whats up guys. ive been wanting to get into reloading for a while now. any and all advise would be appreciated
Looking to start reloading?
- Thread starter PKamel
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What I know of reloading I was taught by someone else that had been doing it a while. It is a lot of attention to details. Shop around for prices on your supplies.
First I would highly recommend a good loading manual like Lyman's and read it all the way through. I would avoid the Hornady mainly because it pretty much just has load data for their bullets.
Then see if there is a beginners class at a local range, that was a big help when I got started.
Then see if there is a beginners class at a local range, that was a big help when I got started.
Don't do too much too fast. Pick one cartridge and work on everything before you start branching out.
I'm new also. 223 & 308 both seem pretty idiot proof and would be hard to blow yourself up with as long as primers are seated right.
I'm new also. 223 & 308 both seem pretty idiot proof and would be hard to blow yourself up with as long as primers are seated right.
I don't personally know dick about reloading but I do know guys who do it and gunsmiths/armorers who have to fix the fuckups. You need to get some quality published literature, can't remember it's name but it's the universal "Big book o' reloadin'" and you need to consider it your new bible.
If you're one of those guys who doesn't have a shred of OCD about him, you can live and work in chaos then maybe this isn't for you. It can get dangerous if you double charge or mix up powders etc.
If you're one of those guys who doesn't have a shred of OCD about him, you can live and work in chaos then maybe this isn't for you. It can get dangerous if you double charge or mix up powders etc.
Not fully searing the primers can cause an out of battery discharge. The rest of the bad stuff that can happen comes from using the wrong powder or too much of it. The powder charge for 223 or 308 fills the case. If you don't have any pistol powder to accidentally load in your rifle case you won't blow your gun up.
start with a straight wall pistol case, pay attention to details and measurements. Crucial stuff.
Do one operation at a time. such as deprime and size, then prime etc
Do one operation at a time. such as deprime and size, then prime etc
I would show you, but that is a long drive. Read the Hornady or Sierra manual; they are both filled with great ballistics/ how too info. Start with .45acp, the most forgiving/low pressure round commonly used. Then be careful.
I have had a Dillon press for several years and have enjoyed reloading with it. Dillon also has videos on U-Tube you can watch to see how the machine works. Give Dillon a look !
The ABC's of Reloading is a great book to start with. As @handloader said, 45 is a great round to start with. Take your time, make sure you aren't distracted and enjoy to process.
http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloadin...1440186588&sr=8-1&keywords=abc's+of+reloading
http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloadin...1440186588&sr=8-1&keywords=abc's+of+reloading
Personally I'd recommend starting with a used single stage press. Starting with the single stage lets you get used to all the steps- using a progressive press takes a lot of attention just to be sure of what you're doing. However once you are used to it all and have rolled a couple thousand rounds, you'll be much more used to the process and it will seem more automatic.
Would like to hear from the experienced guys but I would THINK, this is the wrong way to go, no?
So if you're going to get into reloading, shouldn't it be for less common, less available/cost prohibitive rounds?
Thoughts?
For .223 you can load 77gr match ammo for about the price of brass range ammo, that stuff is well over a buck a round when buying factory ammo.
The only things I reload is 223 and 308, and they do seem pretty idiot proof, I didn't want to comment on a round I didn't reload.
My main advice is to pick one round and get all the kinks out of your system, before you branch out into others, and I do think that's good advice.
I didn't mean to make it sound as if you were doing something wrong. At least that was not my intention. Also wasn't trying to suggest you couldn't save money, or I guess make better use of it would be a better way to put it.
Just seems to me (in my ignorance) it might be a better use of that investment for rarer rounds. Like I dunno, historical junk. Or maybe if you shoot 7mm08 and that's expensive in your area. You just neck down .308 and boom, you got your rounds...
Again I'm asking questions like this because I don't know what I don't know about reloading, ya know?
I can reload a box of 9mm 115 grain HPs or RNs for about five bucks- saves about $7 over store bought ammo. Not a ton of savings... however I can reload a box of 147 grain subsonic 9mm's for about the same price- much bigger savings (I don't know exactly what subs sell for- I've never bought them from the store).
Once I buy the die set, I'll be rolling out .300 BLK rounds at a cost of about 0.20 per round. Beats the hell out of about 0.75 per round when you can find them at the store.
You will not save money reloading, if that's your intention I wouldn't do it.
How many rounds of 7mm/08 will you shoot in a year? How many years would it take to make up the costs of presses, tools, dies, etc? Still I get what you're saying, one day I'll probably load 7.7jap among others, but I'm leaning to load what I shoot the most.
Certainly makes sense to make what you shoot the most. Almost like producing your own gas, why wouldn't you?
To start, as others have stated try a straight walled pistol cartridge first. The bullets and brass are inexpensive and you'll learn prep methods, weighing charges, seating the bullet, putting on a taper crimp, etc. Basic stuff. After a while, you'll branch out into other cartridges or you'll quit reloading. That's my experience with other reloaders. When you start getting up at 4:00 a.m. to cast your own lead rifle bullets to "beat the heat" of summer, you're gone man....gone.
Reload uncommon rifle cartridges to save some money but the real reason anyone should reload rifle or pistol for that matter is that YOU control everything. Get a chronograph so you can confirm what you are doing against the manuals (and you should buy/read several). I can buy .577-.450 Martini-Henry cartridges from Buffalo Arms when they have stock for about $175 a box of 20 or I can load them myself for about $10-15 per box of twenty after I buy my brass. I value my time highly but I can roll my own for a $160 savings.
The main thing is you can control your MV and pressure, select slower or faster powders since every rifle is different, load mid range wadcutters for pleasant target practice (they aren't commonly found now). There are a LOT of reasons to reload. As a bonus, its fun.
Reload uncommon rifle cartridges to save some money but the real reason anyone should reload rifle or pistol for that matter is that YOU control everything. Get a chronograph so you can confirm what you are doing against the manuals (and you should buy/read several). I can buy .577-.450 Martini-Henry cartridges from Buffalo Arms when they have stock for about $175 a box of 20 or I can load them myself for about $10-15 per box of twenty after I buy my brass. I value my time highly but I can roll my own for a $160 savings.
The main thing is you can control your MV and pressure, select slower or faster powders since every rifle is different, load mid range wadcutters for pleasant target practice (they aren't commonly found now). There are a LOT of reasons to reload. As a bonus, its fun.
I read the Lyman book and the ABC's of reloading.
I would recommend a single stage to start out with. Easy to control each step in the process.
Take your time, and do it right. Don't reload when you are in a hurry or distracted. Don't drink while reloading.