Stepping into the world of reloading! HELP!!!

[kajuntriton]

OK guys I have never pursued reloading but with the increase shooting I have been doing and see much more in the near future I have decide to take the step and get into this HOBBIE/REQUIREMENT, I say requirement because not just sport shooting but also hunting cartridges are getting just as ridiculous as well. ANYWAY!
I am looking at getting a Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Progressive Press; I am sure as I get more involved I will have many more elementary questions for you guys that are far more advanced than I will ever be. Now to set the record straight, I will not be loading any radical super hot rounds nor will I be aiming for precession match target rounds. I am looking for basically stock style rounds for my .223 and .308 fun gun rounds. Then some .243 .270, .308, and 7mmMag hunting rounds. Then of course my hand gun target rounds in 9, 40 and 45.

Now that you know what I will be doing the next question is, what would be the best reloading for dummies books/manuals would you recommend? And then what special tools or specialty item would you recommend? As I mentioned above I know what press I want, what about tumblers and other such required items? As I get deeper into this I will need to learn more about what primers as well as what powder, I would suspect the rifle cartridges would use the same powder and then the pistol cartridge would have it’s powder as well??? Just my assumption at this stage????!!

I spoke with Mark Waggenspack briefly yesterday at the show but I really need to sit down with someone to get into more details. I know Larry at LA reloading is also a great source as well as a great guy.

Again ANY and all information would be much appreciated!!!

KT

 

[dmiculek]

The Lyman manual is a good one to start with. I think Cabela's has them.
PM sent

 

[scubasteve]

Come over one day and I'll walk you through it. I have both single and progressive presses. Probably have a book or two I can give you.
pm me if your'e interested or give me a call.

 

[Dave328]

You'll need:
A quality scale. Personally, I prefer an old school beam type scale as opposed to an electronic. There was a thread recently discussing scales if you search.
A tumbler. I got a basic Cabela's branded tumbler kit that works like a charm. You can get bigger/more$$/more bells and whistles, but like I said mine does exactly what it's supposed to. Clean/polish brass.
Powder/Bullets/Primers. Do yourself a favor and get as much of these things as you can afford at one time! Nothing is more aggravating than finding those 1000 primers or 1# of powder didn't last as long as you thought it would, and you run out in the middle of a run.
A reloading manual. I have the most recent Lyman book. There are a few out there, but the Lyman has a complete section on the step by step reloading process.
A good set of dies. I have RCBS and Hornady. Both are carbide which helps keep the cases from sticking.

Then there is literally a metric ****-ton of gadgets and whatzits you'll pick up.
Primer pocket brush, case debur/chamfer tool, powder scoops, powder trickler, kinetic bullet puller (for those inevitable f-ups), combination shell tray, etc etc etc.

 

[Tulse Luper]

ABC's of Reloading. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Abcs-Reloading-Definitive-Novice-Expert/dp/0896896099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269782701&sr=8-1[/ame]


As far as powders are concerned: go to Google, type "powder for _____ (insert caliber)." For any cartilage you will probably get many hits. There's multiple threads on multiple gun forums discussing powders for just about every common caliber.

I would also consider getting a single stage press for all those rifle calibers. If I'm not doing bulk rife (under 50-100 rounds), I actually prefer to reload bottle necks on a single stage. I like to take measurements on my rifle calibers. Pulling them out of a LNL between stages would be a pain in the ass. When you start out, your should be checking you reloads often, especially bottle neck rifle.

You can also combine reloading rifle on a single stage and a progressive later on.

I have a LNL. It's a good machine, but be prepared to be patient with it. It's finicky, and I've had to get new parts for mine twice --another reason to get a single stage: you can be using it while waiting for parts for the LNL.

A third reason to get a single stage: Learning on a finicky, auto indexing progressive is going to really suck. As a neophyte, you should be checking and rechecking you reloads. The LNL is designed for speed, not ease of learning. Getting everything adjusted on a LNL takes time, and I'm really glad I knew what I was doing, as far as the actual cartilages were concerned, before I had to set one up.

Setting up a single stage is a no brainier, and it will allow you to keep you focus on the reload.

But if you have someone to help you out, like scubasteve , that would be a big help.

 

[ryan]

ABC's of Reloading. http://www.amazon.com/Abcs-Reloadin...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269782701&sr=8-1


As far as powders are concerned: go to Google, type "powder for _____ (insert caliber)." For any cartilage you will probably get many hits. There's multiple threads on multiple gun forums discussing powders for just about every common caliber.

I would also consider getting a single stage press for all those rifle calibers. If I'm not doing bulk rife (under 50-100 rounds), I actually prefer to reload bottle necks on a single stage. I like to take measurements on my rifle calibers. Pulling them out of a LNL between stages would be a pain in the ass. When you start out, your should be checking you reloads often, especially bottle neck rifle.

You can also combine reloading rifle on a single stage and a progressive later on.

I have a LNL. It's a good machine, but be prepared to be patient with it. It's finicky, and I've had to get new parts for mine twice --another reason to get a single stage: you can be using it while waiting for parts for the LNL.

A third reason to get a single stage: Learning on a finicky, auto indexing progressive is going to really suck. As a neophyte, you should be checking and rechecking you reloads. The LNL is designed for speed, not ease of learning. Getting everything adjusted on a LNL takes time, and I'm really glad I knew what I was doing, as far as the actual cartilages were concerned, before I had to set one up.

Setting up a single stage is a no brainier, and it will allow you to keep you focus on the reload.

But if you have someone to help you out, like scubasteve , that would be a big help.

i sent you a pm tulse.

 

[Storm52]

ABC's of Reloading. http://www.amazon.com/Abcs-Reloadin...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269782701&sr=8-1

+1 Get this. You can d/l load data from most of the supplier's websites.
You are going to want a progressive for the handgun loads for sheer speed. I agree that single stage is the way to go for taylored rifle rounds. It is how I started reloading for 270 Weatherby.

 

[scooterj]

Since you plan on loading multiple rifle calibers, I would strongly suggest a manual index Dillon 550B. It's easy to use as a single stage pres by not indexing and while loading pistol stuff you'll get a rhythm, indexing with your thumb, quickly.
I have both a 550B and a 650 and the 550B gets lots more use.