and accuracy. At my advanced age, I flatly refuse to expend an excessive portion of my remaining life at a reloading bench.

Greg

 

[milo 2.0]

Just keep adding polish to your media, it'll last a long time if it doesn't dry out, and keep cleaning. As for when to decap, anything works.
I just wanted to add, you nonchalantly mentioned you'll get around to buying a caliper, I suggest you have one in your hands when you go to seat your first bullet in a charged case.

 

[JGorski]

I took the plunge and bought an RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme at my local Cabelas. Starting slowly and have already run into some questions. First off, how often do I need to change the medium in my tumblers? I use the vibratory kind. I have only cleaned 300 rounds of once fired range brass - it seems to dirty up the medium.
My first foray will be 9mm only. Is it advisable to deprime before I tumble the brass - or does it really make a difference with a pistol sized case? My other basic question for you pros regards purchasing any upgrades/additions to my kit to make the job easier. My ultimate goal is to reload 9mm, .45, .223 an maybe 300 blackout. Any things you have found that would be advisable to augment this kit. I'm already looking at ancillary purchases including a bullet puller, calipers and of course all the requisite bullet holders. I'm sure that more stupid questions will follow as I get deeper into this.....

Sadly, depriming before tumbling will not clean your primer pockets. Since you've hopefully bought carbide sizing dies for your pistol rounds you wont have to lube your cases, so tumble first, then size/deprime. As far as changing your media, thats a judgment call I guess, never had to change mine but I dont use my tumbler all that much on really dirty cases, there must be a way of cleaning media when it gets filthy, have to google that one, haha!
As far as making it easier, do make sure you have carbide or Titanium Nitride sizing dies for your pistol rounds.

 

[acts238]

A stainless media system - WILL - clean primer pockets
but its a little spendy 250.00 or so
white rice is cheaper than corn cob or walnut shell media
last longer & works as good or better
a mixture of 24oz pure liquid lanolin & & 12oz 90% isopropyl alcohol in a squirt bottle
is best case lube - not only least expensive- but works the best
IS THE ONLY WAY TO LUBE CASE -at least IMHO
reloading is a never ending learning process & very enjoyable
you don't really save any $ - but you get to shoot way more
good shootin

 

[JGorski]

A stainless media system - WILL - clean primer pockets

I stand corrected, the 6mmREM brass I had Bob anneal and polish with S/S media have spotless primer pockets.

 

[JGorski]

Stainless Tumbling Media | Stainless Steel Media 5lbs.
Price isn't too bad, really.

 

[acts238]

you gotta have wet tumbler to go with the media
another 200.00 ish

 

[rookie101]

unfortunately, I have found that reloading pistol ammo with a single stage press is time consuming and laborious at best. It is fun for a while, but soon the novelty wears off. Especially if you shoot a lot. I do like single stage with rifle ammo as there are a few more variables (over all length trimming specifically), and loading slower works well for me. A progressive stage press, eventually, may be worth your while. It took me days to load a few hundred rounds with a single stage, with my progressive it takes about an hour. It was not a big deal until my wife and I started shooting competitively. We were going through about 150 rounds a piece, a few weekends of that and I had exhausted all my 'competition' ammo. The few hundred dollar investment was more than worth it for me.
As your media (if it is walnut), breaks down it will begin to lodge in your primer pockets, requiring you to dig it out with some sort of tool, so I suggest depriming after cleaning. Also, someone on here mentioned that they lube a few cases per hundred, or something like that, even with carbide dies. I don't find it necessary, but thought I might pass that along.
I second having a caliper before you begin reloading. There is a reason over all length information is included in your reloading manuals. Plus, if you have to adjust oal for feeding issues you will have some sort of reference to what works and what does not. Good luck, enjoy!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I use RCBS Water Soluble Case Lube in much the same manner as many folks here employ their Imperial Case Wax. I resize and decap, then check length/trim my brass (all the cases as a batch one after the other). I have accumulated 3 small bottles of the RCBS lube, and figure at my age, they will probably outlast me. Only one drawback; when the temp gets down to near freezing, I'm about done with reloading.

After that, it's back to the resizing station for the recapping. Using the Dillon RL550B, each case gets advanced and charged, the case comes out and the charge is weighed/adjusted.

From there, it goes back to the charging station, is advanced and the bullet gets seated.

A scale and a caliper are essential to safe handloading.

Greg